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WO1997018563A1 - Unite de disques a cartouche amovible recevant une cartouche et procede d'insertion de la cartouche - Google Patents

Unite de disques a cartouche amovible recevant une cartouche et procede d'insertion de la cartouche Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO1997018563A1
WO1997018563A1 PCT/US1996/017880 US9617880W WO9718563A1 WO 1997018563 A1 WO1997018563 A1 WO 1997018563A1 US 9617880 W US9617880 W US 9617880W WO 9718563 A1 WO9718563 A1 WO 9718563A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
disk drive
slider
cartridge
removable cartridge
disk
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US1996/017880
Other languages
English (en)
Other versions
WO1997018563A9 (fr
Inventor
Herbert E. Thompson
Bin-Lun Ho
Albert J. Guerini
Teong-Hoe Kay
Original Assignee
Syquest Technology, Inc.
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from US08/615,080 external-priority patent/US5699210A/en
Application filed by Syquest Technology, Inc. filed Critical Syquest Technology, Inc.
Priority to EP96940327A priority Critical patent/EP0886860A1/fr
Publication of WO1997018563A1 publication Critical patent/WO1997018563A1/fr
Publication of WO1997018563A9 publication Critical patent/WO1997018563A9/fr

Links

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
    • G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
    • G11B17/00—Guiding record carriers not specifically of filamentary or web form, or of supports therefor
    • G11B17/02—Details
    • G11B17/04—Feeding or guiding single record carrier to or from transducer unit
    • G11B17/041—Feeding or guiding single record carrier to or from transducer unit specially adapted for discs contained within cartridges
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
    • G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
    • G11B17/00—Guiding record carriers not specifically of filamentary or web form, or of supports therefor
    • G11B17/02—Details
    • G11B17/04—Feeding or guiding single record carrier to or from transducer unit
    • G11B17/041—Feeding or guiding single record carrier to or from transducer unit specially adapted for discs contained within cartridges
    • G11B17/044—Indirect insertion, i.e. with external loading means
    • G11B17/046—Indirect insertion, i.e. with external loading means with pivoting loading means
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
    • G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
    • G11B23/00—Record carriers not specific to the method of recording or reproducing; Accessories, e.g. containers, specially adapted for co-operation with the recording or reproducing apparatus ; Intermediate mediums; Apparatus or processes specially adapted for their manufacture
    • G11B23/02—Containers; Storing means both adapted to cooperate with the recording or reproducing means
    • G11B23/03—Containers for flat record carriers
    • G11B23/0301—Details
    • G11B23/0308—Shutters

