JPH0950680A - Self-load suspension apparatus of hard disk drive - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To stabilize the floating of a head by providing an air bearing means generating a positive lift transferring a head assembly to the stable operating height on a rotary disk while resisting the negative lift of an air strength means. SOLUTION: A truncated chevron part 23 and a wing 32 are integrally provided and a part 33 which is bent from the flat plane of a flat web toward a disk medium and whose bending is inverted at the lowest part 34 be finished at free edge 35 and which is bent downward is formed in the wing 32. The wing 32 generates a negative lift when air flow in directions of the arrows 37, 38. In operating, a positive lift with respect to a head assembly 27 is generated by an air bearing to resist the negative lift of the wing 32. Consequently, when an arm assembly is brought near a disk surface, the negative lift of the wing 32 makes the head assembly 27 float to a lowness on a surface 42 sufficient to allow the air bearing effect of the head assembly 27 to facilitate the operation of a reading/writing head on a medium of the head assembly 27. Since the dynamic balance with the negative lift of the wing 32 is generated by the lift of the head assembly 27, the head assembly 27 can stably operate.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a data storage device used with a computer, and more particularly to a hard disk drive device.

[0002]

Hard disk drives, also called Winchester disk drives, are widely used in computers and electronic devices for storing data. The recent growing demand for portable computers and removable hard disk drives has increased the demand for damage resistant devices that withstand mechanical shock. Further, the introduction of the sleep mode of the hard disk drive for energy saving has increased the number of start / stop cycles that the drive has to endure, further increasing the durability.

A typical hard disk drive consists of three major components: electronic components, mechanical devices, and media. The media portion of the drive generally comprises a disk coated with a material capable of recording data, which can be read and written by one or more heads. This material records data magnetically, optically, and magneto-optically, and the head is suitably designed to read and write the material coating the disk. The drive machine consists of the components necessary to rotate the media in a stable mechanical position at a given speed. It also includes a suspension system for selectively positioning the head at radial locations on the disk and the components necessary to maintain structural stability and a sealed and clean operating environment. The electronic components of the drive provide control, timing, data interpretation, and transmission via interfaces with other internal and external systems.

[0004]

Information is stored on and retrieved from media using read and write heads. The head individually writes polarized regions that represent bits along a track in the medium. These bands are detectable by a read head that travels over the track to sense changes in the polarity of the area. Of the many components in a disk drive, the interface between the read / write data head and the storage medium is the most sensitive to damage. Damage occurs when a head, which normally floats a short distance above the surface of a spinning medium, collides or is in momentary contact with a spinning medium at high speed due to a sudden shock during operation. . Any impact can cause scratches or deterioration of the surface, thereby reducing or impairing the usefulness of the media.

Even when not operating, there is a sudden shock that damages the media when the head moves against it.
The media can be damaged by sliding motion or the impact of momentary head separation from the media (eg, head slap). In addition, the head is initially in contact with the media at zero media velocity and transitions to a levitated state on the rotating media during read / write operations, after which
It must re-land on the media when it is complete. Damage can also occur during the repeated start and stop. For this reason, many mechanisms have been devised which minimize the possibility of damage during head takeoff / landing and head storage.

Typically, read and write heads are suspended above the storage medium by flexible arm members, commonly referred to as head suspension assemblies or suspensions. The suspension device supports and positions the head or slider, and applies a predetermined load that biases the slider in the direction of hitting the medium. The slider is tuned to create a lift force as the medium rotates and a film of air circulates with the disk so that the slider is in a stable flying state, slightly away from the surface of the medium. When the drive is first activated, the motor that spins the disk must overcome the frictional forces caused by the head being dragged on the disk. The head must slide on the disk surface until there is sufficient air velocity to raise the head to an operable flying height.
Once a sufficient flying height is reached, the slider lift balances the suspension load. When the operation ends, the rotation speed of the medium decreases, the air bearing disappears, and the slider re-landes on the medium.

One of the prior art techniques for overcoming the problems caused by the head repeatedly taking off and landing on the medium.
One approach is to provide a ramp system and leave the suspension resting on the ramp system when the medium is rotating below the air bearing speed. In this way, it is possible to avoid a situation where the slider is constantly in contact with the medium. However, this arrangement cannot prevent damage due to head slap while the disk drive is operating. In fact, portable and laptop computers are often moved while the disk drive is in operation, and lamp devices cannot address the significant causes of media damage. Also, the lamp system is typically a stationary structure and does not create an air bearing to support the head assembly. Therefore, the suspension placement of the suspension on the ramp is unpredictable, and by removing the suspension from the ramp, the levitation of the head becomes temporarily unstable and the possibility of head collision occurs.

