Falling sensor and the information processing device making use of it

• US 6,771,449 B1
• Filed: 10/24/2000
• Issued: 08/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Japan Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Japan Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Tsuyoshi, Ito, Tatsuya, Yuki, Tetsuo, Ishikawa, Masatoshi, Nishimura, Yuji, Okumura, Tadashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hudspeth, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): OLSON, JASON C
• Application Number:
  US09/694,372
• Time in Patent Office: 1,379 Days
• Field of Search: 360/75, 360/69, 360/105, 360/106, 734/89, 73/13.8, 734/94, 734/96
• US Class Current: 360/75
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/0891 with indication of predetermined acceleration values G01P15/135 takes precedence
• 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 5/54 with provision for moving the head into or out of its operative position or across tracks

Abstract

A falling sensor is provided, which detects a falling of a magnetic disk drive or a information processing device installed with the magnetic disk drive and which is effective for avoiding physical damage of magnetic heads and magnetic disk media. The magnetic disk drive or the information processing device, include an unload mechanism moving or evacuating the magnetic head from a surface of the magnetic disk media, and a falling sensor comprising a conductive flexible beam or member having a compatible function, a conductive weight supported by these beams and a conductive wall arranged to be made in contact or non-contact with the weight. The sensor can detect a falling of the magnetic disk drive or the information processing device, which is typically a notebook personal computer installed with the magnetic disk drive, and evacuate the magnetic head by the unload mechanism. The conductive wall can be formed of a tubular member.

Claims

1. A magnetic disk drive comprising:

a magnetic disk which records or reproduces information;

a motor which rotates said magnetic disk;

a base which fixes said motor;

a magnetic head which reads from or writes to said magnetic disk;

a carriage which supports said magnetic head;

a coil which is mounted on said carriage for transferring said magnetic head to any position on the surface of said magnetic disk;

a voice coil motor comprising a magnetic circuit and said coil;

an unload mechanism which evacuates said magnetic head from the surface of said magnetic disk; and

a falling sensor provided with a conductive weight,

a flexible elastic member which is deformed by the gravity of said weight, and

a conductive member which is arranged to be placed in contact or non-contact with said weight;

wherein said weight contacts said conductive member at the deflected state of said elastic member, and said weight becomes to be in non-contact with said conductive member when said magnetic disk drive is falling, so that said magnetic head is evacuated by said unload mechanism.

5. The magnetic disk drive according to claim 1, wherein either of said conductive member or said weight of said falling sensor uses a magnetic material and the other of those uses a ferromagnetic material.

6. The magnetic disk drive according to claim 1, wherein another falling sensor is mounted inside said magnetic disk drive so that directions of each elastic member of falling sensors cross at right angles each other on a same plane.

7. An information processing device comprising the magnetic disk drive according to claim 1, wherein falling of the information processing device is detected by said falling sensor and said magnetic head is evacuated by said unload mechanism.

2. A magnetic disk drive comprising:

a magnetic disk which records or reproduces information;

a motor which rotates said magnetic disk;

a base which fixes said motor;

a magnetic head which reads from and writes to said magnetic disk;

a carriage which supports said magnetic head;

a coil which is mounted on said carriage for transferring said magnetic head to any position on the surface of said magnetic disk;

a voice coil motor making a magnetic circuit with said coil;

an unload mechanism which evacuates said magnetic head from the surface of said magnetic disk; and

a falling sensor provided with a tubular conductive member,

an elastic member which is a flexible beam arranged inside said tubular conductive member, and

a weight which is arranged to an edge of said beam, deforming said beam, and contacting said conductive member at the deflected state of said elastic member;

wherein said weight comes out of contact with said conductive member during a falling of said magnetic disk drive, so that said magnetic head is evacuated by said unload mechanism.

3. A magnetic disk comprising:

a motor which rotates a magnetic disk recorded or reproduced with information;

a base which fixes said motor;

a magnetic head which reads from or writes to said magnetic disk;

a carriage which supports said magnetic head;

a coil mounted on said carriage for transferring said magnetic head to the recording and reproducing positions on said magnetic disk;

a voice coil motor making a magnetic circuit with said coil;

an unload mechanism which evacuates said magnetic head from the recording and reproducing positions on said magnetic disk; and

a falling sensor which is provided with a conductive weight,

a flexible elastic member which is deformed by said weight, and

a conductive member which is arranged to be placed in contact or non-contact with said weight;

wherein said weight contacts said conductive member at the deflected state of said elastic member by said weight, and said weight becomes to be in non-contact with said conductive member when said magnetic disk drive is falling, so that said magnetic head is evacuated by said head unload mechanism.

4. A magnetic disk drive comprising:

a motor which rotates a magnetic disk recording and reproducing information;

a base which fixes said motor;

a magnetic head which read from or write to said magnetic disk;

a carriage which supports said magnetic head;

a coil which is mounted on said carriage for transferring said magnetic head to recording and reproducing positions on said magnetic disk;

a voice coil motor making a magnetic circuit with said coil;

an unload mechanism which evacuates said magnetic disk from recording and reproducing positions on said magnetic disk; and

a falling sensor which is provided with a tubular conductive member,

an elastic member which is a flexible beam arranged inside said tubular conductive member, and

a weight which is attached to an end of said beam, deforming said beam and contacting said conductive member at the deflected state of said elastic member;

wherein said weight come out of contact with said conductive member when said magnetic disk drive is falling and said magnetic head is evacuated by said unload mechanism.

