WO2003079355A1 - Suspension for head slider - Google Patents

Abstract

A suspension for head slider fixed to the tip of an actuator arm (17) through a mounting plate (24), wherein a rigid body part (26) is installed on a load beam (25) apart a specified distance from the mounting plate (24), an elastically deforming part (27) developing a specified elastic force is formed between the rigid body part (26) and the mounting plate (24), the rigid body (26) comprising a first plate spring material, an intermediate layer connected to the surface of the first plate spring material, and a second plate spring material connected to surface of the intermediate layer, whereby, since the first and second plate spring materials developing a specified spring force for each unit are stuck each other, a sufficient rigidity can be provided to the rigid body part (26), the rigidity of the rigid body part (26) can be increased as the film thickness of the intermediate layer is increased, and a reduction in weight can be realized by the adoption of the lightweight intermediate layer.

Description

 Technical field of suspension for head slider

 The present invention relates to a head slider suspension incorporated in a recording medium drive such as a hard disk drive (HDD) to support a head slider facing a recording medium, and more particularly to a mounting plate and a mounting plate. A load beam extending forward, a rigid portion defined in the load beam at a predetermined distance from the mounting plate, and an elasticity which is partitioned into the load beam between the rigid portion and the mounting plate to exert a predetermined elastic force. The present invention relates to a head slider suspension including a deformable portion. Background art

 For example, as disclosed in US Pat. No. 5,793,569, a suspension supporting a head slider at the tip of a rigid body is widely known. These suspensions are fixed, for example, at the end of the actuator arm in the HDD. When the actuator arm swings, the head slider moves in the horizontal direction while facing the surface of the magnetic disk. Based on such horizontal movement, the head slider can move in the radial direction of the magnetic disk.

 When the actuator arm swings, twisting and bending in the horizontal direction must be suppressed in the rigid part of the open beam. High rigidity is required for the rigid body. In the aforementioned US Pat. No. 5,793,569, a reinforcing plate is attached to the load beam to improve rigidity. The reinforcing plate is composed of a stainless steel plate with a thickness of about 70 m. A relatively high rigidity is given to the reinforcing plate itself.

However, these thick stainless steel plates increase the weight of the load beam. An increase in weight results in a decrease in the natural frequency of the load beam. As a result, the resonance phenomenon of the load beam is induced in a relatively low servo region. Disclosure of the invention

 The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a suspension for a head slider which can realize a reduction in the weight of a closed beam while improving the rigidity of a load beam.

 To achieve the above object, according to the first invention, a mounting plate, a first leaf spring material extending forward from the mounting plate and exerting a predetermined spring force, and joining to a surface of the first leaf spring material And a second leaf spring material that exhibits a predetermined spring force by itself and is joined to the surface of the intermediate layer while being separated from the mounting plate by a predetermined distance. You.

 In such a head slider suspension, the rigid body of the load beam can be constituted by a laminate of the first and second leaf spring members and the intermediate layer. When the first and second leaf spring members each exhibiting a predetermined spring force by themselves are overlapped with each other, sufficient rigidity is imparted to the rigid body of the open beam. As the thickness of the intermediate layer increases, the rigidity of the rigid portion increases. In order to realize such rigidity, it is desired that the thickness of the intermediate layer is set to be larger than at least one of the first and second leaf spring materials. In applying the spring force, the first and second leaf spring members may be made of, for example, a stainless steel plate having a plate thickness of less than 30 m.

 Moreover, if an intermediate layer having a specific gravity lighter than that of the first and second leaf spring materials is adopted, compared to a case where the rigid portion of the open beam is formed into the same shape only from the first and second leaf spring materials. Thus, the load beam can be reduced in weight. Such a reduction in the weight of the load beam, together with the above-mentioned improvement in rigidity, raises the primary torsional resonance frequency of the head slider suspension. The suspension for the head slider can support a higher frequency support region than before. For example, when a stainless steel plate is used for the first and second leaf spring members, a resin layer or an aluminum thin plate may be used for the intermediate layer.

In such a head slider suspension, an elastically deformable portion, that is, a bent portion of the load beam may be provided based on one of the first and second leaf spring members. In this case, the first and second leaf spring members and a flexible member for receiving the head slider are provided. It is desired to be configured separately from Sha. According to such a configuration, the gimbal spring in the flexure and the elastic deformation portion of the load beam can individually set the spring force, that is, the elastic force. An optimal elastic force can be set individually. The flexure may be fixed to one of the front ends of the first and second leaf spring members.

