Abstract: The invention comprises, in various embodiments, a method for monitoring an internal test on a remote computer. The method includes reading a line from the remote computer with a processing unit. The line is capable of sending at least one result signal for the test. The method includes sending a fail signal from the processing unit to a reporting device when none of the new result signals are read during any time period of a preselected length.

Abstract: A head includes a head chip, having first and second external connection electrodes, for reading a signal from a storage medium and writing a signal on the storage medium, a substrate having the head chip mounted thereon, a hot-side conductor path and a ground-side conductor path each formed on the surface of the substrate and electrically connected to the corresponding external connection electrodes of the head chip, and a chip varistor, mounted on the substrate, having first, second, and third terminal electrodes, the third terminal electrode being connected to the ground. In the head, the hot-side conductor path is divided, and the corresponding conductor parts of ends of the divided hot-side conductor paths are electrically connected to the first and the second terminal electrodes, and the ground-side conductor path is electrically connected to the third terminal electrode of the chip varistor.

Abstract: An autochanger includes an imaging device affixed to a media handling device. The autochanger is of the type that uses optical indicia to identify media pieces located therein. The imaging device is movable between a first position and a second position relative to the media handling device. The autochanger moves the imaging device to positions relative to the media pieces where the imaging device can read the indicia. The autochanger further moves the imaging device relative to the media handling device to optimize the reading capability of the imaging device without increasing the size of the autochanger.

Abstract: A clamping device for a disc-shaped information carrier having a central clamping opening, includes a clamping member which is displaceable from a first position, in which the information carrier is clamped by the clamping member, to a second position in which the information carrier is released by the clamping member. The device further includes a lifting member which co-operates with the clamping member and which is displaceable from a first position, in which the lifting member is recessed with respect to a supporting member of the clamping device, to a second position in which the lifting member is raised relative to the supporting member. The device also includes a first locking member, which locks the clamping member in its second position when the lifting member is not substantially situated in its first position, and a second locking member, which locks the lifting member in its first position when the clamping member is not substantially in its second position.

Abstract: A magnetic disk drive is provided, which decreases the profile or height of the drive itself without reliability degradation, realizing a low-profile and large-capacity magnetic disk drive. The drive comprises: (a) a rotatable magnetic disk around an axis; (b) a spindle motor for rotating the disk; (c) a magnetic head for writing information into the disk and for reading information from the disk; (d) an actuator for positioning the head at a desired position over the disk; (e) a disk enclosure for enclosing the disk, the motor, the head, and the actuator; (f) a circuit board fixed to the enclosure; the board having necessary circuits and necessary electronic elements for controlling operation of the drive; the board having a projecting part located outside a footprint of the enclosure; at least part of the elements being mounted on the projecting part.

Abstract: In a method for making a thin-film magnetic head, a primary insulating layer is formed on a lower core layer. An auxiliary insulating layer is formed on the primary insulating layer. A groove defining a track width is formed on the primary insulating layer. Sloping faces are formed in the auxiliary insulating layer. The sloping faces are symmetrically formed and converge toward the lower core layer in the track width direction. The resulting groove has a width which is smaller than the resolution of a resist layer in a reactive ion etching process.

Abstract: A damper which is adhered to the head suspension of a disc drive, which comprises a constraint layer/viscoelastic layer laminate, wherein the viscoelastic layer is temporarily provided with a release sheet that is removed on use so that the damper may be adhered to the head suspension, the side of the release sheet in contact with the viscoelastic layer having been treated with a non-silicone releasing agent, preferably a long-chain alkyl type or fluoroacrylate type releasing agent. No silicone is transferred to the viscoelastic layer so that silicone gas generation causing destruction of the memory layer of a disc can be prevented.

