# US 7,715,166 B2 · Method and reciprocating apparatus for permanent magnet erasure of magnetic storage media > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,715,166 B2 - Document ID: US7715166B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/457,687 - Filed: 2006-07-14 - Published: 2008-01-17 - Granted: 2010-05-11 - Earliest claimed: 2006-07-14 - Assignees: Data Security, Inc. - Inventors: Robert A. Schultz; Leroy D. Thiel - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7715166B2 ## CPC - G11B 5/0245: {Bulk erasing} - G11B: INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER (recording measured values in a way that does not require playback through a transducer G01D9/00; recording or playback apparatus using mechanically marked tape, e.g. punched paper tape, or using unit records, e.g. punched or magnetically marked cards G06K; transferring data from one type of record carrier to another G06K1/18; circuits for coupling output of reproducer to radio receiver H04B1/20; gramophone pick-ups or like acoustic electromechanical transducers or circuits therefor H04R) ## Abstract A permanent magnet degausser includes at least one magnetic field generator comprising magnetic elements arranged near a media conveyance path and a conveyor for transporting magnetic media through a magnetic media conveyance path. A passive belt or protector plate may be provided to assist the passage of the magnetic media through the applied magnetic field. The conveyor may be a continuous motion conveyor belt including cleats for holding the magnetic media or a reciprocal media conveyor including magnetic storage media bin. The magnetic field generator may include permanent magnets of varying intrinsic coercivities and/or remanences. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus for erasing magnetic storage media comprising: at least one magnetic field generator generating a plurality of magnetic field directions in a magnetic media conveyance path including at least a substantially horizontal field direction and at least a substantially vertical field direction with respect to the magnetic storage media; a reciprocal media conveyor comprising a magnetic storage media bin movable along the magnetic media conveyance path wherein the magnetic storage media bin passes substantially through the at least one magnetic field generator when traveling in any direction along the media conveyance path and is accessible at both ends of the magnetic media conveyance path; wherein the at least one magnetic field generator comprises a Halbach-like array. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one magnetic field generator further comprises a plurality of permanent magnets wherein at least a first permanent magnet has an intrinsic coercivity higher that at least a second permanent magnet. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the first permanent magnet directs its field directly into the second permanent magnet. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the second permanent magnet has a higher remanence than the first permanent magnet. ### Claim 5 An apparatus for erasing magnetic storage media comprising: at least one magnetic field generator generating a plurality of magnetic field directions in a magnetic media conveyance path including at least a substantially horizontal field direction and at least a substantially vertical field direction with respect to the magnetic storage media; a reciprocal media conveyor comprising a magnetic storage media bin movable along the magnetic media conveyance path wherein the magnetic storage media bin passes substantially through the at least one magnetic field generator when traveling in any direction along the media conveyance path and is accessible at both ends of the magnetic media conveyance path; wherein the at least one magnetic field generator further comprises at least two magnetic assemblages disposed on opposite sides of the magnetic media conveyance path. ### Claim 6 An apparatus for erasing magnetic storage media comprising: at least one magnetic field generator generating a plurality of magnetic field directions in a magnetic media conveyance path including at least a substantially horizontal field direction and at least a substantially vertical field direction with respect to the magnetic storage media; a reciprocal media conveyor comprising a magnetic storage media bin movable along the magnetic media conveyance path wherein the magnetic storage media bin passes substantially through the at least one magnetic field generator when traveling in any direction along the media conveyance path and is accessible at both ends of the magnetic media conveyance path; wherein the at least one magnetic field generator further comprises at least two plates extending between the at least two magnetic assemblages to surround the magnetic media conveyance path. ### Claim 7 An apparatus for erasing magnetic storage media comprising: at least one magnetic field generator generating a plurality of magnetic field directions in a magnetic media conveyance path including at least a substantially horizontal field direction and at least a substantially vertical field direction with respect to the magnetic storage media; a reciprocal media conveyor comprising a magnetic storage media bin movable along the magnetic media conveyance path wherein the magnetic storage media bin passes substantially through the at least one magnetic field generator when traveling in any direction along the media conveyance path and is accessible at both ends of the magnetic media conveyance path; wherein the at least one magnetic field generator further comprises at least two side magnetic assemblages extending between the at least two magnetic assemblages to surround the magnetic media conveyance path. ### Claim 8 An apparatus for erasing magnetic storage media comprising: at least one magnetic field generator generating a plurality of magnetic field directions in a magnetic media conveyance path including at least a substantially horizontal field direction and at