8. An information processing device comprising:

a magnetic disk which records or reproduce information;

a magnetic head which reads from or writes to said magnetic disk;

an unload mechanism which evacuates said magnetic head from the surface of said magnetic disk; and

a falling sensor, said falling sensor including;

a conductive weight,

a flexible elastic member deformed by said weight, and

a conductive member which is arranged to be placed in contact or non-contact with said weight,

wherein said weight contacts said conductive member at the deflected state of said elastic member by said weight;

wherein said weight becomes to be in non-contact with said conductive member when said information processing device is falling, so that said magnetic head is evacuated by said unload mechanism.

12. The information processing device according to claim 8, wherein either of said conductive member or said weight of said falling sensor uses a magnet and the other of those uses a ferromagnetic material.

13. The information processing device according to claim 8, wherein another falling sensor is arranged so that directions of each elastic member of falling sensors cross at right angles each other on a same plane.

9. An information processing device comprising:

a magnetic disk which records or reproduce information;

a magnetic head which reads from or writes to said magnetic disk;

an unload mechanism which evacuates said magnetic head from the surface of said magnetic disk; and

a falling sensor, said falling sensor including

a tubular conductive member,

an elastic member which is a flexible beam arranged inside said tubular conductive member, and

a weight which is attached to an end of said beam, deforming said beam and contacting said conductive member in the deflected state of said beam;

wherein said weight comes out of contact with said conductive member when said information processing device is falling, and said magnetic head is evacuated by said unload mechanism.

10. An information processing device including:

a magnetic disk drive comprising;

a motor which rotates an information recording or reproducing magnetic disk,

a magnetic head which reads from or writes to said magnetic disk, and

an unload mechanism which evacuates said magnetic head from recording and reproducing positions on said magnetic disk; and

a falling sensor comprising a conductive weight,

a flexible elastic body which is deformed by said weight, and

a conductive member which is arranged to be placed in contact or non-contact with said weight;

wherein said weight contacts said conductive member at the deflected state of said elastic body by said weight, and said weight becomes to be in non-contact with said conductive member when said information processing device is falling, so that said magnetic head is evacuated by said unload mechanism.

11. An information processing device including:

a magnetic disk drive comprising;

a motor which rotates an information recording or reproducing magnetic disk,

a magnetic head which reads from or writes to a magnetic disk,

an unload mechanism which evacuates said magnetic head from recording and reproducing positions on said magnetic disk; and

a falling sensor comprising a tubular conductive member,

an elastic member which is a flexible beam arranged inside said tubular conductive member, and

a weight which is arranged to an end of said beam, deforming said beam and contacting said conductive member at the deformed state of said elastic member;

wherein said weight comes out of contact with said conductive member during a falling of said information processing device, so that said magnetic head is evacuated by said unload mechanism.

14. A falling sensor comprising:

a conductive weight;

a flexible elastic member deformed by said weight; and

a conductive member arranged to be placed in contact or non-contact with said weight;

wherein said weight contacts said conductive member at the deflected state of said elastic member by said weight, and said weight becomes to be in non-contact with said conductive member when said falling sensor is falling.

16. The falling sensor according to claim 14, wherein either said conductive member or said weight of said falling sensors uses a magnet and the other of said conductive member and said weight uses a ferromagnetic material.

15. A falling sensor comprising:

a tubular conductive member;

an elastic member which is a flexible beam arranged inside said tubular conductive member; and

a weight which is attached to an end of a beam, deforming said beam and contacting said conductive member at the deflected state of said elastic member, wherein said weight comes out of contact with said conductive member when said falling sensor is falling.

20. The falling sensor according to claim 15, wherein either said conductive member or said weight of said falling sensors uses a magnet and the other of those uses a ferromagnetic material.

17. A control method of a magnetic disk drive, said magnetic disk drive having:

an information recording or reproducing magnetic disk,

a magnetic head which read from or write to said magnetic disk,

an unload mechanism which evacuates said magnetic head from the surface of said magnetic disk, and

a falling sensor which is provided with a conductive weight,

a flexible elastic member deformed by said weight, and

a conductive member which is arranged to be placed in contact or non-contact with said weight,

wherein said weight contacts said conductive member at the deflected state of said elastic member by said weight, said control method comprising the steps of;

monitoring whether an output of said falling sensor shows a falling state, in which said weight is caused to be in non-contact with said conductive member;

keeping said monitoring state for a predetermined time period if said output shows said falling state; and

evacuating said magnetic head from the surface of said magnetic disk after said predetermined time period.

18. A control method of an information processing device, said information processing device including a magnetic disk drive comprising:

an information recording or reproducing magnetic disk,

a magnetic head which read from or write to said magnetic disk, and

an unload mechanism which evacuates said magnetic head from the surface of said magnetic disk, and

a falling sensor comprising a conductive weight, a flexible elastic member deformed by said weight, and a conductive member which is arranged to be placed in contact or non-contact with said weight, wherein said weight contacts said conductive member at the deflected state of said elastic member, said control method comprising the steps of;

monitoring whether an output of said falling sensor shows a falling state, in which said weight becomes to be in non-contact with said conductive member;

keeping said monitoring state for a predetermined time period if said output shows said falling state; and

evacuating said magnetic head from the surface of said magnetic disk after said predetermined time period.

19. A control method of an information processing device, said information processing device including:

a falling sensor comprising a conductive weight,

a flexible elastic member deformed by said weight, and

a conductive member which is arranged to be placed in contact or non-contact with said weight,

wherein said weight contacts said conductive member at the deflected state of said elastic member, and

a shock-resistant means for performing a shock-resistant operation, comprising the steps of;

monitoring whether an output of said falling sensor shows a falling state, in which said weight becomes to be in non-contact with said conductive member;

keeping said monitoring state for a predetermined time period if said output shows said falling state; and

evacuating said magnetic head from the surface of said magnetic disk after said predetermined time period.