Floppy disk dive device

Abstract

There are disclosed recording/reproducing devices for use with computers and particularly for recording or reproducing desired information on or from recording mediums like floppy disks, the devices being miniaturized and reduced in thickness for adapting themselves to the miniaturized computers of nowadays. The reduction in device thickness involves the use of a small-sized rare earth group magnet and neodymium ferrous boron which have good magnetic properties as rotor magnets of disk and carriage driving motors; or alternatively planar superpositions are avoided when placing the disk driving motor and the carriage or a carriage guide shaft and a circuit board. The thinned recording/reproducing devices contribute to diminishment of a space for accommodating the computer to meet a demand for miniaturization thereof. A plurality of miniaturized recording/reproducing devices of the invention can be set in the existing space for placement.

Description

are provided a-state(1 inch) . These FDDs are interchangeable with respect to the recording/reproducing operations.

While on the other hand, the current tendency for more miniaturized and thinner devices is giving an acceleration to the technology wherein the most popular FDDs having the device thickness of 25.4 mm (1 inch) will be developed into FDDs having a mechanism thickness of 12.7 mm (1/2 inch) that is one-half the former. This is a big target among the competitors.

In accordance with the embodiment of the invention, however, the mechanism thickness is set from another point of view. The present invention aims at incorporating two sets of 3.5-inch recording/reproducing devices into the same space as that of the 5-inch FDD having a device thickness of 41 mm which is now spread over most widely. In the structure of mounting the 3.5-inch recording/reproducing devices depicted in FIGS. 33 to 35, these devices are not limited to unitized devices such as the FDDs. If preferably unitized, it is convenient to handle the FDD as one unit even when separating it from the chassis 102.

When mounting two sets of 3.5-inch recording/reproducing devices in the chassis 102 having the same thickness as a device thickness, 41 mm, of the most popular 5-inch FDD, in the fitting structure shown in FIG. 33, a preferable thickness of the 3.5-inch recording/reproducing device is approximately 20.5 mm. In the fitting structure depicted in FIG. 34, a thickness of the chassis 102 is set to approximately 4 mm, and if some scatter is to be considered, a preferable thickness of the 3.5-inch recording/reproducing device is about 18 mm.

In the fitting structure illustrated in FIG. 35, if the space 1a is formed as large as possible, there are, as a matter of course, reduced the influences exerted by noises of the foregoing electric and magnetic fields and by operating sounds. Supposing herein that there exists, more or less, scatter by setting the space 1a to, e.g., 4 mm or thereabouts and the thickness of the chassis 102 to approximately 2 mm, a preferable thickness of the 3.5-inch recording/reproducing device is approximately 17 mm.

Note that there may be prepared, though not illustrated in FIG. 35, a shield member for shielding the noise of the electric and magnetic fields in the space 1a, or a sound absorbing member for preventing the resonance by absorbing the operating sounds, or a damper member having, e.g., viscous and elastic properties. This arrangement further improves the desired functions thereof.

3) Method of attaching the bezel

For the purpose of making the positional relationship accordant between the disk insertion port 104a of the front bezel 104 and the recording/reproducing device 1 when inserting device 1 therein, it is typically preferable to attache attach the front bezel 104 to the recording/reproducing device 1. In this embodiment, however, the key-like engaging members 102b are, as discussed above, shaped at upper ends of both side surfaces of the chassis 102 with a view to sustaining the front bezel 104 so as not to be inclined forward. The front bezel 104 is provided with the hook members 104c engaging with the engaging members 102b. After engaging the engaging members 102b with the hook members 104c, the front bezel 104 is fixed to the bottom surface of the chassis 102 with the screws 119, thus providing a firm fixing structure. Based on this structure exhibiting a sufficient strength, even when grasping only the front bezel 104 during, e.g., a handling operation, no deformation is caused.

In this embodiment, the holding means for sustaining the front bezel 104 so as not to slant forward involves the use of the hook members 104c of the front bezel 104 which engage with the key-like engaging members 102b shaped at the upper ends of both side surfaces of the chassis 102. The mode of engagement is not, however, confined to the above-mentioned. A possible engaging mode (not shown) is that, for instance, the front bezel 104 is engaged with the chassis 102 from inside.

The front bezel 104 is attached to the chassis 102 in the foregoing embodiment. The construction may, however, exclude the front bezel 104. Instead, for example, an outer case of an electronic appliance like a computer may be formed with a disk insertion port.

