JPH11144412A - Recording and reproducing device for storage medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent damage to a magnetic film when a magnetic head is abutted against a magnetic disk. SOLUTION: In a magnetic disk device 11, a disk holder 12 in which a disk cartridge (not shown) is inserted and a slider 13 which slides in forward and backward directions for lifting and lowering the disk holder 12 are mounted on a frame 14. On the upper surface of the disk holder 12, a damper mechanism 31 for reducing the speed of operation of the slider 13 by a spring force of a torsion spring 33 and thus reducing the descent speed of the disk holder 12 is provided. On a top plate 12a of the disk holder 12, a lifter 25 is abutted against a protrusion 20a of a head arm 20 and is engaged therewith by fluctuating operation of a carriage stopper 45, thus intermittently lowering the head arm 20. Thus, a magnetic head 16 or 17 having the sufficiently reduced speed is abutted against a magnetic disk.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a recording / reproducing apparatus for a recording medium, and more particularly to a recording / reproducing apparatus for a recording medium having a head moving mechanism for moving a head closer to the recording medium in conjunction with the transport of the recording medium by a recording medium transport mechanism. About.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, an electronic device such as a personal computer or a word processor is equipped with a magnetic disk device as a means for recording information. When a disk cartridge as a recording medium is mounted in the magnetic disk device, the magnetic disk accommodated in the disk cartridge is driven to rotate, and the magnetic head slides on the magnetic disk to perform magnetic recording and reproduction.

In the above-described magnetic disk drive, a disk holder into which a disk cartridge is inserted and a disk holder are slid by the operation of inserting the disk cartridge to move the disk holder from a cartridge insertion / ejection position to a cartridge mounting position. It has a configuration having a recording medium transport mechanism composed of a slider. The slider is urged in one direction by a coil spring or the like,
When the disc cartridge is inserted, the latch lever is pressed against the end of the disc cartridge and pivots, and the latch by the latch lever is released. As a result, the slider slides in the biasing direction to move the disk holder to the cartridge mounting position. At this time, the disk holder is lowered from the cartridge insertion / ejection position to the cartridge mounting position, thereby chucking the disk in the disk cartridge on the turntable.

[0004] In order to reliably perform such a mounting operation of the disk holder, a spring force for urging the slider is set strong. However, the slider is accelerated by a strong spring force from the initial stage of cartridge insertion to the mounting of the cartridge, and has a substantially constant speed.By the time the slider reaches the sliding completion position, the magnetic head contacts the magnetic disk when the required force is reached. There has been a problem that the impact at the time of contact is so strong that the magnetic film on the surface of the magnetic disk is damaged.

[0005] Therefore, a conventional device is provided with a damper for decelerating the sliding operation of the slider. As this type of damper, there is an oil damper including a gear that meshes with a rack provided on a slider, a rotating body that rotates with the gear, and a container in which grease is filled and the rotating body is stored. When the rotating body provided in the container is rotated by the sliding operation of the slider, the oil damper generates a damping force due to the viscous resistance of the grease filled in the container, and as a result, reduces the sliding operation of the slider. You can do it.

[0006]

However, in the above-described conventional magnetic disk drive, the viscosity of the oil filled in the oil damper depends on the temperature. The mounting cannot be performed reliably, and the viscosity resistance of the oil becomes low at high temperatures, so that the mounting operation becomes stronger and the magnetic film of the magnetic disk may be damaged.

In the magnetic disk drive, the storage capacity of the magnetic disk has been increased by increasing the disk rotation speed to increase the storage capacity and to increase the storage capacity of the magnetic disk. In this type of large-capacity magnetic disk device, the magnetic head is slightly lifted so that the magnetic head does not damage the surface of the magnetic disk because the magnetic head is given a levitation force by an air flow generated as the magnetic disk rotates at a high speed. Magnetic recording and reproduction can be performed in this state.

As a result, the recording density of the magnetic disk increases as the storage capacity increases. However, since no levitation force acts on the magnetic head in the stopped state, the magnetic head is magnetically driven at a low rotational speed of the magnetic disk. When approaching the disk, the magnetic head contacts the magnetic disk,
There is a high possibility that the magnetic film formed on the surface of the magnetic disk will be damaged.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a recording medium recording / reproducing apparatus which solves the above problem.

[0010]

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention has the following features. Claim 1
According to the described invention, a recording medium is inserted, and a recording medium transport mechanism for mounting the recording medium at a predetermined mounting position, and writes information on the recording medium or reads information recorded on the recording medium. In a recording medium recording / reproducing apparatus having a head and a head moving mechanism for bringing the head close to the recording medium in conjunction with the recording medium transporting by the recording medium transport mechanism, the head moving mechanism may be configured such that the recording medium is The head is operated intermittently in an operation process from an insertion position where the recording medium is inserted to a mounting position where the recording medium can be recorded and reproduced by the head.

