Base plate with relief ring for suspension assembly with modified deformation characteristics

{
  "publication_number": "US9123364B1",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B1",
  "title": "Base plate with relief ring for suspension assembly with modified deformation characteristics",
  "abstract": "A base plate system including a base plate with first and second opposite surfaces, a boss tower extending from the first surface of the base plate and having an outer surface, a swaging hole extending through a height of the boss tower and a height of the base plate, and a relief channel recessed in the first surface of the base plate and extending around at least a portion of the outer surface of the boss tower, wherein the relief channel comprises a shape that is different from a shape of the outer surface of the boss tower.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A base plate system comprising: a base plate comprising first and second opposite surfaces; a boss tower extending from the first surface of the base plate and having an outer surface; a swaging hole extending through a height of the boss tower and a height of the base plate; and a relief channel recessed in the first surface of the base plate and extending around at least a portion of the outer surface of the boss tower, wherein the relief channel comprises a shape that is different from a shape of the outer surface of the boss tower.",
    "2. The base plate system of claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the boss tower comprises a circular shape.",
    "3. The base plate system of claim 2, wherein the relief channel comprises an oval or elliptical shape.",
    "4. The base plate system of claim 1, wherein the relief channel extends as a continuous channel around the outer surface of the boss tower.",
    "5. The base plate system of claim 1, wherein the swaging hole comprises at least a first section having a first diameter and a second section having a second diameter that is different from the first diameter.",
    "6. The base plate system of claim 1, wherein the swaging hole has a constant diameter from a top of the boss tower to the second surface of the base plate.",
    "7. The base plate system of claim 1, wherein the relief channel extends as a discontinuous channel around the outer surface of the boss tower.",
    "8. The base plate system of claim 1, wherein the relief channel comprises a shape that is non-circular, non-oval, and non-elliptical.",
    "9. The base plate system of claim 1, wherein the relief channel has a symmetrical shape about a center line of the relief channel.",
    "10. The base plate system of claim 1, wherein the relief channel has a non-symmetrical shape about a center line of the relief channel.",
    "11. The base plate system of claim 1, in combination with an actuator arm and head suspension assembly in a head stack assembly, wherein the actuator arm comprises an actuator arm aperture, and wherein the head suspension assembly comprises a load beam having a mounting region with a load beam aperture.",
    "12. The combination of claim 11, wherein the relief channel is oval or elliptical with a longitudinal axis extending along the longest dimension of the relief channel and a lateral axis extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and wherein the longitudinal axis of the relief channel extends along a lateral direction of the head stack assembly.",
    "13. The combination of claim 11, wherein the relief channel is oval or elliptical with a longitudinal axis extending along the longest dimension of the relief channel and a lateral axis extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and wherein the longitudinal axis of the relief channel extends along a longitudinal direction of the head stack assembly.",
    "14. A head stack assembly comprising: an actuator arm having an aperture therein; a head suspension assembly comprising a load beam having a mounting region with an aperture therein; and a base plate adapted to attach the head suspension assembly to the actuator arm, the base plate comprising: a boss tower having an outer surface; a flange extending outwardly from a first end of the boss tower; and a relief channel recessed in a first surface of the flange and extending around at least a portion of the outer surface of the base tower, wherein the relief channel comprises a shape that is different from a shape of the outer surface of the boss tower.",
    "15. The head stack assembly of claim 14, wherein the outer surface of the boss tower comprises a circular shape.",
    "16. The head stack assembly of claim 15, wherein the relief channel comprises an oval or elliptical shape.",
    "17. The head stack assembly of claim 14, wherein the flange is planar.",
    "18. The head stack assembly of claim 14, wherein the relief channel extends as a discontinuous channel around the outer surface of the boss tower.",
    "19. The head stack assembly of claim 14, wherein the relief channel has a symmetrical shape about a center line of the relief channel.",
    "20. The head stack assembly of claim 14, wherein the relief channel has a non-symmetrical shape about a center line of the relief channel."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present nonprovisional patent Application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) from United States Provisional patent application having Ser. No. 61/949,375, filed on Mar. 7, 2014, by Aparimarn et al. and titled “BASE PLATE WITH RELIEF RING FOR SUSPENSION ASSEMBLY WITH MODIFIED DEFORMATION CHARACTERISTICS,” wherein the entirety of said provisional patent application is incorporated herein by reference.\n\nHard disk drive systems (HDDs) typically include one or more data storage disks. A transducing head carried by a slider is used to read from and write to a data track on a disc. The slider is carried by an arm assembly that includes an actuator arm and a suspension assembly.\n\nA swaging process is a common material processing technique used to connect the suspension assembly to the actuator arm. The suspension assembly includes a boss tower configured to fit within an aperture in the actuator arm. When a swage ball is passed through the boss tower when fitted in the arm aperture, the boss tower expands, thereby contacting the aperture surface and creating a frictional engagement or interference fit that connects the suspension assembly to the actuator arm. There is a need to provide additional component configurations and techniques to improve the swage effect in a swaging process, such as techniques that can minimize the amount of base plate deformation that occurs.\n\nThe present invention relates to disk drives.",
  "cpc": [
    "G11B 5/4813",
    "F16B 19/08",
    "F16B 19/10",
    "F16B 5/04",
    "G11B 5/39",
    "G11B 5/4833",
    "Y10T 403/49"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "G11B 5/39"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Seagate Technology LLC"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Prapan Apairmarn",
    "Rapeepat Weerachatpitucchon",
    "Piriyakorn Jirawattanakasem",
    "Joompondej Bamrungwongtaree"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2015-03-06",
  "publication_date": "2015-09-01",
  "grant_date": "2015-09-01",
  "priority_date": "2014-03-07",
  "application_number": "US-201514640118-A",
  "family_id": "53938951",
  "cited_by_count": 4,
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}