JPH04143990A - Flexible disk - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent magnetic characteristic from deteriorating by protecting data in a flexible disk and to prevent a read/write error from occurring by providing a detecting means for temperature and humidity at a cassette case. CONSTITUTION:The detecting means 17 which detects either at least the temperature or the humidity and a contact terminal part 18 are provided at the upper case 2 of the cassette of the flexible disk, and working environmental temperature and humidity are measured when the cassette is inserted, and the working feasibility of the flexible disk is decided, and a result is displayed. The cassette inserted when it is not used is extracted based on the above display, and thereby, the data in the flexible disk can be protected. As a result, the magnetic characteristic of the flexible disk can be prevented from deteriorating, and the read/write error due to working environment can be prevented from occurring.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a flexible disk used as a recording medium for writing and reading data in a flexible disk device.

Conventional technology In order to achieve compatibility and prevent deterioration of magnetic properties, it is important to use flexible disks within temperature and humidity specifications, and domestic and international flexible disk standards have been established. There is. Nevertheless, conventionally, when a flexible disk is set in a flexible disk device, writing and reading operations are performed regardless of the surrounding environment such as temperature and humidity.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention The compatibility standard for flexible disks is Is○ (I
international organization
In accordance with this, in Japan, JIS (Japanese
se Industrial 5 standards)
, in the United States, A N S I (American Na
tional 5standards In5titut
e), and the European manufacturers' association is ECM A (Eur
open computer manufacturer
ers Ass.

cation).

8-inch and 5.25-inch 7 flexible discs use a soft jacket, and the material is usually vinyl chloride-based, so the jacket surface temperature is about 53°C.
If the temperature exceeds ℃, permanent deformation may occur. 3.5-inch flexible disks use hard cases such as ABS, so the temperature conditions are relatively high, but since they are used under stress in flexible disk devices, the base material of the flexible disk itself A certain P
E T (Polyethylene telepht)
If the temperature exceeds 60°C, there is a risk of softening, and the upper temperature limit is set at 59°C. On the other hand, the magnetic sheet of a flexible disk is made of a base material with a thickness of about 75 μm and a magnetic layer of several μm thick on both sides.
The rate of expansion and contraction due to changes in humidity is determined by the coefficient of the base material. 150 defines the thermal expansion coefficient and humidity expansion coefficient of the flexible disk as the following equations (1) and (2), respectively.

αT=(17±8) X 10-'fl/round/℃
...(1)(IN=(0~15)X10'
w/m+/%RH-=(2) The magnetic sheet of a flexible disk expands and contracts significantly due to temperature and humidity, causing malfunctions due to off-track. ISO sets the upper limit of wet bulb temperature to 2.
9° C. (and 26.5° C.), and the relationship between the allowable temperature and humidity of the flexible disk is shown in FIG.

The shaded areas in Figure 6 indicate where flexible disks can be used (
acceptable) environment.

Therefore, it is difficult to achieve data compatibility outside the permissible environment.

However, with the above conventional flexible disk,
When the flexible disk device is used in a region with low temperatures such as a cold region, or conversely when used in high temperatures in midsummer, the flexible disk device is not mounted at the allowable operating temperature for the flexible disk or in an inappropriate environment other than humidity. write,
Because data is often read one after another, abnormal operation of the device, deterioration of the magnetic properties of the magnetic sheet of the flexible disk, and compatibility errors in writing and reading may occur. Even if a flexible disk device and a system equipped with a flexible disk device are located in a user's office or other location, and the environment allows the use of flexible disks, the location where the flexible disk is stored and the temperature and humidity of the flexible disk itself may be When the flexible disk is not in a usable state and the flexible disk is immediately mounted and data is written or read, deterioration of the magnetic properties and compatibility errors as described above may occur. Further, there have been problems such as it being difficult for the user to check whether the flexible disk is in an environment with temperature and humidity that allows it to be used.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and when the flexible disk itself is in an inappropriate environment outside the permissible temperature or humidity range as specified domestically and internationally, To provide a flexible disk that can be used for a long time, thereby protecting data on the flexible disk, preventing deterioration of magnetic properties, and preventing compatibility errors due to continuous writing. The purpose is to

Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a case with a detection means for detecting at least one of temperature and humidity.

The detection means determines whether the use environment is suitable or not, and notifies the user through the notification means, and also sends out a detection output signal in order to control each function of the flexible disk device, or displays whether the use environment is suitable. Can have both functions.

