Floppy disk drive apparatus

Claim 2

A floppy disk drive apparatus, comprising: a control signal generating circuit for generating a step signal and a direction instruction signal indicative of one of an inner and an outer peripheral direction; first drive means for rotating a floppy disk; second drive means for driving a carrier to which a magnetic head is attached, in the radial direction of said floppy disk, as determined by said direction instruction signal and in response to said step signal; detecting means for generating an output signal when it detects that said magnetic head is located in the outer peripheral limit location of said floppy disk; and control means for generating an inhibition signal to said second drive means in response to both an output signal from said detecting means and said direction instruction signal, indicative of the outer peripheral direction, to inhibit said second drive means from driving said magnetic head over said outer peripheral limit location of said floppy disk, said second drive means being inhibited from driving said magnetic head until said direction instruction signal is changed to indicate an inner peripheral direction.

Claim 3

A floppy disk drive apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said carrier has a projecting portion and said detecting means includes a first detection circuit constituted by a first light emitting diode and a first phototransistor to detect this projecting portion.

Claim 4

A floppy disk drive apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said detecting means further includes a second detection circuit to generate an output signal when it detects that said magnetic head is in said inner peripheral limit location, and said control means generates the inhibition signal to said second drive means in response to an output signal from said second detection circuit and a direction instruction signal indicative of an inner peripheral direction, for inhibiting said second drive means from driving said magnetic head over said inner peripheral limit location.

Claim 5

A floppy disk drive apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said second drive means has a motor and a motor drive circuit to drive this motor in response to said step signal and said direction instruction signal, and wherein said control means has a control circuit to inhibit said step signal in response to an output signal from one of said first and second detection circuits and to drive signals in a predetermined phase relationship from said motor drive circuit.

Claim 6

A floppy disk drive apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said second detection circuit is constituted by a first light emitting diode and a first phototransistor to detect this projecting portion.

Claim 7

A floppy disk drive apparatus, comprising: a control signal generating circuit for generating a step signal and a direction instruction signal indicative of one of an inner and an outer peripheral direction; first drive means for rotating a floppy disk; second drive means for driving a carrier to which a magnetic head is attached, in the radial direction of said floppy disk, as determined by said direction instruction signal and in response to said step signal; detecting means for generating an output signal when it detects that said magnetic head is located in the outer peripheral limit location of said floppy disk, wherein said detecting means includes a counter circuit to count step signals from said control signal generating circuit and to generate an output signal when the count data reaches a predetermined value; and control means for generating an inhibition signal to said second drive means in response to both an output signal from said detecting means and said direction instruction signal, indicative of the outer peripheral direction, to inhibit said second drive means from driving said magnetic head over said outer peripheral limit location of said floppy disk, said second drive means being inhibited from driving said magnetic head until said direction instruction signal is changed to indicate an inner peripheral direction.

Claim 8

A floppy disk drive apparatus, comprising: a control signal generating circuit for generating a step signal and a direction instruction signal indicative of one of an inner and an outer peripheral direction; first drive means for rotating a floppy disk; second drive means for driving a carrier to which a magnetic head is attached, in the radial direction of said floppy disk, as determined by said direction instruction signal and in response to said step signal; detecting means for generating an output signal when it detects that said magnetic head is located in the outer peripheral limit location of said floppy disk, wherein said detecting means includes a counter circuit to count step signals from said control signal generating circuit and to generate an output signal when the count data reaches a predetermined value; and control means for generating an inhibition signal to said second drive means in response to both an output signal from said detecting means and said direction instruction signal, indicative of the outer peripheral direction, to inhibit said second drive means from driving said magnetic head over said outer peripheral limit location of said floppy disk, said second drive means being inhibited from driving said magnetic head until said direction instruction signal is changed to indicate an inner peripheral direction.

Claim 9

A floppy disk drive apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said counter circuit has a counter which is set into the up- and down-counting modes in response to a direction instruction signal from said control signal generating circuit, and a first logic circuit to generate an output signal responsive to output data of said counter to said control means when the count data of said counter reaches said predetermined value.

Claim 10

A floppy disk drive apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said second drive means has a motor and a motor drive circuit to drive this motor in response to said step signal and said direction instruction signal, and wherein said control means has a control circuit to inhibit said step signal in response to an output signal from said first logic circuit and to drive signals in a predetermined phase relationship from said motor drive circuit.

Claim 11

A floppy disk drive apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said counter circuit further has a second logic circuit to supply an output signal responsive to output data generated from said counter to said control means when said counter is reset in response to an output signal from said first detection circuit.

Claim 12

A floppy disk drive apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said second drive means has a motor and a motor drive circuit to drive this motor in response to said step signal and said direction instruction signal, and wherein said control means has a control circuit to inhibit said step signal in response to an output signal from one of said first and second logic circuits and to drive signals in a predetermined phase relationship from said motor drive circuit.

Claim 13

A floppy disk drive apparatus, comprising: a control signal generating circuit for generating a step signal and a direction instruction signal indicative of one of an inner and an outer peripheral direction; first drive means for rotating a floppy disk; second drive means for driving a carrier to which a magnetic head is attached, in the radial direction of said floppy disk, as determined by said direction instruction signal and in response to said step signal; detecting means for generating an output signal when it detects that said magnetic head is located in the outer peripheral limit location of said floppy disk; and control means for generating an inhibition signal to said second drive means in response to both an output signal from said detecting means and said direction instruction signal, indicative of the outer peripheral direction, to inhibit said second drive means from driving said magnetic head over said outer peripheral limit location of said floppy disk, said second drive means being inhibited from driving said magnetic head until said direction instruction signal is changed to indicate an inner peripheral direction; wherein said control means includes memory means for storing data relating to drive signals responsive to the step signal and the direction instruction signal from said control signal generating circuit, and a data processor for interrupting the operation of said second drive means when an output signal is generated from said detecting means and when it is detected that the data indicative of the drive signals in a particular phase relationship are stored in said memory means.

Claim 14

A floppy disk drive apparatus, comprising: a control signal generating circuit for generating a step signal and a direction instruction signal indicative of one of an inner and an outer peripheral direction; first drive means for rotating a floppy disk; second drive means for driving a carrier to which a magnetic head is attached, in the radial direction of said floppy disk, as determined by said direction instruction signal and in response to said step signal; detecting means for generating an output signal when it detects that said magnetic head is located in the outer peripheral limit location of said floppy disk; and control means for generating an inhibition signal to said second drive means in response to both an output signal from said detecting means and said direction instruction signal, indicative of the outer peripheral direction, to inhibit said second drive means from driving said magnetic head over said outer peripheral limit location of said floppy disk, said second drive means being inhibited from driving said magnetic head until said direction instruction signal is changed to indicate an inner peripheral direction; wherein said control means includes memory means for storing data relating to drive signals responsive to the step signal and the direction instruction signal from said control signal generating circuit, and a data processor for interrupting the operation of said second drive means when an output signal is generated from said detecting means and when it is detected that the data indicative of the drive signals in a particular phase relationship are stored in said memory means.

Claim 15

A floppy disk drive apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said memory means includes a memory area, and said control means includes a power-ON detector for producing an output signal when a power is turned ON, and said data processor writes specified data into said memory area in response to an output signal from said power-ON detector and preventing said second drive means from driving said magnetic head towards the center of the floppy disk.