Abstract: A write pole tip for a magnetic head has a trailing edge that is closer than a leading edge to a perpendicular recording medium, so that the write signal strength of the trailing edge is greater than that of the leading edge. Such an angled pole tip can write a sharp magnetic pattern with the trailing edge, reducing erroneous writing. A layer of physically hard material such as diamond-like carbon (DLC) may adjoin the trailing edge, the physically hard material layer protruding slightly after polishing of the media-facing surface due to its resistance to lapping. This can form an acute corner of the write pole tip adjacent to the physically hard material layer. The trailing edge may be longer than the leading edge, and the write pole tip may have a trapezoidal shape.

Abstract: The present invention provides lock release means that allows spring constant of the lock release means to be set to any desired value without regard to a material used for a cartridge holder. A disk recording and/or reproducing apparatus includes: recording and/or reproducing means disposed in a chassis; a cartridge holder supported on the chassis movably between an insertion and withdrawal position, at which a disk cartridge is inserted or removed, and a recording and reproducing position, at which the disk cartridge is recorded or reproduced by the recording and/or reproducing means; an eject lever disposed on an upper surface of the chassis so as to be movable in a disk cartridge insertion and withdrawal direction; eject lever lock means disposed on the upper surface of the chassis; and lock release means mounted on the cartridge holder such that a leading end side of the lock release means advances into the cartridge holder from an upper surface of the cartridge holder.

Abstract: The present invention provides a thin film magnetic head achieving improved recording performance by sharpening recording magnetic field gradient as much as possible. The thin film magnetic head has a return yoke layer disposed on a trailing side of a magnetic pole layer, and width W3 of an exposed surface of a lower TH specifying part in a TH specifying portion in the return yoke layer is equal to or larger than width W1 of an exposed surface of the magnetic pole layer (W3?W1), and is less than width W4 of an exposed surface of an upper TH specifying part (W3<W4). Since a part (magnetic flux) of a magnetic flux emitted from the exposed surface to the outside flows in the exposed surface while being spread a little in the width direction, spread of the magnetic flux is suppressed at the time of recording. Therefore, the recording magnetic field gradient near an air bearing surface is sharpened and recording performance is improved.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and apparatuses for transferring storage media between storage units comprising an expandable multi-unit storage system. The expandable storage apparatus comprises a first and second storage unit comprising media support locations. The support locations are capable of supporting at least one storage media element. At least one storage device is adapted to store and retrieve data to and from the storage media element associated with at least one of the storage units. At least one robotic system is associated with each of the storage units. A media pass-through transfer device is substantially disposed in the first storage unit and is adapted to transfer the storage element between the first and second storage units wherein the media pass-through transfer device is capable of temporarily extending into the second storage unit.

Abstract: In a recording transducer, radiant energy is incident to be coupled to a recording head via a path defined in the support (e.g., slider) for the head. The radiant energy may be directed via a fiber or lens (e.g., MEMS lens) through a channel defined in the slider. The slider may be keyed to accept the fiber or lens. The process for fabricating the channel in the slider the channel may include wafer level processing to form holes in the slider, to accept the fiber or lens. Wafer level MEM optical processing may be deployed to form integrated MEMS lens structures for an array of sliders.

Abstract: A magnetic head slider including: a head element which records or reproduces information on a magnetic disk, a slider having said head element, and an electric conducting film in which paired first and second parts are formed to be substantially parallel, where current flows within said first and second parts are in the opposite direction as against said slider.

Abstract: A disk drive includes a chassis and first and second disk-positioning members mounted respectively on two opposite sides of the chassis. The first and second disk-positioning members have two straight inner portions extending perpendicularly and respectively from the opposite sides of the chassis to define a first distance therebetween, and two outer portions extending inclinedly and respectively from the inner straight portions in such a manner to define a second distance therebetween. The second distance is longer than the first distance. When an optical disk is moved to a reading and/or writing position from a temporary position, the inclined outer portions of the first and second disk-positioning members are spaced apart from the disk to permit smooth rotation thereof.

