JPH0121557B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (a) Technical Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a magnetic disk device, and particularly to a method for maintaining the lubricating properties of a lubricating film coated on the surface of a magnetic disk mounted in the device in a steady state at all times. The present invention relates to a device configuration that can be maintained.

(b) Background of the Technology In recent years, in magnetic disk devices, attempts have been made to increase the recording density by making the magnetic film of the magnetic disk thinner or multilayered, and lowering the flying height of the magnetic head. In addition to lowering the flying height of the magnetic head, the magnetic head is in contact with the surface of the magnetic disk when stopped, and as the rotational speed increases, the magnetic head is slightly floated, which is called CSS (Contact Start). As the adoption of the Stop (Stop) method progresses, head crushing such as wear and damage on the surface of the magnetic head and magnetic disk becomes more likely to occur due to contact sliding at the time of starting and stopping the rotation.To prevent this, the surface of the magnetic disk is lubricated. It is common practice to apply special surface treatments such as coating with a lubricant or coating with a lubricant film.

(c) Prior art and problems By the way, as the recording density of magnetic disk devices increases, lowering the flying height of the magnetic head becomes more and more important, and the lubricating film applied to the surface of the magnetic disk is gradually becoming thinner. An extremely thin lubricating film of around 100 ml and excellent lubrication durability is required. On the other hand, with the adoption of the CSS method, magnetic disk devices are being shifted to sealed types in order to prevent head crashes caused by contamination with dust. However, in such a sealed magnetic disk device, the temperature inside the sealed device increases due to windage caused by high-speed rotation of the magnetic disk.
Normally, the atmosphere inside the device is cooled by a self-circulation air cooling system, but even then the temperature inside the device still reaches 60 to 70℃.
This temperature rise is unavoidable, and as a result of this temperature rise, the lubricating film applied to the surface of the magnetic disk evaporates and disappears, deteriorating its lubricating properties.Therefore, heat resistance against such disadvantages is also required. has been done.

However, in response to these demands, typical lubricants conventionally used to form a lubricant film on the surface of a magnetic disk include paraffin,
There are hydrocarbons such as higher fatty acid alcohols and higher fatty acid esters, fluorocarbon oils that are their fluorides, and silicone oils that have Si-Si bonding groups, and these lubricants can be used alone or in combination. However, among the above lubricants, hydrocarbon-based lubricants, especially the lubricating film formed by higher fatty acids and their esters, have excellent lubricating properties and are therefore effective in improving lubrication durability. Although it is effective, it has the disadvantage of poor heat resistance, such as gradual evaporation and loss of lubricity in an atmosphere of about 60°C. In addition, lubricating films formed with fluorocarbon oils, silicone oils, etc. have excellent heat resistance properties, but they all have film properties with only advantages and disadvantages, such as poor lubrication properties. There is.

Therefore, it is not only extremely difficult to obtain an ultra-thin lubricant film with excellent lubrication durability and heat resistance for high recording density, but also magnetic disks coated with such a lubricant film cannot be used as sealed magnetic disks. When used in a disk device, it has been difficult to perform stable high-density recording or reproduction without head crash failure.

(d) Purpose of the Invention In view of the above-mentioned conventional drawbacks, the present invention suppresses evaporation and loss of the lubricant film on the surface of a magnetic disk mounted in a sealed magnetic disk device, and maintains the lubricant film with good lubrication properties at all times. The object of the present invention is to provide a novel magnetic disk device that can maintain a steady state with the following characteristics.

(e) Structure of the Invention According to the present invention, the present invention provides an apparatus structure in which a magnetic disk integrally supported by a hub mechanism is attached to a rotational drive mechanism, and the magnetic disk is sealed in an airtight container. , wherein a lubricant generation source is provided in the airtight storage container to generate lubricant vapor by being exposed to the circulation of hot air flow generated near the surface of the magnetic disk when the magnetic disk rotates. This is achieved by providing a magnetic disk device that does the following.

