JP4062223B2 - Head support device and disk device using the same - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a head support device using a head slider equipped with a floating head for recording and reproducing on a disk-shaped recording medium such as a magnetic disk and a magneto-optical disk, and a disk device that performs recording and reproduction using the head slider. .

  2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, the technical progress of a disk apparatus (hereinafter also referred to as a disk recording / reproducing apparatus) for recording / reproducing information on a disk-shaped recording medium (hereinafter also referred to as a recording medium) such as a hard disk or an optical disk has been remarkable. Applications are expanding in many fields. In such a disk device, the recording medium and the head slider are not damaged even when subjected to a disturbance such as an impact, and can be stably recorded and reproduced, and can be mounted on a portable device. Is required.

  As an example of a head support device of a disk device having a conventional floating type head, a conventional head support device in a magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus such as a hard disk device will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 17 is a plan view showing the configuration of a head support device of a conventional magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus and the relationship between the head support device and a magnetic recording medium (hereinafter also referred to as a disk).

  In FIG. 17, the head support arm 108 of the head support device 100 includes a support arm 102 having a relatively low rigidity, a leaf spring portion 103, and a support arm 104 having a relatively high rigidity. The head slider 101 mounted with a magnetic head (not shown) was provided.

  Further, the magnetic recording medium 107 is provided so as to be rotated by a spindle motor 109. At the time of recording / reproduction of the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus, the levitation force caused by the air flow generated by the rotation of the magnetic recording medium 107 and the head slider 101 are magnetically coupled. The magnetic head mounted on the head slider 101 has obtained a certain flying height due to the relationship with the biasing force by the head support device 100 biasing toward the recording medium 107 side.

  The head support device 100 rotates around the bearing portion 105 by the action of the voice coil 106 provided on the support arm 104 during recording and reproduction, so that the magnetic head mounted on the head slider 101 becomes a magnetic recording medium 107. It is positioned with respect to the desired track, and recording and reproduction are performed.

  Next, the configuration and operation of a conventional head support device will be described in more detail with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a main part of a head support arm 108 including a support arm 102 and a head slider 101 in a conventional head support device. The head slider 101 is fixed to a tongue 113 provided at the tip of the flexure 115. The other end of the flexure 115 is fixed to the support arm 102. The flexure 115 uses a gimbal spring, for example, and has a configuration that allows a pitch operation and a roll operation with respect to the head slider 101. The head slider 101 is fixed to the flexure 115 by, for example, bonding with an adhesive, and the flexure 115 is fixed to the support arm 102 by, for example, welding. A dimple 114 that urges a load to the head slider 101 is provided at the tip of the support arm 102, and a predetermined load is urged to the head slider 101 via the dimple 114. The head support arm 108 includes the support arm 102 having the dimple 114, the flexure 115 having the tongue 113, and the head slider 101.

  When recording / reproducing is performed on a rotating magnetic recording medium (not shown in FIG. 18) using such a head support arm 108, the magnetic recording medium is applied to the head slider 101 by a load applied from the dimple 114 and an air flow. The head slider 101 floats by the balance of these forces, and a positive pressure that works to float from the head and a negative pressure that works to approach the magnetic recording medium. Recording / reproduction is performed by an information conversion element (not shown) while driving the swinging means and positioning it at a predetermined track position.

  However, in the conventional disk device described above, when an external impact is applied, the head slider collides with or comes into contact with the recording medium, causing the head slider or the recording medium to be worn or damaged, resulting in data destruction or device damage. I have been to For this reason, a method for preventing external vibration from being transmitted to the device main body by providing a mounting member that receives external vibration and coupling the disk device main body to the mounting member using a flexible heat insulating support member is proposed. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1). As a result, a disk device that is resistant to external vibration is realized. However, since the entire device increases in size, it is difficult to mount such a device in a portable device that requires a reduction in size and weight.

  For this reason, it is required to improve the impact resistance of the head slider, the support arm, or the head support arm itself, and to simultaneously achieve downsizing and impact resistance of the disk device. In particular, since the head slider faces the recording medium with a small flying height, it is required that at least the head slider and the recording medium should not be fatally damaged when an impact force is applied. Yes. However, it is relatively rare to devise the shape of the facing surface of the recording medium of the head slider in order to improve impact resistance, and many information conversion elements are provided for skew angle fluctuations, atmospheric pressure fluctuations, etc. Efforts are being made to stabilize the flying height on the air outflow side.

  For example, a head slider configuration has been proposed in which a positive pressure generating section that generates a large positive pressure on the air outflow side and a negative pressure generating section that generates a negative pressure are concentrated to increase the air film rigidity on the air outflow side. (For example, refer to Patent Document 2). By adopting such a configuration, the focal point is the point where the flying height does not vary when the flying height changes when the head slider is pitched, and the position of this focal point is the air outflow side end where the information conversion element is provided. Near the part. Thereby, even if the fluctuation of the skew angle, the atmospheric pressure fluctuation, the external force fluctuation accompanying the swing, or the load fluctuation occurs, the flying height in the vicinity of the information conversion element is hardly changed by the action of the positive pressure and the negative pressure, It enables stable recording or reproduction of information.

  Further, as a head slider structure for stably realizing a low flying height, a head slider is proposed in which a position where the flying height does not change is set as a fixed point and the fixed point is positioned on the air outflow side. (For example, refer to Patent Document 3). That is, a pressing load is applied so as to urge the recording medium in the direction of the recording medium, and the positive pressure acts to lift the head slider by the air viscous flow generated by the rotation of the recording medium, and the air formed in the groove formed on the head slider surface. In the head slider that generates the negative pressure generated by the inflow of the negative pressure, the negative pressure generation center position is positioned on the air inflow side with respect to the load application point of the pressing load.

With such a structure, when an external force (moment) that moves the head slider upward is applied, the negative pressure acts against this external force, so that the posture of the head slider can be kept stable. it can. That is, even when an external force acting upward on the head slider is applied, the negative pressure acts so as to oppose the external force, and the air outflow side of the head slider to which the information conversion element is attached is the rotation center of the substantial balance, that is, It shows that the distance from the information conversion element to the surface of the recording medium hardly changes because it is a fixed point.
JP-A-9-153277 (page 6-9, FIG. 1) Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-283622 (pages 10-13 and 17-19) JP-A-8-227514 (page 3-4, Fig. 1-3)

  As described above, in the head support device of the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus, the head slider is stably lifted even if there is an external impact or the vertical movement of the magnetic recording medium surface during recording / reproducing. In order to prevent the off-track of the magnetic head mounted on the slider, it is necessary to apply a predetermined load toward the magnetic recording medium to the head slider. In addition, since the head slider needs to follow the vertical movement of the magnetic recording medium surface during recording / reproduction of the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus, the head support apparatus needs to have a certain degree of flexibility. there were. Further, in order to achieve a reduction in size, particularly a reduction in thickness, of the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus, it is necessary to form the head support device thin in the direction perpendicular to the magnetic recording medium surface.

  However, as described above, the conventional head support device is configured such that the support arm and the coupling portion are connected by the leaf spring portion. Therefore, in order to satisfy various requirements for the head support device, there is a conflict. Was required to meet the requirements. Specifically, first, in order to stably float the head slider on which the magnetic head is mounted, it is necessary that the leaf spring portion has a reaction force sufficient to apply a necessary load to the head slider. .

