JPH0810543B2 - Floating head load / unload mechanism - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a load / unload mechanism for a floating head slider used in a magnetic disk device.

[Conventional technology]

In a magnetic disk device, a floating head slider having a magnetic head mounted on one end surface thereof is used. The floating head slider floats on the disk by the high-speed airflow generated by the high-speed rotation of the disk, and performs recording and reproduction while maintaining a slight gap between the magnetic head and the recording medium. In contrast, a gimbal spring for keeping the spacing constant and keeping the spacing constant is held movably in the pitch, roll, and parallel directions, and at the same time, controls the floating amount of the floating head slider, and A gimbal spring is provided with a load spring for supporting the head for moving the magnetic head on an arbitrary recording track.

On the other hand, in the current magnetic disk device, as the start-stop method, when the rotation of the disk is stopped, the floating head slider and the disk are placed in contact with each other, and the rotation of the disk is started to raise the floating head slider as the number of rotations increases. The so-called contact start stop (CSS) method, in which normal operation is performed and the floating head slider is landed on the disk when the disk rotation speed decreases when the disk is stopped, is the mainstream. In the CSS method, the floating head slider and the disk surface go through the steps of contact, low-speed sliding, separation, low-speed sliding, and contact, which may cause friction and wear problems. Head crush may occur due to wear.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

The CSS method has the characteristic that the structure of the mechanism is simple,
It has the following problems. That is, the first is CSS
This is a problem of contact sliding that sometimes occurs inevitably. When the number of rotations of the disk reaches a certain speed or more, a sufficient levitating force is generated in the floating head slider, so the floating head slider and the disk are kept in non-contact, but immediately after the rotation of the disk starts. The levitation force acting on the disk is small, so that the floating head slider and the disk come into contact with each other and slide. Such contact sliding also occurs when the disk is stopped, and in this case, the floating head slider transits from the fluid lubrication state to the contact sliding state.

Generally, the floating head slider is made of an extremely hard material such as ceramic. On the other hand, the disk is provided with a protective film for protecting the magnetic recording layer and a lubricating film with good slidability on the surface to reduce frictional force during CSS, but its hardness is higher than that of the floating head slider. small. Therefore, there is a problem of friction and wear during contact sliding.
The fine friction and wear powder generated at this time may hinder stable movement of the floating head slider in some cases, leading to head crash.

The second problem is that the finishing accuracy of the slider lubrication surface of the floating head slider, which is required to be further reduced in the future, is required to be extremely smooth, and at the same time, the disk surface does not hinder the low flying amount of the slider. Since the flatness is required, the floating head slider and the disk may be attracted to each other when the disk is stopped. Once suction occurs, the frictional force increases sharply, making it difficult to start the disk.

Therefore, in order to avoid the above problems, it is necessary to employ a start / stop system for the disk device in which the floating head slider and the disk surface always operate without contact. For this purpose, the force applied by some mechanical system causes the floating head slider mounted on the floating head support to approach the surface of the magnetic disk medium, and the unloading for moving the floating head slider away from the surface of the magnetic disk medium. Loading is required.

An object of the present invention is to provide a floating head load / unload mechanism that solves the above problems.

[Means for solving the problem]

The present invention relates to a floating head slider, a gimbal spring composed of a tongue-shaped leaf spring that supports the floating head slider, and a leaf spring that joins the gimbal spring to one end thereof and at the same time applies an appropriate load to the floating head slider. -Shaped floating spring support, a state in which the floating head support is held when the magnetic disk device is not in operation, and the floating head slider included in the floating head support is separated from the surface of the magnetic disk medium. A floating head support holding mechanism for loading or unloading the floating head slider onto or from the surface of a magnetic disk medium by the movement of the floating head support. Abutment of the support with the floating head support retention mechanism An embossing of a recess depth gradually increasing from one end toward the other end in a direction substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the load spring of the floating head support is provided in the portion.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, the floating head load / unload mechanism of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of a floating head load / unload mechanism according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a floating head support which constitutes this embodiment.

The floating head support has a floating head slider 3, a gimbal spring 1 formed of a tongue-shaped leaf spring for supporting the floating head slider, and this gimbal spring joined to one end thereof, and at the same time, an appropriate load is applied to the floating head slider 3. The load spring 2 has a leaf spring shape to be added and a spacer 4, and an emboss 5 is provided on the load spring 2 so as to project toward the side where the floating head slider 3 is present.

