SHOCK, VIBRATION, AND HANDLING RESISTANT LOAD BEAM SUSPENSION

Abstract: A suspension assembly for use in a disk drive comprising a load beam, a gimbal, and a read/write head that is designed to make the suspension assembly more resistant to shock and vibration. The load beam comprises a load beam window that cooperates with an extended tab portion on the end of the gimbal to reduce vertical movement of the gimbal and head assembly. The clearance between the extended tab portion and the load beam window acts to limit the movement of the flexure during a shock event, such as may occur during the head loading and unloading process. In this manner, the heads, which are attached to the flexures, cannot impact one another or any other component outside the range allowed by the load beam window. In addition, the load beam has an accommodation space(s) therein that function in cooperation with a flexible bridge portion(s) of the gimbal to allow the head and gimbal assemblies to flex or rotate in response to forces acting on the suspension assembly thereby accommodating the full free motion of the flexure and the affixed heads. Finally, the load beam side rails have been extended to help stiffen the tip of the suspension and to decrease the movement of the heads due to vibration and also to help protect the heads from damage during handling.

Description: 1/6 CO 2/6 ^ ^ 5/6 S 6/6 SHOCK, VIBRATION, AND HANDLING RESISTANT LOAD BEAM SUSPENSION BACKGROUND This invention relates to computer data storage systems, such as disk drives. More particularly, the invention relates to a disk drive suspension for use in a disk drive. Microprocessors and supporting computer technologies are rapidly increasing in speed and computing power while decreasing in cost and size. These factors have led to the broad application of microprocessors to an array of electronic products, such as hand-held computers, digital cameras, cellular phones and the like. All of these devices have, in effect, become computers with particular application-specific attributes. For this new breed of computer products, enormous flexibility is gained by the ability to exchange data files and store computer software. A variety of proprietary storage devices have been used in computer products. For example, hand-held computers have used integrated circuit memory cards ("memory cards") as the primary information storage media. Memory cards include memory storage elements, such as Static Random Access Memory (SRAM), or programmable and erasable non-volatile memory, such as "flash" memory. Memory cards are typically the size of a conventional credit card and are used in portable computers in place of hard disk drives and floppy disk drives. Furthermore, memory cards enhance the significant advantages of the size, weight, and battery lifetime attributes of the portable computer and increase portability of the - 2 - storage media. However, because of the limited memory density attainable in each memory card and the high cost of the specialized memory chips, using memory cards in hand-held computers imposes limitations not encountered in less portable computers, which typically use more power-consuming and heavier hard and floppy disk drives as their primary storage media. The uses of disk drives in these portable computer devices places significant design constraints on the components within a disk drive. For example, it is desirable that the drive be both small and durable. Designs for disk drives in these compact potable computer devices are constantly striving to reduce the size of components within the drive and reduce the height or Z-dimension of the drive while at the same time increasing performance of the disk drive components. In order to make these disk drive devices more portable, new designs require that the drive must be lightweight and yet able to overcome rigorous mechanical shocks and vibrations. These design constraints require new component designs that were not encountered in previous disk drive subsystems. SUMMARY The present invention is directed to a suspension assembly for use in a disk drive that satisfies the need of providing a lightweight and compact design that is capable of withstanding rigorous mechanical shocks and vibrations. A suspension assembly having features of the present invention includes a load beam, a gimbal that is coupled to the load beam, and a read/write head that is coupled to the gimbal. The load beam has a substantially flat body, a proximal end, a base on the proximal end for securing the suspension assembly to an actuator arm of a disk drive, a distal end, a bottom, a top, two sides, and a dimple that is stamped into the top of the load beam body along the longitudinal axis and located proximate to the distal end such that the dimple makes a convex surface on the bottom of the load beam. The gimbal includes a main body portion that is coupled to or formed integral with the load beam, a flexible hinged portion that floats in relation to the convex surface of the dimple on the load beam, and at least one flexible bridge portion that connects the main body portion to the hinged portion of the gimbal. A read/write head is then coupled to the flexible hinged portion of the gimbal so that the read/write head can adjust itself to the media surface. The flexible hinged portion of the - 3 - gimbal and the read/write heads are located in an area proximate to the dimple of the load beam. The load beam further comprises one or more extended rail portions. This extended rail portion serves to stiffen the load beam and to support the distal end