Tape head having sensors proximate to a region between tented tape regions

• US 10,304,481 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2017
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Biskeborn, Robert G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Evans, Jefferson A
• Application Number:
  US15/697,260
• Publication Number:
  US 20180122410A1
• Time in Patent Office: 629 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/43 Control or regulation of mechanical tension of record carrier, e.g. tape tension
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/60 Guiding record carrier guiding devices structurally associated with magazines or cassettes G11B23/04
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/605 without displacing the guiding means
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/62 Maintaining desired spacing between record carrier and head
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/008 Recording on, or reproducing or erasing from, magnetic tapes, sheets, e.g. cards, or wires G11B15/00 G11B19/00 take precedence; bulk transferring of information magnetisation for re-recording G11B5/865; marking record carriers in digital fashion G06K
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/00813 magnetic tapes
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/1871 Shaping or contouring of the transducing or guiding surface
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/255 comprising means for protection against wear in thin film structures G11B5/3106
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/31 using thin films G11B5/1274, G11B5/1278, G11B5/1874, G11B5/1875, G11B5/33, G11B5/49 take precedence; magnetic thin film structures H01F10/00
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/3906 Details related to the use of magnetic thin film layers or to their effects
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/40 Protective measures on heads, e.g. against excessive temperature G11B5/31 takes precedence; protection against wear G11B5/255 ; protective structure of the head: see under structures, e.g. G11B5/3106
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/48 Disposition or mounting of heads or head supports relative to record carriers mounting of head within housing G11B5/105; arrangements of heads, e.g. for scanning the record carrier to increase the relative speed driving of both record carriers and head G11B15/18; guiding record carriers G11B15/60; head selecting circuits G11B15/12
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/4893 relative to moving tape
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/581 maintaining desired contact or spacing by direct interaction of forces generated between heads or supports thereof and record carriers or supports thereof, e.g. attraction-repulsion interactions

Abstract

An apparatus includes a module having a tape bearing surface, a first edge, and a second edge, where a first tape tenting region of the tape bearing surface extends from the first edge toward the second edge, and a second tape tenting region of the tape bearing surface extends from the second edge toward the first edge. A first guide is positioned for inducing a first tenting of a moving magnetic recording tape above the first tape tenting region, and a second guide is positioned for inducing a second tenting of the moving magnetic recording tape above the second tape tenting region. A sensor is located in a thin film region of the module. The sensor has a free layer. The sensor is positioned between the first tape tenting region and the second tape tenting region of the tape bearing surface.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a module having a tape bearing surface, a first edge, and a second edge, wherein a first tape tenting region of the tape bearing surface extends from the first edge along the tape bearing surface toward the second edge, wherein a second tape tenting region of the tape bearing surface extends from the second edge along the tape bearing surface toward the first edge;

a first guide positioned relative to the tape bearing surface for inducing a first tenting of a moving magnetic recording tape above the first tape tenting region of the tape bearing surface;

a second guide positioned relative to the tape bearing surface for inducing a second tenting of the moving magnetic recording tape above the second tape tenting region of the tape bearing surface; and

a sensor in a thin film region of the module, wherein the sensor has a free layer,

wherein a middle region of tape tenting is located along a region of the moving magnetic recording tape where the first tape tenting region and the second tape tenting region overlap,

wherein the sensor is positioned below a location of the middle region.

2. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein a wrap angle created by the first guide is in a range of about 0.1 to about 1.5 degrees.

3. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein one of the guides is a second module having transducers.

4. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the sensor has a reference layer, and a spacer layer positioned between the free layer and the reference layer, wherein the free layer is positioned between the reference layer and the first edge.

5. An apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein the spacer layer is a tunnel barrier layer.

6. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the middle region of tape tenting is between apexes of the first tenting and the second tenting of the moving magnetic recording tape, wherein the middle region is closer to the tape bearing surface than the apexes of the first and second tentings of the moving magnetic recording tape.

7. An apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein the sensor is positioned directly below a location of a portion of the middle region positioned closest to the tape bearing surface.

8. An apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein the sensor is positioned below a location of the middle region of tape tenting to one side of a portion of the middle region positioned closest to the tape bearing surface.

9. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the tape bearing surface is planar.

10. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein a distance from the second edge to the free layer is at least as long as the first tape tenting region.

11. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein a media facing side of the sensor is recessed from the tape bearing surface.

12. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, comprising a wear coating on the tape bearing surface.

13. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a drive mechanism for moving a magnetic medium over the module; and

a controller electrically coupled to the sensor.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

a module having a tape bearing surface, a first edge, and a second edge, wherein a first tape tenting region of the tape bearing surface extends from the first edge along the tape bearing surface toward the second edge, wherein a second tape tenting region of the tape bearing surface extends from the second edge along the tape bearing surface toward the first edge;

a first guide positioned relative to the tape bearing surface for inducing a first tenting of a moving magnetic recording tape above the first tape tenting region of the tape bearing surface;

a second guide positioned relative to the tape bearing surface for inducing a second tenting of the moving magnetic recording tape above the second tape tenting region of the tape bearing surface,

wherein a middle region of tape tenting is between apexes of the first tenting and the second tenting of the moving magnetic recording tape, wherein the middle region is closer to the tape bearing surface than the apexes of the first and second tentings of the moving magnetic recording tape,

wherein the middle region of tape tenting is located along a region of the moving magnetic recording tape where the first tape tenting region and the second tape tenting region overlap; and

a sensor in a thin film region of the module, wherein the sensor has a free layer, wherein the sensor is positioned between the first tape tenting region and the second tape tenting region of the tape bearing surface, wherein the tape bearing surface is planar.

15. An apparatus as recited in claim 14, wherein the sensor is positioned directly below a location of a portion of the middle region positioned closest to the tape bearing surface.

16. An apparatus as recited in claim 14, wherein the sensor is positioned below a location of the middle region of tape tenting to one side of a portion of the middle region positioned closest to the tape bearing surface.

17. An apparatus as recited in claim 14, wherein the guides are positioned to create relatively different wrap angles of the moving magnetic recording tape relative to the tape bearing surface.

18. An apparatus as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

a drive mechanism for moving a magnetic medium over the module; and

a controller electrically coupled to the sensor.