JPH06203354A - Head supporting mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve a follow-up characteristic to a disk surface so that recording and reproducing are surely executed by constituting a head supporting arm of a printed circuit board provided with conductor members connected to a magnetic head. CONSTITUTION:The magnetic head 38 which executes recording and/or reproducing to and/or from a rotationally drive disk 1 is mounted to the head supporting arm 36. This arm 36 is constituted of the printed circuit board provided with conductor members 40a to 40d connected to the head 38. The arm 36 is constituted of a member having flexibility and a slider 37 fixed with the magnetic head 38 is integrally formed of the flexible member. Since the arm 36 is formed of the printed circuit board consisting of one member, the arm is thin and light and the structure is simplified by the reduction in the size and weight. Since the arm 36 is formed of the flexible printed circuit board, the arm has resilient and braking properties in combination and is capable of surely floating the slider 37. The follow-up characteristic to the disk surface is thus improved.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a head support mechanism for moving a magnetic head onto various disks such as a magneto-optical disk, a hard disk, and a floppy disk along its surface to perform magnetic recording and / or reproduction on the disk. It is about.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A hard disk drive for recording and reproducing by making a head face a rotating disk-shaped magnetic recording medium, a so-called magnetic disk, with a small flying height, and magnetic recording and reproducing by moving the head close to a magnetic layer of the medium. In a so-called floppy disk drive for performing the above, and in a so-called writable magneto-optical recording disk recording apparatus capable of writing, erasing and reading information by using a light beam, head miniaturization accompanying high recording density, Further, in order to reduce the size and weight of the device itself, it is desired to reduce the size and weight of the head support mechanism, simplify the assembly work by simplifying the structure, and eventually reduce the cost.
Various structures have been proposed.

A specific structure has been developed for each of the above-mentioned various disks in consideration of recording characteristics or recording / reproducing characteristics. An example of a magneto-optical recording device will be described as an example.

As shown in FIG. 31 which is an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view of an example thereof, a magneto-optical film composed of a perpendicular magnetization film is formed on a substrate 2 made of transparent plastic or the like with a protective layer 3 made of silicon nitride (SiN) or the like interposed therebetween. A recording layer 4 is provided, and a reflective film 6 made of, for example, a metal thin film such as an Al thin film is laminated via an SiN protective layer 5 provided on the magneto-optical recording layer 4, and ultraviolet rays are provided on the reflective film 6. A coating film 7 made of a curable resin or the like is formed to form the magneto-optical disk 1.

As a method of recording information on the disk 1 having such a structure, a magnetic field modulation method, an optical modulation method, etc. are known. The magnetic field modulation method enables so-called overwriting in which a new signal is overwritten on an old signal. A magneto-optical disk recording apparatus based on this magnetic field modulation method is a light for irradiating a laser beam on the substrate 2 side of the disk 1. While the pickup is arranged, a magnetic head 8 for generating magnetism is arranged on the opposite side to the coating film 7 side. The magnetic head 8 has a magnetic core 9 facing the coating film 7 and a coil 10 wound around the magnetic core 9. The magnetic head 8 emits a laser spot of the laser light emitted from the optical pickup. The magnetic field direction generated from the magnetic head 8 is changed by changing the direction of the current flowing through the coil 10 so that the magnetic field direction is changed.

When performing this magneto-optical recording, the magneto-optical disk 1 is rotationally driven at a predetermined speed,
By forming a magnetic field corresponding to the recording signal as the information recorded in the vicinity of the laser spot, the portion of the magneto-optical recording layer 4 to be rewritten is heated to the Curie temperature or higher by the laser spot and demagnetized. After that, when this portion moves from the laser spot and drops below the Curie temperature, the rewritten portion is magnetized in the magnetic field direction, whereby writing to the disk 1 is performed.

A head support mechanism in such a magneto-optical disk recording apparatus is described in, for example, Japanese Patent Application No. 4-306627 filed by the applicant of the present application.
As shown in FIG. 32 and FIG. 33, which are an enlarged schematic plan view and a side view of the example, the head support mechanism 11 includes a head support arm 12 formed of a plate-like spring material and a plate-like spring. Gimbal spring 13 made of material
And a slider 14 attached to a central bent portion formed by bending the central portion of the gimbal spring 13 downward.

The gimbal spring 13 is formed integrally with the head supporting arm 12 by fixing the outer edge fixing portion formed outside the central bent portion to the tip end portion of the head supporting arm 12 by a fixing means such as welding. Further, the head support arm 12 is reinforced by an arm reinforcing member 15 fixed to the upper surface side. The slider 14 is made of an engineering plastic material and has a substantially rectangular plate shape and is fixed to the central bent portion of the gimbal spring 13. The magnetic head 8 is fixed to, for example, the tip of the slider 14.

[0009]

By the way, as another example of the head supporting mechanism for the magneto-optical drive as described above, a hard disk drive (HDD) is often diverted. This HDD head support mechanism uses calcium titanate (CaT) as a slider material.
iO ₃ ), alumina titanium carbide (Al ₂ O ₃ Ti
C), ceramics such as non-magnetic ferrite are used, and there is a big difference between the HDD and the magneto-optical drive (hereinafter referred to as “MOD”) in terms of the material of this slider. Also, there were the following differences in the flying height of the slider and its allowable width, the surface roughness of the disk and the slider, and the like.

H D D M O D Flying height <0.1 μm Several μm Allowable flying height range ± 10% ± 50% Disk surface roughness <100 nm to 1 μm Slider surface roughness <100 nm to 1 μm Surface hardness (rockwell) > H450 (Substrate) ~ H60 (Coating film)

As is clear from such a difference, HD
D is required to have strict dimensional accuracy and smoothness with respect to flying height and various surface roughness, but in comparison with this, MOD is allowed to take a relatively gradual value. Expensive and highly accurate grinding materials,
MOD that dimensional accuracy is much lower than HDD
However, there is a problem in that the use of the product for the above results in excessive quality and contributes to the high cost.