4) Construction of relay board

The relay boards 105 and 105A are singly provided in FIGS. 29 and 30. Whereas in FIGS. 31 and 32, there are provided the relay boards 115 and 115A by twos. These arrangement do not present a functional difference therebetween. This simply implies that the one-sheet construction of the relay boards 105 and 105A decreases the costs, while two-sheet construction of the relay boards 115 and 115A exhibits a versatility of combination because of separability per unit by combining the boards with the recording/reproducing devices.

On the other hand, each of the relay boards 105, 105A, 115 and 115A includes the driving element 112 for increasing the current driving ability of-the of the output signal of the 3.5-inch recording/reproducing device 1 up to a current value of the 5-inch FDD, . If the current of values on both sides are equal, there is no necessity for providing the driving element 112.

5) Connection of relay board to recording/reproducing device

Referring to FIGS. 29 and 30, the electric power is supplied from the relay boards 105 and 115 via the power supply terminal 111 to the recording/reproducing device 1. In FIGS. 30 and 32, the electric power is fed from the relay boards 105A and 115A via the flat cable 110 to the recording/reproducing device 1. These arrangements do not bring about any functional difference therebetween. This simply implies that the supply of electric power via the connectors 109 disposed at the end of the flat cable 110 leads to a drop in costs of construction, while the supply of electric power through the power supply terminal 111 has a good versatility of combination. It is because the latter arrangement accords with an electric power supplying method of the conventionally standardized 3.5-inch recording/reproducing device 1 which doe does not include special circuitry.

In the prior art example disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No.63-11792, the relay boards are connected directly to the recording/reproducing devices through the connectors, which requires accurate positioning therebetween. In the foregoing embodiment, however, the connection is made through the flat cable 110, and hence the necessity for the precise positioning process therebetween is eliminated. Besides, it is easy to change the combinations of the recording/reproducing devices 1 and the relay boards 105 and 115 or the recording/reproducing devices 1 and the relay boards 105A and 115A. The combinations can be diversified by anyone according to the purposes.

6) Placement of relay board of selective condition setting means:

Each of the relay boards 105, 105A, 115 and 115A which are shown in FIGS. 29 through 32 has a plurality of short plugs serving as selective condition setting means for selectively setting a driving state (typically referred to as a drive select) of the 3.5-inch recording/reproducing device i 1 or selectively the specifications thereof. Assuming that the above-mentioned selective condition setting means are incorporated into the 3.5-inch recording/reproducing devices shown in FIGS. 29 to 32, the devices 1 are reduced in their thickness, and hence the selective positions have to be set in the confined space. This causes a deterioration in handling the condition setting process. Whereas in the illustrative embodiment of the present invention, the selective condition setting means are provided on the relay boards 105, 105A, 115 and 115A each having a sufficient space, thereby showing an extremely good state of handling the condition setting process.

One available arrangement, catered for a completely different application, of the short plugs 114 is that the plugs are used as test terminals for electrically monitoring, e.g., a driving state of the recording/reproducing device 1. In connection with the test terminals for electrically monitoring the driving state thereof, there mat may be provided, e.g., pattern lands on the relay boards 105, 105A, 115 and 115A having a large space as completely different electric monitoring means.

The foregoing illustrative embodiment has dealt with a plurality of short plugs 11 114 as selective condition setting means. Another available selective condition setting means may be switching means like, e.g., slide switches.

As discussed above, in the relay boards 105, 105A, 115 and 115A having the sufficient space, there are provided the controlling means for electrically controlling the recording/reproducing device 1 as in the case of selectively setting both the driving state of the recording/reproducing device 1 and the specifications thereof and further electrically monitoring the driving state. This arrangement yields a good handling property for setting the control conditions.

The characteristics of geometries in which the recording/reproducing devices 1 shown in FIGS. 29 through 36 are provided have been described thus far. The explanation will next be focused on effects obtained when incorporating the thus constructed recording/reproducing devices into, e.g., a computer and utilizing the device therein by way of one example with reference to FIG. 37 illustrating the computer in perspective.

Turning to FIG. 37, the numeral 121 designates a computer device body, into which a variety of electronic units, for effecting electric processes; 122 a display for displaying on the basis of commands issued from the computer device body 121; and 123 a keyboard for inputting the commands to the device body 121.

The computer device body 121 is mounted with two sets of 5-inch FDDs 124 as external storage units and one 5-inch HDD 125. The computer device body 121 includes a preparatory mounting area 126 large enough to accommodate one additional external storage unit. The computer device body 121 receives software and data transferred from the 5-inch FDDs 124 or from the 5-inch HDD 125 or performs predetermined processes upon receiving the data. Excepting its functions and capability, a processing function and capability depend on a storage capacity and a data transferring velocity of the external storage unit.

