JP3289316B2 - Flying magnetic head 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 floating type magnetic head device used for a hard disk drive or the like, and more particularly, to a non-magnetic type in which a magnetic head starts and stops without contacting a magnetic disk. The present invention relates to a contact start / stop type flying magnetic head device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a hard disk drive which records or reproduces information on a hard disk or the like, the magnetic head is in contact with the magnetic disk at the time of starting and stopping to avoid abrasion damage due to contact between the magnetic head and the surface of the magnetic disk. In recording and reproducing information, a so-called contact start / stop type floating type magnetic head device is configured so that an air flow generated on the surface of a magnetic disk rotating at a high speed causes the magnetic head to fly with a small gap from the surface of the magnetic disk. Used.

In the contact start / stop type flying magnetic head device, a magnetic head element is formed on a slider having an air bearing surface which is a surface for receiving an air flow generated on the surface of a magnetic disk, and a plate is formed on the slider. A suspension composed of a spring is mounted as a support. The suspension is mounted on an actuator arm, and the suspension is moved in a plane parallel to the surface of the magnetic disk to record information on a predetermined recording track of the magnetic disk. It is for regenerating.

Therefore, in the contact-start-stop type flying magnetic head device, the slider on which the magnetic head element is formed contacts the surface of the magnetic disk when the rotation of the magnetic disk is stopped. Is rotated, the air flow generated by the rotation is received on the air bearing surface and floats, and the suspension and the actuator arm move in a plane parallel to the magnetic disk to record / reproduce information. Since the slider comes into contact with the surface of the magnetic disk again, the slider slides on the surface of the magnetic disk immediately after the start operation or immediately after the stop operation.

However, at this time, since the slider and the magnetic disk surface are very smooth surfaces, adhesion between the slider and the magnetic disk is likely to occur, the slider surface and the magnetic disk surface are worn, the product life is shortened, and the sliding is performed. There is a problem in that the abrasion powder generated by such a process adheres to the slider surface, and the floating performance of the slider is reduced. Therefore, the surface of the magnetic disk is given a certain degree of roughness (usually a projection height of about several tens of nm) by texturing to suppress the substantial contact area between the slider and the magnetic disk, thereby preventing the above phenomenon. In.

On the other hand, with the demand for high-density recording, there has been a demand for miniaturization and high-density and large-capacity hard disk drive devices. With this, particularly, the flying height of sliders of flying magnetic head devices has been reduced. Research on submicron levitation is also being actively conducted. In order to realize such a low flying height of the slider, the surface properties of the slider and the magnetic disk become a serious problem, and a higher degree of smoothness is required.

[0007] However, the contact
In a start-stop type flying magnetic head device, a slider is used during start and stop, and a texture is applied to the magnetic disk surface to prevent a close contact and abrasion between the surfaces of the magnetic disk to give a certain degree of roughness to the magnetic disk surface. It is impossible to require a high degree of smoothness on the surface of the magnetic disk. Therefore, it seems that it is very difficult to reduce the flying height in the contact start / stop type flying magnetic head device.

Further, with the miniaturization and high-density and large-capacity of hard disk drives, the demand for mounting these hard disk drives on laptops, notebook-size personal computers and the like has been increasing, and the number of possible start / stop times has increased. And measures such as improvement of impact resistance are required. However, in the hard disk drive using the contact-start-stop type flying magnetic head device as described above, the slider slides on the magnetic disk immediately after the start-stop operation, so that the number of possible start-stop times increases or the endurance increases. It seems that there is a limit to measures such as improvement of impact resistance.

Therefore, the slider on which the magnetic head element is formed starts and stops without contact with the magnetic disk.
A so-called non-contact start-stop type flying magnetic head device has been proposed. In this method, the slider is levitated or separated from the magnetic disk in a non-contact manner by appropriately selecting the load / unload speed of the slider, the initial posture of the slider, and the like.
As a method, when information is not recorded / reproduced, the suspension supporting the slider is supported at a predetermined distance from the magnetic disk by a rod-shaped or plate-shaped (sometimes inclined) support. In the meantime, the mainstream is to give the predetermined slider loading speed and the slider initial posture at the time of starting, to separate the slider from the support, and to return the suspension supporting the slider to the support at the time of stop, and to support it.