Furthermore, the disk 1 which the magnetic head 8 faces
The surface of the glass is made of resin film such as UV-curable resin.
The thick coating film 7 described above is protectively coated, and the coating film 7 is not only softer than the substrate 2 but also has irregularities or protrusions of about several μm on its surface. When a head supporting mechanism having a slider formed of such ceramics is used, when the slider accidentally contacts the coating film 7, sticking of the magnetic head 8 and damage to the head 8 and the disk 1 due to this may occur. The inconvenience of being easy occurs.

Further, not limited to such MOD, H
Even in a DD or a so-called FDD (floppy disk drive) in which recording and reproduction are performed by bringing the head into contact with the surface of the magnetic recording medium, when the head supporting mechanism having the conventional configuration as shown in FIGS. 32 and 33 is used, Since the mechanism is formed of three types of members, the head support arm 12, the gimbal spring 13, and the slider 14, the structure is relatively complicated and the number of parts is large. Therefore, the number of processing steps is large and the manufacturing cost is high. At the same time, contrary to the thinning and lightening of the product, and with the increase in recording density, reduction of the flying height is particularly desired in the above-mentioned HDD, for which reason the head and the slider cannot be downsized. If this is attempted, there is the inconvenience that the assembly becomes extremely complicated.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and provides a head support mechanism having a simple structure and a light weight, and having good followability to the surface of a recording medium.

[0015]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, an example of a schematic enlarged plan view of the disk is shown in FIG. 1, and a side view and a front view thereof are shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, respectively.
A magnetic head 38 for recording and / or reproducing with respect to the head supporting arm 36 is attached to the head supporting arm 36 so that the magnetic head 38 moves along the surface of the disk 1. , A printed board on which conductor members 40a to 40d connected to the magnetic head 38 are arranged. Here, the front view of FIG. 3 is a view seen from the extension direction of the head support arm 36.

Further, in the present invention, in the above-mentioned structure, the magnetic head 38 is a magnetic head for magneto-optical recording. Furthermore, in the present invention, in the above-mentioned configuration, the magnetic head 38 is a magnetic head for a hard disk drive. Further, according to the present invention, in the above structure, the magnetic head 38 is a magnetic head for a floppy disk drive.

Still further, according to the present invention, in the above-mentioned structure, the head supporting arm 36 is composed of a flexible member,
The flexible member integrally forms the slider 37 to which the magnetic head 38 is fixed.

Further, according to the present invention, in the above-mentioned structure, the head supporting arm 36 is reinforced by a reinforcing material such as a plate material or a bar material.

Further, according to the present invention, in the above structure, the head support arm 36 is made of a resin material, and the coil portion 42 of the magnetic head 38 is embedded and integrally formed in a slider made of the resin material.

Still further, the present invention has the above-mentioned constitution,
The conductor members 40a to 40d are made of metal foil and have a thickness of 10 μm or more and 0.1 mm or less.

In the present invention, the conductor members 40a to 40d in the above structure are made of at least one kind of spring material selected from phosphor bronze, beryllium copper, nickel silver and non-magnetic stainless steel.

[0022]

As described above, according to the present invention, since the head supporting arm 36 is formed of the printed board formed of one member, the head supporting arm 36 alone serves as the head supporting member, the pressure spring, and the gimbal spring. The damper and the head lead wire can have the respective functions, and it is thin and lightweight, and when applied to, for example, a magneto-optical disk device or a hard disk drive, the magnetic head and the slider are less likely to contact the disk surface during the levitation operation, Also, when applied to a floppy disk drive, it is smaller and lighter,
The structure can be simplified.

Further, by forming the head supporting arm with a flexible printed board, the slider can be reliably levitated with both flexibility and braking performance, and the followability to the disk surface can be improved. it can.

By reinforcing the head support arm with a reinforcing material, the spring characteristic of the head support arm can be set to a desired value.

Further, by integrally forming the slider using the resin material for the head supporting arm, the structure can be further simplified.

Furthermore, the conductor member of the head supporting arm is made of metal foil, and the thickness thereof is 10 μm or more and 0.1 mm.
With the following, it is possible to prevent the manufacturing process from becoming complicated while maintaining sufficient strength and elasticity.

Further, by forming the conductor member of the head supporting arm by at least one kind of spring member selected from phosphor bronze, beryllium copper, nickel silver and non-magnetic stainless steel,
It is possible to obtain the same spring static load characteristics as the conventional one, a simple structure, a small number of parts, and a thin and lightweight device configuration.

[0028]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the first to fourth and seventh embodiments, the present invention is applied to a support mechanism of a magnetic head for magneto-optical recording, and in the fifth embodiment, the present invention is applied to a hard disk drive, Furthermore, the sixth embodiment shows a case where the present invention is applied to a floppy disk drive.

Embodiment 1 First, a head support mechanism 1 according to the present invention shown in FIGS.
An example of a magneto-optical recording device to which 1 is attached will be described. In this case, the magneto-optical disc 1 is fixed and incorporated without being removed from the drive mechanism.
FIG. 5 is a schematic enlarged plan view thereof, and FIGS. 5 and 6 are schematic enlarged side views of FIG. 4 viewed from the downward direction and the right direction, respectively. In the figure, reference numeral 20 denotes an apparatus main body formed in a rectangular box shape, and a disk 1 is attached to a rotary shaft of a spindle motor 21 fixed to a substantially central portion of the apparatus main body 20. By disc 1
Is driven to rotate.

