JP3037835B2 - Magnetic head support device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a magnetic head supporting apparatus, and more particularly, to a magnetic head supporting apparatus capable of properly maintaining a relative positional relationship between a gap portion of a magnetic head and a magnetic recording medium. The present invention relates to a magnetic head support device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, information is recorded on a hard disk or the like which is a magnetic recording medium of a magnetic recording device such as a computer.
A magnetic head for performing reproduction or the like is supported by a magnetic head supporting device including a gimbal, a flexure, and the like so as to face the magnetic recording medium. By rotating the magnetic recording medium, the magnetic head is rotated. Recording or reproduction with respect to the magnetic recording medium is performed by floating only a minute gap from the magnetic recording medium.

A conventional magnetic head support structure will be described together with a magnetic head with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 4 shows a three-rail monolithic magnetic head 1 which is a kind of a commonly used magnetic head. The head 1 has a substantially rectangular slider 2 made of high-density ferrite made of sintered ferrite such as polycrystalline Mn-Zn ferrite that has been subjected to hot isostatic pressing. An ABS (Air Bearing) which is a surface of the slider 2 facing a magnetic recording medium (not shown).
Two negative pressure grooves 4 for floating the magnetic head 1 with respect to the magnetic recording medium are formed on the sliding surface 3 indicated by the hatched portion in the drawing, which is a surface (surface). The three rails 5 are formed so as to be recessed in parallel. Then, one rail 5 at the center in the figure and a substantially U-shaped head core 6 formed of high-density ferrite,
They are joined by an unillustrated glass or the like via an appropriate gap 7. A narrow recording / reproducing section 8 corresponding to the track width is formed at the center of the head core 6 and the rail 5 of the slider 2 at the center in the width direction of the both by shaving the both. The recording / reproducing unit 8 is reinforced by joining a not-shown reinforcing glass or the like to the cut-off portion. Further, a desired coil 9 is wound around the head core 6. In addition, information is recorded / reproduced in the gap 7 by applying a current to the coil 9 or detecting an induced current.

[0005] The magnetic head 1 thus formed is supported by a magnetic head supporting device as shown in FIGS.

That is, the magnetic head 1 is attached to the tip of the magnetic head support device 10 and suspended above the magnetic recording medium 11. Then, by rotating the magnetic recording medium 11, the surface of the magnetic recording medium 11 is scanned by the floating magnetic head 1 that floats the magnetic head 1 by a small gap from the magnetic recording medium 11 to record or record. Playback is being done.

[0007] The magnetic head support device 10 has a gimbal 12 formed by tapering a stainless steel thin plate or the like into a tapered shape, and a base end formed by a welding portion 13 formed by laser welding or the like on the free end of the gimbal 12. The base end of the gimbal 12 is screwed to a rigid arm 16 serving as a driving unit via a mount 15 made of stainless steel or the like. The rigid arm 16 is fixed to an appropriate actuator (not shown). As shown in FIG. 8, the flexure 14 is formed of a stainless steel plate or the like, and has a substantially U-shaped groove 17 that opens toward the free end (the right end in the figure). A cantilever-shaped flexible tongue 18 extending toward the end is formed. The tip of the flexible tongue 18 can swing up and down with the free end as a fulcrum. The magnetic head 1 is fixed to the lower surface of the flexible tongue 18 with an appropriate adhesive or the like so that the head core 6 projects forward from the free end direction. At the tip of the flexible tongue 18, a load projection 19 is provided so as to protrude upward so as to contact the free end of the gimbal 12. The free end of the gimbal 12 and the load projection 1
The point of contact with 9 acts as a fulcrum for rolling and pitching the magnetic head 1 so as to follow a change in the surface state of the magnetic recording medium 11 accompanying rotation of the magnetic recording medium 11. The coil 9 of the magnetic head 1 is connected to a control unit (not shown) via a conductor 20.

According to the conventional magnetic head supporting apparatus 10 formed as described above, when the magnetic recording medium 11 is rotated to perform recording or reproduction on the magnetic recording medium 11, the magnetic recording medium 11 and the magnetic head 1 are rotated. An air spring acts due to air flowing into the wedge-shaped space between the magnetic recording medium 11 and the magnetic head 1 to fly above the magnetic recording medium 11. When the gimbal 12 contacts the load projection 19 of the flexure 14 at its free end and presses the magnetic head 1, the force balance with the air spring is maintained,
The magnetic head 1 flies over a predetermined gap, and performs information recording or reproduction on the magnetic recording medium 11 while performing the above-described roll motion and pitch motion.