 In addition, in the head slider suspension, a flexure may be formed on one of the first and second leaf spring members at the front end thereof. According to such integration, the number of parts can be reduced. In addition, since a part of the flexure is shared by the first leaf spring material and the second leaf spring material, the weight of the suspension for the head slider can be further reduced. In particular, in this case, it is sufficient that the elastically deformable portion of the open beam is formed on the other of the first and second leaf spring members. According to such a configuration, the spring force, that is, the elastic force can be set individually for the gimbal spring in the flexure and the elastic deformation portion of the load beam, as described above. The optimal elastic force can be set individually.

 The above-described intermediate layer may be formed of a thin metal plate having a plurality of through holes extending from the first leaf spring material toward the second leaf spring material. According to such a metal sheet, a pseudo honeycomb structure is realized. The rigidity of the rigid portion of the load beam can be further increased. Moreover, the weight of the load beam can be reduced. Here, such a thin metal plate may be integrated with the first leaf spring material. That is, the intermediate layer may be constituted by a rib cut on the surface of the first leaf spring material. The metal sheet and the rib may be formed in a grid shape or a honeycomb shape, for example. In addition, the above-mentioned attachment plate may be formed separately from the first and second leaf spring members, or may be formed integrally with one of the first and second leaf spring members.

The head slider suspension as described above may further include a wiring pattern extending along the surface of the intermediate layer while being separated from the second leaf spring material by a predetermined distance. Such a wiring pattern enables the exchange of electric signals between the mounting plate and the head slider on the flexure. The wiring pattern may be made of any conductive material. In particular, in such a case, it is desired that the above-mentioned intermediate layer is made of an insulating material. Thus, the wiring pattern can be formed on the surface of the intermediate layer. Wear. In realizing the laminate, the intermediate layer can be formed in advance on the surface of the first leaf spring material. In forming the wiring pattern, it is not necessary to form an insulating layer on the surface of the first leaf spring material again. The manufacturing method of the suspension for the head slider can be simplified.

 Further, according to the second invention, a mounting plate, a mouth beam extending forward from the mounting plate, a flexure fixed to a front end of the load beam and receiving the head slider by a gimbal spring, and a predetermined distance from the mounting plate A rigid part defined in the mouth beam and separated from the rigid body and the mounting plate, and a rigid deformation part which exhibits a predetermined elasticity and is defined in the load beam between the rigid part and the mounting plate; The present invention provides a suspension for a head slider, which is constituted by a laminate including at least two metal plates.

 In such a head slider suspension, the elastic deformation portion of the load beam, that is, the bent portion, and the gimbal spring are formed separately. Therefore, the spring force, that is, the elastic force can be set individually for the elastically deformable portion of the load beam and the gimbal spring. The optimal sex power can be set individually. Moreover, the rigidity of the rigid portion of the load beam can be increased by the function of the laminate.

 The laminate may include a first stainless steel sheet, an intermediate layer joined to the surface of the first stainless steel sheet, and a second stainless steel sheet joined to the surface of the intermediate layer. In such a laminate, the rigidity of the Oka IJ body increases as the thickness of the intermediate layer increases. The thickness of the first and second stainless steel sheets can be reduced as much as possible. The weight reduction of the laminated body is realized with the reduction of the plate thickness. Here, it is desired that the thickness of the intermediate layer is set to be larger than at least one of the first and second stainless steel plates.

In addition, if an intermediate layer having a specific gravity lighter than that of the first and second stainless steel plates is employed, the weight of the load beam can be reduced compared to a case where the rigid portion of the load beam is formed only from stainless steel plates. . Such reduction in the weight of the open beam, together with the improvement in rigidity described above, raises the primary torsional resonance frequency of the head slider suspension. The suspension for the head slider can support a higher frequency support region than before. Resin layer or aluminum sheet for intermediate layer Should just be adopted.

 When the above-described laminated body is used, the flexure may be formed on the first stainless steel plate, and the elastically deformable portion may be formed on the second stainless steel plate. Different thicknesses can be set for the first and second stainless steel plates. Therefore, a predetermined spring force, that is, an elastic force, can be individually applied to the first and second stainless steel plates. To secure the elastic force, the thickness of the first and second stainless steel plates is set to less than 30 / m. Since at least a part of the flexure also serves as the laminate, the number of parts can be reduced and the weight can be further reduced. The above-described intermediate layer may be formed of a thin metal plate having a plurality of through holes extending from the first stainless steel plate toward the second stainless steel plate. According to such a metal thin plate, a honeycomb structure is realized in a pseudo manner in the laminate. The rigidity of the rigid part of the load beam can be further increased. Moreover, the weight of the load beam can be reduced. Such a metal sheet may be integrated with the first stainless steel sheet. That is, the intermediate layer may be constituted by a rib cut on the surface of the first stainless steel plate. The metal sheet and the rib may be formed in a lattice shape or a honeycomb shape, for example. In addition, the above-mentioned mounting plate may be formed separately from the load beam, or may be formed integrally with the load beam. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

 FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing a specific example of a recording medium drive, that is, a structure of a hard disk drive (HDD).