  To prevent the head slider from changing the load on the magnetic recording medium due to vertical movement of the magnetic recording medium or manufacturing variations in the distance between the head slider and the magnetic recording medium for each magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus during mass production. Therefore, it is necessary for the head support device to have a certain degree of flexibility. In the conventional head support device, a notch portion as shown in FIG. 17 is provided in the leaf spring portion 103, thereby lowering the rigidity of the leaf spring portion 103, reducing its spring constant, and providing flexibility. Such a design was made.

  In addition, when the support arm has a thin plate structure in order to reduce the rigidity of the leaf spring portion, when the head support device moves for positioning, the frequency of the main resonance point, the so-called resonance frequency, is low, so that vibration such as torsion is caused. As a result, it takes time to settle the set vibration mode, and as a result, there is a limit to shortening the access time.

  Further, since the center of gravity of the conventional head support device is located closer to the magnetic head than the leaf spring portion, when a strong external impact is applied to the magnetic recording / reproducing device, the magnetic force at the head slider portion is increased. The balance between the levitation force caused by the air flow generated by the rotation of the recording medium and the urging force by the head support device that urges the head slider toward the magnetic recording medium is lost, and the head slider jumps from the magnetic recording medium. appear. For this reason, the head slider may collide with the magnetic recording medium, which may cause magnetic damage or mechanical damage to the magnetic recording medium.

  Further, in the above-described proposal example related to the head slider, the fixed point or the focal point is positioned at the air outflow side end of the head slider so that the flying height of the air outflow side end provided with the information conversion element does not fluctuate. A facing surface of the magnetic recording medium is created and a point of action of the load is arranged. Thereby, even if the flying posture changes due to a skew angle, atmospheric pressure fluctuation, load fluctuation, or the like, the flying height on the air outflow side provided with the information conversion element can be stabilized. However, when comparing the amount of fluctuation and the impact force acting from the outside, the impact force is much larger, and the above-described proposed example is not effective for the impact force.

  That is, when a large impact force is applied to the head slider whose fixed point or focal point is located at the end of the air outflow side, the head slider has a negative pitch angle, that is, the flying height on the air inflow side rises to the air outflow side. On the other hand, there may be a situation where it becomes smaller than the amount. When such a state occurs, an air film cannot be formed between the opposing surface of the magnetic recording medium and the surface of the magnetic recording medium, and the air slider cannot be lifted at all, and the head slider may collide with the recording medium and be damaged.

  In addition, the point where the flying height does not move even when the skew angle etc. fluctuates is defined as the focal point, and in this proposal, the position of the opposite surface of the magnetic recording medium located at the air outflow side end is proposed. It is not described whether the fixed point when an impact force is applied to the slider from the outside coincides with the above focal position.

  Furthermore, with regard to the proposal of a configuration in which the position where the flying height does not fluctuate is set as a fixed point and this fixed point is positioned on the air outflow side, the floating amount on the air outflow side is detected for a rotational moment that causes the head slider to face upward. However, if an impact force acts on the surface of the recording medium in the vertical direction, especially below the surface of the recording medium, it may collide with the surface of the recording medium with a slight impact force. There is.

  Furthermore, in a disk device mounted on a portable device, it is necessary to reduce the recording medium rotation speed at the same time as reducing the recording medium size, and the air flow velocity flowing on the facing surface of the magnetic recording medium of the head slider is smaller than before. Become. At such a low flow rate, if a negative pitch angle occurs in the head slider due to the impact force, the air film cannot be formed and the possibility of collision with the recording medium becomes very large. Is not disclosed at all.

  The above problems are not problems specific to the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus, but the same problems occur in a disk device having a floating head, such as an optical disk device or a magneto-optical disk device.

  The present invention has been made to solve these problems, and a head slider having improved impact resistance by rotating the head slider in the pitch direction when an external impact force is applied to the head slider. An object of the present invention is to provide a thin head support device having high flexibility and a high impact resistance while applying a necessary and sufficient load to the head, and a disk device using them.

In order to solve the above-described problem, a head support device according to the present invention includes a head, a support arm in which the head is disposed at one end, and an elastic member is formed in the vicinity of the other end. A base arm, a second base arm, and a driving means, and a distal end portion of the elastic member is fixed to the first base arm, and is perpendicular to the support arm or the first base arm. A pivot part fulcrum is provided, the head is mounted on a head slider, the head slider is disposed on the one end of the support arm via a flexure, and the vertical pivot part fulcrum is sandwiched between A balancer is disposed at the other end of the support arm on the side opposite to the head slider, and the first base arm to which the elastic member is fixed is disposed at one end of the second base arm. One of Coupled to an end portion, wherein the other end on the opposite side to the one end portion of the second base arm, said driving means is arranged.

  As described above, by using the head support device of the present invention, it is possible to provide a head support device having high flexibility, high impact resistance, and high speed access while applying a sufficient load to the head. In addition, if the head support device of the present invention is used, the support arm can be moved up and down, so that when the recording medium stops rotating, the head can be held away from the recording medium.

  In addition, a support arm having a head slider with a head mounted on one end and a first base arm are fixed to each other via a leaf spring portion that is an elastic member, and two support arms or the first base arm are provided. By providing a pivot and rotating the support arm toward the surface of the recording medium by the pressing force at the apex of each of the two pivots, the head slider is pressed against the surface of the recording medium, so that the impact force from the outside can be reduced. , No force is generated around the line (rotation axis) connecting the vertices of the two pivots provided on either the first base arm or the support arm. The head and recording medium mounted on the head slider can be prevented from being damaged by colliding with the surface of the medium, and the stable head with less vibration can be prevented. It is possible to realize a head support arm constituting the support device. By using a head support device equipped with such a head support arm, a highly reliable disk device having high impact resistance and high access speed can be realized.

  Furthermore, even if a large impact force is applied when the head slider is flying above the recording medium, the head slider can be prevented from colliding with the recording medium surface, or the energy at the time of collision can be reduced to reduce the head slider or It is possible to prevent the recording medium from being damaged. As a result, a highly reliable head support device and disk device can be manufactured, and a large-capacity, small and thin disk device can be mounted on a portable device.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(First embodiment)
First, the principle of operation of the head support device in the first embodiment of the present invention will be described by taking a magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus as an example.

  FIG. 1A is a side view showing a schematic configuration of the head support device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a plan view thereof.

  In FIG. 1, a head slider 1 equipped with a head element (not shown) for recording and reproduction is attached to the surface of the support arm 2 facing the recording medium 12 so that the head element faces the recording medium 12. Yes. As will be described later, the support arm 2 is supported by the first bearing portion 10 and the second bearing portion 11, and the first bearing portion 10 rotates the recording medium 12 in the radial direction, and the second bearing portion 10. The bearing portion 11 is configured to be able to rotate in the vertical direction with respect to the surface of the recording medium 12 in a so-called “tilting” operation.

  The recording medium 12 is pivotally supported by a spindle motor 19 which is a rotating means. When recording or reproducing is performed by the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus, that is, when the magnetic head is loaded, an air flow generated by the rotation of the recording medium 12 is performed. The magnetic head mounted on the head slider 1 has a certain flying height with respect to the recording medium 12 due to the relationship between the levitation force generated by the head slider 1 and the urging force of the head support device 9 that urges the head slider 1 toward the recording medium 12. To record or play.

  In FIG. 1, a support arm 2 having a head slider 1 provided with a head element on the lower surface and mounted on one lower surface is fixed to one end side portion of a leaf spring portion 4 as an elastic member on the other end side as shown. The other end portion of the leaf spring portion 4 is fixed to the second bearing portion 11 via a spring fixing member 5.

