# US 10,121,504 B2 · Tape head surface with non-uniform cross-width edge profiles > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,121,504 B2 - Document ID: US10121504B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/062,827 - Filed: 2016-03-07 - Published: 2016-06-30 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2014-09-04 - Assignees: Oracle International Corporation - Applicants: Oracle International Corporation - Inventors: Anand V. Lakshmikumaran; Joseph E. Torline - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10121504B2 ## CPC - G11B 5/584: for track following on tapes - G11B 5/00813: {magnetic tapes} - G11B 5/00821: {using stationary heads} - G11B 5/10: Structure or manufacture of housings or shields for heads - G11B 5/187: Structure or manufacture of the surface of the head in physical contact with, or immediately adjacent to the recording medium; Pole pieces; Gap features (G11B5/265, {G11B5/29} , G11B5/31 take precedence) - G11B 5/29: Structure or manufacture of unitary devices formed of plural heads for more than one track {(G11B5/33, G11B5/49 and subgroups take precedence; in thin film structure G11B5/31)} - G11B 5/41: Cleaning of heads {(of record carriers G11B23/50)} - G11B 5/1871: {Shaping or contouring of the transducing or guiding surface} - G11B: INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER (recording measured values in a way that does not require playback through a transducer G01D9/00; recording or playback apparatus using mechanically marked tape, e.g. punched paper tape, or using unit records, e.g. punched or magnetically marked cards G06K; transferring data from one type of record carrier to another G06K1/18; circuits for coupling output of reproducer to radio receiver H04B1/20; gramophone pick-ups or like acoustic electromechanical transducers or circuits therefor H04R) ## Abstract A tape head having offset transducer spans between adjacent modules of the tape head that serves to maintain the balance between debris removal and reduced magnetic layer/recording device spacing on the one hand and reduced tape/tape head friction on the other hand. In one aspect, opposite edges of each module are relatively sharper adjacent the transducer span and relatively rounded (e.g., less sharp) away from the transducer span. The sharp edges reduce magnetic spacing loss and scrape debris off of the tape while the rounded edges reduce or eliminate contact between the tape and the head in regions where no transducer spans are present and thus where no tape writing or reading would be taking place. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of operating a tape drive, comprising: first moving a tape over a first module of a tape head, wherein the first moving includes: passing a first track of the tape over a span of transducers of the first module; passing the first track of the tape over a first edge portion of the first module; and passing a second track of the tape over a second edge portion of the first module, wherein the second track of the tape is spaced from the first track of the tape along a reference line that is perpendicular to first and second opposite lateral edges of the tape, and wherein the first edge portion of the first module is sharper than the second edge portion of the first module; and second moving the tape over a second module of the tape head, wherein the second moving includes: passing the second track of the tape over a first edge portion of the second module; passing the second track of the tape over a span of transducers of the second module; and passing the first track of the tape over a second edge portion of the second module, wherein the first edge portion of the second module is sharper than the second edge portion of the second module. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second portions of the tape are respectively passed over the first and second edge portions of the first module substantially simultaneously, and wherein the first and second portions of the tape are respectively passed over the second and first edge portions of the second module substantially simultaneously. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first moving includes: passing the first portion of the tape over a third edge portion of the first module, wherein the third edge portion of the first module is opposite the first edge portion of the first module and wherein the third edge portion is sharper than the second edge portion; and passing the second portion of the tape over a fourth edge portion of the first module, wherein the fourth edge portion of the first module is opposite the second edge portion of the first module. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first edge portion of the first module extends along at least an entirety of a length of the span of transducers of the first module. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the first edge portion of the second module extends along at least an entirety of a length of the span of transducers of the second module. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second edge portions of the first and second modules extends perpendicularly to a direction of motion of the tape during the first and second moving steps. ### Claim 7 A method of operating a tape drive, comprising: first moving a tape over a first module of a tape head, wherein the first moving includes: passing a first track of the tape over a first edge portion of the first module; passing a second track of the tape over a second edge portion of the first module, wherein the second track of the tape is spaced from the first track of the tape along a reference line that is perpendicular to first and second opposite lateral edges of the tape, and wherein the first edge portion of the first module is sharper than the second edge portion of the first module; and passing the first track of the tape over a span of transducers of the first module; and second moving the tape over a second module of the tape head, wherein the second moving includes: passing the second track of the tape over a first edge portion of the second module; passing the second track of the tape over a span of transducers of the second module; and passing the first track of the tape over a second edge portion of the second module, wherein the first edge portion of the second module is sharper than the second edge portion of the second module. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the first and second portions of the tape are respectively passed over the first and second edge portions of the first module substantially simultaneously, and wherein the first and second portions of the tape are respectively passed over the second and first edge portions of the second module substantially simultaneously. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the first edge portion of the first module extends along at least an entirety of a length of the span of transducers of the first module. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the first edge portion of the second module extends along at least an entirety of a length of the span of transducers of the second module. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the first moving further includes: passing the first track of the tape over a third edge portion of the first module, wherein the third edge portion of the first module is opposite the first edge portion of the first module; and passing the second track of the tape over a fourth edge portion of the first module, wherein the fourth edge portion of the first module is opposite the second edge portion of the first module. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the span of transducers of the first module is positioned between the first and third edge portions of the first module. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the third edge portion of the first module is sharper than the second and fourth edge portions of the first module. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the second moving further includes: passing the first track of the tape over a third edge portion of the second module, wherein the third edge portion of the second module is opposite the first edge portion of the second module; and passing the second track of the tape over a fourth edge portion of the second module, wherein the fourth edge portion of the second module is opposite the second edge portion of the second module. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the span of transducers of the second module is positioned between the first and third edge portions of the second module. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the third edge portion of the second module is sharper than the second and fourth edge portions of the second module. ### Claim 17 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein each of the first and second edge portions of the first and second modules extends perpendicularly to a direction of motion of the tape during the first and second moving steps. ### Claim 18 A method of operating a tape drive, comprising: first moving a tape over a first module of a tape head, wherein the first moving includes: passing a first track of the tape over a span of transducers of the first module; passing the first track of the tape over a first edge portion of the first module; and passing a second track of the tape over a second edge portion of the first module, wherein the second track of the tape is spaced from the first track of the tape along a reference line that is perpendicular to first and second opposite lateral edges of the tape, and wherein the first edge portion of the first module is sharper than the second edge portion of the first module; and second moving the tape over a second module of the tape head, wherein the second moving includes: passing the second track of the tape over a first edge portion of the second module; passing the first track of the tape over a second edge portion of the second module, wherein the first edge portion of the second module is sharper than the second edge portion of the second module; passing the second track of the tape over a span of transducers of the second module; passing the second track of the tape over a third edge portion of the second module, wherein the third edge portion of the second module is opposite the first edge portion of the second module; and passing the first track of the tape over a fourth edge portion of the second module, wherein the fourth edge portion of the second module is opposite the second edge portion of the second module. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein the span of transducers of the second module is positioned between the first and third edge portions of the second module. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein each of the first and second edge portions of the first and second modules extends perpendicularly to a direction of motion of the tape during the first and second moving steps.