 FIG. 2 is an enlarged exploded perspective view of the elastic suspension according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

 FIG. 3 is an enlarged exploded perspective view of the load beam.

 FIG. 4 is an enlarged exploded perspective view of the elastic suspension according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

 FIG. 5 is an enlarged exploded perspective view of the elastic suspension according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged exploded perspective view of an elastic suspension according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. is there.

 FIG. 5 is an enlarged exploded perspective view of a flexible suspension according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

 FIG. 8 is an enlarged, exploded, perspective view of a flexible suspension according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

 FIG. 9 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of a laminated material showing a resist film formed in manufacturing the elastic suspension according to the sixth embodiment.

 FIG. 10 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of a laminated material showing a resist film formed on the surface of a polyimide resin layer in manufacturing the elastic suspension according to the sixth embodiment. FIG. 11 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of a laminated material showing a conductive pattern formed on the surface of a polyimide resin layer in the elastic suspension according to the sixth embodiment.

 FIG. 12 is an enlarged exploded perspective view of an elastic suspension according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

 Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

 FIG. 1 schematically shows the internal structure of a recording disk drive, that is, a hard disk drive (HDD) 11 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The HDD 11 includes, for example, a box-shaped housing main body 12 that partitions an internal space of a flat rectangular parallelepiped. The accommodation space accommodates at least one magnetic disk 13 as a recording medium. The magnetic disk 13 is mounted on the rotating shaft of the spindle motor 14. The spindle motor 14 can rotate the magnetic disk 13 at a high speed such as, for example, 720 rpm or 1000 rpm. A cover (not shown) that seals the accommodation space between the housing main body 12 and the housing main body 12 is connected to the housing main body 12.

The accommodation space further accommodates a carriage 16 that swings around a vertically extending support shaft 15. The carriage 16 includes a rigid actuator arm 17 extending horizontally from the support shaft 15, and a head suspension assembly 18 attached to a tip of the actuator arm 17. In the head suspension assembly 18, the front end of the arm 17 The elastic suspension 19 extends. As is well known, a floating head slider 21 is supported at the front end of the flexible suspension 19. The flying head slider 21 has a write element (not shown) such as a thin-film magnetic head used to write information on the magnetic disk 13 and a read element used for reading information from the magnetic disk 13. A reading element (not shown) such as a magnetoresistive effect (MR) element is mounted.

 A pressing force is applied to the flying head slider 21 from the elastic suspension 19 toward the surface of the magnetic disk 13. Buoyancy acts on the flying head slider 21 by the action of airflow generated on the surface of the magnetic disk 13 based on the rotation of the magnetic disk 13. Due to the balance between the pressing force of the elastic suspension 19 and the buoyancy, the flying head slider 21 can keep flying with relatively high rigidity during the rotation of the magnetic disk 13.

 If the carriage 16 swings around the support shaft 15 while the flying head slider 21 is flying, the flying head slider 21 can cross the surface of the magnetic disk 13 in the radial direction. Based on such movement, the flying head slider 21 is positioned at a desired recording track on the magnetic disk 13. At this time, the swing of the carriage 16 may be realized through the operation of the drive source 22 such as a voice coil motor (VCM). As is well known, when a plurality of magnetic disks 13 are incorporated in the housing body 12, two actuator arms 17, that is, two head suspension assemblies are provided between adjacent magnetic disks 13. 18 is arranged.

As shown in FIG. 2, the elastic suspension 19 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a mounting plate 24 received at the tip of the actuator arm 17 and a load extending forward from the mounting plate 24. Beam 25. The load beam 25 has a rigid portion 26 separated from the mounting plate 24 at a predetermined interval, and an elastic deformation portion 27 partitioned between the rigid portion 26 and the mounting plate 24. . The rigid portion 26 is formed of a laminate including at least two metal plates, as described later. The mounting plate 24 may be fixed to the actuator arm 17 based on, for example, laser welding. This elastic suspension 19 has a mounting plate 24 —It's a one-of-a-kind drama.

