Abstract: A flexible disk drive includes a carriage spaced from a main frame and holding a magnetic head, a pair of guide bars for guiding the carriage, rubber dampers fixed on each of the guide bars at both axial end portions thereof, and a linear motor for moving the carriage in a given radial direction of a flexible disk. When the linear motor excessively in the carriage in the given radial direction, the rubber dampers work to stop the carriage in a manner so as to prevent a shock.

Abstract: A disc drive data storage system according to the present invention comprises a housing, a central axis, a stationary member which is fixed with respect to the housing and coaxial with the central axis, and a rotatable member which is rotatable about the central axis with respect to the stationary member. At least one data storage disc is attached to and is coaxial with the rotatable member. Upper and lower ball bearing assemblies interconnect the stationary member and the rotatable member. At least one rotor magnet is attached to the rotatable member. A back-iron is supported by the stationary member. A stator winding is attached to the back-iron and has a slotless structure.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing a plate holder from and/or returning it to an exchangeable magazine with at least one plate holder in which plate-shaped objects are deposited one in each. One side of the plate holders provided with a rack engaged by a feed gear actuable by a gearing in two directions of rotation alternately. The feed gear has a tooth-free, raised zone arranged thereon in such a way as to engage with a corresponding tooth-free zone on the rack of the plate holder at the beginning of the withdrawing movement. The feed gear is peripherally provided with a projection which is offset towards the raised zone and pushes the plate holder into a defined final position in the magazine. In this position, the feed gear and the rack of the plate holder are in a disengaged condition. The projection of the feed gear has a right-angled, radially projecting face co-operating with the front face of the plate holder.

Abstract: A magnetic circuit structure in a disk unit which can be manufactured at low costs. The magnetic circuit includes a main yoke manufactured by stacking a plurality of rolled steel plates and connecting them together by caulking. The magnetic circuit further includes an inner magnet, an outer magnet, and a side yoke all of which are mounted on the main yoke. Both ends of the inner magnet abut against a pair of shoulders formed on the main yoke, and both ends of the outer magnet abut against a pair of shoulders formed on the main yoke. Vertical movement of the inner magnet is prevented by a pair of presser plates and fixed to the main yoke, and vertical movement of the outer magnet is also prevented by a pair of presser plates and fixed to the main yoke.

Abstract: A high-density flexible disk drive includes a main electromagnetic shielding plate and an auxiliary electromagnetic shielding plate. The main electromagnetic shielding plate serves as a cover member for the disk drive, and protects the whole upper surface of a large-capacity flexible disk received in the disk drive, a carriage and a linear motor from electromagnetic noise coming toward the flexible disk, the carriage and the linear motor from the upper side of the disk drive. The auxiliary electromagnetic shielding is attached to the main electromagnetic shielding plate and is smaller than the main electromagnetic shielding plate. The auxiliary electromagnetic shielding plate is arranged and located so as to protect or shield a magnetic head from electromagnetic noise coming toward the magnetic head from the upper side of the disk drive.

Abstract: A personal computer data storage card includes a substrate layer, a magnetic medium layer, and a protective layer respectively affixed together. The data storage card is typically placed within an adapter and inserted into a personal computer floppy disk drive wherein the adapter includes dimensions compatible with the floppy disk drive to permit the data storage card to rotate about an axis perpendicular to the plane of the data storage card. During rotation of the data storage card within the floppy disk drive, the data storage card traverses floppy disk drive read/write heads for information storage and retrieval. Paper may be utilized as the protective layer of the data storage card and include text or graphics to have the data storage card simultaneously function as both a data storage device and a business card or other advertisement media.

Abstract: An MR head includes a soft magnetic (SAL) layer, a non-magnetic (SHUNT) layer, and a magnetoresistive (MR) layer, which are stacked on top of each other, with an antiferromagnetic layer being formed on the surface of the magnetoresistive layer except for the surface portion thereof corresponding to a track width (Tw) section. The Mn of the antiferromagnetic layer is diffused into region B of the magnetoresistive layer by heating, thereby enhancing the coercive force of region B. Due to this coercive force, the degree of single-magnetic-domain formation in the x-direction in the magnetoresistive layer increases. Thus, the MR head proves effective in reducing Barkhausen noise. Further, the layered structure can be manufactured at low cost by the same method as that for conventional exchange-bias-type MR heads.

Abstract: A magnetoresistance effect device of the invention includes: a substrate; and a multilayer structure formed on the substrate. The multilayer structure includes a hard magnetic film, a soft magnetic film, and a non-magnetic metal film for separating the hard magnetic film from the soft magnetic film. The magnetization curve of the hard magnetic film has a good square feature, and the direction of a magnetization easy axis of the hard magnetic film substantially agrees to the direction of a magnetic field to be detected.

Abstract: A caddy for adapting a mini-cartridge for use in a full-sized disk drive. The mini-cartridge is designed for use in a mini disk drive, which has dimensions and other characteristics different from a full-size disk drive. The caddy provides a mechanism for translating the size of the min-cartridge to a size suitable for use in the full-size drive. Additionally, the caddy provides a mechanism for translating rotational power from the full-size disk drive to the mini-cartridge such that a magnetic medium contained in the mini-cartridge rotates properly during use in the full-size disk drive.

