Partial width mass produced linear tape recording head

Abstract

Disclosed is a dimple magnetic recording head in a transducer assembly for linear tape drives. The dimple head has a flat transducing surface extending laterally a partial width of the magnetic recording tape. Two parallel tape support surfaces extend laterally the full width of the magnetic recording tape, positioned on either side of and spaced from the dimple head in the longitudinal direction of the magnetic recording tape. The tape support surfaces form a plane, and the dimple head flat transducing surface is parallel to the tape support surface plane and projects above the tape support surface plane to form tape wrap angles with respect to the tape support surfaces within a range of approximately 1/2 degree to 2.5 degrees. The dimple magnetic tape head is mass produced by lapping a row of transducers on a substrate to form a flat transducing surface. The row of substrate elements is then diced into separate substrate elements. The two parallel, spaced apart tape support surfaces are provided, and one of the diced substrate elements is mounted intermediate the tape support surfaces with the flat transducing surface exposed for forming a tape facing surface.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.