 A flexure 28 is fixed to the front end of the load beam 25. The flexure 28 includes a fixing plate 29 fixed to the load beam 25 and a support plate 31 that receives the flying head slider 21 on the surface. The flying head slider 21 may be bonded to the support plate 31. The support plate 31 and the fixed plate 29 are connected by a so-called gimbal spring 32. When such a flexure 28 is attached to the load beam 25, the back surface of the support plate 29 is received by a dome-shaped protrusion 33 formed on the surface of the mouth beam 25. The fixed plate 29, the support plate 31 and the gimbal spring 32 may be made of one leaf spring material. This leaf spring material may be composed of, for example, a stainless steel plate (eg, SUS304) having a uniform thickness. The plate thickness of the leaf spring material may be set to, for example, about 20 m.

 The elastic deformation portion 27 of the load beam 25 exerts a predetermined elastic force, that is, a bending force. By the action of the bending force, a pressing force toward the surface of the magnetic disk 13 is applied to the front end of the rigid body 26. This pressing force acts on the flying head slider 21 from behind the support plate 31 by the function of the projection 33. The flying head slider 21 can change its attitude based on the buoyancy generated by the action of the airflow. The projection 33 allows the attitude of the flying head slider 21, that is, the support plate 29 to change.

 As is clear from FIG. 3, the load beam 25 includes a first leaf spring member 35 that exerts a predetermined spring force. The first leaf spring material 35 is composed of a stainless steel plate having a uniform thickness (for example, SUS304). The elastic deformation portion 27 described above is defined in the first leaf spring material 35. Therefore, the first leaf spring material 35 is provided with an elastic force that exerts the above-described pressing force alone, that is, a spring force. In realizing such a spring force, the plate thickness of the first leaf spring material 35 may be set to, for example, less than 30 m. As is clear from FIG. 3, the first leaf spring material 35 may be formed of one stainless steel plate together with the mounting plate 24.

An intermediate layer 36 is joined to the surface of the first leaf spring material 35. The intermediate layer 36 is received in the joining area 37 of the first plate spring 35. The joining region 37 of the first leaf spring material 35 and the intermediate layer 36 may be formed in the same shape. The intermediate layer 36 is bonded to the joining region 37 of the first leaf spring material 35 on the entire back surface, for example. At least, the middle class 36 It is desired that the first leaf spring member 35 be adhered to the first leaf spring member 35 without interruption around the periphery 1. The intermediate layer 36 may be composed of, for example, a polyimide resin layer. However, for the intermediate layer 36, other than polyimide, any material having a specific gravity lighter than that of the first leaf spring material 35 may be used. The thickness of the intermediate layer 36 is set to, for example, 30 m or more.

 The second leaf spring material 38 is joined to the surface of the intermediate layer 36. The second leaf spring material 38 may be formed in the same shape as the middle layer 36 or the joining area 37 of the first leaf spring material 35. The second leaf spring material 38 is adhered to the surface of the intermediate layer 36, for example, on the entire back surface. At least the second leaf spring material 38 is desirably bonded to the intermediate layer 36 without interruption around the periphery 1 thereof. The second leaf spring material 38 may be made of the same material as the first leaf spring material 35. In this case, the second leaf spring member 38 is formed of a stainless steel plate (for example, SUS 304) having a uniform thickness. The plate thickness of the second leaf spring member 38 may be set to, for example, less than 30 m.

 According to such a load beam 25, the first and second leaf spring members 35, 38, which individually exhibit a predetermined spring force, are superposed on each other, so that the rigid portion 26 has sufficient rigidity. Granted. The rigidity of the rigid portion 26 increases as the thickness of the intermediate layer 36 increases. In addition, the use of a middle layer 36, such as a polyimide resin layer, which has a lower specific gravity than stainless steel, makes the load beam 25 lighter than when the entire load beam of the same shape is made of stainless steel. Can be done.

 In particular, in the above-described flexible suspension 19, the load beam 25 and the flexure 28 are formed of different members. Therefore, the spring force, that is, the elastic force, can be set individually for the elastic deformation portion 27 and the gimbal spring 32. The optimal elastic force can be set individually. The elasticity of the elastically deformable portion 27 may be set, for example, based on the thickness of the stainless steel plate formed on the first leaf spring material 35. Similarly, the spring force of the gimbal spring 32, that is, the natural force, may be set based on the thickness of the stainless steel plate formed on the gimbal spring 32.

The inventor has verified the characteristics of the elastic suspension 19 described above. The resonance frequency of the suspension 19 was measured based on the simulation. Elasticity according to the present invention In the suspension 19, the second leaf spring material 38 having a thickness of 20.0 nm was bonded to the first leaf spring material 35 having a thickness of 23.5 m. A polyimide resin layer having a thickness of 30.0 m was sandwiched between the first and second leaf spring members 35 and 38. As a result of the simulation, a first-order torsional resonance frequency of 1045 1 Hz and a horizontal oscillation resonance frequency of 1 7912 Hz were obtained.

