Flat profile tape head

• US 20070047142A1
• Filed: 08/26/2005
• Published: 03/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Biskeborn, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,414,811 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 360/129
• 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 5/10 Structure or manufacture of housings or shields for heads
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/1871 Shaping or contouring of the transducing or guiding surface
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/23 Gap features G11B5/1871, G11B5/1875, G11B5/265, G11B5/29, G11B5/488 and subgroups, G11B5/4907 and subgroups, G11B5/4969 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/255 comprising means for protection against wear in thin film structures G11B5/3106
• 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

Abstract

A magnetic head according to one embodiment includes a first module having a flat profile tape bearing surface, a second module having a flat profile tape bearing surface, and a third module having a flat profile tape bearing surface. The third module is positioned on an opposite side of the second module than the first module. The tape bearing surfaces of the first, second and third modules may lie along substantially parallel planes, may be configured in a tangent (angled) configuration, or may be configured in an overwrap configuration. Data writing and reading functions are usually performed by different modules at a given time.

Claims

1. A magnetic head, comprising:

a first module having a flat profile tape bearing surface;

a second module having a flat profile tape bearing surface; and

a third module having a flat profile tape bearing surface, the third module being positioned on an opposite side of the second module than the first module,

wherein the tape bearing surfaces of the first, second and third modules lie along substantially parallel planes, the planes of the first and third modules being offset from the plane of the second module,

wherein writing and reading functions are performed by different modules at a given time.

2. The head as recited in claim 1, wherein the second module includes a plurality of readers and no writers, wherein the first and third modules include a plurality of writers and no readers except optional servo readers.

3. The head as recited in claim 2, wherein the readers of the second module are positioned in a gap, wherein the gap is less than about 12 microns thick as measured parallel to a direction of tape travel thereover.

4. The head as recited in claim 2, wherein the writers of the first and third modules are positioned in a gap on the associated module, wherein each gap is less than about 15 microns thick as measured parallel to a direction of tape travel thereover.

5. The head as recited in claim 1, wherein each module includes elements positioned in a gap thereof, wherein a gap to gap spacing between the gaps of the first and second modules is less than about 1 mm.

6. The head as recited in claim 5, wherein a gap to gap spacing between the gaps of the second and third modules is about the same as the gap to gap spacing between the gaps of the first and second modules.

7. The head as recited in claim 1, wherein each module includes elements positioned in a gap thereof, wherein a gap to gap spacing between the gaps of the first and second modules is less than about 0.75 mm.

8. The head as recited in claim 1, wherein the plane of the tape bearing surface of the first module is positioned below the plane of the tape bearing surface of the second module.

9. The head as recited in claim 1, wherein the plane of the tape bearing surface of the third module is positioned below the plane of the tape bearing surface of the second module.

10. The head as recited in claim 1, wherein the plane of the tape bearing surface of the first module lies along substantially the same plane as the tape bearing surface of the third module.

11. The head as recited in claim 1, wherein the second module has a closure, wherein the first and third modules do not have a closure.

12. The head as recited in claim 1, wherein the first, second, and third modules each have a closure, wherein the closure of the first and third modules are shorter than the closure of the second module as measured parallel to a direction of tape travel over the respective module.

13. The head as recited in claim 1, further comprising an outrigger for setting an outer wrap angle of the first module.

14. The head as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the modules includes a first array of elements and a second array of elements, the first array of elements being associated with a first data format and the second array of elements being associated with a second data format, the elements of the first and second arrays being selected from a group consisting of readers, writers, and combinations thereof.

15. The head as recited in claim 14, wherein the first and second arrays of elements of the at least one of the modules are adjacent each other in a direction transverse to a direction of travel of a magnetic medium over the head.

16. The head as recited in claim 14, wherein the second array of the at least one of the modules is a scaled version of the first array of the at least one of the modules.

17. The head as recited in claim 1, wherein a tape passing across the first module prior to passing across the third module does not become parallel to the tape bearing surface of the third module when passing across the third module.

18. The head as recited in claim 1, wherein a first wrap angle is defined between the tape bearing surfaces of the first and second modules, the first wrap angle being in a range of about 0.7°

to about 1.1°

, wherein a second wrap angle is defined between the tape bearing surfaces of the second and third modules, the second wrap angle being in a range of about 0.7°

to about 1.1°

.

