IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,573,422
Granted Patent B2
US 12,573,422 · App. 18/758,044 · Granted Mar 10, 2026

Flexure of suspension for disk drive and suspension for disk drive, the flexure having an area with reduced thickness where an electronic component is mounted

Inventor: Yukie Yamada (Yokohama, JP)
Assignee: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
G11B5/484G11B5/4833G11B5/4853G11B5/486G11B5/483G11B5/4873
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,573,422
App. No.
18/758,044
Granted
Mar 10, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A flexure of a suspension for a disk drive includes a metal base and a wiring portion provided along the metal base and including a base insulation layer, a conductor layer overlaid on the base insulation layer, and a cover insulation layer overlaid on the conductor layer. The flexure includes a first area on which an electronic component is mounted and a second area aligned alongside the first area, and the first area includes a thin-walled portion which overlaps the electronic component and having a thickness less than a thickness of the second area.

Claims (19)

1 . A flexure of a suspension for a disk drive, comprising a metal base and a wiring portion provided along the metal base and including a base insulation layer, a conductor layer overlaid on the base insulation layer, and a cover insulation layer overlaid on the conductor layer, the flexure comprising:

a first area on which an electronic component is mounted and a second area aligned alongside the first area,

wherein:

the first area includes a thin-walled portion which overlaps the electronic component and has a thickness less than a thickness of the second area,

the conductor layer is provided in each of the first and second areas,

a thickness of the conductor layer in the thin-walled portion is less than a thickness of the conductor layer in the second area,

the metal base is provided in each of the first and second areas, and

a thickness of the metal base in the thin-walled portion is less than a thickness of the metal base in the second area.

2 . The flexure of claim 1 , wherein:

the base insulation layer is provided in each of the first and second areas, and

a thickness of the base insulation layer in the thin-walled portion is less than a thickness of the base insulation layer in the second area.

3 . The flexure of claim 1 , further comprising:

a pillow on which the electronic component is disposed.

4 . The flexure of claim 1 , wherein

the electronic component is a slider, and

the wiring portion in the second area includes a terminal portion electrically connected to the slider.

5 . A suspension for a disk drive, comprising:

the flexure of claim 1 , and

a load beam which the flexure overlaps.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 28, 2024
From: YAMADA, YUKIE
To: NHK SPRING, CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 067869/0869 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2022-026819 · Feb 24, 2022 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation 18172209 · Feb 21, 2023
Related Publication 20240355354A1 · Oct 24, 2024
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