Method and apparatus for parking and releasing a magnetic head
First Claim
1. An apparatus comprising an information storage cartridge which includes:
- a port;
an information storage medium;
structure operable to transfer information between said port and said storage medium, including a movably supported member capable of movement to a park position; and
a parking portion which, when said member is in said park position, generates resistance to movement of said member away from said park position, said parking portion being responsive to the presence of a magnetically based influence induced from externally of said cartridge for reducing said resistance to movement of said member;
wherein said parking portion includes a magnetic arrangement which, when said member is in said park position, contributes to said resistance to movement of said member by facilitating generation of a magnetic flux which yieldably resists movement of said member away from said park position, said magnetic arrangement responding to the presence of said external influence by reducing the strength of said magnetic flux in order to reduce said resistance to movement of said member.
10 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An information storage device (10, 510, 610, 710) includes a cradle (12, 512, 612, 712) which can removably receive a cartridge (11, 411, 511, 611, 711). The cartridge has a sealed housing (59) which contains a rotatably supported disk (91, 326-327), and a pivotal actuator arm (101) that supports a magnetic head (107, 331-334) for movement adjacent the disk. When the cartridge is removed from the cradle, the head is moved to a parked position with respect to the disk, in which a magnetically permeable part (116) on the actuator arm is in close proximity to a magnetic arrangement (141) disposed within the housing. The magnetic arrangement exerts a strong magnetic force that resists movement of the arm and head away from the parked position. The cradle has a shunt (142) which, when the cartridge is removably inserted, interacts with the magnetic field through a wall of the sealed housing, in a manner which reduces the effective magnetic force that tends to retain the arm and head in the parked position.
138 Citations
12 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising an information storage cartridge which includes:
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a port;
an information storage medium;
structure operable to transfer information between said port and said storage medium, including a movably supported member capable of movement to a park position; and
a parking portion which, when said member is in said park position, generates resistance to movement of said member away from said park position, said parking portion being responsive to the presence of a magnetically based influence induced from externally of said cartridge for reducing said resistance to movement of said member;
wherein said parking portion includes a magnetic arrangement which, when said member is in said park position, contributes to said resistance to movement of said member by facilitating generation of a magnetic flux which yieldably resists movement of said member away from said park position, said magnetic arrangement responding to the presence of said external influence by reducing the strength of said magnetic flux in order to reduce said resistance to movement of said member. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for operating a information storage cartridge which includes a port, an information storage medium, and structure operable to transfer information between said port and said storage medium, said structure including a movably supported member capable of movement to a park position, said method comprising the steps of:
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generating resistance to movement of said member away from said park position when said member is in said park position; and
responding to the presence of a magnetically based influence induced within said cartridge from externally thereof by reducing said resistance to movement of said member;
wherein said generating step includes the step of generating a magnetic flux which yieldably resists movement of said member away from said park position, and wherein said responding step includes the step of reducing the strength of said magnetic flux in order to reduce said resistance to movement of said member. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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12. A method for operating a information storage cartridge which includes a port, an information storage medium, and structure operable to transfer information between said port and said storage medium, said structure including a movably supported member capable of movement to a park position, said method comprising the steps of:
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generating resistance to movement of said member away from said park position when said member is in said park position; and
responding to the presence of a magnetically based influence induced within said cartridge from externally thereof by reducing said resistance to movement of said member;
wherein said generating step includes the step of generating a magnetic flux which yieldably resists movement of said member away from said park position, and including the steps of selecting as said release portion a magnetically permeable material, and causing said release portion of said receiving unit to generate said external influence by interacting with said magnetic flux in a manner effecting alteration of said magnetic flux.
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Specification