Therefore, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the head is operated intermittently in the operation process from the insertion position where the recording medium is inserted to the mounting position where the recording medium can be recorded and reproduced by the head. Is performed step by step when the camera approaches the recording medium. Therefore, the head operation at the time of mounting the recording medium is suppressed, the head does not vigorously collide with the recording medium, and it is possible to prevent the recording medium from being damaged by the contact operation of the head.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the recording medium recording / reproducing apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the recording medium is formed of a magnetic disk for magnetic recording and reproduction. is there. Therefore, according to the second aspect of the present invention, since the recording medium is a magnetic disk for magnetic recording and reproduction, the head operation at the time of mounting the disk is suppressed, the head does not collide with the recording medium, and the head abuts. Can prevent the recording medium from being damaged.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the recording medium recording and reproducing apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the head moving mechanism is configured to rotate the recording medium in a state where the recording medium is rotated at a predetermined rotation speed. A head is brought close to the recording medium. Therefore, according to the third aspect of the present invention, the head is brought close to the recording medium in a state where the recording medium is rotated at a predetermined number of rotations, so that the levitation force due to the air flow accompanying the rotation of the recording medium acts on the head. In this state, the head can be brought close to the recording medium.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the recording medium recording / reproducing apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the head moving mechanism is in an eject mode and a standby mode for intermittently operating the head. The head is set in a non-movable state.

Therefore, according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the head is set in the immovable state in the eject mode and the standby mode in which the head is operated intermittently. In the case of, the head can be set in the immovable state, and it is possible to prevent the head from arbitrarily moving when external vibration is input in the eject mode and the standby mode. Further, the head can be prevented from moving on its own even if vibrations during transportation or the like act, so that damage to the recording medium due to the movement of the head can be prevented.

[0016]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a recording medium recording / reproducing apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view of a magnetic disk drive 11 as one embodiment of a recording medium recording / reproducing apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the magnetic disk drive 11.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the magnetic disk drive 11 includes a disk holder 12 into which a disk cartridge (not shown) is inserted, and a slider for sliding the disk holder 12 up and down by sliding back and forth. 13 are mounted on a frame 14. The slider 13 is slidably provided on the frame 14 in the directions A and B, and slides in the direction A by inserting a disk cartridge to lower the holder 12 from the cartridge insertion / ejection position to the cartridge mounting position.

On a flat surface 14a of the frame 14, a turntable 15 driven by a motor for rotating a disk is provided.
Head carriage 18 supporting magnetic heads 16 and 17
Are provided. A circuit board (not shown) having a control circuit is attached to the lower surface of the frame 14. The head carriage 18 has a carriage body 19 that supports the lower magnetic head 16 on the top surface of the tip and a carriage body 19 that supports the upper magnetic head 17 on the bottom surface of the tip.
And a head arm 20 rotatably mounted on the head arm 20.

The head carriage 18 is provided movably guided by guide shafts 21 and 24 extending in the front-rear direction (A and B directions). Bearing portions 18a and 18b on which the guide shafts 21 and 24 are slidably fitted are provided on the left and right side surfaces of the head carriage 18, respectively. The bearing 18a is formed of a circular hole through which the main guide shaft 21 penetrates.
8 is a main bearing for regulating the moving direction, the left-right direction, and the height position. Further, since the bearing portion 18b is a U-shaped bearing to which the guide shaft 21 is fitted, the bearing portion 18b does not restrict the moving direction and the left-right direction, but restricts only the height position of the head carriage 18.

The head carriage 18 is driven by a driving force from a voice coil motor 52 to be described later.
1 and the guide shaft 24 moves in the A and B directions. Thus, the magnetic heads 16 and 17 supported by the head carriage 18 can perform magnetic recording / reproduction by sliding in contact with desired tracks of a magnetic disk (not shown) stored in a disk cartridge. .

On the lower surface of the slider 13, a damper mechanism 31 is provided. That is, a shaft 34 for rotatably supporting the damper plate 32 of the damper mechanism 31 and a hook 35 for hooking one end of the torsion spring 33 are provided on the lower surface of the slider 13. The damper mechanism 31 is a mechanical damper mechanism that urges the slider 13 so as to reduce the sliding operation of the slider 13 using a spring force instead of an oil damper. That is, the damper mechanism 31 includes a damper plate 32 rotatably provided on the lower surface of the slider 13 and a torsion spring 33 for urging the damper plate 32.

The damper mechanism 31 urges the slider 13 in the direction (B direction) opposite to the moving direction at the initial stage of the movement of the disk holder 12 from the cartridge insertion / ejection position to the cartridge mounting position, and the slider 13 slides. When the damper plate 32 rotates by a predetermined amount or more during the movement, the slider 13 is configured to be urged in the movement direction (A direction). Therefore, at the time of the disk mounting operation, the damper mechanism 31 uses the spring force of the torsion spring 33 to move the slider 1.
The operation of Step 3 is decelerated to reduce the descent speed of the disk holder 12, that is, the disk mounting speed.

