Air bladder apparatus for positioning a magnetic head

• US 4,862,302 A
• Filed: 05/27/1988
• Issued: 08/29/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Donald L. Ekhoff
• Original Assignee: Donald L. Ekhoff
• Inventors: Ekhoff, Donald L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tupper, Robert S.
• Application Number:
  US07/199,611
• Time in Patent Office: 459 Days
• Field of Search: 360/105, 360/104
• US Class Current: 360/254.2
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/54 with provision for moving the head into or out of its operative position or across tracks
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/6005 Specially adapted for spacing from a rotating disc using a fluid cushion

Abstract

In an actuator for the recording and reading of information on a magnetic memory disk of the type having a pair of flexures suspended from a support arm, a low mass pneumatic apparatus for bringing a magnetic head into proximity with a disk. The support arm includes upper and lower bodies which are spaced apart to straddle a magnetic memory disk. Each of the support arm bodies is fixed to one end of a flexure. The end of each flexure opposite the support arm bodies has a read/write head. The flexures and heads are spring biased into an unload position away from the magnetic memory disk. Independent gas impermeable elastic bladders are operatively coupled to the support arm bodies and the flexure members to exert a force which bends the flexures relative to the support arm. Expansion of the elastic bladders provide a force which exceeds the spring biasing, thereby moving the heads into a load position in data transfer engagement with the magnetic disk. The elastic bladders and the head suspension assembly provide a low mass load-unload device.

Claims

1. A magnetic head load-unload device for use with an actuator in the recording and reading of information on a magnetic disk, comprising,

a support arm,

means for suspending a transducer from said support arm,

a transducer coupled to said suspension means, said transducer having a load position and an unload position relative to said support arm, movement of said transducer from said unload position to said load position having the effect of placing to said load position having the effect of placing the transducer in data transfer engagement with a magnetic disk,

biasing means for exerting a force with relation to said suspension means in a manner to urge said transducer into one of said load and unload positions,

an elastically expandable pneumatic bladder operatively coupled to said biasing means such that expansion of said pneumatic bladder provides a of said pneumatic bladder providing a force to overcome said biasing means, thereby moving said transducer to the other of said load and unload positions, and

gas supply means for selectively inflating said pneumatic bladder.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said biasing means exerts a force to urge said transducer into an unload position and expansion of said pneumatic bladder provides a load force sufficient to overcome the force of said biasing means.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said transducer is a first transducer and said bladder is a first pneumatic bladder said device further comprising a second pneumatic bladder and a second transducer pivotally attached to said support arm and biased into an unload position relative to said support arm, said second transducer having an orientation opposite the orientation of said first transducer, said second pneumatic bladder in transition transfer engagement with said second transducer.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said biasing means is a return spring.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein said transducer is fixed to a resilient suspension flexure attached to said support arm, said resilient suspension flexure having an elasticity to maintain a predetermined gram load force on said magnetic disk when said transducer is in a load position.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein said support arm is pivotally connected to a rotary actuator housing, whereby pivoting of said support arm moves said transducer along an arcuate path.

7. A magnetic head load-unload device for use with an actuator in recording and reading of information on a magnetic disk, comprising,

a support arm,

a head suspension assembly attached to said support arm,

a read/write head fixed to said head suspension assembly,

biasing means for exerting a force on said head suspension assembly to urge said head suspension assembly to pivot into a rest condition with respect to said support arm, said rest condition being one of a load position in which said read/write head is in data transfer engagement with a magnetic disk, having an unload position, removed from said data transfer engement,

a gas impermeable expandable ladder operatively coupled to said support arm and said head suspension assembly to displace said head suspension assembly relative to said support arm, expansion of said bladder having a force to pivot said head suspension assembly from said rest condition, and

gas supply means for selectively inflating said bladder.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein said head suspension assembly includes a resilient flexure member hinged to said support arm, said flexure member made of a material having an elasticity to maintain a predetermined gram load force on said magnetic disk when said read/write head is in a load position.

9. The device of claim 7 wherein said biasing means is a return spring operatively coupled to said support arm and said head suspension assembly to urge said head suspension assembly into said unload position.

10. The device of claim 7 wherein said read/write head is a first read/write head and said bladder is a first bladder, said device further comprising a second bladder and a second read/write head pivotally attached to said support arm and biased into an unload position relative to said support arm, said second read/write head having an orientation opposite the orientation of said first read/write head, said second bladder in transition transfer engagement with said second read/write head.

11. The device of claim 7 wherein said gas supply means provides a supply of air in the range of 12 psi to 30 psi.

12. The device of claim 8 wherein said head suspension assembly includes a lift wire and wherein said support arm includes a stationary segment and a hinged segment pivotally attached to said stationary segment, said lift wire having a first end attached to said hinged segment and having a second end- in motion transfer communication with said flexure member, said bladder disposed such that expansion of the bladder pivots said hinged segment to bend the flexure member into a load position.

13. The device of claim 7 wherein said support arm is pivotally connected to a rotary actuator housing, whereby pivoting of said support arm moves said read/write head along an arcuate path.

14. An actuator for recording and reading of information on a magnetic disk comprising,

an actuator housing,

a support arm fixed to said actuator housing for movement within a horizontal plane, said support arm having upper and lower longitudinally extending bodies spaced apart at one end to straddle a magnetic disk,

a first head suspension assembly attached to said upper body of the support arm,

a first read/write head fixed to said first head suspension assembly, said first head suspension assembly having a load position in which said first read/write head is in data transfer engagement with said magnetic disk and having an unload position, said first head suspension assembly biased into said unload position,

a first gas impermeable elastic bladder operatively coupled to said support arm and said head suspension assembly to exert a force displacing said first suspension assembly relative to said support arm, expansion of said first elastic bladder providing a force exceeding the bias of said first head suspension assembly, thereby moving said first head suspension assembly into said load position,

a second head suspension assembly attached to said lower body and having a load position relative to said support arm and to said magnetic disk, said second head suspension assembly biased in an unload position,

a second read/write head fixed to said second head suspension assembly in an orientation opposite the orientation of said first read/write head,

a second gas impermeable elastic bladder operatively coupled to said support arm and said second head suspension assembly to exert a force displacing said second head suspension assembly relative to said support arm, expansion of said second elastic bladder providing a force exceeding the bias of said second head suspension assembly, thereby moving said second head assembly into said load position, and

gas supply means for selectively and independently inflating said first and second elastic bladders.

15. The actuator of claim 14 wherein said first and second head suspension assemblies each include a flexure and a lift wire and wherein said upper and lower bodies of the support arm each include a stationary segment and a hinged segment pivotally attached to the stationary segment, said lift wire connected at a first end to said hinged segment and attached at a second end to said flexure, the associated elastic bladder disposed such that expansion of the elastic bladder pivots at hinge segment to bend the flexure into a load position.

16. The actuator of claim 14 wherein said support arm is a rotary support arm pivotally coupled to said actuator housing.

17. The actuator of claim 15 wherein said hinged segments are biased in spaced apart relation to said stationary segments.

18. The actuator of claim 15 wherein said flexures are made of a material having an elasticity to maintain a predetermined gram load force on said magnetic disk.