Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval – Record transport with head stationary during transducing – Disk record
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-28
2002-04-09
Ometz, David L. (Department: 2652)
Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval
Record transport with head stationary during transducing
Disk record
Reexamination Certificate
active
06369979
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disk device for recording and reproducing such as a floppy disk and, more particularly, to a disk device which reduces an impact likely to occur when a magnetic head contacts the disk during loading.
2. Description of Related Art
FIG. 10
is a side view showing a disk device
50
for a floppy disk.
The disk device
50
has a chassis
51
, a slide plate
52
, and a holder
53
. On the chassis
51
is mounted the slide plate
52
, which is movable in a longitudinal direction (in a lateral direction in FIG.
10
). The slide plate
52
is provided with a holder
53
in which a disk case containing the floppy disk is inserted. The slide plate
52
and the holder
53
are connected by means of a coil spring
56
, by which the slide plate
52
is constantly pushed to the left in the drawing.
The slide plate
52
has slide grooves
58
a
and
58
b
cut out obliquely in the front and rear portions of the side wall, and projections
55
a
and
55
b
formed on the side of the holder
53
slide in engagement with the slide grooves
58
a
and
58
b.
In the disk device
50
stated above, the slide plate
52
is moved and locked in the right position with the holder
53
in the upper position as shown in FIG.
10
. The disk case, when inserted in the direction of the arrow
23
in the drawing, is received by the holder
53
. At this time the slide plate
52
is unlocked, and is moved to the left in the drawing by the force of the coil spring
56
; accordingly the holder
53
goes downwardly with the projections
55
a
and
55
b
sliding in the slide grooves
58
a
and
58
b
(same also on the opposite side). At this time, the disk D in the disk case first contacts a magnetic head
54
b
on the side
0
side, and thereafter a magnetic head
54
a
on the side
1
side goes downwardly. Thus the disk D is held between the magnetic head
54
a
and the magnetic head
54
b.
In this state, data read/write operation is done while the disk D is turning.
To take out the disk case a button
57
is depressed to allow rightward movement of the slide plate
52
. The holder
53
rises and the disk case is pushed out for discharge by a discharge member not shown.
In the disk device
50
, however, the disk D is likely to get damaged when contacting the magnetic head.
When the disk case is inserted into the disk device
50
until it is held by the holder
53
, and is lowered, the disk D in the disk case first contacts the magnetic head
54
b
on the side
0
side, and thereafter the magnetic head
54
a
on the side
1
side is lowered until it contacts the disk D. To the magnetic head
54
a
on the side
1
a spring force is constantly applied to press the magnetic head
54
a
towards the disk D side. With the insertion of the disk D, the magnetic head
54
a
thus being pressed comes into a collision with the disk D. That is, the magnetic head
54
a
collides against the disk D due to the force of the coil spring
56
, producing an impactive force with which the disk D is likely to be impaired and accordingly resulting in a failure of data recording and reproduction.
The holder
53
is vertically guided. However, since the coil spring
56
is applying a horizontal force to the slide plate
52
, the frictional force in the guide portion increases. Therefore when the disk case is taken out, a great force is needed to push out the button
57
and further there is such an inconvenience that the disk case can not be ejected out if the button
58
is not pushed in to some depth.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above-described inconvenience, therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a disk device which facilitates ejection of the disk case without giving damage to the disk even when the disk inserted contacts the magnetic head.
The disk device of the present invention has a chassis, a holder which moves between a first position where the disk case is received and a second position where the disk in the disk case thus received is set in the rotation drive section, a magnetic head which contacts the disk when the holder has moved as far as the second position, a forcing member for moving the holder towards the second position, and an ejecting member for driving the holder from the second position back towards the first position. In the disk device, a frictional mechanism is interposed between the holder side and the chassis side, for increasing a load for movement when the holder is moved towards the second position.
Adopting the above-described means can decrease the speed of movement of the holder to the second position by applying a load in a different direction of movement of the holder and also decrease the speed of movement of the head when the disk case is inserted into the holder and then the holder moves to the second position. As a result, an impact can be reduced when the magnetic head contacts the magnetic disk surface of the disk case.
In this case, it is desirable that a slide piece be provided as the frictional mechanism, on one of the holder side and the chassis side, with an inclined portion tapered in the direction A in which both sides are oppositely placed, and, on the other side, a counterpart portion on which the slide piece slides, and that the inclined portion slide on the counterpart portion when the holder moves towards the second position.
Because of the constitution of the aforesaid means and the provision of the counterpart portion, e.g., a sliding hole on the chassis side, the inclined portion of the slide piece provided on the holder side slides along the sliding hole when the holder moves to the second position. At this time, a frictional force occurs due to the sliding of the inclined surface on the edge portion of the sliding hole. The frictional force reduces the speed of the holder moving from the first position to the second position, thereby diminishing an impact resulting from the contact of the head with the magnetic disk surface of the disk case. Thus it becomes possible to prevent giving damage to the magnetic disk surface.
When the disk case is to be taken out, the inclined portion slides along the sliding hole and besides an upward force acting on the holder works to move the slide piece upwardly. As a result, the disk case can be taken out by operating with a little force.
Also it is desirable that there should be provided, as the frictional mechanism, a sliding piece on one of the holder side and the chassis side and an elastic member for elastically pressing the slide piece on the other side, and that the slide piece should slide on the elastic member when the holder moves towards the second position.
In this case, the slide piece is a plate spring having a V-shaped or curved portion and the forward end of the slide piece is desired to slide at the inclined portion of the curved portion when the holder moves to the second direction, so that the crest of the curved portion contacts the side portion of the slide piece. And it is desirable that upon the completion of movement of the holder to the second position, the crest of the curved portion contact the side of the slide piece.
Furthermore, in the aforementioned case, the slide piece partly contacts the inclined portion formed in a V shape when the holder starts moving from the first direction to the second direction. Furthermore, with the sliding motion of the slide piece on the plate spring, the plate spring expands to slide while the V-shaped crest of the plate spring is in contact with the side of the slide piece. Consequently, the sliding speed of the holder decreases and accordingly the impact occurring at the time of head contact with the disk is lessened, thereby preventing giving a damage to the disk.
Furthermore, when the disk case is taken out, the holder is slid in the reverse direction, thus moving the slide piece along the crest of the plate spring. When the bottom of the slide piece has reached a higher position than the crest, the slide piece is raised by the force of the plate spring. Co
Ito Mutsumi
Wauke Tomokuni
Alps Electric Co. ,Ltd.
Chen Tianjie
Ometz David L.
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