The floating head support is held by the carriage 6,
Further, the carriage 6 has a structure that can be rotated about an axis of rotation 7 by an actuator 8.

The floating head load / unload mechanism of the present embodiment further holds the floating head support when the apparatus is not in operation, and the floating head slider 3 included in the floating head support.
It has a floating head support holding mechanism 10 that keeps the magnetic disk medium 9 away from the surface of the magnetic disk medium 9.

Here, the emboss 5 provided on the load spring 2
Is almost orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the load spring 2, and the recess depth gradually increases from one end to the other end, and the recess is convex on the side facing the magnetic disk medium 9. Further, R shown in FIG. 1 indicates a locus when the portion of the emboss 5 rotates around the rotation axis 7 by the rotational force provided by the actuator 8.

3 and 4 are cross-sectional views for explaining the operation of the embodiment of the present invention, and the emboss 5 shown in FIG.
The cross section along the locus R of FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the situation during normal operation of the magnetic disk device, and FIG. 4 shows a state in which the floating head slider 3 is retracted from the surface of the magnetic disk medium 9 and the floating head slider 3 is unloaded. Explaining.

In FIG. 3, the load spring 2 including the emboss 5 can be moved in the Y direction by an actuator 8 (not shown). At this time, the floating head slider 3 (not shown) is normally levitated above the magnetic disk medium 9.
Here, the embossment 5 has a recess depth gradually increasing from one end to the other end substantially along the Y-axis. Therefore, at one end of the embossment 5, the portion of the embossing 5 included in the load spring 2 from the magnetic disk medium 9 is formed. Up to h1, and the height of the other end is h2. Further, a floating head support holding mechanism 10 is installed outside the magnetic disk medium 9, and the height of the upper surface of the floating head support holding mechanism from the magnetic disk medium 9 is defined by h3.

Here, the height h1 is larger than the height h3, and the height h2 is
Is smaller than the height h3, the load spring 2 is Y
When the load spring 2 moves in the Y direction, the emboss 5 contacts with the upper surface of the floating head support mechanism 10 at a part of the emboss 5, and the load spring 2 moves in the Y direction as shown in FIG. Z inside
It will also move in the direction. Then, when the load spring 2 moves in the Z direction along the surface shape of the emboss 5, the floating head slider 3 coupled to the load spring 2 via the gimbal spring 1 (not shown) also moves in the Z direction. The floating head slider 3 is unloaded from the magnetic disk medium 9 as a result of being forcedly displaced.

The floating head slider 3 is loaded on the magnetic disk medium 9 by reversing the sequence of this operation.

Therefore, the floating head slider 3 and the magnetic disk medium 9
The surface of can always be kept in contact and therefore CSS
It is possible to avoid the problems of frictional wear and adsorption related to
The risk of head crash due to dust in the atmosphere can be greatly reduced.

Of course, it goes without saying that the embossing provided on the load spring used in the present invention may have an appropriate shape and depth for the device.

〔The invention's effect〕

By using the floating head load / unload mechanism of the present invention, it is possible to avoid the problems of friction and wear between the floating head slider and the magnetic disk medium, which are associated with CSS, and therefore the generation of dust in the atmosphere in the magnetic disk device. Can be minimized, and the risk of head crash can be greatly reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of a floating head load / unload mechanism according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a floating head support which constitutes the embodiment of FIG. 1, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a sectional view for explaining the normal operation of the example, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view for explaining the loading and unloading operations of the embodiment. 1 …… Gimbal spring 2 …… Load spring 3 …… Floating head slider 4 …… Spacer 5 …… Embossing 6 …… Carriage 7 …… Rotating shaft 8 …… Actuator 9 …… Magnetic disk medium 10 …… Floating head support Retention mechanism

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A floating head slider, a gimbal spring composed of a tongue-shaped leaf spring for supporting the floating head slider, and a plate for joining the gimbal spring to one end thereof and at the same time applying an appropriate load to the floating head slider. A floating head support composed of a spring-shaped load spring and the floating head support are held when the magnetic disk device is not in operation, and the floating head slider included in the floating head support is separated from the surface of the magnetic disk medium. A floating head load unloading mechanism for loading or unloading the floating head slider onto the surface of a magnetic disk medium according to a moving motion of the floating head support. The head support contacts the floating head support holding mechanism. A floating head load unloading mechanism, characterized in that the contacting portion has an embossing with a recess depth that gradually increases from one end to the other end in a direction substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the load spring of the floating head support. .