Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval – Record transport with head stationary during transducing – Disk record
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-18
2003-12-09
Klimowicz, William (Department: 2652)
Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval
Record transport with head stationary during transducing
Disk record
C206S586000, C361S689000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06661604
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a plate-like apparatus, integral rotating body device, and disk device, which are used as a magnetic data storage and retrieval system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various devices, ranging from data processing systems to optical data capture systems, employ portable or removable storage media to accommodate and retain data. The last few years have witnessed an ongoing and well-publicized effort toward miniaturizing and increasing the capacity of these storage media.
Much of the development in the miniaturization and capacity improvement of storage media has resulted in improvements in magnetic data storage and retrieval systems, commonly referred to as hard disk drives. A magnetic data storage and retrieval system frequently comprises an annular, magnetic disk for storing data (hereinafter simply referred to as a “disk”), a spindle motor, which rotates the disk, a read/write head, which reads/writes data from/to the disk, an actuator, which drives the read/write head in a direction radial to the disk, and other, related equipment and circuitry.
Attempts to miniaturize magnetic data storage and retrieval systems have required very precise construction of mechanical structures such as the disk, spindle motor, read/write head, and actuator. Accordingly, mechanical shock events such as dropping or bumping the magnetic data storage and retrieval system against a solid object frequently result in malfunctions. In particular, mechanical shock events that result in a misalignment of the disk with respect to the center of rotation of the spindle motor may compromise the ability of the read/write head to read or write data from or to the disk.
Common disk designs connect the rotating shaft of the spindle motor to the disk through the disk's central hole. The size of the central hole is designed to allow a clearance (between the inner edge of the disk and the rotating shaft of the spindle motor) for ease of insertion during assembly. Clamp, screw, or other articulating hardware affixes the disk to the rotating shaft of the spindle motor. Data is recorded on the disk by the read/write head while the disk is rotated by the spindle motor. This is accomplished by recording the data in concentric tracks. If a shock event of a magnitude greater than the magnitude of the frictional forces between the disk, the rotating shaft, and the articulating hardware occurs, the center of the disk may become displaced within the clearance between the disk and the rotating shaft with respect to the center of rotation of the spindle motor. As a result, the read/write head may be unable to read or write data from or to the disk.
The proposed, partial solution discussed in Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 11-353865 deals with the displacement problem by mounting bumpers, composed of an elastic material, on corner portions of a magnetic data storage and retrieval device. If the magnetic data storage and retrieval device is dropped, the bumpers can absorb the energy of the shock event to prevent the displacement of the disk. In a magnetic data storage and retrieval system shaped as a rectangular plate of predetermined thickness, such as Compact Flash (a registered trademark), such bumpers are naturally most effective when attached to the four corners of the magnetic data storage and retrieval system.
The example of Compact Flash, however, illustrates the deficiencies, limitations, and inadequacies of the prior art. Compact Flash calls for a guide groove on each side, thereby allowing mounting on a data processing system, a unit of peripheral equipment such as digital camera, or an articulating adapter. The technique described in the above referenced publication fails to accommodate this guide groove. Further innovations in the design of magnetic data storage and retrieval systems are necessary in order to allow the technique described above to effectively accommodate the requirements of guide-groove designs such as Compact Flash.
Examination of the problem described above indicates that, as shown in
FIG. 15
, the magnetic data storage and retrieval system
1
attached to a data processing system or peripheral device, and the guide portion
3
on the adapter side include a guide groove
2
corresponding to the projection
4
of the guide
3
so that at least one end thereof continues to the corner of the magnetic data storage and retrieval system
1
. Attachment of a bumper
5
to the corner requires formation of a groove portion
6
corresponding to the guide
2
.
However, because the bumper
5
is usually formed from an elastomeric material to achieve shock absorbing properties, it is difficult to size the groove portion
6
(S in
FIG. 15
) precisely when the bumper
5
is molded. As shown in
FIG. 16A
, if the size S of the groove portion
6
is substantially smaller than the size of the guide groove
2
, substantial friction exists between the groove portion
6
of the bumper
5
and the projection
4
of the guide portion
3
when the magnetic data storage and retrieval system
1
is inserted into or removed from the guide portion
3
. This friction complicates insertion and removal of the magnetic data storage and retrieval system by requiring substantial force to overcome the frictional force at insertion and removal. Further, as shown in
FIG. 16B
, if the size S of the groove portion
6
is excessively large relative to the size of the guide groove
2
, the projection
4
of the guide portion
3
can be blocked by the step
7
between the groove portion
6
of the bumper
5
and the guide groove
2
when the magnetic data storage and retrieval system
1
is set in the guide portion
3
.
The present invention solves the problems described above, and its object is to provide a plate-like apparatus, integral rotating body device, and magnetic data storage and retrieval system, which can absorb the energy of an external shock event and can be easily attached.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The plate-like apparatus of the present invention, designed to account for the problems described above, is attachable to and detachable from a loading object having a pair of guide portions, and it has a guide groove on each side of the rectangular plate-like apparatus body. In the two corners where these guide grooves are formed, a shock absorbing member projecting beyond the apparatus body is provided on one side in the thickness direction of the apparatus body. If such a plate-like apparatus is dropped, the projection of the shock absorbing member beyond the apparatus body causes it to contact the impact surface before the remainder of the apparatus body. This design can effectively absorb the shock applied to the whole apparatus.
As an example of such a plate-like apparatus, consider one constructed so as to comply with the Compact Flash standard, and as an exemplary loading object, consider various devices such as a data processing system, a digital camera, or a memory player. One can also envision application of the present invention to an adapter used to attach the plate-like apparatus to various devices, such as a PC card.
Such a plate-like apparatus has a pair of guide grooves for attachment to the loading object, and each guide groove is formed so that at least one end thereof reaches a corner of the apparatus body. Both ends of the guide groove may reach the corners of the apparatus body. In the case where both ends of the guide groove reach the corners of the apparatus body, the design need only provide shock absorbing members in the corners at both ends. If only one end of the guide groove reaches the corner of the apparatus body, another shock absorbing member, covering a whole corner, may be provided in the remaining two corners where no guide groove exists.
Another consideration arises from the fact that, in Compact Flash and similar devices, the guide grooves formed in the two sides of the plate-like apparatus have different widths. Such a design may require pedestal surfaces meeting the guide grooves. Both
Hashizume Masataka
Kitahori Hiroki
Matsuda Hiroshi
Matsumura Satoshi
Bracewell & Patterson L.L.P.
Klimowicz William
Martin Robert B.
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