 Similarly, the inventors verified the characteristics of the elastic suspension according to the comparative example. In the first comparative example, a stainless steel plate (single layer) with a thickness of 40.0 m was used. In this suspension, a primary torsional resonance frequency of 6590 Hz was confirmed. The effectiveness of the aqueous suspension 19 according to the present invention was confirmed. Similarly, in the second comparative example, a stainless steel plate (single layer) having a thickness of 73.5 m was used. This plate thickness is equal to the plate thickness of the laminate used for the flexible suspension 19 according to the present invention. In this elastic suspension, a primary torsional resonance frequency of 8921 Hz was confirmed. It has been confirmed that the elastic suspension 19 according to the present invention achieves a higher primary torsional resonance frequency than any of the comparative examples.

 The load beam 25 as described above may be manufactured from, for example, one laminated material. In this laminated material, the polyimide resin may be sandwiched between a pair of stainless steel plates. On the surface of the laminated material, a resist film is formed which is in the shape of the second leaf spring material 38.基 づ き The first stainless steel sheet is removed around the resist film based on the etching. As a result, the second leaf spring material 38 is produced from the first stainless steel plate. Thereafter, similarly, the polyimide resin is removed around the resist film. The surface of the second stainless steel plate is exposed around the second leaf spring material 38 and the intermediate layer 36 thus cut out. On the surfaces of the second leaf spring member 38 and the stainless steel plate, a resist film is formed in the shape of the load beam 25. Again, the second stainless steel plate is removed around the resist film based on the jet etching. Thus, the load beam 25 can be manufactured.

FIG. 4 schematically shows an elastic suspension 19 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In this bullet I raw suspension 19, the rigid body 26 of the load beam 25 and the flexure 28 are integrated. That is, the second leaf spring member 38 constituting the rigid portion 26 also serves as the fixing plate 29 of the flexure 28 at the same time. Other, equivalent to the first embodiment Configurations are given the same reference numerals.

 More specifically, the load beam 25 includes a first leaf spring member 35 that exerts a predetermined spring force as described above. The plate thickness of the first leaf spring member 35 is set to, for example, 23.5 m. Similarly, an intermediate layer 36 is joined to the surface of the first leaf spring material 35. The intermediate layer 36 is made of, for example, a polyimide resin layer having a thickness of 30 zrn.

 The second leaf spring material 38 a is joined to the surface of the intermediate layer 36. The second leaf spring material 38 a is received on the surface of the intermediate layer 36 in the joining region 41 defined on the back surface. The joining area 41 of the second leaf spring 38 may be defined in the same shape as the joining area 37 of the intermediate layer 36 or the first leaf spring material 35. The second leaf spring material 38 is bonded to the surface of the intermediate layer 36 over the entire bonding area 41. At least, the second leaf spring material 38 is desirably adhered to the intermediate layer 36 without interruption around the periphery 1 of the adhesion region 41.

 The second leaf spring member 38a may be made of a stainless steel plate having a uniform plate thickness (for example, SUS304), as described above. The support plate 31 and the gimbal spring 32 of the second leaf spring material 38a and the flexure 28 may be formed from a single stainless steel plate. Therefore, the second plate spring member 38a is provided with an elastic force, that is, a spring force for realizing the gimbal spring 32 alone. In realizing such a spring force, the plate thickness of the second leaf spring member 38a is set to, for example, 20 m.

 According to such a flexible suspension 19, as described above, the rigid portion 26 of the load beam 25 is formed by stacking the first and second leaf spring members 35, 38a and the intermediate layer 36. It is composed of the body. Therefore, the rigid portion 26 has sufficient rigidity. However, the use of an intermediate layer 36, such as a polyimide resin layer, which has a lower specific gravity than stainless steel, makes the load beam 25 lighter than when the entire load beam of the same shape is made of stainless steel. be able to. Thus, in the elastic suspension 19, an increase in the primary torsional resonance frequency can be realized.

