Disk drive

Abstract

A disk drive comprises a recording medium, spinning means, a head supporting device having a support arm disposed in a rotatable manner about a bearing unit in a radial direction as well as a perpendicular direction to a writing surface of the recording medium, and rotating means for rotating the support arm in the radial direction of the recording medium. A shape of the housing is defined based on a first straight line tangent to both an outermost rim of the rotating means and an outer periphery of the recording medium, and according to a quadrilateral comprised of the first straight line, a second straight line tangent to the outer periphery of the recording medium and perpendicular to the first straight line, a third straight line tangent to the outermost rim of the rotating means and perpendicular to the first straight line, and a fourth straight line tangent to the outer periphery of the recording medium and parallel with the first straight line, thereby realizing the disk drive that is compatible in external size with memory cards.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A disk drive comprising: 
 a spinnably supported recording medium;    spinning means for spinning said recording medium;    a head supporting device provided with a support arm and a head mounted to an underside surface at one end of said support arm, said support arm disposed in a rotatable manner about a bearing unit in a radial direction of said recording medium;    rotating means for rotating said support arm in the radial direction of said recording medium; and    a housing containing therein said recording medium, said spinning means and said head supporting device,    wherein an external shape of said housing measures approximately 24 mm in width and approximately 32 mm in length.    
     
     
         2 . A disk drive comprising: 
 a spinnably supported recording medium;    spinning means for spinning said recording medium;    a head supporting device provided with a support arm and a head mounted to an underside surface at one end of said support arm, said support arm disposed in a rotatable manner about a bearing unit in a radial direction of said recording medium;    rotating means for rotating said support arm in the radial direction of said recording medium; and    a housing containing therein said recording medium, said spinning means and said head supporting device,    wherein said housing has an exterior thickness ranging from 2.1 mm to less than 3.3 mm.    
     
     
         3 . The disk drive as set forth in  claim 1  further comprising a wiring circuit disposed to a cover constituting said housing, and electric circuit components mounted to said wiring circuit in an area other than an area corresponding to a rotating range of said support arm.  
     
     
         4 . The disk drive as set forth in  claim 3 , wherein a flexible wiring board is used for connection between at least one of said spinning means, said head and said rotating means disposed to a base constituting said housing and said wiring circuit disposed to said cover.  
     
     
         5 . The disk drive as set forth in  claim 3 , wherein a connection between at least one of said spinning means, said head and said rotating means disposed to a base constituting said housing and said wiring circuit disposed to said cover is made by any of press-contact and press-fitting between a terminal formed on said base and another terminal formed in a corresponding position on said cover.  
     
     
         6 . The disk drive as set forth in  claim 1  having a storage capacity of at least 1 Gigabyte.  
     
     
         7 . The disk drive as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein an external shape of said housing is compatible in dimensions with SD memory card.  
     
     
         8 . The disk drive as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said support arm disposed in a rotatable manner about a bearing unit in any of a radial direction of said recording medium and a perpendicular direction to a writing surface of said recording medium.  
     
     
         9 . The disk drive as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein said head supporting device further comprising first resilient means for impressing a thrusting force on said support arm in a direction toward said recording medium and second resilient means for turning said support arm in a direction away from the writing surface of said recording medium; and 
 the disk drive further comprising second rotating means for thrusting said support arm in a manner to turn said support arm in the perpendicular direction with respect to the writing surface of said recording medium.    
     
     
         10 . The disk drive as set forth in  claim 9 , wherein said second rotating means turns said support arm in the direction away from the writing surface of said recording medium to separate said head from said recording medium when said recording medium stops spinning.  
     
     
         11 . The disk drive as set forth in  claim 2  further comprising a wiring circuit disposed to a cover constituting said housing, and electric circuit components mounted to said wiring circuit in an area other than an area corresponding to a rotating range of said support arm.  
     
     
         12 . The disk drive as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein a flexible wiring board is used for connection between at least one of said spinning means, said head and said rotating means disposed to a base constituting said housing and said wiring circuit disposed to said cover.  
     
     
         13 . The disk drive as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein a connection between at least one of said spinning means, said head and said rotating means disposed to a base constituting said housing and said wiring circuit disposed to said cover is made by any of press-contact and press-fitting between a terminal formed on said base and another terminal formed in a corresponding position on said cover.  
     
     
         14 . The disk drive as set forth in  claim 2  having a storage capacity of at least 1 Gigabyte.  
     
     
         15 . The disk drive as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein an external shape of said housing is compatible in dimensions with SD memory card.  
     
     
         16 . The disk drive as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein said support arm disposed in a rotatable manner about a bearing unit in any of a radial direction of said recording medium and a perpendicular direction to a writing surface of said recording medium.  
     
     
         17 . The disk drive as set forth in  claim 16 , wherein said head supporting device further comprising first resilient means for impressing a thrusting force on said support arm in a direction toward said recording medium and second resilient means for turning said support arm in a direction away from the writing surface of said recording medium; and 
 the disk drive further comprising second rotating means for thrusting said support arm in a manner to turn said support arm in the perpendicular direction with respect to the writing surface of said recording medium.    
     
     
         18 . The disk drive as set forth in  claim 17 , wherein said second rotating means turns said support arm in the direction away from the writing surface of said recording medium to separate said head from said recording medium when said recording medium stops spinning.