Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval – Record transport with head stationary during transducing – Disk record
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-29
2001-05-29
Ometz, David L. (Department: 2652)
Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval
Record transport with head stationary during transducing
Disk record
C360S099020
Reexamination Certificate
active
06239946
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic disk drive for recording information on, and reproducing information from, a magnetic disk and, more particularly, to a loading mechanism for moving a disk cartridge between an unloading position and a loading position.
2. Description of the Related Art
This type of magnetic disk drive uses a disk cartridge housing a magnetic disk in a casing. The disk cartridge is inserted into the magnetic disk drive and the magnetic disk is driven to store and reproduce information.
FIG. 13
is for explaining the disk cartridge to be used in this type of magnetic disk drive, in which a disk cartridge
70
houses a magnetic disk
71
in a synthetic resin casing
72
.
A corner of one end of this casing
72
is cut off in a tapered shape to form an insertion error preventing portion
73
. The opening
74
is formed in one end side of the casing
72
, and a shutter
75
made of a thin metal plate is slidably attached along the one end edge of the casing
72
.
The shutter
75
is provided with a window
76
formed correspondingly to the opening
74
. The shutter
75
is being constantly pressed in the direction of the arrow g by an unillustrated spring which is built in the casing
72
, closing the opening
74
. When the shutter
75
slides in the opposite direction of the arrow g against the spring force, the window
76
comes into alignment with the opening
74
; that is, the shutter
75
is opened, exposing out the magnetic disk
71
housed in the casing
72
.
Next,
FIG. 10
to
FIG. 12
are for explaining the prior art magnetic disk drive. The disk drive is mainly comprised of a cartridge holder
80
for holding a disk cartridge loaded; a slide plate
81
which moves the cartridge holder
80
between the unloading position in which the disk cartridge is loaded and unloaded, and the loading position in which information is stored in, and reproduced from, the magnetic disk
71
; a chassis
82
slidably supporting the slide plate
81
; a carriage
84
mounted with a lower magnetic head
83
b
and movable in a diametral direction of the magnetic disk
71
; a hold case
85
vertically movably supported in the carriage
84
and mounted with an upper magnetic head
83
a
; and an unillustrated spindle motor for driving to rotate the magnetic disk
71
.
The slide plate
81
is made of a thin iron plate, and its both right and left ends are bent into a U shape to thereby form a pair of side walls. As shown in
FIG. 10
, another end of a coil spring
86
retained at its one end on the front side of the chassis
82
is retained, so that slide plate
81
is pressed towards the front side (in the direction of the arrow b) of the chassis
82
, thereby being locked in this state by a lock mechanism not shown. The pair of side walls of the slide plate
81
are provided with inclined cam grooves
81
a
correspondingly to four projections
80
a
formed on both sides of the cartridge holder
80
. These projections
80
a
are positioned above the inclined cam grooves
81
a
as shown in
FIG. 11
, to thereby support the cartridge holder
80
in the unloading position previously stated.
On the back side of the chassis
82
the carriage
84
is mounted. As shown in
FIG. 11
, a pair of arms
85
a
formed on the hold case
85
are in contact with the upper surface of the cartridge holder
80
. In this state the upper magnetic head
83
a
is off the lower magnetic head
83
b.
In this state, the disk cartridge
70
, when inserted into the magnetic disk drive, is received by the cartridge holder
80
, which, with the shutter
75
opened, holds the disk cartridge
70
and is released from the above-described unillustrated lock mechanism. Then the slide plate
81
slides in the direction of the arrow g by the force of the coil spring
86
. With the sliding of the slide plate
81
, the projection
80
a
moves downwardly from the upper part of the inclined cam groove
81
a
to the lower part of the inclined cam groove
81
a
as shown in
FIG. 12
, allowing the cartridge holder
80
to move downwardly from the unloading position to the loading position. With this movement, the magnetic disk
71
is set to the unillustrated spindle motor mentioned above and at the same time the hold case
85
tilts down to lower the upper magnetic head
83
a
into contact with the magnetic disk
71
. That is, the magnetic disk
71
is held between the upper and lower magnetic heads
83
a
and
83
b
, being rotated to record information in, or reproduce information from, the magnetic disk
71
.
To take the disk cartridge
70
out of the magnetic disk drive after the recording/reproducing of information, the slide plate
81
is slid towards the back side of the chassis
82
(in the opposite direction of the arrow b) against the force of the coil spring
86
; then the projection
80
a
is moved upwardly from the lower part of the inclined cam groove
81
a
and the slide plate
81
is locked by the unillustrated lock mechanism previously stated, thus allowing the cartridge holder
80
back to the original unloading position.
With the movement of the cartridge holder
80
from the unloading position to the loading position, the upper magnetic head
83
a
is lowered by the force of the coil spring
86
. In this case, however, the upper magnetic head
83
a
, if moving down abruptly, will give damage to the magnetic disk
71
. It is, therefore, necessary to control the speed of downward movement of the upper magnetic head
83
a
.
In the magnetic disk drive, as shown in
FIG. 10
, a rotary oil damper
87
mounted on the chassis
82
is engaged with the slide plate
81
. When the slide plate
81
slides in the direction of the arrow b with the force of the coil spring
86
, a resistance force is produced by the rotary oil damper
87
against the force of the coil spring
86
, reducing the speed of sliding of the slide plate
81
and consequently slowly moving the upper magnetic head
83
a
downwardly into gradual contact with the magnetic disk
71
.
The prior art magnetic disk drive described above, however, has such a shortcoming that since the rotary oil damper
87
which reduces the speed of sliding of the slide plate
81
is expensive, the cost of the device can not be decreased.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above-described shortcoming, it is an object of the present invention to provide a magnetic disk drive which can reliably decrease the speed of sliding of the slide plate to control the speed of downward movement of the upper magnetic head. The present invention, therefore, can reduce the cost of the device.
To accomplish the object, the present invention comprises a cartridge holder which holds a disk cartridge and is transferred between the unloading position for loading and unloading of the disk cartridge and the loading position for information recording on, and reproducing from, a disk in the disk cartridge; a slide plate which is slidably mounted between the first and second positions on the chassis, positions the cartridge holder in the unloading position when in the first position, and also positions the cartridge holder in the loading position when in the second position; an actuating means to move the slide plate towards the second position; a movable head which is pressed towards the surface of the disk and comes into contact with the surface of the disk in connection with the movement of the cartridge holder to the second position; and an elastic member between the cartridge holder and the slide plate; said elastic member producing a resistance force against the force of the actuating means in a process in which the slide plate is slid from the first position to the second position by the actuating means.
In the above-described constitution, the elastic member between the cartridge holder and the slide plate is disengaged before the slide plate reaches the second position.
Furthermore, in the above-described constitution, a spindle motor is mounted to drive the disk; and a projection is provided on the cartridge holder wh
Alps Electric Co. ,Ltd.
Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione
Ometz David L.
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