Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval – Record transport with head stationary during transducing – Disk record
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-04
2001-09-11
Klimowicz, William (Department: 2754)
Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval
Record transport with head stationary during transducing
Disk record
Reexamination Certificate
active
06288868
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to recording medium driving apparatuses, and more particularly a disk drive which performs a recording and/or reproducing operation on a disk-shaped magnetic recording medium housed in a disk cartridge.
2. Description of the Related Art
A magnetic disk drive detachably accommodates a disk cartridge housing a flexible magnetic disk. Such a magnetic disk drive is required to have a reduced thickness and a reduced size. A finer production is required to assemble such a compact magnetic disk drive.
A reduced thickness of the magnetic disk drive results in a narrower gap between the insertion height of the disk cartridge inserted into a holder and the height of a lower magnetic head supported by a head carriage. When the disk cartridge is warped so that a deformed projection faces downward, the front end of the disk cartridge inserted in the holder may contact with the lower magnetic head.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 6-103573 discloses a disk cartridge contact preventing mechanism which prevents the front end of the disk cartridge from coming into contact with the lower magnetic head when the disk cartridge is inserted into the holder. The contact preventing mechanism includes a protruding part, a contact preventing member and a rotary lever. The protruding part is provided to the upper surface of a frame. The contact preventing member restricts the disk cartridge inserting position so that the disk cartridge rides over the protruding part when the disk cartridge is inserted into the holder in order to prevent the end of the disk cartridge from coming into contact with the lower magnetic head. The rotary lever has an end joined to the contact preventing member, and another end joined to a slider having an ejection button.
When the disk cartridge is inserted into the holder, the holder moves down from the disk cartridge inserting position. Further, the slider slides and the rotary lever is thus rotated. Hence, the rotary lever moves the contact preventing member to a contact preventing position or a refuge position in which the contact preventing member is spaced away from the disk cartridge.
Recently, there has been considerable activity in increasing the recording capacity of the magnetic disk by increasing the revolution of the disk and thus recording information thereon at an increased density. Such a large-capacity magnetic disk drive, a floating force caused by an air flow generated by high-speed rotation of the magnetic disk is applied to the magnetic head. Hence, the magnetic head flies above the disk and is maintained so that it is slightly spaced apart from the disk. Hence, the magnetic head is prevented from damaging the disk surface.
When the magnetic disk drive is equipped with the above-mentioned disk cartridge contact preventing mechanism, the magnetic disk drive is required to have a space in which the mechanism is installed. Further, it is required to provide, on the upper surface of the frame, the contact preventing member and the rotary lever of the contact preventing mechanism in order to transfer the sliding operation of the slider to the contact preventing member via the rotary lever. Hence, the rotary lever limits the shape of the contact preventing member and the range of the rotary operation. In addition, the assembly work is troublesome because the contact preventing mechanism is assembled by a large number of parts.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a recording medium driving apparatus in which the above-mentioned disadvantages are eliminated.
A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a recording medium driving apparatus equipped with a simple and compact head cartridge contact preventing mechanism.
The above objects of the present invention are achieved by A recording medium driving apparatus comprising: a holder into which a cartridge having a recording medium is inserted; a head part; and a cartridge contact preventing mechanism preventing an end of the cartridge from contacting the head part when the cartridge is inserted into the recording medium driving apparatus.
The recording medium driving apparatus may be configured so that the cartridge contact preventing mechanism comprises: a first part which contacts the cartridge immediately before the cartridge reaches the head part to limit a height position of the cartridge so that the head part can be prevented from contacting the cartridge.
The recording medium driving apparatus may be configured so that the cartridge contact preventing mechanism comprises: a second part which moves the first part to a limit releasing position after the end of the cartridge passes the head part.
The recording medium driving apparatus may be configured so that the second part contacts the cartridge after the end of the cartridge passes the head part.
The recording medium driving apparatus may be configured so that: the head part comprises two heads opposite each other; and the cartridge contact preventing mechanism has a part which defines a given between the cartridge and one of the two heads.
The recording medium driving apparatus may be configured by further comprising: a deformation preventing mechanism which prevents the holder in a given insert/eject position from being deformed.
The recording medium driving apparatus may be configured so that the deformation preventing mechanism comprises a part which engages a given part of the cartridge contact preventing mechanism.
The recording medium driving apparatus may be configured so that the given part of the cartridge contact preventing mechanism is urged in a direction opposite to another direction in which a load is exerted onto the holder.
The above objects of the present invention are also achieved by a recording medium driving apparatus comprising: a holder into which a cartridge having a recording medium is inserted; a head part; and a deformation preventing mechanism which prevents the holder in a given insert/eject position from being deformed.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5187622 (1993-02-01), Watanabe
patent: 5222005 (1993-06-01), Inoue
patent: 5508857 (1996-04-01), Horita
patent: 5889638 (1999-03-01), Kabasawa et al.
patent: 5956206 (1999-09-01), Kabasawa et al.
patent: 5956214 (1999-09-01), Shinozaki et al.
Anderson Kill & Olick P.C.
Klimowicz William
Teac Corporation
Tupe Chin
LandOfFree
Recording medium driving apparatus does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Recording medium driving apparatus, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Recording medium driving apparatus will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2496971