Flexible circuit support structure and head carrier

A tape drive head assembly, comprising:

• a moveable carriage;
• a head carrier having a front face and an opposing rear face having a recess therein, the head carrier attached at its rear face to the carriage;
• a head secured to the front face of the head carrier;
• a flexible circuit electrically connected to the head;
• a stiffener supporting the flexible circuit, the stiffener connected to the carriage for movement therewith, the stiffener disposed in a plane substantially parallel to a transducing surface of said head, the stiffener comprising a U-shaped rigid member characterized by a pair of upright flange portions joined by a web portion, the flange portions of the stiffener extending above the head and the web portion of the stiffener disposed in the recess in the rear face of the head carrier.

A tape drive, comprising:

• a head operative to transfer data to and from a tape;
• a moveable carriage carrying the head;
• an actuator operatively coupled to the carriage, the actuator operative to selectively move the carriage in a direction perpendicular to the direction the tape moves;
• a flexible circuit electrically connected to the head;
• and
• a stiffener supporting the flexible circuit, the stiffener connected to the carriage for movement therewith, the stiffener disposed in a plane substantially parallel to a transducing surface of said head, the stiffener positioned relative to the flexible circuit so that a loop in the flexible circuit rolls against the stiffener when the carriage moves.

A tape drive, comprising:

• a head operative to transfer data to and from a tape;
• a moveable carriage carrying the head;
• an actuator operatively coupled to the carriage, the actuator operative to selectively move the carriage in a direction perpendicular to the direction the tape moves;
• a flexible circuit electrically connected to the head;
• and
• a stiffener supporting the flexible circuit, the stiffener having a flat rigid portion that extends above the head.

A tape drive head assembly, comprising:

• a head;
• a moveable carriage carrying the head;
• a flexible circuit electrically connected to the head;
• a stiffener supporting the flexible circuit, the stiffener disposed between the head and the carriage and the stiffener connected to the carriage for movement therewith;
• the stiffener disposed in a plane substantially parallel to a transducing surface of said head;
• and
• wherein the stiffener is positioned relative to the flexible circuit so that a loop in the flexible circuit rolls against the stiffener when the carriage moves.