least a substantially vertical field direction with respect to the magnetic storage media; a reciprocal media conveyor comprising a magnetic storage media bin movable along the magnetic media conveyance path wherein the magnetic storage media bin passes substantially through the at least one magnetic field generator when traveling in any direction along the media conveyance path and is accessible at both ends of the magnetic media conveyance path; further comprising a passive belt surrounding and slidably movable around at least a portion of the at least one magnetic field generator. ### Claim 9 An apparatus for erasing magnetic storage media comprising: at least one magnetic field generator generating a plurality of magnetic field directions in a magnetic media conveyance path including at least a substantially horizontal field direction and at least a substantially vertical field direction with respect to the magnetic storage media; a reciprocal media conveyor comprising a magnetic storage media bin movable along the magnetic media conveyance path wherein the magnetic storage media bin passes substantially through the at least one magnetic field generator when traveling in any direction along the media conveyance path and is accessible at both ends of the magnetic media conveyance path; wherein the reciprocal media conveyor further comprises at least one cable with its ends attached to the media storage bin, wherein the cable wraps a plurality of times around a cable drum. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the cable drum is driven through a plurality of gears by at least one of a hand crank and a motor. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the cable drum is operatively attached to a clutch that operatively engages the cable drum to at least one of a hand crank and a motor. ### Claim 12 An apparatus for erasing magnetic storage media comprising: at least one magnetic field generator generating a plurality of magnetic field directions in a magnetic media conveyance path including at least a substantially horizontal field direction and at least a substantially vertical field direction with respect to the magnetic storage media; a reciprocal media conveyor comprising a magnetic storage media bin movable along the magnetic media conveyance path wherein the magnetic storage media bin passes substantially through the at least one magnetic field generator when traveling in any direction along the media conveyance path and is accessible at both ends of the magnetic media conveyance path; a bidirectional latching one-way clutch mechanism operatively engaged to the reciprocal media conveyor. ### Claim 13 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the at least one magnetic field generator further comprises a plurality of permanent magnets wherein at least a first permanent magnet has an intrinsic coercivity higher that at least a second permanent magnet. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the first permanent magnet directs its field directly into the second permanent magnet. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the second permanent magnet has a higher remanence than the first permanent magnet. ### Claim 16 (depends on 6) The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the at least one magnetic field generator further comprises a plurality of permanent magnets wherein at least a first permanent magnet has an intrinsic coercivity higher that at least a second permanent magnet. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the first permanent magnet directs its field directly into the second permanent magnet. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the second permanent magnet has a higher remanence than the first permanent magnet. ### Claim 19 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the at least one magnetic field generator further comprises a plurality of permanent magnets wherein at least a first permanent magnet has an intrinsic coercivity higher that at least a second permanent magnet. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the first permanent magnet directs its field directly into the second permanent magnet. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the second permanent magnet has a higher remanence than the first permanent magnet. ### Claim 22 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the at least one magnetic field generator further comprises a plurality of permanent magnets wherein at least a first permanent magnet has an intrinsic coercivity higher that at least a second permanent magnet. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the first permanent magnet directs its field directly into the second permanent magnet. ### Claim 24 (depends on 22) The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the second permanent magnet has a higher remanence than the first permanent magnet. ### Claim 25 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the at least one magnetic field generator further comprises a plurality of permanent magnets wherein at least a first permanent magnet has an intrinsic coercivity higher that at least a second permanent magnet. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the first permanent magnet directs its field directly into the second permanent magnet. ### Claim 27 (depends on 25) The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the second permanent magnet has a higher remanence than the first permanent magnet. ### Claim 28 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the at least one magnetic field generator further comprises a plurality of permanent magnets wherein at least a first permanent magnet has an intrinsic coercivity higher that at least a second permanent magnet. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The apparatus of claim 28 wherein the first permanent magnet directs its field directly into the second permanent magnet. ### Claim 30 (depends on 28) The apparatus of claim 28 wherein the second permanent magnet has a higher remanence than the first permanent magnet.