[0009]

However, in the conventional magnetic head support device 10, the flexible tongue 18 of the flexure 14 has a load projection 19 formed at the distal end by the free end of the gimbal 12. , The tip of the flexure 14 having the free end side as a fulcrum,
As shown by an arrow A in FIG.
On the other hand, since the magnetic head 1 is fixed so that the leading side of the slider 2 is aligned with the tip of the flexible tongue 18, the slider 2 of the magnetic head 1 The leading portion is pressed against the magnetic recording medium 11 and moves up and down more than the portion, and the gap between the magnetic recording medium 11 and the gap 7 contributing to recording or reproduction of information is finely adjusted. In some cases, recording and reproduction of information may be adversely affected.

On the other hand, in order to solve the above problem, it is conceivable to reverse the direction in which the magnetic head 1 is fixed to the flexible tongue portion 18 between the leading portion and the trailing portion. In addition to making the rotation direction of the magnetic recording medium 11 reverse to the direction in which the gimbal 12 extends from the rigid arm section 16, it becomes difficult not only to keep the flying height of the magnetic head 1 constant. In addition, the routing of the conductive wire 20 connected to the coil 9 becomes complicated, and assembling becomes difficult.

In order to solve the above problem, the magnetic head 1 is moved from the position shown in FIG.
It has been proposed to rotate the magnetic head 1 by 0 degrees.
Is lifted by the air flowing into the wedge-shaped space, a torsional force acts on the flexible tongue 18 and the flexible tongue 1
When the tip of the magnetic head 8 is pressed and bent by the gimbal 12, the flying heights of the rails 5 and 5 at both ends of the magnetic head 1 are different, so that the floating height of the gap 7 cannot be finely adjusted in the end. Met.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention overcomes such problems in the prior art and supports a magnetic head so that a pressing force can be directly applied to a gap portion of a slider of the magnetic head. It is an object of the present invention to provide a magnetic head supporting device capable of finely adjusting the relative positional relationship with respect to the magnetic recording medium and performing extremely good recording and reproduction of information on a magnetic recording medium.

[0013]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a magnetic head supporting apparatus, comprising: a gimbal extending in a cantilever shape from a driving unit; A flexure having a base end portion fixed to the lower surface of the end portion and extending in a cantilever shape in the same direction as the gimbal, and a magnetic head fixed to the lower surface on the free end side. A flexure having a cantilever-shaped flexible tongue to which a downward pressing force is applied by the free end of the gimbal, wherein the flexible tongue is a free end of the flexure. trailing end direction of the magnetic head with and is extended to the trailing edge direction of more the magnetic head the magnetic gap is disposed
Pressing force downward from the gimbal to the top surface of the extending end
It is characterized in that a projection to be provided is formed.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the magnetic head supporting apparatus of the first aspect, a trailing end direction of the magnetic head of the flexible tongue extends in the same direction as the flexure. and wherein the imperial Turkey. The magnetic head supporting device according to the third aspect provides the magnetic head supporting device according to the second aspect.
In the magnetic head supporting device described in the item (1), the connecting portion of the base of the flexure to the flexible tongue is bent once in the longitudinal direction of the gimbal and connected to the flexible tongue.

[0014]

According to the magnetic head supporting apparatus of the present invention having the above-described structure, the magnetic head is fixed to the lower surface of the flexible tongue of the flexure by aligning the gap with the tip of the flexible tongue. Good fine adjustment of the relative positional relationship between the gap and the magnetic recording medium because the pressing force applied from the gimbal acts directly on the gap and the flexible tongue flexes its tip end to the maximum. This makes it possible to record and reproduce information on the magnetic recording medium very well.

[0015]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. The same parts as those in the related art will be described using the same reference numerals.

1 to 3 show one embodiment of the present invention.

The magnetic head supporting device 21 of the present embodiment replaces the conventional flexure 14 with a flexure 22 shown in FIG.
The other parts are formed almost in the same manner as the conventional one.

The flexure 22 of the present embodiment is made of a stainless steel plate or the like, and a flexible tongue 23 for fixing the magnetic head 1 to the lower surface is provided with a gear from the base end side of the flexure 22 to the free end side.
Trailing of the magnetic head 1 provided with a cap 7
It is formed so as to extend in the end direction . That is, a substantially U-shaped groove 24 is formed at the free end (the right end in the figure) of the flexure 22 and opens toward the free end. The inside of the substantially U-shaped groove 24 extends from the free end of the flexure 22. Groove 24
Are formed in parallel with the longitudinal direction. Thereby, both grooves 24, 2
5, a pair of connecting portions 26, 26 extending from the free end of the flexure 22 toward the base end are formed, and furthermore, a flexure is provided between the ends of these connecting portions 26, 26 between the straight grooves 25, 25. A cantilever-shaped flexible tongue 23 extending from the base end side to the free end side of 22 is formed. In other words, the flexible
The connecting portions 26 and 26 for connecting the base of the shear 22 to the flexible tongue 23 are formed.
The flexible tongue is folded back once in the longitudinal direction of the gimbal 12.
23. Thus, the tip of the flexible tongue 23 can swing up and down with the end of the connecting portion 26 as a fulcrum. At the tip of the flexible tongue 23,
A load projection 27 that abuts the free end of the gimbal 12 projects upward. The flexure 22 thus formed has its base end fixed to the free end of the gimbal 12 at a welded portion 28 by laser welding or the like, as in the conventional case.
At the trailing end of the magnetic head 1.
A downward pressing force from the gimbal 12 is applied.
It has been done.

