JPH04232608A - Automatic connection method for magnetic head lead wires - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a system for automatically connecting a lead wire of a magnetic head to a testing circuit in a magnetic head testing device.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art A magnetic head for a magnetic disk of an information recording medium is inspected after manufacturing. FIG. 2 shows part of the configuration of a magnetic head testing device, in which a magnetic disk 3 for testing is shown.
is attached to a spindle 21 and rotates. In the inspection, the magnetic head 11 is not a single unit, but is fixed to the tip of the gimbal arm 12 to form the head assembly 1, and is comprehensively inspected including the characteristics of the gimbal arm. The head assembly 1 is stored on a storage stand (not shown), is supplied to the carriage mechanism 2 by a robot mechanism, and is clamped by a clamp section 22. The drive motor 24 fixed to the base 21 of the carriage mechanism 2 moves the slider 23 in the direction of arrow R (in the radial direction of the disk 3), and the clamp section, and therefore the magnetic head 11, approaches the disk.
Inspection is performed by seeking a predetermined inspection track.

With the arrival of the information age, the demand for magnetic disk drives has increased, and in response to the accompanying increase in production of magnetic heads, it has become necessary to automate inspection equipment. The supply (including discharge) is automated as described above, and the clamping operation for the clamp section is also automated, which will be explained with the help of the drawings.

FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b) illustrate the structure of the head assembly 1 and the clamping operation of the clamp section.The magnetic head 11 has a lead wire 13 that connects it to a test circuit. is wired along the surface of the gimbal arm 12 and drawn out near the base 14 thereof. On the other hand, the base 14 has an oval hole 1 for positioning.
41 is provided, and a protrusion 221 provided on the clamp portion 22 is fitted into the oval hole to position the head assembly 1. The clamp plate 22 of the clamp part is operated by a drive mechanism (not shown).
2 is driven and presses both sides of the base 14 to release the head.
The assembly is clamped. After the clamping operation is completed, the connection terminal 251 of the terminal board 25 provided on the base 21
The ends of the lead wires are connected by soldering. The magnetic head is connected to the test circuit by wiring directly from the connection terminal to the test circuit, or by contacting the contact pin 252 with the wire as shown.

[0005]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] In the above, the solder connection of the lead wire 13 to the connection terminal 251 is conventionally performed.
It is done manually. Since the lead wire is a very fine wire, it is difficult to handle and solder it, and the work takes a considerable amount of time. As mentioned above, the supply/ejection of the head assembly and the clamping operation are automated, but because the lead wires are connected manually, the entire inspection equipment is in an incomplete semi-automated state. It is desirable to automate and improve the operating rate of inspection equipment. The present invention has been made in view of the above, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an automatic lead wire connection method for completely automating a magnetic head testing device.

[0006]

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention includes a robot mechanism that is controlled by a microprocessor and that transports a head assembly to be inspected, which is composed of a magnetic head and a gimbal arm, from a storage stand and supplies/discharges it to a clamp section;
This is an automatic connection method for magnetic head lead wires in a magnetic head inspection device that has a clamp mechanism that clamps a supplied head assembly to a clamp part. Solder the lead wires to the terminal board and store them on the storage stand. A connecting mechanism having contact pins corresponding to this solder connection surface is provided, and the connecting mechanism is driven by an air cylinder controlled by a microprocessor, and the head assembly is transported from the store stand by the robot mechanism and clamped to the clamp section. The contact pin is brought into contact with the solder surface and the lead wire is connected to the test circuit. The above-mentioned connection mechanism includes a lever that is pivotally supported by a mover of a carriage mechanism that moves the clamp section and is rotated by the drive of an air cylinder, and a connection pin is attached to the tip of the lever.

[0007]

[Operation] In the automatic lead wire connection method with the above configuration, a terminal plate is provided at the base of the gimbal arm of the head assembly, and the lead wires of the magnetic head are soldered to the terminal plate in advance and stored on the storage stand. . The lever of the connection mechanism is rotated by an air cylinder controlled by a microprocessor, and the contact pin at the tip of the lever comes into contact with the solder surface of the head assembly that has been transported from the store stand and clamped to the clamp section, and the lead of the magnetic head is rotated. A line is connected to the test circuit. As a result, the connection of lead wires is also automated in addition to the already automated head assembly supply/ejection and clamping operations, thereby achieving complete automation of the magnetic head testing apparatus.

