Miniskirt tape head having quasi-statically tilted transducer arrays

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9299365-B2
Application number	US-201514860644-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 21, 2015
Priority date	Sep 16, 2013
Publication date	Mar 29, 2016
Grant date	Mar 29, 2016

Abstract

In one general embodiment, an apparatus includes a magnetic head. The magnetic head has a first portion and a second portion, the first portion and the second portion together providing a tape bearing surface. The first portion has two pieces flanking the second portion in an intended direction of tape travel thereacross. The second portion has at least one array of transducers. A longitudinal axis of each of the at least one array is defined between opposite ends thereof. The longitudinal axis of each of the at least one array of transducers is oriented at an angle relative to the line oriented orthogonally to the intended direction of tape travel thereacross, the angle being between 0.2° and about 10°.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a magnetic head, the magnetic head having:
a first portion and a second portion, the first portion and the second portion together providing a tape bearing surface,
wherein the first portion has two pieces flanking the second portion in an intended direction of tape travel thereacross,
the second portion having at least one array of transducers,
wherein a longitudinal axis of each of the at least one array is defined between opposite ends thereof,
wherein the longitudinal axis of each of the at least one array of transducers is oriented at an angle relative to a line oriented orthogonally to an intended direction of tape travel, the angle being between 0.2° and about 10° ,
wherein a closest distance between tape bearing surfaces of the two pieces of the first portion in the intended direction of tape travel is greater than a widest width of the tape bearing surface of the second portion in the intended direction of tape travel.

2. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the tape bearing surface has a generally arcuate cross sectional profile.

3. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the second portion has a first edge oriented orthogonally to the intended direction of tape travel thereacross, and a second edge opposite the first edge, the second edge being oriented about parallel to the first edge.

4. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 , comprising:
a mechanism for orienting the second portion to control a transducer pitch presented to a tape.

5. An apparatus as recited in claim 4 , wherein the first and second portions are selectively positionable for compensating for tape skew, wherein the second portion is selectively positionable in a direction orthogonal to the intended direction of tape travel for track following.

6. An apparatus as recited in claim 4 , wherein the first and second portions are selectively positionable for compensating for tape skew and for track following.

7. An apparatus as recited in claim 6 , wherein the second portion is independently positionable relative to the first portion.

8. An apparatus as recited in claim 4 , wherein the first portion is fixed in the apparatus thereby preventing movement thereof relative to the apparatus, wherein the second portion is selectively positionable for compensating for tape skew and for track following.

9. An apparatus as recited in claim 4 , wherein the first portion is coupled to a coarse actuator, wherein the first portion is not tiltable relative to the line oriented orthogonally to the intended direction of tape travel, wherein the second portion is selectively positionable for compensating for tape skew and for track following.

10. An apparatus as recited in claim 4 , comprising a controller configured to control the mechanism for orienting the at least one array of transducers based on a state of expansion of the tape determined by the apparatus.

11. An apparatus as recited in claim 4 , comprising a controller configured to control the mechanism for orienting the at least one array of transducers based on skew of the tape.

12. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first portion and the second portion are fixed relative to each other.

13. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the second portion is selectively positionable relative to the first portion.

14. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 , comprising:
a drive mechanism for passing a magnetic medium over the magnetic head; and
a controller electrically coupled to the magnetic head.

15. An apparatus, comprising:
a magnetic head, the magnetic head having:
a first portion and a second portion, the first portion and the second portion together providing a tape bearing surface;
wherein the tape bearing surface has a generally arcuate cross sectional profile,
wherein the first portion has an opening at least partially encircling the second portion,
the second portion having at least one array of transducers;
wherein a longitudinal axis of each of the at least one array is defined between opposite ends thereof,
wherein the longitudinal axis of each of the at least one array of transducers is oriented at an angle relative to a line oriented orthogonal to an intended direction of tape travel thereacross, the angle being between 0.2° and about 10° ,
wherein the first portion has two pieces flanking the second portion,
wherein a closest distance between tape bearing surfaces of the two pieces of the first portion in the intended direction of tape travel is greater than a widest width of the tape bearing surface of the second portion in the intended direction of tape travel;
a mechanism for orienting the second portion to control a transducer pitch presented to a tape;
a drive mechanism for passing a magnetic medium over the magnetic head; and
a controller electrically coupled to the magnetic head.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Biskeborn Robert G
• Lo Calvin S

Classifications

• G11B15/60

  Guiding record carrier (guiding devices structurally associated with magazines or cassettes G11B23/04) · CPC title

• G11B5/584

  for track following on tapes · CPC title

• G11B5/187

  Structure or manufacture of the surface of the head in physical contact with, or immediately adjacent to the recording medium; Pole pieces; Gap features (G11B5/265, {G11B5/29} , G11B5/31 take precedence) · CPC title

• G11B5/31

  using thin films {(G11B5/1274, G11B5/1278, G11B5/1874, G11B5/1875, G11B5/33, G11B5/49 take precedence; magnetic thin film structures H01F10/00)} · CPC title

• G11B5/10

  Structure or manufacture of housings or shields for heads · CPC title