Transducer support and stabilizer

Claim 2

A combination head support and flexible medium stabilizer comprizing a toroidal member with a radial inner surface portion and an outer surface portion coaxial to the axial axis of said toroid and having a circular convex-shaped medium-facing surface portion with an annular apex being an outwardmost line of said convex surface located not less than one-half of the difference between the radii of said outer and inner surfaces; and means disposed at said inner radial portion and extending thereacross for substantially blocking air flow along said axial axis.

Claim 3

The apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein the apex is radially closer to said outer portion than said inner portion.

Claim 4

The apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein said convex surface has a given radius of curvature centered on a line extending parallel to said central axis and through said apex.

Claim 5

The apparatus set forth in claim 1 further including transducer means disposed at said radial inner portion and having a record sensing portion extending outwardly along said central axis from said medium facing surface adjacent said inner radial surface.

Claim 6

The apparatus set forth in claim 4 wherein said transducer means extends outwardly a distance greater than said apex.

Claim 7

The apparatus set forth in claim 5 wherein said transducer means has an air bearing surface extending axially beyond said apex.

Claim 8

Flexible disk-to-transducer stabilizing apparatus, a plate member facing said disk to be stabilized with respect to a transducer; means for relatively rotating said flexible disk about a first axis with respect to said plate along a first direction; a transducer disposed on said plate and extending toward said flexible disk for exchanging signals therewith; the improvement including in combination: a leading stabilizing member having a leading and trailing portion and extending from said plate toward flexible disk and having a convex surface extending between said leading and trailing portion and facing said flexible disk with a given radius of curvature including a center closer to said leading portion than said trailing portion; means in said plate adjacent said leading stabilizing member for preventing axial air flow from said plate to said disk past said transducer; and said trailing portion being juxtaposed to said transducer whereby said flexible disk moves over said leading stabilizing member, then over said transducer whereby a negative pressure adjacent said transducer is induced by said disk rotating so that said disk is urged into a transducing relation with said transducer.

Claim 9

Flexible disk-to-transducer stabilizing apparatus, a plate member facing said disk to be stabilized with respect to a transducer; means for relatively rotating said flexible disk about a first axis with respect to said plate along a first direction; a transducer disposed on said plate and extending toward said flexible disk for exchanging signals therewith; the improvement including in combination: a leading stabilizing member having a leading and trailing portion and extending from said plate toward flexible disk and having a convex surface extending between said leading and trailing portion and facing said flexible disk with a given radius of curvature including a center closer to said leading portion than said trailing portion; means in said plate adjacent said leading stabilizing member for preventing axial air flow from said plate to said disk past said transducer; and said trailing portion being juxtaposed to said transducer whereby said flexible disk moves over said leading stabilizing member, then over said transducer whereby a negative pressure adjacent said transducer is induced by said disk rotating so that said disk is urged into a transducing relation with said transducer.

Claim 10

The apparatus set forth in claim 7 further including a trailing stabilizing member on said plate member extending toward said flexible disk having a leading portion in juxtaposition to said transducer and a trailing portion disposed from said leading portion in said one direction; and said trailing stabilizing member having a convex surface extending between said portions of said trailing member with a given radius of curvature with a center closer to said trailing portion than said leading portion of said trailing member whereby said negative pressure is enhanced.

Claim 11

The apparatus set forth in claim 7 further including stabilizing means joining said member to said transducer on said plate member.

Claim 12

The apparatus set forth in claim 8 further including said transducer having an air bearing surface facing said flexible disk and extending thereto closer than said convex surface.

Claim 13

Apparatus set forth in claim 7 further including a stabilizing member joined to said leading stabilizing and circumscribing said transducer on said plate such that an air bearing circumscribes in a given spaced relation to said transducer creating a cavity intermediate said transducer and said members for maximizing said negative pressure as said flexible disk covers and moves over said cavity.

Claim 14

A combination transducer support and flexible record member shaper and stabilizer, including in combination: a plate member facing said flexible record member for stabilizing said flexible record member during relative movements of said member in a first direction, a transducer on said plate and facing said flexible record member for exchanging signals with said flexible record member; a flexible record member conformance inducing portion of said plate member encircling said transducer; and said inducing portion having a convexly curved surface portion facing said flexible record member including inner and outer surface portions respectively juxtaposed to said transducer and displaced from said transducer a predetermined spacing with a line apex of convex curvature closer to said outer portion than said inner portion.

Claim 15

A combination transducer support and flexible record member shaper and stabilizer, including in combination: a plate member facing said flexible record member for stabilizing said flexible record member during relative movements of said member in a first direction, a transducer on said plate and facing said flexible record member for exchanging signals with said flexible record member; a flexible record member conformance inducing portion of said plate member encircling said transducer; and said inducing portion having a convexly curved surface portion facing said flexible record member including inner and outer surface portions respectively juxtaposed to said transducer and displaced from said transducer a predetermined spacing with a line apex of convex curvature closer to said outer portion than said inner portion.