(f) Embodiments of the invention Examples of the invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

The drawing is a sectional view of a main part conceptually showing an embodiment of a magnetic disk device according to the present invention. In the figure, 1 is a magnetic disk whose surface facing the magnetic head is coated with a lubricant film (not shown); 2 is a hub mechanism in which a plurality of magnetic disks 1 are integrally supported and is attached to a disk rotation drive mechanism 5; Reference numeral 3 indicates a central ventilation hole drilled in the center of the hub mechanism 2, 4 indicates a small ventilation hole that communicates with the center ventilation hole 3 and allows circulating atmosphere to flow out between each magnetic disk 1, 6 indicates a head positioning mechanism, and 7 indicates a The airtight storage container 8 is a circulating atmosphere circulation hole provided in the base part 9 so as to communicate with the central ventilation hole 3 bored in the center of the hub mechanism 2. In the circulation hole 8, for example, A lubricant generation source in which a porous member such as silica gel or sponge with a large surface area is impregnated with a lubricant that easily evaporates when exposed to hot air flow caused by windage when the magnetic disk 1 rotates at high speed; That is, a lubricant-impregnated member 10 and a filter 11 are arranged as shown in the figure in the direction of the arrow from the location of the lubricant-impregnated member 10.

By configuring the magnetic disk device in this way, the hot air flow generated by the windage when the disk rotation drive mechanism 5 is driven to rotate the magnetic disk 1 at high speed is as shown by the arrow in the figure. As the lubricant impregnated member 10 is exposed to the circulating hot air stream, the lubricant impregnated member 10 is also heated and the impregnated lubricant evaporates. The lubricant vapor is purified by removing lubricant dust, large particles of lubricant vapor, etc. in the filter 11, and is made into clean lubricant vapor, which is circulated through the center ventilation hole 3 formed in the center of the hub mechanism 2. The airtight storage container 7 is filled with the circulation path through which the magnetic disks 1 are discharged from each other through the small ventilation holes 4 communicating therewith.

Therefore, the vapor pressure of the lubricant surrounding the lubricant film on the surface of each rotating magnetic disk 1 and the vapor pressure when the lubricant film evaporates due to temperature increase due to wind damage are in a substantially equilibrium state, and as a result, The lubricating film on the surface of each rotating magnetic disk 1 can be easily maintained in a steady state with good lubrication properties.

In the above embodiments, a lubricant-impregnated member in which a porous member is impregnated with a lubricant is used as a lubricant generation source, but the present invention is not limited to this. may be used directly. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the lubricant is coated not only on the surface of the magnetic disk in the disk storage container but also on other functional parts, but since the lubricant film is extremely thin, it cannot function properly. will not be damaged. Furthermore, if a porous member with a large surface area and good impregnability is separately provided in the circulation atmosphere particle passage hole provided in the base part, the lubricant vapor filling the airtight container can be prevented from becoming excessive. In such a case, it is also possible to adjust and stabilize the amount of steam by absorbing it into the member.

(g) Effects of the Invention As is clear from the above explanation, the structure of the magnetic disk device according to the present invention can lubricate the surface of the magnetic disk installed in the device and being rotated by a simple improved configuration. This has the advantage that evaporation of the film is suppressed and the lubricating film can be maintained in a steady state with good lubricating properties at all times. Therefore, it is extremely advantageous to apply this type of magnetic disk device or a sealed magnetic disk device that uses a low-flying magnetic head, a CSS method, or the like.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawing is a sectional view of a main part conceptually showing an embodiment of a magnetic disk device according to the present invention. In the drawing, 1 is a magnetic disk coated with a lubricating film, 2 is a hub mechanism, 3 is a central ventilation hole, 4 is a small ventilation hole, 5 is a disk rotation drive mechanism, 7 is an airtight container, and 8 is a circulating atmosphere hole. , 9 is the base part,
10 is a lubricant-impregnated member, and 11 is a filter.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a device configuration in which a magnetic disk integrally supported by a hub mechanism is mounted on a rotation drive mechanism, and the magnetic disk is sealed in an airtight container, when the magnetic disk is rotated in the airtight container, A magnetic disk device comprising a lubricant generating source that generates lubricant vapor by being exposed to circulation of hot air flow generated near the magnetic disk surface.