Head suspension assembly and storage device
A hinge plate is bonded to a base plate and a load beam in a head suspension assembly. The load beam includes a wide section and a narrow section extending forward from the front end of the wide section. The head suspension assembly allows the load beam to have a narrower width based on the narrow section. The load beam is thus allowed to enjoy a reduced weight. The mass is reduced at a position distanced from the centerline of the load beam. This results in a reduction in the inertial force around the centerline in the load beam. The inventors have demonstrated that the resonance frequency of the first torsion mode is allowed to fall in a higher frequency range. The resonance of the head suspension assembly can be reduced.
1. A head suspension assembly comprising:
a base plate;
a load beam distanced forward from the base plate at a predetermined interval;
a hinge plate bonded to the base plate and the load beam, the said hinge plate including an elastic bending section between the base plate and the load beam for exhibiting a predetermined elastic force, the hinge plate including a main body supporting the load beam in front of the elastic bending section; and
ribs formed on the main body at side edaes of the main body, wherein the load beam includes a wide section and a narrow section extending forward from a front end of the wide section, the wide section having a first width and bonded to the main body of the hinge plate, the narrow section having a second width smaller than the first width and bonded to the main body of the hinge plate between the ribs.
2. The head suspension assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising further ribs standing upright from side edges of the narrow section, respectively.
3. The head suspension assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising a further rib standing upright from a rear edge of the wide section.
4. The head suspension assembly according to claim 1 , wherein a front end of the hinge plate is located between a rear end of the narrow section and a protrusion defined at a front end of the narrow section to support a head slider.
5. The head suspension assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the load beam includes a reinforcing section between the front end of the wide section and the rear end of the narrow section, the reinforcing section getting smaller in width at a location closer to the narrow section.
6. The head suspension assembly according to claim 5 , further comprising a substrate extending from its tip end supporting the head slider toward the rear end of the wide section, the substrate bonded to the load beam, at least part of the substrate having a width larger than a width of the narrow section.
7. The head suspension assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the load beam is made of a metallic material lighter than stainless steel.
8. The head suspension assembly according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the load beam and the hinge plate is made of a laminate material including a pair of metallic thin plates, and a front end of the laminate material including one of the metallic thin plates.
9. The head suspension assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the wide section and the narrow section in combination form a T-shape.
10. A storage device comprising:
an enclosure; and
a head suspension assembly contained in the enclosure, wherein the head suspension assembly includes:
a base plate;
a load beam distanced forward from the base plate at a predetermined interval;
a hinge plate bonded to the base plate and the load beam, the hinge plate including an elastic bending section between the base plate and the load beam for exhibiting a predetermined elastic force, the hinge plate including a main body supporting the load beam in front of the elastic bending section; and
ribs formed on the main body at side edges of the main body, wherein the load beam includes a wide section and a narrow section extending forward from a front end of the wide section, the wide section having a first width and bonded to the main body of the hinge plate, the narrow section having a second width smaller than the first width and bonded to the main body of the hinge plate between the ribs.
11. The storage device according to claim 10 , further comprising further ribs standing upright from side edges of the narrow section, respectively.
12. The storage device according to claim 10 , further comprising a further rib standing upright from a rear edge of the wide section.
13. The storage device according to claim 10 , wherein a front end of the hinge plate is located between a rear end of the narrow section and a protrusion defined at a front end of the narrow section to support a head slider.
14. The storage device according to claim 10 , wherein the load beam includes a reinforcing section between the front end of the wide section and the rear end of the narrow section, the reinforcing section getting smaller in width at a location closer to the narrow section.
15. The storage device according to claim 14 , further comprising a substrate extending from its tip end supporting the head slider toward the rear end of the wide section, the substrate bonded to the load beam, at least part of the substrate having a width larger than a width of the narrow section.
16. The storage device according to claim 10 , wherein the load beam is made of a metallic material lighter than stainless steel.
17. The storage device according to claim 10 , wherein at least one of the load beam and the hinge plate is made of a laminate material including a pair of metallic thin plates, and a front end of the laminate material including one of the metallic thin plates.
18. The storage device according to claim 10 , wherein the wide section and the narrow section in combination form a T-shape.