Next, the configuration of each main part configured as described above will be individually described. The disk holder 12
It comprises a top plate 12a, and cartridge guide portions 12b and 12c which are bent to hold the disk cartridge from both sides of the top plate 12a. Therefore, a space surrounded by the top plate 12a and the cartridge guide portions 12b and 12c on both sides becomes a cartridge insertion portion.

The top plate 12a of the disk holder 12 is provided with an opening 12d for the movement of the head carriage 18, and a lifter 25 which contacts the protruding portions 20a protruding from both sides of the head arm 20 is provided on the right side of the opening 12d. It is movably mounted. Therefore, the head arm 20
Is provided to intermittently move the magnetic head 17 up and down in conjunction with the up and down operation of the disk holder 12. Therefore, the disk holder 12, the head arm 20,
The lifter 25 and the like constitute a head moving mechanism.

The lifter 25 has a shaft 25b projecting from both ends of the main body 25a.
It is supported by the support portion 12h standing upright at 2a. Therefore, the lifter 25 is attached rotatably in the E and F directions orthogonal to the carriage movement direction (A and B directions). Further, a pair of engaging pins 12e for engaging with the slider 13 is provided on both sides of the disc holder 12, and guide portions 12f, 12
g is protruding. The guide portions 12f and 12g are fitted in guide grooves 14d and 14e provided in the side walls 14b and 14c of the frame 14, and guide the lifting and lowering operation of the disk holder 12.

The top plate 12a of the disk holder 12
The lifter 25 is rotated so that the locking portion 25c comes into contact with the protruding portion 20a of the head arm 20 and lowers the head arm 20 stepwise as the disk holder 12 moves up and down as described later. I do. In addition, the locking portion 25
c is formed to extend from the innermost track position to the outermost track position of the disk, that is, the length corresponding to the stroke of the head carriage 18.

The slider 13 is slidably mounted above the disk holder 12 and has a J-shaped flat plate 13.
a and the side surface 13 bent downward from both sides of the flat plate 13a
b, 13c and inclined grooves 13d provided on the side surfaces 13b, 13c to which the engaging pins 12e of the disc holder 12 fit.
And an engagement hole 13e that engages with a protrusion 14f that projects from the center of both sides of the frame 14. Furthermore, slider 1
3 has a protruding piece 13g protruding to the front right side, and an eject button 40 is fixed to the protruding piece 13g. The slider 13 is urged in the direction A by a coil spring 41.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the disk drive. FIG.
As shown in FIG. 2, a front bezel 27 having a disc insertion slot 26 is attached to the front end of the frame 14. On the right side of the upper end of the front bezel 27, a concave portion 27a into which the eject button 40 is slidably fitted is provided. A flap 28 for closing the disc insertion opening 26 from the inside is provided on the back side of the front bezel 27 so as to be rotatable in the opening and closing direction.

FIG. 4 shows the disk holder 12 and the slider 13.
It is a side view which shows the state which was combined. As shown in FIG. 4, the engagement pin 12e of the disk holder 12 is fitted in the inclined groove 13d of the slider 13, so that
The sliding operation of the slider 13 drives the engaging pin 12e along the inclined groove 13d. Therefore, when the slider 13 slides in the direction B, the disk holder 12 moves up to the cartridge insertion / ejection position, and when the slider 13 slides in the direction A, it moves down to the cartridge mounting position. Therefore, the recording medium transport mechanism is constituted by the disk holder 12 and the slider 13.

Here, description will be made returning to FIG. The latch mechanism 36 includes a latch lever 38 rotatably supported on the upper surface of the disk holder 12 and a coil spring 41 for urging the latch lever 38 to rotate counterclockwise. In addition, the coil spring 41 is connected to the slider 13
And a latch lever return spring that biases the latch lever 38.

The latch lever 38 is used to open and close a shutter (not shown) of the disk cartridge.
8a and an arcuate hook 38b for hooking the hook 13h of the slider 13. When the disk cartridge is inserted into the disk holder 12, the latch lever 38 is pressed by the front end of the disk cartridge and rotates clockwise. Then, when the arc-shaped engaging portion 38b is separated from the engaged portion 13h of the slider 13, the slider 13 urged by the coil spring 41 slides in the direction A.

As the latch lever 38 rotates in this manner, the tip 38c of the lever portion 38a presses the shutter (not shown) of the disk cartridge in the opening direction, and the magnetic heads 16 and 17 slide on the magnetic disk. It can be so. Further, when the eject button 40 is pressed in the direction B and the slider 13 slides in the same direction, the locking of the locking portion 38b which has been in contact with the side surface of the locked portion 13h of the slider 13 is released. The latch lever 38 rotates counterclockwise by the spring force of the coil spring 41.