Definitions

  • the present invention pertains to the field of disk drives, and more particularly to a disk drive capable of receiving and accessing a removable cartridge containing a data storage disk.
  • a known method of achieving high memory capacity is to employ a removable cartridge disk drive.
  • any number of removable cartridges can be used to store as much data as is required for use with the computer. Additionally, this data can be secured in a safe location remote from the computer in order to ensure the confidentiality of the data when the computer is not in use. To minimize the cost of such a disk drive, speed and efficiency of manufacture are essential. Thus, it is desirable to construct the disk drive so that it uses as few moving parts as possible in receiving an inserted cartridge.
  • removable cartridge disk drives have been constructed such that after the cartridge is inserted the drive engages it in one of two ways: Either (1) the cartridge is received and subsequently lowered onto the spindle motor of the drive; or (2) the cartridge is received and then the spindle motor moves upward to engage it.
  • Such designs have generally proven effective in keeping down the number of moving parts used and allowing the removable cartridge and disk drive to be as compact as possible.
  • the present invention is directed to a disk drive that minimizes the number of parts utilized in receiving, holding, accessing, and ejecting a removable cartridge; allows a fixed ramp to be used for loading and unloading the read/write transducer heads; frees the actuator arm to rotate far enough to place the heads outside the cartridge and beyond the perimeter of the disk; and minimizes contaminant access to the disk surface.
  • a removable cartridge disk drive for receiving a cartridge has side walls, a base, and a cartridge receiving area into which a removable cartridge containing a data storage disk can be inserted.
  • the removable cartridge is specifically inserted into the drive at an angle relative to the base by means of a movable slider attached to one side wall of the disk drive.
  • the removable cartridge is ejected from the disk drive at an angle relative to the base by releasing the movable slider from a locked position.
  • the removable cartridge is locked into a horizontal position to engage the disk drive and is advantageously held in place by an overcenter link mechanism whose movement is driven by the movement of the slider as the cartridge is inserted into the disk drive.
  • the disk drive is preferably constructed to allow a fixed ramp surface to communicate with a transducer head load/unload wire while the transducer heads are still positioned over the surfaces of the disk.
  • the disk drive desirably has a simplified voice coil motor with enhanced angular motion so that the actuator arm can rotate far enough to carry the transducers completely outside the interior of the removable cartridge.
  • air filters are advantageously placed so that the pressure differential in the spindle area caused by the spinning action of the disk results in a flow of clean air from the bottom of the baseplate to the top of the disk to continuously purge the disk drive of contaminants.
  • individual components enclosing the disk drive are preferably connected with a tongue-and-groove feature that enhances overall airtightness of the drive.
  • Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a cartridge used in a disk drive, with the door in the closed position.
  • Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the cartridge of Fig. 1, with the door in a semi-opened position between the fully closed and fully opened positions.
  • Fig. 3 is a plan view of the cartridge of Fig. 1.
  • Fig. 4 is a door end view of the cartridge of Fig. 1.
  • Fig. 5 is a back end view of the cartridge of Fig. 1.
  • Fig. 6 is a right end view of the cartridge of Fig. 1.
  • Fig. 7 is a left end view of the cartridge of Fig. 1.
  • Fig. 8 is a bottom plan view of the cartridge of Fig. 1.
  • Fig. 9 is an internal plan view of a disk drive.
  • Fig. 10 is a partial internal plan view of the disk drive of Fig. 9, illustrating the disk drive door and extending tab.
  • Fig. 11 is a front end view of the disk drive of Fig. 9.
  • Fig. 12 is a partial internal left side view of the disk drive of Fig. 9, including the cartridge in a position not fully inserted.
  • Fig. 13 is a partial right side view of the disk drive of Fig. 9, illustrating the angular direction of insertion.
  • Fig. 14 is a partial left side view of the disk drive of Fig. 9, depicting the disk drive door in the open position.
  • Fig. 15 is a partial internal left side view of the disk drive of Fig. 9, including the internal mechanisms depicted as if the cartridge were fully inserted to engage the disk drive.
  • Fig. 16 is a partial internal exploded perspective view of the disk drive of Fig. 9 taken from the back end, with the left guide and top portion removed.
  • Fig. 17 is a simplified partial internal right side view of the disk drive of Fig. 9, with the cartridge in a position preceding insertion.
  • Fig. 18 is a simplified partial internal right side view of the disk drive of Fig. 9, with the cartridge in a fully inserted position to engage the disk drive.
  • Fig. 19 is a simplified partial internal right side view of the disk drive of Fig. 9, with the cartridge in a position immediately following ejection from the disk drive.
  • Fig. 20 is a plan view of an overcenter link component of the disk drive of Fig. 9.