In particular, in the elastic suspension 19, since the flexure 28 is formed in the second leaf spring member 38a, the number of parts can be reduced. Moreover, since the fixed plate 29 of the flexure 28 is also used as the second leaf spring member 38a, the weight of the elastic suspension 19 can be further reduced. On the other hand, even if the flexure 28 is placed on the load beam 25, the load beam 2 The elastic deformation part 27 of 5 and the gimbal spring 32 of the flexure 28 can be composed of different members. The spring force, that is, the elastic force, can be set individually for the elastic deformation portion 27 and the gimbal spring 32. The optimal elastic force can be set individually. The elasticity of the elastically deformable portion 27 may be set, for example, based on the thickness of the stainless steel plate formed on the first leaf spring material 35. Similarly, the spring force of the gimbal spring 32, that is, the elastic force, may be set based on the thickness of the stainless steel plate formed on the second leaf spring member 38a.

 In manufacturing the elastic suspension 19 as described above, the first leaf spring material 35 and the intermediate layer 36 may be manufactured from, for example, one laminated material. In this laminated material, a polyimide resin layer may be coated on one stainless steel plate. On the surface of the laminated material, a resist film is formed that is in the shape of the intermediate layer 36. The polyimide resin layer is removed around the resist film based on the wet etching. The surface of the stainless steel plate is exposed around the intermediate layer 36 thus cut out. On the surface of the intermediate layer 36 and the surface of the stainless steel plate, a resist film in the shape of the load beam 25 is formed. Again, the stainless steel plate is removed around the resist film based on wet etching. Finally, the second leaf spring material 38a is bonded to the surface of the intermediate layer 36. The support plate 31 and the gimbal spring 32 of the second leaf spring material 38a and the flexure 28 are formed of one stainless steel plate. In this formation, for example, etching may be used. Thus, the elastic suspension 19 can be manufactured.

FIG. 5 schematically shows an elastic suspension 19 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. In this elastic suspension 19, a thin metal plate 42 is used for the intermediate layer 36 when constructing the load beam 25. The metal thin plate 42 may be made of, for example, a stainless steel plate. However, a plurality of through holes 43 penetrating from the front surface to the back surface are formed in the thin metal plate 42. In other words, the intermediate layer 36 is composed of a metal sheet 42 formed in a lattice shape. Therefore, the open beam 25 can be reduced in weight as compared with the case where it is constituted by a single stainless steel plate. Also in this case, the rigid portion 26 of the load beam 25 is composed of a laminate of the first and second leaf spring members 35 and 38a and the middle layer 36. Therefore, the rigid part 26 has sufficient rigidity. Is done. In addition, the same reference numerals are given to components equivalent to those in the first and second embodiments.

 FIG. 6 schematically shows an elastic suspension 19 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. In the elastic suspension 19, a grid-like thin metal plate 42 is used for the intermediate layer 36 as in the third embodiment, and at the same time, the rigid portion 26 of the load beam 25 and the flexure are used as in the second embodiment. 2 and 8 are integrated. In addition, the same reference numerals are given to components equivalent to those of the above-described first to third embodiments.

 FIG. 7 schematically shows a flexible suspension 19 according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. In the flexible suspension 19, the above-described thin metal plate 42 is integrally formed on the first leaf spring material 35. That is, lattice-shaped ribs are integrally formed on the surface of the first leaf spring material 35. Such ribs are sandwiched between the first and second leaf spring members 35, 38a. In forming the ribs, wet etching or forging is used. The depression between the ribs is formed due to the erosion and embossing of the stainless steel plate. In addition, the same components as those in the first to fourth embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals.

 FIG. 8 schematically shows an elastic suspension 19 according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. In the flexible suspension 19, the mounting plate 24, the load beam 25 and the flexure 28 are integrated. That is, the first plate spring material 35 constituting the load beam 25 also serves as the fixing plate 29 of the flexure 28 at the same time. On the surface of the first leaf spring member 35, a wiring pattern 45 extending from the mounting plate 24 to the head slider 21 on the flexure 28 is formed. In addition, the same components as those in the first to fifth embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals.

 More specifically, the load beam 25 includes a first leaf spring member 35 that exerts a predetermined spring force as described above. The first leaf spring member 35 is made of a stainless steel plate having a uniform thickness (for example, SUS304). The first leaf spring 35 has a flexible deformation portion 27 defined therein. At the same time, a support plate 31 of the flexure 28 is formed at the end of the first leaf spring material 35 in a body. The mounting plate 24, the first leaf spring material 35, the support plate 31 of the flexure 28, and the gimbal spring 32 may be formed from a single stainless steel plate.

