Magneto-optical cleaning disk

Details Magneto-optical cleaning disk Magneto-optical cleaning disk

2001-07-10

2004-03-23

Dinh, Tan (Department: 2653)

Dynamic information storage or retrieval

Storage or retrieval by simultaneous application of diverse...

Magnetic field and light beam

C369S072000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06711102

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a cleaning disk and a magneto-optical disk drive apparatus for removing dirt, dust and other foreign particles stuck to the magnetic head and optical head of an information recording/reproduction apparatus.
Furthermore, the present invention relates to a recording/reproduction apparatus, such as a floppy disk drive (hereafter simply referred to as an FDD), a minidisk apparatus (hereafter simply referred to as an MD apparatus) and a magneto-optical data file apparatus, provided with a sliding contact type magnetic head to apply a modulated magnetic field to a recording medium. More particularly, the present invention relates to a recording/reproduction apparatus capable of carrying out recording and reproduction on both types of disk media, that is, a magnetic head cleaning disk having a cleaning layer on its face making sliding contact with the magnetic head and an ordinary recording/reproduction disk.
BACKGROUND ART
First, the background art of the cleaning disk and the magneto-optical disk drive apparatus will be described.
Optical disk drive apparatuses are available as an optical disk drive apparatus based on a thermal change system wherein the crystals of the recording layer of an optical disk are changed in phases by the heat of the laser light of an optical head to carry out recording, typified by a CD-R and a DVD, and a magneto-optical disk drive apparatus based on a magneto-optical system wherein the heat by the laser light of an optical head is combined with the modulated magnetic field by a magnetic head to carry out recording, typified by an MD.
The prior art will be described below by taking a cleaning disk and a magneto-optical disk drive apparatus based on the magneto-optical system as examples.
In a conventional magneto-optical disk drive apparatus, an optical head for emitting a light beam applied to a magneto-optical recording layer is disposed on one side of a magneto-optical disk rotated by a disk rotation mechanism (spindle motor), and a magnetic head for applying an external magnetic field to the magneto-optical recording layer is disposed on the other side so as to be disposed opposite to the optical head.
The magneto-optical disk drive apparatus applies a modulated magnetic field, the direction of which is modulated depending on an information signal to be recorded from the magnetic head, to the magneto-optical recording layer of the magneto-optical disk to be rotated, and gathers the light beam emitted from the optical head and applies the light beam. After a portion heated to Curie temperature or more by this application of the light beam so as to be demagnetized is magnetized depending on the direction of the magnetic field applied from the magnetic head, the portion is cooled to Curie temperature or less by the relative movement of the light beam owing to the rotation of the magneto-optical disk, and the direction of the magnetization is fixed, whereby the information signal is recorded.
In this magneto-optical disk apparatus, when dust and the like are stuck to the surfaces of the objective lens of the optical head and the magnetic head relating to the recording and reproduction of signals, the dust and the like may prevent the laser light from reaching the magneto-optical recording layer of the magneto-optical disk, and may be stuck to the surface of the disk, thereby increasing wear of the magneto-optical disk and making scratches, furthermore, disturbing the spacing between the magnetic head and the magneto-optical disk and increasing errors owing to the disturbance.
A cleaning disk is used conventionally to remove stain owing to dust and the like on the surfaces of the objective lens and the magnetic head. An example of the disk is disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Application Hei 7-6430. This disk is shown in FIG.
20
.
FIG. 20
is an exploded perspective view showing the conventional cleaning disk.
In the figure, a conventional disk
100
is used for an MD apparatus, and just as in the case of a general writable minidisk, lens-cleaning members
27
having the shape of a raised brush fur bundle are disposed on the surface of a magneto-optical disk
104
provided with a clamping hub
19
at its center, and a head-cleaning member
22
having a nearly sheet-like shape and capable of being made contact with the end of the magnetic head at the recording position is bonded in a predetermined radial range on the surface of the disk disposed opposite to the magnetic head.
The cleaning disk
100
is rotatably housed in the cartridge
6
comprising an upper cartridge
26
and a lower cartridge
28
. The upper cartridge
26
is secured to the lower cartridge
28
with screws
9
. A disk detection groove
29
is formed in a part of the cartridge
6
, whereby the magneto-optical disk drive apparatus can detect that the cleaning disk
100
is a recordable disk, just like the magneto-optical disk for ordinary recording. This cartridge
6
has a configuration common to the cartridge of the magneto-optical disk for ordinary recording.
When the conventional cleaning disk
100
based on the above-mentioned configuration is loaded into the magneto-optical disk drive apparatus, the magneto-optical disk drive apparatus determines that the disk is a recording disk by using a disk detection switch and carries out recording operation. At this time, the lens-cleaning members
27
make contact with the objective lens of the optical head, and the head-cleaning member on the opposite side makes contact with the magnetic head, thereby cleaning the objective lens and the magnetic head in accordance with the rotation of the magneto-optical disk
104
. After a predetermined time, stop operation is carried out, and the cleaning disk is taken out of the magneto-optical disk drive apparatus, thereby completing cleaning.
If the magnetic head keeps sliding at the same area of the above-mentioned head-cleaning member, the head-cleaning member may be worn out, and dust and the like removed from the sliding face of the magnetic head by the head-cleaning member may be stuck again to the sliding face at the end of the magnetic head.
Hence, when the magnetic head is cleaned by using the cleaning disk in the case of an MD apparatus for example, it is supposed that ordinary recording operation is carried out during cleaning, and that the portion used for recording, i.e., the portion used for cleaning, is recorded as a first piece of music after the cleaning. Therefore, when the cleaning disk is used next, the cleaning of the magnetic head starts at the position for a second piece of music. This configuration therefore prevents the magnetic head from sliding at the same portion of the above-mentioned cleaning member.
In the magneto-optical disk for ordinary recording (ordinary recording/reproduction disk), a lubrication film of about 10 &mgr;m to 20 &mgr;m is formed on the magneto-optical recording layer. The spacing between the magnetic core of the magnetic head and the above-mentioned magneto-optical recording layer is about 0.01 mm to 0.1 mm.
On the other hand, in the magnetic head cleaning disk, a head-cleaning member of 0.2 mm to 0.4 mm in thickness is present on the magneto-optical recording film. Hence, the spacing between the magnetic core and the magneto-optical recording film is two times or more that of the ordinary magneto-optical disk.
In addition, in the magneto-optical disk drive apparatus, in order that the ordinary recording magneto-optical disk and the cleaning disk can be used without discrimination therebetween, a modulated current to be supplied to the magnetic head is set larger so that recording on the cleaning disk can be carried out without problems, whereby the magnetic head is driven by the same current value as that used during recording on the cleaning disk, even during recording on the ordinary recording magneto-optical disk.
In recent years, reducing the magnetic head drive current has become a problem in order to extend battery life in portable apparatuses, typified by a portable MD apparatus for exampl

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