  • Fig. 21 is a right side view of the overcenter link of Fig. 19.
  • Fig. 22 is a partial plan view of an actuator arm of the disk drive of Fig. 9, illustrating the load/unload wire.
  • Fig. 23 is a partial internal plan view of the disk drive of Fig. 9, illustrating the actuator arm in a retracted position.
  • Fig. 24 is a partial internal plan view of the disk drive of Fig. 9, illustrating the actuator arm in alternate positions (1) interfacing the disk and (2) unloading from the disk onto the ramp.
  • Fig. 25 is a simplified partial internal right side view of a disk drive that uses an alternative method of cartridge ejection.
  • Figs. 26a-26b are simplified partial internal right side views of another alternative embodiment of a disk drive.
  • Figs. 27a-27b are simplified partial internal right side views of still another alternative embodiment of a disk drive.
  • Fig. 28 is a simplified partial internal right side view of a further alternative embodiment of a disk drive.
  • Fig. 29a is a sectioned plan view of an enclosure for a disk drive.
  • Fig. 29b is a sectioned left side view of the enclosure of Fig. 29a.
  • Fig. 29c is a sectioned back end view of the enclosure of Fig. 29a.
  • Fig. 29d is a sectioned side view of a labyrinth seal used in the enclosure of Fig. 29a.
  • Fig. 1 depicts a preferred embodiment of a removable cartridge 20 used in a disk drive.
  • the cartridge 20 includes an outer housing 22, with a top portion 24 secured to a bottom portion 26.
  • these portions are molded out of tough, durable engineering plastic, e.g., a polycarbonate such as LEXAN.
  • the top portion 24 includes a top surface 28, and the bottom portion 26 includes a bottom surface 30.
  • the top portion 24 and bottom portion 26 are secured together to define a door or port end 32, a back end 34, a first connecting end 36 and a second connecting end 38. These first and second connecting ends 36, 38 connect the door end 32 to the back end 34.
  • top and bottom surfaces 28, 30 are substantially parallel to each other and to a data storage disk 42 contained in the cartridge 20.
  • the ends 32, 34, 36, and 38 are substantially perpendicular to the top and bottom surfaces 28, 30.
  • Removable cartridge 20 is more fully disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos. 5,218,503 and 5,280,403, both of which patents are assigned to the assignee of the present invention and fully incorporated herein by reference.
  • the port end 32 defines a port 40, which provides access to the disk 42.
  • the port 40 allows read/write transducers to be carried by rotary actuator arm to the disk 42 contained in the cartridge 20.
  • the cartridge 20 includes a single disk 42, which is about 3.5 inches in diameter and can hold 230 megabytes of data on its two planar surfaces.
  • the planar surfaces of the disk 42 contain one or more calibration tracks with alternating servo burst patterns for removing offset caused by magnetic distortion as disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 5,400,201 assigned to the assignee of the present invention and fully incorporated herein by reference. As can be seen in Figs.
  • the cartridge door 44 is mounted adjacent the port 40 such that the door 44 can be adjusted from a closed position completely closing off the port 40, to a partially or semi-opened position, and finally to a fully opened position.
  • the door 44 is comprised of LEXAN 920.
  • a stainless steel, substantially rectangular portion comprises the majority of the door 44.
  • immediately adjacent and to the left of the door 44 is an L-shaped slot 46, which allows access to a door mounting mechanism 48 and a door locking mechanism 50.
  • a J-shaped groove 52 immediately below the L-shaped slot 46 is a J-shaped groove 52. The J-shaped groove 52 extends through the door end 32 and then rearwardly and outwardly.
  • the J- shaped groove 52 accepts a member from the disk drive in order to have the cartridge 20 interlockingly received into the disk drive.
  • a door opening finger is mounted inside the disk drive. When the cartridge 20 is inserted into the drive, the door opening finger projects into slot 46 and operates a door opening mechanism to open the door 44. When it is desired to remove the cartridge 20 from the disk drive, the cartridge 20 is ejected from the drive as will be further explained below. As the cartridge 20 is being ejected, the door opening finger is automatically removed from slot 46. As this occurs, the door 44 pivots to the closed position as shown in Fig. 1.
  • a beveled portion 54 Adjacent the L-shaped slot 46 and opposite the J- shaped groove 52 and defined through the top surface 28 and the first end 36 is a beveled portion 54, which extends the length of the first end 36.
  • the beveled portion 54 is compatible with a slanted portion of the disk drive door opening which receives the cartridge 20, thereby ensuring that the cartridge 20 is inserted into the disk drive in the proper orientation. This also ensures that the cartridge 20 is properly registered in the disk drive so that the aforementioned read/write transducer heads can access the disk 42.
  • the cartridge 20 includes tabs 56, 58 which extend from the back end 34 of the housing 22. These tabs 56, 58 ensure that the length of the cartridge 20 from the door end 32 to the back end 34 is longer than the width of the cartridge 20, which is defined as the distance between the first and second ends 36, 38. Thus, the cartridge 20 cannot be inserted sideways into the disk drive.