[0010]

However, immediately after the start-up operation of the non-contact start-stop type flying magnetic head device described above, the distance between the slider and the magnetic disk is equal to the predetermined slider flying distance. In comparison, the slider immediately after the starting operation is separated from the support and then falls toward a predetermined floating position on the magnetic disk. In addition, immediately after the start-up operation, since the airflow due to the rotation of the magnetic disk has not yet been sufficiently generated, the slider in the floating state is not sufficiently supported by the buoyancy due to the airflow, and is very liable to vibrate. It is stable. Therefore,
When using the non-contact start-stop type flying magnetic head device to perform flying at the submicron level as described above, there is a probability that the slider comes into contact with the magnetic disk immediately after the start-up operation. The slider can be damaged.

The present invention has been proposed in view of such circumstances, and a slider having a magnetic head element is started and stopped in a non-contact manner with respect to a magnetic disk, that is, a so-called non-contact start. In a stop-type floating magnetic head device, a floating magnetic head capable of preventing the slider and the magnetic disk from being damaged by contact between the slider and the magnetic disk immediately after the start-up operation and improving the product life of the magnetic head element, the slider and the magnetic disk. It is intended to provide a device.

[0012]

As a result of the present inventors' intensive studies to achieve the above object, the load beam supporting the slider is supported by the support member in the start / stop state. By supporting the slider at a height greater than the slider flying distance due to the airflow generated by the rotation of the disk-shaped recording medium, and by sliding the support member in the activated state, the slider can be used to rotate the disk-shaped recording medium. The slider and magnetic disk are supported by supporting the slider at a height that allows it to levitate due to the resulting air flow, and by reducing the load applied to the load beam that supports the slider when starting and stopping is smaller than the load applied during steady levitation. It has been found that the contact of the particles can be prevented.

In a so-called non-contact start-stop type flying magnetic head device in which a slider on which a magnetic head element is formed is started and stopped without contact with a magnetic disk, the magnetic head element is formed. The slider is fixed to the tip of a flexible leaf spring-shaped gimbal, and the other end of the gimbal is fixed to the lower surface of the load beam, which is also a leaf spring, and the gimbal and the load beam form a suspension. . In such a floating magnetic head device, a setting is made so that the height at which the buoyancy caused by the airflow generated by the rotation of the magnetic disk and the load applied by the suspension (particularly the load beam) are balanced becomes a predetermined slider flying distance. I have. Therefore, when the load applied from the suspension decreases, the slider flying distance increases.

[0014] Therefore, the non-contact
In a start / stop type flying magnetic head device, if the load load from the load beam at the time of starting and stopping is smaller than the load load at the time of steady flying, the slider flying distance at the time of starting and stopping will be the slider flying distance at the time of steady flying. Therefore, the slider immediately after the starting operation gradually approaches the slider floating position in the steady floating state, and the contact between the slider and the magnetic disk immediately after the starting operation can be prevented.

That is, in the present invention, a floating magnetic head device in which a slider on which a magnetic head element is formed is supported at the tip of a load beam, and the slider starts and stops without contacting a magnetic disk. In the above, it has a load applying means for applying a load load to the load beam, wherein the load load at the time of starting and stopping is smaller than the load load in the steady floating state. is there.

In the present invention, a slider having a magnetic head element formed thereon is supported by the tip of a load beam, and the slider is started and stopped in a non-contact manner with respect to a magnetic disk. In the above, a load formed by a leaf spring that changes the load applied to the load beam by changing the bending angle of the leaf spring by changing the bending angle of the leaf spring by changing the bending angle of the leaf spring. An application means is provided, wherein a load applied at the time of starting and stopping is smaller than a load applied in a steady floating state.

[0017]

In a non-contact start-stop type floating magnetic head device in which a slider on which a magnetic head element is formed starts and stops in a non-contact manner with respect to a magnetic disk, the slider and the magnetic disk are immediately activated. The distance between the slider and the slider is considerably larger than a predetermined floating distance, and the slider is very susceptible to vibration and unstable due to insufficient buoyancy generated by the airflow due to the rotation of the magnetic disk. Therefore, when flying at the submicron level using a non-contact start-stop type flying magnetic head device, there is a probability that the slider and the magnetic disk come into contact immediately after the start-up operation. May be damaged.