Reference numeral 22 denotes an optical pickup. The base end of the optical pickup 22 is fixed to a movable base 23 provided below the disk 1, and the tip of the optical pickup 22 has a structure shown in FIG. As shown in the side view of 4
45-degree reflecting mirror 24 having a reflecting surface inclined at 5 degrees
And a lens 25 disposed above the 45-degree reflection mirror 24.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the movable base 23
Includes a guide bar 26 and a feed screw shaft 2 which are parallel to each other.
7 penetrates through, and the movable base 23 is slidably guided and supported by the guide bars 26 supported at both ends of the apparatus body 20. The threaded portion of the movable base 23 is screwed onto the feed screw shaft 27 rotatably supported by the apparatus body 20. A motor 28 is provided at one end of the feed screw shaft 27.
Is rotationally driven, and the movable base 23 is coarsely tracking-fed in the axial direction of the feed screw shaft 27.

The optical axis of the lens 25 is set so as to be perpendicular to the disc surface of the disc 1.
The optical axis is configured to move in the radial direction of the disc 1 along the disc surface by the above-mentioned rough tracking feed.

Reference numeral 29 denotes a light emitting / receiving portion of the optical pickup 22. The light emitting / receiving portion 29 includes a light emitting element 30, a light receiving element 31, a flat plate reflection mirror 32, and a polarization beam splitter 33.
And a 45-degree reflection mirror 34. Light emitting element 30 and polarization beam splitters so-called PBS 33 and 45
The flat reflection mirror 34 is arranged in a straight line, and the flat plate reflection mirror 32 is arranged so as to be parallel to the surface of the PBS 33 arranged at the center of the flat reflection mirror 34. The light receiving elements 31 are arranged so as to form an angle. Then, the 45-degree reflection mirror 34
Is arranged such that its reflection surface faces the reflection surface of the 45-degree reflection mirror 24.

The light emitted from the light emitting element 30 is P
After passing through the BS 33 and being reflected by the 45-degree reflecting mirror 34, it is further reflected by the 45-degree reflecting mirror 24 installed opposite thereto and enters the lens 25.
Focusing on the disc surface of the disc 1 by 5. After that, the light reflected from the disk surface travels back in the same optical path and returns to the light emitting / receiving unit 29 side, and is reflected from the 45 ° reflection mirror 34 to P
The light enters the light receiving element 31 via the BS 33 and the plate reflection mirror 32. The optical pickup 22 is provided with a focus servo mechanism (not shown).

A head support mechanism 11 is fixed to the movable base 23 so as to face the optical pickup 22 with the disk 1 interposed therebetween. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the head supporting mechanism 11 for magneto-optical recording is a flexible printed board, so-called FPCB (Flexible Printed C).
The head support arm 36 is formed of an ircuit board or a similar printed board having a function equivalent to the ircuit board.

In this case, a slider 37 fixed to the tip of the head support arm 36 and a magnetic head 38 mounted on the slider 37 are provided. As the material of the head supporting arm 36, various plastic films widely used for this kind of flexible printed board, such as polyester and polyimide, can be applied.

The head support arm 36 is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, the gimbal portion 36a to which the slider 37 is attached, the pressure spring portion 36b which is continuous with the gimbal portion 36a and imparts appropriate elasticity to the gimbal portion 36a side, and the pressure spring portion 36b. It is formed from a fixed portion 36c which is continuous and has a mounting hole 39 for screwing to the movable base 23. Gimbal part 36a
Is a substantially L-shaped arm piece 36d ₁ and 36d ₂ formed in a bifurcated shape continuously with the pressure spring portion 36b, and a quadrangle formed continuously between the arm pieces 36d ₁ and 36d ₂ . It is composed of a frame piece 36e having a frame shape and a bridge piece 36f provided so as to be continuous between two sides of the frame piece 36e facing each other in the longitudinal direction, and the slider 37 is fixed to the bridge piece 36f. .

Four conductor members 40a to 40d, which reach the fixing portion 36c from the gimbal portion 36a via the pressure spring portion 36b, are printed and wired on the head supporting arm 36. The four conductor members 40a to 40d are fixed portions 36c.
Also, the pressure spring portions 36b are arranged in parallel at appropriate intervals in the width direction, and two of them are separated from the end portion of the pressure spring portion 36b in two directions and pass through each arm piece 36d to form a frame body. It reaches the piece 36e, is wired in the opposite direction at the frame piece 36e, and two wires are respectively wired to the bridging piece 36f so as to extend to the vicinity of the central portion of the bridging piece 36f, and lead from the end of each conductor member. A line 36g is drawn out. As a material of the conductor members 40a to 40d, a material having a spring property such as phosphor bronze, beryllium copper, or non-magnetic stainless steel can be used.

On the other hand, the slider 37 is formed, for example, in a substantially rectangular plate shape, is made of the same material as the head support arm 36, and is integrally formed with this. At this time, the slider 37 has a recess for the magnetic head 38, that is, the magnetic core 41.
Is formed together with a rectangular concave portion for accommodating the rectangular concave portion and a circular concave portion for accommodating the coil portion 42 which is circularly opened centering on the center of the rectangular concave portion. The concave portion for the magnetic head 38 is set so as to be offset on the inner side in the traveling direction of the disk indicated by the arrow d and outward on the radial direction of the disk.

The magnetic head 38 has a magnetic core 41 having a central magnetic pole core and side magnetic pole cores arranged on both sides thereof.
A coil portion 42 formed by winding a coil around a bobbin, and after forming the slider 37, the magnetic core 41 is formed in the rectangular recess.
While inserting the coil portion 42 into the circular recess,
The ends of the coil are connected to the ends of the conductor members 40a-40d. As a result, the assembly of the magneto-optical recording head support mechanism 35 according to the present embodiment is completed. In FIG. 1, 43a to 43d are conductor members 40a to 40d.
It is a terminal portion provided at the end of the fixed portion 36c side of d. Further, although not shown, the slider 37 may be provided with a recess or the like for controlling the floating force.

As shown in FIG. 3, the head support mechanism 35 and the optical pickup 22 having the above-mentioned structure are movable bases 2.
3, the optical pickup 22 and the magnetic head 38 are integrally moved in the radial direction of the disk 1 by the rotation of the motor 28. These magnetic heads 3
The fine adjustment of the alignment between the center of the magnetic field 8 and the center of the optical axis of the optical pickup 22 which illuminates the disk surface is performed by the reflection mirror
It is performed by adjusting the angle of 4. The size of the magnetic pole is set so that the required recording magnetic field Hy can be applied even if the magnetic head 38 is displaced.