  • the housing 22 further defines first and second recesses 60, 62 which can be used to grab the cartridge 20, either manually or with mechanical fingers, as, for example, when selecting the cartridge 20 from a library and inserting the cartridge 20 into the disk drive.
  • the cartridge 20 has been designed to maximize the size of the port 40 and to advantageously position the door 44 in the door-open position so that the rotary actuator arm and read/write heads of the disk drive have maximum exposure to the disk 42 contained in the cartridge 20.
  • the door 44 has been designed to be received substantially above and in a plane parallel to the disk 42. Further, the door 44 is received in the open position substantially within the housing 22 of the cartridge 20.
  • this design does not add to the overall length of the cartridge 20 with the door 44 in the open position and, accordingly, reduces the length of the cartridge receiver in the disk drive.
  • the pivot point of the rotary actuator arm which is fixed to the disk drive, can be positioned closer to the center of rotation of the disk 42.
  • the beveled surface 54 Immediately adjacent the L-shaped slot 46 is the beveled surface 54 , and immediately there below through the bottom surface 30 is defined the J-shaped groove 52. With the L- shaped slot 46, the beveled surface 54, and the J-shaped groove 52 so positioned, the door 44 can extend rightwardly therefrom substantially the full length of the door end 32, to a position immediately adjacent the connecting side 38.
  • the beveled surface 54 extends through the top surface 28 opposite the J-groove 52, allowing the cartridge 20 to be positively registered in the receiver of the disk drive with a member from the drive engaging and lockingly being received in the J- groove 52, and with the beveled surface 54 mating to a matching beveled surface in the cartridge receiver of the disk drive.
  • the cartridge 20 includes a hub 64 to which the disk is mounted.
  • an armature plate 65 that contacts the spindle motor of the disk drive.
  • a portion of the hub 64 and the armature plate 65 is received through a port 66 defined in the bottom surface 30 of the housing 22.
  • Disposed in the hub 64 are a plurality of five downwardly depending teeth 68 that are urged apart as they are received over a spindle hub as is known in the trade.
  • the disk drive 100 of the present invention can be seen in Figs. 9-11.
  • Fig. 9 depicts an internal plan view of an embodiment of the disk drive 100 of the invention.
  • the disk drive 100 includes right and left guides 102, 103 mounted on a baseplate 104.
  • An outer housing (not shown) encloses guides 102, 103 and base plate 104.
  • Base plate 104 supports a spindle motor (also not shown) that contacts the armature plate 65 in cartridge 20 and therefore brings the disk 42 contained in the cartridge 20 up to full rotational speed.
  • the right and left guides 102, 103 are made of a polytherimide resin material
  • the base plate 104 is made of flat ground steel.
  • the disk drive 100 further includes a front panel or bezel 106 with a cartridge receiver opening 108, through which the cartridge 20 of Fig. 1 is received.
  • a door 110 closes over the cartridge receiver opening 108.
  • Door 110 includes a tab 112 that extends therefrom and can be used to open or close the door 110.
  • the base plate 104, right and left guides 102, 103, and top portion define a cartridge receiving area 114.
  • Figs. 12-19 insertion and ejection of the cartridge 20 into and from the disk drive 100 are characterized.
  • Figs. 12-15 and 17-19 depict various side views of a disk drive 100 having features of the present invention.
  • the disk drive 100 includes a slider 116 connected to the right guide 102 and movably affixed thereto by means of a spring 118 as shown in Figs. 17-19.
  • the spring 118 has a first end 120 connected to the body of the slider 116 and a second end
  • the slider 116 includes an upstanding portion with a rubber pad 121.
  • the slider 116 further includes a slider latch 117 pivotally mounted near the front end of the slider 116.
  • the slider latch 117 pivots about an axis of rotation 119 that is radial with respect to the slider 116, and is located such that the upstanding portion 121 of the slider 116 is positioned between the forked end 128 of the slider latch 117 and the pivoting axis 119 of the slider latch 117, as shown most clearly in Figs. 17-19.
  • the slider latch has a forked front end 128 and a back end 123.
  • the slider latch 117 is spring biased to rotate clockwise to the position shown in Figs. 17 and 18 such that the back end
  • slider 116 is positioned to ride on an inward extension (not shown) of right guide 102, and moves along the right guide 102 into the drive 100 at a downward angle relative to the surface of the base plate 104.
  • the slider 116 is made of a polytherimide resin material .
  • Fig. 17 depicts the disk drive 100 with the cartridge 20 in a position preparatory to insertion.
  • the cartridge 20 inserts at a downward angle relative to the surface of the base plate 104.
  • the port end 32 of the cartridge 20 contacts the back end 123 of the slider latch 117 and urges the slider 116 into motion such that both cartridge 20 and slider 116 move in unison at the aforementioned downward angle.
  • the cartridge 20 is guided by a downwardly sloping member 124 projecting from the top of the right guide 102 and suspended above the slider 116.
  • Fig. 18 depicts the disk drive 100 with the cartridge 20 fully inserted and locked in, such that hub 64 and armature plate 65 engage the spindle motor 127.
