Abstract: Disclosed herein is a rotary head drum unit including a cylindrical drum surface and a magnetic head for recording/reproducing a signal to/from a magnetic tape running along the drum surface.. The magnetic head has a tape sliding surface adapted to come into sliding contact with the magnetic tape. The tape sliding surface of the magnetic head is positioned at a level lower than the height of the magnetic tape flying above the drum surface. The magnetic tape is brought into contact with the tape sliding surface by negative pressure. With this configuration, an increase in contact pressure of the magnetic tape sliding on the tape sliding surface of the magnetic head can be prevented and the contact pressure can be uniformed to thereby prevent a reduction and variations in magnetic recording or reproduction output.

Abstract: A helical-scan system performs recording and reproduction on a magnetic tape by using a recording and reproducing head 5 comprising m magnetic head elements 7 (where m is 2 or larger integer). During this recording and reproduction, the following relationships are satisfied among a track width W for each of the head elements 7, a track pitch Tp between the head elements 7, and a feed amount S for a magnetic tape 6.

Abstract: A linear tape system has a multi-reproducing head MRh comprising a plurality of reproducing heads Rh each of which corresponds to one recording track Tr. Each reproducing head of the multi-reproducing head is arranged with a displacement in a width direction of the recording track. An entire width MRhw of the multi-reproducing head is enlarged larger than a width Trw of the recording track. In this manner, the linear tape system can reproduce the recording track recorded in a narrow width and provide a higher recording density.

Abstract: There are provided an approximately cylindrical rotary drum, a magnetic field applying means and a magnetic field detecting means that are mounted on the rotary drum, signal processing means, and a tracking control means for performing a tracking control based on tracking signals. The magnetic field applying means records an information signal on a portion of a recording track in a state that the tracking control is performed. The magnetic field detecting means detects signals from recording tracks by tracing a recording track plural times in a state that the tracking control is performed. The signal processing means reproduces an information signal by performing prescribed signal processing on the signals detected by the magnetic field detecting means.

Abstract: A rotary drum includes a plurality of reproducing heads each having a plus azimuth angle (+azimuth angle), which heads are collectively arranged at a location in the circumferential direction of the rotary drum in such a manner as to be in close proximity to each other, to be taken as a +azimuth reproducing head group, and a plurality of reproducing heads each having a minus azimuth angle (−azimuth angle), which heads are collectively arranged at a location in the circumferential direction of the rotary drum in such a manner as to be in close proximity to each other, to be taken as a −azimuth reproducing head group, wherein the +azimuth reproducing head group and the −azimuth reproducing head group are spaced from each other in the circumferential direction of the rotary drum. With this rotary drum, signals can be certainly reproduced from recording tracks with narrowed widths by using the multiple reproducing heads arranged on the rotary drum.

Abstract: There is provided a rotary drum which is capable of increasing recording density of a magnetic tape by changing tape/head relative speed and by solving problems which occur in increasing the tape/head relative speed. The inventive rotary drum includes a pair of recording heads having different azimuth angles and disposed separately with 180° of central angle and a second recording head disposed at the same position in the circumferential direction with one recording head among the pair of recording heads while separating by 5.5 &mgr;m in the direction of height of the rotary drum and having a different azimuth angle from the one recording head. A first mode is created by the pair of recording heads separated by 180° of central angle and a second mode is created by the two recording heads at the same position in the circumferential position.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for a magnetic head unit which keeps good contact between a magnetic head element and a magnetic tape to effectively suppress wear of the magnetic head element and damage to the magnetic tape, and which helps obtain a high output. The projection of an edge portion of the magnetic head element from an outer peripheral plane of the magnetic head unit is variable, such as by a piezoelectric ceramic.

Abstract: A rotating drum assembly, and a magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus including the rotating drum assembly, are provided. The rotating drum assembly comprises a cylindrical rotating drum; a magneto-resistive head installed on the rotating drum to project at least a part thereof from the outer surface of the rotating drum; and a tape-contact piece installed on the rotating drum so as to project from the outer surface of the rotating drum and to be in contact with the surface of a magnetic tape; the tape-contact piece being formed to have a larger tape-contact width than that of the magneto-resistive head and disposed to be in earlier contact with the magnetic tape than the magneto-resistive head.

Abstract: A magneto-resistive effect type magnetic head (12) has a head width Wh greater than the track width Wt of a magnetic tape (5), as measured in the width direction of the tape (5). The head (12) has a magneto-resistive effect element, which has a magnetism-detecting section arranged at the prescribed azimuth angle. A signal reproduced from the magnetic tape as the head (12) is moved while off-tracked in the widthwise direction Wh of the recording track T1. The signal has a specific characteristic that falls within a predetermined range for a reference value, provided that it has been generated from the magnetism the head (12) has detected over its effective width We.