When the rotation of the disk 1 is stopped, the recording centers of the optical pickup 22 and the magnetic head 38 stand by at a position deviated from the outer peripheral portion of the disk 1, and the head support arm 36 is shown. With a sliding liner, etc., the distance that can safely avoid contact with the disk surface,
For example, it floats by about 0.2 mm.

Next, the disk 1 is rotated by the activation of the magneto-optical recording apparatus, and the magnetic head 38 and the optical pickup 22 move the signal track position formed on the disk surface of the disk 1 as required. At this time, a levitation force is generated on the slider 37 by the rotation of the disk 1 and the slider 37 is lifted by the levitation force, so that the magnetic head 38 does not contact the disk surface.

In particular, the gimbal portion 36a of the head support arm 36 has the above-described shape and structure, and the arm itself is formed of a flexible printed board, and the slider 37 is thin. Since it is flexibly supported by the arm portion, the slider 37 can be reliably levitated. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a magnetic head supporting mechanism for magneto-optical recording which has a simple structure, has a small number of parts, can be manufactured at low cost, and can be made thin and lightweight.

When the rotation of the disk 1 is stopped, the magnetic head 38 and the optical pickup 22 are moved to the outer peripheral side of the disk 1 and retracted outside the disk surface before the rotation is stopped. However,
As another method, no matter where the magnetic head 38 is located on the disk surface, the magnetic head 38 may be separated from the disk surface using spring pressure or the like when stopped, and the slider 37 may be attracted and approached when restarted.

Embodiment 2 FIGS. 7 and 8 show a second embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the head support arm 36 in the first embodiment is used.
The reinforcing member 4 is attached to the arm portion 36b and the fixed portion 36c of the
4 and 45 are added and reinforced. Reinforcement material 44
Reference numerals 45 and 45 may be made of the same material as the head support arm 36, or may be plastic films made of different materials. In addition, various materials such as a metal thin plate of Al alloy, SUS, permalloy, etc. may be applied. it can.
Further, the reinforcing members 44 and 45 may be plate-shaped members as shown in the drawing, or may be various shapes such as rod-shaped members. In FIGS. 7 and 8, parts corresponding to those in FIGS. 1 and 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

Thus, according to the second embodiment, the elasticity of the head support arm 36 can be freely set to a desired size by appropriately setting the composition of the reinforcing members 44 and 45. Thus, it is possible to provide a magnetic head support mechanism that is more excellent in following the disk surface.
The contact between the disk and the disk surface and the sticking of the magnetic head 38 can be suppressed to the same extent as in the conventional head support mechanism, and damage to the disk 1 and the head 3 can be sufficiently suppressed. As a method of additionally reinforcing the head support arm 36 by the reinforcing members 44 and 45, there are heat adhesion for melting and joining the contact surface with heat, thermal staking, chemical adhesion for chemically melting and joining the contact surface, or Various means such as insert molding can be applied.

Embodiment 3 Next, a third embodiment of the present invention is a schematic enlarged plan view of FIG.
This will be described with reference to the enlarged schematic side views and front views of FIGS. 10 and 11, respectively. In this embodiment, the slider 37 is integrally formed with the member constituting the head support arm 36 in the first embodiment. In other words, the slider 37 is integrally formed with the bridging piece 36f of the gimbal portion 36, and the ear portions that expand on both sides in the width direction thereof are provided, and the ear portions are bent outward in a substantially L-shape and protrude downward, thereby causing the slider 37 to move downward. It is integrally formed with 36a. Then, a mounting hole into which the central magnetic pole core of the magnetic core 41 and the side magnetic pole cores arranged on both sides of the magnetic core 41 are fitted is provided in one ear portion, and the magnetic pole cores are fitted and fixed to them from the back side of the ear portion. By doing so, the magnetic head 38 in which the coil portion 42 is wound around the central magnetic pole core
Are attached to the slider 37. The other structure is the same as that of the first embodiment, and in FIGS. 9 to 11, the parts corresponding to those in FIGS.

According to the third embodiment, since the slider 37 is formed by a part of the head supporting arm 36, the number of parts can be reduced and the structure can be further simplified. It is possible to provide a cheaper magnetic head assembly.

Fourth Embodiment Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the schematic enlarged side view of FIG. 12 and the schematic enlarged side views and front views of FIGS. 13 and 14. In this embodiment, the coil portion 42 in the third embodiment is eliminated, while the conductor members 40a to 4 are used.
The coil portion 47 is formed in a pattern on the slider 37 continuously from 0d, and the coil portion 47 is integrally formed with the head support arm 36. The other structure is the third
It is similar to the embodiment.

According to the fourth embodiment, since the coil portion 47 is integrally formed with a part of the head supporting arm 36, the number of assembling steps can be further reduced and the structure can be further simplified. Therefore, a more inexpensive magnetic head assembly can be provided. The coil portion 47 and the conductor member 40
The printed wiring board or the like used in a to 40d has a multilayer structure, that is, a structure in which a conductor layer and a resin film portion which is an insulating member are alternately laminated, for example, a plurality of layers, so that the conductor member 40a to 40d is shielded. And the cross wiring of the coil portion 47 can be enabled.

Fifth Embodiment Next, a case where the present invention is applied to a head support mechanism having a magnetic head for a hard disk drive will be described. In this case, an enlarged schematic plan view and a side view of an example thereof are shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, respectively. This figure shows the head support arm 36 attached to the movable part of the rotary actuator 48.
A case where a head support mechanism having a is provided is shown. 20 in the figure
Indicates a main body of the apparatus, in which a spindle motor 21 for rotationally driving the disk 1 is provided, and the disk 1 is attached to its rotation shaft so that the disk 1 rotates in a direction indicated by an arrow d in FIG. It is designed to be driven to rotate in a certain degree.

