Sony Corporation

Imation Corporation

Hirohisa Koga

Takashi Abe

Kenji Kobayashi

Denis J Langlois

James S Anderson

Takeo Ohba

Yoshihiko Ito

Takayuki Kurahara

Takashi Sasaya

Hiroaki Momiyama

Manabu Hanjo

Hiroshi Katsumata

In general, the invention provides a magnetic head device and linear tape drive that increase the resonant frequency and the range of a servo system. In particular, the invention provides a magnetic head device comprising a magnetic head chip with multiple magnetic head elements that is a structural part of the fine positioning system which allows the magnetic head elements follow the data tracks on the linear magnetic tape. Consequently, weight is reduced thereby increasing the resonant frequency and servo bandwidth. In another embodiment, the invention provides a magnetic head comprising bimodal actuators that are formed into an S shape and displaced by applying voltage where the polarization direction is opposite from one end to the other. In particular, the head chip may remain stable and may be driven dynamically thereby allowing the mechanical resonance of the bimodal actuator (including the head chip) to increase to 1 kHz or higher.

Magnetic head device and linear tape drive including a multi-element magnetic head chip and twin bimodal actuators

In general, the invention provides a magnetic head device and linear tape drive that widen the high frequency side of the servo range. In particular, the invention provides a magnetic head device comprising a magnetic head chip with multiple magnetic elements arranged for recording or playback of multiple tracks and a fine positioning structure that uses a bimodal construction that may widen the high frequency side of the servo range by increasing the resonant frequency of the magnetic head chip including the tracking structure and lowering the Q value of the resonance point. In addition, the invention includes a damping structure suitable for the fine positioning structure that improves high speed response by widening the range in which the magnetic head device can be used for a servo. The magnetic head device may use a linear tape drive method.

Magnetic head device and linear tape drive including a twin bimodal type actuator and a dampening structure

A device for winding a magnetic tape in good order on a tape cassette which has been repeatedly used in a telecasting station, is arranged at a mid portion between a pair of tape reels on an inner peripheral side of a running path of the magnetic tape pulled out from a tape cassette. The device has a touch roll abutted against the magnetic tape along the tape width for affording a constant contact pressure against the outer periphery of the tape reel as the tape is round, an arcuately-shaped roll arm member rotatably supporting the touch roll at its one end for facing the touch roll to the inside of the tape cassette, a roll arm supporting member for slidably supporting the roll arm member so that the touch roll is moved in the diametrical direction with respect to the tape reel, a plate on which the roll arm supporting member is assembled, and a roll arm driving mechanism for sliding the roll arm member along the roll arm supporting member. The roll arm supporting member is moved by the roll arm driving mechanism along the roll arm supporting member so that the line of force of the contact pressure applied to the magnetic tape taken up on the outer periphery of the tape reel traverses the center of rotation of the tape reel.

Device for winding magnetic tape of tape cassette in good order

A tape guide mechanism includes absorbent members retained by a mounting structure so positioned as to absorb lubricant leakage from bearing portions of the tape guide mechanism to outer tape contact surfaces of a roller guide portion of flange portions thereof. The lubricant absorbing members may be mounted at a plurality of locations so as to prevent leakage of lubricant along an inner wall of the cylindrical roller guide portion of the tape guide, leakage along an outer surface of a support shaft of the tape guide, or leakage along inner or outer surfaces of a bearing pressing member provided at ends of the tape guide mechanism adjacent the flange portions thereof.

Tape guide with lubricant flow preventing means in a signal recording

A plurality of head tips Ra to Rd' and Pa to Pd' are disposed adjacently to each other in such a manner as to project from a peripheral surface of a rotary drum 2 by a predetermined length and at the same time the projecting lengths of the head tips Ra to Pd' are selected in such a way so that the surface pressures of a plurality of head tips Ra to Pd' on the magnetic tape 9 become uniform. Outer head tips are inclined by a predetermined angle and fixed. With such an arrangement, since the gap positions of the head tips become the center of tape contact against the magnetic tape 9, the surface pressures of the magnetic tape 9 against the head tips become substantially constant. If the surface pressures become constant, the head tips uniformly wear.

Rotary magnetic head device

In an apparatus for digitally recording and reproducing video and audio signals in successive parallel slant record tracks on a record tape; pluralities of recording heads are mounted on a rotary drum at diametrically opposed positions so that one field of a video signal is recorded in a plurality of the tracks scanned by the recording heads as the record tape is advanced at a predetermined speed, a pair of bimorph leaves are mounted at respective opposed positions on the rotary drum, a plurality of reproducing heads are disposed on each of the bimorph leaves to be deflected by the respective bimorph leaf in a direction transverse to the direction along the record tracks when, in a reproducing mode, the tape is advanced at a speed different from the predetermined speed used for recording, and the number of the reproducing heads is greater than, for example, twice, the number of the recording heads for relatively reducing the maximum deflections of the reproducing heads by the bimorph leaves needed to achieve substantial tracking of the record tracks while the tape is advanced at such different speed.

Apparatus for digitally recording and reproducing video and audio

The head surface of the control signal head is formed into the curved surface such that the head surface of the control signal head has a first radius of curvature in the circumferential surface of the drum in the direction corresponding to the magnetic tape sliding direction, the first radius of curvature being slightly smaller than the radius of the drum, and such that the head surface of the control signal head has the second radius of curvature at least on the side of the rotary head in the direction perpendicular to this direction, the second radius of curvature being larger than the first radius of curvature. A drum unit is capable of bringing the rotary head and the control signal head into contact with the magnetic tape in an excellent manner with the control signal head embedded. With such a construction, a drum unit which is capable of fairly enhancing the utility of a rotary head type recording/reproducing system is provided.

Drum unit with curved control signal head surface

A rotary magnetic head assembly for a helical scan video tape recorder comprises a tape guide arrangement including coaxial rotatable and fixed drum portions about which a video tape is helically guided, a pair of substantially parallel bi-morph leaves each secured, at one end, to the rotary drum portion and being both deflectable in the same direction in response to the application of a control signal thereto, and a deflectable member carrying a transducer head and being connected to the opposite free ends of said bi-morph leaves, such deflectable member having at least portions thereof which are elastically flexible and located between the free ends of the bi-morph leaves and the head to deflect in response to deflection of the bi-morph leaves for maintaining the head in proper contacting relation to the tape guided about the drum portions.

Rotary transducer head assembly

A deflectable transducer mounting assembly for mounting a transducer on a member, such as a rotatable member. A first deflectable element has one end thereof coupled to the member so as to be cantilevered outward therefrom, and a free end on which the transducer is mounted. The first deflectable element is deflectable in response to drive signals supplied thereto. A pair of second deflectable elements, which also are deflectable in response to drive signals supplied thereto, are disposed at the one end of the first deflectable element so as to sandwich that one end therebetween. The pair of second deflectable elements are adapted to be secured to the member. In a preferred embodiment, the first deflectable element is comprised of a pair of elements whose free ends are interconnected via a support element which is flexibly coupled to each of such free end; and the one end of each of these pair of elements is sandwiched between a respective pair of the aforementioned second deflectable elements.

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Kanagawa, Japan

Hirohisa Koga