  As a result, the support arm 2 is elastically held by the second bearing portion 11 via the leaf spring portion 4.

  Further, the second bearing portion 11 is provided with a pair of pivots 11a and 11b (not shown), and the pivots 11a and 11b are respectively connected to the support arm 2 by Pa and Pb in FIG. The one end side of the support arm 2 is urged toward the recording medium 12 by the elastic force of the leaf spring portion 4 that is an elastic member, and compressive stress is generated at the contact points Pa and Pb. When there is no recording medium 12, the leaf spring portion 4 is deformed, and the support arm 2 is configured to be in the position indicated by the dotted line in FIG.

  Each pivot 11 a and pivot 11 b of the second bearing portion 11 is perpendicular to the rotation center axis direction when the support arm 2 rotates in the radial direction of the recording medium 12 and the longitudinal direction of the support arm 2. The support arm 2 is provided on a line passing through the rotation center axis.

  During the operation of the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus, that is, when the head slider 1 floats with respect to the recording medium 12, the load load on the head slider 1 is supported by the pivots 11a and 11b of the second bearing portion 11. 2 due to compressive stress in the direction of the recording medium 12 with respect to 2.

  By configuring the head support device 9 as described above, the support arm 2 can be formed of a highly rigid material. For this reason, from the second bearing part 11 to the area where the head slider 1 is formed from the respective pivots 11 a and 11 b of the second bearing part 11 and the area supported by the second bearing part 11 of the support arm 2. The head support device 9 can be formed of a highly rigid material in the entire region.

  If the support arm 2 is formed of a highly rigid material in this way, the resonance frequency of the support arm 2 can be increased, so that the vibration mode that has been a problem in the past does not occur and no settling operation is required. The support arm 2 can be rotated and positioned at high speed, and the access speed of the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus can be improved.

  Further, since the leaf spring portion 4 which is an elastic member is not incorporated in the structure of the support arm 2 and is provided independently of the support arm 2, the thickness, material, etc. of the leaf spring portion 4 are changed. Thus, the strength and spring constant of the leaf spring portion 4 can be selected.

  When the head support device 9 is used, the center of gravity of the portion held by the leaf spring portion 4 that is an elastic member, for example, when rotating by a voice coil motor, the voice coil and coil holder The position of the center of gravity of the support arm 2 in the state in which is mounted is the same as the intersection of the rotation axis of the support arm 2 in the radial direction of the recording medium 12 and the rotation axis of the recording medium 12 perpendicular to the recording surface. That is, the position is substantially the same as the midpoint P on the line connecting points Pa and Pb where the support arm 2 and the pivot 11a and the pivot 11b of the second bearing portion 11 abut (the point P in FIG. 1A). By designing the head support device so that the distance between the point Pa and the point P and the distance between the point P and the point Pb are equal to L), stable head support with less vibration against external impacts, etc. It is possible to provide a location. In this case, it is possible to provide a head support device having the greatest impact resistance, but there is no practical problem with some deviation.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1A, the head slider 1 is supported by a flexure 13 provided on the support arm 2 via a dimple 14 formed on the lower surface of one end of the support arm 2, whereby the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus. It is possible to realize a flexible head support device that follows the roll of the head slider 1 with respect to the recording medium 12 and the unnecessary vibration in the pitch direction during operation.

  As described above, in the head support device of the present invention, the conflicting demands for increasing the load load on the head slider, increasing the flexibility, and further increasing the rigidity of the structure are the actions of the individual components. As a result, the design of the head support device can be simplified, and the degree of freedom in the design can be greatly expanded.

  Furthermore, in the head support device of the present invention, there is no need to form (bend) a very precise elastic member (for example, a leaf spring portion) unlike the conventional head support device. Thus, the head support device can be easily manufactured.

  Next, the operation of the head support device of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

  As described above, when the recording medium 12 is stopped, the head slider 1 and the recording medium 12 are in contact and stopped. However, when the recording medium 12 starts to rotate during recording and reproduction, the head slider is stopped. 1 is levitated, the leaf spring portion 4 that is an elastic member is deformed, and the support arm 2 is in the state shown by the solid line in FIG. 1A, and a certain gap is maintained between the magnetic head and the recording medium 12. Magnetic recording / reproduction is performed.

  In this case, the reaction force of the leaf spring portion 4 that attempts to return the support arm 2 to the state of the dotted line in FIG. 1A becomes the load load applied to the head slider 1.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the load load, which is the material and thickness of the leaf spring portion 4 that is an elastic member, the height of the pivot 11 a and the pivot 11 b of the second bearing portion 11, or the joint between the support arm 2 and the leaf spring portion 4. It can be changed according to the positional relationship with point G in 1 (a).

  For example, it is possible to apply a large load by forming the leaf spring portion 4 with a thick material with high rigidity, and to increase the pivot 11a and the pivot 11b of the second bearing portion 11, or FIG. A large load load can also be applied to the head slider 1 by bringing the joint G point between the support arm 2 and the leaf spring part 4 in a) closer to the P point.

  Next, following the description of the principle of operation of the head support device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the configuration of the head support device of the present invention will be described in a little more detail.

  FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the head support device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the head support device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. The principal part side view vicinity of the bearing part of the head support apparatus in the 1st Embodiment of this invention is shown, respectively.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the head support device 9 has a substantially annular leaf spring portion (elastic member) 4 and a semi-annular spring fixing member 5 connected to each other, and the leaf spring portion 4 is connected to the support arm 2. Connected to and configured. The support arm 2 is connected to a coil holder 8 to which the voice coil 3 is attached so that the support arm 2 can be rotated in the radial direction of the recording medium 12 by a voice coil motor. These members are configured to be sandwiched between the first bearing portion 10 and the nut 6 together with the second bearing portion 11.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the entire head support device 9 is fixed to the substrate 15 by the mounting screw 7 provided in the first bearing portion 10.

  The connection between each member is demonstrated in detail using FIG. First, the upper surface of the leaf spring portion 4 that is an elastic member and the lower surface of the support arm 2 are connected to each other on the right side of the rotating shaft toward the paper surface, and the leaf spring portion 4 and the spring are fixed on the left portion toward the paper surface. The member 5 is sandwiched between the first bearing portion 10 and the nut 6 together with the collar portion 11 c of the second bearing portion 11. The support arm 2 is configured to be attached to the coil holder 8.

  By adopting such a configuration, the leaf spring portion 4 which is an elastic member can be deformed so as to be bent in two stages as shown in FIG. 4, and a configuration in which the support arm 2 is elastically held can be realized.

  Further, the first bearing portion 10 has a built-in bearing, and the support arm 2 rotates in the radial direction of the recording medium 12 so that the magnetic head provided on the lower surface of one end can be moved to a predetermined position.

  The pivot 11 a and the pivot 11 b of the second bearing portion 11 are perpendicular to the axial direction of the first bearing portion 10 and the longitudinal direction of the support arm 2, and rotate in the radial direction of the recording medium 12 of the first bearing portion 10. It is provided so as to contact the support arm 2 on a line passing through the center.

  Further, the pivots 11a and 11b of the second bearing portion 11 are provided at positions symmetrical with respect to the center line in the longitudinal direction of the support arm 2, and the support arm 2 is supported by the pair of pivots 11a and 11b. Is configured to be pressed.