Therefore, according to the present invention, when mounted in a flexible disk device, if at least one of the temperature and humidity near the magnetic sheet is an inappropriate environment outside the allowable range for use, the detection means detects this and notifies the user of this. If the temperature and/or humidity near the magnetic sheet is in an unsuitable environment outside the permissible range, the installation on the flexible disk device can be canceled. is detected by the detection means, and this detection output signal is sent to the flexible disk device or flexible disk controller to notify that the environment is inappropriate and to wait for use, and to stop each function of the flexible disk device. can be controlled. Also, when mounted on a flexible disk device, if the detection means recognizes that the environment is permissible for use, the device can be mounted on the flexible disk device as is, or when mounted on a flexible disk device, the detection output signal of the detection means indicates that the environment is permissible for use. If it is determined that there is
In this state, it is possible to start operating each function of the flexible disk device.

EXAMPLE Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

First, an outline of a flexible disk implementing the present invention will be explained.

5(a) to C1 show a flexible disk, FIG. 5(al is an exploded perspective view, FIG. 5(bl is a bottom view in an assembled state, and FIG. 5(C) is an enlarged cross-section of a part thereof. It is a diagram.

In FIG. 5(a) or C1, 1 and 2 are a lower case and an upper case fixedly combined with each other, 3 is a magnetic sheet, and 4 is a hub, with a central hole 5 in the center and a drive on the outer periphery. It has a hole 6. Reference numeral 7 denotes an adhesive ring, and the /X hub 4 is adhered to the center hole of the magnetic sheet 3 by the adhesive ring 7, and this hub 4 is inserted into the hole 8 of the lower case 1. 9 is a center plate attached to the inner surface of the center part of the upper case 2 corresponding to the central hole 5 of the / The liner 12 is attached to the lower case 1 between the lower case 1 and the liner 10, and the liner 13 is attached to the lower case 1.
A write protector 14 is supported on the inner surface of the lower case 1 so as to open and close the write protector hole 13, and a write protector 15 is slidable across the lower case 1 and the upper case 2. The supported shutter 16 is a spring that is interposed between the lower case 1 (or upper case 2) and the shutter 15 and presses the shutter 15 in the closing direction at all times.

FIGS. 1(a) and 1(bl) show a flexible disk in one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1(a) is a sectional view of a case, and FIG. 1(bl is a schematic perspective view).

As shown in FIG. 5(a) and (bl), in the configuration shown in FIGS.
, and a contact terminal section 18 for sending out detection (and identification) output signals, power supply, etc. is buried therein.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a case showing another example of the arrangement of the detection means and contact terminal portions in the flexible disk of the present invention.

In this example, as shown in FIG. 2, in the configuration shown in FIGS. The contact terminal portion 18 is embedded.

3rd [ff1(a) and (b) show still another arrangement example of the detection means and the contact terminal portion in the flexible disk of the present invention, FIG. 3(a) is a sectional view of the case, and FIG.
bl is a schematic perspective view.

In this example, as shown in Fig. 3(a) and (bl),
In the configuration shown in FIGS. 5(a) to (C1) as described above, temperature or humidity detection means 1 are provided at the corner and middle portions of the upper case 2 or the lower case 1, respectively, on the opposite side from the above.
7 and a contact terminal portion 18 are buried therein, or a temperature or humidity detection means 17 and a contact terminal portion 18 are buried so as to span the end face and side surface of the upper case 2 and the lower case 1.

Alternatively, both the temperature and humidity detection means 17 and their contact terminal portions 18 are buried.

Among the detection means 17, a thermistor, a thermocouple, or the like can be used as a temperature detection means. Thermistor
storO) is a semiconductor made by sintering oxides such as manganese, dichelium, cobalt, etc. into a 0.5m square chip.As the temperature rises, the electrical resistance decreases, so this change in voltage or current is measured by temperature. It is used as a signal output for detection (and identification) of
The thermoelectromotive force generated by the temperature difference between the contacts is used as a signal output.

Next, a specific example of the humidity detection (and identification) means of the detection means 17 will be described with reference to the exploded perspective view shown in FIG. 4.

As shown in FIG. 4, a pair of lower electrodes (indicated by diagonal lines) 21 made of metal are formed on a substrate 20 such as glass by vapor deposition, and a moisture-sensitive material such as acetate cellulose is formed on the lower electrodes 21. A polymer thin film 22 is formed, and further,
An upper electrode (indicated by diagonal lines) 23 made of metal is formed by vapor deposition on the polymer thin film 22, and a circuit in which two capacitors are connected in series is formed as a whole, and each electrode 21.
Lead wires 24 and 25 are connected to 3. When the polymer thin film 22 absorbs moisture, the dielectric constant changes, and the humidity of the flexible disk can be detected by changing the capacitance of the capacitor.

The operation of the above configuration will be described below.