of the load beam. Preferably these extended rail portions are turned or rolled relatively perpendicular to a plane of the surface of the load beam body and in a direction away from a surface of a media within the disk drive. The extended rail portions also extend substantially over the entire length of the load beam and extend over at least a portion of the gimbal and head assembly. According to another aspect of the invention, the suspension assembly has a restraining means disposed at its distal end. This restraining means further comprises a load beam that has an extended portion located at its distal end. This extended portion is turned down relatively perpendicular to the plane defined by the load beam in a direction toward the surface of a media within the disk drive. This bend is made toward the media in order save space in the Z-dimension and to provide smaller and more durable disk drive designs by adding a feature to overcome rigorous mechanical shocks and vibrations while at the same time not requiring any additional height. This turned down extended portion has an opening formed therein forming a load beam window. This load beam window serves as a restraining member at the distal end of the load beam. While the load beam window may have a variety of shapes, it is preferred that it have a rectangular shape. The gimbal has an extending tab portion that extends distally from the distal end of the hinged portion of the gimbal, substantially in the same plane as the gimbal. This tab portion is adapted for engagement with the load beam window. The load beam window acts as a restraining member to confine both vertical and horizontal movement of the tab portion of the gimbal. The clearance between the flexure tab portion and the load beam window acts to limit the movement of the flexure tab portion of the gimbal during shock events, such as may occur during the head loading or unloading process. According to another aspect of the invention, the load beam has a substantially flat body with at least one accommodation space located thereon. The gimbal has a main body portion that is coupled to or formed integral with the load beam. The gimbal also has a hinged portion which connects to and supports a read write head. The gimbal has at least one flexible bridge portion that connects the main body portion to the hinged portion. It is . 4 . preferred that the number of flexible bridge portions of the gimbal corresponds to the number of accommodation spaces on the body of the load beam. This flexible bridge portion of the gimbal is located proximate to the accommodation spaces on the load beam such that when the flexible portion flexes, clearance is provided between the flexible bridge portion of the gimbal and the accommodation space on the load beam. Preferably there are two accommodation spaces on the body of the load beam and two flexible bridge portions of the gimbal. The accommodation space allows for the full free motion of the flexure bridge portion and the affixed heads thereby reducing the head motion in relation to the media. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, is better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in the drawings an embodiment that is presently preferred, it being understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the specific methods and instrumentalities disclosed. In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a disk drive device and a disk cartridge according to a version of the present invention; Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the disk drive device and a disk cartridge of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a top plan view of the disk drive device of Figure 1 with the disk cartridge installed in the disk drive; Figure 4 is an isometric view of a suspension assembly for use with the drive of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a bottom plan view of the suspension assembly of Figure 4; and Figure 6 is a bottom isometric view of the suspension assembly of Figure 4. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention relates to a suspension assembly for use with a disk - 5 - drive. Throughout the description, the invention is described in connection with an exemplary disk drive. However, the mechanism should not be limited to the particular disk drive embodiment shown as the invention contemplates the application to other drive types and configurations. For example, the disk drive shows a rotary actuator, yet the present invention could also be used with a linear actuator type of disk drive. In addition, the following discussion focuses on an embodiment in which only one suspension is employed to read on one side on the media in the disk drive. It should be understood that this invention also covers applications which employ multiple suspensions and read/write heads, such as an embodiment that uses two suspensions that are located opposed to one another such that the read/write head of one suspension reads/writes on the top of the media and the read/write head of the other suspension reads/writes on the bottom of the media. Figure 1 is a perspective drawing of a disk drive device 50 and a disk cartridge 10. Drive 50 may be adapted for removable connection to a computer device or may be built- in to a computer device. Preferably, disk drive device 50 has a form factor such that it may be adapted for use with a PCMCIA connection (Type III or, more preferably, Type II). Disk drive device 50 may have a protective case, such as protective case 13, consisting of an upper case 11 and a lower case 