  Further, the position of the center of gravity of the portion held by the leaf spring portion 4 which is an elastic member, that is, the position of the center of gravity of the support arm 2 in a state where the voice coil 3 and the coil holder 8 are mounted is defined as the support arm 2 and the second bearing. It becomes substantially the same position as the midpoint P on the line connecting the points Pa and Pb where the pivot 11a and the pivot 11b of the portion 11 abut (in FIG. 1A, the distance between the point P and the point Pa and the point P By designing the head support device 9 so that the distance between the point Pb and the point Pb is equal to L), it is possible to provide a stable head support device with less vibration against external impacts and the like. Become. In this case, it is possible to provide a head support device having the greatest impact resistance, but there is no practical problem with some deviation.

  In consideration of the weight of the head slider 1 and the flexure 13, the position of the center of gravity of the support arm 2 with the voice coil 3, the coil holder 8, the head slider 1 and the flexure 13 mounted is substantially the same as the point P. The head support device 9 may be formed so that

  Here, each member will be described. First, the support arm 2 is integrally formed of a metal, for example, stainless steel (SUS304) to a thickness of 64 μm. The support arm 2 can be formed by an etching method or a press working method.

  By using such a support arm 2, the resonance frequency of the torsion can be increased to a very high frequency from about 2 kHz to about 10 kHz, so that the rotational speed of the head support device and the access speed thereof can be controlled. A fast magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus can be obtained.

  By using the support arm 2 as described above, the resonance frequency of the bending can be increased to a very high frequency from about 200 Hz to about 2 kHz. Therefore, the rotation speed of the head support device and the access speed thereof are further increased. Can be obtained.

  Therefore, bending deformation of the support arm 2 when an impact is applied can be suppressed, and collision between the support arm 2 and the recording medium can be suppressed.

  In order to increase the rigidity in the longitudinal direction, a bent portion having a height of about 0.2 mm is provided in the region perpendicular to the recording surface of the recording medium in the region shown at C in FIG. Also good.

  In FIG. 3, the head slider 1 is supported by a flexure 13 so as to be tiltable in the roll and pitch directions via dimples (not shown in FIG. 3), and the surface of the head slider 1 facing the recording medium. On the side, a magnetic head is provided.

  The spring fixing member 5 is formed with a metal, for example, stainless steel (SUS304) to a thickness of 0.1 mm, and the leaf spring portion 4 as an elastic member is formed with a metal, for example, stainless steel (SUS304), to a thickness of 38 μm. Yes. These can be formed and processed using an etching method or a press working method.

  The coil holder 8 is formed to a thickness of 0.3 mm using a metal such as Al or PPS (polyphenyl sulfide). In the case of Al, a die casting method or a press working method can be used in the case of Al, and in the case of PPS, a known resin molding method can be used.

  The connection between the members can be performed by a known method such as a spot welding method, an ultrasonic welding method, or a laser welding method.

  In addition, in this invention, it does not limit at all about the manufacturing method of each member, or the connection method between each member.

  With the above configuration, it is possible to provide a head support device that can embody the principle as described in the first embodiment.

  Further, by adopting such a configuration of the head support device 9, the support arm 2 freely rotates in the direction perpendicular to the recording surface of the recording medium with the pivot 11a and the pivot 11b of the second bearing portion 11 as fulcrums. Therefore, it is possible to perform a new operation that has not been conventionally performed.

  For example, in a CSS type magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus, conventionally, since the support arm could not be arbitrarily moved in the vertical direction, it was necessary to prevent the head slider from adsorbing to the recording medium when stopped. According to the head support device of the present invention, the support arm can be operated up and down by known means, and when the magnetic recording / reproducing device is stopped, the support arm can be slightly separated from the recording medium. is there. For this reason, it is unnecessary to provide a retraction area for the magnetic head in the recording medium.

  Also in the L / UL magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus, by using the head support device of the present invention, the support arm can be operated up and down by known means. When the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus is stopped, The support arm can be slightly separated from the recording medium. For this reason, it is possible to minimize the useless area of the magnetic recording medium on which the magnetic head is loaded and unloaded as in the prior art.

  Next, the head slider of the head support device in the embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  5A and 5B show a perspective view and a recording medium facing surface of the head slider provided in the head support device according to the first embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the surface facing the recording medium. The head slider 20 is provided with a recording medium facing surface 26 facing the recording medium on one surface of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The recording medium facing surface 26 is formed so as to be connected to the first positive pressure generating portion 211 from the positive pressure generating portion 21, the lower step surface 22 including the negative pressure generating portion 221, and the air inflow side end portion. 1 middle stage surface 23 and a second middle stage surface 24 provided so as to extend from the second positive pressure generating part 212 in the air inflow direction.

  The positive pressure generating unit 21 includes a first positive pressure generating unit 211, side rails 213 formed on both sides in the width direction of the head slider so as to be connected to the first positive pressure generating unit 211, and an air outflow side. The second positive pressure generator 212 is formed in a hexagonal shape as shown in the center of the width direction orthogonal to the main axis direction, which is the air flow direction. The first positive pressure generating portion 211 is formed continuously from the end of the first middle surface 23 at a predetermined position from the end of the air inflow side, and is orthogonal to the portion orthogonal to the air inflow direction. It forms from the skew part for connecting to each side rail 213 from a part. The lower step surface 22 includes a negative pressure generation unit 221 that is substantially surrounded by the first positive pressure generation unit 211, the side rail 213, and the second middle step surface 24, and a side lower step that is located outward from the side rail 213. It consists of a surface 222 and an air outflow side lower step surface 223 provided on the air outflow side. The information conversion element 25 is integrally provided at the air outflow side end of the second positive pressure generation unit 212.

  These processes can also be made by head slider molding or general-purpose machining, but more preferably by wet or dry etching, or by laser beam irradiation for high-precision and complicated processing. Processing, processing by ion irradiation, or the like can be used.

  In the first embodiment, by using a processing method by ion irradiation, the step difference between the positive pressure generation unit 21 and the first middle step surface 23 and the second middle step surface 24 is 0.08 μm, and the positive pressure generation unit 21 The step with the lower step surface 22 including the negative pressure generating part 221 was set to 1.0 μm. In addition, as the overall shape of the head slider 20, the length in the air flow direction and the length and thickness in the width direction perpendicular to the air flow direction are 1.24 mm, 1.00 mm, and 0.3 mm, respectively. . These numerical values are given as an example, and the present invention is not limited to this example.

  Further, for comparison with the head slider of the first embodiment, a head slider having the shape shown in FIG. In addition, since the same code | symbol is attached | subjected about the same function and name as the element shown in FIG. 5, description is abbreviate | omitted. In FIG. 10, the head slider shown in FIG. 10A is referred to as Comparative Example 1, and the head slider shown in FIG. The head slider 70 of Comparative Example 1 is formed so as to be surrounded by a first positive pressure generating portion 71 having a central portion separated on the air inflow side and a second middle step surface 74 on the air outflow side. A positive pressure generator 72 and a negative pressure generator 221 provided between the first positive pressure generator 71 and the second positive pressure generator 72 are provided. The first positive pressure generating portion 71 is connected to the first middle step surface 73 extending from the air inflow side end portion, and has a side rail in the width direction, and is a third middle step surface having an L shape. 75. The second positive pressure generating unit 72 is surrounded by a second middle step surface 74 provided on the air outflow side, and the information conversion element 25 is provided at the air outflow side end of the second positive pressure generating unit 72. Is formed. The negative pressure generation unit 221 is surrounded by the first middle step surface 73, the second middle step surface 74, the third middle step surface 75, and the first positive pressure generation unit 71. Side lower step surfaces 222 are provided on both side portions of the head slider 70 in the width direction, and air outflow side lower step surfaces 223 are provided on both sides of the air outflow side in the same manner as the head slider 20 of the first embodiment. .

