Solid state scanning transducer that utilizes low flux densities

A magnetic transducer arrangement for transferring magnetically defined information with respect to a magnetic record medium, comprising:

• a magnetic core including two poles having a nonmagnetic gap between them;
• a body of magnetic material which is located to be in magnetic flux-coupling relationship with said core at said gap such that said core and said body of magnetic material together define a magnetic flux path which crosses said gap, said body being constructed of a material having an easy axis of magnetization and a hard axis of magnetization, one of said axes being oriented in a direction substantially along said magnetic flux path where it crosses said gap;
• and
• means for generating a control flux which is coupled into said body of magnetic material at said gap to flow through said body in a direction that is substantially along said one axis, said control flux having a gradient in a direction along said gap to define a first region in said body at a location of flux density which is equal to or less than a certain finite level and which includes a portion of said flux path, and at least one other region in said body of flux density higher than said level.

A magnetic transducer arrangement for transferring magnetically defined information with respect to a magnetic record medium, comprising:

• a magnetic core including two poles having a nonmagnetic gap between them;
• a body of magnetic material which is located to be in magnetic flux-coupling relationship with said core at said gap such that said core and said body of magnetic material together define a magnetic flux path which crosses said gap, said body being constructed of a material having an easy axis of magnetization and a hard axis of magnetization, one of said axes being oriented in a direction substantially along said magnetic flux path where it crosses said gap;
• and
• means for generating a reference flux which is coupled into said body of magnetic material at said gap to flow through said body in a direction that is substantially along said one axis.

A magnetic transducer arrangement for reproducing magnetically recorded information contained in the form of information flux that is coupled from a magnetic record medium into the transducer arrangement, comprising:

• a first magnetic core including two poles having a nonmagnetic gap between them;
• a body of magnetic material which is located to be in magnetic flux-coupling relationship with said core at said gap, such that said body and said first magnetic core together define a magnetic flux path;
• means for generating a control flux which flows in said body of magnetic material, said control flux defining a first region in said body at a location adjacent said gap with a magnitude of the control flux less than or equal to a certain finite level and which includes a portion of said flux path, and at least one region in said body adjacent said gap, having a magnitude of the control flux higher than said level;
• and
• means for detecting changes in reluctance in said flux path which are caused by information flux coupled into said first region of said body from said record medium.

A magnetic transducer arrangement for reproducing magnetically recorded information contained in the form of information flux that is coupled from a magnetic record medium into the transducer arrangement, comprising:

• a magnetic core including two poles having a nonmagnetic gap between them;
• a body of magnetic material which is located to be in magnetic flux-coupling relationship with said core at said gap, such that said body and said magnetic core together define a magnetic flux path;
• means for generating a control flux which flows in said body of magnetic material, said control flux defining at least one first region in said body having a magnitude of the control flux which is greater than a certain finite level and a second region in said body having a magnitude of the control flux lower than or equal to said level, which defines a signal transfer region that includes a portion of said magnetic flux path and forms a closed loop path with said record medium for flow of the information flux between said record medium and said body without flowing through said core;
• and
• means for sensing changes in reluctance in said flux path which are induced by the information flux coupled into said first region of said body from said record medium.

A magnetic transducer arrangement for reproducing magnetically recorded information contained in the form of information flux that is coupled from a magnetic record medium into the transducer arrangement, comprising:

• a magnetic core including two poles having a nonmagnetic gap between them, and a body of magnetic material having a variable permeability which is located to be in magnetic flux-coupling relationship with said poles at said gap, said magnetic core and said body of magnetic material together defining a magnetic flux path;
• means for generating a control flux which flows in said core and said body of magnetic material, said control flux defining a first region having a magnitude of the control flux in said body adjacent said gap which is less than or equal to a certain finite level and which includes a portion of said flux path, and at least one region having a magnitude of the control flux in said body adjacent said gap which is higher than said level;
• and
• means for sensing changes in reluctance in said flux path which are caused by the information flux coupled into said first region of said body from said record medium.

A magnetic transducer arrangement for transferring magnetically defined information with respect to a magnetic record medium, comprising:

• a first magnetic core including two poles having a nonmagnetic gap between them which extends in a direction of a width dimension of said core;
• a body of magnetic material located to be in magnetic flux-coupling relationship with said poles at said gap and defining a magnetic flux path together with said core;
• a second magnetic core having a pair of magnetic poles that are magnetically coupled to said first magnetic core to generate a flux that flow sin said body, said second magnetic core being located such that its pair of poles are spaced in the direction of said width dimension and both located to one side of said gap;
• and
• a third magnetic core having a pair of magnetic poles that are magnetically coupled to said first magnetic core to generate a flux that flows in said body, said third magnetic core being located such that said poles of said third magnetic core are spaced in a direction transverse to said width dimension and located on opposite sides of said gap.