504, as the limiter 5041 would hook around a portion of the flexure and thereby physically, structurally limits the relative movement between the flexure and the load beam 504 in this area. Load beam 504 further comprises a gimbal dimple 504g, whereby a corresponding flexure would be movably coupled (i.e., gimballed) to the load beam 504 via the dimple 504g and therefore would have freedom of rotation about the corresponding dimple axis. Thus, limiter 5041 would limit the displacement between a flexure and the load beam 504 in the z-direction while maintaining the necessary gimballing functionality of the flexure and a corresponding slider relative to load beam 504, for operational purposes. Furthermore, the hooking portion 5041-a of each limiter 5041 is positioned substantially coincident/colinear with the center of mass of the slider, e.g., coincident/colinear with the dimple 504g on which the flexure-slider gimbals, thereby providing for optimal effectiveness of such a limiter 5041.

According to an embodiment, each limiter structure 5041 comprises a proximal portion 5041-p extending directly from the corresponding side rail portion 504r of the load beam 504, and the hooking portion 5041-a extending from the proximal portion 5041-p. According to an embodiment and with reference to FIGS. 5A-5B, a majority of the proximal portion 5041-p extends at a laterally outward skew angle (deviating from a straight line) from the rail side portion 504r of the load beam 504. More particularly, and according to an embodiment, the proximal portion 5041-p initially extends from the corresponding side rail portion 504r in a plane of the side rail portion 504r in a direction toward the flexure, and an adjoining portion 5041-pa of the proximal portion 5041-p leading to the hooking portion 5041-a extends at a laterally outward angle from the plane of the rail side portion 504r.

Method of Assembling a Head Gimbal Assembly

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of manufacturing a head gimbal assembly, according to an embodiment. A head gimbal assembly (HGA) assembled, manufactured, produced according to the method of FIG. 6 is designed, configured, intended for implementation into a hard disk drive (HDD) (see, e.g., FIG. 1).

At block 602, form a load beam comprising a substantially planar deck having an opening at each side. For example, load beam 304 (FIGS. 3A-3C), 404 (FIGS. 4A-4D), 504 (FIGS. 5A-5B) is formed including a deck 304d (FIGS. 3A-3C), 404d (FIGS. 4A-4D), 504d (FIGS. 5A-5B) having an opening 3040 (FIGS. 3A-3C), 4040 (FIGS. 4A-4D), 5040 (FIGS. 5A-5B) at each side.

At block 604, form a side rail portion on each side of the deck, wherein each side rail portion comprises a limiter structure, including an arm extension, extending into the opening of the deck. For example, a side rail portion is formed on each side of the deck 304d, 404d, 504d, with each side rail portion including a limiter structure 3041 (FIGS. 3A-3C), 4041 (FIGS. 4A-4D), 5041 (FIGS. 5A-5B), including an arm extension 3041-a (FIGS. 3B-3C), 4041-a (FIG. 4B), 5041-a (FIG. 5B), extending into the opening 3040, 4040, 5040 of the deck 304d, 404d, 504d.

At block 606, bend each side rail portion to form a side rail extending in a first direction away from the deck, such that the limiter structure extends away from the corresponding side rail and from the opening in a second direction away from the deck. For example, each side rail portion is bent to form a side rail 304r (FIGS. 3A-3C), 404r (FIGS. 4A-4D), 504r (FIGS. 5A-5B) extending in a first direction away from the deck 304d, 404d, 504d, such that the limiter structure 3041, 4041, 5041 extends away from the corresponding side rail side rail 304r, 404r, 504r and from the opening 3040, 4040, 5040 in a second direction away from the deck 304d, 404d, 504d. Thus, for ease of manufacturing, each limiter 3041, 4041, 5041 is formed into the desired position by the process of bending the side rail portions to form the side rails 304r, 404r, 504r.

At block 608, couple a flexure to a second-direction side of the load beam, including positioning the arm extension on a distal second-direction side of the flexure to limit displacement of the flexure away from the load beam in the second direction. For example, a flexure 302 (FIGS. 3A, 3C), 402 (FIGS. 4A, 4C-4D) is coupled to a second-direction side of the load beam 304, 404, 504, including positioning the arm extension 3041-a, 4041-a, 5041-a on a distal second-direction side of the flexure 302, 402 to limit displacement of the flexure 302, 402 away from the load beam 304, 404, 504 in the second direction.

Thus, in view of the embodiments described herein, each limiter structure enables limiting the displacement between a flexure and the load beam in the z-direction while maintaining the necessary gimballing functionality of the flexure and a corresponding slider relative to the load beam, for operational purposes.

Physical Description of an Illustrative Operating Context

Embodiments may be used in the context of a digital data storage device (DSD) such as a hard disk drive (HDD). Thus, in accordance with an embodiment, a plan view illustrating a conventional HDD 100 is shown in FIG. 1 to aid in describing how a conventional HDD typically operates.

FIG. 1 illustrates the functional arrangement of components of the HDD 100 including a slider 110b that includes a magnetic read-write head 110a. Collectively, slider 110b and head 110a may be referred to as a head slider. The HDD 100 includes at least one head gimbal assembly (HGA)