Mounting plate 24, first leaf spring material 35 and support plate 31 for flexure 28 The insulating layer 46 spreads on the surface of the gimbal spring 32. Such an insulating layer 46 may be composed of, for example, a polyimide resin layer having a thickness of 30 m. On the surface of the insulating layer 46, an adhesive region 47 for receiving the second leaf spring material 38 is defined. The bonding area 47 may be defined to have the same shape as the second leaf spring material 38. An exposed area 48 is formed around the bonding area 47 without being tight. The exposed area 48 continues at least from the mounting plate 24 to the gimbal spring 32. The second leaf spring material 38 is, for example, an adhesive area on the entire surface.

It only has to be glued to 4 7. Therefore, the insulating layer 46 functions as the above-mentioned intermediate layer 36 between the first and second leaf spring members 35 and 38.

 The wiring pattern 45 spreads over the exposed area 48 of the insulating layer 46. The wiring pattern 45 may include, for example, a pair of wirings 45 a for passing electric signals for reading and a pair of wirings 45 b for passing electric signals for writing. Each wiring 4 5 a, 4

5b extends from the mounting plate 24 toward the head slider 21 while maintaining a predetermined distance from the second leaf spring member 38. As is well known, the tips of the wirings 45a and 45b may be joined to terminal pads on the head slider 21 by, for example, spherical contact terminals 49. The wiring pattern 45 may be made of any conductive material. Here, the wiring pattern 45 is formed of, for example, a copper conductive pattern covered with gold plating. According to such an elastic suspension 19, as described above, the rigid body 26 of the load beam 25 is composed of a laminate of the first and second leaf spring members 35, 38 and the insulating layer 46. You. Therefore, the Oka ij body part 26 is given sufficient rigidity. In addition, the use of a middle layer 36, such as a polyimide resin layer, which has a lower specific gravity than stainless steel, makes the load beam 25 lighter than when the entire mouthpiece of the same shape is made of stainless steel plate. Can be done. In this way, in the elastic suspension 19, an increase in the primary torsional resonance frequency can be realized.

In the elastic suspension 19 as described above, for example, as shown in FIG. 9, the aperture beam 25 may be manufactured from a single laminated material 51. In the laminated material 51, the polyimide resin layer 53 may be sandwiched between the pair of stainless steel plates 52a and 52b as described above. On the surface of the laminated material 51, a resist film 54, which is shaped like the second leaf spring material 38, is formed. (4) The first stainless steel plate 52 a is removed around the resist film 54 based on the etching. as a result, The second leaf spring member 38 is produced from the first stainless steel plate 52a. The surface of the polyimide resin layer 53 is exposed around the second plate spring 38.

 Subsequently, a wiring pattern 45 is formed on the exposed surface of the polyimide resin layer 53. For forming the wiring pattern 45, for example, an electrolytic plating method may be used. In carrying out the electrolytic plating method, for example, as shown in FIG. 10, a conductive base layer 55 is laminated on the surface of the polyimide resin layer 53. The conductive base layer 55 is laminated based on, for example, a spatter ring. In carrying out the sputtering, the above-described resist film 54 may be used. A predetermined resist film 56 is formed on the surface of the conductive underlayer 55. In the resist film 56, a void 57 is defined that is in the shape of the wiring pattern 45. A copper conductive pattern is formed in such a gap 57. As shown in FIG. 11, after the resist film 56 is removed, an extra conductive underlayer 55 around the conductive pattern may be removed. Thereafter, the surface of the copper conductive pattern is subjected to a plating process.

 After the formation of the wiring pattern 45, the mounting plate 24, the first leaf spring material 35, the support plate 31 of the flexure 28, and the gimbal spring 32 are cut out of the second stainless steel plate 5b. A predetermined resist film is formed on the surfaces of the second leaf spring material 38 and the polyimide resin layer 53 in the shaving. The resist film may be shaped like the mounting plate 24, the first leaf spring material 35, the support plate 31 of the flexure 28, and the gimbal spring 32. The polyimide resin layer 53 and the second stainless steel plate 52b are removed around the resist film. Thus, the flexible suspension 19 can be manufactured.

 In the manufacturing method of such an elastic suspension 19, the wiring pattern 45 is formed on the surface of the polyimide resin layer 53 used for the intermediate layer 36 of the rigid portion 26, that is, the insulating layer 46. It is not necessary to form an insulating layer on the surface of the stainless steel sheet before forming the wiring pattern 45. Therefore, the manufacture of the flexible suspension 19 can be simplified. Manufacturing costs are reduced.

