Reverse flow disk drive and head suspension for same

Abstract

A head suspension for a reverse flow disk drive. The head suspension includes a load beam having a mounting region at a proximal end, a rigid region at a distal end and a spring region between the mounting region and the rigid region. A flexure is mounted on the distal end of the rigid region. A slider is mounted on the flexure. The slider has a proximal end closest to the proximal end of the load beam. One or more read/write heads located on the proximal end of the slider. The head suspension can include one or more of an airflow attenuator, micro-actuators, and/or an inverted gimbal.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A head suspension for a reverse flow disk drive, the head suspension comprising: 
 a load beam having a mounting region at a proximal end, a rigid region at a distal end and a spring region between the mounting region and the rigid region;    a flexure mounted on the distal end of the rigid region;    a slider mounted on the flexure, the slider having a proximal end closest to the proximal end of the load beam, wherein the spring region, the rigid region, the flexure and the slider comprise an active portion; and    one or more read/write heads located on the proximal end of the slider.    
     
     
         2 . The head suspension of    claim 1    wherein the flexure comprises an inverted gimbal including a gimbal distal end adjacent to the distal end of the rigid region and a gimbal proximal end, the inverted gimbal comprising: 
 a pair of outer arms extending from the gimbal proximal end to a distal cross piece proximate the gimbal distal end;  
 a pair of inner arms extending from the distal cross piece to a proximal cross piece proximate the gimbal proximal end; and  
 a cantilever beam connecting the proximal cross piece to a slider mounting region.  
 
     
     
         3 . The head suspension of    claim 1    comprising: 
 a via extending through the rigid region and the flexure proximate a rear surface of the slider; and  
 electrical conductors extending through the via and electrically coupled to the slider.  
 
     
     
         4 . The head suspension of    claim 1    comprising one or more airflow attenuators located downstream from the active portion.  
     
     
         5 . The head suspension of    claim 1    comprising at least one airflow attenuator located on one of the mounting region or an inactive portion of an unamount arm.  
     
     
         6 . The head suspension of    claim 1    comprising at least one airflow attenuator integrally formed with the mounting region.  
     
     
         7 . The head suspension of    claim 1    comprising one or more airflow attenuators extending along one or more of the side, the top or the bottom of the head suspension.  
     
     
         8 . The head suspension of    claim 1    comprising one or more airflow attenuators including a shape adapted to create a region of reduced airflow velocity proximate the flexure.  
     
     
         9 . The head suspension of    claim 1    comprising one or more airflow attenuators including a shape adapted to create a region of reduced airflow velocity proximate the active portion.  
     
     
         10 . The head suspension of    claim 1    comprising one or more micro-actuators.  
     
     
         11 . The head suspension of    claim 1    comprising electrical traces including one of a micro-actuator, a sensor or an integrated circuit.  
     
     
         12 . The head suspension of    claim 11    wherein a portion of the electrical traces are integral with the slider and extend from a distal end of the slider to the proximal end of the slider.  
     
     
         13 . The head suspension of    claim 1    wherein the flexure comprises: 
 a cantilevered slider mounting surface having a free end extending toward the proximal end of the load beam;  
 a gap between the free end and the flexure;  
 one or more electrical traces spanning the gap; and  
 contact pads on the slider mounting surface near the free end electrically coupled with the electrical traces spanning the gap.  
 
     
     
         14 . A head suspension for a reverse flow disk drive, the head suspension comprising: 
 a load beam having a mounting region at a proximal end, a rigid region at a distal end and a spring region between the mounting region and the rigid region;    a flexure mounted on the distal end of the rigid region;    a slider mounted on the flexure having one or more read/write heads, wherein the spring region, the rigid region, the flexure and the slider comprise an active portion; and    one or more micro-actuators adapted to move the slider in response to a tracking control signal.    
     
     
         15 . The head suspension of    claim 14    comprising: 
 a via extending through the rigid region and the flexure proximate a rear surface of the slider; and  
 electrical conductors extending through the via and electrically coupled to the slider.  
 
     
     
         16 . The head suspension of    claim 14    comprising one or more airflow attenuators located downstream from the active portion.  
     
     
         17 . The head suspension of    claim 14    comprising at least one airflow attenuator located on one of the mounting region or an inactive portion of an unamount arm.  
     
     
         18 . The head suspension of    claim 14    comprising at least one airflow attenuator integrally formed with the mounting region.  
     
     
         19 . The head suspension of    claim 14    comprising one or more airflow attenuators extending along one or more of the side, the top or the bottom of the head suspension.  
     
     
         20 . The head suspension of    claim 14    comprising one or more airflow attenuators including a shape adapted to create a region of reduced airflow velocity proximate the flexure.  
     
