Flexure of disk drive suspension, and method of manufacturing conductive circuit portion of flexure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9761256-B2
Application number	US-201715582847-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 1, 2017
Priority date	Sep 10, 2015
Publication date	Sep 12, 2017
Grant date	Sep 12, 2017

Abstract

A flexure mounted on a load beam of a disk drive suspension, including a metal base formed of a stainless-steel plate; and a conductive circuit arranged along the metal base. The conductive circuit includes an insulating layer on the metal base; and a conductor on the insulating layer. The conductor includes a thin conductor portion formed in a first region (A 1 ) which is part of the conductive circuit in a longitudinal direction; and a thick conductor portion formed in a second region (A 2 ) which is another part of the conductive circuit in the longitudinal direction, the thick conductor portion being thicker than the thin conductor portion. The flexure includes a flexure tail portion having an opening formed in the metal base; a bent portion of the metal base which is bent in a thickness direction at the opening; and a trace curved portion curved in the thickness direction at a position facing the opening. The trace curved portion includes the thick conductor portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A flexure mounted on a load beam of a disk drive suspension, the flexure comprising:
a metal base formed of a stainless-steel plate; and
a conductive circuit portion arranged along the metal base,
the conductive circuit portion comprising:
an insulating layer formed of an electrically insulating material and formed on the metal base; and
a conductor formed on the insulating layer,
the conductor comprising:
a thin conductor portion formed in a first region which constitutes a part of the conductive circuit portion in a longitudinal direction; and
a thick conductor portion formed in a second region which constitutes another part of the conductive circuit portion in the longitudinal direction, a thickness of the thick conductor portion being greater than that of the thin conductor portion, wherein:
the flexure comprises a flexure tail portion;
the flexure tail portion comprises:
an opening formed in the metal base;
a bent portion of the metal base which is bent in a thickness direction at the opening; and
a trace curved portion which is curved in the thickness direction at a position facing the opening; and
the trace curved portion comprises the thick conductor portion.

2. A flexure mounted on a load beam of a disk drive suspension, the flexure comprising:
a metal base formed of a stainless-steel plate; and
a conductive circuit portion arranged along the metal base,
the conductive circuit portion comprising:
an insulating layer formed of an electrically insulating material and formed on the metal base; and
a conductor formed on the insulating layer,
the conductor comprising:
a thin conductor portion formed in a first region which constitutes a part of the conductive circuit portion in a longitudinal direction; and
a thick conductor portion formed in a second region which constitutes another part of the conductive circuit portion in the longitudinal direction, a thickness of the thick conductor portion being greater than that of the thin conductor portion, wherein:
the conductor comprises a terminal portion which is connected to a terminal of an electronic circuit; and
the terminal portion comprises the thick conductor portion.

3. A flexure mounted on a load beam of a disk drive suspension, the flexure comprising:
a metal base formed of a stainless-steel plate; and
a conductive circuit portion arranged along the metal base,
the conductive circuit portion comprising:
an insulating layer formed of an electrically insulating material and formed on the metal base; and
a plurality of conductors formed on the insulating layer, arranged to be spaced apart from each other in a width direction of the conductive circuit portion, wherein:
thin conductor portions formed in a part of the conductors, the thin conductor portions being formed in a region which constitutes the part of the conductive circuit portion in a longitudinal direction; and
thick conductor portions formed in a remainder of the conductors, the thick conductor portions being formed in a region which constitutes another part of the conductive circuit portion, a thickness of each of the thick conductor portions being greater than that of each of the thin conductor portion.

Assignees

• Nhk Spring Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kawao Sei

Classifications

• G11B5/4833

  Structure of the arm assembly, e.g. load beams, flexures, parts of the arm adapted for controlling vertical force on the head (G11B5/484 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G11B5/4826 Primary

  Mounting, aligning or attachment of the transducer head relative to the arm assembly, e.g. slider holding members, gimbals, adhesive (G11B5/484 takes precedence; details of head housings or structures G11B5/10, G11B5/127; adjustment relative to the record carrier G11B5/56) · CPC title

• H05K1/147

  at least one of the printed circuits being bent or folded, e.g. by using a flexible printed circuit (H05K1/148 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H05K1/028

  Bending or folding regions of flexible printed circuits (H05K1/0283 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G11B5/486 Primary

  with provision for mounting or arranging electrical conducting means or circuits on or along the arm assembly · CPC title