12, which form an interior space for accepting disk cartridge 10. Preferably, upper case 11 and lower case 12 are formed from sheet material. Lower case 12 has a bottom surface and side surfaces, and upper case 11 is formed so that it covers the top of lower case 12. Upper case 11 has a raised surface 11a, which projects upward across a width W of the upper case 11. Width W of this raised surface 1 la is between about 48 mm and 51 mm. Accordingly, space is available within case 13 to accommodate a disk cartridge 10 as well as a disk drive mechanism and an electronics system. Disk cartridge 10 has a storage media 14 disposed therein. A connector 15 (shown in Figure 2) is provided in one end of protective case 13. As noted, the external dimensions of the protective case 13 are in a form which conforms to the PCMCIA standards, preferably Type II. According to the standard, the form factor should conform to a length of about 85.6 mm, a width of about 54 mm, and a thickness of about 5 mm. By conforming to this standard, drive device 50 can be adapted for insertion into a PCMCIA port, such as the type commonly found in computers (not shown). Furthermore, when disk drive device 50 is inserted into a PCMCIA port of a computer or built-in to a - 6 - computer device, connector 15 connects to a corresponding connector (not shown) within the computer, such that a power source and electrical signals can be transmitted and received between disk drive device 50 and the computer. Figure 3 is a top view of the disk drive 50 with its top cover removed for clarity. Disk drive 50 accepts the removable disk cartridge 10 (shown in phantom) for reading and storing digital information. Drive 50 further comprises a chassis 57, an actuator 56, a load ramp 52, a spindle motor 53, and a spindle 40. The actuator 56 includes a suspension assembly 48 comprising an opposing pair of load beams 44 having a read/write head 54 disposed at the end of each load beam. The disk cartridge 10 can be inserted into or removed from the front 51 of the drive 50 through opening 16 in the direction indicated by the arrow 55. During insertion, cartridge 10 slides linearly along the top surface of chassis 57 and spindle motor 53 for engagement of the media 14 with the read/write heads 54. Figure 4 shows a portion of suspension assembly 48 comprising load beam 44, gimbal 39, and read/write head 54. Figures 5 and 6 show a portion of suspension assembly 48 in further detail (read/write head 54 is not shown in Figures 5 and 6 for clarity). As shown in Figures 4, 5, and 6, load beam 44 preferably comprises a substantially flat body 45, a proximal end 46, a base 47 on proximal end 46 for securing the suspension 48 to an actuator arm 56 of a disk drive 50, a distal end 49, a bottom 41, a top 42, two sides 34, and a dimple 31 that is stamped into top 42 of load beam body 45 along the longitudinal axis and located proximate to the distal end 49. Dimple 31 makes a convex surface on the bottom 41 of load beam 44 providing a pivot point for gimbal 39. The load beam 44 further comprises at least one extended rail portion 32. Extended rail portion 32 is provided to add stiffness to load beam 44 to support gimbal 39 and read/write head 54. Extended rail portion 32 may be formed integral with or made separate form and then coupled to load beam 44. Preferably, extended rail portion 32 comprises two extended rail portions 32 that are located along the sides 34 of load beam 44. Preferably, these extended rail portions 32 are turned or rolled relatively perpendicular to the surface of the load beam body 45 and in a direction away from a surface of a media 14 within the disk drive 50. Alternatively, the extended rail portions 32 may be rolled so that they originally dip below the plane of the load beam body 45 and then roll upward in a direction away from a surface of a media 14 within the disk drive so that additional height is not required. The - 7 - extended rail 32 may also be turned, folded over, or rolled in a direction toward a surface of a media 14 within the disk drive 50. Preferably, these extended rails portions 32 also extend substantially over the entire length of load beam 44 and extend over at least a portion of gimbal 39 and head assembly 54. According to another aspect of the invention, load beam 44 further has an extended portion 33 located at its distal end 49. Preferably, this extended portion 33 is turned downward relatively perpendicular to a plane defined by the surface of load beam 44 in a direction toward the surface of a media 14 within a disk drive 50. The turn down is made toward the media 14 so that space is saved in the Z-dimension and additional drive height is not required. This turn down is significant because earlier drives disclosed designs wherein components in the disk drive were turned in a direction away from the media surface. It is customary in designing disk drives to turn sharp edges away from the media so that the media is not damaged through contact with any sharp edges. This feature becomes more important as designs for disk drives continue to demand smaller and more durable configurations that are still capable of overcoming rigorous shocks and vibrations. Disk drive manufactures try to keep sharp metal edges away from the spinning disk (media 14) due to the severe damage and associated data loss that would result if the metal edge comes into contact with the media 14. Bending the extended portion 33 toward the media 14 introduces the sharp metal edge of the loadbeam 44 to the media 14. Given the option, most designers and disk manufacturers