     
         21 . The head suspension of    claim 14    comprising one or more airflow attenuators including a shape adapted to create a region of reduced airflow velocity proximate the active portion.  
     
     
         22 . A head suspension for a reverse flow disk drive, the head suspension comprising: 
 a load beam having a mounting region at a proximal end, a rigid region at a distal end and a spring region between the mounting region and the rigid region;    a flexure mounted on the distal end of the rigid region;    a slider having one or more read/write heads mounted on the flexure, wherein the spring region, the rigid region, the flexure and the slider comprise an active portion; and    one or more airflow attenuators located downstream from the active portion.    
     
     
         23 . The head suspension of    claim 22    wherein the flexure comprises an inverted gimbal.  
     
     
         24 . The head suspension of    claim 22    comprising at least one airflow attenuator located on one of the mounting region or an inactive portion of an unamount arm.  
     
     
         25 . The head suspension of    claim 22    comprising at least one airflow attenuator attached to the mounting region.  
     
     
         26 . The head suspension of    claim 22    comprising at least one airflow attenuator integrally formed with the mounting region.  
     
     
         27 . The head suspension of    claim 22    comprising one or more airflow attenuators extending along one or more of the side, the top or the bottom of the head suspension.  
     
     
         28 . The head suspension of    claim 22    comprising one or more airflow attenuators including a shape adapted to create a region of reduced airflow velocity proximate the flexure.  
     
     
         29 . The head suspension of    claim 22    comprising one or more airflow attenuators including a shape adapted to create a region of reduced airflow velocity proximate the active portion.  
     
     
         30 . The head suspension of    claim 22    comprising one or more micro-actuators.  
     
     
         31 . The head suspension of    claim 22    comprising electrical traces including one of a micro-actuator, a sensor or an integrated circuit.  
     
     
         32 . A reverse flow disk drive, comprising: 
 one or more disks;    one or more head suspensions comprising; 
 a load beam having a mounting region at a proximal end, a rigid region at a distal end and a spring region between the mounting region and the rigid region;  
 a flexure mounted on the distal end of the rigid region;  
 a slider mounted on the flexure, the slider having a proximal end closest to the proximal end of the load beam, wherein the spring region, the rigid region, the flexure and the slider comprise an active portion; and  
 one or more read/write heads located on the proximal end of the slider.  
   
     
     
         33 . The reverse flow disk drive of    claim 32    comprising one or more airflow attenuators located downstream from the active portion.  
     
     
         34 . The reverse flow disk drive of    claim 32    comprising at least one airflow attenuator located on one of the mounting region or an inactive portion of an unamount arm.  
     
     
         35 . The reverse flow disk drive of    claim 32    comprising at least one airflow attenuator located on an actuator arm.  
     
     
         36 . The reverse flow disk drive of    claim 32    comprising one or more airflow attenuators extending along one or more of the side, the top or the bottom of the head suspension.  
     
     
         37 . The reverse flow disk drive of    claim 32    comprising one or more airflow attenuators including a shape adapted to create a region of reduced airflow velocity proximate the flexure.  
     
     
         38 . The reverse flow disk drive of    claim 32    comprising one or more airflow attenuators including a shape adapted to create a region of reduced airflow velocity proximate the active portion.  
     
     
         39 . The reverse flow disk drive of    claim 32    comprising one or more micro-actuators.  
     
     
         40 . The reverse flow disk drive of    claim 32    comprising electrical traces including one of a micro-actuator, a sensor or an integrated circuit.  
     
     
         41 . The reverse flow disk drive of    claim 40    wherein a portion of the electrical traces are integral with the slider and extend from a distal end of the slider to the proximal end of the slider.  
     
     
         42 . A reverse flow disk drive, comprising: 
 one or more disks;    one or more head suspensions comprising: 
 a load beam having a mounting region at a proximal end, a rigid region at a distal end and a spring region between the mounting region and the rigid region;  
 a flexure mounted on the distal end of the rigid region;  
 a slider mounted on the flexure having one or more read/write heads, wherein the spring region, the rigid region, the flexure and the slider comprise an active portion; and  
 one or more micro-actuators adapted to move the slider in response to a tracking control signal.  
   
     
     
         43 . A reverse flow disk drive, comprising: 
 one or more disks;    one or more head suspensions comprising: 
 a load beam having a mounting region at a proximal end, a rigid region at a distal end and a spring region between the mounting region and the rigid region;  
 a flexure mounted on the distal end of the rigid region;  
 a slider having one or more read/write heads mounted on the flexure, wherein the spring region, the rigid region, the flexure and the slider comprise an active portion; and  
 one or more airflow attenuators located downstream from the active portion.