TAPE HEAD WITH OUTRIGGER

• US 20080049358A1
• Filed: 08/08/2006
• Published: 02/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Biskeborn, Robert Glenn, Liang, Jason, Lo, Calvin Shyhjong
• Granted Patent: US 7,646,565 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 360/128
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/00826 comprising a plurality of single poles or gaps or groups thereof operative at the same time
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/1871 Shaping or contouring of the transducing or guiding surface
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/1872 for improving the form of the electrical signal transduced, e.g. compensation of "contour effect"
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/255 comprising means for protection against wear in thin film structures G11B5/3106
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/3106 where the integrated or assembled structure comprises means for conditioning against physical detrimental influence, e.g. wear, contamination G11B5/3133 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/60 Fluid-dynamic spacing of heads from record-carriers

Abstract

A magnetic head assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a substrate having a tape bearing surface. A plurality of elements are coupled to the substrate and positioned towards the tape bearing surface. The elements selected from a group consisting of readers, writers, and combinations thereof. A base is coupled to the substrate. The base has an outrigger formed integrally therewith. The outrigger causes a tape passing thereacross to approach the substrate at a first wrap angle relative to a plane of the tape bearing surface of the substrate.

Claims

1. A magnetic head assembly, comprising:

a substrate having a tape bearing surface;

a plurality of elements coupled to the substrate and positioned towards the tape bearing surface, the elements being selected from a group consisting of readers, writers, and combinations thereof; and

a base coupled to the substrate, the base having an integrally formed outrigger, the outrigger being for causing a tape passing thereacross to approach the substrate at a first wrap angle relative to a plane of the tape bearing surface of the substrate.

2. The head assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the outrigger has a tape bearing surface, the tape bearing surfaces of the substrate and outrigger lying along substantially parallel planes, the planes being offset from one another.

3. The head assembly as recited in claim 2, wherein the plane of the outrigger tape bearing surface is positioned in a range of about 0.002 to about 0.014 mm below the plane of the substrate tape bearing surface.

4. The head assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the outrigger has a tape bearing surface, the outrigger tape bearing surface being about parallel to a tape oriented at a desired wrap angle relative to the substrate tape bearing surface.

5. The head assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the outrigger has a tape bearing surface, the outrigger tape bearing surface being angled from the substrate tape bearing surface by greater than a desired wrap angle of a tape relative to the substrate tape bearing surface.

6. The head assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein a thickness of the substrate is less than about 1 mm.

7. The head assembly as recited in claim 6, wherein a thickness of the substrate is less than about 0.75 mm.

8. The head assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the first wrap angle is in a range of about 0.7°

to about 1.1°

.

9. The head assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the outrigger has a tape bearing surface, a second wrap angle being defined between the plane of the outrigger tape bearing surface and a tape traveling towards the outrigger tape bearing surface, the second wrap angle being greater than about 0.1°

.

10. The head assembly as recited in claim 9, wherein the second wrap angle is less than about 2°

.

11. The head assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the outrigger has a substantially planar tape bearing surface.

12. The head assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the outrigger has a tape bearing surface, the outrigger tape bearing surface having a rounded portion and a planar portion.

13. The head assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the outrigger has a rounded tape bearing surface.

14. The head assembly as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a second substrate having a second substrate tape bearing surface,

a plurality of elements coupled to the second substrate and positioned towards the second substrate tape bearing surface, and

a second base coupled to the second substrate, the second base having an outrigger formed integrally therewith.

15. The head assembly as recited in claim 14, wherein the planes of the tape bearing surfaces of the substrate and second substrate are angled relative to one another for setting internal wrap angles of the tape with respect to the tape bearing surfaces of the substrate and second substrate.

16. The head assembly as recited in claim 15, wherein the first wrap angle is about equal to the internal wrap angles.

17. A tape drive system, comprising:

a head assembly as recited in claim 1;

a drive mechanism for passing a magnetic recording tape over the head assembly; and

a controller in communication with the head assembly.

18. A magnetic head assembly, comprising:

two modules coupled together in opposing relation, each module comprising;

a plurality of elements coupled to the substrate and positioned towards the tape bearing surface, the elements being selected from a group consisting of readers, writers, and combinations thereof; and

a base coupled to the substrate, the base having an integrally formed outrigger, the outrigger having a tape bearing surface, the outrigger being for causing a tape passing thereacross to approach the substrate at a first wrap angle relative to a plane of the tape bearing surface of the substrate.

19. The head assembly as recited in claim 18, wherein the tape bearing surfaces of the substrates of the modules are angled relative to each other for defining an internal wrap angle of each of the modules.

20. The head assembly as recited in claim 19, wherein the first wrap angles are each about equal to the internal wrap angles.

21. The head assembly as recited in claim 18, wherein, on each module, the tape bearing surfaces of the substrate and outrigger lie along substantially parallel planes, the planes being offset from one another.

22. The head assembly as recited in claim 21, wherein the plane of the outrigger tape bearing surface is positioned in a range of about 0.002 to about 0.014 mm below the plane of the substrate tape bearing surface.

23. The head assembly as recited in claim 18, wherein, on each module, the outrigger tape bearing surface is about parallel to a tape oriented at a desired wrap angle relative to the substrate tape bearing surface.

24. The head assembly as recited in claim 18, wherein, on each module, the outrigger tape bearing surface is angled from the substrate tape bearing surface by greater than a desired wrap angle of a tape relative to the substrate tape bearing surface.

25. The head assembly as recited in claim 18, wherein a thickness of each substrate is less than about 1 mm.

27. The head assembly as recited in claim 18, wherein, for each module, the first wrap angle is in a range of about 0.7°

to about 1.1°

.

28. The head assembly as recited in claim 18, wherein, for each module, a second wrap angle is defined between the plane of the outrigger tape bearing surface and a tape traveling towards the outrigger tape bearing surface, the second wrap angle being greater than about 0.1°

.

30. The head assembly as recited in claim 18, wherein, on each module, the outrigger has a planar tape bearing surface.

31. The head assembly as recited in claim 18, wherein, on each module, the outrigger has a tape bearing surface, the outrigger tape bearing surface having a rounded portion and a planar portion.

32. The head assembly as recited in claim 18, wherein, on each module, the outrigger has a rounded tape bearing surface.

33. A tape drive system, comprising:

a head assembly as recited in claim 18;

a drive mechanism for passing a magnetic recording tape over the head assembly; and

a controller in communication with the head assembly.

26. The head assembly as recited in claim 26, wherein a thickness of each substrate is less than about 0.75 mm.

29. The head assembly as recited in claim 29, wherein the second wrap angle is less than about 2°

.

34. A component for a magnetic head assembly, comprising:

a base having an outrigger integrally formed therewith, the outrigger having a tape bearing surface.

35. A method of creating a magnetic head assembly, comprising:

coupling a substrate to a base, the substrate having elements formed thereon, the base having an outrigger portion integrally formed therewith; and

creating a tape bearing surface on the outrigger portion of the base.