According to the present invention, there is provided a floating magnetic head device in which a slider on which a magnetic head element is formed is supported at the tip of a load beam, and the slider starts and stops in a non-contact manner with respect to a magnetic disk. A support member that guides the load beam toward and away from the disk-shaped recording medium, wherein the load beam is supported by the support member in a start-stop state,
The slider is supported at a height greater than the slider flying distance due to the airflow generated by the rotation of the disk-shaped recording medium, and the support member is slid in the activated state, whereby the slider rotates the disk-shaped recording medium. In addition to supporting at a height capable of flying by the air flow generated with the load beam, the load beam has a load applying means for applying a load load to the load beam, and the load at the time of starting and stopping is reduced in a steady floating state. Since it is set to be smaller than the load, the slider levitation distance at the start and stop becomes larger than the slider levitation distance in the steady levitation state, and the slider immediately after the start operation gradually approaches the slider levitation position in the steady levitation state As a result, contact between the slider and the magnetic disk immediately after the start-up operation is prevented.

Also, in the present invention, a floating magnetic head device in which a slider on which a magnetic head element is formed is supported by the tip of a load beam, and the slider starts and stops without contacting a magnetic disk. In the above, a load formed by a leaf spring that changes the load applied to the load beam by changing the bending angle of the leaf spring by changing the bending angle of the leaf spring by changing the bending angle of the leaf spring. With the application means, the load load at the time of starting and stopping is set to be smaller than the load load at the time of steady floating, so the slider floating distance at the time of starting and stopping becomes larger than the slider floating distance at the time of steady floating. , The slider immediately after the start operation gradually approaches the levitation position of the steady levitation state, and the slider immediately after the start operation Contact of the magnetic disk is prevented.

[0020]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of a flying magnetic head device to which the present invention is applied will be described below with reference to the drawings.

First, the configuration of a non-contact start / stop type flying magnetic head device will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, a non-contact start-stop type flying magnetic head device has a magnetic head element 1 on which one main surface is rail-processed and an air bearing element.
The slider 2 is formed as a surface. The slider 2 is fixed at a fixing portion 3a of a gimbal 3 which is a flexible leaf spring. The gimbal 3 is fixed to a load beam 4 which is also a leaf spring. And a suspension 5 is formed by the gimbal 3 and the load beam 4. Note that a pivot 4 b is provided at a free end of the load beam 4. Further, the load beam 4 is attached at a fixing portion 6a on the lower surface of the actuator arm 6, and moves in a radial direction in a plane parallel to the surface of the magnetic disk 7.

FIG. 2 shows a state in which the magnetic head element 1 formed on the slider 2 is not recording or reproducing information.
Shown in As described above, the slider 2 on which the magnetic head element 1 is formed is fixed to the suspension 5, which is fixed to the actuator arm 6, and moves in a radial direction in a plane parallel to the surface of the magnetic disk 7. As shown in the figure, when the slider 2 on which the magnetic head element 1 is formed is not recording or reproducing information, the suspension 5 supporting the slider 2 has a rod shape or a plate shape having an inclined surface (this embodiment). In the example, a support 8 such as a bar)
The slider 2 on which the magnetic head element 1 is formed is supported at a predetermined height (greater than a predetermined slider flying distance) from the surface of the magnetic disk 7.

When the magnetic head element 1 formed on the slider 2 performs recording / reproducing of information with respect to the magnetic disk 7 (during start-up), the suspension 5 supporting the slider 2 slides on the support 8. The slider 2 moves and separates from the support 8 as shown in FIG. 1, and the slider 2 is supported by buoyancy caused by an air flow generated by the rotation of the magnetic disk 7, and floats on the magnetic disk 7. The slider 2 on which the magnetic head element 1 is formed moves to a predetermined recording track while maintaining a predetermined flying distance, and performs recording and reproduction of information. At the time of stop, the suspension 5 supporting the slider 2 returns onto the support 8 and is supported by the support 8.

At this time, in the floating magnetic head device of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, a leaf spring 10 having a bent portion is provided on the upper surface 4c of the load beam 4, and An actuator 9 is provided on the upper surface 6b, and the free end of the leaf spring 10 is in contact with the tip of the actuator 9. Then, the actuator 9 is back and forth movement as shown in FIG. 1 in an arrow M _1, leaf spring 10 in contact with this movement as shown in FIG. 1 in an arrow M ₂ around the bent portion, the bending angle θ is varied. The above leaf spring 10
Since the spring pressure of the leaf spring 10 changes in accordance with the change in the bending angle θ, the change in the spring pressure of the leaf spring 10 changes the load applied to the load beam 4. That is,
As shown in FIG. 3, the load W of the load beam 4 changes due to the change in the bending angle θ of the leaf spring 10, and the bending angle θ
Is larger, the load W of the load beam 4 is also larger.

