Read/write and longitudinal edge erase head assembly having multiple similarly shaped layers

Claim 2

A magnetic head assembly for recording or reading data and for erasing edge portions of newly-recorded data and previously recorded data comprising: at least one group of three like layers joined in a sandwich structure for recording or reading and erasing data associated with a single data track, the center layer being a read-write layer, and the outer layers being erase layers, the center layer facing in a direction opposite to the outer layers; each layer having a magnetic cOre portion having a transducing gap said magnetic core portion having two legs separated by said transducing gap, said gap being formed by a nonmagnetic spacer portion joined to one leg of said core, and the axes of said gaps being parallel; a sidebar bridging the legs of said core portion of said center layer to form a closed magnetic path about said gap; a first electrical conducting coil disposed about an end leg of the core of said center read-write layer; and a second electrical conducting coil disposed about the end legs of the cores of the outer erase layers; each layer having a nonmagnetic portion joined to on one leg of said magnetic core portion, said outer erase layers aligned similarly with respect to each other and opposite to said center read-write layer such that only the nonmagnetic portions contact the magnetic core portion of said center read-write layer.

Claim 3

The magnetic head assembly of claim 1, wherein the width of said middle layer is substantially constant.

Claim 4

The magnetic head assembly of claim 1, wherein said assembly comprises five layers, the outer and middle layers comprising erase elements and the second and fourth layers comprising read/write elements, and further comprising shield means disposed between said pair of read/write elements for magnetically shielding each read/write element from the other.

Claim 5

A magnetic head assembly for cooperating with a relatively moving magnetic medium for reading and/or writing a track of magnetic information and for erasing the edges of the newly written track immediately after it is written, said assembly comprising: a middle layer of substantially constant width including a read/write magnetic core having a transducing gap and a first non-magnetic spacer integrally secured to said core; a pair of outer layers secured against the sides of said middle layer in a sandwich structure, each of said outer layers comprising an erase magnetic core portion having an erase gap, said erase magnetic core portion having inner and outer leg portions separated by said erase gap, and a second non-magnetic spacer integrally secured to said inner leg portion said outer layers aligned similarly with respect to each other and opposite to said middle layer such that only the second non-magnetic spacers contact the magnetic read/write core of said first layer, and the axis of said transducing gap being parallel to the axes of said erase gaps; a read/write coil disposed over said read/write magnetic core; and a single erase coil disposed over respective outer legs of the pair of erase cores.

Claim 6

A magnetic head assembly for cooperating with a relatively moving magnetic medium for reading and/or writing a track of magnetic information and for erasing the edges of the newly written track immediately after it is written, said assembly comprising: a middle layer of substantially constant width including a read/write magnetic core having a transducing gap and a first non-magnetic spacer integrally secured to said core; a pair of outer layers secured against the sides of said middle layer in a sandwich structure, each of said outer layers comprising an erase magnetic core portion having an erase gap, said erase magnetic core portion having inner and outer leg portions separated by said erase gap, and a second non-magnetic spacer integrally secured to said inner leg portion said outer layers aligned similarly with respect to each other and opposite to said middle layer such that only the second non-magnetic spacers contact the magnetic read/write core of said first layer, and the axis of said transducing gap being parallel to the axes of said erase gaps; a read/write coil disposed over said read/write magnetic core; and a single erase coil disposed over respective outer legs of the pair of erase cores.

Claim 7

A magnetic head assembly for cooperating with a relatively moving magnetic medium comprising: a middle layer comprising a magnetic ferrite read/write core having a read/write transducing gap, said read/write core having two leg members separated by said gap, and a first L-shaped non-magnetic spacer aligned joined to said core, the upstanding leg portion of the L secured to one of said read/write leg members and the base portion of the L being coplanar with said transducing gap, said middle layer having a substantially constant width; a magnetic sidebar disposed against both leg members of said read/write core so as to form a magnetic circuit therethrough; a read/write coil disposed about said read/write core, thus providing a read/write magnetic transducer; a pair of outer layers, each outer layer including a magnetic ferrite erase core having an erase gap, said erase core having two leg members separated by said erase gap, and a second L-shaped non-magnetic spacer secured against and in alignment with one of said leg members of said erase core, said outer layers in juxtaposition against the sides of said middle layer such that only the second non-magnetic spacers contact said read/write core, said pair of outer layers having substantially the same width, the axis of said transducing gap being parallel to the axes of said erase gaps; and an erase coil disposEd over the other legs of said pair of erase cores, whereby said erase gaps of the erase cores sweep the edges of a track of information written by said read/write transducer immediately after said track is written.

Claim 8

A magnetic head assembly for cooperating with a relatively moving magnetic medium comprising: a middle layer comprising a magnetic ferrite read/write core having a read/write transducing gap, said read/write core having two leg members separated by said gap, and a first L-shaped non-magnetic spacer aligned joined to said core, the upstanding leg portion of the L secured to one of said read/write leg members and the base portion of the L being coplanar with said transducing gap, said middle layer having a substantially constant width; a magnetic sidebar disposed against both leg members of said read/write core so as to form a magnetic circuit therethrough; a read/write coil disposed about said read/write core, thus providing a read/write magnetic transducer; a pair of outer layers, each outer layer including a magnetic ferrite erase core having an erase gap, said erase core having two leg members separated by said erase gap, and a second L-shaped non-magnetic spacer secured against and in alignment with one of said leg members of said erase core, said outer layers in juxtaposition against the sides of said middle layer such that only the second non-magnetic spacers contact said read/write core, said pair of outer layers having substantially the same width, the axis of said transducing gap being parallel to the axes of said erase gaps; and an erase coil disposEd over the other legs of said pair of erase cores, whereby said erase gaps of the erase cores sweep the edges of a track of information written by said read/write transducer immediately after said track is written.