JPH08106743A - Magnetic disk device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To improve shock resistance at the time of transport as a single body by automatically separating a slider from a magnetic disk by an interlocking mechanism while being interlocked with removal from a utilizing device in a magnetic disk device detachable to the utilizing device. CONSTITUTION: When a magnetic disk device is extracted from a utilizing device, a rack gear 23 is abutted against a stopper material 27 by the deviation force of a spring 26, and a load-unload arm 31 is rotated up to a place shown in a dot-dot dash line and held. Tooth formed at the front end section of the arm 31 are inserted among each magnetic disk 14 and each suspension 15 at that time, sliders 16 are separated forcibly from the magnetic disks 14, and the magnetic disks are held under an unload state. Accordingly, when the magnetic disk device is carried as a single body, collisions among each slider and the magnetic disks are avoided, thus preventing the damage of a magnetic head and the disks.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a magnetic disk device, and more particularly to a magnetic disk device detachably attached to a device such as a personal computer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As is well known, a small magnetic disk device which is detachable from a computer housing or the like is used as an external storage device such as a personal computer.

Since such a magnetic disk device is detachable, it may be accidentally dropped when it is carried by itself, for example, and may have a much larger impact than the conventional stationary magnetic disk device. Vibration may be applied, and the shock resistance of the device becomes a problem. In particular, a CSS that starts and stops the rotation of a magnetic disk with a slider equipped with a magnetic head in contact with the magnetic disk.
With the one using the (Contact Start Stop) method, when excessive shock is applied, the slider separates from the magnetic disk,
After that, it is pointed out that the magnetic disk and the magnetic head are damaged by contacting (colliding with) the disk surface again by the restoring force of the suspension.

In order to solve such a problem, it has been considered to reduce the weight of the slider and its supporting mechanism, but the essential solution has not been reached yet. Further, in some cases, a load / unload method is used in which the slider is brought close to and in contact with the magnetic disk while the magnetic disk is rotating, and the slider is separated from the magnetic disk before the rotation of the magnetic disk is stopped when the device stops operating. Although adopted, it was not intended to have impact resistance when the magnetic disk device is carried alone.

[0005]

As described above, in a magnetic disk device which is detachable from a device such as a personal computer and which adopts the CSS system, the durability is particularly high when the device is carried by itself. There was a problem of lacking impact resistance.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a magnetic disk device which can improve the shock resistance particularly when the device is carried alone.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention incorporates an element including a magnetic disk and a slider having a magnetic head for recording / reading information on / from the magnetic disk, In a magnetic disk device detachably attached to a utilization device, the slider is forcibly separated from the magnetic disk in association with the removal from the utilization device, and the slider is attached in association with the utilization device. It is characterized by being provided with an interlock mechanism for canceling the forced separation of the slider.

[0008]

When the magnetic disk device is removed from the utilization device such as a personal computer, the interlock mechanism automatically operates in association with the removal to forcibly separate the slider from the magnetic disk. Therefore, in this state, the magnetic disk device alone can be carried,
Since the slider and the magnetic disk are held in a state of being separated by the interlock mechanism, even if a shock is applied to the magnetic disk device during carrying, the slider and the magnetic disk do not come into contact (collide) with each other, and This will prevent damage to the head and magnetic disk.

When the magnetic disk device is attached to the utilization device, the interlock mechanism automatically operates in association with the attachment, and the forced separation of the slider is released. As a result, the slider comes into contact with the magnetic disk with a specified load.

As can be seen from the above operation, in the magnetic disk device according to the present invention, unloading is automatically performed in association with the removal of the magnetic disk device from the utilization device,
Loading is automatically performed in synchronization with the mounting of the magnetic disk device in the utilization device.

[0011]

Embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows the relationship between a magnetic disk device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention and a utilization device 2 such as a personal computer to which the magnetic disk device 1 is detachably mounted.

The magnetic disk device 1 is formed in a flat appearance, and is packaged by incorporating the elements described later therein. The utilization device 2 is provided with an accommodating portion 3 for accommodating the magnetic disk device 1. Then, when the magnetic disk device 1 is inserted into the accommodating portion 3, the utilization device 2 and the magnetic disk device 1 are electrically connected via a connector (not shown), and in this state, the lock operating portion 4
The lock piece 5 is provided on the utilization device 2 side by operating the a and 4b away from each other so that the lock piece 5 is inserted into the locking hole 6 and the mounted state is maintained.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the magnetic disk device 1 includes a base 12 in a case 11, a spindle motor 13 fixed to the base 12, and a magnetic disk 14 rotatably driven by the spindle motor 13.
The four suspensions 15 provided so as to be swingable in the direction parallel to the magnetic disk 14, the slider 16 provided at the tip of the suspension 15 and having a magnetic head (not shown) mounted thereon, and a driving force applied to the suspension 15. The actuator 16 and the printed circuit board 17 on which a recording / reproducing circuit and a head positioning control circuit are mounted are mainly contained.

