Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval – Fluid bearing head support – Disk record
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-29
2004-06-08
Heinz, A. J. (Department: 2653)
Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval
Fluid bearing head support
Disk record
C360S254100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06747844
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a disk drive unit in which a cartridge stored with a disk-shaped magnetic record medium, such as a floppy disk, is received, a magnetic recording head is brought into contact with the magnetic record medium as the magnetic record medium is rotated, whereby data are recorded in the magnetic record medium and reproduced from the magnetic record medium.
BACKGROUND ART
A disk drive unit for a floppy disk is designed so that a shutter of the floppy disk (disk cartridge) opens to expose a part of a magnetic record medium therein when the floppy disk is inserted and positioned at a loaded position. An upper magnetic head and a lower magnetic head come into contact with the upper and lower surfaces, respectively, of the exposed disk, thereby recording data in the disk and reproducing data from the disk. When the disk drive unit is not loaded with the floppy disk, the upper magnetic head is situated at a distance from the lower magnetic head.
Many of upper and lower magnetic heads are formed using ceramic materials. If the disk drive unit is subjected to vibration or shock when it is not loaded with any disk cartridge, the upper magnetic head and the lower magnetic head come heavily into contact with each other, whereupon the heads are damaged.
Accordingly, a mechanism (magnetic head lift mechanism) designed in the following manner is used. When the disk cartridge is not inserted in the disk drive unit, that is, when the upper magnetic head is separated from the lower magnetic head, the mechanism fixes this separated state to prevent the upper magnetic head and the lower magnetic head from running against each other if they are subjected to vibration or shock. When the floppy disk is inserted, on the other hand, the mechanism releases the upper magnetic head and the lower magnetic head from the fixedly separated state.
Since magnetic head lift mechanisms having so far been proposed are complicated in construction, they cannot be easily stored in a narrow space in the disk drive unit. Therefore, they cannot satisfactorily meet the demand for thinner, smaller disk drive units without ruining appropriate strength against shock.
In a magnetic head lift mechanism described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-17137, as shown in
FIGS. 37A and 37B
, a lifter
351
for supporting an upper magnetic head
321
off a lower magnetic head is provided on the upper surface of a cartridge holder
303
(carrier) that carries a disk cartridge
309
thereon, the lifter
351
being in engagement with an upper magnetic head support member
341
which is fitted with the upper magnetic head
321
. When the cartridge holder
303
moves up and down as the cartridge
309
is loaded and unloaded, the lifter
351
rocks so that its distal end moves up and down.
This lift mechanism is provided with shock preventing means that serves to prevent the lifter
351
from descending if it is subjected to vibration or shock. One of the shock preventing means is an extending portion
322
of a shutter lever
312
which is inserted below the lifter
351
, and another is a holder guard
307
that serves to prevent the cartridge holder
303
, which is fitted with the shutter lever
312
and the lifter
351
, from sinking, as shown in
FIGS. 38A and 38B
. The holder guard
307
is formed of a springy member. When the cartridge
309
is inserted into a disk drive unit, the holder guard
307
is pushed to be displaced by the cartridge
309
, thereby allowing the cartridge holder
303
to descend. When the disk drive unit is not loaded with the cartridge
309
, on the other hand, the holder guard
307
is returned to its original position by its elasticity, and its receiving portion
378
prevents the cartridge holder
303
from descending.
According to the magnetic head lift mechanism described above, the lifter
351
is provided on the upper surface of the cartridge holder
303
, and the lifter
351
is rocked up and down when the cartridge holder
303
moves up and down as the cartridge
309
is loaded and unloaded, so that there is no need of any special drive unit for rocking the lifter
351
. However, the range of vertical movement of the cartridge holder
303
slightly varies according to products under the influence of manufacture and assembly, so that it requires fine adjustment in the final stage of the assembly. Actually, in order to adjust the range of vertical movement of the lifter, an adjust screw
312
is used in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-17137.
If the descent of the cartridge holder
303
is prevented by the springy member, as mentioned before, however, the prevention is easily canceled by vibration or shock, and fine adjustment operation by the adjust screw in the final stage of the assembly, if necessary, requires so much labor.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide a disk drive unit provided with a magnetic head lift mechanism of a simple construction, which is highly resistant to vibration and shock and sturdy.
In order to achieve the above object, a disk drive unit according to the present invention comprises a first arm and a second arm fitted with a first magnetic head and a second magnetic head, respectively, and capable of moving toward and away from each other, arm urging means urging the first and second arms to move toward each other, and a slide piece capable of moving toward the first and second arms from beside the first and second arms and engaging at least one of the arms, thereby maintaining the distance between the first and second arms. When the slide piece retreats to a position where it engages neither of the first nor second arms, the first and second arms are moved toward each other by the arm urging means.
In the disk drive unit according to the present invention, the slide piece slides toward the arms from beside the arms and engage the arms, thereby supporting the arms from below. Thus, the arms can be supported securely, and there is no possibility of the slide piece being disengaged from the arms if it is subjected to vibration or shock.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5222005 (1993-06-01), Inoue
patent: 5291361 (1994-03-01), Yokota
patent: 5552948 (1996-09-01), Yokota et al.
patent: 5703857 (1997-12-01), Davis et al.
patent: 6313968 (2001-11-01), Kabasawa
patent: 6320724 (2001-11-01), Suzuki
patent: 0 353 566 (1990-02-01), None
patent: 7-029338 (1995-01-01), None
patent: 7-078397 (1995-03-01), None
patent: 7-334906 (1995-12-01), None
patent: 8-263955 (1996-10-01), None
patent: WO 96 16403 (1996-05-01), None
Arai Isao
Kohyama Takuro
Obata Shigeru
Ohishi Yoshiyuki
Blouin Mark
Citizen Watch Company Ltd.
Heinz A. J.
Smith , Gambrell & Russell, LLP
LandOfFree
Disk drive does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Disk drive, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Disk drive will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3324873