Abstract: A perpendicular recording head (10) for use with magnetic recording media (30) includes a main pole (14) and a magnetic field source which is positioned sufficiently close to the main pole tip to generate a background magnetic field in the recording media. A conductive magnetizing coil (20) surrounding the main pole is preferably used as the magnetic field source. The background magnetic field generated by the magnetizing coil effectively reduces the coercivity of the magnetic recording media in the region affected by the background field. The recording head enables writing on high coercivity/high anisotropy magnetic media, thereby achieving extremely high recording densities.

Abstract: A magnetic disk cartridge comprising a housing with space, and a magnetic disk rotatably held in the space of the housing. The magnetic disk includes a flexible magnetic recording medium, and at least one rigid ring mounted on the circumferential edge portion of the magnetic recording medium.

Abstract: A low cost and highly reliable lubricating technique is realized by using a lubricant having an average molecular weight in the range of 900 to 2500. The lubricant is efficiently supplied to inner portions of a magnetic disk apparatus utilizing heat generated during operation of the apparatus. The method of assembling the apparatus is not affected since it is not necessary to provide a separate lubricant supply mechanism.

Abstract: The induction coil of the magnetic head of the present invention is fabricated in a patterned electrical insulation material, preferably utilizing reactive ion etch (RIE) techniques. The electrical insulation material is particularly patterned such that it is formed away from the ABS surface and in the location of the induction coil. A fill layer is deposited around the patterned electrical insulation material layer, such that the fill layer is disposed at the ABS surface. In a preferred embodiment, the patterned electrical insulation material is initially fabricated from hard baked photoresist and subsequent to the deposition of the fill layer the hard baked photoresist material is removed and replaced by SiO2. The SiO2 is thereby located away from the ABS surface and the induction coil is subsequently fabricated within the SiO2 material.

Abstract: A disk drive includes a disk, and a head stack assembly for reading and writing to the disk. The head stack assembly may include a body portion defining a through bore that defines a pivot axis; an actuator arm cantilevered from the body portion; a head gimbal assembly coupled to the actuator arm; a coil portion cantilevered from the body portion in an opposite direction from the actuator arm and a bobbin. The coil portion may define first and second actuator fork members and may include a wound coil supported by the first and second actuator fork members. The bobbin may be configured to stiffen the coil, and may include a first surface that faces the coil and that defines the thickness of the bobbin. The first surface defines one or more cleating features configured to increase the surface area of the first surface. The largest dimension of each of the cleating features in a direction that is parallel to the pivot axis may be selected to be less than the thickness of the bobbin.

Abstract: A slider comprises a slider section and an element section. The slider section has a first medium facing surface and an air inflow end. The element section has a second medium facing surface, an air outflow end, and a thin-film magnetic head element. The slider section and the element section are produced separately, and bonded to each other so that the air inflow end and the air outflow end are disposed on opposite sides with the first and second medium facing surfaces in between.

Abstract: A recording tape cassette has a case formed from an upper case and a lower case, and in which a reel, on which a recording tape is wound, is accommodated; a shaft standing erect at the lower case; a guide roller fit with play at the shaft; and a holding hole provided at the upper case, and into which a distal end of the shaft is inserted with play. The holding hole has a guide surface which, when the case deforms, makes the distal end of the shaft move in a predetermined direction. In accordance with the recording tape cassette, conveying stability of the recording tape trained around on the guide roller can be ensured.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention generally provide an apparatus and method for, sealing an outer surface of a shaft to an inner surface of a hub. In one embodiment, the invention provides a magnetic fluid seal held in a gap defined by a top member and a bottom member. In one aspect, the distance from the rotational axis of the shaft to the outer periphery of the lower member is less than the distance between the rotational axis of the shaft and the outer periphery of the upper member. In another aspect, the lower member has a member that slopes between a first radial distance to a second radial distance, relative the rotational axis of the shaft. In another aspect, the member has a stepped region including a first and second region where the first stepped region corresponds to a first radial distance, and the second stepped region corresponds to a second radial distance, relative the rotational axis of the shaft.

Abstract: Disclosed is an actuator for use with a disk drive having a coil assembly designed to aid in heat convection from the coil of the coil assembly. The actuator includes a body portion for pivotally coupling to the disk drive and an actuator arm cantilevered from the body portion for supporting a head gimbal assembly (HGA). The actuator further includes a coil assembly having a coil and a fork. The fork is cantilevered from the body portion in an opposite direction from the actuator arm and includes a pair of opposed prongs to mount the coil. At least one of the prongs of the fork includes at least two opposed fins to aid in the convection of heat from the coil.

Abstract: A head actuator mechanism and a method of manufacture for that mechanism are disclosed. The head actuator mechanism includes a head gimbal assembly coupled to the top support face of a bearing assembly and an actuator driving mechanism coupled to the opposite support face. The head gimbal assembly includes an actuator arm and a load beam, the actuator arm being mounted to the top support face. The actuator driving assembly includes a driving coil and a coil holder frame. The driving coil is positioned in a magnetic field created by a magnetic block and yoke.

Abstract: A small magnetic disk cartridge for use in a card disk drive to be loaded in electronic equipment. The magnetic disk cartridge comprises a housing, a disk-mounting hub rotatable within the housing by a spindle provided in the disk drive, and a flexible magnetic disk mounted at one point on the disk-mounting hub.