[0008]

[Embodiment] Figs. 1(a) and 1(b) show an embodiment of the present invention. In Fig. 1(a), a terminal plate 15 is attached and fixed to the base 14 of the gimbal arm 12 of the head assembly 1. . The fixing position avoids the oval hole 141 for positioning and the two mounting holes 142 provided for attaching the head assembly to the magnetic disk drive, and is located at a position that does not interfere with the operation of the gimbal arm. The tip of the lead wire 13 of the magnetic head is soldered to the connection terminal 151 of the terminal board. This soldering work is preferably performed during the assembly work of the head assembly 1. Figure (b) shows the connection mechanism 4, in which the moving part 23 of the carriage mechanism 2
A lever 41 having the shape shown in the figure and having a contact pin 411 at its tip is supported on a rotating shaft 42 provided on a side surface of the lever, and is rotated by an air cylinder 43.

[0009] To explain the connection operation of the above connection mechanism,
As described above, the head assembly 1 is supplied to the clamp part 22, and both sides of the base part 14 are attached to the clamp plate 22.
After being pressed and clamped by 2, the air cylinder 43 rotates the lever 41 from the dotted line to the solid line position under the control of the microprocessor, and the contact pin 411 comes into contact with the solder surface of the connection terminal 151, and the lead wire 13 is inspected. Connected to a circuit (not shown). When the inspection is completed, the lever is rotated in the opposite direction to release the lead wire connection, and then the clamp is released and the head assembly is transported to the store stand by a robot mechanism (not shown), where it is loaded onto the next head assembly. Inspections will continue.

[0010] In the above, the terminal plate 15 fixed to the base 14 does not need to be removed when the head assembly 1 is mounted on a magnetic disk drive, and the connection terminals 151 can be used as they are for connecting lead wires. , it does not interfere with the assembly work of the magnetic disk device and is rather convenient.

As described above, in the present invention, a terminal plate is provided at the base of the head assembly, the lead wires of the magnetic head are soldered to the terminal plate, and the head assembly is clamped to the clamp portion. For the assembly, the lever of the connection mechanism rotates under the control of the microprocessor, and the contact pin at the tip of the lever contacts the solder connection surface of the terminal board, connecting the lead wire to the test circuit, which is already automated. Supply of head assemblies/
In addition to the ejection and clamping operations, the connection of lead wires is also automated, and the complete automation of the magnetic head inspection apparatus is achieved, which has a significant effect in improving the operating rate.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a structural diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a part of the magnetic head testing device.

FIG. 3 is a structural diagram of a head assembly of a magnetic head, and an explanatory diagram of a method of clamping the head assembly and a conventional method of connecting lead wires of the magnetic head.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Head assembly of magnetic head 11 Magnetic head 12 Gimbal arm 13 Lead wire 14 Base of gimbal arm 141 Positioning hole 142 Mounting hole 15 Terminal plate 151 Connection terminal 2 Carriage mechanism 21 Base 22 Clamp part 221 Protrusion 222 Clamp plate 23 Mover 24 Drive motor 25 Terminal board 251 Connection terminal 252 Contact pin 3 Magnetic disk for inspection 31 Spindle 4 Connection mechanism 41 Lever 411 Contact pin 42 Rotating shaft 43 Air cylinder

Claims (2)

[Claims] Claim 1: Controlled by a microprocessor,
The head to be inspected consists of a magnetic head and a gimbal arm.
In a magnetic head inspection apparatus having a robot mechanism that transports an assembly from a store table and supplies/discharges it to a clamp section, and a clamp mechanism that clamps the supplied head assembly to the clamp section, the base of the gimbal arm is A terminal board is provided, the lead wire of the magnetic head is connected to the terminal board by solder and stored in the storage stand, a connection mechanism having contact pins corresponding to the solder connection surface is provided, and the connection mechanism is connected to the connection mechanism as described above. Driven by an air cylinder controlled by a microprocessor, the contact pin is brought into contact with the solder surface of the head assembly that is transported from the store table by the robot mechanism and clamped to the clamp section, and the lead wire An automatic method for connecting lead wires of a magnetic head, characterized in that the lead wires of a magnetic head are connected to a test circuit of the test device. 2. The connection mechanism according to claim 1 is provided with a lever that is pivotally supported by a mover of a carriage mechanism that moves the clamp portion and rotates by the drive of the air cylinder, and that the contact pin is attached to the tip of the lever. 2. The automatic connection method for lead wires of a magnetic head according to claim 1, characterized in that the method is configured by attaching a lead wire to a magnetic head.