Reference numeral 45 denotes a carriage stopper, which locks the head carriage 18 at the time of ejection, as will be described later, so that the magnetic heads 16 and 17 use a magnetic disk (not shown).
This is a lock member for preventing sliding contact. The carriage stopper 45 is attached in a direction extending in the A and B directions so that the main body 45a faces the right side of the guide shaft 24, and is provided with a bearing (not shown) formed on the frame 14. ), It is rotatably supported in the E and F directions similarly to the lifter 25 described above. The carriage stopper 45 has a rack 45b for locking the head carriage 18 and a V-shaped recess 45c to which an engaging pin 25d protruding from an end of the lifter 25 is engaged.

Incidentally, on the right side of the head carriage 18,
A movable rack 56 facing the rack 45b is provided. The rack 45b is formed to extend from the innermost track position of the disk to the outermost track position, that is, the length corresponding to the stroke of the head carriage 18. Therefore, the carriage stopper 45
By rotating in the direction E, the rack 45b meshes with the movable rack 56 to lock the head carriage 18.

Reference numeral 46 denotes a stopper connecting lever,
4 is rotatably supported by a shaft 44 provided thereon. The stopper coupling lever 46 has an arm portion 46a extending in the direction A and a spring locking portion 46b extending laterally substantially perpendicular to the direction A. The base portion 45 of the carriage stopper 45 is provided at the base of the arm portion 46a.
An oval engaging hole 46c is provided for engaging a protruding pin 45d protruding from the rear portion of the upper surface of FIG.

Spring locking portion 46 of stopper connecting lever 46
One end 47a of the torsion spring 47 is hung on b. The other end 47b of the torsion spring 47 is in contact with the rear inner wall of the frame 14. Therefore, the stopper coupling lever 46 is urged clockwise, that is, in the carriage locking direction, by the spring force of the torsion spring 47.

Reference numeral 48 denotes a solenoid which is excited by a command from a control circuit (not shown) to suck the plunger 49 in the direction D. The end of the plunger 49 is connected to the tip of the arm 46a of the stopper connecting lever 46. Therefore, when the solenoid 48 is excited and the plunger 49 is attracted in the direction D, the stopper coupling lever 46 rotates in the counterclockwise direction, that is, in the carriage unlocking direction.

When the solenoid 48 is not excited due to a power failure or the like, the plunger 49 returns in the direction C, and the stopper coupling lever 46 rotates clockwise, that is, in the carriage locking direction. Reference numeral 50 denotes a holding member, which is formed of a sheet metal so that the guide shaft 24, the stopper coupling lever 46, the solenoid 48, and the torsion spring 47 are pressed from above and fixed by being fixed to the frame 14.

A guide shaft pressing member 51 is fixed to the frame 14 in a state where the end of the guide shaft 21 is pressed in a direction D perpendicular to the axial direction. A voice coil motor 52 has a coil 53 integrally provided on the left side surface of the head carriage 18. The voice coil motor 52 is provided on the left side of the guide shaft 21 disposed near the center of gravity of the head carriage 18. Therefore, the head carriage 18 can be driven in the A and B directions by one voice coil motor 52 to perform the seek operation of the magnetic heads 16 and 17. Therefore, the head carriage 18 has a larger configuration than a configuration in which a pair of voice coil motors are provided on both sides of the head carriage 18.
And the space for moving the carriage 18 is also reduced, which can contribute to the downsizing of the magnetic disk drive 11.

Here, the configuration of the peripheral portion of the head carriage 18 will be described. FIG. 5 is an enlarged plan view showing the periphery of the head carriage 18 in the recording / reproducing mode. As shown in FIG. 5, the head arm 20 is supported on a support table 57 of the head carriage 18 via a leaf spring 58 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction. Further, the head arm 20 is urged downward by a pressing portion 60a extending in the direction A from a torsion spring 60 hooked in a state of being wound around a shaft 59 provided at the rear portion of the support base 57. .

Therefore, the projecting portion 20 a projecting laterally from the head arm 20 is pressed against the upper surface of the locking portion 25 c of the lifter 25 by the spring force of the torsion spring 60. The lifter 25 includes a V-shaped recess 45 provided at an end of the carriage stopper 45 with an engagement pin 25 d protruding from the end.
As described later, the carriage 45 rotates intermittently in conjunction with the rotation of the stopper 45 for the carriage.

Plunger 4 sucked by solenoid 48
Reference numeral 9 is engaged with the tip end 46d of the arm portion 46a of the stopper connecting lever 46. Also, the stopper connecting lever 4
In 6, the spring locking portion 46 b is urged clockwise by the spring force of the torsion spring 47. Therefore, the carriage stopper 45 in which the protruding pin 45 d is engaged with the engagement hole 46 c of the stopper coupling lever 46 is provided with the torsion spring 47.
Pivots in the carriage locking direction (E direction) due to the spring force of. Thereby, the rack 4 of the carriage stopper 45
5b engages with the movable rack 56 of the head carriage 18 to lock the head carriage 18.