Therefore, in the flying magnetic head device of the present embodiment, the bending angle of the leaf spring 10 having the bent portion provided on the load beam 4 constituting the suspension 5 is determined by the actuator 9 provided on the actuator arm 6. This changes the load applied to the load beam 4 by changing the spring pressure of the leaf spring 10, thereby changing the load applied to the suspension 5. The buoyancy of the air flow generated by the rotation of the magnetic disk 7 is changed. The slider flying distance determined by the balance of the load applied to the suspension 5 is controlled.

In the present embodiment, the leaf spring 10 formed on the load beam 4 as described above is formed by welding to the load beam 4 supporting the slider 2 as shown in FIG. Slider 2 as shown in 5
May be formed by cutting and raising a part of the load beam 4 that supports.

As the actuator 9 provided on the actuator arm 6 as described above, an active element such as a piezoelectric element or a linear motor may be used, or an actuator having a displacement enlarging mechanism added to the active element may be used. In this embodiment, an actuator 9 having a one-stage displacement enlarging mechanism added to a piezoelectric element as shown in FIG. 6 is used. The actuator 9 includes a piezoelectric element 11, a base 12, and an arm 13. As shown in FIG. 7, the piezoelectric element 11 and the base 12 are arranged in parallel, and a lever 13 is connected to the piezoelectric element 11 and a hinge 15 at one end. And is connected to the base 12, the middle part is supported by the hinge 14 and connected to the piezoelectric element 11, and the other end is attached as a free end. When a voltage is applied to the piezoelectric element 11, the piezoelectric element 11 moves in accordance with the applied voltage as indicated by an arrow M _{1 in} FIG.
Elongation and contraction in the vertical direction as shown in, push the hinge 14, the lever 13 is rotated as shown in FIG arrow M ₂ about the hinge 15. At this time, the hinges 14 and 15 of the lever 13
Let a be the distance corresponding to the distance between the hinge 14 and the lever 13
Assuming that the distance corresponding to the distance between the free ends is na, the piezoelectric element 11
Is the moving distance of the free end of the lever 13 is nx, and the displacement is enlarged. In this embodiment, a one-stage displacement magnifying mechanism is used as the displacement magnifying mechanism, but a multi-stage displacement magnifying mechanism may be used.

Furthermore, in forming a system using a floating magnetic head apparatus of this embodiment, the load of the suspension of a piezoelectric element drive voltage V ₁ and a steady floating state applies load of the suspension of the startup stoppage obtained in advance a piezoelectric element drive voltage V ₂ to provide a load, as shown in FIG. 8, the piezoelectric element voltage by an input signal for instructing the start and stop and constant flying driving voltages V ₁ and the piezoelectric element drive voltage V ₂
The power supply 16 that can be switched to the
Just connect to it. At this time, at the time of startup, the piezoelectric element driving voltage V ₁ is applied from the power supply 16 to the actuator 9 to start the slider 2, and after the slider 2 is sufficiently supported by the buoyancy caused by the air flow generated by the rotation of the magnetic disk 7. instructs the stationary levitation, a piezoelectric element drive voltage V ₂ from the power source 16 as shown in FIG. 9 is applied to the actuator 9 performs recording and reproduction of information, a piezoelectric element drive voltages V ₁ to the actuator 9 again from the power source 16 What is necessary is just to apply and stop.

In the flying magnetic head device of this embodiment, if the number of rotations of the magnetic disk at the time of starting and stopping is increased, the buoyancy of the air flow due to the rotation of the magnetic disk supporting the slider immediately after the starting operation is increased. Therefore, the slider flying distance immediately after the start-up operation is increased, and the contact of the slider with the magnetic disk can be further prevented.

Further, in the case of the floating magnetic head device according to the present embodiment, when a so-called discrete track medium having grooves between recording tracks as a magnetic disk is used, an area having grooves between recording tracks and a flat surface are used. If the start / stop operation is performed in a planar area using a discrete track medium having an area, the slider flying distance immediately after the start operation is increased, and the contact of the slider with the magnetic disk can be further prevented.
That is, the slider in the floating state is supported by the buoyancy of the airflow due to the rotation of the magnetic disk. The smaller the distance between the slider and the magnetic disk, the greater the buoyancy of the slider. Since the distance between the slider and the magnetic disk is smaller in the area, if the start and stop is performed in the plane area, the slider immediately after the start operation receives a large buoyancy,
The flying distance increases, and the contact of the slider with the magnetic disk can be further prevented.