Abstract: A disk drive using a disk including a substrate made from a high polymer material is capable of reducing a spacing between a head slider and the disk to a value comparable to a spacing between the head slider and a disk having a glass substrate. A head slider of a disk drive, which is flied against the disk formed with a high polymer substrate, is specified such that a width W is in a range of 1.5 mm or less, and a length L is in a range of 1.8 mm or less, preferably, in a range of 1.25 mm or less. With this configuration, it is possible to realize a stable low flight height without the contact of the head slider with a disk and hence to realize high density recording, even if the disk is formed with a high polymer substrate in which a radius of curvature in the radial direction is about 10 m and a radius of curvature in the circumferential direction is about 20 m. Further, a head is fixed at a central portion of at least one of a pair of rails symmetrical in the width direction of the head slider.

Abstract: A clamping device of disc adapted to flatten a defective disc warped in the opposite direction (upward direction) of disc pick-up for enabling an easy reproduction of data recorded in the disc, the clamping device of disc so constructed as to allow a disc placed on a tray to be arranged between a turntable rotor mounted at a deck body and a clamp mounted at a deck cover for clamping, wherein the clamp is integrally formed with a plurality of pressing protruders at an outer periphery and disc pressing surface at an inner periphery to simultaneously press an inner non-recording surface and an outer non-recording surface of the disc accommodated on the turntable rotor.

Abstract: A magnetoresistive (MR) head device is used as the read head of a disk drive. The magnetoresistive head device is provided with a magnetoresistive layer and conductors. The magnetoresistive layer changes in magnetization direction in response to a recording magnetic field on a disk. The conductors serve as electrodes and used for supplying a sense current to the magnetoresistive layer. The conductors have joint portions that are in contact with the magnetoresistive layer. The joint portions have substantially the same height (thickness) as the magnetoresistive layer, if it is measured from the disk surface. With this structure, a sense current supplied from one of the conductors flows through the magnetoresistive layer in a uniform direction. Hence, the magnetization direction is constant throughout the magnetoresistive layer.

Abstract: A disc cartridge comprised of a main cartridge body unit and a disc as an information recording medium accommodated in the main cartridge body unit. In preparing an engagement opening engaged by a movement controlling member of the disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus and which is provided on a shutter member adapted for opening/closing an aperture provided in the main cartridge body unit housing the disc, the shutter member is punched so that the punched portion will be on an inner recessed side of the engagement opening. The punched portion is bent inwardly of the shutter member to provide a curved surface on which abuts the movement member to assure stable engagement/disengagement in the engagement opening of the movement controlling member to prevent the inner peripheral surface of the engagement opening and the peripheral surface of the movement controlling member from being damaged by repeated engagement/disengagement of the movement controlling member.

Abstract: The present invention is intended to produce an optical disk drive unit, which is an optical data recording and reproducing apparatus, compactly and to improve the efficiency in assembling components of the drive unit. The optical disk drive unit consists of a driving mechanism and a printed wiring board. The driving mechanism assists in loading a cartridge, which accommodates an optical disk that is a commutative medium, in a main unit, drives the cartridge, and reads or writes data from or on the optical disk. A circuit for driving and controlling the driving mechanism is mounted on the printed wiring board. The driving mechanism can be divided into a load/ejection mechanism and a reading/writing mechanism. The load/ejection mechanism is a united body consisting of a cartridge identification sensor, an ejection motor for ejecting a cartridge, and a bias magnet assembly.

Abstract: A soft magnetic layer constituting a spin valve type magnetoresistance effect film comprises a multilayered body having at least two layers and including a first soft magnetic layer substantially made of Co or CoFe, and a second soft magnetic layer substantially made of NiFeX (wherein X represents at least one selected from Ta and Nb) in the order named from the side of a non-magnetic metal layer. More preferably, the soft magnetic layer comprises a multilayered body having at least three layers and including a first soft magnetic layer substantially made of Co or CoFe, a third soft magnetic layer substantially made of NiFe, and a second soft magnetic layer substantially made of NiFeX (wherein X represents at least one selected from Ta and Nb) in the order named from the side of the non-magnetic metal layer. Therefore, the detection sensitivity of a magnetic signal and the output of the magnetic head can be improved. Further, the linearity of the derived signal is also excellent.

