Abstract: An insulating film, provided above a first yoke portion, supports a thin film coil and has an inclined portion in an air bearing surface side. A second pole portion of a second magnetic film is opposed to a first pole portion via gap film. A second yoke portion, provided on the insulating film, continues to the second pole portion and its rear portion is joined with the first yoke portion. A top thin film coil 27 has a coil winding body portion with small thickness H1 nearest the air bearing surface and a coil winding body portion with larger thickness H3 than the thickness H3.

Abstract: A cassette changer which comprises a recording and reproducing unit having an insert and withdrawal port into and from which a groove-carrying cassette can be inserted and withdrawn, and a storage unit adapted to store a plurality of cassettes therein, and which is used to transfer the cassette between the recording and reproducing unit and storage unit, the cassette changer being further provided with a chuck capable of taking a locking position in which the chuck is engaged with the groove of the cassette, and a release position in which the chuck leaves the groove and does not prevent a first transfer unit from moving, a second transfer unit transferring a cassette to a storage position or an insert and withdrawal position and thereafter being allowed to move further, whereby a chuck releasing member engages the chuck, which is thereby moved from the locking position to the release position.

Abstract: A thermally-assisted magnetic recording disk drive records data by heating a small region of the magnetic layer on the disk to near or above its Curie temperature while a write field is applied by a thin film inductive write head. The thin film inductive write head includes an electrically resistive heater located in the write gap between the pole tips of the write head. The resistive heater is sandwiched between first and second spacer layers that are located between the pole tips of the write head. In a current-perpendicular-to-the plane (CPP) embodiment, the spacer layers are electrically conductive and the pole tips serve as the electrical leads to provide electrical current in a direction generally perpendicular to the layer of resistive heater material. In a current-in-the plane (CIP) embodiment, the spacer layers are formed of insulating material and electrical leads are formed as portions of a film between the spacer layers and in contact with each side of the resistive heater.

Abstract: A disc clamping device with self lock elements particularly for DVD-ROM or CD-ROM fixedly maintained on a turntable when disc is rotating in high speed. The device comprises a turntable having a boss on the center for putting disc thereon, and a disc clamping member tightly sleeved on boss having protuberances on periphery wherein protuberances are deformed inwards when biased by disc such that disc can insert through disc clamping member, and then protuberances return to original forms by elastically energized force for clamping disc on turntable. By utilizing this, the purposes of decreasing the umber of parts, easy assembly, and high precision positioning of disc are achieved.

Abstract: A thin-film magnetic head includes a lower core composed of a magnetic material provided on a slider, a first insulating layer formed on the lower core, a spiral coil composed of a good conductor formed on the first insulating layer, a first leader section composed of a good conductor formed on the slider, the first leader section being connected to an end of the coil and extending to a terminal region provided on the slider, a second insulating layer formed on the first insulating layer so as to cover the coil, and an upper core composed of a magnetic material formed on the second insulating layer, the upper core being in contact with the lower core at the center of the coil. A protective magnetic film is formed on the surface of the first leader section.

Abstract: In a tunnel magnetoresistance effect element comprising a tunnel multilayered film having a tunnel barrier layer, a ferromagnetic free layer and a ferromagnetic pinned layer such that the tunnel barrier layer is held between the ferromagnetic free layer and the ferromagnetic pinned layer, three indexes representing a surface roughness state of the tunnel barrier layer are set such that Ra≦1 nm, Rmax≦10 nm and Rrms≦1.2 nm, wherein Ra is one of the three indexes and representing the center line average roughness, Rmax is one of the three indexes and representing the maximum height, and Rrms is one of the three indexes and representing the standard deviation roughness. Thus, the tunnel magnetoresistance effect element exhibits improved characteristics, particularly, a large head output.

Abstract: An apparatus for driving a movable body, comprises a driving power source having an output shaft; and a driving gear provided on the output shaft to drive the movable body. The driving gear is capable of slipping relative to the output shaft of the driving power source. The output shaft of the driving power source may be connected to the movable body through a gear train for transmitting driving power from the driving power source to the movable body. In this case, the gear train includes the driving gear and the driving gear slips when a prescribed load is applied to the gear train.

Abstract: An improved MR sensor has a ferromagnetic free layer whose magnetization is stabilized by an in-stack three layers combination, which including an auxiliary ferromagnetic layer proximate the ferromagnetic free layer, a non-magnetic spacer layer disposed between the ferromagnetic free layer and the auxiliary ferromagnetic layer, and a pinning layer adjacent to the auxiliary ferromagnetic layer. The pinning layer is directly exchange-coupled to the auxiliary ferromagnetic layer such that the magnetization of the auxiliary ferromagnetic layer is pinned. The non-magnetic spacer layer is made of a material, such as Ru, which induces an anti-ferromagnetic exchange coupling between the ferromagnetic free layer and the auxiliary ferromagnetic layer. The magnetization of the ferromagnetic free layer is stabilized in a single-domain state by the combination of the anti-ferromagnetic exchange-coupling and magnetostatic coupling between the ferromagnetic free layer and the auxiliary ferromagnetic layer.

Abstract: A thin-film magnetic head comprises a first shield layer, an MR element, a second shield layer, a recording gap layer, a top pole layer and a thin-film coil. The MR element is placed on the first shield layer, being insulated from the first shield layer. The second shield layer is magnetically connected to the first shield layer, and is located to face toward a part of the first shield layer closest to an air bearing surface, the MR element being placed between the second shield layer and the part of the first shield layer, the second shield layer being insulated from the MR element. The top pole layer is magnetically connected to the first shield layer, and is located on the second shield layer, the gap layer being placed between the second shield layer and the top pole layer. The thin-film coil is located on a side of the second shield layer, being insulated from the shield layers and the top pole layer.

