Apparatus and method for near contact magnetic recording
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsThomas Allen Gregory, Christopher Guild Keller, Thomas Scott Larson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A rotating magnetic storage device is shown wherein the transducer and media are separated during operation by a thin film of low viscosity liquid lubricant that is recirculated from a reservoir within the head-media enclosure. Lubricant recirculation can be effected by capillary action using a wick, mechanical pumping and metering or distillation techniques. As compared to devices using air bearing separation, the transducer carrying slider has very small bearing surfaces which may be in the form of narrow rails or small depending foot elements. This enables fly heights. of 2 microinches using a film of one micron thickness.
Claims9
A rotating magnetic memory device comprising:
- a rotating storage medium presenting a rotating magnetic data surface;
- a magnetic transducer;
- recirculating means for maintaining a recirculating film of liquid lubricant on said magnetic data surface;
- and
- a head-disk enclosure surrounding said rotating storage medium and said magnetic transducer, said magnetic transducer being supported above said rotating magnetic surface by said liquid film when writing data to or reading data from said rotating magnetic data surface, wherein said recirculating means includes:
- a reservoir in a lower portion of said head-disk enclosure,
- a hub assembly rotatably supporting said rotating storage media,
- a spiral channel formed in said hub assembly and extending from said reservoir for inducing an upward flow of lubricant from said reservoir through said channel, and
- means for distributing liquid lubricant from said spiral channel to the surface of said rotating storage media.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.