  Further, the head slider 80 of Comparative Example 2 is sandwiched between a third middle step surface 82 formed in a U-shape and a first middle step surface 23 that is flush with the third middle step surface 82. The formed striped first positive pressure generating portion 81 is provided, and the negative pressure generating portion 221 is formed continuously to the third middle surface 82 and also has a small area. Other than this, it has the same shape as the head slider 20 of the first embodiment.

  For the head slider 20 of the first embodiment and the head sliders 70 and 80 of the comparative example 1 and the comparative example 2, the fixed point is obtained from the rigidity of the air film, and an impact force that approaches the recording medium direction is obtained. The maximum impact force when contacting the recording medium when it acted was determined, and the impact resistance was evaluated. In this impact resistance evaluation, the equivalent mass including the head slider and the head slider holding portion is 1 mg, the load from the support arm is 2 gf, the recording medium rotational speed is 4500 rpm, and the skew angle is −6 mm. Calculated as 5 degrees.

  Further, the fixed point obtained from the air film rigidity will be described with reference to FIG. A state in which the head slider 30 is flying on the recording medium 12 with a pitch angle θp and a flying height Xt at the end on the air outflow side is indicated by a solid line, and an impact force F acts on the head slider 30 to cause a vertical displacement x. The head slider 30a displaced by an angular displacement θ in the pitch direction is indicated by a one-dot chain line. As shown in FIG. 6, the fixed point G is indicated by the intersection of the head slider 30 in a steady flying state and the respective extension lines of the head slider 30 a after being displaced by impact. The load application point P1 is the center of the head slider 30 in the air flow direction, and a load from a support arm (not shown) is also applied to this portion.

  The center position of the opposing surface of the recording medium 12 of the head slider 30 rotates around the fixed point G from P1 in the steady flying state to the position P2 after displacement. At this time, the distance Lo from the action point P1 to the fixed point G can be regarded as cos θp≈1 because θp is very small, and is obtained by the equation (1).

  On the other hand, when the displacement with respect to the impact force F from the outside is the rotation around the load application point P1 and the translational movement of the application point position in the direction of the recording medium 12, the load application point P1 on the head slider 30 is used as a reference. The displacement in the direction perpendicular to the recording medium 12 is expressed as x and the rotation as θ.

  Here, k11, k12, k21, and k22 are stiffness coefficients of the air film of the head slider 30, k11 is vertical stiffness, k22 is rotational stiffness, and k12 and k21 are directions in which the head slider 30 is perpendicular to the recording medium 12. It is the coefficient of the force in the rotational direction generated when moving and the coefficient of the force in the vertical direction generated by the rotational movement. By transforming this equation, equation (3) is obtained.

  Accordingly, the fixed point distance Lo is obtained as a ratio of the rotational stiffness k22 of the air film and the coefficient k21 of the vertical force generated by the rotational motion as shown in Equations (1) and (3). .

  The rigidity coefficients k22 and k21 are uniquely determined if the shape of the facing surface of the recording medium 12 of the head slider 30, the rotational speed of the recording medium, the equivalent mass, and the like are determined, and define the distance from this value to the fixed point. can do.

  Table 1 shows the Lo / Ls normalized with respect to the length Ls of the head slider 30 and the impact resistance result obtained by determining the distance Lo to the fixed point G from the rigidity coefficient ratio. Note that the length Ls of the head slider 30 is a length parallel to the surface of the recording medium 12 and is different from the actual length of the head slider 30, but is substantially the same because θp is very small and can be regarded as cos θp≈1. You can see.

  As can be seen from Table 1, in the head slider 20 of the first embodiment, the value of Lo / Ls was 0.9 and the impact resistance value was about 8000 G. On the other hand, in the head slider 70 of the comparative example 1, the value of Lo / Ls is 3.6, and the impact resistance value is 2080 G in combination with the conventional support arm. In the head slider 80 of the comparative example 2, the Lo / Ls Was 0.45 and the impact resistance was about 4560 G. Such a result will be described with reference to a schematic diagram shown in FIG. In the head slider 20 according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 7A, the air inflow side and the air outflow side float with respect to the surface of the recording medium 12 with the clearances Z1 and Xt, respectively. When an impact force F acts on the head slider 20 in this state, the head slider 20 is displaced to the position indicated by the head slider 20a. At this time, only a small displacement is generated on the air outflow side compared to the displacement amount of the floating gap on the air inflow side. When an impact force greater than the impact force F is applied, the head slider 20b is displaced to a position indicated by the head slider 20b. Even in such a state, since the head slider 20 maintains a positive pitch angle, the air film is not broken. Since the air film acts as a spring, collision can be prevented. Or even if it collides, since the energy of collision is small, it is hard to produce damage. In the head slider 20 according to the first embodiment, the facing surface of the recording medium 12 of the head slider 20 is set so that the distance Lo to the fixed point is located in a space that is substantially the same as the length of the head slider 20. Depending on the formation.

  FIG. 7B shows a schematic diagram of the head slider 70 of the first comparative example. When an impact force F acts on the head slider 70 of the first comparative example, the head slider 70 is displaced to the position indicated by the head slider 70a. The reason for this displacement is that the fixed point G2 is located in a space far 3.6 times the length of the head slider 70. That is, at such a fixed point position, the rotation in the pitch direction hardly occurs when the impact force F is applied, and the fluctuation is almost in the vertical direction. 12 hits.

  FIG. 7C is a schematic diagram of the head slider of Comparative Example 2. In the head slider 80 of Comparative Example 2, the Lo / Ls ratio is 0.45, and the fixed point G3 is located slightly on the working point side from the air outflow side end. Therefore, even if the impact force F is applied and displaced to the position indicated by the head slider 80a, it does not collide with the recording medium 12, and the impact resistance is improved as compared with the head slider 70 of Comparative Example 1. However, when an impact force is further applied, as shown by the head slider 80b, the floating gap on the air inflow side becomes smaller than the floating gap on the air outflow side, and an air film is not formed. When such a phenomenon occurs, the flying force is lost, and the head slider 80 collides with the surface of the recording medium 12 to damage the head slider 80 or the recording medium 12. The impact resistance value at which the flying clearance on the air inflow side becomes smaller than that on the air outflow side varies depending not only on the shape of the opposing surface of the recording medium 12, but also on variations in rotational speed, skew angle variation, load variation, etc. Further, when the flying gap becomes small, the breakage is suddenly caused, so that the variation in impact resistance value becomes large.

  The relationship between the Lo / Ls value and the impact resistance value was further determined for head sliders having various shapes of the opposed surfaces of the recording medium 12. FIG. 8 shows the shapes of the opposing surfaces of three types of recording media. About the same name as the element and function shown in FIG. 5, since the same code | symbol is attached | subjected, description is abbreviate | omitted. The head slider 40 in FIG. 8A (hereinafter referred to as type A) includes a first middle step surface 23 extending from the air inflow side and a third middle step surface having side rails on both sides in the width direction. The first positive pressure generating part 41 is in the form of a stripe sandwiched between the two. The difference from the head slider 20 of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 5 is that the first positive pressure generating portion 41 has a stripe shape and is formed wide at a position close to the air inflow side. In other words, the negative pressure generating part 221 is mainly surrounded by the third middle surface 42. Therefore, in Type A, the positive pressure generated by the first positive pressure generating unit 41 is slightly located on the air inflow side as compared with the head slider 20 shown in FIG.