At the rear of the frame 14, an eject detection switch 54 for detecting that the slider 13 has slid in the eject direction is provided. The eject detection switch 54 is provided with a slider 13 that slides in the same direction when the eject button 40 is pressed in the B direction.
And is switched to the closed state. Next, the disk mounting operation of the magnetic disk device 11 configured as described above will be described.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, when a disk cartridge (not shown) is inserted into the disk holder 12 from the disk insertion opening 26 of the front bezel 27,
The latch lever 38 is pressed to rotate clockwise. The latch portion 38b of the latch lever 38 is
When the coil spring 4 is separated from the hooked portion 13h,
The slider 13 urged by 1 slides in the A direction.

When the latch lever 38 rotates clockwise in this manner, the locking of the slider 13 is released, and the tip 38c of the lever portion 38a opens the shutter (not shown) of the disk cartridge. Both sides of the disk holder 12 are supported on the left and right side surfaces of the frame 14 so as to be movable only in the vertical direction. Therefore, when the slider 13 slides in the direction A, the engaging pin 12e of the disk holder 12 is driven along the inclined groove 13d,
The disk holder 12 descends from the cartridge insertion / ejection position to the cartridge mounting position.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged plan view showing the peripheral portion of the head carriage 18 in the eject mode. FIG.
In the eject mode, as shown in FIG.
3 is an eject detection switch 5
4, the eject detection switch 54 is closed. Therefore, the ejection detection switch 54 outputs an ejection detection signal to a control circuit (not shown). As a result, the solenoid 48 is demagnetized and the plunger 4
9 is displaced in the C direction.

In the eject mode, since the solenoid 48 is not excited, the stopper coupling lever 46
Are rotated clockwise by the spring force Fa of the torsion spring 47. Therefore, the carriage stopper 45 pivots toward the head carriage 18 to engage the rack 45b with the movable rack 56 on the head carriage 18 side.

The spring force Fa of the torsion spring 47
Acts as a pressing force Fb for pressing the protruding pin 45d engaging with the engaging hole 46c of the stopper connecting lever 46 in the C direction. Since the head carriage 18 is driven in the directions A and B by the voice coil motor 52, when there is no driving force from the voice coil motor 52 at the time of, for example, a power outage, the head carriage 18 is not restrained at all and moves without permission. It's easy to do. However, in the eject mode, the rack 45b of the carriage stopper 45 is
The head carriage 18 is engaged with the movable rack 56 on the
Is locked, it is possible to prevent the head carriage 18 from moving without permission.

Even if a power failure occurs during another operation mode, the driving force from the voice coil motor 52 is lost and the solenoid 48 is demagnetized as described above. The head carriage 18 can be prevented from moving on its own. FIG. 7 is an enlarged plan view showing the periphery of the head carriage 18 in the recording / reproduction mode.

As shown in FIG. 7, when the recording / reproduction mode is in a standby state such as a standby state or a sleep state, the seek operation of the head carriage 18 is not performed. In this case, the solenoid 48 is demagnetized. Let it. As a result, similarly to the above-described ejection mode shown in FIG.
7, the carriage stopper 45 pivots toward the head carriage 18 because it is rotated clockwise by the spring force Fa. Therefore, the rack 45 of the carriage stopper 45
b meshes with the movable rack 56 on the carriage 18 side.

Thus, when the recording / reproducing mode is in the standby state, the head carriage 18 is locked in a state in which the head carriage 18 cannot move in the A and B directions. Next, the operation of the head arm 20 in conjunction with the operations of the carriage stopper 45, the stopper coupling lever 46, the torsion spring 47, and the solenoid 48 will be described.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged plan view showing the periphery of the head carriage 18 when a seek operation is performed in the recording / reproducing mode. As shown in FIG. 8, when the disk cartridge inserted into the disk holder 12 moves to the recording / reproducing position in the recording / reproducing mode, the disk sensor (not shown) is turned on and the turntable 15 is turned on.
After the rotation speed of a disk motor (not shown) for driving the motor reaches a specified high-speed rotation speed, the solenoid 48 is excited.

Therefore, in the recording / reproducing mode, the solenoid 4
8 is excited to suck the plunger 49 in the D direction. As a result, the stopper coupling lever 46 connected to the plunger 49 rotates counterclockwise to separate the rack 45b of the carriage stopper 45 from the movable rack 45c of the head carriage 18. As a result, the lock on the head carriage 18 by the carriage stopper 45 is released.

Therefore, the head carriage 18 seeks in the disk radial direction (A and B directions) by the driving force of the voice coil motor 52, and
7 can face a desired track. Plunger 4 attracted in direction D by excitation of solenoid 48
9 is engaged with the tip end 46d of the arm portion 46a of the stopper connecting lever 46, the suction force Fd of the solenoid 48 is enlarged by the leverage principle, and the engaging force Fd is provided in the middle of the arm portion 46a in the longitudinal direction. The force Fe for pressing the protruding pin 45d and the torsion spring 47 engaging with the hole 46c,
Ff. The suction force Fd of the solenoid 48 is determined by the V-shaped concave portion 45 c of the carriage stopper 45.
5 acts as a pressing force Fg for pressing the engaging pin 25d in the D direction.

