Flying head with foil support
AssigneeBurroughs Corporation
InventorDean DeMoss
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed is a novel flying head supported on a stationary, rigid arm to present a "hydrodynamic" head-face to a passing flexible record segment, the segment being induced by this face to automatically assume a prescribed, relatively controlled configuration and spacing relative to the head-face.
Claims22
A combined transducer-stabilizer array adapted for stabilizing and transducing passing flexible media, the combination including a magnetic transducer structure disposed in at least one prescribed head-foil means of given, "regular lead curvature" along all leading face portions so that said media may approach the foil means from various directions and still confront a constant, regular hydrodynamic surface configuration;
- this foil means being presented in convex, "air-bearing-generating" relation with said passing media and in relatively rigid, stationary relation therewith, whereby to develop hydrodynamic forces which constrain the media to "over-fly" the rigid foil means and associated transducer structure at proper height levels;
- and arm means carrying said foil means so as to be so presented in rigid, stationary fashion.
An improved transducer structure adapted for presenting transducer head means in prescribed non-contact transducing relation with passing flexible recording media which is relatively free-flying and unconfined relative to the head;
- said structure comprising head-supporting/medium-stabilizing foil means in which the head means is mounted and associated arm means adapted to present said foil means and head means in rigid, stationary transducing relation with the passing media yet thrust into the plane thereof a prescribed penetration distance d.sub.p ;
- this foil means being characterized by lead-face portions of a prescribed regular configuration adapted to generate a prescribed air-bearing on passage of the media so that it overflies the head means at a prescribed relatively miniscule flying-height h.sub.f and thus traverses a "transducer-dimple" path of prescribed configuration.
Improved magnetic recording apparatus adapted to operate upon one or more rotatable flexible circular record-disks disposed to be rotated along a prescribed relatively flat planar reference transducing plane, this apparatus comprising transducer means including at least one transducer head adapted to be thrust into and beyond said reference plane a prescribed penetration distance d.sub.p, but out of contact with said rotating disk and in transducing relation therewith, said heads being disposed in a head mount curved at least along prescribed lead face portions, in a single curvature adapted to induce the passing disk to be pulled toward itself;
- arm means designed to carry said transducing means and adapted to so present said head, while supporting it rigid and stationary;
- and head support means adapted to support said transducer means upon said arm means and including a lead-face portion exhibiting a prescribed regular curvature adapted to draw passing disk segments toward itself and thus generate a prescribed "entry-dimple" therein, the height of this support means being adapted to help determine the prescribed penetration distance d.sub.p, and said lead-face configuration of said head-support means adapted to draw the passing disk segments toward itself to establish a prescribed minimal medium-height S.sub.t and associated "head-dimple" in the disks whereat one or more transducing core gaps are disposed;
- said head thus being adapted to be presented in penetrating, dimpling relation with prescribed radial sectors of said rotating disk so as to invoke different serial stages of Bournoulli air-films characteristic of the lead-face curvature, these stages incouding a "transducing film" above said head at the transducing zone and an "entry film" upstream of this "transducing zone" at the "entry-dimple".
A relatively rigid "multi-foil" transducer array adapted for operation with passing flexible media, inducing passing segments of the media to "bend" and overfly itself, this array including read/write means mounted in a head mount means adapted to induce the media to pass along a prescribed read/write path defining a prescribed "transducing dimple" d.sub.t above said read/write means, at a relatively miniscule head spacing without instabilities and without need to move the array toward or away from the media there, the array further including:
- arm means adapted to present this read/write means in rigid stationary relation with the media and at least one support means disposed in said arm means and so placed and so regularly curved along lead-face portions as to generate a respective "approach-zone" upstream of said read-write means, to thus gradually reduce head media spacing upstream of said dimple d.sub.t.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.