  • a solenoid 126 is affixed to the base plate 104 in the right rear corner of the interior of the drive 100 adjacent the right guide 102 and opposite the cartridge receiver opening 108.
  • the forked front end 128 of the slider latch 117 as shown in Fig. 12 has come into contact with the armature 130 of the solenoid 126.
  • the armature 130 of the solenoid 126 includes one or more spacers 125 positioned below the forked front end 128 of the slider latch 117.
  • the slider 116 Prior to contacting the solenoid 126, the slider 116 achieves a horizontal orientation roughly parallel to the surface of the base plate 104. This is accomplished as the back end 132 of the slider 116 rides down a cam surface 134 on the right guide 102, which cam surface 134 levels out at the point 136. As the forked front end 128 of the slider latch 117 meets the armature 130 of the solenoid 126, the back end 34 of the cartridge 20 drops off of the lip 138 of the cartridge receiver opening 108 and lands on a flat surface 140 of the right guide 102. This transfixes both the slider 116 and the cartridge 20 in place because the cartridge 20 is caught between the lip 138 of the cartridge receiver opening 108 and the back end 123 of the slider latch 117.
  • the cartridge 20 is thereby fully inserted and locked into place in a horizontal position relative to the base plate 104.
  • the disk 42 inside the cartridge 20 is engaged and brought to full rotational speed by spindle motor 127.
  • a spindle 250 of the spindle motor 127 engages the hub 64 of the cartridge 20 so that rotation of the spindle motor 127 causes corresponding rotation of the disk 42 within the locked-in cartridge 20.
  • a door opening finger 142 projecting from the upstanding rubber-padded portion 121 of the slider 116 serves to open the cartridge door 44 as the cartridge 20 is inserted into the disk drive 100.
  • Fig. 19 depicts the disk drive 100 with the cartridge 20 in a position immediately following ejection.
  • the cartridge 20 is ejected when the solenoid 126 is electronically picked, thereby exerting an upward force on the armature 130 and pivoting the slider latch 117 in a counterclockwise direction to the position shown in Fig. 19.
  • This frees the slider 116 such that the spring 118 exerts uncounteracted force on the slider 116 and pulls it toward the cartridge receiver opening 108.
  • the back end 132 of the slider 116 has a cam surface that meets the cam surface 134 of the right guide 102. The back end 132 of the slider 116 is thus urged upward and toward the cartridge receiver opening 108. This serves to lift up the back end 34 of the cartridge 20.
  • the front end 32 of the cartridge 20 is contacted by the moving upstanding rubber- padded portion 121 of the slider 116.
  • This imparts momentum to the cartridge 20 in a direction toward the cartridge receiver opening 108.
  • the back end 132 of the slider 116 is met by the lip 138 of the cartridge receiver opening 108, stopping the movement of the slider 116.
  • the momentum of the cartridge 20, which is carried by the slider 116 sends the cartridge 20 to a final resting position in which the back end 34 of the cartridge 20 sticks out from the cartridge receiver opening 108 and can be grasped manually to remove the cartridge 20 from the disk drive 100.
  • the slider 116 may be driven by means of a DC motor 202 as shown in Fig. 25.
  • Figs. 26a-26b, 27a-27b, and 28 illustrate three alternative embodiments of an ejection method.
  • Figs. 27a- 27b depict the movable slider method as previously discussed.
  • the removable cartridge 20 can be ejected with a bell crank 200 driven by a DC motor 202 as shown in Figs. 26a and 26b.
  • the bell crank 200 is located inside the disk drive 100 and below the cartridge 20. As can be seen in Fig.
  • the DC motor 202 serves to rotate the bell crank 200 about a pivot point 204, thereby exerting an upward force on the bottom surface of the cartridge 20 near the back end 34 of the cartridge 20. This pops the back end 34 of the cartridge 20 upward and over the lip 138 of the cartridge receiver opening 108.
  • the cartridge 20 can be ejected by using a geneva stop 206 as shown in Fig. 28.
  • the geneva stop 206 is located inside the disk drive 100 and below the cartridge 20.
  • An eject spring 208 is connected to exert force on the cartridge 20 and urge the cartridge 20 toward the cartridge receiver opening 108.
  • the geneva stop 206 pivots about a pivot point 210 when pressure is applied manually to a tab 212 extending from the geneva stop 206. This pivoting motion applies pressure to the cartridge 20 at a point near the back end 34 of the cartridge 20, thereby lifting the back end 34 of the cartridge 20 up to allow the cartridge 20 to move partially out of the cartridge receiver opening 108.
  • the tab 212 also serves to open the door 110 to the drive 100. Thus, when the door 110 is opened, the back end 34 of the cartridge 20 is lifted to allow ejection of the cartridge 20.
  • the disk drive 100 includes an overcenter link mechanism to hold the cartridge 20 in position in the disk drive 100.
  • Figs. 20 and 21 depict plan and left side views, respectively, of an overcenter link mechanism 144 having features of the instant invention. Referring to Figs. 12 and 15, it can be seen that the removable cartridge 20 is locked into a horizontal position roughly parallel to the base plate 104 to engage the disk drive 100 and is held in place by an overcenter link mechanism 144 whose movement is driven by the movement of the slider 116 as the cartridge 20 is inserted into the disk drive 100.