Abstract: A high density tape library includes a plurality of rectangular platforms mounted adjacent one another for movement in a plane, with tape cassette magazines mounted on the platforms. The platforms have depending guide and cam follower members for movement around a generally rectangular track under the control of a series of cams. At a cassette handling station, selected tape cassettes are shifted from a magazine to a tape drive.

Abstract: In a data media storage library for storing and accessing storage media, the storage media being contained in cartridges, the data media storage library having a library housing, an access opening in the library housing for inserting cartridges, a storage array within the library housing including a number of storage locations, a plurality of media storage elements adapted to hold the storage media, a plurality of data transfer elements adapted to read and write information on the storage media, and a media transport element within the library housing adapted to move the storage media between the media storage element and the data transfer element, an import/export element which rotates the cartridge 180 degrees after moving the cartridge from the access opening to the media transport element, including: a cartridge holder adapted to receive the media cartridge from the access opening; a lead screw mounted in a first direction between a first point and a second point and rotating about a first axis parallel t

Abstract: Return channels 45a, 45b, 45c, and 50 are formed to guide air flowing through a clearance between a magnetic disk (11) and a shroud (41) so that the air flows behind a voice coil motor, bypasses a loading/unloading mechanism (31) and flows toward a region on the lower side of the loading/unloading mechanism 31 with respect to the rotating direction of the magnetic disk (11). Thus, production of turbulent flow in the vicinity of the loading/unloading mechanism 31 is controlled. Fluttering of the magnetic disk (11) can be controlled by placing a filter 60 in one of the return channels.

Abstract: A disk drive array system using a vacuum pump to reduce the disk drive internal pressures and/or a helium circulator to fill and circulate helium in a disk drive array to reduce vibrations, reduce power consumption, and increase cooling (when helium is used). The disk drive array system is also configured such that individual disk drives can be removed from the disk drive array without affecting the internal pressures of the remaining disk drives in the array.

Abstract: A data handling system having a voice coil motor having a first magnetically permeable plate and a second magnetically permeable plate is disclosed. The first magnetically permeable plate is coupled to a permanent magnet pair and the second magnetically permeable plate includes a raised plate portion directly opposite the permanent magnet pair. Planar surfaces of the permanent magnet pair and the raised plate portion are substantially parallel to each other and are spaced by an air gap. A voice coil is positioned in the air gap and moves in response to a magnetic interaction between a magnetic field produced by a controlled current through the coil and a magnetic field between the permanent magnet pair and the raised plate portion. The planar surfaces of the permanent magnet pair and the raised plate portion may be substantially identical in shape and surface area.

Abstract: In a data media storage library for storing and accessing storage media, the storage media being contained in cartridges, the data media storage library having a library housing, an access opening in the library housing for inserting cartridges, a storage array within the library housing including a number of storage locations, a plurality of media storage elements adapted to hold the storage media, a plurality of data transfer elements adapted to read and write information on the storage media, and a media transport element within the library housing adapted to move the storage media between the media storage element and the data transfer element, an import/export element which rotates the cartridge 180 degrees after moving the cartridge from the access opening to the media transport element, including: a cartridge holder adapted to receive the media cartridge from the access opening; a lead screw mounted in a first direction between the access opening and the media transport element and rotating about a fir

Abstract: In general, the present invention provides a cartridge positioning mechanism for securing and ejecting media cartridges being contained by a magazine that is fixably mounted within the cavity of an autochanger. More specifically, a rocker arm pivotally coupled to a rear portion of a magazine and a control spring, having a lift and logic component, controls the rocker arm to secure a cartridge being received within the magazine and eject a cartridge that needs to be removed. This inventive magazine structure will provide a “push to insert” and “push to eject” process for securing and removing a cartridge from a hard to reach magazine being permanently attached within a cavity of a conventional autochanger.