Magnetic head transferring device of hard disk drive

Abstract: In a magnetic head transferring device of a hard disk drive, to lock a rotor after the magnetic head is moved to a parking zone (121) formed on a hard disk (120), a bi-metal member (160) reversibly deforms when heated by an electric current supplied from a power supply source. The rotor (130) has a coupling slot (136) through which one side of the bi-metal member (160) selectively inserts into or separates from as the bi-metal member deforms. Thus, since the rotation of the rotor (130) is locked or unlocked using the bi-metal member operating according to the turning on/off of power, an abnormal movement of the magnetic head (150) can be prevented regardless of the strength of external impacts.

Description: The present invention relates to a magnetic head transferring device of a hard disk drive, and more particularly, to a magnetic head transferring device of a hard disk drive having an improved structure for locking a magnetic head in a parking zone. As shown in Figure 1, a general hard disk drive is comprised of a hard disk 20 rotatably installed on a base 10 for storing information and a magnetic head transferring device for moving a magnetic head 50 to a desired track position on the hard disk 20 to read and write information. Here, the surface of the hard disk 20 is divided into two sections: a recording zone 22 in which information is recorded and a parking zone 21 provided at the inner side of the hard disk 20 where the magnetic head 50 is placed when the rotation of the hard disk 20 stops. The magnetic head transferring device has a rotor 30 installed to be capable of pivoting around a pivot shaft 34 provided on the base 10 and on which the magnetic head 50 is mounted, a stator 40 for actuating the rotor 30 to pivot by an electromagnetic force, and a locking means for locking the rotor 30 after the magnetic head 50 is placed in the parking zone 21. The rotor 30 is comprised of a suspension portion 31 for supporting the magnetic head 50, a swing arm 32 installed to be capable of pivoting around the pivot shaft 34 via pivot bearings 34a, and a bobbin 33 around which a coil 35 for generating an electromagnetic force is wound. The stator 40 has a magnet 41 and a yoke 42 for forming a magnetic field. Thus, as an electromagnetic force is generated due to interaction between the magnetic field generated by the magnet 41 and the yoke 42, and the current flowing through the coil 35, the rotor 30 pivots in a direction according to Fleming's left-hand rule. The locking means is comprised of a magnetic member 43 installed on the stator 40, a damper 60 coupled to a protrusion 36 provided at an end of the bobbin 33 of the rotor 30, and a magnetic plate 61 which is bonded at an end of the damper 60. When the magnetic head 50 installed at the suspension portion 31 enters the parking zone 21 of the hard disk 20 as the rotor 30 is pivoted, the magnetic plate 61 combined to the bobbin 33 is attracted and stuck to the magnetic member 43, as shown in the drawing. Thus, the rotor 30 remains in a locked state in which the magnetic plate 61 and the magnetic member 43 are stuck to each other, unless an electromagnetic force for pivoting the rotor 30 operates again. However, in the conventional locking means as described above, since the rotor 30 is locked by the magnetic force generated between the magnetic plate 61 and the magnetic member 43, when an impact stronger than the magnetic force is applied in the locked state, the locked state is released. Also, in order to pivot the locked rotor 30 again, the electromagnetic force generated by the coil 35 and the magnetic member 41 must be greater than the magnetic force by which the magnetic plate 61 and the magnetic member 43 are stuck together. That is, in the case that the magnetic force between the magnetic plate 61 and the magnetic member 43 is smaller than that between the coil 35 and the magnet 41, the locking of the rotor 30 can be easily released by a small external impact, whereas, if it is made to be stronger, the rotor 30 does not unlock well by generating an electromagnetic force. Japanese Patent Application published under number 02267786 discloses a locking means for locking the rotor against movement when the magnetic head is placed on the parking zone, the locking means comprises a bi-metal member in the form of an arm fixed to one side of the rotor, such that upon heating the bi-metal arm curves and is released from a contact member, thereby permitting movement of the rotor. With a view to solve or reduce the above problem it is an aim of preferred embodiments of the present invention to provide a magnetic head transferring device of a hard disk drive in which a magnetic head is so firmly locked that it is not released by external impacts regardless of the strength of impact but can be easily unlocked if desired. According, to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a magnetic head transferring device of a hard disk drive including a rotor installed to be capable of rotating about a pivot shaft member provided on a base and having a magnetic head for reading/writing information from/on said hard disk, a stator for rotating said rotor such that said magnetic head can move across a parking zone and a recording zone formed on said hard disk and a locking means for locking said rotor to not move when said magnetic head is positioned on the parking zone of said hard disk, wherein said locking means comprises a bi-metal member which when in a first state is arranged to lock said rotor and, when said bi-metal member is in a second state, to release said rotor to allow the rotor to move from the parking zone to the recording zone, the passage from one state to the other state being brought about by selective reversible deformation of the bi-metal member due to heating by an electric current supplied from a predetermined power supply source, characterised in that the bi-metal member is installed at one end portion of the pivot shaft member and a coupling slot is provided in the rotor such that, when the bi-metal member is in the first state, relative rotation of the rotor and the pivot shaft is inhibited. For a better understanding of the invention, and to show how embodiments of the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view illustrating the magnetic head transferring device apparatus of a conventional hard disk drive; Figure 2 is a plan view illustrating a magnetic head transferring device according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III of Figure 2, showing a locked state of the magnetic head transferring device; Figure 4A is a sectional view taken along line III-III of Figure 2, showing an unlocked state of the magnetic head transferring device; Figure 4B is a side view schematically showing the unlocked state of the magnetic head transferring device shown in Figure 4A; Figures 2 through 4B show a magnetic head transferring device of a hard disk drive according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. Referring to Figure 2, the magnetic head transferring device is comprised of a pivot shaft member 134 fixed on a base 110 on which a hard disk drive 120 is installed, a rotor 130 having a magnetic head 150 mounted at one end thereof, pivot bearings 134a for supporting the rotor 130 to rotate about the pivot shaft member 134, and a stator 140 for actuating the rotor 130 to allow the magnetic head 150 to move across a parking zone 121 and a recording zone 122 formed on the surface of the hard disk 120. Here, the rotor 130 consists of a suspension portion 131 for supporting the magnetic head 150, a swing arm 132 rotatably coupled to the pivot bearings 134a provided on the base 110, and a bobbin 133 around which a coil 135 for generating an electromagnetic force is wound. The stator 140 consists of a magnet 141 and a yoke 142 for generating a magnetic field. Also, as a locking means for locking the rotor 130 when the magnetic head 150 is positioned in the parking zone 131 of the hard disk 130, there is provided a bimetal member 160 installed at an end of the pivot shaft member 134 and is reversibly deformed by being heated by an electric current applied from a predetermined supply source, and a coupling slot 136 formed on the swing arm 132 of the rotor 130 such that one end portion of the bimetal member 160 can be selectively inserted therein or separated therefrom as the bimetal member 160 deforms. Referring to Figure 3, in the bimetal member 160, an upper metal 160a has a thermal expansion coefficient that is lower than that of a lower metal 160b so that both ends of the bimetal member 160 can bend upward as it is heated. Reference numerals 161 and 170 indicate a holder for supporting the bimetal member 160 and a lead wire for supplying an electric current to the bimetal member 160, respectively. Preferably, a power supply source for driving the hard disk 120 is also used for the bimetal member 160. In the above-described structure, when power is turned on, an electric current is supplied to the bimetal member 160 through the lead wire 170 and, due to resistance heat generated by the current, the bimetal member 160 thermally expands. Here, since a metal member exhibiting a lower thermal expansion coefficient is disposed in the upper portion of the bimetal member 160, as shown in Figures 4A and 4B, the bimetal member 160 bends upward. Accordingly, both end portions of the bimetal member 160 is separated from the coupling slot 136 so that the rotor 130 including the swing arm 132 can rotate. Thus, the magnetic head 150 mounted on the rotor 130 can be smoothly moved to a desired position on the hard disk 120. When power is turned off and the rotation of the hard disk 120 stops, an electromagnetic force is generated by the coil 135 and the magnet 141, and the rotor 130 pivots such that the magnetic head 150 can enter the parking zone 121. Thereafter, as power is turned off, the hard disk 120 stops rotating and lifting of the magnetic head 150 disappears so that the magnetic head 150 can be placed in the parking zone 121. Also, since the current supplied to the bimetal member 160 is no longer supplied, the thermal source which heats the bimetal member 160 disappears. Accordingly, the thermally expanded bimetal member 160 returns to its original flat shape, as shown in Figure 3, and both end portions thereof insert into the coupling slot 136 (see Figure 4B) provided in the swing arm 132 of the rotor 130. That is, the hard disk 120 rotates further due to the force of inertia and then is stopped as the bimetal member 160 is coupled to the coupling slot 136. Accordingly, since the bimetal member 160 serves as a latch so that the rotation of the swing arm 132 is completely prevented, even a strong impact can not push the magnetic head positioned in the parking zone 121 to a position in the recording zone 122. As described above, since the rotor 130 is locked and unlocked by the bimetal member 160, the locking is not released by a strong impact. Also, the unlocking action is easily performed by turning on the power.