  • the overcenter link 144 is made of a polytherimide resin material .
  • Fig. 12 depicts the overcenter link 144 in a position prior to insertion of the cartridge 20.
  • Fig. 15 shows the overcenter link 144 in the cartridge-inserted position. The cartridge 20 is not shown in Fig. 15 in order to better highlight the internal mechanics of the drive 100. Comparing Figs. 12 and 15, it is apparent that the overcenter link 144 is mounted to the inside of the right guide 102 so as to pivot about a pivot pin 146 on the right guide 102.
  • the overcenter link 144 includes first and second pins 148, 150, with the first pin 148 disposed in a curved opening 152 located in the right guide 102 above pivot pin 146.
  • an overcenter spring (not shown) .
  • the overcenter spring runs outside of the right guide 102 such that the right guide 102 stands between the overcenter spring and the overcenter link mechanism 144.
  • the remaining end of the overcenter spring attaches to the bottom outer edge of the right guide 102 at a point (also not shown) on an imaginary straight line that also intersects both the pivot pin 146 and the point 156 where the curved opening 152 is at its maximum distance up from the base plate 104.
  • the overcenter spring is at its maximum length when disposed on the imaginary straight line. Because the relevant Figures all depict views from within the disk drive 100, the overcenter spring is not shown.
  • the motion of the slider 116 causes the overcenter link 144 to rotate in a clockwise direction.
  • the slider 116 is formed with a groove 158 having first and second upwardly sloping surfaces 160, 162.
  • the first upwardly sloping surface 160 is longer than the second upwardly sloping surface 162, and is located closer to the back end 132 of the slider 116.
  • the first upwardly sloping surface 160 contacts the second pin 150 of the overcenter link 144, urging the above-described clockwise rotation.
  • the overcenter link 144 stops rotating at the position shown in Fig. 15. In this position the cartridge 20 lies flat and roughly parallel to the base plate 104 as previously discussed.
  • the cartridge 20 is held in place by the inward portion 164, shown in Fig. 20, of the first pin 148 of the overcenter link 144, which rests above the cartridge 20.
  • the motion of the slider 116 causes the second upwardly sloping surface 162 to contact the second pin 150 of the overcenter link 144, which second pin 150 is disposed at a position relatively closer to the base plate 104 than in the position of Fig. 12. This contact urges the overcenter link 144 into counterclockwise rotation, thereby freeing the cartridge 20 as the first pin 148 snaps back to the position of Fig. 12.
  • a switch latch locks the cartridge 20 in the fully inserted position.
  • a switch latch 166 is mounted to the inside of the right guide 102 to pivot about a pivot point 168.
  • a plunger switch (not shown) exerts a spring force on the lower corner 170 of the switch latch 166 in the direction of insertion. Prior to insertion, the position of the overcenter link 144 adjacent the switch latch 166 prevents the spring force from rotating the switch latch 166.
  • the spring force urges the switch latch 166 into clockwise rotation such that the switch latch 166 engages and locks into a notch 172 of the overcenter link mechanism 144, thereby locking the overcenter link 144 into the cartridge-inserted position.
  • the spring 118 attached to the slider 116 exerts a counteracting force sufficient to overcome the spring force on the switch latch 166.
  • the switch latch 166 is urged into counterclockwise rotation and allows the overcenter link 144 to rotate to the cartridge-ejected position of Fig. 12.
  • a voice coil motor 174 mounted on the base plate 104 are a voice coil motor 174 and a ramp 176.
  • the voice coil motor 174 is located near the right guide 102 and far enough rearwardly from the cartridge receiver opening 108 that the cartridge 20 can fit completely within the disk drive 100 without coming into contact with the voice coil motor 174.
  • the ramp 176 is fixedly attached to the base plate 104 near the left guide 103 directly across from the voice coil motor 174.
  • a planar surface portion of the ramp 176 projects with a downward slope from a point above the surface of the base plate 104 into the cartridge 20 when the cartridge 20 is fully inserted into the disk drive 100.
  • the tip 178 of the ramp 176 is located adjacent but not touching the perimeter of the disk 42 contained in the cartridge 20.
  • an actuator arm 180 is mounted for rotation and pivoted by the voice coil motor 174 as known in the art.
  • Fig. 9 depicts the actuator arm 180 in two possible locations 180a and 180c.
  • the actuator arm 180 is shown in two potential positions 180a and 180b in Fig. 24.
  • position 180a the actuator arm 180 is fully loaded onto the disk 42.
  • Position 180b illustrates the location occupied by the actuator arm 180 both immediately after loading from the tip 178 of the ramp 176 onto the disk 42, and just prior to unloading from the disk 42 onto the tip 178 of the ramp 176.
  • position 180c as shown also in Fig. 23, the actuator arm 180 is rotated to a fully unloaded position on the ramp 176 completely outside the perimeter of the disk 42.
  • Rotary actuator arm 180 is driven by the voice coil motor 174 with the aid of a retractor link mechanism (not shown) as known in the art.