Under such circumstances, there are made a good number of contrivances for the purpose of ameliorating the processing function and capability of the computer device body 121. Much attention will be paid to an effective method which involves combinations of the external storage units incorporated into the computer device body 121.

As previously stated, the external shape sizes, fitting dimensions and electrically connected interfaces of the FDDs, HDDs, ODDs and tape streamers, which have been standardized and thereby spread over as external storage units of multiple electronic appliances, are substantially standardized in conformity with sizes of respective recording mediums. On the other hand, the computers are in general constructed to exhibit a functional expandability. Take a device body of FIG. 37 for instance, the computer device body 121 is invested with minimum standard functions which characterize the system. For expanding the functions, there are prepared in advance connecting functions (not shown) to, e.g., additional slots of an electronic circuit board and to a variety of appliances to facilitate the functional expansions according to the purposes. Consequently, it is easy to combine or replace the external storage units mounted in the computer device body. The processing function and capability can be expanded according to the constitutional purposes of the system. Although the recording/reproducing devices shown in the prior art examples are appearing, the drawbacks to the installation thereof remain unsolved. Hence, the recording/reproducing devices in this embodiment care are capable of increasing a degree of freedom for combinations of the external storage units and obviating such drawbacks inherent in the installation thereof.

Referring to FIG. 37, the combinations or replacement and installation of the external storage units incorporated in the computer device body 121 will concretely be described.

The computer device body 121 depicted in FIG. 37 has a quite typical construction and is mounted with two 3.5-inch FDDs 124 which are commonly used for loading or copying commercially available software and backing up the data. The 5-inch HDDs 125, which store a good deal of software and data, perform a function to effect a high-speed transfer to the computer device body 121.

On the occasion of a usable functional expansion of the software recorded on the 3.5-inch recording medium, the 5-inch FDDs 124 are removed, and instead there is taken a method of mounting the recording/reproducing devices each having a recording/reproducing mechanism. In the prior art recording/reproducing devices, however, if the 5-inch FDDs 124 are taken away, the 5-inch recording/reproducing function can not be accomplished.

To cope with this, in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention there are employed two sets of 3.5-inch recording/reproducing devices, and the following arrangement will be adopted.

(1) One of the two 5-inch FDDs 124 is removed, and, as described above, even when the FDD 124 is replaced with the two miniaturized 3.5-inch recording/reproducing devices 1, the 5-inch recording/reproducing function can be fulfilled because of the single 5-inch FDD 124 being left. Moreover, the preparatory mounting area 126 remains as it is for mounting the additional external storage unit.

Note that the function of the single FDD may generally suffice in the computer device body loaded with the HDDs.

(2) If the device body is loaded with no 5-inch HDD 125 (in some cases the preparatory mounting area 126 is not provided), and when mounting two sets of 3.5-inch recording/reproducing devices in this embodiment, there will be produced no obstacle to the 5-inch recording/reproducing function, because the two 5-inch FDDs 124 are left as they are.

(3) Supposing that no preparatory mounting area 126 is formed in the device body mounted with only two 5-inch FDDs 12, and when one of the 5-inch FDDs 124 taken away is replaced with the two 3.5-inch recording/reproducing devices of this embodiment, a single set of 5-inch FDD 124 is left; or alternatively this-permits incorporation of other external storage unit.

(4) If no mounting area 126 is provided in the computer device body mounted with only one 5-inch FDD 124, one of the 5-inch FDDs 124 taken away is replaced with two sets of 3.5-inch recording/reproducing devices of this embodiment. In this case, the function of the computer device body incorporating the two 3.5-inch recording/reproducing devices can be expanded with almost no modification added to the computer device body.

(54) (5) As a matter of course, the two 5-inch FDDs 124 and one 5-inch HDD 125 stand as they are. Where the two 3.5-inch recording/reproducing devices are mounted in the preparatory mounting area 126, there will be caused no obstacle to the conventional recording/reproducing function.

By utilizing the arrangement given above, the two 3.5-inch recording/reproducing devices can be incorporated into the space the size of which is substantially equal to the conventional standardized 5-inch FDD 124. Hence, the usable functional expansion of the software recorded on the 3.5-inch recording mediums can be effected. In that case, the function can be expanded with facility without causing obstacles to the conventional recording/reproducing function as well as by effecting no improvement or modification with respect to the hardware of the computer device body 121.