Then, along the surface of the disk 1, the head supporting arm 36 moves along the arrow c of the rotary actuator 48.
By the rotation shown by, it is moved as shown by a broken line arrow a. Further, a slider 37 is arranged at the tip of the head support arm 36, and a magnetic head 38 made of, for example, a bulk type ferrite head, which is provided so as to face the lower surface of the slider 37 by the above-mentioned rotational movement, has a predetermined minute floating height. The disk 1 is floated above the disk 1 in an amount of 0.1 μm, for example.

In such a structure, as shown in the schematic enlarged plan view and side view of FIGS. 17 and 18,
The head support mechanism 11 includes a head support arm 36 formed of a flexible printed board, a slider 37 fixed to the tip of the head support arm 36, and a magnetic head 38 mounted on the slider 37. It consists of. As the coating material of the head supporting arm 36, various plastic films widely used for this kind of flexible printed board, such as polyester and polyimide, may be applied as in the above-mentioned examples. it can.

Also in this example, the head support arm 36 has a gimbal portion 36a to which the slider 37 is attached.
And a pressure spring portion 36b which is continuous with the gimbal portion 36a and imparts appropriate elasticity to the gimbal portion 36a side.
And the movable base 2 that is continuous with the pressure spring portion 36b.
3, a fixing portion 36c having a mounting hole 39 for screwing the screw 3 is formed. For example, the fixing portion 36c gradually narrows toward the pressure spring portion 36b, and the gimbal portion 36a has a constant width. It is formed in a planar shape.

In the gimbal portion 36a, a substantially U-shaped hole portion 36a ₁ is provided at the tip end so that the open side faces, and the central portion thereof is hollowed to form a tongue piece 36h.
The slider 37 is attached to the tongue piece 36h.

In this case, the support arm 36 is arranged such that a conductor material made of a spring material made of phosphor bronze, beryllium copper, nickel silver, non-magnetic stainless steel, for example, beryllium copper is covered with an insulating member such as polyimide resin. The flexible printed circuit board is provided so as to have a spring function as a whole.

As this conductor member, as shown in FIG. 17, four conductor members 40a-4a are wired from the gimbal portion 36a to the fixing portion 36c via the pressure spring portion 36b.
0d and conductor members 40e and 40f provided so as to fill the gap between them are used, and the spring characteristics thereof are utilized. Reference numeral 43 indicates a terminal portion on the circuit side. The conductor members 40a to 40d forming the wiring portion are arranged from one end side of the fixed portion 36c,
It is formed as a pattern that is extended to the pressure spring portion 36b, divided into two pieces on the base side thereof, extended two pieces on each side of the gimbal portion 36a, and folded back inward at the tip portion. Although not shown, the conductor members 40a-40
The tip of d on the gimbal portion 36a side serves as a terminal portion, and the lead wire 36g is led out from this terminal portion and connected to the terminal of the magnetic head 38 provided on the slider 37.
On the other hand, triangular members 40e and 40f made of a conductor member are arranged at the portions where the conductor members 40a to 40d are separated from each other so that the pressure spring portion 36b and the fixing portion 36c can utilize the spring property. Set up.

If the thickness of this conductor member is approximately 10 μm or more, sufficient spring characteristics can be obtained. Further, if the thickness exceeds 0.1 mm, it becomes difficult to manufacture with high precision in processing such as chemical etching, which is disadvantageous in workability. The thickness of the insulating resin layer covering the conductor member is preferably 1 μm or more, for example, about 20 μm in consideration of workability and insulation reliability.

On the other hand, the slider 37 is made of, for example, ceramics such as calcium titanate (CaTiO ₃ ), alumina titanium carbide (Al ₂ O ₃ TiC) and non-magnetic ferrite, and the back surface thereof, that is, the disk on which the magnetic head 38 is formed. 1 is formed integrally with the protruding slider pillar 47 on the surface opposite to the surface opposite to 1.
The back surface of the slider support column 47 is the head support arm 36.
The tongue piece 36h of the gimbal portion 36a is fixed with an adhesive or the like. In this way, by fixing the slider 37 to the head support arm 36 via the slider support 47,
Also the slider 37 is tilted when you are flying over the disk 1, the outer portion 36a ₂ of the shoulder or the like gimbal portion 36a
Therefore, it is possible to prevent the angle adjustment function from being hindered.

In this example, the side of the head support arm 36 opposite to the side on which the slider 37 is fixed is shown in FIG.
8, a reinforcing member 44 made of SUS (stainless steel), an aluminum alloy, a thin metal plate such as permalloy, ceramics, a plastic material having appropriate rigidity, or the like on the upper surface side.
Is fixed by adhesion or the like. As shown in FIG. 18, the reinforcing member 44 is formed by bending the gimbal portion 36a of the head supporting arm 36 so as to be spaced apart from the gimbal portion 36a and extend substantially parallel to the gimbal portion 36a. That is, the protrusion-shaped fulcrum 46 protruding toward the head support arm 36 is formed by fixing a predetermined member or forming a recess from the upper surface side.

With such a structure, the tongue piece 36h of the gimbal portion 36a is not lifted by the air flow generated by the rotation of the disk 1 and only the angle adjustment operation of the slider surface can be performed around the fulcrum 46. To do.

Also in this case, as in the above-described examples, the head supporting arm 36 is composed of a printed circuit board that also serves as a conductor and a leaf spring, so that the number of parts can be reduced and the number of manufacturing steps can be reduced. This is extremely advantageous in reducing the thickness and weight while reducing the reliability and improving the reliability. In addition, the reinforcing material 44
The elasticity of the head support arm 36 can be freely set to a desired size by appropriately selecting the shape and the material.

