Abstract: An actuator of the present invention includes a shape maintaining sheet, a piezoelectric member provided integrally on the shape maintaining sheet, and a pair of electrodes formed to sandwich the piezoelectric member, wherein the shape maintaining sheet is formed of synthetic resin. Since the piezoelectric member is thin, the stiffness is increased by the shape maintaining sheet made of synthetic resin, and thus resonance frequency can be adjusted.

Abstract: The present invention concerns in a first aspect a spin-valve structure having a first and a second free ferromagnetic layer and a spacer layer positioned between the first and second free ferromagnetic layer, and wherein the first free ferromagnetic layer is positioned on a substrate. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the first free ferromagnetic layer is in direct contact with the surface of the substrate.

Abstract: A thin-film magnetic head includes a first coil layer disposed at a lower core layer side of the interface between an upper core layer and an upper magnetic-pole layer, which are joined to each other, and a second coil layer disposed at the upper core layer side of the interface between the upper core layer and the upper magnetic-pole layer. The thickness of a coil conductor of the first coil layer is set smaller than the thickness of a coil conductor of the second coil layer.

Abstract: A tunnel valve sensor has a flux guide which has at least one iron nitride (FeN) layer and preferably a lamination of iron nitride (FeN) and nickel iron molybdenum (NiFeMo) layers wherein in the first instance the read gap is reduced and in the second instance the read gap is reduced and the sensitivity of the read head is increased.

Abstract: A reproducing head of a thin-film magnetic head incorporates an MR element, a pair of bias field applying layers located to be adjacent to the side portions of the MR element, and a pair of electrode layers that are located on the bias field applying layers and overlap the MR element. The electrode layers each have a first layer that is laid over part of the top surface of the MR element via a protection layer, and a second layer that overlaps the first layer. In the method of manufacturing the reproducing head, after forming the protection layer on an element-to-be film to make the MR element, a first electrode-to-be film to make the first layers is formed continuously without interposing a step of exposing the protection layer to the air.

Abstract: A cassette table which is moved in a cassette traveling path has a support plate which is configured by a metal plate having elasticity, side walls, and cassette pressers. A magnetic tape device has swing levers which press down projections disposed on the side walls to lower the cassette table, and seats on which the tape cassette placed on the support plate is to sit. Swinging operation of the swing levers in a stage after the tape cassette sits on the seats is allowed by flexural deformation of the support plate.

Abstract: Provides an automatic changer with excellent space efficiency, by reducing the size of a hand mechanism section that is mounted with a CCD. The automatic changer selects and holds one desired cartridge from among one of accommodation cells provided in a magazine, conveys this selected cartridge to a recording/reproducing apparatus, and reads a bar code label adhered to the side surface of the cartridge thereby to identify the cartridge. The automatic changer has the CCD that reads a bar code disposed in the inner part of a casing that movably accommodates a hand mechanism section for holding the cartridge. The automatic changer also has a condenser lens for focusing the image of the bar code on the CCD disposed at one part of the hand mechanism section. With this arrangement, the automatic changer moves the hand mechanism section to the front of the cartridge accommodated in the accommodation cell, and focuses the image of the bar code on the CCD. Then, the CCD identifies the contents of the cartridge.

Abstract: Lock mechanism for an optical disk drive assembly. The optical disk drive assembly includes a housing, an electromagnetic lock and a resilient piece. The housing includes a lid. The lid is locked or unlocked by the electromagnetic lock. The lid is opened by the resilient piece when the lid is unlocked.

Abstract: This invention teaches a way for the shield to shield (S1-S2) distance of a magnetic read head to be reduced. The key feature is that the upper and lower dielectric layers D1 and D3, which are normally pure aluminum oxide, have each been replaced by a bilayer dielectric, which consists of aluminum oxide in contact with the shield layer followed by a layer of a high voltage breakdown material. For D1 this layer may be either tantalum oxide or tantalum nitride while for D3 our preferred material has been tantalum oxide. The addition of the two high breakdown layers allows the thickness of the upper and lower dielectric layers to be reduced without having to reduce the S2—S2 voltage difference.

Abstract: A shroud feature and method for incorporating an airflow shroud feature in a disc drive assembly. The airflow shroud feature is connected to the cover of the disc drive rather than the base plate. When the disc drive cover incorporating the shroud feature is placed on the disc drive, the shroud feature surrounds at least a portion of the circumference of the outer peripheral surface of the disc to reduce turbulence when the disc is operated. The shroud is rigidly connected to the top cover by engagement of the shroud with a physical feature of the top cover. The shroud operably directs air-flow along the peripheral edge of the disc during drive operation when the cover is installed on the base plate.

Abstract: The present invention provides a non-actuatable, self-limiting wear contact pad slider and method for making the same. A protruding element surrounding the transducer is fabricated using a third etch step so that the protruding element has a height that is greater than or equal to the designed fly height of the aerodynamic lift surface minus the disk roughness.