Abstract: Disclosed is a rigid disk drive information storage device which includes a rigid disk having an outside diameter in the range of about 33-34 mm., with a housing having a footprint that includes a width of about 35 mm. and utilizing a rotary actuator for positioning read/write recording elements across the surface of the disk. The disk storage devices further includes a footprint with length of about 50.8 mm., and includes in one embodiment dynamic head loading apparatus for loading the read/write recording elements into operative relationship with the disk. In another embodiment the rigid disk drive utilizes contact start stop loading and unloading of the read/write recording elements. An inertial latch is also provided for preventing rotation of the actuator when the drive is subjected to a rotational force.

Abstract: A head suspension for attachment to an actuator arm and for supporting a head slider within a rigid disk drive includes a load beam having a gimbal region provided adjacent a distal end of the load beam with a slider receiving aperture. A slider bond pad separately provided from the load beam is supported within the aperture by at least one conductive trace that also connects the slider bond pad to the load beam. An end portion of the conductive trace defines a gimbal axis about which the slider bond pad can rotate, and the slider bond pad is connected to the end portion of the conductive trace so that the majority of the slider bond pad is located to one side of the gimbal axis.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a magnetic head for recording and reproducing signals from a magnetic recording medium, wherein the magnetic head comprises a stylus having a pair of electrodes, a conductive multilayer film having a staircase-shaped section, and a magnetic body formed on the multilayer film. The magnetic head further comprises an excitation conductive thin film disposed so as to surround the stylus, a magnetic yoke forming a closed magnetic loop together with a magnetic recording medium and the stylus, and an anti-abrasive film formed on the magnetic yoke so as to oppose the recording medium. During recording, a signal current is supplied to the excitation conductive thin film to generate a recording magnetic field from the end of the stylus. During reproduction, a high-frequency voltage is applied across the electrodes, and a magnetic impedance change of the stylus, caused by a signal magnetism on the recording medium, is detected.

Abstract: A combination read/write thin film magnetic head comprises: a magnetoresistive element, a main lead layer leading a sensing current to the magnetoresistive element, a lower-core layer formed on the main lead layer through an insulating layer, an upper-core layer facing the lower-core layer through a magnetic gap at the section facing a recording medium, a coil layer inducing a magnetic field to both of the lower- and upper-core layers, and a coil extraction layer simultaneously formed of the same material in the same step as the main lead layer, wherein the coil extraction layer is connected to the wound center of the coil layer.

Abstract: On a substrate, a lower pole is formed being embedded in a protective film on which a gap layer is formed. On this gap layer, a first upper pole is formed facing the lower pole. A protective film is formed coplanar to the upper surface of the first upper pole. On this protective film, a coil made of a plurality of coil layers is formed being embedded in an insulating film. On the insulating film, an upper core layer is formed whose tip portion constitutes a second upper pole stacked upon the first upper pole and magnetically coupled thereto. The first upper pole formed before the coil is formed and the second upper pole formed after the coil is formed, constitute an upper pole.

Abstract: An apparatus for fixing a head cylinder provided with a magnetic head to a deck base. The apparatus has a flange portion provided on a lower portion of the head cylinder; contacting portions provided on the lower portion of the head cylinder; and an elastic plate and screws for fixing the head cylinder to the deck base by applying a force directed to the deck base to the flange portion with the elastic plate and screws contacted with the deck base.

Abstract: A spin valve magnetoresistive (MR) read sensor is provided wherein the free and pinned layer magnetization are perpendicular to each other under quiescent conditions and the current flowing in the free MR layer is oriented to flow at a substantially 45 degree angle with respect to the free layer magnetization. The flow of the current at the 45 degree angle with respect to the free layer magnetization causes the AMR effect which is present in the free MR layer to be added to the spin valve sensor GMR effect and increases the overall magnetoresistive effect by about 25% to 33%.

Abstract: A disc pack assembly is provided for use within a disc drive having a spindle motor assembly rotatable about a central axis, with a spindle hub and a hub flange. A disc centering sleeve of the current invention with an inner raised portions and outer raised portions is placed around the spindle hub. An information storage disc is stacked on the spindle hub and rests on the hub flange. A disc spacer is placed on top of the information storage disc. A disc clamp is used to secure the information storage disc to the spindle hub. The inner raised portions abut against the outer surface of the spindle hub and the outer raised portions abut against the inner surface of the information storage disc and the disc spacer, centering the information storage disc and the disc spacer concentric with the central axis.

Abstract: A full erase head assembly for erasing a signal recorded on a tape includes a full erase head, a guide post installed on a deck base for guiding the tape, a guide portion formed on a first side of the full erase head, the guide portion being supported by the guide post, and a locking mechanism formed on a second side of the full erase head and coupled to the deck base, the locking mechanism preventing the full erase head from separating from the deck base.

Abstract: An E.sup.2 PROM device includes a semiconductor body having source and drain regions and a channel region, with a gate oxide over the channel region and a floating gate over the gate oxide. An oxide isolation region contains a doped polysilicon erase gate, so that erasing of the device takes place by electron flow from the floating gate to the erase gate through a thin oxide portion of the oxide isolation region, at a position spaced from the gate oxide. The inclusion of the erase gate in the oxide isolation region results in smaller overall device size than previously achieved.

Abstract: A head disk assembly for a disk drive comprises a base, a bearing cartridge, a head stack assembly, and an elongated member. The bearing cartridge includes an inner shaft and an outer sleeve, the shaft being attached to the base and defining a pivot axis and the outer sleeve being rotatable relative to the pivot axis. The outer sleeve has a cylindrical sleeve surface. The head stack assembly includes an actuator body. The actuator body has a bore and a slot located adjacent to the bore such that the slot opens into the bore. The bore has a bore surface that defines a pair of ridges extending parallel to the length of the bore. The bearing cartridge is disposed within the bore.