Abstract: The dimension ratio t/H of the thickness t of a flexure spring to the height (thickness) H of a slider 17 is set at 0.047 or less in order to reduce the variation in crown amount due to a temperature variation. As the ratio of the thickness t of the flexure spring to the height H of the slider decreases, the stress acting in the slider due to a difference in linear expansion coefficient between itself and the flexure spring decreases and the rigidity of the slider increases relative to the flexure spring. The dimension ratio H/L of the height H of the slider to the length L thereof is set at 0.245 or more. As the dimension ratio H/L increases, the rigidity of the slider increases and the amount of deformation of the slider due to a difference in linear expansion coefficient between itself and the flexure spring decreases. In addition, the ratio A2/A1 of an actual adhesion area A2 between the slider and a slider fixing portion of the flexure spring to a possible adhesion area A1 therebetween is reduced to 0.

Abstract: A cassette recording system having both a primary memory and an auxiliary memory associated with the cassette. A mechanism is provided for sequentially reading information from and writing information to the primary memory as well as randomly reading information from and writing information to the auxiliary memory. The auxiliary memory may be used to retain programming information. The system enables a cassette to be transferred from one recorder to another, with the recording schedule, being included in the auxiliary memory associated with the cassette, being similarly transferred.

Abstract: A magnetic disc drive device includes a labyrinth structure proximate to the ball bearings to effectively prevent scattering of particles. The labyrinth structures are formed by various arrangements where complicated passages are defined by elements arranged proximate to the inner ring and the outer ring of a ball bearing. One of the elements forming the passages being either the hub or the frame of the magnetic disc drive device.

Abstract: An actuator arm assembly that has a pair of spring-like fingers which extend from an actuator arm and clamp the arm to the housing of a bearing assembly. The actuator arm assembly includes a magnetic head that is mounted to a suspension beam. The suspension beam is welded to the actuator arm. After the beam is welded to the arm and the head is mounted to the beam, the actuator arm is clamped to the bearing assembly by merely pushing the arm and snapping the fingers onto the bearing housing. The actuator assembly may also have a coil support arm that supports a voice coil and has a pair of fingers which can be snapped onto the bearing assembly.

Abstract: A cartridge for a disc-shaped recording medium, the cartridge including a cover shell and a base shell which house a flexible, magnetic recording medium therebetween. A movable shutter is provided along a front edge of the cartridge for covering, when in the closed position, an opening in each shell which allows a read/write head to access the recording medium. The shutter is windowless and has triangle-shaped portions which cover the read/write head access openings. The shutter includes a raised rib along its periphery and has a rounded corner. A raised rib may also be provided on the cartridge shell adjacent the read/write head access opening to prevent debris particles from entering the interior of the cartridge via the head access opening. The shutter is reinforced to prevent bending and has a rounded corner to minimize the chance that the shutter corner will become snagged on some other object, such as loose clothing.

Abstract: A floppy disk assembly is adapted to accommodate a floppy disk having a discrimination hole for discriminating a storage capacity and includes a detecting member, a cassette holding plate, a sliding plate, a lock member, and a rod member. The detecting member detects whether or not the discrimination hole is present. The sliding plate has a projection and is subjected to a spring action for causing the cassette holding plate to slide from a position at which the floppy disk is mounted/dismounted to a position at which writing/reading is performed by a magnetic head. The lock member engages or disengages with the projection on the sliding plate when the floppy disk is dismounted or mounted. A rod member is linked to one end of the lock member and is allowed to rotate as the floppy disk abuts the rod member upon the mounting of the floppy disk. The use of the rod member makes it possible to move the location of the lock member beyond the location of the hole detection member.

Abstract: An air bearing slider for a data storage system including a novel deflection apparatus disposed on the air bearing surface, and a method of fabricating same are disclosed. The air bearing surface of the slider preferably includes a transducer element mounting location biased toward a trailing edge of the slider, and a deflection apparatus disposed proximate the transducer element mounting location and biased toward a leading edge of the slider. Contact between the deflection apparatus and an asperity or disk obstruction prevents damage to a transducer element mounted at the transducer element mounting location. In one embodiment, the deflection protrusion is preferably configured to include a sloping leading edge or, alternatively, comprises a plurality of deflection ridges that generally define a sloping leading edge.

Abstract: A floating head slider has a pair of side rails and a central rail on a air bearing surface thereof. Each of the side rails has a first, leading region extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the slider, a second, intermediate region extending from the first region and deviating from the direction of the longitudinal axis toward the other of the side rails, and a third, trailing region extending from the second region and further deviating from the direction of the first region. The directions of the first, second and third regions correspond to the direction of the air flow at the innermost track, intermediate track and the outermost track, to provide constant floating height and reduced roll. The central rail has a neck between a leading, small width region and a trailing, increasing width region.

Abstract: A compact disc playing mechanism includes a body with respect to which at least first and second horizontal positions are provided for placing therein compact discs, a pick-up mechanism for playing the compact discs, and a unitary moving mechanism adapted to move the pick-up mechanism from the first to the second position and to, at each of the positions, move the pick-up mechanism upwards for operation and downwards for transit. The pick-up mechanism has an engagement part. A track, which is disposed on a rotatable drum, is provided along which the engagement part slidably engages such that relative movement between the engagement part and the track causes the said upward and downward movement of the pick-up mechanism.