Further, since the bending of the spring portion is not carried out, the mechanical characteristics can be easily controlled and the mass productivity is excellent, and a polyimide resin having a heat resistance of about 250 ° C. is used as the insulating layer on the surface of the FPCB used as the conductor and leaf spring. Is used,
It is possible to obtain a head support mechanism having excellent temperature characteristics.
Further, the resin insulating layer can also utilize the function as a vibration suppressing material (damper) of the leaf spring material.

Embodiment 6 Next, a case where the present invention is applied to a head supporting mechanism in a floppy disk drive will be described with reference to the drawings. First, an enlarged schematic plan view of FIG. 19 and its AA.
The configuration of an example of a floppy disk drive will be described with reference to FIG.

In this case, the head support mechanism 11 is provided in the direct-acting type actuator 124 that moves the magnetic heads on the upper surface and the lower surface of the disk 1 vertically and linearly in the radial direction of the disk 1. In reference numeral 20 and 20, reference numeral 51 denotes a cartridge of the disk 1, which is made of, for example, plastic and has a rectangular shape in a plane. 52 is the apparatus main body 20
The cartridge insertion opening of is shown. In the cartridge 51,
A lid 51a made of a thin metal plate or the like is provided, and the lid 51a is moved along one side of the cartridge 51 as shown by an arrow f to expose the window 51b provided in the cartridge 51. The head portion of the head support mechanism 11 is brought onto the layer and brought into sliding contact therewith for recording and reproduction.

Further, in the head support mechanism 11, two support arms are fixed on the base side by a coupling base 48 so as to sandwich the upper surface and the lower surface of the disk 1, and the feed screw shaft 27 is mounted on the fixed base 47. Is rotationally driven by a motor 28 to move in the radial direction of the disk 1, that is, the arrow e
The magnetic heads 38a and 38b are moved to a predetermined track position on the disk 1 for recording / reproducing.

In FIG. 21, one head support arm 36A of the head support mechanism 11, that is, an upper head support arm 36A in FIG.
Figure 2 shows the side view. Also in this case, the head supporting arm 36A is formed of a printed board in which the conductor members 40a to 40e also serve as spring members, which are covered with a flexible insulating member such as a polyimide resin sheet.

In this case, the head support arm 36A becomes gradually narrower so that one side approaches the other side from the fixed portion 36c toward the gimbal portion 36a, and the gimbal portion 36a at the tip is orthogonal to the extension direction of the arm 36A. It is formed as a substantially rectangular shape having long sides along the direction. Also in this case, the conductor member 40a forming the four wiring portions is also provided.
.About.40d extend from the circuit-side terminal portion 43 of the fixed portion 36c toward the gimbal portion 36a, and although not shown, from the terminal portion at the tip of the gimbal portion 36a, the slider 37
The lead wire is connected to the terminal of the magnetic head 38 via.

The gimbal portion 36a is provided with a substantially U-shaped hole portion 36a ₁ in FIG. 21, and its central portion is hollowed out to form a tongue piece 36h as in the above-mentioned example. 37 is attached.

Also in this example, the reinforcing member 44 made of a thin metal plate, ceramics, a plastic material having an appropriate rigidity, or the like is provided on the surface opposite to the side where the slider 37 is provided.
Are provided by adhesion or the like, and the rigidity of the head support arm 36A can be set to a desired value.

On the other hand, the lower head support arm 36B is formed in a substantially rectangular shape as shown in a schematic enlarged plan view of FIG. 23 and a side view of FIG. Similarly, it is composed of a printed board on which a conductor member also serving as a spring material is arranged. In this case, the conductor members 40a to 40d forming the four wiring portions are extended substantially linearly from the fixed portion 36c on the base side, and the magnetic head 38 of the slider 37 fixed to the gimbal portion 36a has a lead wire (not shown). Connected by.

In this case, the gimbal portion 36a has a structure shown in FIG.
U-shaped holes 36a ₁ and 3 facing each other from above and below in
6a ₂ is a U-shaped hole 36 facing outward from the left and right
a ₃ and 36a ₄ are respectively provided on the inner side, the hole tongues 36h ₁ of outer upper and lower hollowed out by, the inner tongue 36h ₂ becomes swingable in the lateral direction, of the inner tongue 36h ₂ The slider 37, which is fixed to, is slightly rocked vertically and horizontally.

Also in this case, aluminum alloy, SU
A reinforcing member 44 made of a thin metal plate such as S or permalloy, plastic, ceramics or the like is fixed to the back surface of the head support arm 36b, and the slider 3 is attached to the gimbal portion 36a.
The fulcrum 46 provided so as to project to the 7 side allows the slider 37 to be adjusted in angle only without being separated from the disk 1.

Incidentally, reference numeral 48 denotes a coupling base, which is a mounting hole 39 for the upper head supporting arm 36A described in FIG.
Then, the head support arms 36B on the lower side are fixed to the coupling bases 48 by screws or the like using the mounting holes 39.

With this structure, the head supporting arm 36 is composed of a printed circuit board that also serves as a conductor and a leaf spring, as in the above-described examples, so that the number of parts can be reduced. In addition to reducing the number of manufacturing steps and improving reliability, it is extremely advantageous for thinning and lightweighting. Further, the elasticity of the head support arm 36 can be freely set to a desired size by appropriately selecting the shape and material of the reinforcing member 44.

Furthermore, since the spring portion is not bent, the mechanical characteristics can be easily controlled and mass productivity is excellent. Also FP
By using a polyimide resin having a heat resistance of about 250 ° C. as the insulating layer on the surface of the CB, a head supporting mechanism having excellent temperature characteristics can be obtained, and the resin insulating layer serves as a vibration suppressing material for the leaf spring material. Functions are also available.