That is, in this magnetic disk device 1,
Data tracks in which information is recorded concentrically are formed on each magnetic disk 14. During operation of the apparatus, a slider 16 having a magnetic head moves in the radial direction on these tracks to record / reproduce information on / from a predetermined track. At the end of the operation, control is performed to stop the rotation of the magnetic disk 14 after the slider 16 moves to a region other than the data track, the so-called CSS zone 18. When the hydrodynamic force generated between the slider 16 and the magnetic disk 14 becomes small as the rotational speed of the magnetic disk 14 decreases, the slider 16 and the magnetic disk 14
Start contacting each other and slide for a while until the magnetic disk 14 stops. When the magnetic disk 14 is completely stopped, the slider 16 is pressed by the spring force of the suspension 15 onto the CSS zone 18 with a specified load. Then, the operation of the apparatus is terminated with the slider 16 pressed against the CSS zone 18. When the device is restarted, the magnetic disk 14 first starts to rotate. The slider 16 and the magnetic disk 14 slide until the rotational speed of the magnetic disk 14 reaches a constant value, but when the rotational speed of the magnetic disk 14 reaches a constant value, the slider 16 moves away from the magnetic disk 14. Ready to go.

As can be seen from the above description, the magnetic disk device 1 employs the well-known CSS system.

The magnetic disk device 1 differs from the conventional device in that when the magnetic disk device 1 is extracted from the utilization device 2, the slider 16 is forcibly separated from the magnetic disk 14 in association with the extraction and the utilization device is used. This is because the interlock mechanism 20 that releases the forcible separation of the slider 16 in association with the mounting of the magnetic disk device 1 on the disk 2 is provided.

The interlock mechanism 20 is constructed as follows.

That is, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG.
The side wall 11 of the case 11 which is parallel to the insertion / removal direction into / from the housing portion 3.
Guides 21 and 22 extending parallel to the inserting / removing direction at a portion located between the base 12 and the printed circuit board 17 on the inner surface of a.
The rack gear 23 is movably supported by the guides 21 and 22 in the insertion / removal direction. The base end of the locking projection 24 is fixed to the surface of the rack gear 23 in contact with the side wall 11a, and the tip end side of the locking projection 24 is a slit 25 provided in the sidewall 11a as shown in FIG. Through to the outside. As shown in FIG. 3, the rack gear 23 is always provided with a biasing force directed upward in the figure by a spring 26, and the amount of movement due to this biasing force is the side wall 11a.
It is regulated by a stopper member 27 provided on the inner surface of the.

A fan-shaped pinion gear 28 is provided between the base 12 and the printed circuit board 17, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, and the pinion gear 28 meshes with the rack gear 23. . The rotation center of the pinion gear 28 is connected to one end side of the shaft 29.
The other end side of the magnetic disk 14 extends to the space where the magnetic disk 14 is positioned while being supported by the bearing 30 having a high sealing property. The base end of a load / unload arm 31 having a sickle-shaped cross section is fixed to the other end of the shaft 29.

As shown in FIG. 4, the tip end portion of the load / unload arm 31 is formed in a comb-tooth shape having a gap 32 into which the respective magnetic disks 14 are inserted in a non-contact manner. Then, each tooth 33 has a load / unload arm 3
When 1 is rotated to the position indicated by the chain double-dashed line in FIG. 3, it enters between each magnetic disk 14 and each suspension 15 to separate each suspension 15 from each magnetic disk 14, that is, each slider 16 is moved to each magnetic disk. It is formed in a tapered shape so that it can be displaced in a direction away from 14.

On the other hand, on the inner surface of the housing portion 3 of the utilization device 2,
As shown in FIG. 1, when the magnetic disk device 1 is inserted into the housing portion 3, a locking groove 34 that engages with the locking protrusion 24 is formed.

With such a structure, when the magnetic disk device 1 is taken out from the accommodating portion 3, the rack gear 23 abuts on the stopper member 27 under the biasing force of the spring 26, as can be seen from FIG. Since it has moved to the position,
The load / unload arm 313 is held in a state of being rotated to a position indicated by a chain double-dashed line in FIG. In this state,
As shown in FIG. 4, the teeth 33 formed at the tip of the load / unload arm 31 are inserted between the magnetic disks 14 and the suspensions 15 to make the suspensions 1
5 is displaced in the direction away from each magnetic disk 14. Therefore, each slider 16 is held in a state of being forcibly separated from each magnetic disk 14, that is, in an unload state.

As described above, since each slider 16 is held in a state in which it is forcibly separated from each magnetic disk 14, even if a shock is applied to the device, each slider 16 and each magnetic disk 14 are held. It is possible to avoid a collision with the magnetic head and the magnetic disk 14 mounted on the slider 16 and to prevent the magnetic disk 14 from being damaged.

On the other hand, when the magnetic disk device 1 is inserted into the accommodating portion 3, the engaging projection 24 engages with the engaging groove 34 when the magnetic disk device 1 is inserted to a certain position. As a result, the rack gear 23 moves in the direction indicated by the solid arrow 41 in FIG. 3 against the restoring force of the spring 26, and along with this, the load / unload arm 31.
Starts rotating to the solid line position. Then, when the magnetic disk device 1 is completely inserted in the housing portion 3,
The unload arm 31 returns to the position indicated by the solid line, whereby each slider 16 is released from the state in which it is forcibly separated from each magnetic disk 14, and enters the loaded state. Therefore, compared to the conventional complicated mechanism that was used for loading and unloading while the equipment was in operation, the load
It can be an unload mechanism.