Therefore, even if the suction force Fd of the solenoid 48 is small, it is enlarged by the stopper coupling lever 46 and transmitted to the carriage stopper 45 and the lifter 25, so that a sufficient driving force can be obtained even if the solenoid 48 is small. . Accordingly, the power consumption of the solenoid 48 can be reduced, and the installation space for the solenoid 48 can be reduced to cope with the downsizing of the device.

FIG. 9 is a front view for explaining the operation of the carriage stopper 45 with respect to the head carriage 18. FIG. 9A shows an operation state in the ejection mode, in which the stopper coupling lever 46 is pressed in the C direction by the spring force of the torsion spring 47. Therefore, the carriage stopper 45 is connected to the torsion spring 4.
The rack 45b is rotated in the direction E by the spring force of 7, and the rack 45b meshes with the movable rack 56 on the head carriage 18 side. Therefore, the head carriage 18 is locked by the carriage stopper 45.

FIG. 9B shows an operation state in the standby mode. In the standby mode, the stopper coupling lever 46 is pressed in the C direction by the spring force of the torsion spring 47 as in the eject mode. Therefore, the carriage stopper 45 is connected to the torsion spring 4.
The rack 45b is rotated in the direction E by the spring force of 7, and the rack 45b meshes with the movable rack 56 on the head carriage 18 side to lock the head carriage 18.

FIG. 9C shows the operation state in the recording / reproducing mode. In the recording / reproducing mode, as described above, the solenoid 48 is excited, and the stopper coupling lever 46 is driven in the D direction. Therefore, the carriage stopper 45 is rotated in the F direction by the driving force of the solenoid 48, and the rack 45b is separated from the movable rack 56 on the head carriage 18 side to release the lock of the head carriage 18. As a result, the head carriage 18 can perform a seek operation in the A and B directions.

FIG. 10 is a front view for explaining the operation of the carriage stopper 45 and the lifter 25 with respect to the head arm 20. FIG. 10A shows an operation state in the ejection mode. The carriage stopper 45 rotates in the E direction by the spring force of the torsion spring 47, and the rack 45b moves toward the head carriage 18 side. It engages with the rack 56. Since the disk holder 12 has been raised to the disk ejection / insertion position, the lifter 25 has also been raised.

An adjusting bolt 74 for adjusting the height of the lifter 25 is screwed into the holding member 61. The lower end of the adjustment bolt 74 contacts an abutting portion 75 extending from the end of the lifter 25. Therefore, the adjustment bolt 74
The lift amount of the lifter 25 can be adjusted by changing the amount of screwing into the holding member 61.

In the process of raising the disk holder 12 to the disk ejection / insertion position, the lifter 25
The abutting part 75 provided integrally with the abutment contacts the lower end of the adjustment bolt 74. The lifter 25 is supported on the upper surface of the disk holder 12 so as to swing in the E and F directions about the shaft 25b. Therefore, the abutting portion 75 extending rightward of the lifter 25 with the upward movement of the disk holder 12 abuts on the lower end portion of the adjustment bolt 74, whereby the lifter 2 is lifted.
5 rotates in the F direction.

A protrusion 20 a projecting laterally from the head arm 20 is locked to a lock 25 c provided on the left side of the lifter 25. Therefore, the lifter 25 rotates in the F direction together with the upward movement of the disk holder 12 to lift the protrusion 20a of the head arm 20 upward. As a result, the head arm 20 is connected to the upper magnetic head 17.
Is held at the upward movement position separated from the lower magnetic head 16.

At this time, the engagement pin 25 of the lifter 25
d is separated from the V-shaped concave portion 45c of the carriage stopper 45. FIG. 10B shows an operation state in the standby mode. In the standby mode, the head arm 20 temporarily stops at an intermediate position between the disk eject / insert position and the disk mounting position. That is, the engaging pin 25 d protruding in the direction B from the end of the lifter 25 enters the V-shaped concave portion 45 c of the carriage stopper 45 with the lowering operation of the disk holder 12. Then, the engagement pin 25d of the lifter 25 is inserted into the V-shaped concave portion 45c of the carriage stopper 45 and contacts the inclined portion of the V-shaped concave portion 45c.

Thus, the lifter 25 is stopped at an intermediate position from the disk eject / insert position to the disk mounting position. Therefore, the turning operation of the head arm 20 linked to the lifter 25 is temporarily stopped. In the standby mode, since the head arm 20 is stopped at an intermediate position before the head arm 20 descends to the disk mounting position, the magnetic head 17 supported by the distal end of the head arm 20 is supported by the distal end of the carriage body 19. Magnetic head 16
And a predetermined distance S therebetween. Therefore, the upper magnetic head 17 is located above a magnetic disk (not shown).

