Floppy disk drive checking device

Details Floppy disk drive checking device Floppy disk drive checking device

2000-06-14

2002-03-26

Heinz, A. J. (Department: 2652)

Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval

Record transport with head stationary during transducing

Disk record

C360S099120

Reexamination Certificate

active

06362930

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a floppy disk drive (hereinafter referred to as “FDD”) into which a floppy disk is loaded and, more particularly, to a chucking device for chucking a floppy disk.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to
FIG. 9
, a floppy disk
1
, which is a recording medium, has a disk cartridge in which a thin-film recording disk
1
a
is housed in a case
1
b
. A top surface of the case
1
b
has a read/write window
1
d
, a shutter
1
c
that can be opened or closed being installed to cover the read/write window
1
d.
A center hub
2
formed of a metal disc is inserted to a central portion of the recording disk
1
a
of the floppy disk
1
. In the center hub
2
, a central opening
3
having a nearly square shape is formed at its central portion, and a driving hole
4
having a nearly rectangular shape is formed in its peripheral portion. The driving hole
4
has a front edge
4
a
at its front as observed in a counterclockwise direction in the drawing and an outer edge
4
b
in a direction away from the central opening
3
.
In general, the floppy disk
1
is inserted in an FDD or a magnetic disc unit, not shown, the recording disk
1
a
is rotated in the FDD, and the recording disk
1
a
is partly exposed through the opened shutter
1
c
and the write/read window
1
d
to input or output of data to be recorded. The recording disk
1
a
can be easily inserted in or removed from the FDD while it is housed in the case
1
b
. The recording disk
1
a
must be accurately aligned with a rotating axis of the FDD, and its rotational speed must be accurately controlled. For this reason, a conventional FDD has been using a chucking device as shown in FIG.
7
and FIG.
8
.
The FDD is provided with a rotor yoke
101
formed of a metal disc, and rotationally driven in a predetermined direction (indicated by “D” in the drawings) by a motor, not shown. A magnetic disc or a chucking magnet
102
is fixed on the rotor yoke
101
.
A shaft
103
is installed in a standing manner at a center of rotation O of the rotor yoke
101
. The shaft
103
extends, passing through an aperture
102
a
at the central portion of the magnetic disc
102
, and loosely inserted in the central opening
3
of the center hub
2
. In this case, “loosely inserted” means that the shaft
103
freely moves horizontally and vertically within a predetermined range.
A driving pin inserting hole
104
having an arc shape is formed along a circumference in a peripheral edge portion of the rotor yoke
101
. A driving arm
105
formed in an arc shape along the circumference is loosely installed in the driving pin inserting hole
104
. The driving arm
105
has a driving pin
106
that extends upward and is formed on a distal end portion
105
a
oriented in a rotational direction D of the rotor yoke
101
. The driving pin
106
loosely penetrate a front aperture
102
b
formed in the magnetic disc
102
and is loosely inserted in the driving hole
4
of the center hub
2
. Furthermore, the distal end portion
105
a
has flanges
105
c
and
105
c
that loosely clamp a portion of the rotor yoke
101
near the front of the driving pin inserting hole
104
and support the front portion of the driving arm
105
such that it can be moved horizontally and vertically within a predetermined range.
A rear end portion
105
b
at a rear of the driving arm
105
extends in a hook shape toward a rear on a top surface of the rotor yoke
101
from a trailing end of the driving pin inserting hole
104
formed in the rotor yoke
101
, and receives a swinging shaft
108
, which protrudes from a top surface of the rotor yoke
101
, in a receiving hole
105
d
in a rear opening
102
c
formed in the magnetic disc
102
. Thus, the driving arm
105
can horizontally swing around the swinging shaft
108
within a range of a width of the driving pin inserting hole
104
.
A ferromagnetic plate
109
is installed on a top of a main body of the driving arm
105
. The entire driving arm
105
is magnetically attracted to the magnetic disc
102
, constantly pushing the driving pin
106
upward.
When the floppy disk
1
is inserted in the FDD, the recording disk
1
a
is placed on the rotor yoke
101
, the center hub
2
attached to the recording disk
1
a
is magnetically attracted to the magnetic disc
102
, and the central opening
3
of the center hub
2
receives the shaft
103
adjacent to the rotor yoke
101
. At this time, the driving pin
106
projecting upward from the magnetic disc
102
is inserted in the driving hole
4
of the center hub
2
.
When the driving pin
106
is not in the driving hole
4
, the driving pin
106
is pushed by the center hub
2
, so that it is pushed in the driving pin inserting hole
104
against the attraction force by the ferromagnetic plate
109
to prevent the driving pin
106
from projecting to the center hub
2
.
The motor (not shown) is started, and while the rotor yoke
101
is being turned once in a direction D, a top portion of the driving pin
106
is slidably rotated on a bottom surface of the center hub
2
and received in the driving hole
4
, then raised in the driving hole
4
by the attraction force of the ferromagnetic plate
109
. As the rotor yoke
101
further rotates in the direction D under this condition, the driving pin
106
comes in contact with the front edge
4
a
of the driving hole
4
. At the same time, the driving arm
105
swings about the swinging shaft
108
in a direction such that the driving pin
106
moves away from the center of rotation O by a load of friction between a head and the recording disk (medium)
1
a
, causing the driving arm
105
to come in contact also with the outer edge
4
b
of the driving hole
4
. As a result, the driving pin
106
is supported by being abutted against the two sides, namely, the front edge
4
a
and the outer edge
4
b
of the driving hole
4
.
The shaft
103
is supported by being abutted against two sides
3
a
and
3
b
of the central hole
3
of the center hub
2
on sides opposing (or away from) the driving pin
106
, the center of rotation O being between the two sides. Under this condition, the center of the recording disk la coincides with the center of rotation O of the rotor yoke
101
, thus completing a chucking process. In this state, the recording disk
1
a
of the floppy disk
1
rotates according to a controlled rotational speed of the rotor yoke
101
.
As set forth above, the conventional chucking device employs the driving arm to abut the driving pin
106
against the two sides, namely, the front edge
4
a
and the outer edge
4
b
of the driving hole
4
.
The driving arm
105
, however, has a supporting point provided by the driving shaft
108
and the receiving hole
105
d
of the rear end portion
105
b
; hence, a clearance therebetween tends to vary, presenting a problem in that an accuracy of the clearance must be controlled.
Furthermore, the driving shaft
108
providing the supporting point must be sufficiently high to prevent it from slipping out of the receiving hole
105
d
of the rear end portion
105
b
of the driving arm
105
. If the height is not accurately set, then the position of the supporting point easily varies, leading to a possibility of a failure of writing or reading data to or from the recording disk
1
a.
There has been another problem in that the driving arm
105
is provided with a swinging shaft
108
that has a sufficient height for preventing it from slipping off the receiving hole
105
d
of the rear end portion
105
b
, requiring extra time and effort for machining and assembling the components with resultant increased manufacturing cost.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an FDD chucking device which is capable of preventing eccentric rotation of a recording disk by using a reliable and inexpensive means to permit consistently accurate writing and reading, permits easy assembly, and controls manufacturing cost.
To this end, according to one aspect of the p

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Floppy disk drive checking device does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Floppy disk drive checking device, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Floppy disk drive checking device will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2840162