Abstract: A magnetic head slider having an air bearing surface is used for reading and writing data from a magnetic medium. The magnetic head includes a substrate having a disc opposing face bounded by a leading face, a trailing face, and first and second sided edges. The slider includes an end layer positioned upon the trailing face of the substrate wherein the basecoat has a disc opposing face and is comprised of a material having a coefficient of thermal expansion greater than a coefficient of thermal expansion of the substrate. An air bearing pad is formed solely on the disc opposing face of the end layer. A transducing head is formed in the air bearing pad and exposed at an air bearing surface.

Abstract: An actuator stop for a disc drive having a compliant suspension member joining a rigidly supported stop pin and a noncompliant contact member. The contact member is characterized by a relatively greater compressive yield strength than that of the suspension member so that in response to an abutting engagement with the actuator. The contact member is displaceable relative to the stop pin in relation to the deflection characteristics of the suspension member.

Abstract: An information storage disk holding member for holding an information storage disk in position in an information storage disk drive device, the holding member being made of glass-ceramics in which a crystal phase is dispersed in a glass matrix. The holding member has specific rigidity (Young's modulus/specific gravity) of not greater than 37 GPa, specific gravity of not greater than 3.0, coefficient of thermal expansion within a range from −50° C. to +70° C. which is within a range from +35×10−7/° C. to +130×10−7/° C., Young's modulus within a range from 95 GPa to 130 GPa, specific gravity within a range from 2.40 to 2.60 and bending strength within a range from 400 MPa to 800 MPa.

Abstract: A disk drive includes a magnetic element and a coil. The magnetic element includes an inner magnet set including first and second inner magnets. The magnetic element further includes an outer magnet set including first and second outer magnets. The first outer magnet is circumferentially disposed along the first inner magnet. The second outer magnet is circumferentially disposed along the second inner magnet. The coil is attached to a coil support of an actuator and disposed overlapping within a magnet periphery of the magnetic element. The coil includes an inner segment, an outer segment, and a pair of side segments electrically connecting the inner and outer segments. The inner segment is disposed overlapping with the inner magnet set, the outer segment being disposed overlapping with the outer magnet set. Each of the side segments is disposed equally overlapping with the inner and outer magnet sets.

Abstract: A disk drive includes a magnetic element having an inner magnet and an outer magnet. The disk drive further includes a first coil. The first coil includes a first coil inner segment, a first coil outer segment, and a first coil radial segment disposed generally perpendicular to the first coil inner segment and the first coil outer segment. The first coil radial segment overlaps the inner and outer magnets within a magnet periphery throughout a fill range of motion of the actuator. The disk drive further includes a second coil. The second coil includes a second coil inner segment, a second coil outer segment, and a second coil radial segment disposed generally parallel to the first coil radial segment. The second coil radial segment overlaps the inner and outer magnets within the magnet periphery throughout the full range of motion of the actuator.

Abstract: A single-pole type magnetic head for perpendicular recording which reduces the amount of side writing even in the presence of a yaw angle and prevents the effective track width from decreasing, and a magnetic recording disk apparatus using the same. A main pole is composed of at least two portions where the width of the first portion continuously increases from the upstream side to the downstream side in the medium moving direction and the width of the second portion is the same as the width of the first portion's downstream edge in the medium moving direction and is constant from the upstream side to the downstream side in the medium moving direction. This prevents the recording magnetic field strength from decreasing at the track edge and increases the effective track width while suppressing side writing, thereby realizing a magnetic recording disk apparatus with a high track density.

Abstract: A disc drive, includes a base, a disc stack rotatably attached to the base, and an actuator assembly movably attached to the base. The actuator assembly includes an E-block. The E-block for a disc drive includes a metal core and a ceramic coating on the metal core of the E-block. The ceramic coating on the metal core of the E-block is less dense than the metal core. The stiffness of the ceramic coating on the metal core of the E-block is greater than the stiffness of the metal core. In one embodiment, the E-block has a metal core of aluminum. The ceramic coating is may be formed using any method, including an electrochemical process or by depositing the ceramic coating onto the E-block.

Abstract: A helical scan tape drive (20) has a cartridge compartment (24) for accommodating a single reel cartridge (26) of magnetic tape (56), and a take-up reel (50) which, with respect to a threading path (42), is not coplanar with the cartridge compartment. A threading system (40) grasps an end of the magnetic tape in the cartridge and transports the magnetic tape through the threading path. The threading path is configured such that the magnetic tape is at least partially wrapped around a rotatable scanner (30) before the end of the magnetic tape is attached to the take-up reel. The rotatable scanner has one or more elements (180, 182) for transducing information relative to the magnetic tape. The take-up reel is situated at a location either above or below the cartridge compartment for reducing footprint of the drive. In one embodiment, the take-up reel and the compartment are in an at least partially overlapping relationship.

Abstract: A perpendicular write head includes a main pole, a return pole, and conductive coils. The main pole includes a seedlayer and a magnetic layer that is plated upon the seedlayer. The seedlayer is nonmagnetic, electrically conductive, and corrosion-resistant. The return pole is separated from the main pole by a gap at an air bearing surface of the write head and is coupled to the main pole opposite the air bearing surface. The conductive coils are positioned at least in part between the main pole and the return pole.