The lower magnetic head 16 is not in contact with the magnetic disk until the disk holder 12 is lowered to the disk mounting position. However, when the head arm 20 rotates downward with the lowering operation of the disk holder 12, The magnetic disk pressed by the upper magnetic head 17 abuts momentarily. FIG. 10C shows an operation state in the recording / reproducing mode. In the recording / reproducing mode, as described above, the solenoid 48 is excited and the stopper coupling lever 46 is driven in the D direction, so that the carriage stopper 45 is rotated in the F direction by the driving force of the solenoid 48, The rack 45b is separated from the movable rack 56 on the head carriage 18 side. As a result, the head carriage 18
Is unlocked.

The carriage stopper 45 rotates in the F direction, and the V-shaped recess 4 of the carriage stopper 45
5c presses the engagement pin 25d of the lifter 25 in the E direction. Therefore, the lifter 25 rotates in the E direction in conjunction with the rotation of the carriage stopper 45 in the F direction, and the lifter 2
The locking portion 25c of No. 5 descends. Thereby, the head arm 20 also descends. Therefore, after the magnetic head 17 supported by the head arm 20 is stopped at a position close to the magnetic disk (not shown) in the standby mode, the lower magnetic head 16 and the magnetic disk Abut on each other.

As described above, since the magnetic head 17 moves to the recording / reproducing position in sliding contact with the magnetic disk by intermittent operation, the impact on the magnetic disk rotating at high speed is reduced, and the magnetic head 17 is formed on the surface of the magnetic disk. Damage to the magnetic film can be prevented. Note that the ejecting operation is the reverse of the above-described mounting operation, and thus the description thereof is omitted.

FIG. 11 is an experimental result showing a change in the height direction of the magnetic head 17 related to the disk mounting operation. In FIG. 11, a graph I shows the characteristics of the conventional device without a damper. Graph II shows the characteristics of a conventional device having a damper mechanism for reducing the operating speed of a slider by a viscous damper. Graph III shows the characteristics when the head arm 20 descends stepwise as in the present invention.

When comparing the graphs I, II, and III, it can be seen that there are the following differences. First, in the case of the graph I without a damper, the damper for buffering the mounting operation of the disk cartridge is not provided, so that the disk holder and the head arm drop rapidly with the sliding operation of the slider. Therefore, in a magnetic disk device without a damper, the upper magnetic head supported by the head arm descends vigorously and presses the magnetic disk against the lower magnetic head by the mounting operation of the disk cartridge.

As a result, due to the reaction force when the upper magnetic head collides with the lower magnetic head, the upper magnetic head bounces and repeatedly collides with the magnetic disk. As a result, the magnetic film formed on the surface of the magnetic disk is damaged. In the case of graph II with a damper, the operating speed of the magnetic head is reduced. However, since the disk holder and the head arm drop from the disk eject / insert position to the disk mounting position at once, the potential energy of the head arm is reduced. , The deceleration by the damper is not enough. For this reason, the mounting operation of the disk cartridge can be buffered by the damper, but the magnetic head comes into contact with the magnetic disk while the operating speed when contacting the magnetic disk is accelerated. Therefore, in a magnetic disk device with a damper, the descent speed of the magnetic head is reduced more than in the case without the damper, but the deceleration of the head arm is not sufficient, so that the upper magnetic head collides with the lower magnetic head. The collision with the magnetic disk is repeated due to the bound. As a result, there is a high possibility that the magnetic film formed on the surface of the magnetic disk will be damaged.

On the other hand, when the operating speed of the slider 13 is reduced by the mechanical damper mechanism 31 and the descent of the head arm 20 is performed intermittently as in the present invention, as shown in a graph III in FIG. It can be seen that the operation speed of the magnetic head 17 in the height direction changes stepwise and is the slowest. In the case of the magnetic disk drive 11 of the present invention, the disk holder 12 and the head arm 2
As described above with reference to FIGS. 10A to 10C, the mounting operation of the lifter 25 and the head arm 20 between the disk eject / insert position and the disk mounting position is performed in the standby mode. Stop temporarily at the intermediate position.

That is, in this standby mode, the magnetic head 17 supported by the tip of the head arm 20 is stopped at an intermediate position close to the magnetic disk. Because it is descending, it is in contact with the magnetic disk. However, since the magnetic disk is in contact with the magnetic head 16 only by its own weight, it is not damaged. When the rotation of the drive disk motor reaches the specified number of revolutions during the standby mode, the solenoid 48 is excited to unlock the head carriage 18 and simultaneously lift the head lifter 25 and the head arm 20. The descent operation is restarted.

When the head arm 20 is rotated downward with the lowering operation of the lifter 25, the magnetic disk pressed by the upper magnetic head 17 comes into contact with the magnetic disk 17 instantaneously. However, since the acceleration of the magnetic head 17 from the intermediate position stopped in the standby mode to the contact with the magnetic disk is small, the impact on the magnetic head 16 is reduced. Therefore, since the magnetic head 17 comes into contact with the magnetic disk at a slow operation speed from a position close to the magnetic disk, the magnetic head 17 does not bounce when it comes into contact with the magnetic disk, so that damage to the magnetic film is reliably prevented.

