The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 30, 2002
Filed:
Dec. 18, 1997
Jeffry S. Bennin, Hutchinson, MN (US);
Todd W. Boucher, Stewart, MN (US);
Anthony J. Liberko, Hutchinson, MN (US);
Raymond A. Loehlein, Mound, MN (US);
Robert J. Matz, Cologne, MN (US);
Gabriel M. Montes, Hutchinson, MN (US);
Karupanan Supramaniam, Hopkins, MN (US);
Hutchinson Technology Incorporated, Hutchinson, MN (US);
Abstract
A flexure for an integrated lead head suspension comprising a metal spring layer having a metal base region, a metal head bonding platform, and one or more metal spring arms connecting the metal head bonding platform to the metal base region for flexure motion. The flexure also includes a conductive lead layer having lead base region portions extending over the metal base region and lead suspended portions spaced from and adjacent to at least one of the metal spring arms. The flexure further includes an insulator layer between the metal spring layer and the conductive lead layer that has insulator base region portions for bonding the lead base region portions to and insulating the lead base region portions from the metal base region. The insulator layer also has insulator suspended portions on a lower surface of the lead suspended portions and insulator spring arm portions on an upper surface of the metal spring arms adjacent to the lead suspended portions. A first curvature is induced on each insulator suspended portion and a second curvature is induced on each insulator spring arm portion when the insulator layer undergoes volumetric variations. The direction of the second curvature generally opposes the direction of the first curvature, and the second curvature in the insulator suspended portions compensates for the first curvature in the insulator spring arm portions.