Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval – Record transport with head stationary during transducing – Disk record
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-25
2003-02-25
Klimowicz, William (Department: 2652)
Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval
Record transport with head stationary during transducing
Disk record
C360S099050, C360S133000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06525900
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information recording system suitable for use with a personal computer, a portable information terminal and the like, and more particularly, to a flexible recording system in which a recording medium is exchangeable, and to a flexible disk drive and a recording disk.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 24
is a fragmentarily sectional perspective view showing a conventional flexible disk drive which is disclosed in a Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 06-119699.
FIG. 25
is a cross section taken along line AA′ in FIG.
24
.
In
FIG. 24
, a disk-shaped recording medium is received in and protected by a recording medium cartridge
50
a.
The recording medium cartridge
50
a
is provided with a window (not shown) and a shutter (not shown) for opening and closing the window. Also, the recording medium cartridge
50
a
is provided on its bottom with a write-protect hole (not shown) for preventing erasure of information recorded in the recording medium
50
and writing of new information therein, and a slide member (not shown) adapted to dose the write-protect hole for enabling information in the recording medium
50
to be erased or new information to be recorded thereinto.
The flexible disk drive
51
(hereinafter referred to as FDD) includes a read/write head
52
for recording information into the recording medium
50
and reproducing information recorded therein, and a carriage
53
for moving the read/write head
52
to a predetermined record track (not shown) of the recording medium
50
under the action of a stepping motor
55
. A head arm
54
holding the read/write head
52
is coupled to and supported by the carriage
53
.
The FDD
51
further has a recording medium drive motor
56
for driving the recording medium
50
to rotate, and a control board
57
for controlling the read/write head
52
, the stepping motor
55
and the recording medium drive motor
56
. The control board
57
has a detection switch (not shown) for detecting that the recording medium
50
has been mounted or loaded into the FDD
51
, and a write-protect switch (not shown) for detecting whether writing information into the recording medium
50
is permitted.
A cartridge holder
58
for holding the recording medium
50
has a cam follower
58
a
and a shutter opener
58
b.
A slide cam
59
has a cam groove
59
a
which is adapted to be engaged with the cam follower
58
a
to cause the cartridge holder
58
to move up and down. An eject button
59
b
is provided on the slide cam
59
. The operation of the slide cam
59
is restricted by a latch lever
60
.
The above-described components
52
through
60
are housed in or mounted to a frame
61
which has a fitting part
61
a for mounting an external dedicated slot
62
An upper cover or shield
63
is mounted on an upper portion of the frame
61
.
As shown in
FIG. 25
, the recording medium
50
is fixedly secured at its center to a hub
50
b
which has two holes
50
b
1
,
50
b
2
. The cartridge
50
a
has a window
50
c
formed therethrough, a shutter
50
d
for opening and closing the window
50
c,
a write-protect hole
50
e
and a slide member
50
f.
The recording medium drive motor
56
has a rotor
56
a,
a chucking portion
56
b
fixedly secured to the rotor
56
a
and having a magnetized portion contacting the hub
50
b,
a drive pin
56
c
provided on the chucking portion
56
b,
a rotation shaft or spindle shaft
56
d
fixedly attached to the chucking portion
56
b,
a bearing
56
e
for rotatably supporting the spindle shaft
56
d,
a stationary member in the form of a stator
56
f,
and a coil
56
g
wound around the stator
56
f.
The control board
57
has a disk-in switch
57
a
with an operating portion
57
a
1
for detecting that the recording medium
50
is set at a read/write position in the FDD
51
. The control board
57
also has a write protect switch
57
b
with an operating portion
57
b
1
for detecting the write protection of the recording medium
50
. Here, permission of writing (recording and erasure of information are permitted) is in a state that the operating portion
57
b
1
at the distal end of the write-protect switch
57
b
is pushed into the write-protect switch
57
by means of the slide member
50
f.
On the other hand, write protection is in a state that the operating portion
57
b
1
is not pushed in by the slide member
50
f.
The disk-in switch
57
a
is of the same or like configuration as the write-protect switch
57
b.
When the recording medium
50
is mounted in the FDD
51
, the operating portion
57
a
1
of the disk-in switch
57
a
is pushed into the disk-in switch
57
a
by means of the recording medium cartridge
50
a.
On the contrary, when the recording medium
50
is not mounted in the FDD)
51
, the operating portion
57
a
1
is not pushed in.
The operation of the conventional flexible disk drive will be explained while referring to
FIGS. 24 and 25
.
At first, a transition from the unloaded state where it is not possible to read from and write on the recording medium
50
to the loaded state where it is possible to read from and write on the recording medium
50
is explained below.
When the recording medium
50
is not inserted into the FDD
51
, the cam follower
58
a
of the cartridge holder
58
is pushed up by the cam groove
59
a
of the slide cam
59
, so the cartridge holder
58
is positioned above the spindle shaft
56
d
of the recording medium drive motor
56
, i.e., at the side B.
Then, the recording medium cartridge
50
a
is further moved in a direction C in
FIG. 24
so as to be inserted into the cartridge holder
58
, the shutter
50
d
is opened by the shutter opener
58
b,
so that the read/write head
52
can reproduce information from the recording medium
50
. At this time, the distal end of the recording medium
50
comes in contact with the latch lever
60
, thus causing it to rotate.
Owing to the rotation of the latch lever
60
, the slide cam
59
is released from restriction of the latch lever
60
, and forced to move in a direction D under the biasing force of an unillustrated spring. Since the cam groove
59
a
in the slide cam
59
is in engagement with the cam follower
58
a
of the cartridge holder
58
, te cartridge holder
58
is displaced in a direction E in accordance with the movement of the cam groove
59
a
in the slide cam
59
, while holding the recording medium
50
.
When the recording medium
50
is lowered to a predetermined location with the movement of the cartridge holder
58
in the direction E, the hole
50
b
2
in the hub
50
b
holding the recording medium
50
is engaged with the spindle shaft
56
d,
whereby the drive pin
56
c
is fitted into the hole
51
b
1
and the hub
50
b
is magnetically attracted by the chucking portion
56
b,
thus making it possible for the recording medium
50
to be rotated by means of the recording medium drive motor
56
.
On the other hand, in accordance with the movement of the recording medium
50
in the direction E, the operating portion
57
a
1
of the disk-in switch
57
a
is pushed into the disk-in switch
57
a
by means of the recording medium cartridge
50
a,
so that the control board
57
generates a signal indicative of the loading or mounting of the recording medium
50
to an unillustrated external device. Similarly, the control board
57
generating a signal indicative of write protection or permission to the unillustrated external device, depending upon whether the operating portion
57
b
1
of the write-protect switch
57
b
is pushed into the write-protect switch
57
b.
Thereafter, the read/write head
52
supported by the carriage
53
can contact the recording surface of the recording medium
50
through the window
50
c
for reproducing information therefrom.
Next, a transition from the loaded state to the unloaded state of the recording medium
50
will be explained.
By pressing the eject button
59
b
to a fixed position in the direction C, the slide cam
59
is moved similarly, so th
Hamatsu Kazunobu
Hashimoto Akira
Mizutani Yasutaka
Oda Kazuya
Shoji Kenji
Birch & Stewart Kolasch & Birch, LLP
Klimowicz William
Mitsubishi Denki & Kabushiki Kaisha
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