Embodiment 7 Next, an example in which the present invention is applied to the head supporting mechanism in the above-described magneto-optical recording device and a material which also serves as a magnetic shield material is used as a reinforcing material is shown in a schematic enlarged plan view of FIG. And FIG.
Will be described with reference to the side view of FIG. Also in this case, the head support arm 36 is composed of a printed wiring board in which a conductor and leaf spring material is covered with a flexible insulating member, and the reinforcing material 44 for reinforcing the same is, for example, from the pressure spring portion 36b to the gimbal portion. 36a is formed so as to become narrower toward the tip, and in particular, a narrow protrusion 44a that protrudes toward the tip end of the gimbal portion 36a is provided on the lower side so as to penetrate through a hole portion 36a ₁ provided in the gimbal portion 36a. The tip of the protruding portion 44a is bent and supports the tip of the tongue piece 36h of the gimbal portion 36a so as not to approach the disc side by a predetermined distance or more.

Further, in this case, the slider 37 is made of resin, plastic, or the like, and on its rear surface, that is, on the surface opposite to the side facing the disk, a slider strut 47 is provided integrally with the slider 37, and the slider strut 47 is further provided. A protrusion 37a is provided on the upper surface of 47 and is inserted into a hole (not shown) provided in the gimbal portion 36a.
It is heat-deformed and adhesively fixed by, for example, heat staking. Other configurations are the same as the examples described in FIGS. 21 and 22 above, and redundant description will be omitted.

With reference to FIG. 27, an operation mode in the case where the recording / reproducing operation is carried out by incorporating the magneto-optical recording apparatus into the above-described structure will be described. In this case, the head support arm 36 is formed in a flat plate shape, and the arrow d in FIG.
The buoyant force of the slider 37 and the pressure spring portion 3 generated by the air flow generated along the traveling direction of the disk (not shown)
The force due to the deflection of 6b (for example, about 2 °) is balanced to realize a floating operation of several nm.

In this example, the pressure spring portion 36b is bent upward by about 2 °, that is, in a direction away from the disc and lifted by about 1 to 1.5 mm, and the tongue piece 36h of the gimbal portion 36a is also moved by the air flow. The levitation force causes the upward displacement of about 0.1 mm to 0.2 mm, and at the same time, the angle is automatically adjusted (the original gimbal action) according to the disk surface. In FIG. 27, FIG.
The same reference numerals are given to the portions corresponding to, and duplicate description will be omitted. In this example, the mounting surface of the fixed portion 36c and the slider 37 are
Shows a case in which the angle difference between the operating surface about 2 °, the point A ₀
Indicates the operation center of the slider 37, and A indicates the operation range. or,
Although not shown, an operation mode in which the above angle is absorbed by the gimbal portion is also possible.

As described above, according to the above configuration, it is possible to obtain a predetermined spring characteristic without subjecting the pressure spring portion 36b to a predetermined bending process or the like.

By the way, the results of comparing the spring load characteristics of the head support mechanism in the conventional HDD with the spring load characteristics of the head support mechanism having the same structure as the above-mentioned seventh embodiment will be shown below.

The results of measuring the spring load characteristics in the seventh embodiment described in FIGS. 25 to 27 are shown in FIG.
8 shows. In FIG. 28, the line l ₁ shows the spring characteristic of the gimbal portion 36a, that is, the displacement with respect to the load change, and the line l ₂ shows the spring characteristic on a scale ten times that of the extended line. In addition, as shown in FIG. 27, the line m has a length q in the arm extension direction of the pressure spring portion 36b of 5 mm and a reinforcing member 4
An example of pressure spring characteristics when the length p of arm 4 in the arm extension direction is 30 mm is shown.

On the other hand, in FIG. 29, an HDD having a conventional configuration is shown.
The spring characteristics of the head support mechanism in FIG. In this case, as shown in the schematic enlarged plan view of FIG. 30, a suspension 61 formed by a plate-shaped spring material made of SUS having a thickness of about 0.07 mm and a plate-shaped spring material thinner than the suspension 61 are used. The formed gimbal portion 62 is welded and joined, and the slider 63 is attached to a central bent portion formed by bending the central portion of the gimbal portion 62 downward. The material of the slider 63 is calcium titanate (CaTiO ₃ ) or the like. A mounting hole 39 is provided in the fixed portion 36c on the base side of the suspension 61 made of a spring material, and a hole 64 of a predetermined size is provided in the pressure spring portion 36b to adjust the flying height. .

The spring characteristic of the gimbal portion 62 in this case is shown by a solid line l _{0 in} FIG. 29, and the pressure spring characteristic is shown by a solid line m ₀ .

From these results, the spring characteristics of the pressure spring portion 36b and the gimbal portion 36a of the head support mechanism 11 according to the present invention are similar to the conventional spring characteristics, and the material,
It can be seen that the spring characteristics equivalent to those of the conventional head support mechanism can be realized by appropriately selecting the shape configuration and the like.

Further, as described above, such a spring characteristic shows a similar tendency regardless of whether the material of the conductor member is phosphor bronze, beryllium copper, nickel silver or non-magnetic stainless steel.

Further, as can be seen from the gimbal portion spring characteristic of FIG. 28, the above-mentioned example is characterized in that the movable range of the gimbal portion 36a is relatively large, and when a relatively large flying height change is required. Suitable for use.

Furthermore, in each of the above examples, the reinforcing member 4
As an additional reinforcing method of the head support arm 36 by 4, 45, thermal bonding or thermal staking that melts and joins the contact surface with heat, chemical bonding using an adhesive agent on the bonding surface and utilizing the chemical change, or insert Various means such as molding can be applied.

As described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned examples, and, for example, the head support arm 36.
It is also possible to change the elasticity of the head support arm 36 and set the spring force to a desired value by changing the thickness and the dimension in the width direction in the longitudinal direction. Further, the structure and material of the head support arm 36 are not limited to the flexible printed board made of the plastic film as described in each of the above examples, and a flexible board having a similar function to these can be applied. Of course.

Furthermore, in each of the above-described examples, the magnetic head has an E-shape for the magnetic head, but the magnetic core is T-shaped and the ring core is concentric outside the central magnetic pole of the magnetic core. It is also possible to apply various other shapes such as a structure provided in, or to form a thin film head on a slider by a thin film manufacturing process, and the present invention can be variously modified without departing from the spirit thereof. Needless to say.

