Flexible disk assembly and a flexible disk device with a working environment display function

• US 5,434,737 A
• Filed: 05/26/1994
• Issued: 07/18/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Miura, Okimi
• Primary Examiner(s): Heinz, A. J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): EVANS, JEFFERSON A
• Application Number:
  US08/249,694
• Time in Patent Office: 418 Days
• Field of Search: 360/97.01-97.04, 360/133, 360/137
• US Class Current: 360/133
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 23/021 comprising means for reducing influence of physical parameters, e.g. temperature change, moisture combined with means for reconditioning or cleaning G11B23/507

Abstract

A flexible disk assembly having a detector for detecting at least one of temperature and humidity to determine whether the working environment is in an adequate condition for use of the flexible disk assembly, which detector is incorporated in a case of the flexible disk assembly, and a flexible disk device comprising a detector for detecting at least either one of temperature and humidity, a determining unit for determining the adequacy or inadequacy of the working environment, and an annunciator for notifying the adequacy or inadequacy of the working environment. Preferably, the flexible disk device further comprises a controller for controlling a disk rotating function, a head drive function and a write/read function according to a determination output of the determining unit.

Claims

1. A removable flexible disk assembly comprising:

an enclosure case having an aperture for head access;

a disk disposed within said enclosure case, said aperture exposing said disk to the environment;

an electrical detector means, supported by said enclosure case, for detecting a current environmental condition and for providing a detection signal which indicates said environmental condition;

power reception means for receiving power to drive said detector means; and

terminal means for transmitting said detection signal outside of said assembly.

2. A removable flexible disk assembly according to claim 1,

wherein said current environmental condition comprises at least one of temperature and humidity in said enclosure case.

3. A removable flexible disk assembly according to claim 1,

further comprising means for determining whether the current environmental condition is in a predetermined acceptable range for operation in a flexible disk device and for outputting a second signal representing whether said current environmental condition is in said predetermined acceptable range, said detection signal and said second signal being provided to the flexible disk device for controlling the flexible disk device.

4. A removable flexible disk assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a display means for indicating whether the current environmental condition falls within a predetermined acceptable range for operation.

5. A removable flexible disk assembly according to claim 4, further comprising a second terminal means for receiving reference information from outside of the assembly and transferring the reference information to the detector means.

6. A removable flexible disk assembly according to claim 1, wherein said detector means comprises a capacitor, said capacitor comprising dielectric means for changing a capacitance of said capacitor in response to said current environmental condition.

7. A removable flexible disk assembly according to claim 6, wherein said dielectric means comprises a moisture-sensitive polymer.

8. A removable flexible disk assembly according to claim 7, wherein said capacitor further comprises first and second electrodes on a first side of said moisture-sensitive polymer and a third electrode on a second side of said moisture-sensitive polymer.

9. A removable flexible disk assembly according to claim 1, wherein said detector means comprises a thermistor.

10. A removable flexible disk assembly according to claim 1, wherein said detector means comprises a thermocouple.

11. A removable flexible disk assembly according to claim 1, wherein said detector means is positioned within said enclosure case.

12. A removable flexible disk assembly according to claim 1, wherein said current environmental condition comprises said temperature in said enclosure case.