Tape head assembly with air bearing guide
US6909581B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 2, 2003 |
| Grant date | Jun 21, 2005 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 2, 2023 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG11B5/5504
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A transducer head assembly used in a read/write recording apparatus employs an air bearing that supports a carriage on an air cushion for reciprocal motion. The carriage supports a transducer and is moved by a drive in order to read or write on a track located on a storage tape. The bearing and the carriage may be mutually keyed to prevent relative rotation. The air bearing is shown to be a porous ceramic material such as alumina. The bearing may be triangular in cross-section, and the carriage may be a triangular frame telescopically received on the bearing. The drive may be a conductive coil that interacts with a magnet on the carriage. A dual air bearing and dual carriages is disclosed to support a pair of transducers. A method of supporting and moving a transducer implements the steps of this structure.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.