would bend the gimbal 39 up, put a window cutout in it, and extend the loadbeam 44 through the window. In this way, the sharp metal edge points away from the media 14. In contradiction, the turned down extended portion 33 of load beam 44 of the present invention is turned toward the media 14 and has an opening formed therein forming a load beam window 35. The turned down extended portion 33 forms a plane that is not in the same plane nor coplanar to the plane of the load beam 44. Preferably, the plane defined by the load beam window 35 is substantially perpendicular to the plane defined by the load beam body 45. The load beam window 35 may take a variety of shapes including, but not limited to square, rectangle, circular, diamond, triangle, semi-circular, elliptical, etc. Also, the load beam window 35 may be formed integral with the body 45 of the load beam 44 or the load beam window 35 may be formed separately and then coupled to the load beam 44. - 8 - The load beam window 35 allows limited movement of the gimbal 39 and read/write head 54 while at the same time serving as a restraining member at the distal end 49 of load beam 44. The restraining member restrains movement of the gimbal end 39d relative to the load beam distal end 49. This restraining feature of extended portion 33 functions to restrict extreme movement of the gimbal 39 and heads 54 during a shock event thereby preventing damage to these components. Other than keeping the metal edge away from the media 14, there is another significant advantage to putting the window 35 in the gimbal 39 which teaches away from the present invention. During a vertical shock, the gimbal 39 bends as it resists the force generated by the accelerated mass of the head 54. As the gimbal 39 bends, it effectively shortens in the in-plane direction. When the window 35 is placed in the gimbal 39, during a vertical shock, the gimbal 39 shortens in the in-plane direction, and the gimbal 39 increases its engagement with the loadbeam 44 extension which goes through the window 35. (Since the loadbeam 44 is 2 to 3 times thicker than the gimbal 39, the loadbeam extension tab 37 bends very little, during a shock event, in comparison to the gimbal 39). Conversely, when the window 35 is placed in the loadbeam 44, during a vertical shock, the gimbal 39 shortens and the gimbal extension-tab 37 decreases its engagement with the loadbeam 44. For shock levels required by a preferred drive 50, the gimbal extension tab 37 can shorten enough to disengage entirely with the loadbeam window 35, rendering the drive 50 useless, unless careful selection (optimization) of the components is considered. To correct for this in-plane shortening the gimbal, the extension tab 37 needs to be as wide and long as possible. However, the length of the tab 37 is constrained by the small width form factor of the drive 50, and the width of the tab 37 is constrained by the clearance between the extension tab 37 and the window opening 35. To allow for movement of the head 54 (pitch and roll) the gimbal extension tab 37 can not touch the inside of the loadbeam window 35 during operation. Conversely, if the window 35 is formed into the gimbal 39 as is the conventional method, the load beam extension tab can not touch the inside of the gimbal window. However, due to the Z-height restraints in the type II form factor drive 50, the window 35 must be formed into the loadbeam 44 and then bent toward the media 14. Since

Claims: - 9 - the distance from the loadbeam 44 to the window 35 is less very small, the window 35 must be very small. Since the window 35 must be very small, the extension tab 37 from the gimbal 39 must be very narrow so that the gimbal extension 37 does not touch the inside of the load beam window 35 during operation. The narrowness of the gimbal 39 increases its propensity to shorten in the in-plane direction during a vertical shock (z-axis). This again teaches away from the configuration of the present invention. If there were Z-height space available, the obvious solution to this problem would be to bend the window 35 up from the gimbal 39 as is the traditional method. By careful selection of the shape of the gimbal tab 37 extension and load beam window 35 opening size the drive 50 meets the operation and non-operation requirements for its intended use as a rugged mobile disk drive 50. For example, in one currently preferred embodiment, a requirement of the drive 50 is that the actuator 56 (head, load beam, gimbal, coil assembly) does not touch the media 14 when the media 14 is not spinning. This is referred to as the parked condition. Another requirement is that the heads 54 can not touch together at any time. Therefore the heads 54 need to be separated by some part, referred to as the load ramp 52, as they move off the edge of the media 14. The separation of the heads 54 by the load ramp 52 in this preferred drive 50 is about 1.4 mm. The total Z-height between the chassis 57 and the cover 13 is about 2.5 mm. This leaves about 0.55 mm between the top of the load ramp 52 and the cover 13, and the bottom of the load ramp 52 and the chassis 57. The load beam 44 takes approximately 0.4 mm of this space on the top and the bottom. This leaves approximately 0.15 mm clearance on the top and the bottom. Therefore, there is not enough room to put the window 35 in the gimbal 39, and the problematic condition of putting the window 35 in the load beam 44 must be addressed by careful choice of extension-tab 37 shape and the window 35 opening size. As shown in Figures 4 and 6, gimbal 39 includes an extended tab portion 37 