Abstract: A disk drive includes a base, an actuator pivotally mounted on the base, a motor and a hub for supporting the disk or disks of the drive. A rotatable member disposed on the base includes a latch that cooperates with a hook on the actuator and a magnet that cooperates with a ferromagnetic segment disposed between the rotatable member and the motor. When the motor does not operate, this rotatable member moves to a predetermined position in which the latch engages a hook portion on the actuator. When the motor does operate, the magnetic field that it generates overcomes the force of the magnet and allows the rotatable member to move out of the locking position.

Abstract: A first insulating film is provided on a first shielding film. A magnetoresistive effective element is provided on the first insulating film. A first and a second leading conductor films are provided on the first insulating film and connected to both ends of the magnetoresistive effective element. A second insulating film covers the first and second leading conductor films and the magnetoresistive effective element, and a second shielding film is provided on the second insulating film. A terminal conductor for measurement is conductively connected to at least one of the first and the second shielding films, and exposed to a different surface of a slider from a medium opposing surface thereof.

Abstract: A disc clamp mechanism for a disc apparatus is provided. In the disc clamp mechanism, a disc is clamped or unclamped by moving a clamper holding chassis near to or remote from a turntable, the clamper holding chassis holding a clamper with a clamper holder, and a contact portion of the clamper holder with the clamper is deformed relative to the clamper holding chassis along a motion direction of the clamper holding chassis. A large space can be formed between the clamper and a turntable in a disc unclamp state to prevent the disc from becoming in contact with the clamper or turntable and being damaged while the disc is transported. A stroke of the clamper holding chassis necessary for reserving the space is made small to make a disc apparatus compact.

Abstract: In a magnetic head cleaner (4) for use in a magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus having a magnetic head (61) located in the neighborhood of the center of gravity of a head driving mechanism (62), an arm (41) which is retractably swung along the front face of the magnetic head (61) is provided with a holder (45) for enabling a cleaner head (48) to perform a contact/separate operation to/from the front face of the magnetic head (61), the holder (45) being operated so that the cleaner head (48) comes into contact with the front face of the magnetic head (61) when the arm (41) is located in front of the front face of the magnetic head (61), and being guided so as to be separated from the magnetic head (61) by guide means (7) provided to a frame (1) of the apparatus at the stage that the arm (41) is retracted from the front face of the magnetic head (61).

Abstract: A library apparatus accommodating a number of cartridges containing memory mediums is used for automatically cleaning a hand of an accessor robot that transfers a plurality of cartridges and is provided in the library apparatus. A control unit is provided to control the movement of the accessor robot. The control unit counts the number of times the hand is used to determine when the hand is to be cleaned.

Abstract: A two-piece load beam mounting system supports a load beam in operating proximity to a disk, the mounting system comprising a small mount less subject to flatness problems, the mount having a plate and a central boss, the mount plate having lateral and longitudinal dimensions less than the base portion corresponding dimensions, and a support having lateral and longitudinal dimensions to register with the base portion when the support is sandwiched between the mount and the load beam base portion in attached relation to each; the support and mount plate cooperating to have their combined height no greater than the height of the support to achieve a greater stiffness in the mount system without increasing the height.

Abstract: In a magnetic read/write assembly, the magnetoresistive (G)MR sensor element is protected against electrostatic discharge (ESD) and electrical overstress (EOS) by using a low resistance bypass. The low resistance bypass shunts current away from the magnetoresistive sensor element during an ESD or EOS event. This low resistance bypass is made up of two or more resistors connected in series, and positioned in parallel to the magnetoresistive sensor element. The use of electronic circuitry to temporarily disable this low resistance bypass allows the magnetoresistive sensor element to be tested during manufacturing. The low resistance bypass is removed prior to placing the (G)MR head into operation in the magnetic storage system or at any other desired step in the manufacturing process.

Abstract: There is provided an inertial latching system which includes a first latch member configured to engage a second latch member at a junction point. The first latch member includes a latch pivot mounted to the base. One side of the latch pivot extends to form a first arm whilst a balancing mass is found at another side of the latch pivot. Joined to the first arm is a finger which provides a contact line ending in a proximal point. The second latch member has a contact surface which provides a contact point. The inertial latching system is configured such that the ratio of a first length to a second length is smaller than the ratio of a third length to a fourth length.

Abstract: A loader tray for eliminating disk vibration and resonance effect has recessions with an opening for placing disks for available for a disk to be read/recorded and hollow parts for balancing the air pressure are provided at the recession of the tray. Therefore, a steady disk can be obtained in a state of high rotation speed and a reading/recording job can be performed effectively in the loader.

Abstract: An instruction decoder that issues new instructions by driving a machine bus (110) with the correct information during each clock cycle. This information is either extracted from the current instruction to be executed, or is recycled from the previous contents (106) of the machine bus when a scoreboarding operation has been performed. Mousetrap multiplexer (104) chooses between several sources of opcode and operand fields and routes them to the machine bus (110) through several translation stages and multiplexers. The decision of which source to use is based on what kind of instruction is currently being looked at by the instruction queue in the instruction fetch unit. The instruction queue notifies the instruction decoder that the next instruction is to be either a RISC operation (including register, memory, and/or branch instructions) or an instruction which is part of a microcode flow. If a complex macroinstruction flow is in progress, its operands can be accessed through alias registers.

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.