The foregoing embodiment has exemplified a case where the functional expansion is executed in the conventional system. As a matter of course, in a novel system, however, it is much easier to exhibit many characteristics discussed above. In this embodiment, the explanation has been made by exemplifying the 5-inch and 3.5-inch FDDs. It is, of course, obvious that the arrangement is not limited to the combinations of these FDDs. The combination may be diversified like this:, for instance, 5-inch FDDs and 3.5-inch FDDs, or 8-inch FDDs and 5-inch FDDs. These changes in combination mode can be applied to HDDs and ODDS.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

As discussed above, the recording/reproducing devices in accordance with the present invention can remarkably be miniaturized and particularly reduced in the device thickness. When employing the devices as external storage units for electronic appliances such as computers, the space for placement can be diminished to the greatest possible degree, thereby miniaturizing the electronic appliance as a whole. It is also possible to increase degrees of freedom both of placement of the recoding/reproducing recording/reproducing devices-and of design. In particular, since the thickness of the recording/reproducing device is, set to 20.5 mm or under, for example, the two 3.5-inch recording/reproducing devices according to the present invention can be incorporated in place of the 5-inch recording/reproducing devices which have hitherto been constituted to have a thickness of typically 41 mm. General purposes of this type of recording/reproducing device can be considerably enlarged. Therefore, as mentioned earlier, the recording/reproducing device is effective in the case of making usable a different standard, e.g., 3.5-inch recoding medium in the electronic appliance which employs the 5-inch recording medium or in the case of making usable both of the recoding recording mediums of different standards. Especially, the 3.5-inch recording medium presents a high reliability in handling as compared with the 5-inch recording medium. For this reason, a capacity of the 3.5-inch recording/reproducing device is lately increased with acceleration. Under such circumstances, the present invention is suitable for a development of the software technology, and software unattainable by the software recorded on the convectional conventional 3.5-inch recording medium can be actualized.

The essentiality in the software technology, even though overwhelmingly advanced new techniques are introduced, lies in interchangeability with the software which has hitherto been accumulated or in continuous operability of the conventional software. The present invention is concerned with this point and therefore deal deals with free systematization of the FDDs, HDDs, ODDs and tape streamers which have been standardized and the spread over as external storage units of a variety of electronic appliances in association with the software techniques. Consequently, it is feasible to obtain the interchangeability with the conventionally accumulated software or the operability of the conventional software and further to develop the software technology business aiming at facilitating an expansion of total system. With a view to expanding the functions of convectional conventional system, it is possible to develop new and easy-to-diversify businesses which can not be seen in the past but facilitate the expansion of total system by simple and inexpensive means without requiring both tremendous investments of assets and high special hardware techniques, these businesses including, for instance, a unit sale business associated with the recoding/reproducing recording/reproducing devices shown in the foregoing embodiment, a set sale business of the recording/reproducing devices and related software techniques, a set sale business of the recording/reproducing devices and other external storage units or a set sale business of the recording/reproducing devices and the function expanding circuit boards.

Although the illustrative embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to that precise embodiment. Various changes and modifications may be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.

Claims

1. A computer having a floppy disk drive device for recording and reproducing information on a disk in a disk cartridge, the disk having a metal disk hub with a central hole and a drive hole partially offset from the central hole, said floppy disk drive comprising:

a spindle mounted so as to engage the central hole of the disk;

a spindle motor operatively coupled to said spindle, said spindle being rotatable by said spindle motor;

a rotary member fixed to said spindle and rotatable therewith;

a chucking magnet positioned to attract the metal disk hub of the disk toward said rotary member;

a chucking lever having first and second ends pivotally attached to said rotary member at essentially said first end; and

a drive pin mounted at essentially said second end of said chucking lever and positioned for engagement by the drive hole of the disk when aligned therewith, wherein said chucking lever is movable radially towards and away from the spindle and does not include a radial biasing member independent from the chucking lever, said chucking lever being formed of an elastic material so that said chucking lever may swing within a predetermined angle by the force of said chucking magnet attracting the metal disk hub of the disk to bear bearing against said drive pin when disk chucking is not accomplished.