  Further, the head slider 50 (hereinafter referred to as type B) in FIG. 8B has a third middle step surface 52 in which the first positive pressure generating portion 51 is formed in a U-shape with the first middle step surface 23. The negative pressure generating portion 221 is formed in a region surrounded by the third middle step surface 52, but the other shape is the same as that of the head slider 20 shown in FIG. Therefore, in the type B as compared with the head slider 20 shown in FIG. 5, the positive pressure generated by the first positive pressure generating portion 51 is located slightly on the air inflow side, and the air film rigidity of this portion is slightly reduced.

  Further, the head slider 60 (hereinafter referred to as type C) in FIG. 8C increases the area of the negative pressure generating portion 221 by moving the first positive pressure generating portion 61 toward the air inflow side, and both sides. The side rail provided in the second half is the third middle step surface 62 from the middle, but the other portions have the same shape as the head slider 20 shown in FIG. Therefore, in Type C, the positive pressure generated in the first positive pressure generating unit 61 is located slightly on the air inflow side as compared with the head slider 20 shown in FIG. 5 and the negative pressure generated in the negative pressure generating unit 221 is slightly higher. It comes to be located on the air inflow side.

  Table 2 shows Lo / Ls values and impact resistance values of these three types of head sliders.

  As can be seen from the table, the Lo / Ls value was in the range of 0.7 to 1.8, and the impact resistance value at that time was 6400G to 7200G.

  FIG. 9 shows the results of determining the relationship between the Lo / Ls value and the impact resistance value using the head slider having the shape of the opposing surface of various recording media. As can be seen from FIG. 9, when the Lo / Ls value is 0.5 or less, not only the impact resistance value rapidly decreases, but also the variation of the impact resistance value increases in this region. This is because, as described above, when the position of the fixed point is on the inner side of the head outflow side end portion of the head slider, the floating gap at the air inflow side end portion is conversely reduced. Therefore, the Lo / Ls value is desirably larger than 0.5. On the other hand, when the Lo / Ls value is 1 or more, the impact resistance value decreases almost linearly. The impact resistance value required for mounting the disk device on the portable device is required to be 750 G or more, and the Lo / Ls value is preferably 2 or less. From the above results, it is possible to realize a disk device that can be mounted on a portable device with a head slider having a shape of the facing surface of the recording medium in which the Lo / Ls value is greater than 0.5 and less than or equal to 2.

  Furthermore, since the negative pressure (force at which the head slider is attracted to the recording medium) generated on the gas lubrication surface of the head slider of this embodiment is about 2.5 gf and the load from the support arm is 2 gf, Even if the head slider is pulled away from the recording medium with a force of 3.5 gf, the head slider does not jump from the recording medium. Since the equivalent mass of the support arm of the present embodiment is 1 mg, the head slider does not jump from the recording medium even for impact acceleration of 3500 G, and after the head slider jumps, the head slider collides with the recording medium. It does not cause a serious defect.

  In the above example of the shape of the head slider, an example in which the length in the air flow direction (Ls) is 1.24 mm is shown. From the above description and the results shown in Table 1, Table 2, and FIG. 9, Ls is preferably in the range of 0.2 mm <Ls <1.4 mm. The lower limit of 0.2 mm is limited by the size of the information conversion element, and the upper limit of 1.4 mm is limited by the preferable mass of the head slider. When the distance from the center of the head slider to the center of rotation is Lk, a relationship of 0.5Ls <Lk <2Ls is established. Lk is preferably in the range of 0.3 mm <Lk <2.0 mm. The range of Lk is limited by the lower limit value of Ls and the preferable mass of the head slider.

  In this embodiment, the case where a load is applied from the support arm has been described. However, the present invention may be configured such that only the mass of the head slider itself acts as a load. In this case, the point of application of the load coincides with the center of gravity. . Further, the load from the support arm may be applied to a position different from the center of gravity of the head slider. In this case, the point of application of the load may be a position where the load from the support arm and the center of gravity of the head slider are balanced.

  Further, in this embodiment, the position of the fixed point is obtained as the motion of the head slider as two motions in the direction perpendicular to the recording medium and the pitch direction. You may do it.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a head support device according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The head support device according to the second embodiment of the present invention is greatly different from the first embodiment described above in that the head support device is a highly rigid second base arm having a first bearing portion, A head support arm comprising a support arm formed of a thin member such as SUS, and a second support portion using a pivot at a position away from the first bearing portion, and a first base arm. It is in place. The head support arm in the second embodiment is mainly related to the rotation operation in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the magnetic recording medium.

  Hereinafter, a head support device according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 11, 12 and 13 are diagrams for explaining the head support arm and the head support device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 shows the configuration of the head support arm and the head support device. FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the main part, FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of the main part of the head support arm. As in the first embodiment, a magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus will be described as an example of a disk apparatus.

  11, 12 and 13, the head slider 1 on which a magnetic head (not shown) is mounted is a flexure 13 having a so-called gimbal mechanism in which a thin metal plate such as SUS and a flexible wiring board are integrated. In addition, the flexure 13 is fixed to the support arm 2, the top of the dimple 14 provided on the support arm 2 abuts on the flexure 13, and the head slider 1 fixed to the flexure 13 is connected to the top of the dimple 14. It is configured to be able to move freely around. The support arm 2 is formed with a leaf spring portion 4 which is a tongue-like elastic member by cutting out a part near the center line 96 in the longitudinal direction. One end of the tongue-like leaf spring portion 4 is formed. Is fixed to the first base arm 91 by a known method such as spot welding, ultrasonic welding, or laser welding. The leaf spring portion 4 may be composed of a separate material member different from the support arm 2, and when the leaf spring portion 4 is made of a separate material member, it is a leaf spring having a tongue-like shape by a method such as the well-known welding method described above. One end of the material member to be the portion 4 is fixed to the support arm 2 and the other end is fixed to the first base arm 91. In addition, the first base arm 91 is provided with two pivots 11a and 11b at positions symmetrical with respect to the center line 96 in the longitudinal direction of the support arm 2, and each of these pivots 11a and 11b is provided. Is in contact with the support arm 2. Therefore, the elasticity of the leaf spring portion 4 of the support arm 2 fixed to the first base arm 91 with the respective vertices of the two pivots 11a and 11b disposed on the first base arm 91 as pivot points. The support arm 2 is configured to rotate against the force, and the head slider 1 fixed to the support arm 2 presses the surface of the recording medium (not shown in FIGS. 12 and 13). The head slider 1 is urged toward the recording medium. Further, a coupling portion 92 made of, for example, a hollow cylindrical protrusion is formed at the other end of the first base arm 91 so as to be integrated with the second base arm 94. Further, the center of gravity of the head slider 1, the flexure 13 and the support arm 2 in the recording medium direction of each of the two pivots 11 a and 11 b disposed on the first base arm 91 which is the pivot point of the support arm 2. A balancer 93 is fixed to the other end of the support arm 2 (the end opposite to the head slider 1 side across the pivot 11a) so as to pass the line connecting the apexes. The head support arm 90 is constituted by the head slider 1 on which the magnetic head is mounted, the flexure 13, the support arm 2 having the leaf spring portion 4 as an elastic member, the first base arm 91 and the balancer 93. The balancer 93 may be electrically configured using an amplifier circuit or the like.

