Patent ID: 6341050
Filing Date: 2002-01-22
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
A disk drive suspension comprising a load beam and a flexure carrying a slider for contact or not with a disk, said load beam comprising a base portion, a rigid beam portion having rigidity-imparting left and right edge rails comprising rearward, forward and intermediate rail sections, and a spring portion between said base and rigid beam portions, said rigid beam portion having rearward, forward and intermediate beam sections corresponding to said rearward, forward and intermediate rail sections, respectively; said forward beam section extending the length of and mounting said flexure, said rearward beam section being attached to said spring portion, and said intermediate beam section having a locus of articulation formed by opposing discontinuities in said left and right intermediate rail sections, and a stiffener plate attached to said rearward beam section in intermediate beam section overlying relation to block overcenter movement of said intermediate beam section relative to said rearward beam section in the unloaded condition of said suspension, whereby said intermediate section flexes in response to slider contact or not with said disk to maintain said slider at a small positive pitch relative to said disk in the absence of disk operating contact and at a 0Â° pitch when in disk operating contact under spring portion loading.