Abstract: In order to enable a hand inserting direction against a disk tray to be freely changed during loading/unloading of a laser disk in respect to the disk tray, there is provided a disk drive apparatus in which a disk outer circumference mounting surface to be formed on the disk tray is formed substantially flush with an upper surface of the disk tray and its outer circumference is provided with a plurality of disk guides.

Abstract: A disk drive includes a voice coil motor (VCM) having a narrow coil angle and a magnet magnetized with two or three pole pairs. The VCM magnet may define first, second and third sections, the second section being magnetically polarized in an axial direction that is opposite to that of the first and third sections. The first radial leg of the VCM coil faces the second section and the second radial leg faces the third section when the head is positioned at a non-operational position. The first radial leg faces the first section and the second radial leg faces the second section when the head is reading and/or writing to the data portion of the disk. Alternatively, the VCM magnet defines first and second sections that are magnetized in opposite axial directions.

Abstract: A magnetic head includes a GMR read head that is protected from electrostatic discharge (ESD) on a slider by a silicon germanium (SiGe) integrated circuit device. In a preferred embodiment the SiGe circuit device includes one or more silicon germanium heterojunction bipolar transistors (SiGe HBT) or silicon germanium carbon heterojunction bipolar transistors (SiGeC HBT) that is electrically connected across the electrical leads of the GMR read head. Particular electrical connection configurations with the SiGe circuit devices include diodic modes, npn modes, series cascade modes and two stage ESD network configurations. The silicon chip may be sandwiched between the slider body and the read/write head or the read/write head may be sandwiched between the slider body and the silicon chip.

Abstract: The hard disk drive of the present invention includes a magnetic head wherein the read head portions have gap insulation layers between the magnetic shields. The gap insulation layers are made up of multilayered laminations of an oxide or nitride of a metal such as aluminum, silicon, chromium, and tantalum. A preferred embodiment of the present invention includes laminated G1 and G2 gap insulation layers having 5-10 laminations, and having a total thickness of approximately 50 Å to 500 Å.

Abstract: An optical disk drive has a lid an emergency ejection hole. An opening is defined in the lid. The emergency ejection structure comprises a locking element having a locking hook and an ejection lever, a safety element movably disposed under the emergency ejection hole, and an electromagnetic unit for generating magnetic field to attract the safety element in the optical disk drive. The locking hook is fitted the opening and keep the lid closed. With magnetic force, electromagnetic unit attracts the safety element. The locking hook can engage with the opening when the optical disk drive is connected to electrical power that enables the electromagnetic unit to attract and hold the safety element. The locking hook can disengage from the opening when the optical disk drive is disconnected from electrical power, enabling the electromagnetic unit to release the safety element.

Abstract: Apparatus, methods, and systems are described for lifting a read/write head in a digital tape system. Headlift systems according to the present invention include a guide pin that is an element of a stepper motor, a bracket coupled with the head, and a shaft-linking element. Such headlift systems provide reduced headlift error tolerances, and can therefore accurately place the head for reading and writing to smaller width data tracks on the tape. The bracket is configured to mate with the guide pin and to couple with a stepper motor rotational shaft. A motor according to the present invention includes a stepping motor, a shaft, and a guide pin. A bracket according to the invention includes a head mating surface, an arm, and typically includes a guide pin bushing. The arm includes a first opening aligned to receive the shaft, and a second opening aligned to receive the guide pin.

Abstract: A self-contained, multi-axis recordable and storage apparatus includes an external frame, a hinged component pivotally attached to the frame by a shaft or ball joint, and/or an internal component. The apparatus provides a self-contained, multi-axis recordable and storage apparatus which will universally adapt to all existing reading or writing devices. The apparatus will accept existing recorded medium, analog or digital, and allow the whole apparatus assembly with its protective cover and container to be inserted into playing, reading, or writing devices.

Abstract: An adjusting mechanism for altering the tilting angle of a guide rod in a plane containing the direction of movement of a pickup and orthogonal to an upper surface of a chassis has a horizontal piece having one end attached to the chassis and the other end in contact with the guide rod for biasing the guide rod toward an adjusting screw, and a vertical piece for restraining the guide rod from deflecting in a plane containing the direction of movement of the pickup and approximately parallel to the upper surface of the chassis. The horizontal piece and the vertical piece each have an upper end positioned at a lower level than the lower surface of a tray having a disk placed on a turntable.

Abstract: In an Integrated Lead Suspension system, it is desired that the stainless steel suspension is grounded to a controlled ground potential. This requires creating a grounding path between the stainless steel suspension and a copper trace layer through a layer of dielectric material that separates the stainless steel suspension and the copper layer. The copper trace layer and subsequently the stainless steel suspension can then be grounded to a controlled ground potential. This invention proposes several methods of creating a ground path between the stainless steel suspension and the copper trace layer.