  Further, a part of the support arm 2 in the vicinity of the center line 96 in the longitudinal direction is cut out to form the leaf spring portion 4 that is an elastic member, and the left and right side surfaces of the support arm 2 are substantially the entire region with respect to the longitudinal direction. Therefore, the side reinforcement portions 95 can be provided by bending the left and right side surfaces over substantially the entire area. By providing the side reinforcing portion 95 on the support arm 2, the rigidity of the support arm 2 can be greatly increased, and the resonance frequency of the support arm 2 can be greatly increased from about 2 kHz to about 10 kHz. Therefore, the rotational speed of the head support arm 90 can be made very fast, and therefore the access speed can be made very fast.

  The second base arm 94 has a hole for fastening the first base arm 91 at one end, and the first base arm 91 having the head slider 1 is coupled by a known method such as caulking. As the disk device, driving means such as a voice coil motor 18 is formed on the first bearing portion 10 and the side opposite to the first base arm 91 across the first bearing portion 10. Yes. The head support device 90 is composed of the head support arm 90 and the second base arm 94, whereby the first base arm 91 or the second base arm 94 of the head support arm 90 is selected according to the size of the recording medium. Thus, it is possible to change the length of any one of the arm portions, and to make it a practical configuration for standardization when creating a magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus having recording media of different sizes and types.

  The pressing force with which the head slider 1 presses the surface of the recording medium includes the material and thickness of the leaf spring portion 4 that is an elastic member, the height of each vertex of the two pivots 11a and 11b, the support arm 2 and the plate. It can be arbitrarily set depending on the position of the connecting portion or the fixing portion of the spring portion 4. For example, a large urging force can be applied by forming the leaf spring portion 4 with a thick material with a high rigidity. Alternatively, even if the height of the apexes of the two pivots 11a and 11b is increased, a large urging force can be applied.

Next, the balancer 93 will be described with reference to FIG. The distance to the center of gravity of the head slider 1 is L ₁ and the distance to the center of gravity of the balancer 93 is based on the rotation axis connecting the vertices of the two pivots 11 a and 11 b provided on the first base arm 91. L ₂ , the mass of the head slider 1 is M ₁ , the mass of the balancer 93 is M ₂ , the total mass obtained by adding the mass of the rotating portion of the support arm 2 and the mass of the flexure 13 is M ₃ , When the distance to the center of gravity where the total mass of the moving part and the flexure 13 is added is L ₃ ,
L ₁ × M ₁ + L ₃ × M ₃ = L ₂ × M ₂ (5)
The mass M ₂ of the balancer 93 may be set so that

As described above, when the center of gravity of each of the head slider 1, the flexure 13, the rotating portion of the support arm 2 and the balancer 93 in the head support arm 90 is set, the head slider 1 collides with the recording medium 12 even if an impact force is applied. Can be prevented. For example, it is assumed that an impact force is applied in the direction indicated by Q in FIG. An impact force F ₁ proportional to the mass M ₁ acts on the head slider 1. An impact force F ₂ proportional to the mass M ₂ acts on the balancer 93. Further, an impact force F ₃ proportional to the total mass M ₃ acts on the rotating portion of the support arm 2 and the flexure 13.

Since the head support arm 90 is set to satisfy the expression (5), L ₁ × F ₁ + L ₃ × F ₃ = L ₂ × F ₂ (6)
The relationship holds. As a result, even if an impact is applied from the outside, the head support arm 90 does not generate a force that rotates around the rotation axis connecting the vertices of the two pivots 11a and 11b of the first base arm 91. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the head slider 1 from colliding with the surface of the recording medium 12 and damaging the magnetic head (not shown) and the recording medium 12 mounted on the head slider 1. That is, the center of gravity of the head support arm 90 is substantially at the same position as the midpoint P (not shown) on the line connecting the vertices of the two pivots 11a and 11b of the support arm 2 and the first base arm 91. In this way, it is possible to realize the head support arm 90 that constitutes the stable head support device 9 with less vibration against external impact or the like. The head support arm 90 having the greatest impact resistance can be realized when the center of gravity position of the head support arm 90 coincides with the above-described midpoint P. However, the two pivots 11a of the first base arm 91 can be realized. , 11b, the head support arm 90 having practically sufficient impact resistance can be realized even if it is shifted from the midpoint P.

Further, when the two pivots 11a of the head support arm 90 and the first total Suamu 91, the force acting between the respective vertices of 11b and F _4,
F ₁ + F ₂ + F ₃ > F ₄ (7)
Then, the two pivots 11a and 11b of the first base arm 91 and the head support arm 90 are separated from each other. But,
F ₁ + F ₂ + F ₃ ≦ F ₄ (8)
If so, the two pivots 11a and 11b of the first base arm 91 and the head support arm 90 are not separated from each other. The force F ₄ satisfying such a condition is generated by an internal stress generated from a rotational moment generated by the leaf spring portion 4 that is an elastic member of the support arm 2, and this force can be arbitrarily set as described above. . Accordingly, it is easy to prevent the two pivots 11a and 11b of the first base arm 91 and the head support arm 90 from being separated from each other even when receiving an impact force.

  Furthermore, the rotation connecting the respective vertices of the two pivots 11a and 11b of the first base arm 91 with respect to the impact force in the direction indicated by R in FIG. 14, that is, in the direction parallel to the surface of the recording medium 12. When the center of gravity of the head support arm 90 is aligned with the shaft, no rotational moment is generated in the head support arm 90, so that the head slider 1 can be prevented from colliding with the recording medium 12.

  Further, in the head support device according to the second embodiment of the present invention, almost the same configuration as that described in the first embodiment can be used for the configuration of the head slider. In order to avoid duplication, a detailed description of the configuration of the head slider is omitted.

  However, only the points that differ greatly from the head slider in the head support device in the first embodiment will be described here. In the head support device according to the second embodiment of the present invention, the installation position of the head 97 mounted on the head slider 1 is on the head slider 1 as shown in FIG. It is in a position farthest from 11a.

  Assume a case where an impact is applied to the head support device 9 from the outside. Due to the impact, as shown by a downward arrow in FIG. 15, a large impact load F is applied to the second bearing portion constituted by the leaf spring 4 that is an elastic member that supports the support arm 2 and the pivot 11 a. For an impact greater than the aforementioned impact force, the support arm 2 rotates in the direction indicated by arrow A, and the head slider 1 supported on the support arm 2 by the flexure and the dimple 14 has a moment as indicated by arrow B. A load will be applied. In the present embodiment, the head 97 is mounted on the side of the support arm 2 away from the pivot 11 a, and the flying height of the air inflow side of the head slider 1 is made higher than the air outflow side on which the head 97 is mounted. For this reason, even if the moment B due to the impact load F acts on the air inflow side where the flying height is high, the impact is absorbed by the portion where the flying height is high on the air inflow side, and the head slider 1 collides with the recording medium 12. Can be suppressed. Further, since the head 97 is on the non-collision side, the head slider 1 does not collide with the recording medium 12, and the head 97 is free from damage.

  Further, when an impact force acts in a direction in which the head slider 1 is pulled away, as shown by an upward arrow as shown in FIG. 16, a large impact load F ′ is a leaf spring 4 that is an elastic member that supports the support arm 2, and a pivot 11a. It is applied to the second bearing part constituted by The support arm 2 rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow A ′, the rotational moment acts on the head slider 1, the rotational force acts in the direction of the arrow B ′ where the air inflow side of the head slider 1 is lifted, and the head mounted on the air outflow side. 97 is difficult to contact the disc. If the position of the head 97 is reversed, the head 97 side is lifted, but the air inflow side becomes unstable, the amount of air inflow changes, and the flying of the head slider 1 becomes unstable.

