Disk drive

• US 20020021513A1
• Filed: 04/23/2001
• Published: 02/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Original Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Inventors: Nagaki, Koichi, Kaneko, Michihiro, Watanabe, Tomo, Yamauchi, Keiichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,075,745 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 360/6
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/04 Arrangements for preventing, inhibiting, or warning against double recording on the same blank or against other recording or reproducing malfunctions
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 21/12 Raising and lowering; Back-spacing or forward-spacing along track; Returning to starting position otherwise than during transducing operation
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 21/22 while the head is out of operative position

Abstract

In a disk drive apparatus for forcibly restoring a head to a retract position when a power voltage is greatly lowered, the head is moved in a direction toward the retract position when detecting a small decrease in the power voltage.

Claims

1. A disk drive apparatus for controlling, under supply of a predetermined rating voltage of power voltage, a head drive section to position a head in a radial direction of an information recording disk and carry out write and/or read operation of information while rotatively driving the information recording disk by a rotation drive motor, the disk drive apparatus including:

a forcible restoring section for controlling the head drive section to forcibly bring said head to a retract position when said power voltage goes below a first voltage level; and

a normal restoring section for controlling said head drive section to move said head toward said retract position on the basis of said power voltage while said power voltage is smaller than said rating voltage but greater than said first voltage level.

2. A disk drive apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said information recording disk is a magnetic disk.

3. A disk drive apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said head is a magnetic head, and said retract position has a ramp provided for said magnetic head to run thereon.

4. A disk drive apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said power voltage is a voltage based on a battery voltage of a vehicle-mounted battery to be charged by a generator operating responsive to rotation of a vehicle-mounted engine.

5. A disk drive apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said forcible restoring section and said normal restoring section are operated by a microprocessor operating on said power voltage.

6. A vehicle-mounted navigation system including a disk drive apparatus according to claim 4.

7. A disk drive apparatus according to claim 6, wherein monitor is made on only a battery voltage to said disk drive apparatus to detect variation in said power voltage.