[0093]

As described above, according to the present invention, since the head supporting mechanism is formed of the flexible printed board and also serves as the conductor lead, the leaf spring material, the damper material, etc., it is thin and lightweight. It is excellent in flexibility and braking property and excellent in following the disk surface, that is, by rotating the disk, the slider can reliably follow the disk for recording / reproducing.

Further, the structure is simple, the number of parts is small, the manufacturing cost is low, and the reliability of the assembly can be improved. In addition, the head can be made thinner and lighter, and because the processing of the pressure spring part is not required, the management of mechanical characteristics is easy, and the number of processing steps is reduced, and by extension, mass productivity is excellent. It is possible to provide a support mechanism.

Further, by reinforcing the head support arm with a reinforcing material, it is possible to appropriately design the width and thickness of the conductor member also serving as the leaf spring, the shape and size of the gimbal portion, and the shape and size of the reinforcing material. Thus, the spring characteristic of the head support arm can be set to a desired value.

Further, by integrally forming the slider using a resin material for the head supporting arm, the structure can be further simplified.

Furthermore, the conductor member of the head supporting arm is made of metal foil, and the thickness thereof is 10 μm or more and 0.1 m.
When it is not more than m, good spring characteristics can be obtained, and workability becomes advantageous.

Further, by forming the conductor member of the head support arm by at least one kind of spring member of phosphor bronze, beryllium copper, nickel silver, and non-magnetic stainless steel,
Stable spring characteristics can be obtained, a simple structure with a small number of parts, and a thin and lightweight device can be configured.

The coil portion of the magnetic head, the printed wiring board used for the conductor member, and the like have a multi-layer structure, that is, a structure in which conductor layers and resin film portions which are insulating members are alternately laminated, for example, a plurality of layers. Thus, the conductor member can be shielded and the coil portion can be cross-wired. That is, each layer is for leads, cross wiring,
It is possible to configure a support mechanism that is properly used for springs, shields, and the like.

Furthermore, when such a supporting arm is constructed by using a polyimide resin having a heat resistance of about 250 ° C. as the insulating layer on the surface of the printed board, a head supporting mechanism having a good heat resistance can be realized.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic enlarged plan view of a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged schematic side view of the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged schematic front view of the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic enlarged plan view of an example of a magneto-optical recording device equipped with a head support mechanism according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic linear enlarged side view of an example of a magneto-optical recording device.

FIG. 6 is a schematic linear enlarged side view of an example of a magneto-optical recording device.

FIG. 7 is a schematic enlarged plan view of a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged schematic side view of the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a schematic enlarged plan view of a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged schematic side view of the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is an enlarged schematic front view of the third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a schematic enlarged plan view of a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is an enlarged schematic side view of the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a schematic linear enlarged front view of a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a schematic linear enlarged plan view of an example of a hard disk drive equipped with a head support mechanism according to the present invention.

FIG. 16 is an enlarged schematic side view of an example of a hard disk drive.

FIG. 17 is a schematic enlarged plan view of a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is an enlarged schematic side view of the fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 19 is a schematic enlarged plan view of an example of a floppy disk drive equipped with a head support mechanism according to the present invention.

FIG. 20 is an enlarged schematic side view of an example of a floppy disk drive.

FIG. 21 is a schematic enlarged plan view of part of the sixth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 22 is an enlarged schematic side view of part of the sixth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 23 is a schematic enlarged plan view of part of the sixth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 24 is an enlarged schematic side view of part of the sixth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 25 is a schematic enlarged plan view of a seventh embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 26 is an enlarged schematic side view of the seventh embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 27 is an explanatory diagram of an operation mode according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 28 is a diagram showing a spring characteristic of the seventh embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 29 is a diagram showing spring characteristics of a head support mechanism of a conventional hard disk drive.

FIG. 30 is an enlarged schematic plan view of an example of a head support mechanism of a conventional hard disk drive.

FIG. 31 is a schematic linear enlarged sectional view of an example of a magneto-optical disk.

FIG. 32 is an enlarged schematic plan view showing an example of a prior art head support mechanism.

FIG. 33 is a schematic enlarged side view showing an example of a prior art head support mechanism.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 disk 11 head support mechanism 36 head support arm 36a gimbal part 36a ₁ hole part 36b pressure spring part 36c fixed part 36d ₁ arm piece 36d ₂ arm piece 36e frame body part 36f bridge piece 36g tongue piece 37 slider 38 magnetic head 40a- 40f Conductor member 41 Magnetic core 42, 47 Coil part 39 Mounting hole 43 Terminal part 44 Reinforcement material 45 Reinforcement material 46 Support point 47 Slider support

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. A head support mechanism in which a magnetic head for performing recording and / or reproduction on a rotationally driven disk is attached to a head support arm, and the magnetic head moves along the surface of the disk. In the head supporting mechanism, the head supporting arm is composed of a printed board on which a conductor member connected to the magnetic head is arranged. 2. The head supporting mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic head is a magnetic head for magneto-optical recording. 3. The head supporting mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic head is a magnetic head for a hard disk drive. 4. The head supporting mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic head is a magnetic head for a floppy disk drive. 5. The head supporting arm is made of a flexible member, and the slider to which the magnetic head is fixed is integrally formed with the head supporting arm by the flexible member. The head support mechanism according to claim 1, wherein 6. The head support mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the head support arm is reinforced by a reinforcing material. 7. The head supporting arm is made of a resin material, and the coil portion of the magnetic head is embedded and integrally formed in the slider made of the resin material. The head support mechanism according to 1, 5, or 6. 8. The head support mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the conductor member is made of metal foil and has a thickness of 10 μm or more and 0.1 mm or less. 9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the conductor member is made of at least one kind of spring material selected from phosphor bronze, beryllium copper, nickel silver and non-magnetic stainless steel.
7. The head support mechanism according to 7 or 8.