FIG. 12 schematically shows a flexible suspension 19 according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention. In this elastic suspension 19, as in the sixth embodiment, the first leaf spring material 35 constituting the load beam 25 also serves as the fixing plate 29 of the flexure 28 at the same time. simultaneous Further, a wiring pattern 45 extending from the mounting plate 24 to the head slider 21 on the flexure 28 is formed on the surface of the first leaf spring material 35. However, in the seventh embodiment, a dome-shaped projection 33 is formed on the load beam 25 on the body. In addition, the same reference numerals are given to components equivalent to those of the above-described first to sixth embodiments. More specifically, in the flexible suspension 19 according to the seventh embodiment, the extension portion 58 is formed integrally with the rigid portion 26 of the load beam 25. The extension portion 58 extends from the rigid portion 26 toward the support plate 31 while maintaining a predetermined distance from the support plate 31. The head slider 21 is received not only by the support plate 31 but also by the extension 58 of the load beam 25. That is, the head slider 21 is partially fixed to the support plate 31 on the air outflow end side (head element side) of the head slider 21.

 A dome-shaped protrusion 33 protruding from the surface of the second leaf spring member 38 is formed on the extension portion 58 of the load beam 25. Such projections 33 may be formed by stamping based on projections pressed from the back surface of the first leaf spring material 35. The projection 33 is opposed to the head slider 21. When the head slider 21 is fixed to the support plate 31, the head slider 21 is received by the projection 33 on the air inflow side.

 According to such an elastic suspension 19, the first leaf spring member 35 of the closed beam 25 and the support plate 31 of the flexure 28 and the gimbal spring 32 are formed from a single stainless steel plate. Nevertheless, the head slider 21 can be received by the dome-shaped protrusion 33. The change in the posture of the head slider 21 can be sufficiently adjusted by the function of the projections 33.

Claims

The scope of the claims 1. A mounting plate, a first leaf spring material extending forward from the mounting plate and exerting a predetermined spring force, an intermediate layer joined to a surface of the first leaf spring material, and a predetermined spring force is generated by itself. And a second leaf spring material joined to the surface of the intermediate layer while being spaced from the mounting plate by a predetermined distance. 2. The head slider suspension according to claim 1, wherein a flexure for receiving a head slider is fixed to a front end of one of the first and second leaf spring members. Head slider suspension. 3. The head slider suspension according to claim 1, wherein a flexure for receiving a head slider is formed on a front end of one of the first and second leaf spring members. Characterized suspension for head slider. 4. The suspension for a head slider according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the thickness of the intermediate layer is at least one of the first and second leaf spring materials. A suspension for a head slider, which is set to be larger than the above. 5. The suspension for a head slider according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first and second leaf spring members are formed of a stainless steel plate having a plate thickness of less than 30 m. A suspension for a head slider. 6. The suspension for a head slider according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the intermediate layer includes a plurality of extending from the first leaf spring material toward the second leaf spring material. A suspension for a head slider, comprising a thin metal plate having a through hole. 7. The suspension for a head slider according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the intermediate layer comprises a rib cut on a surface of the first leaf spring material. Head slider suspension. 8. The head slider according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the head slider is spaced apart from the second leaf spring material at a predetermined interval along a surface of the intermediate layer. A suspension for a head slider, further comprising a widened wiring pattern. 9. The suspension for a head slider according to claim 8, wherein the intermediate layer is made of an insulating material. 10. A mounting plate, a load beam extending forward from the mounting plate, a flexure fixed to the front end of the load beam and receiving a head slider by a gimbal spring, and a load beam separated by a predetermined distance from the mounting plate. And a resiliently deformable portion, which is defined in the load beam between the rigid portion and the mounting plate and exerts a predetermined elastic force, wherein the rigid portion of the load beam includes at least two metal plates. A suspension for a head slider, comprising a laminate including: 11. The suspension for a head slider according to claim 10, wherein the laminate includes a first stainless steel sheet, an intermediate layer joined to a surface of the first stainless steel sheet, and a joint to a surface of the intermediate layer. 11. A suspension for a head slider, comprising a second stainless steel plate to be used. 12. The head slider suspension according to claim 11, wherein the flexure is formed on the first stainless steel plate, and the second stainless steel is provided. The suspension for a head slider, wherein the elastic deformation portion is formed on a plate. 13. The suspension for a head slider according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the thickness of the intermediate layer is at least one of the first and second stainless steel plates. The suspension for the head slider, which is also set large. 1 4. The suspension for a head slider according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein a thickness of the first and second stainless steel plates is set to less than 30 m. Characteristic suspension for head slider. 15. The suspension for a head slider according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein the intermediate layer extends from the first stainless steel plate toward the second stainless steel plate. A suspension for a head slider, comprising a thin metal plate having a through hole. 16. The suspension for a head slider according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein the intermediate layer comprises a rib cut on a surface of the first stainless steel plate. Head slider suspension.