Hitachi, Ltd.

Exabyte Corporation

Akihisa Obata

Kenkichi Inada

Toshio Tsuchiya

Hidekazu Takeda

Kenmei Masuda

Shigeru Yamazaki

Kuniako Hirayama

The present invention provides a magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus, a magnetic recording and reproducing method, and a thin film magnetic head that enable a good contact between elements and a recording medium with a reduced track pitch even if the number of head channels is increased, thereby realizing high recording density and high transfer rate. At least one multitrack write head having N (N is an integer of 2 or more) write elements arranged along a track width direction in an integral fashion and at least one multitrack read head having L (L is an integer equal to or more than N) read elements arranged along the track width direction in an integral fashion are formed on the rotary drum. The multitrack write head writes signals to a group of N tracks aligned parallel on the magnetic tape during one rotation of the rotary drum, and the multitrack read head reads the group of N signal tracks by the use of any one of the L read elements.

Magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus and method and thin film magnetic head used therein

According to the invention, techniques for cleaning a rotary magneto-resistive head. Embodiments according to the invention are especially useful in tape drive systems, and the like. Embodiments can provide methods and apparatus for cleaning contaminant from rotary magneto-resistive heads while guarding against damage to the head from excess cleaning, and the like. Specific embodiments can control the rotational speed of a rotary magneto-resistive head in order to facilitate cleaning operations. Embodiments include a cleaning device and a control method, and are suited for use in a magneto-resistive head mounted on a rotary cylinder of a computer tape storage unit, for example, although application of the present invention is not limited to such embodiments.

Method and apparatus for cleaning a magneto-resistive head

High reliability magneto-resistive head cleaning system

Growing community of inventors

Hitachinaka, Japan

Akihisa Obata