Flying head with foil support

Claim 2

In a combined transducer-stabilizer array adapted for stabilizing and transducing passing flexible media, the combination including transducer structure disposed in a prescribed head-foil of given curvature and adapted to mount a transducer structure and to be presented in convex, "air-bearing generating" relation with said passing media, the improvement therewith comprising: at least one rigidly-fixed mounting foil about the head foil, each foil being arranged and adapted to support the head-foil and exhibiting a different convex curvature relative to said passing media so as to create at least one prescribed respective "entry zone" air bearing film upstream of the related film generated by said head-foil.

Claim 3

The combination as recited in claim 1, wherein all the foils are arranged to have a relatively spherical surface configuration adjacent the passing media and to be symmetrically disposed about said transducer structure, said head-foil having a relatively smaller radius of curvature and being arranged to generate a more stable air film of reduced thickness relative to said entry-zone air film.

Claim 4

The combination as recited in claim 2, wherein at least one pair of relief slots are cut into said head foil, flanking the region of said transducer structure and arranged to reduce the flying height of said passing medium above the transducer structure to generate a prescribed transducing zone and to limit the areas of said zone, laterally of the direction of media translation.

Claim 5

The combination as recited in claim 3, wherein said medium comprises a flexible magnetic recording disk flown at relatively high speed, sufficient to generate said air bearing films, over said rigidly mounted multi-foil transducer-stabilizer structure.

Claim 6

An improved transducer head support media stabilizer structure adapted for presenting a transducer head in prescribed non-contact transducing relation with passing flexible recording media; said structure presenting a pair of convex, head-supporting/medium-stabilizing foils operatively adjacent the passing media, this combination being characterized by a first head-foil having a prescribed curvature and on which is mounted the transducing means and adapted to generate a prescribed air-bearing on passage of the media; and a second, mounting-foil arranged to carry said head foil relatively centrally and differently curved therefrom, and arranged to introduce an entry zone air film upstream of this air-bearing.

Claim 7

An improved transducer head support media stabilizer structure adapted for presenting a transducer head in prescribed non-contact transducing relation with passing flexible recording media; said structure presenting a pair of convex, head-supporting/medium-stabilizing foils operatively adjacent the passing media, this combination being characterized by a first head-foil having a prescribed curvature and on which is mounted the transducing means and adapted to generate a prescribed air-bearing on passage of the media; and a second, mounting-foil arranged to carry said head foil relatively centrally and differently curved therefrom, and arranged to introduce an entry zone air film upstream of this air-bearing.

Claim 8

Magnetic recording apparatus adapted to operate upon one or more rotatable flexible circular record-disks disposed to be rotated adjacent a prescribed relatively flat planar reference transducing plane, this apparatus comprising associated transducer means including at least one transducer head adapted to be brought adjacent said reference plane, but out of contact with said rotating disk and in transducing relation therewith, said head being disposed in a head mount adapted to induce the passing disk to be pulled toward itself in several stages, this combination being characterized in that: said head is mounted rigid and has a prescribed multi-foil curvature and includes a prescribed transducing zone of minimal medium-height whereat one or more transducing core gaps are disposed; said head thus being adapted to be presented in penetrating, dimpling relation with prescribed radial areas of said rotating disk so as to invoke different serial stages of Bournoulli air-films characteristic of the foils and the passing disk segments, these stages including a "transducing film" above said head at said transducing zone and at least one "entry-zone film" upstream of this "transducing zone" and different from said "transducing film".

Claim 9

Magnetic recording apparatus adapted to operate upon one or more rotatable flexible circular record-disks disposed to be rotated adjacent a prescribed relatively flat planar reference transducing plane, this apparatus comprising associated transducer means including at least one transducer head adapted to be brought adjacent said reference plane, but out of contact with said rotating disk and in transducing relation therewith, said head being disposed in a head mount adapted to induce the passing disk to be pulled toward itself in several stages, this combination being characterized in that: said head is mounted rigid and has a prescribed multi-foil curvature and includes a prescribed transducing zone of minimal medium-height whereat one or more transducing core gaps are disposed; said head thus being adapted to be presented in penetrating, dimpling relation with prescribed radial areas of said rotating disk so as to invoke different serial stages of Bournoulli air-films characteristic of the foils and the passing disk segments, these stages including a "transducing film" above said head at said transducing zone and at least one "entry-zone film" upstream of this "transducing zone" and different from said "transducing film".

Claim 10

The combination as recited in claim 6, wherein said head also includes a pair of relatively identical air-relieving channels cut into the head-foil sufficient to establish a prescribed relief and suction in said intermediate zone, said channels being disposed flanking said recording zone and being aligned parallel to in the contemplated direction of disk passage, being dimensioned to reduce head spacing to a prescribed amount.

Claim 11

A relatively rigid "multi-foil" transducer array adapted for operation with passing flexible media, this array being arranged to include read/write means mounted in a head-foil and adapted to induce the media to pass along a prescribed read/write zone above said read/write means at relatively miniscule head spacing without instabilities or need to move the array toward or away from the media there, the array further including: at least one stabilizer-foil disposed about said head-foil and so placed and so curved as to generate a respective "approach zone" upstream of said head-foil and more gradually reduce head spacing, in a "multi-foil/multi-stop" fashion.

Claim 12

A relatively rigid "multi-foil" transducer array adapted for operation with passing flexible media, this array being arranged to include read/write means mounted in a head-foil and adapted to induce the media to pass along a prescribed read/write zone above said read/write means at relatively miniscule head spacing without instabilities or need to move the array toward or away from the media there, the array further including: at least one stabilizer-foil disposed about said head-foil and so placed and so curved as to generate a respective "approach zone" upstream of said head-foil and more gradually reduce head spacing, in a "multi-foil/multi-stop" fashion.

Claim 13

The combination as recited in claim 8 wherein slots are cut in said head-foil so as to limit the area of minimum head spacing only adjacent said read/write means.

Claim 14

The combination as recited in claim 8, wherein said stabilizer foils comprises a compound lens, multi-foil structure about the head foil, each lens being arranged and adapted to bring the passing medium segment closer gradually to said read/write means, and to so pre-stabilize the passing medium.

Claim 15

The combination as recited in claim 8, wherein each said stabilizer foil is adapted to suck to passing medium segment toward the head to establish a different relative spacing therewith.