Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval – Head mounting – For moving head during transducing
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-05
2001-01-09
Heinz, A. J. (Department: 2754)
Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval
Head mounting
For moving head during transducing
C360S313000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06172857
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetoresistive head mounted on a rotating drum and adapted to read a magnetic tape as recording medium by a helical scanning method, and to a magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus using the magnetoresistive head.
2. Description of Related Art
The well-known magnetic recording/reproducing apparatuses using a magnetic tape as recording medium include a video tape recorder, audio tape recorder, computer-oriented data storage system, etc. It has been required for the magnetic recording/reproducing apparatuses to have a larger storage capacity by increasing the higher recording density.
To meet such a demand for both the higher recording density and larger storage capacity, it has been proposed for the magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus to use a magnetoresistive or magnetic-reluctance head (will be referred to as “MR head” hereinunder), and has been under development for practical use.
The MR head uses a magnetic-reluctance or magnetoresistive element (will be referred to as “MR element” hereinunder) as magnetic sensor. It is higher in sensitivity than the magnetic heads of inductive type, and provides a high reproduction output. Therefore, use of the MR head as reading magnetic head is expectable to implement a higher recording density and larger storage capacity.
A fixed head system adapted to read and write a hard disc as a recording medium is typically known as a magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus using an MR head. In the fixed head system, an MR element as magnetic sensor is disposed at an angle of 90
20
to the head moving direction, and a guard band having no magnetic transition zone is provided at either end of the recording track not to detect a magnetic flux from the neighboring tracks.
The guard band is considerably disadvantageous to attain a higher recording density and larger storage capacity of the MR head.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an MR head capable of a rather higher recording density and larger storage capacity than the conventional magnetic recording/reproducing apparatuses, and a recording/reproducing apparatus using the MR head.
There have been implemented helical scanning systems provided with no guard band. However, there exists no helical scanning system using an MR head.
The present invention provides a helical scanning system using an MR head as reading head but no guard band and which can attain a high track recording density.
According to the present invention, there is provided an MR head including an MR element sandwiched between a pair of soft magnetic material-made shields to detect signal from a magnetic tape under a magnetoresistance effect,
the MR element having a magnetic sensor disposed obliquely, at a predetermined azimuth angle, to a direction perpendicular in which the magnetic tape is fed or moved;
the magnetoresistive head being installed on a rotating drum to read signal on the magnetic tape by the helical scanning method.
According to the present invention, there is also provided a recording/reproducing apparatus comprising a rotating drum having installed thereon to write and/or read, by the helical scanning method, signal from a magnetic tape with a thin film of magnetic metal as magnetic layer:
a magnetoresistive head, as reading head, having a magnetoresistive element sandwiched between a pair of soft magnetic material-made shields to detect signal from the magnetic tape under a magnetoresistance effect, the magnetoresistive element having a magnetic sensor disposed obliquely, at a predetermined azimuth angle, to a direction perpendicular in which the magnetic tape is fed or moved; and
an inductive magnetic head as writing head.
The MR element is sandwiched between a pair of shielded made of a soft magnetic material. By disposing the MR head of this shielded structure at a predetermined azimuth angle, recording and reproduction can be done without using any guard band. A helical scanning system in which this MR head is adopted can attain a considerably higher recording density and larger storage capacity than the conventional magnetic recording/reproducing system.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4594619 (1986-06-01), Hijikigawa
patent: 5513051 (1996-04-01), Lee
patent: 5648886 (1997-07-01), Kobayashi
Ikeda Yoshito
Inaguma Teruo
Kano Hiroshi
Onodera Seiichi
Onoe Seiji
Heinz A. J.
Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal
Sony Corporation
LandOfFree
Magnetoresistive head with azimuth angle and magnetic... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Magnetoresistive head with azimuth angle and magnetic..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Magnetoresistive head with azimuth angle and magnetic... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2474619