A flexible disk (hereinafter referred to as FD) is mounted in a disk rotation function section of a flexible disk device (hereinafter referred to as FDD). In this state, the detection means 17 detects F.
Detects one or both of D's own temperature and humidity, and F
Generates output signals of temperature and humidity status of D. Based on this detection output signal, the determining means of the FDD determines whether the FD is in an environment that allows use or an environment that is inappropriate for use. F
If the temperature and humidity of D are inappropriate for use, FD
The function control unit of D turns on the usage environment display function unit of the FDD, notifying the user that the environment is inappropriate for use and to wait for use, and also sends a signal to the flexible disk controller (hereinafter referred to as FDC). control so that the disk rotation function section, head drive section, and write/read function section do not operate by preventing the FDC from transmitting operation commands to the FDD, or control each of the above functions using a function control section within the FDD. Control so that it does not operate directly. Therefore, use of the FD under inappropriate environmental conditions can be avoided in advance. and,
The above detection (identification) output signal is used to control a desired device,
It is possible to change the surrounding environment of the FD to a use-permissible environment.

That is, when the FD is at a high temperature, the cooling equipment is driven, and when the FD is at a low temperature, the heating equipment is driven, etc., so that the above-mentioned signal is fed back so that the FD is in an acceptable environment for use. I can do it.

On the other hand, if the determination means of the FDD determines that the usage environment is permissible from the beginning or halfway based on the detection output signal of the detection means 17, the FDD function fll'a turns off the usage environment display function part. It is also possible to notify the user that the usage environment is permissible by lighting a color different from the color that lights up when the environment is inappropriate. ), sends a signal to the FDC, causes the FDC to issue an operation command to the FDD, and
The above-mentioned functional units of D are controlled to be operated, or the above-mentioned functional units are controlled to be operated directly by the function control unit.

As another example of the detection means 17, a thermolabel can be used so as to have a display function. This thermo label uses an object that changes color depending on temperature changes, and FD
It is now possible to display whether or not it can be used. Furthermore, by mixing the above-mentioned substance into the material of either or both of the lower case 1 and upper case 2 of the FD, it is possible to display the usability or temperature value of the entire FD case or in a pattern. can.

When the detection means 17 having such a display function is used,
When installing the FD in the disk rotation function section of the FDD, if the detection means 17 indicates that the environment is inappropriate for use, the installation of the FD in the disk rotation function section of the FDD is stopped and the FD is installed in the disk rotation function section of the FDD. Use under inappropriate environmental conditions can be avoided in advance. Also, FD
When installed in the disk rotation function section of D, the detection means 1
If it recognizes that the environment is permissible for use in 7, the FDD will be installed as is.
It is installed in the disk rotation function section of the FDD and controls the operation of each function section of the FDD.

Detailed Description of the Invention According to the present invention, when mounted in a flexible disk device, if at least one of the temperature and humidity near the magnetic sheet is an inappropriate environment outside the permissible range, the detecting means detects this. It is possible to detect it, display a message to that effect, and cancel the installation on the flexible disk device.
Or, when installed in a flexible disk device, if at least one of the temperature and humidity near the magnetic sheet is an inappropriate environment outside the allowable range for use, the detection means detects this and sends this detection output signal to the flexible disk device or It can be sent to the flexible disk controller to notify that the environment is inappropriate and to wait for use, and also to control the flexible disk device to stop each function. If it is recognized that the usage environment is permissible by You can start operating each function. In this way, it is possible to prevent the flexible disk from being used under environmental conditions that are inappropriate for its use. Therefore, data on the flexible disk can be protected, magnetic properties can be prevented from deteriorating, and compatibility errors can be prevented from occurring.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIGS. 1(a) and 1(bl) show a flexible disk according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1(a) is a sectional view of the case, FIG. FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b) are cross-sectional views of the case showing other arrangement examples of the detection means and contact terminals in the disk;
1 shows still another arrangement example of the detection means and the contact terminal part in the flexible disk of the present invention, FIG. 4A is a sectional view of the case, FIG. 5th exploded perspective view showing a specific example of the humidity detection means used
ID (a> or C) indicates a flexible disk, FIG. 6 (a) is an exploded perspective view, FIG. The figure shows the ISO standard wet bulb temperature (W) for flexible disks.
BT) It is an environment explanatory diagram. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Lower case, 2... Upper case, 3... Magnetic sheet, 15... Shutter, 17... Detection means, 18
...Contact terminal section. Name of agent Patent attorney Osamu Komoto Meibaka 28 Figure (b) Figure Figure (a) Detection means No. 5 ■ Figure Temperature [°C]

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) A flexible disk whose case is equipped with a detection means for detecting at least one of temperature and humidity. (2) The flexible disk according to claim 1, wherein the detecting means determines whether or not the usage environment is suitable, and the notifying means notifies the user of the situation, and also sends out a detection output signal to control each function of the flexible disk device. (3) The flexible disk according to claim 1, wherein the detection means has a function of displaying whether or not the usage environment is acceptable.