Abstract: The invention provides an optical disc apparatus having a dynamic damper mechanism which does not use any part for exclusive use for absorbing a shock of an optical pickup. The optical disc apparatus is provided with a chassis attached to a base chassis via a first elastic body, shafts provided on the chassis, an optical pickup moving on the shaft, and a weight attached to the chassis via a second elastic body, the weight is provided with stoppers on a moving path of the optical pickup.

Abstract: In a magnetic disk apparatus, a function of shielding a magnetic head is improved while maintaining the form factor with an inexpensive structure. In one embodiment, a magnetic disk apparatus has a magnetic disk, a magnetic head that records or plays back information, a magnetic head support mechanism supporting the magnetic head, a positioning mechanism that moves the magnetic head in a radial direction of the magnetic disk to place the head in position, an enclosure made of a nonmagnetic material, and a shield member made of a magnetic material. The magnetic disk, magnetic head, magnetic head support mechanism, positioning mechanism, and shield member are housed in the enclosure.

Abstract: A rotating disk storage device has a mechanism for latching an actuator head suspension assembly (AHSA) positively in a retraction area upon occurrence of an external shock or runaway. In one embodiment, a latch mechanism comprises an AHSA which is supported pivotably, an elastic member which restricts a pivotal movement of the AHSA in a pivot direction A1 of the AHSA, an inertia member adapted to move pivotally in a corresponding pivot direction B2 when the AHSA moves pivotally in the pivot direction A1 while deforming the elastic member elastically, and a latch member having an engaging portion and adapted to move pivotally in a direction A2 opposite from the corresponding pivot direction B2 upon receipt of torque from the inertia member, thereby causing the engaging portion to move to a latching position. The AHSA has two to-be-engaged portions, i.e., a first to-be-engaged portion and a second to-be-engaged portion.

Abstract: An optical pickup actuator for driving, by a magnetic driving unit, in a focusing direction, a tracking direction, and a tilting direction, a bobbin on which an objective lens is disposed and which is movably supported by suspension wires, including at least one damping member is disposed at a position where greatest changes in the optical pickup actuator occur when driving the bobbin in the focusing direction, the tracking direction, and the tilting direction, so that a size of a second resonant peak is reduced.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention reduce disk fluttering while ensuring good assemblability in a magnetic disk apparatus. A magnetic disk apparatus comprises a recording disk that is an information medium configured by one or plural disks; a motor causing the recording disk to rotate; a carriage supporting a head that records information to, or plays back information from, the recording disk; a casing housing the recording disk; and a shroud disposed surrounding an outer periphery of the recording disk. A groove that extends along the recording disk is formed, vertically asymmetrical with respect to an outer peripheral surface of the recording disk, in the shroud surface at a position where a corner portion formed by the outer peripheral surface and a top surface or bottom surface of the recording disk extends in a radial direction.

Abstract: A pallet main body is provided with a block holding member which presses a positioning surface of an actuator block against a block reference surface formed in the pallet main body, and a movable arm. An insertion member, which can be inserted between a plurality of opposing suspensions, is formed at a distal end of the movable arm. As a suspension to which a slider is to be attached contacts a first contact surface formed on the side in contact with this suspension, a distal end of the suspension to which the slider is to be attached is held at a prescribed height from the block reference surface, thereby forming a gap between this suspension and a suspension opposed to this suspension.

Abstract: A hard disk drive having a housing with a base and a cover connected to each other, a spindle motor connected to the base, a disk mounted on the spindle motor and rotating with respect to the base, and an actuator rotatably connected to the base and supporting a slider with a magnetic head mounted on a front end thereof. The magnetic head writes and/or reads data to and/or from the disk. The hard disk drive also has a blade protruding from a surface of the base and/or a portion of the cover facing the disk. The blade guides an air flow caused by rotation of the disk toward an outer edge of the disk.