[0031]

As is clear from the above description, in the present invention, the slider on which the magnetic head element is formed is supported by the tip of the load beam, and the slider is in non-contact with the magnetic disk. And a support member that guides the load beam toward and away from the disk-shaped recording medium, wherein the load beam is supported by the support member in a start-stop state. Thus, the slider is supported at a height greater than the slider flying distance due to the airflow generated by the rotation of the disk-shaped recording medium, and the slider is slid in the activated state, whereby the disk-shaped recording medium is moved. It is supported at a height that allows it to fly by the airflow generated by the rotation of the medium, It has a load applying means for applying a load load, so that the load at the start and stop is smaller than the load at the steady floating state, so that the slider floating distance at the start and stop is the steady floating state. The slider immediately after the start-up operation gradually approaches the slider floating position in the steady floating state, so that the slider and the magnetic disk immediately after the start-up operation are prevented from being damaged by contact with the slider and the magnetic head element. , Slider and magnetic disk can be prolonged in product life.

Further, in the present invention, a floating magnetic head device in which a slider on which a magnetic head element is formed is supported at the tip of a load beam, and the slider starts and stops without contacting a magnetic disk. In the above, a load formed by a leaf spring that changes the load applied to the load beam by changing the bending angle of the leaf spring by changing the bending angle of the leaf spring by changing the bending angle of the leaf spring. With the application means, the load load at the time of starting and stopping is set to be smaller than the load load at the time of steady floating, so the slider floating distance at the time of starting and stopping becomes larger than the slider floating distance at the time of steady floating. Since the slider immediately after the start operation gradually approaches the slider floating position in the steady floating state,
The contact between the slider and the magnetic disk immediately after the start-up operation is prevented, and the product life of the magnetic head element, the slider and the magnetic disk can be improved.

Further, the flying magnetic head device of the present invention has extremely high durability because the slider on which the magnetic head element is formed is started and stopped without contacting the magnetic disk. Therefore, it is possible to mount a low-flying slider having a sub-micron level of the slider floating distance on a small-sized model having a strong disturbance at the time of starting and stopping such as a laptop or a notebook-type personal computer, which has a very high industrial value. .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing the configuration of a non-contact start / stop type flying magnetic head device to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a configuration of a non-contact start / stop type flying magnetic head device to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a relationship between a bending angle θ of a leaf spring and a load applied by a load beam.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an example of a method of forming a leaf spring of a non-contact start / stop type flying magnetic head device to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing another example of a method of forming a leaf spring of a non-contact start / stop type floating magnetic head device to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 6 is a top view showing the periphery of an actuator of a non-contact start / stop type flying magnetic head device to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view showing an actuator of a floating magnetic head device of a non-contact start / stop type to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a non-contact start / stop type flying magnetic head device to which the present invention is applied when a system is started and stopped.

FIG. 9 is a schematic view showing a system using a non-contact start-stop type flying magnetic head device to which the present invention is applied, at the time of steady flying.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 ... Slider 4 ... Load beam 5 ... Suspension 6 ... Actuator arm 7 ... Magnetic disk 8 ... Support 9 ... Actuator 10 ... Leaf spring 11 ... Piezoelectric element 12 ... Base 13 ... Arm

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] A magnetic head element for applying an information signal to a disk-shaped recording medium; a slider floated by a buoyancy caused by an air flow generated as the disk-shaped recording medium rotates; A load beam having flexibility, an actuator arm having load applying means having a piezoelectric element for supporting the other end of the load beam and applying a load to the load beam; and the load beam. And a support member for guiding the separation and contact with the disc-shaped recording medium. In the activated state, the load beam slides along the support member and the load applying means applies a load to the load beam. By doing so, the slider floats due to the airflow generated as the disk-shaped recording medium rotates. By supporting the load beam at a possible height, and in the start-stop state, the load beam is supported by the support member, and the load applying means applies a smaller load to the load beam than in the start state. A flying magnetic head device wherein a slider is supported at a height greater than a slider flying distance due to an air flow generated as the disk-shaped recording medium rotates. 2. The load applying means includes a leaf spring for applying a load by pressing the load beam in accordance with the operation of the piezoelectric element, and changing a bending angle of the leaf spring to apply the load beam to the load beam. 2. The flying magnetic head device according to claim 1, wherein the applied load is changed.