Flexible information storing disk apparatus having laminar air flow

- Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba

A magnetic or optical disk apparatus having a flexible disk rotated at high speed and head sliders for reading and writing information on the disk, floating from both sides of the disk. The disk apparatus is also provided with straightening plates for keeping air flow in the radial direction of the disk as a laminar flow to surely prevent the disk from being vibrated at the time when the disk is rotated at high speed. As the result, positions of the head sliders relative to the disk can be surely and accurately maintained to provide heads with excellent recording and reproducing characteristics. Mass storage and high speed access can be thus achieved without damaging the flexible disk and the disk apparatus can be smaller-sized with lighter weight and lower cost.

Skip to:  ·  Claims  ·  References Cited  · Patent History  ·  Patent History

Claims

2. An information storing disk apparatus, comprising:

a flexible disk for storing reproducing information;
rotator means for rotating said disk to cause centrifugal force to act on said disk in a radial direction thereof so that said disk remains flat, and for creating air flow on both sides of said disk in a circumferential direction thereof wherein air flow is created in the radial direction of said disk when said disk rotates;
a pair of head sliders located to face the both sides of said disk, respectively, at least one of the head sliders having means for writing and reading information on and from said disk, each of said head sliders having air surface on which air force caused by a circumferential air flow acts to float said head slider from said disk;
support means for supporting said pair of head sliders, said support means serving to apply elastic force of said support means to each of said head sliders against the air force, and for keeping said head sliders floating from said disk by a predetermined distance when the elastic force is balanced with the air force applied;
straightening plate means located to face the both sides of said disk, for straightening the air flow in the radial direction of said disk, and for reducing the occurrence of turbulent flow in the air flow;
package means having a closed space therein, and for packing said flexible disk, said pair of head sliders, said support means and said straightening means in the closed space of said package means; and
said straightening plate means including a pair of stationary plates having a pair of stationary straightening surfaces arranged to face the both sides of said disk, each of said stationary straightening surfaces serving to straighten the air flow in the radial direction of said disk to prevent an occurrence of turbulent flow between each of said stationary straightening surfaces and said disk, each of said straightening surfaces being defined on a face of each of said stationary plates which faces said disk, each of said stationary plates covering said disk and having a cut-away portion for defining a space in which each of said head sliders can move on said disk in a radial direction thereof..Iaddend..Iadd.3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said disk includes a magnetic recording medium..Iaddend..Iadd.4. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the straightening plate means functions without contacting the flexible disk..Iaddend..Iadd.5. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein each of said straightening plates is stationary relative to the rotation of the flexible disk..Iaddend..Iadd.6. An information storing apparatus, comprising:
a housing;
a flexible disk disposed within said housing, wherein when said flexible disk is rotated, an airflow is created on both sides of said disk in a circumferential direction thereof and airflow is also created in a radial direction of the disk, and a centrifugal force acts on the flexible disk;
a pair of head sliders disposed on opposite sides of said flexible disk and facing said flexible disk, each of said head sliders including a head and being floated from said disk by the circumferential airflow;
a support for supporting said head sliders;
straightening plates disposed on each side of said flexible disk, each of said straightening plates straightening the airflow along the radial direction of the disk to keep the flexible disk flat without contacting

the flexible disk..Iaddend..Iadd.7. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said flexible disk is a magnetic disk..Iaddend..Iadd.8. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein each of said straightening plates includes a cut-away portion for defining a space in which each of the head

sliders can move in the radial direction of the disk..Iaddend..Iadd.9. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein each of said straightening plates is stationary relative to the rotation of the flexible disk.

.Iaddend..Iadd.10. An information storing disk apparatus using a flexible disk for storing and reproducing information, the apparatus comprising:

rotator means for rotating said disk to cause centrifugal force to act on said disk in a radial direction thereof so that said disk remains flat, and for creating air flow on both sides of said disk in a circumferential direction thereof wherein air flow is created in the radial direction of said disk when said disk rotates;
a pair of head sliders located to face the both sides of said disk, respectively, at least one of the head sliders having means for writing and reading information on and from said disk, each of said head sliders having air surface on which air force caused by a circumferential air flow acts to float said head slider from said disk;
support means for supporting said pair of head sliders, said support means serving to apply elastic force of said support means to each of said head sliders against the air force, and for keeping said head sliders floating from said disk by a predetermined distance when the elastic force is balanced with the air force applied, said support means including a pair of load springs, corresponding to said pair of head sliders, for applying said elastic force, and a pair of gimbal springs, corresponding to said pair of head sliders and said pair of load springs, connected between the corresponding load spring and corresponding head slider;
straightening plate means located to face the both sides of said disk, for straightening the air flow in the radial direction of said disk, and for reducing the occurrence of turbulent flow in the air flow; and
said straightening plate means including a pair of stationary plates having a pair of stationary straightening surfaces arranged to face the both sides of said disk, each of said stationary straightening surfaces serving to straighten the air flow in the radial direction of said disk to prevent an occurrence of turbulent flow between each of said stationary straightening surfaces and said disk, each of said straightening surfaces being defined on a face of each of said stationary plates which faces said disk, each of said stationary plates covering said disk and having a cut-away portion for defining a space in which each of said head sliders

can move on said disk in a radial direction thereof..Iaddend..Iadd.11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said disk includes a magnetic recording medium..Iaddend..Iadd.12. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the straighten plate means functions without contacting the flexible disk..Iaddend..Iadd.13. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein each of said straightening plates is stationary relative to the rotation of the flexible disk..Iaddend..Iadd.14. An information storing apparatus using a flexible disk, wherein when said flexible disk is rotated, an airflow is created on both sides of said disk in a circumferential direction thereof and airflow is also created in a radial direction of the disk, and a centrifugal force acts on the flexible disk, the apparatus comprising:

a pair of head sliders disposed on opposite sides of said flexible disk and facing said flexible disk, each of said head sliders including a head and floating from said disk by the circumferential airflow;
a support for supporting said head sliders, said support including a pair of load springs, corresponding to said pair of head sliders, for applying said elastic force, and a pair of gimbal springs, corresponding to said pair of head sliders and said pair of load springs, connected between the corresponding load spring and corresponding head slider;
straightening plates disposed on each side of said flexible disk, each of said straightening plates straightening the airflow along the radial direction of the disk to keep the flexible disk flat without contacting the flexible disk..Iaddend..Iadd.15. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said flexible disk is a magnetic disk..Iaddend..Iadd.16. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein each of said straightening plates includes a cut-away portion for defining a space in which each of the head sliders can move in the radial direction of the disk..Iaddend..Iadd.17. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein each of said straightening plates is stationary relative to the rotation of the flexible disk..Iaddend.
Referenced Cited
U.S. Patent Documents
3688285 August 1972 Lawrence et al.
3729720 April 1973 Darling et al.
3731292 May 1973 Kelley
3852820 December 1974 Barbeau et al.
3879757 April 1975 Elliot et al.
4039764 August 2, 1977 Bricot et al.
4071854 January 31, 1978 Bijon et al.
4214286 July 22, 1980 Ragle et al.
4419704 December 6, 1983 Radman et al.
4613966 September 23, 1986 Di Stefano et al.
4661875 April 28, 1987 Kinjo
4794482 December 27, 1988 Horio et al.
4803578 February 7, 1989 Fujiwara
4912582 March 27, 1990 Gomi et al.
4975794 December 4, 1990 Losee et al.
Foreign Patent Documents
60-193178 October 1985 JPX
61-107572 May 1986 JPX
62-117165 May 1987 JPX
63-200374 August 1988 JPX
1-204266 August 1989 JPX
Other references
  • IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, "Double Bernoulli Disk Configuration", vol. 19, No. 9, pp. 3573-3574.
Patent History
Patent number: RE35670
Type: Grant
Filed: Apr 20, 1994
Date of Patent: Nov 25, 1997
Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Kawasaki)
Inventors: Makoto Imamura (Hayama-machi), Kazushi Tanimoto (Tokyo), Yoichiro Tanaka (Kawasaki), Yoshiaki Sonobe (Ichikawa), Katsuyoshi Kitagawa (Urayasu)
Primary Examiner: Robert S. Tupper
Assistant Examiner: George J. Letscher
Law Firm: Oblon, Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt, P.C.
Application Number: 8/230,207
Classifications
Current U.S. Class: 360/103; 360/9901; 360/106; 360/13034
International Classification: G11B 560; G11B 1564; G11B 1732; G11B 2120;