  Originally, the head slider according to the second embodiment of the present invention has the same configuration as that of the first embodiment. Therefore, even if an impact force acts on the head slider, the head slider collides with the recording medium surface. To prevent or reduce the energy when colliding. In addition to this, in the second embodiment of the present invention, the head is installed on the outermost side of the head slider farthest from the pivot as the second bearing portion, so that the disk device has excellent shock resistance. Can be realized.

  As described above, according to the second embodiment of the present invention, even if it receives an impact force from the outside, it rotates around the rotation axis connecting the vertices of the two pivots of the first base arm. Therefore, the head slider can be prevented from colliding with the surface of the recording medium and causing damage to the magnetic head and the recording medium mounted on the head slider, and a stable head support device with less vibration. The head support arm which comprises can be implement | achieved.

  In addition, it is possible to increase the overall rigidity including the support arm while increasing the urging force to the head slider. Furthermore, since each component can be set independently, the design of the head support arm is easy and the degree of freedom in design can be expanded.

  Also, by providing side reinforcing portions on both side surfaces of the support arm, or by making the leaf spring portion, which is an elastic member, a separate member using a flexible material, and forming the support arm from a highly rigid material Since the resonance frequency of the support arm can be increased, the vibration mode that has been a problem in the past does not occur. Accordingly, no settling operation is required and positioning can be performed by rotating the support arm at a high speed, and the access speed of the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus can be improved.

  Furthermore, the very precise elastic member (leaf spring part) forming process (bending process) required in the conventional head support apparatus is not required, and the head support arm and the head support apparatus can be manufactured by a simple method. it can.

  In addition, according to the size of the recording medium, the length of either the first base arm or the second base arm can be changed to correspond, and recording media of different sizes can be used. It can be set as a practical structure with respect to the standardization when producing the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus which has.

  Furthermore, by increasing the resonance frequency of the support arm, the vibration mode does not occur and the settling time can be shortened. In addition, positioning can be performed by rotating the support arm at high speed, and a disk device with improved access speed can be realized.

  In the head support arm of the second embodiment, the pair of pivot portions are used as the rotation support portion of the support arm, but the present invention is not limited to this. There may be only one pivot. In this case, if it restrict | limits by the effect | action of both the pivot and the leaf | plate spring part as an elastic member, the structure rotated only to a perpendicular direction is easily realizable.

  In the second embodiment, the pair of pivots, which are the pivot shafts of the support arm, are positioned symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal center line of the support arm, but the present invention is not limited to this. .

  In the head support arm according to the second embodiment of the present invention, an example is shown in which a through hole provided around the tongue-shaped leaf spring portion (elastic member) in FIG. Although shown and described, it is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to these shapes, and may be formed by cutting into a U-shaped or V-shaped trapezoidal shape. .

  In the embodiment of the present invention, the head support device of the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus using the magnetic head has been described. However, the head support device of the present invention is a non-contact type disk recording / reproducing apparatus such as an optical disk device or the like. The same effect can be obtained when used as a head support device such as a magneto-optical disk device.

  The head support device according to the present invention realizes a highly reliable disk device that has high impact resistance and high access speed, and is capable of mounting a large-capacity, small and thin disk device on a portable device. Therefore, in addition to the head support device of a magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus using a magnetic head, it can also be applied to a non-contact type disk recording / reproducing apparatus, for example, a head support device such as an optical disk device or a magneto-optical disk device.

(A) is a side view showing a schematic configuration of the head support device in the first embodiment of the present invention. (B) is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of the head support device in the first embodiment of the present invention. The perspective view which shows the structure of the head support apparatus in the 1st Embodiment of this invention. The disassembled perspective view of the head support apparatus in the 1st Embodiment of this invention The principal part side view near the bearing part of the head support apparatus in the 1st Embodiment of this invention FIG. 5A is a perspective view of a head slider provided in the head support device according to the first embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the surface facing the recording medium, and FIG. 5B is a head support device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The surface which shows the opposing surface of the recording medium of the head slider with which it is equipped Schematic diagram for explaining the displacement of the head slider and the fixed point distance before and after the impact force is applied to the head slider FIG. 6A is a schematic diagram for explaining the variation of the flying state when an impact force is applied to the head slider in the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. (C) is a schematic diagram for explaining the fluctuation of the flying state when an impact force is applied to the head slider of Comparative Example 2. FIG. 6A is a plan view of a head slider having another recording medium facing surface according to the first embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the facing surface of the recording medium. FIG. The plan view (c) of the head slider having the opposed surface of the recording medium viewed from the opposed surface of the recording medium is from the opposed surface of the recording medium of the head slider having the opposed surface of another recording medium of the first embodiment. Viewed plan The figure which shows the relationship between a Lo / Ls value and an impact resistance value (A), (b) is a top view which shows the opposing surface of the recording medium of the head slider used for the comparison with the shape of the opposing surface of the recording medium of the head slider of the 1st Embodiment of this invention. The side view of the principal part which shows the structure of the head support arm and head support apparatus in the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. The perspective view of the principal part which shows the structure of the head support arm and head support apparatus in the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. The disassembled perspective view of the principal part of the head support arm in the 2nd Embodiment of this invention The side view for demonstrating the effect | action of the balancer of the head support arm in the 2nd Embodiment of this invention Operation explanatory diagram of the head slider when an impact load is applied in the second embodiment of the present invention Explanatory drawing of the operation of the head slider when another impact load is applied in the second embodiment of the present invention. A plan view showing the configuration of a head support device of a conventional magnetic recording / reproducing device and the relationship between the head support device and a magnetic recording medium Main part perspective view showing a head support arm equipped with a conventional head slider

Explanation of symbols

1, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 Head slider 2 Support arm 4 Leaf spring (elastic member)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 5 Spring fixing member 9 Head support apparatus 10 1st bearing part 11 2nd bearing part 11a, 11b Pivot 12 Recording medium 13 Flexure 14 Dimple 90 Head support arm 91 1st base arm 92 Joint part 93 Balancer 94 2nd Base arm

Claims (4)

A head, a support arm in which the head is disposed at one end and an elastic member is formed near the other end, a first base arm, a second base arm, and a driving means And
A tip end portion of the elastic member is fixed to the first base arm, and a vertical rotation portion fulcrum is provided on the support arm or the first base arm ;
The head is mounted on a head slider, and the head slider is disposed on the one end of the support arm via a flexure,
A balancer is disposed on the other end of the support arm on the opposite side of the head slider, with the vertical rotation portion fulcrum in between,
One end portion of the second base arm is coupled to one end portion of the first base arm to which the elastic member is fixed, and is opposite to the one end portion of the second base arm. The head support device is characterized in that the driving means is arranged at the other end of the head. 2. The head support device according to claim 1 , wherein the vertical rotation portion fulcrum provided on the support arm or the first base arm includes two pivots. Said head slider, the flexure, so overall center of gravity of the combined center of gravity of each of said support arms and said balancer is located on a plane perpendicular to the recording medium including a line connecting the two respective vertices of said pivot The head support device according to claim 2 , wherein a mass, a gravity center position, and an attachment position of the balancer are set. The head support device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A recording medium having a recording medium layer formed on the surface;
Rotation driving means for rotating the recording medium;
Disk apparatus comprising: a.

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