Abstract: The disc protection casing includes a disc protection casing body having a disc receiving space therein. A disc holder, insertable into the interior of the disc protection casing body, has an elastic member formed at one end of the same for supporting a disc. When the disc holder is inserted into the casing body, a shoulder on the elastic member contacts a guide member in the casing body and the elastic member releases a disc supported thereby.

Abstract: In a standard audio tape cassette, a new method of cleaning the capstan(s) while the tape is playing or recording. The new method and means consists of a fibrous material, generally a felt, which is positioned against the capstan(s) in a way so that when it is in contact it exerts a wiping pressure on the rotating capstan(s). Another means is by positioning the felt on a moveable lever which will bring the felt into contact with the capstan(s) when the cassette is in operating mode and not in contact when the cassette is not operating.

Abstract: A small-sized and thin flexible recording system including a flexible disk drive and a recording disk is provided. The recording disk has a disk-shaped recording medium and a recording medium cartridge rotatably receiving therein the recording medium. The flexible disk drive includes a magnetic head for recording information into the recording medium or reproducing information recorded in the recording medium, a carriage mechanism for moving the magnetic head, a recording medium drive motor for rotating the recording medium, a frame having an insertion opening through which the recording disk is inserted, a recording medium mounting portion formed adjacent the insertion opening in a direction in which the recording disk is inserted for mounting thereon the recording disk, and a recording-disk ejection mechanism for ejecting the recording disk from the frame.

Abstract: The present invention provides a magnetic recording medium having high recording density and excellent storage property, and it provides a floppy disk, which includes a magnetic disk incorporated in a shell having a liner on inner side thereof, the magnetic disk having a magnetic film formed at least on one side of a flexible support member, and the liner contains a rust preventive agent.

Abstract: A disk player has a disk cartridge for being loaded thereon, and accommodating a disk-type recording medium. The disk cartridge has a shutter arranged thereon, for performing slide-opening/closing in order to expose an information surface of the disk-type recording medium. The disk player includes a carrier mechanism for carrying the disk cartridge to an information regenerating location and an information recording location, and a shutter sliding mechanism for slide-opening/closing the shutter. The shutter assumes an intermediate position of sliding when the disk cartridge is located at one of the information regenerating location and. the information recording location, and assumes a terminal position of sliding when the shutter is located at the other one of the locations. The disk player also includes a driving mechanism including an engaging element and an engaged element which is separated from the engaging element when the information recording mechanism is not driven.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium is obtained, which satisfies R−9709/N<6.6, when its surface is attracted by a magnetic head with a surface pressure of 250 gf/mm2 or less or has a load area ratio of 5% or less, where N is the number of asperities per &mgr;m square and R (nm) is an average of radii of curvature at peaks of the asperities. This magnetic recording medium does not cause dynamic attraction even if the head contact slides with it, and rotates stably, so that information can stabily be written/read well.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a combination media and media station storage unit for storing a multiplicity of media elements along with a media station for the media elements. The combination unit allows a media station to be stored and secured for protection while allowing connections for signals and allowing controls for the media station to be accessed while it is in a stored and secure position. The combination media and media station storage unit also has removable lids that may contain optional features for adding functionality to the combination media and media station storage unit. These features include but are not limited to speakers, electronics for remote broadcast of playback information, electronics for remote control of the media station, batteries, windows for observing media station status, etc.

Abstract: A low height disk drive having an overall height of approximately one inch (1″). The drive includes a head disk assembly, including a base plate, two disks rotatably supported on the base plate, a motor for rotating the disks, at least two heads for reading information from and writing information on respective ones of the disks; an actuator, supported on the base plate and responsive to control signals, for selectively positioning the heads with respect to the disks, and a cover sealably attached to the base plate to enclose the storage device, the head, and the actuator. The disk drive also includes control circuitry for generating control signals, and for providing information signals to and receiving information signals from the heads. The head disk assembly and the control circuitry have a combined height of approximately one inch or less.

Abstract: A dual spin valve magnetoresistive structure having a free layer and a spacer layer between the free layer and a pinned layer. The pinned layer is between the spacer layer and the antiferromagnetic layer. There is also an offset layer, where the antiferromagnetic layer is between the offset layer and the pinned layer. The offset layer is tailored to introduce a first magnetic field that reduces a net magnetic field within said free layer.

Abstract: There is provided a magnetoresistive head which is capable of suppressing the fluctuation of read output while ensuring a sufficient dielectric breakdown voltage of the shielding portions by constituting the shielding portions with a Co-based material. Namely, the lower shield film is formed of a 2-ply composite film wherein the film (12′) of the lower shield film which is disposed contacting with the lower gap insulation film (13) is constituted by an amorphous soft magnetic film, while the film (12) which is disposed away from the lower gap insulation film is constituted by a crystalline soft magnetic film, thereby making it possible to suppress the fluctuation of read output even if the gap is narrowed without deteriorating the yield relative to the dielectric breakdown.

Abstract: A recording and/or reproducing apparatus using a magnetic tape as a recording medium such that, when holding by a holding mechanism is released at the position where a cover member is closed and a magnetic head is moved between a contact position, where contact with a magnetic tape which travels by a traveling mechanism provided in the apparatus body is obtained, to a position distant from the magnetic tape or when the magnetic tape is pinched by the traveling mechanism, the pinching of the magnetic tape by the traveling mechanism is released and the magnetic head is moved to a distant position. In this manner, even if the apparatus is stopped when the power source is shut off while the FWD reproducing mode or the REV reproducing mode is kept set, the magnetic tape can be safely and securely extracted from the attachment section.