Abstract: The present invention provides a multi-magnetic recording head capable of increasing a magnetic recording density of information recorded on a magnetic recording medium. The multi-magnetic recording head includes a substrate, a pair of first thin film magnetic poles with a specific gap put therebetween, which are stacked over the substrate, and a pair of second thin film magnetic poles with a specific gap put therebetween, which are stacked over the pair of first thin film magnetic poles, wherein the pair of first thin film magnetic poles and the pair of second thin film magnetic poles are offset from each other in the direction nearly perpendicular to the stacking direction.

Abstract: An anti-static measure is taken against tape guide parts of a magnetic tape cassette by forming the tape guide parts of a conductive material and so on. An antistatic measure against a lid, an upper shell, a transparent window and a lower shell is taken by coating at least either of inside and outside of each of the lid, the upper shell, the transparent window and the lower shell with an anti-static film. A magnetic layer of a magnetic tape has a thickness of from 10 nm or more to 100 nm or less, and also contains oxygen in an amount of from 20 atm % or more to 30 atm % or less in a whole magnetic layer. An information recording surface of the magnetic tape has also a surface resistance of from 103&OHgr;/inch2 or more to 1012&OHgr;/inch2 or less.

Abstract: A rotary magnetic head unit has a non-contact type transmission device capable of reliably performing non-contact transmission both in signal and power supply systems and designed so as to be smaller in size. The non-contact type transmission device is formed of a rotating member and a fixed member each having a power supply wiring section for transmitting a power supply, a signal wiring section for transmitting a signal, and a crosstalk prevention section positioned between the power supply wiring section and the signal wiring section to prevent crosstalk between these sections.

Abstract: A pair of reels of a magnetic cassette tape and a pair of reel supports of a magnetic tape drive comprise a conductive material as an antistatic treatment. Further, a head substrate and a projection substrate of a head drum comprise a conductive material having a resistance of 1×1010 &OHgr; or less and are connected to a metal base so as to be at the ground potential via the metal base and a rotating drum. These antistatic treatments allow static electricity charged on a magnetic tape to be discharged to the head substrate and the protection substrate without flowing to a magneto-resistive (MR) element, thereby preventing the electrostatic discharge breakdown of the MR element.

Abstract: A rotating drum includes a magnetic head, a head base, and a holding member. The magnetic head is attached to the holding member which is attached to the head base while the magnetic head is in resilient contact with the top of a conical projection integrated with an end face of the head base, whereby the magnetic head is supported by the rotating drum via the head base.

Abstract: When a magneto-resistance effect type magnetic head is used as a magnetic tape reproducing head, a contact noise which occurs when a magnetic tape contacts with a magneto-resistance effect element poses a problem. The invention provides a magneto-resistance effect type magnetic head which hardly causes such contact noise and a magnetic signal reproducing apparatus comprising such magneto-resistance effect type magnetic head. A part where a magneto-resistance effect element is formed in a magnetic tape sliding face of the magneto-resistance effect type magnetic head is formed to be a concave of 3 to 30 nm in depth. The contact noise hardly occurs even when the magnetic tape is slid by forming the part where the magneto-resistance effect element is formed into the concave. Still more, almost no output drops due to a spacing loss and a fully large reproduced output may be obtained by defining the depth t1 of the concave within a range of 3 to 30 nm.

Abstract: A magnetic signal reproducing method and apparatus of the helical scan system employing an MR head. The apparatus includes a substantially cylindrically-shaped rotary drum, an inductive magnetic head loaded on the rotary drum, a magneto-resistive effect magnetic head having an amount of protrusion from the rotary drum smaller than that of the inductive magnetic head, a tape sort detection unit, and a tape tension control unit. If information signals are reproduced by the inductive magnetic head, the tape tension of the magnetic tape is decreased by the tape tension control unit and, if information signals are reproduced by the magneto-resistive effect magnetic head, the tape tension of the magnetic tape is increased by the tape tension control unit.

Abstract: A rotary drum device and a helical scan magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus employing an MR head as a playback magnetic head. The rotary drum device and the helical scan magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus each include a cylindrically-shaped rotary drum, an inductive magnetic head loaded on the rotary drum so that its portion is protruded from the outer periphery of the rotary drum and a magneto-resistive effect magnetic head loaded on the rotary drum so that its portion is protruded from the outer periphery of the rotary drum. An amount of protrusion from the outer periphery of the rotary drum of the magneto-resistive effect magnetic head is smaller than an amount of protrusion from the outer periphery of the rotary drum of the inductive magnetic head.

Abstract: A rotary magnetic head apparatus is provided which can be formed into a small size even if a plurality of reproduction heads are provided.

Abstract: A magneto-resistive effect type magnetic head (12) has a head width Wh greater than the track width Wt of a magnetic tape (5), as measured in the width direction of the tape (5). The head (12) has a magneto-resistive effect element, which has a magnetism-detecting section arranged at the prescribed azimuth angle. A signal reproduced from the magnetic tape as the head (12) is moved while off-tracked in the widthwise direction Wh of the recording track T1. The signal has a specific characteristic that falls within a predetermined range for a reference value, provided that it has been generated from the magnetism the head (12) has detected over its effective width We.

Abstract: A rotary magnetic head apparatus is provided which can be formed into a small size even if a plurality of reproduction heads are provided.