  • the retractor link mechanism is operably connected to movement of the slider 116 by a pin (not shown) that extends from the voice coil motor 174 and is urged into rotation by the movement of the slider 116.
  • a spring (not shown) connected between the pin and the retractor link mechanism is stretched by the rotation of the pin. The pin snaps back after the slider 116 passes by, rendering the actuator arm 180 free to swing over the surface of the disk 42.
  • the actuator arm 180 immediately retracts to the position 180c of Fig. 23 upon movement of the slider 116.
  • the actuator arm 180 carries one or more read/write transducers or heads 182 for reading data from or writing data to the surface of the disk 42 contained in the cartridge 20.
  • Transducer 182 is shown in positions 182a, 182b, and 182c corresponding to the placement of the actuator arm 180a, 180b, and 180c.
  • the read/write transducer 182 is loaded onto the disk 42 from the fixed ramp 176 attached to the base plate 104 of the drive 100 (or, likewise, the transducer 182 is unloaded from the disk 42 onto the fixed ramp 176) with a bent load/unload wire 184 (shown in corresponding positions 184a, 184b, and 184c) attached to the actuator arm 180 adjacent the transducer 182.
  • a fixed ramp 176 can be used in drive 100 in lieu of a conventional movable ramp.
  • the bent load/unload wire 184 remains in contact with the fixed ramp 176 as actuator arm 180 moves the transducers 182 off the ramp 176 and out over the surface of the disk 42. Adequate separation between the transducers 182 themselves, and the transducers 182 and the disk 42 surfaces, is thus maintained, enabling the loading operation to proceed without head crashes.
  • the bent load/unload wire 184 projects outside the perimeter of the disk 42 to contact the fixed ramp 176 as the transducers 182 approach the outer diameter of the disk 42, again allowing adequate separation between the transducers 182 and disk 42 surfaces to be maintained while the unloading operation proceeds.
  • the voice coil motor 174 of the disk drive 100 supports an actuator plate 186 also supported by a stand ⁇ off (not shown) preferably made of plastic.
  • a screw 188 runs through the stand-off and connects the actuator plate 186 to the base plate 104.
  • the screw 188 can be loosened to allow the stand-off to be turned, thereby adjusting the angular orientation of the voice coil motor 174.
  • This allows the actuator arm 180 to rotate far enough to carry the transducer 182 completely outside the interior of the removable cartridge 20. This feature decreases manufacturing cost by utilizing one actuator plate 186 instead of both a top plate and a bottom plate.
  • the clamp magnet 190 of the voice coil motor 174 can be skewed so as to allow even more angular motion for the voice coil motor 174.
  • air filters are placed in the spindle motor 127 so that the pressure differential in the spindle area caused by the spinning action of the disk 42 results in a flow of clean air from the bottom of the baseplate 104 to the top of the disk 42 to continuously purge the inside of the disk drive 100 of contaminants.
  • the enclosure 214 includes a top 216, a bottom 218, a back 220, a front bezel 106, and a door 110.
  • the enclosure 214 is made of plastic.
  • a labyrinth seal 222 depicted more clearly in Fig. 29d, is used to connect the top 216 to the bottom 218; the back 220 to the top 216 and bottom 218; the front bezel 106 to the top 216 and bottom 218; and the door 110 to the front bezel 106.
  • the labyrinth seal 222 serves to restrict air flow from outside the drive 100 to the interior of the drive 100 by forcing the air to travel around several bends as shown in Fig. 29d.
  • the reduced air flow decreases the risk of contaminants interfering with read/write operations between the transducer 182 and the surface of the disk 42 contained in the removable cartridge 20.
  • the removable cartridge 20 is inserted into the drive 100 at an angle relative to the base plate 104 of the drive 100.
  • the cartridge 20 contacts the movable slider 116, which travels in unison with the cartridge 20 until the cartridge 20 achieves a horizontal orientation roughly parallel to the base plate 104, whereby disk 42 inside cartridge 20 engages the spindle motor 127 of the drive 100.
  • the overcenter link 144 locks the cartridge 20 into place and the spindle motor 127 brings the disk 42 to full rotational speed.
  • the cartridge door 44 which has been opened due to the penetration of the door opening finger 142 on the slider 116, allows the transducer 182 to access the disk 42.
  • the voice coil motor 174 causes the rotary actuator arm 180 to load transducer 182 from the fixed ramp surface 176 onto the disk 42. After read/write functions cease, transducer head 182 is unloaded from the disk 42 to the fixed ramp 176 with the aid of the bent load/unload wire 184. The voice coil motor 174 then retracts the actuator arm 180.
  • the solenoid 126 is picked and thus releases the forked front end 128 of the slider latch 117 on the movable slider 116, allowing the slider 116 to move toward the door 110 of the disk drive 100.
  • the curved back end 132 of the slider 116 rides up the cam surface 134 of the disk drive 100.
  • the rubber-padded upstanding portion 121 of the slider 116 contacts the back end 32 of the cartridge 20. Imported by the movable slider 116, the removable cartridge 20 is ejected from the disk drive 100 at an angle relative to the base plate 104 of the disk drive 100.

