Magnetic shield for a tape drive read/write head
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Company
InventorsJAMES C. ANDERSON, PAUL W. POORMAN
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A tape drive read/write head assembly that utilizes a magnetic shield to help protect the head from any magnetic flux that strays from the tape drive's motor. The head assembly includes a voice coil motor, a transducer head (typically a read/write head), and a carriage carrying the head. The carriage is movably coupled to the motor. The magnetic shield is positioned at least partially between the head and the motor. In one preferred version of the invention, the shield is a metal plate sandwiched between the head and the carriage. It is desirable to make the shield from a high nickel content metal or similar type material that has a large magnetic flux carrying capacity with a small magnetizing force.
Claims17
A tape drive head assembly, comprising:
- a voice coil motor;
- a transducer head;
- a carriage carrying the head, the carriage movably coupled to the motor;
- and
- a magnetic shield disposed at least partially between the head and the motor.
A tape drive head assembly, comprising:
- a motor comprising a coil of electrically conductive windings and a magnet surrounding at least a part of the coil;
- a head carriage movably coupled to the motor;
- a transducer head carried by the carriage;
- and
- a magnetic shield interposed at least partially between the head and the magnet.
A tape drive head assembly, comprising:
- a motor comprising a coil of electrically conductive windings and a magnet surrounding at least a part of the coil;
- a head carriage movably coupled to the motor;
- a transducer head carried by the carriage;
- a flexible circuit electrically connected to the head;
- a stiffener supporting the flexible circuit, the stiffener disposed between the head and the carriage;
- and
- a magnetic shield interposed between the head and the carriage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.