that extends from the end 39d of hinged portion 39c. Extended tab portion 37 is adapted for engagement with load beam window 35. Preferably, extended tab portion 37 extends in the same plane as gimbal 39. Load beam window 35 acts as a restraining member to confine the movement of tab portion 37 of gimbal 39. Load beam window 35 is configured to allow for the free movement of read/write heads 54 which is coupled to hinged portion 39c within a limited range of motion. This range of motion depends on the specific application and on the - 10 - individual component characteristics of the suspension assembly 48. Preferably, the range of vertical motion will be limited to prevent any plastic deformation of the gimbal 39 and also to prevent opposing heads 54 from contacting one another, or from the heads 54 from contacting other components within the disk drive 50. The design of the load beam window 35 may also function to restrain movement of the heads 54 in a horizontal direction due to excessive shocks or vibrations. According to another aspect of the invention, load beam 44 has a substantially flat body 45 with at least one accommodation space 30 formed therein. In addition, gimbal 39 is formed having at least one flexible bridge portion 39a. Accommodation space 30 is sized such that there is adequate clearance for flexible bridge portion 39a of gimbal 39 to access accommodation space 30 and flex or twist without contacting the sides of accommodation space 30 or load beam 44. Accommodation space 30 may comprise a variety of shapes and in a preferred embodiment, accommodation space 30 has a rectangular shape. In addition, accommodation space 30 may comprise any configuration that provides a means for allowing flexible bridge portions 39a to freely flex into accommodation space 30. For example, accommodation space 30 may comprise a recess or cavity formed in the load beam body 45, or preferably, accommodation space 30 may comprise an opening or through hole formed in load beam body 45. The use of an opening or through hole as the configuration of accommodation space 30 provides for the free flexing of flexible bridge portion 39a while at the same time reducing the weight of the load beam 44 structure. As shown in Figure 4, load beam 44 preferably has two accommodation spaces 30 in the form of rectangular shaped openings. As shown in Figure 4, the two accommodation spaces 30 are located on load beam 44 such that the longitudinal length of the load beam 44 is substantially parallel to the longitudinal length of the accommodation spaces 30. The first accommodation space 30 is located in an area between a centerline of load beam 44 and one side 34 of load beam 44 and the second accommodation space 30 is located on the other side of the centerline in an area between the centerline of load beam 44 and the other side 34 of load beam 44. Both accommodation spaces 30 are located in an area between proximate end 46 of load beam 44 and the dimple region. Gimbal 39 couples head 54 to load beam 44. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, - 11 - gimbal 39 comprises a main body portion 39e, at least one flexible bridge portion 39a, a hinged portion 39c, and an end 39d located at the distal end of the hinged portion 39c. Gimbal 39 may be coupled to or formed integral with load beam 44. Preferably, main body portion 39e is mechanically coupled to load beam 44. In a preferred embodiment, main body portion 39e is welded to load beam 44 proximate to points 70 (see Figure 5). Gimbal 39 also has a hinged portion 39c which connects to and supports a read/write head 54. Hinged portion 39c is substantially free to tip along the longitudinal axis of load beam 44 and is left to float about dimple 31. Gimbal 39 rests on dimple 31 such that gimbal 39 is free to move and twist to adjust head 54 to a media surface (not shown). Preferably, the gimbal 39 comprises a thin flexible material, such as thin sheet metal. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, at least one flexible bridge portion 39a connects main body portion 39e to hinged portion 39c of gimbal 39. Flexible portion 39a of gimbal 39 is located proximate to accommodation space 30 in load beam 44 such that when flexible portion 39a flexes, clearance is provided between flexible portion 39a and accommodation space 30. Preferably, there are two bridge portions 39a that are located proximate to two accommodation spaces 30 in load beam 44, as shown in Figures 4 and 6. A read/write head 54 is coupled to gimbal 39 so that the read/write head 54 can adjust itself to a media 14 surface. Preferably, the read/write heads 54 are connected to the flexible hinged portion 39c of the gimbal 39 such that the head/gimbal assembly can pivot about the convex surface of the dimple 31 of the load beam 44. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the suspension assembly 48 comprises an opposing pair of load beams 44, a gimbal 39 coupled to each load beam 44, and a read/write head 54 coupled to each gimbal 39. One read/write head 54 would contact the top of a media 14 and the other read/write head 54 would read/write to the bottom of a media 14. Figures 4 through 6 show a preferred embodiment of the invention. Due of the added flexibility and weight reduction provided by accommodation space 30, extended rail portions 32 can be extended over nearly the entire length of load beam 44, providing for a more rigid and shock resistant suspension assembly 48. Preferably, extended rail portions 32 of load beam 44 extend substantially over the entire length of load beam 44 and extend over at least a portion of gimbal 39 and head assembly 54. The extended rails 32 act to stiffen load - 12 - beam 44 proximate dimple 31 , resulting in an increased value for a natural out-of-plane bending vibratory mode. The resulting stiff tip also reduces any positioning error resulting from resonance of this mode. Additionally, extended rails 32 help to protect head 54 from damage during handling. In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, head 54 may undergo rotational movement in the direction indicated by arrow 61 of Figure 4. To provide adequate flexibility, accommodation spaces 30 provide additional clearance for bridge portions 39a to flex without contacting load beam 44. This additional clearance provided by accommodation spaces 30 provide the freedom of movement required for head 54 to adjust to a media surface (not shown) without the gimbal 39 or head assembly 54 impinging upon load beam 44. It is preferred that the number of flexible bridge portions of gimbal 39 correspond to the number of accommodation spaces 30. Preferably, load beam 44 has two accommodation spaces 30 located in the body of load beam 44. Accordingly, in the preceding embodiment where there are two accommodation spaces 30, gimbal 39 would have two flexible bridge portions 39a that connect the main body portion 39e to the hinged portion 39c of gimbal 39. The two flexible portions 39a of gimbal 39 are located proximate the two accommodation spaces 30 in load beam 44 such that when flexible portions 39a flex, clearance is provided between the flexible bridge portions 39a of gimbal 39 and accommodation spaces 30 in load beam 44. For example, as gimbal 39 rotates in the direction of arrow 61 (see Figure 4), one of bridge portions 39a will rotate away from load beam 44 while the other bridge portion 39a rotates toward load beam 44. Without the accommodation spaces 30 in load beam 44, the bridge portion 39a that rotated toward load beam 44 would possibly strike load beam 44. Accordingly, movement and flexibility of gimbal 39 would be undesirably constrained. Accommodation spaces 30 allow the full free motion of the flexure bridge portions 39a and the affixed head 54, thereby reducing head 54 motion in relation to a media 14. Hinged portion 39c of gimbal 39 is not attached to load beam 44 and is thus free to move. Because end 39d at the distal end of hinged portion 39c is free to move, excessive shock to the drive 50 along the vertical axis can cause gimbal 39 to bend downward in the direction of arrow 60 (see Figure 4). Excessive bending of gimbal 39 can cause plastic deformation in gimbal 39, resulting in permanent damage. In order to prevent this undesired - 13 - result, a means is provided between load beam 44 and gimbal 39 to reduce the relative motion between the distal ends of these two structures. According to a preferred embodiment, load beam 44 has an extended portion 33 located at its distal end 49. It is preferred that extended portion 33 be turned down relatively perpendicular to the plane defined by the surface of load beam 44 in a direction toward the surface of a media 14 within a disk drive 50. Contrary to early designs, this bend is made toward the media 14 so that additional drive height is not required. This feature saves height in the Z-dimension and becomes even more important as design requirements for these types of drives demand smaller and more durable configurations for use in hand-held and portable devices. Drive height is an important design criterion to ensure that the drives 50 of these devices are as compact and lightweight as possible yet still able to withstand rigorous shocks and vibrations. This turned down extended portion 33 has an opening formed therein defining a load beam window 35. Load beam window 35 serves as a restraining member at the distal end 49 of load beam 44. Preferably, gimbal 39 has an extending tab portion 37 that extends from the end 39d of hinged portion 39c. Extended tab portion 37 is adapted for engagement with load beam window 35. Preferably, extended tab portion 37 on gimbal 39 protrudes through a load beam window 35 on load beam 44 to restrain the vertical movement of gimbal 39. In addition, this window type configuration of load beam window 35 also helps restrain horizontal or side to side motion of the gimbal 39 and head assembly 54. The clearance between the flexure tab portion 37 and the load beam window 35 acts to limit the movement of the flexure tab portion 37 of gimbal 39 during shock events, such as may occur during the head loading or unloading process. Accordingly, head 54, which is attached to the flexure tab portion 39c, cannot impact the head of another opposing suspension assembly or any other components outside of the range allowed by the load beam window 35. The restraint of the flexure tab portion 37 by load beam window 35 also helps to protect head 54 from damage during handling. As can be appreciated from Figures 4 through 6, as tab portion 37 moves downwardly, load beam window 35 will capture gimbal 39 and prevent excessive vertical movement. The above description of preferred embodiments is not intended to impliedly limit the scope of protection of the following claims. Thus, for example, except where they - 14 - are expressly so limited, the following claims are not limited to applications involving removable cartridge disk drive systems. - 15 - WHAT IS CLAIMED IS: 1. A suspension assembly for use in a disk drive, said suspension assembly comprising: a load beam having a substantially flat body, two sides, a bottom, a proximal end, and a distal end; a gimbal having a hinged portion and a main body portion, said main body portion being coupled to said load beam bottom proximate said load beam proximal end such that said hinged portion is free to move in relation to said load beam distal end; and a read/write head coupled to said gimbal; and at least one extended rail disposed along said load beam body, said rail extending substantially along the length of said load beam. 2. The suspension assembly of claim 1 , wherein said at least one extended rail is located along a side of said load beam body, said extended rail being turned in a direction relatively perpendicular to a plane defined by said load beam body and in a direction away from a surface of a media within said disk drive. 