[0008]

The present invention comprises a novel head suspension assembly for a hard disk drive data storage device. An important feature of the present invention is that it is designed to essentially prevent contact between the head of this mechanism and the surface of the data storage medium. This head suspension assembly includes an arm member having a head fixed at one end and a bush engaging a rotatable positioning shaft at the other end. The arm member is resiliently moved away from the medium. The arm members include aerodynamic vanes or wings that interact with the air flow proximate the media surface, the wings creating a negative lift that moves the arm members toward the media only when the disk is rotating. In addition, the head is tuned to produce air bearings and levitation near the surface of the media, as is well known in the art. As the disk spins, the negative lift of the wings opposes the elastic loading of the arm members, bringing them closer to the surface of the spinning media. As the head approaches the spinning surface, the positive lift of the air bearing balances the negative lift from the vanes, establishing dynamic equilibrium for a given flying height.

Stopping the drive activity, such as during a sleep mode or when the computer system is shut down, causes the medium to stall, reducing lift caused by air velocity, which causes suspension spring force. , Pull the head out of the medium and into the storage position. The operation of this system is exactly the opposite of the operation of prior art disk drive access systems in which the suspension is mounted on or biased towards the media surface. Unless there is sufficient negative lift from the wing to overcome the lifting load due to the introduction of the lifting arm lifting load,
The head essentially does not approach the media. Therefore, in order to bring the head closer to the surface of the medium to the position where contact is hindered by the air bearing effect, the medium must rotate. As a result, this system prevents contact between the head and media without resorting to any form of lamp device. In addition, this system tends to reduce head slap.

For a better understanding of the nature and advantages of the present invention, please refer to the following detailed description in connection with the accompanying drawings.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention comprises a novel head suspension arrangement for use in supporting a read and write head operatively associated with a rotating data storage medium. Although the present invention is described with respect to a magnetic hard disk drive or Winchester disk drive, it should be noted that the present invention is also applicable to optical and magneto-optical data storage media.

The typical prior art head suspension assembly illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 includes a beam arm.
An assembly 11 is provided. Arm assembly 11
Has an outer end 13 with a bushing 12 which engages a selectively rotatable positioning shaft. The inner end of the arm assembly has a tongue 14 in the axial direction of the arm assembly.
Extend to support the head assembly 16. The arm 11 has a wider width so that the vertical axis of the arm and the bush 1
It provides high rigidity in the vertical direction with respect to both the axis and the positioning axis in 2. The arms are extremely thin, flexible in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the disc, and exhibit high compliance characteristics. The head assembly is provided with an aerodynamic structure such that airflow over the surface of a rapidly rotating data storage disk causes head assembly 16 to lift and levitate closely above the surface of the disk as it spins. The head assembly 16 is elastically biased towards the spinning disk and preloaded so that the head assembly strikes the disk surface. Therefore, as previously mentioned, the arm is pre-positioned to force the head assembly against the surface of the data storage disk, and when the medium reaches the rotational speed of operation, the head assembly acting in the direction of high compliance of the arm. Aerodynamic lift forces the head away from the surface. The relationship between the arm's inherent bias toward the disk and the opposing head lift is a major cause of head collision and head slap problems in prior art disk drive systems.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the novel head suspension arrangement of the present invention comprises an arm assembly 21 of a substantially flat web having a central axial end 22 and a trapezoidal central portion 23. ing. A bush 24 is formed at the central shaft end 22 and engages a selectively rotatable positioning shaft. A tongue 26 extends in the longitudinal direction from the distal end of the central part 23, by means of which the reading /
A write head assembly 27 is supported. Similar to prior art devices, the arm assembly is wide and provides lateral stiffness, and the flat construction of the web provides high compliance in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the web. In addition, drop edge flanges 30 are formed along opposite sides of the trapezoidal portion 23 to reinforce the rigidity of that portion of the arm assembly perpendicular to the web.