Abstract: The present invention provides a storage medium having intelligence that has, in one-piece, a storage medium and an electronic circuit, and has communication structure with an external apparatus to reduce loads of a main-frame of a system, and that can further manage and control external system equipment, the apparatus communicating information with the electronic circuit, and a system including them. The electronic circuit mounted on the intelligent disk 2 has a contact type or a non-contact type interface as communication structure. The contact type interface is connected to an external contact electrically and/or mechanically. The non-contact type interface is connected to an external interface via sound, light, radio waves, or induction. The non-contact type, a plurality of balanced microstrip lines are formed on a rotating medium and a fixed body in concentric circles, they are located so that respective balanced microstrip lines face.

Abstract: A disc cartridge for receiving a disc-like recording medium therewithin which recording medium is capable of being inserted and removed from the disc cartridge. The disc cartridge includes an insertion and removal port opening and closing member, and the disc insertion and removal port opening and closing member is moved from the disc cartridge when taking out the recording medium. The disc cartridge has a locking member for locking the insertion and removal port opening and closing member. At least a part of a locking cancellation preventing member which prevents the locking member from moving for canceling the locking is arranged on a moving path of the locking member so as to cancel the locking. Further, the locking cancellation preventing member is a portion for recognizing a history of insertion and removal of the recording medium.

Abstract: A recording medium reproducing apparatus includes: an apparatus main body having a recording medium insertion opening; a flap body adapted to be attached to the apparatus main body so as to close the insertion opening; a first gear formed on the flap body, the first gear being coaxial with pivotal shafts of the flap body; a second gear provided in the apparatus main body and engageable with the first gear formed on the flap body; an arm member protruding from the front side of the apparatus main body, the arm member being retractable into the apparatus main body upon being pressed by the flap body when the flap body is closed on the apparatus main body; an interlock mechanism for simultaneously effecting the protrusion or retraction of the arm member and the rotation of the second gear provided in the apparatus main body; a first urging device for urging the interlock mechanism so as to cause the arm member to outwardly project to its fully projected position.

Abstract: A giant magnetoresistive stack (10) for use in a magnetic read head includes a NiFeCr seed layer (12), a ferromagnetic free layer (14), a nonmagnetic spacer layer (16), a ferromagnetic pinned layer (18), and a CrMnPt pinning layer (20). The ferromagnetic free layer (14) has a rotatable magnetic moment and is positioned adjacent to the NiFeCr seed layer (12). The ferromagnetic pinned layer (18) has a fixed magnetic moment and is positioned adjacent to the CrMnPt pinning layer (20). The nonmagnetic spacer layer (16) is positioned between the free layer (14) and the pinned layer (18). The combination of layers with their respective atomic percentage compositions and thicknesses results in a GMR ratio of at least 12%.

Abstract: In a disk apparatus, a movable-base position sensing switch (169) is provided such that the sensing switch is turned from ON state into OFF state at a time a turntable (20) of a movable base (13) is separated from a clamper (16) during movement of the movable base (13) to an unclamped position. A motor (91) is controlled (190, 191, S12-S20) so that a driving force of the motor is used to move a tray and/or to move the movable base through a drive device. The motor is actuated in a first direction to move the movable base to the unclamped position for a first period from the time the position sensing switch is turned into OFF state. The motor is actuated in a reverse direction for a second period from an end of the first period. The driving of the motor is stopped for a third period from an end of the second period. The motor is actuated in the first direction from an end of the third period such that the tray is moved to the disk-change position.

Abstract: A thin film magnetic recording head is fabricated by forming a substrate from opposing ferrite blocks which have a ceramic member bonded between them. This structure is then diced to form a plurality of columns, wherein each column has a ferrite/ceramic combination. Each column represents a single channel in the completed head. A block of ceramic is then cut to match the columned structure and the two are bonded together. The bonded structure is then cut or ground until a head is formed, having ceramic disposed between each channel. A ferrite back-gap is then added to each channel, minimizing the reluctance of the flux path. The thin film is patterned on the head to optimize various channel configurations.

Abstract: A magnetoresistive head having a split coil structure including multiple, similar coil layers separated by an insulator and joined at their ends to define parallel electrical paths. The coil passes through a magnetic yoke having an open end and a closed end and is electrically insulated from the yoke. The parallel electrical paths of the separate coil layers can each be modeled as a resistor in series with an inductor, each of the paths also being in parallel with a capacitor. The split coil has a much faster current rise time than a comparable single layer coil or than multiple coils connected in series. Since the coil current provides the magneto-motive force for imparting a signal on a passing recording medium, the decreased current rise time corresponds to an increased data recording rate.

Abstract: A disc storage is provided for storing a plurality of trays, each for holding a disc. The trays are stacked in the storage. A movable member is provided to be moved in the vertical direction. A disc player, a tray moving device are mounted on the movable member. The tray moving device is provided to be engaged with trays for moving the trays and for increasing a space between a desired tray and an adjacent disc for receiving disc player, and for decreasing the space during the reproduction of the desired disc.

Abstract: An automatic balance device for disk includes rolling beads of different sizes and a magnetic piece within the turntable or clamping chassis of the CD-ROM driver. The rolling beads of different sizes will be released from the magnetic piece at different rotating speeds of the disk. Therefore, the rolling beads with larger weight are first released from the magnetic piece and then bumped by the rolling beads with smaller weight, which are released from the magnetic piece at a later time. The rolling beads with larger weight can be moved to a desired position to counteract the imbalance force of the disk.