Landscapes

  • Feeding And Guiding Record Carriers (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention se rapporte à une unité de disques (100) dans laquelle peut être insérée une cartouche amovible (20) et qui comporte une base plate (104) et des parois de guidage droite (102) et gauche (103). La cartouche (20) s'insère dans l'unité de disques (100) au niveau d'un angle au moyen d'une pièce coulissante (116) fixée à une des parois de guidage (102).Après son insertion, la cartouche (20) est bloquée et retenue. En fonctionnement, un bras actionneur rotatif (180) à orientation angulaire réglable charge une ou plusieurs têtes de lecture/écriture (182) à partir d'une rampe fixe (176) sur la surface d'un disque (42) d'enregistrement de données placé dans la cartouche (20). Lorsque les opérations de lecture/écriture sont terminées, la tête (182) est retirée de la rampe fixe (176) et la cartouche (30) est éjectée de l'unité de disques (100) au niveau d'un angle.
PCT/US1996/017880 1995-11-13 1996-11-08 Unite de disques a cartouche amovible recevant une cartouche et procede d'insertion de la cartouche WO1997018563A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP96940327A EP0886860A1 (fr) 1995-11-13 1996-11-08 Unite de disques a cartouche amovible recevant une cartouche et procede d'insertion de la cartouche

Applications Claiming Priority (6)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US647995P 1995-11-13 1995-11-13
US60/006,479 1995-11-13
US08/615,080 1996-03-13
US08/615,080 US5699210A (en) 1995-11-13 1996-03-13 Disk drive for receiving a removable cartridge and method of inserting the cartridge
US65889796A 1996-05-31 1996-05-31
US08/658,897 1996-05-31

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO1997018563A1 true WO1997018563A1 (fr) 1997-05-22
WO1997018563A9 WO1997018563A9 (fr) 1997-08-21

Family

ID=27358137

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/US1996/017880 WO1997018563A1 (fr) 1995-11-13 1996-11-08 Unite de disques a cartouche amovible recevant une cartouche et procede d'insertion de la cartouche

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0886860A1 (fr)
WO (1) WO1997018563A1 (fr)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0905688A1 (fr) * 1997-09-29 1999-03-31 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. Entraínement de disque
CN114730579A (zh) * 2020-02-18 2022-07-08 西部数据技术公司 用于减少开裂的装载/卸载坡道机构

Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5537377A (en) * 1993-06-30 1996-07-16 Clarion Co., Ltd. Information recording and reproducing apparatus

Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5537377A (en) * 1993-06-30 1996-07-16 Clarion Co., Ltd. Information recording and reproducing apparatus

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0905688A1 (fr) * 1997-09-29 1999-03-31 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. Entraínement de disque
US6388835B1 (en) 1997-09-29 2002-05-14 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. Disk drive comprising a holder unit and chassis unit
CN114730579A (zh) * 2020-02-18 2022-07-08 西部数据技术公司 用于减少开裂的装载/卸载坡道机构

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0886860A1 (fr) 1998-12-30

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