In this device, as described above, the operation of the device is controlled so that the slider 16 is pressed against the CSS zone 18, so that the unloading and loading operations described above are performed. This is performed with the slider 16 located in the CSS zone 18.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment.

For example, as shown in FIG. 5, an interlock mechanism 20a may be constructed. That is, a small lever 52 is connected to the shaft 51, and this lever 52 is connected to the side wall 11
A slit-shaped hole (not shown) provided in a is projected to the outside so as to engage with the locking groove 34 described above,
Furthermore, from the shaft 51 to the round bar-shaped load / unload arm 5
Extend 3. And load / unload arm 5
3 as shown in FIGS. 6 (a) and 6 (b).
And the magnetic disk 14, and the inclined block 5 having the groove 54 on the lower surface of the suspension 15
5, the shaft 51 is rotated counterclockwise by the restoring force of the spring 56 in conjunction with the movement of pulling out the magnetic disk device 1a from the accommodating portion 3, whereby the load / unload arm 53 moves the tilted block 55. The load / unload arm 53 may be finally pushed up and the load / unload arm 53 may be positioned in the groove 54 to form an unload state.

In this case, when the magnetic disk device is accommodated in the accommodating portion 3, the lever 52 engages with the locking groove 34, which causes the shaft 51 to rotate in the clockwise direction, as in the above-described embodiment. The unload arm 53 has an inclined block 55.
The groove is removed from the groove 54 and the loaded state is formed. As shown in FIG. 7, by providing the collars 57 and 58 at both ends of the portion of the load / unload arm 53a that fits into the groove 54, the load / unload arm 53a will slip out of the groove 54 during unloading. May be prevented.

Further, in each of the above-mentioned examples, the unintended movement of the load / unload arm is regulated by using the engaging mechanism and the restoring force of the spring. By providing a lock mechanism for preventing the movement of the load arm, it is possible to prevent the slider from being inadvertently loaded or unloaded after the magnetic disk device is mounted or after the magnetic disk device is removed.

Further, in each of the above-mentioned examples, the interlock mechanism is composed of pure mechanical elements, but as shown in FIG.
By driving with 1, the suspension 15 may be moved up and down to perform loading / unloading. In this case, the slider 16 is loaded after detecting that the magnetic disk device 1b is mounted by using the controller, and the magnetic disk 1 is loaded in the completed state.
Start rotation of 4. When the magnetic disk device 1b is removed, the slider 16 is unloaded after the rotation of the magnetic disk 14 is stopped, and the magnetic disk device 1 is detected after the completion of the unloading of the slider 16 is detected.
Remove b. In order to prevent the magnetic disk device 1b from being removed before the slider 16 is completely unloaded, the detachment prevention pin 62 is projected from the magnetic disk device 1b by the actuator 63 and is provided on the utilization device side. It suffices to engage the recess.

In this way, when the slider is loaded / unloaded by interlocking with the attachment / detachment operation of the magnetic disk device using the controller and the actuator, the actuator is also used to attach the magnetic disk device to the utilization device. It is also possible to carry out a series of operations such as mounting of the magnetic disk device to the utilization device, subsequent loading / unloading of the slider, and subsequent ejection of the magnetic disk device from the utilization device, by command of the controller. With this method, the magnetic disk device can be automatically loaded and ejected.

[0033]

As described above, according to the present invention,
In particular, it is possible to improve the shock resistance when the device is carried by itself, which contributes to the improvement of the reliability of the device.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a relationship between a magnetic disk device and a utilization device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing the magnetic disk device locally.

FIG. 3 is a top view showing the inside of the magnetic disk device.

FIG. 4 is a view for explaining the shape of the tip of the load / unload arm in the interlock mechanism incorporated in the magnetic disk device.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining another example of the interlock mechanism.

FIG. 6 is a view for explaining details of the interlock mechanism.

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining a modified example of the interlock mechanism.

FIG. 8 is a view for explaining still another modified example of the interlock mechanism.

[Explanation of symbols]

1, 1a, 1b ... Magnetic disk device 2 ... Utilization device 3 ... Housing 11 ... Case 12 ... Base 13 ... Spindle motor 14 ... Magnetic disk 15 ... Suspension 16 ... Slider 17 ... Printed circuit board 20, 20a, 20b ... Interlock mechanism 23 ... Rack gear 24 ... Locking projection 25 ... Slits 26, 56 ...
Spring 27 ... Stop material 28 ... Pinion gear 29 ... Shaft 30 ... Bearing 31, 53 ... Load / unload arm

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A magnetic disk device comprising a magnetic disk and an element including a slider having a magnetic head for recording / reading information on / from this magnetic disk, which is removably mounted on a device for use. An interlock mechanism for forcibly separating the slider from the magnetic disk in association with its removal from the device and for releasing the slider forcibly in connection with its attachment to the utilization device. Characteristic magnetic disk device.