The arm assembly 21 has a structure capable of being provided with an elastic beam load (negative beam load) directed in the longitudinal direction of the arm assembly and in the direction normal to the plane of the web portion of the arm assembly. . The arm assembly 21 can also be slightly curved out of the plane of the web to create an inherent elastic beam load that points away from the rotating data storage medium.

An important point of arm assembly 21 is the provision of wings 32 integrally formed with trapezoidal portion 23. The blade 32 is formed with a downwardly curved portion 33 that bends from the plane of the flat web towards the disk medium and reverses the bend at the bottom 34 and ends at the free edge 35. The wings 32 produce a negative lift as the air flows in the direction of arrows 37, 38 (see FIG. 6) to counteract the upward beam load. The actual shape of the wings 32 is best determined empirically. During operation, the air bearing allows head assembly 2
A positive lift force is generated on the wing 3 in cooperation with the beam load.
Counter the negative lift of 2. Therefore, as the negative lift of the wings 32 brings the arm assembly closer to the disk surface 42, the air bearing effect of the head assembly 27 causes the head assembly 27 to move.
The assembly is levitated above the surface 42 low enough to facilitate movement of the read / write head over the media.
The lift of the head assembly 27 creates a dynamic equilibrium with the negative lift of the wings 32, allowing the head assembly to function stably.

When the activity of the disk drive is stopped,
The rotation of the disk slows down, and so does the speed of the air film. The negative lift of the wings and the positive lift of the head gradually disappear in equilibrium and the elastic loading of the arm assembly causes the arm and head assemblies to move away from the disk surface 42. When the disk stops spinning, the head assembly is placed at the maximum distance from the disk, and the maximum distance is left until another arm drive and head assembly are pulled to the operable disk proximity position by another disk drive operation sequence. Maintain position.

[0017]

As is apparent from the foregoing, the present invention eliminates both static and dynamic contact between the head and the media surface, while at the same time providing the desired effect when the disk rotates at the desired operating speed. The flying height state can be easily obtained. Furthermore, wings 32
Since this is preferably formed from the center of the trapezoidal portion 23 of the arm, this advantage is obtained without the addition of additional mechanical or electronic components to the head suspension assembly. Therefore, the effects of the present invention can be obtained at a relatively low cost.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed in detail above, various modifications, alternative constructions and equivalents may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, wing shapes other than those shown in the figures can be employed, if desired. Therefore, the above description should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention, which is defined by the appended claims.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a typical prior art head suspension arm assembly.

2 is a side view of the exemplary prior art head suspension arm assembly shown in FIG. 1. FIG.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the head suspension arm assembly of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the head suspension arm assembly of the present invention shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 of the head suspension arm assembly of the present invention,
FIG. 6 is a schematic side view illustrating the major forces acting to control position with respect to a data storage disk.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a head suspension arm assembly of the present invention operatively associated with a data storage disk.

[Explanation of symbols]

 11, 21 Arm assembly 12, 24 Bushing 14, 26 Tongue 16 Head assembly 22 Center axis end 27 Read / write head assembly 30 Drop edge flange 32 Wing 33 Curved portion 35 Free edge 42 Disk surface

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued Front Page (72) Inventor Han Thi Newen United States 95136 San Jose Sweetberry Court, California 147 (72) Inventor Greg N Newen United States 95164 San Jose Piy, California Obox 640412 (No street number) (72) Inventor Don P. Williams United States 95117 San Jose, Blackford Court, California 677

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A suspension arm having a web portion forming a flat surface and extending proximate to a data storage surface of a disk.
A head assembly supported at the distal end of the suspension arm and a means for deflecting the suspension arm from the surface of the rotating disk by applying an elastic beam loading force to the rotating disk data storage head suspension assembly. , Interacting with a film of air moving in a predetermined direction close to the surface of the rotating disc, producing a negative lift that opposes the beam loading force and moves the head assembly toward the surface of the rotating disc. Aerodynamic means comprising vanes formed on the suspension arm, the vanes comprising vanes extending downwardly from the plane of the web of the suspension arm and ending with a free edge facing upstream in the predetermined direction; , Interacting with the moving air film proximate to the surface of the rotating disk to oppose the negative lift of the aerodynamic means to place the head assembly on the rotating disk Generating a positive lift to maintain the stable operation height, improved suspension arm comprising an air bearing means. 2. The improved suspension arm of claim 1, wherein the vanes have an intermediate portion extending from the plane of the web toward the surface of the disk.