Transducer head assemblies and modules
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsPaul W. Poorman, Donald J. Fasen, Mike Alan Holmberg
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Abstract
In one embodiment a transducer head assembly is disclosed having a head module. The head module comprises at least one media bearer element providing a media bearer surface, and a head element block having an array of head elements. The assembly further comprises a carrier structure to carry the head module, and an actuator to move the head element block relative to the at least one media bearer element. Tape drive apparatus having actuator apparatus to cause relative displacement between head element blocks is also disclosed. A transducer head module and a method of making a transducer head assembly are also disclosed.
Claims20
A transducer head assembly comprising:
- a head module comprising at least one media bearer element providing a media bearer surface, and a head element block having an array of head elements;
- a carrier structure to carry the head module;
- and
- an actuator to move the head element block relative to the at least one media bearer element.
Tape drive apparatus comprising:
- first and second head element blocks comprising respective first and second longitudinally extending arrays of transducer head elements;
- a carrier supporting the first and second head element blocks, the carrier being longitudinally displaceable to align head elements with tracks on a tape;
- actuator apparatus operationally connected between the carrier and at least one of the head element blocks, to provide a longitudinal force between the at least one head element block and the carrier;
- and
- a servo control circuit to control the actuator apparatus to cause relative longitudinal displacement between the blocks to enable alignment of head elements of the first array relative to a first sub-set of a set of tracks and concurrent alignment of head elements of the second array relative to a second sub-set of the set of tracks, the second subset being different from the first sub-set.
A transducer head module comprising a head element chip bonded to a piezo electric element, the piezo electric element being actuatable in shear mode to move the head element chip within the head module.
A method of making a transducer head assembly, the method comprising:
- fixing a piezo electric element on one side thereof to a head element block comprising a longitudinally extending array of head elements;
- providing electrically conductive connections to enable operation of the piezo electric element in shear mode;
- fixing the piezo electric element on an opposite side thereof to a carrier to support the head assembly;
- and
- assembling the head element block on the carrier so as to permit movement of the head element block relative to the carrier in a direction of a shear axis of the piezo electric element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.