Abstract: A thin film helical conductor coil assembly includes an electrically-nonconducting ceramic substrate having a substantially planar surface and separated first and second magnetic elements which mutually bound a volume of the ceramic substrate. The thin film conductor coil assembly also includes a thin film magnetic core, which magnetically connects the first magnetic element to the second magnetic element. The thin film magnetic core, which overlies the substantially planar surface of the ceramic substrate, is constructed from a compliant electroplated magnetic material. The thin film conductor coil assembly further includes an electroplated thin film helical coil which traverses about the thin film magnetic core and forms a conductive path from a first terminal to a second terminal.

Abstract: The present invention relates a magnetoresistive head of an MR device. The magnetoresistive head comprises a nonmagnetic metal layer formed on an insulating layer, and a magnetic layer formed on the nonmagnetic metal layer.

Abstract: A storage system (10) is disclosed that provides random access storage/retrieval of data on data cartridges within the storage system (10). In one embodiment, the storage system (10) includes a storage array (20), a player/recorder device (22), a guard device (80) and a cartridge transport device (40). The player/recorder device (22) and the transport device (40) are positioned on substantially opposite sides of the storage array. The transport device (40) moves cartridges between the storage array (20) and the player/recorder device (22). The guard device (80) pushes a prolapsed data cartridge back into the storage array (20) and/or limits the distance a data cartridge will prolapse from the storage array (20).

Abstract: A memory storage module for storing and accessing information which includes a flat storage medium having an X-axis and a Y-axis. A plurality of read/write heads are coupled to a head array assembly which is capable of motion along the X-axis. The head array assembly positions the heads adjacent to the medium. An X-axis motor is coupled to the head array assembly and causes the heads to undergo reciprocating substantially linear motion along the X-axis of the medium. A Y-axis motor creates linear motion between the heads and the medium along the Y-axis of the medium. The heads are controlled to store or access information on the medium as the heads move across the X-axis of the medium. The Y-axis motor moves the heads from track to track along the Y-axis of the medium. The Y-axis motor can be connected to move either the medium or the head array assembly along the Y-axis.

Abstract: A thin film low profile write head is provided which has first and second pole pieces which are magnetically connected in a pole tip region and at a back gap. The pole tip region is located between the head surface and a zero throat height and the head has a body region which is located between the zero throat height and the back gap. A plurality of insulation layers are located above the first pole piece in the body region. Each of the insulation layers has an apex where the insulation layer commences and each insulation layer extends from its apex toward the back gap. The plurality of insulation layers typically includes first, second and third insulation layers. In the preferred embodiment the apex of the second insulation layer is located at and defines the zero throat height of the head. This enables a very narrow track width second pole tip to be constructed simultaneously with the second pole piece using ordinary photolithography processes.

Abstract: First and second shield layers of a read head are constructed of a lamination of NiMn and Fe-based layers to improve the performance of the shield layers when they are subjected to high external fields, such as from the pole tips of a write head combined therewith. Without lamination with one or more NiMn layers, many shield materials do not return to the same domain configuration after excitation from an external field. The result is that the Fe-based material assumes a different domain configuration after each excitation which changes the bias point of the MR sensor of the read head. By laminating with NiMn, the uniaxial anisotropy of the material can be increased to provide uniform domain configuration and exchange pinning between shield material NiMn returns the material to the same configuration after each external field excitation.

Abstract: A magnetic disk apparatus includes one kind of magnetic head, and head elements arranged only at a position adjacent to one of two rails. Two head assemblies with magnetic heads and flexible arms are attached to one access arm, and the flexible arms are arranged at offset positions from each other so that the position of the gap of one magnetic head coincides with the position of the gap of the other magnetic head.

Abstract: Boundary protrusions or kinks are integrally formed along the perimeter of a magnetic layer of a magnetic transducer for nucleating a predetermined domain pattern in the magnetic layer. These protrusions or kinks behave as domineering pinning sites for the domain walls, overriding other factors such as manufacturing tolerances or external magnetic field, for establishing a stable magnetic domain pattern. As arranged, various kinds of noise encountered during the normal operations of the transducer are significantly reduced, as the noise related problems originated from the magnetic domain instabilities in the magnetic layers are substantially curtailed.

Abstract: A disk tray comprises a disk receiving recess formed in the disk tray and larger than a disk to be accommodated therein. Two retainers are disposed at respective one of two side walls of the disk receiving recess adjoining with each other. Each retainer includes a base plate, an abutment protrusion disposed at the middle of the base plate and having a smooth inclined upper surface, and springs disposed at both ends of the base plate. Each abutment protrusion extends through each side wall into the disk receiving recess. Springs are fixed at the outer surface of the side walls facing away from the disk receiving recess. By the disk tray, a disk can be easily accommodated in the disk receiving recess and the accommodated disk can be prevented from moving.

Abstract: A cartridge disk for the magentic storage of computer data includes a rotatable hard disk platter with a hub of liquid crystal plastic injection-molded to tolerances of twenty-five micrometers. Such material used in molds avoids expensive machining. An electrically-conductive shell enclosure encases the hard disk platter between a cover piece and a base piece. A door assembly with upper and lower doors which pivot open on parallel axes is mounted to an open end of the shell enclosure. A single lever connected to the door assembly is positioned to engage a pin mounted in a mating disk drive automatically opens the doors when the disk is inserted into the drive. Outside the drive the doors close to seal out contamination particles that could foul the hard disk platter. An electrostatic filter in the shell enclosure is strategically placed to clean the air circulated within the cartridge disk during operation.

Abstract: A thin-film head electromagnetic transducer has two pole pieces which define a gap. The surface of at least one of the pole pieces has a linear edge defining one side of the gap and has two linear edges which are at an acute angle to the linear edge defining the gap and are symmetric about and abut at an axis perpendicular to the linear edge defining the gap.