3. The suspension assembly of claim 1 , wherein said rail is located along a side of said load beam body, said rail being turned in a direction relatively perpendicular to the plane defined by said load beam body and in a direction toward a surface of a media within said disk drive. 4. The suspension assembly of claim 1 , wherein said at least one extended rail includes two extended rails, one of said two extended rails extending along each sides of said load beam. 5. The suspension assembly of claim 1 , wherein said at least one extended rail extends at least past at least a portion of said gimbal and said read/write head. 6. The suspension assembly of claim 1, wherein said gimbal is mechanically attached to said load beam. - 16 - 7. The suspension assembly of claim 6, wherein said main body portion of said gimbal is welded to said load beam. 8. The suspension assembly of claim 1, wherein said gimbal is formed integral with said load beam. 9. The suspension assembly of claim 1 further comprising: at least one accommodation space form in said load beam body; and at least one flexible bridge portion that is disposed between and connects said main body portion to said hinged portion of said gimbal, said at least one flexible bridge portion located proximate to said at least one accommodation space such that said accommodation space provides an area into which said flexible bridge portion may flex. 10. The suspension assembly of claim 1 further comprising: an extended portion located at a distal end of said load beam, said extended portion being turned downwardly with respect to the plane defined by said load beam body in a direction toward the surface of a media within said disk drive, said extended portion comprising an opening formed therein defining a load beam window; and an extended tab portion disposed at a distal end of a gimbal end of said hinged portion, said extended tab portion being adapted to engage said load beam window. 11. A suspension assembly for use in a disk drive, said suspension assembly comprising: a load beam having an extended portion located at a distal end of said load beam, said extended portion being turned downwardly with respect to the plane defined by said load beam body in a direction toward the surface of a media within said disk drive, said extended portion having an opening formed therein, said turned down extended portion defining a plane that is substantially perpendicular to the plane of said load beam; a gimbal coupled to said load beam, said gimbal having an extended tab portion extending distally from a distal end of said gimbal substantially in the same plane as the plane defined by said gimbal, said extended tab portion being adapted to engage said - 17 - opening formed in said load beam; and a read/write head coupled to said gimbal. 12. The suspension assembly of claim 11 wherein said opening defines a load beam window that acts as a restraining member and that is adapted to capture said extended tab portion. 13. The suspension assembly of claim 12 wherein said load beam window has a rectangular shape. 14. The suspension assembly of claim 11 wherein said extended tab portion is adapted to extend into and engage said opening formed by said extended portion of said load beam when said disk drive is shocked. 15. The suspension assembly of claim 11 wherein said extended portion located at said distal end of said load beam has a substantially rectangular shape and has a rectangular cavity therein that helps to form said load beam window once said extended portion is bent downward, and wherein said extended tab portion of said gimbal has a cone or V-shaped body that is sized to extend through said load beam window such that the side of said tab do not touch the sides of said window, said extended tab portion being free to move in a vertical direction within the confines of said load beam window. 16. The suspension assembly of claim 11 further comprising at least one extended rail disposed along said load beam, said rail extending substantially along the length of said load beam such that at least a portion of said at least one extended rail extends past at least a portion of said gimbal and said read/write head. 17. The suspension assembly of claim 11 further comprising: at least one accommodation space formed in said load beam; and at least one flexible bridge portion disposed between and connection said main body portion to said hinged portion, said at least one flexible bridge portion being - 18 - positioned proximate to said accommodation space such that said accommodation space provides a space into which said flexible bridge portion may flex. 18. A suspension assembly for use in a disk drive, said suspension assembly comprising: a load beam having a substantially flat body and at least one accommodation space on said body; a gimbal coupled to said load beam having at least one flexible bridge portion wherein said flexible bridge portion is positioned proximate to said accommodation space such that said accommodation space provides an area into which said flexible bridge portion may flex; and a read/write head coupled to said gimbal. 