Abstract: A hard bias structure for biasing a free layer in a MR element within a magnetic read head is comprised of a soft magnetic underlayer such as NiFe and a hard bias layer comprised of Co78.6Cr5.2Pt16.2 or Co65Cr15Pt20 that are rigidly exchange coupled to ensure a well aligned longitudinal biasing direction with minimal dispersions. The hard bias structure is formed on a BCC seed layer such as CrTi to improve lattice matching. The hard bias structure may be laminated in which each of the underlayers and hard bias layers has a thickness that is adjusted to optimize the total Hc, Mrt, and S values. The present invention encompasses CIP and CPP spin values, MTJ devices, and multi-layer sensors. A larger process window for fabricating the hard bias structure is realized and lower asymmetry output and NBLW (normalized base line wandering) reject rates during a read operation are achieved.

Abstract: An optical disc cartridge of the present invention includes: a casing provided with a disc inserting/opening part for inserting/taking out a disc thereinto/therefrom at an upper surface thereof and an access hole which an optical pickup approaches at a lower surface thereof; a pair of shutters mounted in the casing and opening/closing the access hole and fixing the optical disc; a rotary wheel rotatably positioned on the shutters and moving the shutters; a wheel fixing/releasing means mounted at one side in the casing and fixing/releasing the rotary wheel; and a disc fixing/releasing means movably mounted at the casing and limiting inserting/taking out the disc into/from the disc inserting/opening part by adjusting a size of the disc inserting/opening part.

Abstract: Disc unit having a small number of parts and capable of effecting fitting operation with ease. A chassis is fitted via elastic members to a holder which is disposed to be moveable vertically with respect to the plane of a body frame. Each elastic member is a substantially cylindrical body having flange portions at the upper and lower end portions thereof. Further, each elastic member includes a pair of first fitting portions disposed adjacent to the inner sides of the flange portions. In addition, each elastic member includes a pair of expansion portions characterized by large diameter and disposed between the first fitting portions. The holder has supporting portions provided with a holder interface formed to fit into the first fitting portions of each elastic member. The chassis has a front holding interface formed to fit into the second fitting portion of each elastic member.

Abstract: A thin-film magnetic head has a laminated construction comprising a main pole layer having a magnetic pole tip on a side of the medium-opposing surface opposing a recording medium, a write shield layer opposing the magnetic pole tip forming a recording gap layer, on the side of the medium-opposing surface, and a thin-film coil wound around at least a portion of the write shield layer. The thin-film magnetic head has an upper yoke pole layer having a larger size than the portion of the main pole layer which is more distant from the medium-opposing surface than the recording gap layer, wherein the upper yoke pole layer is joined to the side of the main pole layer which is near the thin-film coil.

Abstract: A recording disk cartridge includes a plurality of flexible recording disk media integrally rotatably housed within a cartridge case. Each of the recording disk media is fixed to a center core which is stacked one on another through a spacer. The cartridge case includes: a lower plate for configuring a lower wall parallel to the plurality of the recording disk media; at least one inner plate that is stacked and fixed on the lower plate, and partitions the plurality of the recording disk media; and an upper plate that is stacked and fixed on the inner plate, and configures an upper wall of the cartridge case. Each spacer is provided with locking protrusions at upper and lower surfaces thereof, and each center core is provided with locking holes for engagement with the locking protrusions of adjacent spacers.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing magnetic heads comprises the step of: fabricating a magnetic head substructure by forming a plurality of components of the magnetic heads on a single substrate, wherein a plurality of rows of pre-head portions that will be the respective magnetic heads later are aligned in the substructure; and fabricating the magnetic heads by separating the pre-head portions from one another through cutting the substructure. In the step of fabricating the substructure, a plurality of indicators are formed, each of the indicators serving as a reference for indicating the location of a region ABS in which the medium facing surfaces of the magnetic heads are to be formed.