BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a simplified plan view of a standard computer disk drive including an actuator for positioning of a slider on a magnetic storage disk;
FIG. 2 is fragmentary perspective view of an actuator detailing one particular construction of a flexure incorporating the buckling limiting feature of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a reverse perspective view of the flexure illustrated in FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 5 showing another embodiment of the buckling limiting feature of the present invention comprising a load beam tab and a pocket formed in the flexure;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 4 specifically illustrating the pocket formed in the flexure.
FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention illustrating another type of load beam and flexure design incorporating the buckling limiter feature of the present invention including a flexure limiter that engages load beam limiter tabs;
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of yet another embodiment of the present invention in the form of a stop feature incorporated on the load beam and engageable with a flexure limiter; and
FIG. 8 is a plan view of another embodiment of the present invention in the form of a different load beam and flexure design incorporating the buckling limiting features of the present invention comprising load beam hooks and lateral flexure tabs.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 illustrates a plan view of a common disk drive assembly 10 with the top cover removed. FIG. 1 is representative of any number of common disk drives. The disk drive assembly 10 includes at least one magnetic storage disk 12 typically having magnetic media on both the upper and lower surfaces thereof. The disk 12 along with other components of the disk drive are contained within a housing 14. The disk 12 is mounted over a hub 16 that is driven by a motor (not shown) enabling the disk to rotate at high revolutions per minute during operation. An actuator assembly 18 is shown rotatably mounted to an actuator pivot 24. A load beam 22 connects to an actuator arm 23. A flexure 21 attaches to the load beam 22. In solid lines, the actuator assembly 18 is shown parked over the landing zone. The actuator assembly is nearly symmetrical when viewed along longitudinal axis Z-Z. The landing zone of the disk may be allocated for takeoff and landing of the read/write heads during spin-up and spin-down of the disk. The actuator assembly 18 is rotated to a desired track by a voice coil motor 26. Accordingly, the actuator assembly 18 moves in an arcuate path 25 across the disk and is positioned over the desired tracks during operation. Each of the disk tracks on the disk 12 are formed concentrically so that the arcuate movement of the actuator assembly results in the head moving substantially laterally or transversely with respect to the direction in which the tracks extend. The voice coil 26 is immersed in a magnetic field generated by a magnet 28. Upper and lower cover plates 33 and 32 surround the magnet 28. An actuator control circuit (not shown) causes current flow in the voice coil motor 26 and ultimately controls the positioning of the actuator assembly by varying current through the voice coil. The dotted position of the actuator assembly 18 shows how the actuator may travel along path 25 by rotating about the actuator pivot point 24 in response to the voice coil motor 26. A flex cable 36 attaches to the actuator assembly which transfers electronic signals to and from a slider mounted to the flexure 21. The slider contains one or more read/write heads. The direction of spin of the disk 12 is shown in the clockwise rotation 40. Any counter-clockwise rotation of the disk 12 with respect to the actuator can cause buckling damage, as mentioned above.
FIG. 2 illustrates a greatly enlarged fragmentary perspective view of an actuator assembly detailing one particular construction of a flexure/flexure incorporating the buckling limiting feature of the present invention. The distal portion of the actuator assembly 50 includes the load beam 52 and the flexure 54 which is secured to the load beam 50. In the example of FIG. 2, the load beam includes a load/unload tab 56 and a load beam dimple 64. The particular shape of the load beam 52 is dictated by the particular disk drive type, and it is understood that the load beam illustrated in FIG. 2 is simply representative of a known load beam configuration. The flexure 54 also simply represents one known type of flexure that is used in a disk drive, and the particular shape and configuration thereof may change depending upon a particular head stack assembly and disk pack configurations. The flexure 54 is also illustrated as having a U-shaped extension 58 that carries the slider 62. The slider 62 carries one or more read/write heads (not shown). Referring also to FIG. 3, the flexure 54 also includes a plurality of electrical connectors referred to as a circuit-in-flexure (CIS) 60 that provides the electrical connections between the end of the flexure and the printed circuit board assembly of the disk drive. As best seen in FIG. 3, the U-shaped extension 58 includes a flexure tab 68 that protrudes through a T-shaped opening 72 made in the load beam 52. The flexure tab 68 includes a transverse portion 74 that extends transversely with respect to a longitudinal axis of the actuator assembly.
The buckling limiting feature of the present invention in this first embodiment comprises a pair of load beam stop extensions 70 that extend through respective transverse openings in the flexure 54, and the load beam stop extensions 70 being located adjacent a shoulder 66 of the U-shaped extension 58. FIGS. 2 and 3 show the direction in which a buckling load B may be applied causing a buckling failure of the flexure. If the flexure were to receive a buckling load B, the flexure would be displaced in the direction of the arrow, thus causing the shoulder 66 to make contact with the stop extensions 70. The stop extensions 70 have the capability to therefore prevent the flexure from displacing in a manner that can cause damage to the flexure since the stop extensions 70 are able to effectively transfer the force of the buckling load to the stiffer and stronger load beam.
FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate another embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view of a flexure incorporating another embodiment of the buckling limiting feature of the present invention comprising a load beam tab 64 and a pocket 76 formed in the flexure. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the flexure illustrating the pocket formed in the flexure. The pocket 76 is formed directly below the load beam dimple 64 of the load beam 52. The pocket 76 does not need to be formed completely through the flexure and rather, the pocket 76 may be formed only through one or more selected layers of the flexure. One typical construction of a flexure utilizes a multi-layered configuration. Thus, the flexure may include various layers such as an upper stainless steel layer 78, a dielectric layer 80, and a copper trace layer 82. As shown in FIG. 4, the spacial relationship of the flexure 54 with respect to the load beam 52 allows the most protruding part 65 of the load beam dimple 64 to be inserted within the pocket 76 formed in the flexure. In the event a buckling load B is experienced by the flexure, the leading edge 86 of the pocket 76 would strike the area 84 on the load beam dimple to prevent the flexure from further displacing. The buckling limiting feature of this embodiment takes advantage of the existing load beam dimple 64 with only a modification made to the flexure. Depending upon the particular location of the load beam dimple 64, the pocket 76 may be formed at the corresponding location on the flexure where the load beam dimple 64 may constrain displacement of the flexure.
FIG. 6 illustrates yet another embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, FIG. 6 illustrates a very different design for both the load beam 52 and the flexure 54. As shown, the load beam 52 does not have a load/unload tab, and rather terminates with a pair of forked extensions 96 that extend distally beyond a contact surface 90 and flanges 94. Although the slider is not illustrated in FIG. 6, the slider would be positioned under the U-shaped extension 58. Additionally in FIG. 6, the flexure tab 68 and corresponding transverse portion 74 extend in a distal direction beyond the U-shaped extension 58, as opposed to extending proximally from the U-shaped extension as shown in the prior embodiments. The buckling limiting feature for the embodiment of FIG. 6 is achieved by contact of the flexure tab 68 against the contact surface 90 and/or contact of the transverse portion 74 against the flanges 94 in the event a buckling load B displaces the flexure 54. Depending upon the extent of the vertical separation or gap between the load beam 52 and the flexure 54, either the flexure tab 68 contacts the contact surface 90 or the transverse portion 74 of the flexure tab contacts the flanges 94 to prevent further displacement and damage to the flexure. The base 97 of the flexure tab is sized to only permit an acceptable amount of displacement of the flexure until the tab or transverse portion makes contact with the load beam.
FIG. 7 illustrates yet another embodiment of the present invention. In the example of FIG. 7, the solution to prevent buckling damage to the flexure by a buckling load B is achieved by simply adding a stop plate 100 adjacent the flexure tab 68 to prevent proximal displacement of the flexure tab 68. Specifically, excessive proximal displacement of the flexure causes the flexure tab 68 to contact the leading edge 102 of the stop plate 100. The stop plate 100 covers a portion of the T-shaped opening 72, thus also preventing the transverse portion 74 from rotating through the opening. Accordingly, the flexure is prevented from excessive displacement in the proximal direction, as well as in the orthogonal direction against an underlying disk.
FIG. 8 illustrates yet another embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 8, a very different shaped load beam 52 and flexure 54 are illustrated, like reference numbers in this embodiment also corresponding to the same elements in the prior embodiments. As shown, the load beam 52 terminates with a load/unload tab 56, and the flexure 54 carries the slider 62. The opposite lateral sides of the load beam 52 include respective hook extensions 106 that extend beyond the plane of the load beam 52. The hook extensions 106 terminate with distally extending tips 108. The flexure 54 comprises a pair of lateral tabs 104 that extend between the flexure 52 and the extension tips 108. This nested relationship between the positioning of the lateral tabs 104 and the hook extensions 106 prevent buckling damage to the flexure from the buckling load B by contact of the trailing edges 110 of the lateral tabs 104 against the leading edges 112 of the hook extensions 106. Also in this embodiment, excessive orthogonal displacement of the flexure is prevented by contact of the facing surfaces of the lateral tabs 104 and the tips 108.
In accordance with the method of the present invention, buckling damage to the flexure is prevented by provision of a buckling limiter wherein contact of a component of the flexure against a component of the load beam caused by the force of a buckling load causes the load to be at least partially transferred to the load beam. In accordance with the method, prevention of damaging contact of the slider against its corresponding disk is also prevented by also limiting the orthogonal or vertical displacement of the flexure with respect to the load beam by the same components used to prevent buckling damage.
The various preferred embodiments described above provide a number of solutions for preventing buckling damage to the flexure. In addition to prevention of buckling damage, some of the embodiments also prevent excessive orthogonal displacement of the flexure to prevent damaging contact of the slider against the disk that may be caused by shock events. The structural features provided to enable a buckling load to be transferred from the flexure to the load beam do not require extensive or substantial redesign of any of the actuator elements.
While the foregoing detailed description provides various preferred embodiments of the present invention, it shall be understood that various other modifications and changes may be made to the present invention that are within the spirit and scope of the present invention considering the scope of the claims appended hereto.
Patent Application
20070268629
