Floating-ball device for precise axial alignment between opposing structures

摘要

A floating-ball/tooling-hole coupler that is adapted to provide a precise alignment between a testing tool and a receiving tooling hole in a disk-drive suspension assembly. The ball is housed in a precision-tapered conical structure with a back plate through which the tool's load is exerted. A conforming tooling hole is formed centered at a desired testing point along the longitudinal axis of the suspension, thus providing a precise point of connection between the two. As the tool begins pushing against the assembly to impart a load, the ball floats within a predetermined degree of freedom and is captured by the tooling hole to obtain alignment therewith, which causes the force exerted by the back plate to be transferred to the tooling hole in perfect alignment with the desired testing point.