19. The suspension assembly of claim 18 wherein said at least one accommodation space comprises an opening formed in said load beam proximate said at least one flexible bridge portions. 20. The suspension assembly of claim 18 wherein said at least one accommodation space comprises a recess in said load beam body proximate to said flexible bridge portions and wherein said recess extends into said load beam body in a direction away from said flexible bridge portions. 21. The suspension assembly of claim 18 wherein said accommodation space is substantially rectangular in shape. 22. The suspension assembly of claim 18 wherein said gimbal further comprises a main body portion that is coupled to said load beam, a hinged portion at said distal end of said gimbal, and said at least one flexible bridge portion being disposed between and connecting said main body portion and said hinged portion. 23. The suspension assembly of claim 18 wherein said load beam has two - 19 - accommodation spaces positioned on said load beam body so that the longitudinal length of said accommodation spaces parallels the longitudinal length of said load beam and each accommodation space is located between a different side and a centerline of said load beam in the area between a proximal end of said load beam and said dimple area, and wherein said gimbal has two corresponding flexible bridge portions located proximate to said two accommodation spaces that are sized sufficient to allow said flexible bridge portion to bend into and flex in said accommodation spaces without contacting said accommodation space or said load beam. 24. The suspension assembly of claim 18 further comprising at least one extended rail disposed along said load beam body, said extended rail extending substantially along the length of said load beam such that at least a portion of said rail extends past at least a portion of said gimbal and said head. 25. The suspension assembly of claim 18 further comprising: an extended portion located at a distal end of said load beam, said extended portion being turned downwardly with respect to the plane defined by said load beam body in a direction toward the surface of a media within said disk drive, said extended portion comprising an opening formed therein; and an extended tab portion disposed at a distal end of said gimbal, said extended tab portion being adapted to engage said opening of said load beam. 26. A suspension assembly for use in a disk drive, said suspension assembly comprising: a load beam comprising: a substantially flat body having two sides, a bottom, a proximal end, and a distal end; at least one extended rail disposed on and extending substantially along the length of said load beam body; at least one accommodation space formed in said body; and an extended portion located at a distal end of said load beam, - 20 - said extended portion being turned downwardly with respect to the plane defined by said load beam body in a direction toward the surface of a media within said disk drive, said extended portion having an opening formed therein, said opening defining a plane that is substantially perpendicular to the plane of said load beam; a gimbal comprising: a hinged portion; an extended tab portion extending distally from a distal end of said hinged portion in substantially the same plane as the plane defined by said gimbal, said extended tab portion being adapted to engage said opening formed in said load beam; a main body portion coupled to said load beam bottom proximate said load beam proximal end such that said hinged portion is free to move in relation to said load beam distal end; at least one flexible bridge portion disposed between and connecting said hinged portion to said main body portion, said at least one flexible bridge portion being positioned proximate to said accommodation space such that said accommodation space provides an area into which said flexible bridge portion may flex; and a read/write head coupled to said gimbal. 27. The suspension assembly of claim 26 wherein said gimbal is made of a thin flexible sheet metal. 28. The suspension assembly of claim 26 wherein said suspension assembly is a part of a removable cartridge disk drive. 29. A disk drive for cooperating with a removable data storage disk cartridge, comprising: a chassis; a spindle and a spindle motor assembly, movably coupled to said chassis, for receiving and rotating a disk cartridge; an actuator assembly coupled to said chassis, having a suspension assembly comprising: - 21 - a load beam having a body, a distal end, a proximal end, a dimple proximate to said distal end of said load beam, at least one extended rail portion, a load beam window, and at least one accommodation space formed therein; a gimbal having a main body portion that is coupled to said load beam, a hinged portion that floats proximate to said dimple on said load beam, at least one flexible bridge portion disposed between and connecting said main body portion and said hinged portion, and an extended tab portion at a distal end of said hinged portion; and a read/write head coupled to said gimbal.

Inventors: MUSE JAY A, PATTERSON ROBERT S, MUSE, JAY, A., PATTERSON, ROBERT, S.
Applicants: IOMEGA CORP, IOMEGA CORPORATION
Application year: 1999
Main classification: G11B5
IPC codes: G11B5, G11B21