Magnetic head with concave contact face

Claim 1

A magnetic head for recording, reproducing and/or erasing magnetic information in a track of a flexible magnetic tape, said head comprising a magnet core provided with a contact face along which the tape can be moved in contact with the magnetic head in a predetermined direction of movement, and with a non-magnetic transfer gap which intersects the contact face, which contact face is curved in said direction of movement on either side of the transfer gap in accordance with a radius of curvature whose value depends upon the distance from the transfer gap, the dimension of the contact face measured transverse to the direction of movement being less than the width of the tape, characterized in that in a region of the contact face, in which the transfer gap is located, the radius of curvature with which the contact face is curved in the direction of movement increases with an increasing distance from the transfer gap, and the centres of curvature lie above the surface of the contact face in order to form a concave surface; in the regions of the contact face adjoining that region in which the transfer gap is located, this radius of curvature decreases with an increasing distance from the transfer gap, while the centres of curvature are located below the surface of the contact face in order to form convex surfaces; and the contact face is curved transverse to the direction of movement into a convex shape.