In contrast to the magnetic head supporting apparatus 21 of the present embodiment formed as described above, the magnetic head 1 has the lower surface of the flexible tongue 23 with the gap 7 aligned with the load projection 27 and the head core 6. Is fixed with an appropriate adhesive or the like so as to protrude forward from the front end. The free end of the gimbal 12 and the load projection 2
The point of contact with 7 acts as a fulcrum for rolling and pitching the magnetic head 1 so as to follow a change in the surface state of the magnetic recording medium 11 accompanying rotation of the magnetic recording medium 11.

The other parts are formed almost in the same manner as in the conventional example.

Next, the operation of this embodiment having the above-described configuration will be described.

According to the magnetic head supporting apparatus 21 of the present embodiment formed as described above, when the magnetic recording medium 11 is rotated to perform recording or reproduction on the magnetic recording medium 11, the magnetic recording medium 11 An air spring acting due to the air flowing into the wedge-shaped space between the magnetic head 1 and the head 1 is generated, and the magnetic head 1 flies above the magnetic recording medium 11. The gimbal 12 has its free end formed on the distal end of the flexible tongue 23 of the flexure 22 and the load projection 2 formed thereon.
7 and presses the magnetic head 1, the balance of the force with the air spring is maintained, the magnetic head 1 flies through a predetermined gap, and performs the above-described roll movement and pitch movement. Recording or reproduction on the magnetic recording medium 11 is performed while the recording is being performed.

At this time, in this embodiment, the magnetic head 3 is fixed to the lower surface of the flexible tongue 23 of the flexure 22 by aligning the gap 7 with the load projection 27 of the flexible tongue 23. The pressing force applied from the tip of the gimbal 12 directly acts on the gap 7 as shown by the arrow B in FIG. 2, and the flexible tongue 23 is bent at its tip to the maximum. Fine adjustment of the relative positional relationship between the gap 7 and the magnetic recording medium 11 can be performed extremely appropriately and easily, and recording and reproduction of information on the magnetic recording medium 11 can be performed extremely well. .

In this embodiment, since a substantially U-shaped groove 24 and two parallel straight grooves 25 and 25 are provided to form the flexible tongue 23, the flexible tongue 23 is provided. The link 23 acts in conjunction with the flexibility of the two connecting portions 26, 26 to exhibit three-dimensional flexibility with respect to the free end of the flexure 22, and the gap 7 of the magnetic head 1 Fine adjustment of the relative positional relationship between the portion and the magnetic recording medium 11 can be performed better.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be changed as needed.

[0026]

As described above, since the magnetic head supporting apparatus of the present invention is constructed and operates, the magnetic head can be supported so as to directly apply a pressing force to the gap portion of the slider of the magnetic head. Fine adjustment of the relative positional relationship between the gap portion and the magnetic recording medium can be appropriately performed, and effects such as recording and reproducing of information on the magnetic recording medium can be performed extremely well.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing one embodiment of a magnetic head support device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a flexure used in one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a magnetic head

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an example of a conventional magnetic head support device.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a side view of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a plan view showing the shape of a conventional flexure.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Magnetic head 7 Gap 12 Gimbal 21 Magnetic head support device 22 Flexure 23 Flexible tongue

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A gimbal extending in a cantilever shape from a drive unit, and a base end fixed to a lower surface of a free end of the gimbal, and extending in a cantilever shape in the same direction as the gimbal. A flexure tongue having a cantilever-shaped flexible tongue to which a magnetic head is fixed on the lower surface and to which downward pressing force is applied by the free end of the gimbal. A flexible tongue, wherein the flexible tongues are closer to the free edge of the flexure.
Ri from the gimbal with the upper surface of the trailing edge direction extending end portion of the magnetic head the magnetic gap is extended to the trailing edge direction of the magnetic head which is arranged
A magnetic head supporting device, wherein a projection to which a downward pressing force is applied is formed. 2. The trailing end direction of the magnetic head of the flexible tongue extends in the same direction as the flexure.
The magnetic head supporting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the Turkey. 3. The magnetic device according to claim 2, wherein a connecting portion of the base of the flexure to the flexible tongue is bent once in the longitudinal direction of the gimbal and connected to the flexible tongue. Head support device.