Further, as can be seen from the graph III, since the descent operation of the head arm 20 is temporarily stopped in the standby mode, the speed at which the magnetic head 17 comes into contact with the magnetic disk is sufficiently reduced. Since the solenoid 48 is excited and the magnetic head 17 is lowered after electrically detecting that the rotation speed of the disk motor for driving the turntable 15 to rotate during the rotation is increased to the specified rotation speed, the magnetic head 17 is lowered. When the magnetic disk 17 comes into contact with the magnetic disk, it receives buoyancy due to the airflow on the disk surface to reduce the shock at the time of magnetic disk contact.

In the above embodiment, the magnetic disk device has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, an optical disk device, a magneto-optical disk device, or a card-shaped recording medium such as a memory card may be mounted. Needless to say, the present invention can be applied to a recording / reproducing apparatus and the like. In the above embodiment, the configuration in which the slider slides above the disk holder is described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention is also applied to a configuration in which the slider slides below the disk holder. can do.

[0076]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the head operates intermittently in the operation process from the insertion position where the recording medium is inserted to the mounting position where the recording medium can be recorded and reproduced by the head. Therefore, the operation when the head approaches the recording medium is performed stepwise. Therefore, since the head comes into contact with the recording medium at a slow operation speed from a position close to the recording medium, the head operation speed at the time of contacting the recording medium is sufficiently reduced, and the head does not vigorously collide with the recording medium. It is possible to prevent the recording medium from being damaged by the contact operation.

When the head is operated after the head is stopped, the head can be electrically moved to the recording / reproducing position at an arbitrary timing. For example, when a magnetic disk is used as a recording medium, By moving the head to the recording / reproducing position after the disk reaches the specified number of revolutions, the head can be brought close to the magnetic disk in a state where the levitation force by the air flow acts on the head.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the recording medium is a magnetic disk for magnetic recording and reproduction,
Even when the magnetic disk is driven at high speed, the head operation when mounting the disk is suppressed, and the head operation speed when contacting the recording medium is sufficiently reduced to prevent damage to the recording medium due to head contact operation it can. Claim 3
According to the invention described above, the head is brought close to the recording medium in a state where the recording medium is rotated at a predetermined number of rotations. It can be close to the medium. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the recording medium from being damaged by the contact operation of the head.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the head is set in a non-movable state in the eject mode and the standby mode in which the head is operated intermittently. In the case of, the head can be set in the immovable state, and it is possible to prevent the head from arbitrarily moving when external vibration is input in the eject mode and the standby mode. Further, the head can be prevented from moving without permission even when vibrations occur during transportation or the like, so that damage to the recording medium due to the movement of the head can be prevented.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a magnetic disk drive as an embodiment of a recording medium recording / reproducing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a magnetic disk device.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the disk device.

FIG. 4 is a side view showing a state where the disk holder and the slider are combined.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged plan view showing a peripheral portion of a head carriage in a recording / reproducing mode.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged plan view showing a peripheral portion of a head carriage in an ejection mode.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged plan view showing a peripheral portion of a head carriage in a recording / reproducing mode.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged plan view showing a peripheral portion of a head carriage when a seek operation is performed in a recording / reproducing mode.

FIG. 9 is a front view for explaining the operation of the carriage stopper with respect to the head carriage.

FIG. 10 is a front view for explaining operations of a carriage stopper and a lifter with respect to a head arm.

FIG. 11 is an experimental result showing a change in a height direction of a magnetic head related to a disk mounting operation.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Disk device 12 Holder 13 Slider 14 Frame 16 and 17 Magnetic head 18 Head carriage 21 and 24 Guide shaft 25 Lifter 25d Engagement pin 31 Damper mechanism 33 Torsion spring 36 Latch mechanism 38 Latch lever 45 Carriage stopper 45b Rack 45c V-shape Recess 46 stopper coupling lever 47 torsion spring 48 solenoid 49 plunger 50 holding member 51 guide shaft pressing member 52 voice coil motor 56 movable rack

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A recording medium transport mechanism for inserting a recording medium and mounting the recording medium at a predetermined mounting position, and writing information on the recording medium or reading information recorded on the recording medium. A recording medium recording / reproducing apparatus comprising: a head; and a head moving mechanism that moves the head closer to the recording medium in conjunction with the recording medium transport by the recording medium transport mechanism. A recording medium recording / reproducing apparatus, wherein the head is operated intermittently in an operation process from an insertion position where the recording medium is inserted to a mounting position where the recording medium can be recorded / reproduced by the head. 2. The recording medium recording / reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording medium comprises a magnetic disk for magnetic recording / reproduction. 3. The recording medium recording / reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the head moving mechanism brings the head close to the recording medium while the recording medium is rotated at a predetermined rotation speed. A recording / reproducing apparatus for a recording medium characterized by the above-mentioned. 4. The recording medium recording / reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the head moving mechanism makes the head unmovable in an eject mode and a standby mode in which the head operates intermittently. A recording / reproducing apparatus for a recording medium characterized by the above-mentioned.