2. The computer of claim 1, wherein said rotary member is the rotor of said spindle motor.

3. The computer of claim 2, wherein said drive pin is formed to said chucking lever by a caulking lever .

4. An electronic appliance having a floppy disk drive device for recording and reproducing information on a disk in a disk cartridge, the disk having a metal disk hub with a central hole and a drive hole partially offset from the central hole, said floppy disk drive comprising:

a spindle mounted so as to engage the central hole of the disk;

a spindle motor operatively coupled to said spindle, said spindle being rotatable thereof by the spindle motor;

a rotary member fixed to said spindle and rotatable therewith;

a chucking magnet positioned to attract the metal disk hub of the disk toward said rotary member;

a chucking lever having first and second ends pivotally attached to said rotary member at essentially said first end; and

a drive pin mounted at essentially said second end of said chucking lever and positioned for engagement by the drive hole of the disk when aligned therewith, wherein said chucking lever is movable radially towards and away from the spindle and does not include a radial biasing member independent from the chucking lever, said chucking lever being formed of an elastic material so that said chucking lever may swing within a predetermined angle by the force of said chucking magnet attracting the metal disk hub of the disk to bear bearing against said drive pin when disk chucking is not accomplished.

5. The electronic appliance of claim 4, wherein said rotary member is the rotor of said spindle motor.

6. The electronic appliance of claim 4, wherein said drive pin is formed to said chucking lever by a caulking lever .

7. A computer having a floppy disk drive for recording and reproducing information on a disk in a disk cartridge, the disk having a metal disk hub with a central hole and a drive hole partially offset from the central hole, said floppy disk drive comprising:

a spindle mounted so as to engage the central hole of the disk;

a spindle motor operatively coupled to said spindle, said spindle being rotatable by said spindle motor;

a rotary member fixed to said spindle and rotatable therewith;

a chucking magnet positioned to attract the metal disk hub of the disk toward said rotary member;

a chucking lever having at least a portion being movable radially towards and away from the spindle and not including a radial biasing member independent from the chucking lever, said chucking lever being resiliently bendable to enable the chucking lever to swing away from the rotary member within a predetermined angle; and

a drive pin mounted near an end of said chucking lever and positioned for engagement by the drive hole of the disk when aligned therewith, wherein said chucking lever may swing within a predetermined angle by the metal disk hub bearing against said drive pin when disk chucking is not accomplished.

8. The computer of claim 7, wherein said chucking lever comprises an elastic portion that enables the chucking lever to swing within said predetermined angle.

9. The computer of claim 7, wherein said chucking lever is a unitary member.

10. An electronic appliance having a floppy disk drive device for recording and reproducing information on a disk in a disk cartridge, the disk having a metal disk hub with a central hole and a drive hole partially offset from the central hole, said floppy disk drive comprising:

a spindle mounted so as to engage the central hole of the disk;

a spindle motor operatively coupled to said spindle, said spindle being rotatable by said spindle motor;

a rotary member fixed to said spindle and rotatable therewith;

a chucking magnet positioned to attract the metal disk hub of the disk toward said rotary member;

a chucking lever having at least a portion being movable radially towards and away from the spindle and not including a radial biasing member independent from the chucking lever, said chucking lever being resiliently bendable to enable the chucking lever to swing within a predetermined angle; and

a drive pin mounted near an end of said chucking lever and positioned for engagement by the drive hole of the disk when aligned therewith, wherein said chucking lever may swing within a predetermined angle by the metal disk hub bearing against said drive pin when disk chucking is not accomplished.

11. The electronic appliance of claim 10, wherein said chucking lever comprises an elastic portion that enables the chucking lever to swing within said predetermined angle.

12. The electronic appliance of claim 10, wherein said chucking lever is a unitary member.

13. A floppy disk drive for recording and reproducing information on a disk in a disk cartridge, the disk having a metal disk hub with a central hole and a drive hole partially offset from the central hole, said floppy disk drive comprising:

a spindle mounted so as to engage the central hole of the disk;

a spindle motor operatively coupled to said spindle, said spindle being rotatable by said spindle motor;

a rotary member fixed to said spindle and rotatable therewith;

a chucking magnet positioned to attract the metal disk hub of the disk toward said rotary member;

a chucking lever having at least a portion being movable movable radially towards and away from the spindle and not including a radial biasing member independent from the chucking lever, said chucking lever being resiliently bendable to enable the chucking lever to swing within a predetermined angle; and

a drive pin mounted near an end of said chucking lever and positioned for engagement by the drive hole of the disk when aligned therewith, wherein said chucking lever may swing within said predetermined angle by the metal disk hub bearing against said drive pin when disk chucking is not accomplished.

14. The floppy disk drive of claim 13, wherein said chucking lever comprises an elastic portion that enables the chucking lever to swing within said predetermined angle.