19. A tape drive system, comprising:

a magnetic head as recited in claim 1;

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

a controller in communication with the head.

20. A magnetic head, comprising:

a first module having a flat profile tape bearing surface and a plurality of writers and no readers except optional servo readers;

a second module having a flat profile tape bearing surface and a plurality of readers and no writers; and

a third module having a flat profile tape bearing surface and a plurality of writers and no readers except optional servo readers, the third module being positioned on an opposite side of the second module than the first module,

wherein the tape bearing surfaces of the first, second and third modules lie along substantially parallel planes, the planes being offset from one another such that the plane of the tape bearing surface of the second module is positioned above the planes of the tape bearing surfaces of the first and third modules.

21. A magnetic head, comprising:

a first module having a tape bearing surface;

a second module having a tape bearing surface; and

a third module having a tape bearing surface, the third module being positioned on an opposite side of the second module than the first module,

wherein the tape bearing surface of the first module is substantially parallel to a tape oriented at a desired wrap angle relative to the tape bearing surface of the second module at an edge of the tape bearing surface of the second module closest to the first module,

wherein writing and reading functions are performed by different modules at a given time.

22. The head as recited in claim 21, wherein the tape bearing surface of the third module is substantially parallel to a tape oriented at a desired wrap angle relative to the tape bearing surface of the second module at an edge of the tape bearing surface of the second module closest to the third module.

23. The head as recited in claim 21, wherein the second module includes a plurality of readers and no writers, wherein the first and third modules include a plurality of writers and no readers except optional servo readers.

24. The head as recited in claim 23, wherein the readers of the second module are positioned in a gap, wherein the gap is less than about 12 microns thick as measured parallel to a direction of tape travel thereover.

25. The head as recited in claim 23, wherein the writers of the first and third modules are positioned in a gap on the associated module, wherein each gap is less than about 15 microns thick as measured parallel to a direction of tape travel thereover.

26. The head as recited in claim 21, wherein each module includes elements positioned in a gap thereof, wherein a gap to gap spacing between the gaps of the first and second modules is less than about 1 mm.

27. The head as recited in claim 21, wherein each module includes elements positioned in a gap thereof, wherein a gap to gap spacing between the gaps of the first and second modules is less than about 0.75 mm.

28. The head as recited in claim 21, wherein the second module has a closure, wherein the first and third modules do not have a closure.

29. The head as recited in claim 21, wherein the first, second, and third modules each have a closure, wherein the closure of the first and third modules are shorter than the closure of the second module as measured parallel to a direction of tape travel over the respective module.

30. The head as recited in claim 21, further comprising an outrigger for setting an outer wrap angle of the first module.

31. The head as recited in claim 21, wherein a tape passing across the first module prior to passing across the third module does not become parallel to the tape bearing surface of the third module when passing across the third module.

32. The head as recited in claim 21, wherein a first wrap angle is defined between the tape bearing surfaces of the first and second modules, the first wrap angle being in a range of about 0.7°

to about 1.1°

, wherein a second wrap angle is defined between the tape bearing surfaces of the second and third modules, the second wrap angle being in a range of about 0.7°

to about 1.1°

.

33. A tape drive system, comprising:

a head as recited in claim 21;

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

a controller in communication with the head.

34. A method for writing data to a magnetic tape using a head having a first module, a second module, and a third module positioned on an opposite side of the second module than the first module, the method comprising:

sending signals to writers on a first module having a flat profile tape bearing surface when the first module is a leading module with respect to a direction of tape travel;

receiving signals from readers on a second module having a flat profile tape bearing surface; and

sending signals to writers on a third module having a flat profile tape bearing surface when the third module is a leading module with respect to a direction of tape travel,

wherein the tape bearing surfaces of the first, second and third modules lie along substantially parallel planes, the planes of the first and third modules being offset from the plane of the second module.

35. The method as recited in claim 34, wherein the second module includes a plurality of readers and no writers, wherein the first and third modules include a plurality of writers and no readers except optional servo readers.