Claims: A magnetic head transferring device of a hard disk drive including a rotor (130) installed to be capable of rotating about a pivot shaft member (134) provided on a base (110) and having a magnetic head (150) for reading/writing information from/on said hard disk (120), a stator (140) for rotating said rotor (130) such that said magnetic head (150) can move across a parking zone (121) and a recording zone (122) formed on said hard disk (120) and a locking means for locking said rotor (130) to not move when said magnetic head (150) is positioned on the parking zone (121) of said hard disk (120), wherein said locking means comprises a bi-metal member (160, 262) which when in a first state is arranged to lock said rotor (130) and, when said bi-metal member (160, 262, 330) is in a second state, to release said rotor (130) to allow the rotor (130) to move from the parking zone (121) to the recording zone (122), the passage from the one state to the other state being brought about by selective reversible deformation of the bi-metal member due to heating by an electric current supplied from a predetermined power supply source, characterised in that the bi-metal member (160) is installed at one end portion of the pivot shaft member (134) and a coupling slot (136) is provided in the rotor (130) such that, when the bi-metal member (160) is in the first state, relative rotation of the rotor (130) and the pivot shaft (134) is inhibited.

Inventors: JANG DEOK-HWAN, JANG, DEOK-HWAN
Applicants: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD, SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Application year: 1998
Main classification: G11B5
IPC codes: G11B21, G11B5