Patent ID: 6249500
Filing Date: 2001-06-19
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
A disk cartridge loading system for a disk drive, comprising:a disk cartridge holder provided in said disk drive;a drawing mechanism which draws a disk cartridge from an insertion position, where the disk cartridge is partially inserted, to a draw-in position, where the disk cartridge is fully returned into said disk drive so that said disk cartridge is accommodated in said disk cartridge holder;a magnetic head that is in an idle position when the disk cartridge is in the insertion position and the draw-in position;a holder moving mechanism that moves said disk cartridge holder downwardly from the draw-in position to a loaded position where at least one of data reading and data writing is performed on a recording media accommodated in said disk cartridge, the holder moving mechanism further moving the magnetic head from the idle position to a standby position synchronous to the movement of the disk cartridge holder, the standby position being where the magnetic head is away from the disk cartridge held in the disk drive, but being closer than the idle position;a draw-in sensor that detects the insertion position of said disk cartridge into said disk cartridge holder;a loading sensor that detects when said disk cartridge is located at said loaded position;a head moving mechanism that moves the magnetic head from the standby position to a head application position after the loading sensor detects that the disk cartridge is located at the loaded position, the head application position being a position where the magnetic head is proximate to the disk cartridge and positioned for performing data writing; anda control unit that drives said drawing mechanism, said holder moving mechanism and said head moving mechanism based on said detection of said draw-in sensor and said detection of said loading sensor.