Linear access mechanism with driving force reaction cancelling device and magnetic disk apparatus using the same

Claim 2

A linear access mechanism including a carriage capable of moving linearly on a guide surface, a guide mechanism for guiding the carriage, a voice-coil motor for causing the carriage to make a linear reciprocating motion, and a base for supporting the guide mechanism and the voice-coil motor, the linear access mechanism comprising: means for detecting the acceleration of a driving part of the linear access mechanism generated in driving the carriage, and anti-reaction force generating means for applying an anti-reaction force to the driving part so that the derivative of the acceleration of the driving part with respect to time is a continuous function of time.

Claim 3

A linear access mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the anti-reaction force generating means includes a laminated electrostrictive element attached to the voice-coil motor, a weight member bonded to the laminated electrostrictive element so that the laminated electrostrictive element is interposed between the voice-coil motor and the weight member, and a drive circuit for driving the laminated electrostrictive element in accordance with a reaction force which is applied to the voice-coil motor as the reaction of a driving force for driving the carriage.

Claim 4

A linear access mechanism comprising: a base; a linear guide mechanism supported on the base for defining a substantially linear guide path; a carriage mounted for movement along the linear guide path; driving means operative, when energized, to move the carriage reciprocally along the linear guide path; means for determining a reaction of a driving force applied to the carriage by the driving means on the basis of an energization of the driving means; anti-reaction force generating means operative, when energized, to generate an anti-reaction force and to apply the anti-reaction force to the carriage; and means for controlling an energization of the anti-reaction force generating means on the basis of the reaction of the driving force applied to the carriage and determined by the determining means such that the anti-reaction force generated by the anti-reaction force generating means is substantially equal in magnitude and opposite in direction to the reaction of the driving force applied to the carriage.

Claim 5

A linear access mechanism comprising: a base; a linear guide mechanism supported on the base for defining a substantially linear guide path; a carriage mounted for movement along the linear guide path; driving means operative, when energized, to move the carriage reciprocally along the linear guide path; means for determining a reaction of a driving force applied to the carriage by the driving means on the basis of an energization of the driving means; anti-reaction force generating means operative, when energized, to generate an anti-reaction force and to apply the anti-reaction force to the carriage; and means for controlling an energization of the anti-reaction force generating means on the basis of the reaction of the driving force applied to the carriage and determined by the determining means such that the anti-reaction force generated by the anti-reaction force generating means is substantially equal in magnitude and opposite in direction to the reaction of the driving force applied to the carriage.

Claim 6

A linear access mechanism according to claim 3, wherein the anti-reaction force generating means includes a reaction carriage mounted for movement in a direction opposite to a moving direction of the carriage, and a voice-coil motor operative, when energized, to move the reaction carriage reciprocally along a linear path.

Claim 7

A linear access mechanism according to claim 3, wherein the determining means includes means for determining an acceleration of the carriage along the linear guide path.

Claim 8

A linear access mechanism according to claim 3, wherein the anti-reaction force generating means includes an element directly connected to the carriage such that the element and the carriage move substantially together in a same direction.

Claim 9

A magnetic disk apparatus comprising: a magnetic recording medium; means for rotatably supporting the recording medium; a magnetic head for reading from and writing on the recording medium; means for supporting the magnetic head and being movable relative to the recording medium along a predetermined linear path; driving means operative, when energized, to move the magnetic head supporting means along the linear path; and anti-reaction force generating means including: at least one pair of deformable elements which deform, when energized, and being connected to the magnetic head supporting means; a weight member movably supported between the deformable elements; and means for controlling an energization of the deformable elements so as to deform deformable elements disposed on one side of the weight member in one direction and to deform deformable elements disposed on the other side of the weight member in a direction opposite to the one direction, thereby controllably moving the weight member such that the weight member produces an anti-reaction force which substantially cancels a reaction of a driving force applied to the magnetic head supporting means by the driving means.

Claim 10

A magnetic disk apparatus comprising: a magnetic recording medium; means for rotatably supporting the recording medium; a magnetic head for reading from and writing on the recording medium; means for supporting the magnetic head and being movable relative to the recording medium along a predetermined linear path; driving means operative, when energized, to move the magnetic head supporting means along the linear path; and anti-reaction force generating means including: at least one pair of deformable elements which deform, when energized, and being connected to the magnetic head supporting means; a weight member movably supported between the deformable elements; and means for controlling an energization of the deformable elements so as to deform deformable elements disposed on one side of the weight member in one direction and to deform deformable elements disposed on the other side of the weight member in a direction opposite to the one direction, thereby controllably moving the weight member such that the weight member produces an anti-reaction force which substantially cancels a reaction of a driving force applied to the magnetic head supporting means by the driving means.

Claim 11

A magnetic disk apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the deformable elements are electrostrictive elements.

Claim 12

A magnetic disk apparatus according to claim 8, wherein each of the electrostrictive elements is a laminated electrostrictive element.

Claim 13

A magnetic disk apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the anti-reaction force generating means includes a plurality of pairs of electrostrictive elements, wherein one electrostrictive element in each pair is disposed on one side of the weight member and the other electrostrictive element in each pair is disposed on the other side of the weight member.

Claim 14

A magnetic disk apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the electrostrictive elements disposed on one side of the weight member elongate when energized and the electrostrictive elements disposed on the other side of the weight member contract when energized, the electrostrictive elements which elongate being energized earlier than the electrostrictive elements which contract.

Claim 15

A magnetic disk apparatus according to claim 7, wherein each of the deformable elements is a wire made of a shape memory alloy.