Combined stepper motor and voice coil head positioning apparatus

Claim 2

In a tape drive adapted for recording on and playing back of data from any one of a multiplicity of parallel tracks extending the length of a recording tape and in which at least one recording/playback head, including a head mounting member, is adapted to contact the tape along a tape transport path and to be variably positioned transversely with respect to the tape, a head positioning mechanism comprising: (a) linear support means secured proximate to the tape transport path and generally perpendicular to a direction of motion of the recording tape; (b) a coarse positioning means engaged to vertically slide along the linear support means for coarsely positioning said at least one head in relation to a selected one of the multiplicity of recording tracks; (c) first spring restoration means affixed between said at least one head and the coarse positioning means to maintain said at least one head in a selected coarse track position in the absence of any counteracting force; and (d) means for finely positioning said at least one head in relation to the center of the selected recording track.

Claim 3

A head positioning mechanism according to claim 1 wherein the fine positioning means comprises a voice coil which drives said at least one head transversely to the direction of movement of the tape. a positioning.

Claim 4

A head positioning mechanism according to claim 2 wherein the voice coil is attached to said at least one head at a point along a line whose axis intersects the center of mass of said at least one head and the head mounting member.

Claim 5

A head positioning mechanism according to claim 1 wherein the coarse positioning means further comprises means for incrementally driving the coarse positioning means including: (a) a stepper motor secured relative to the tape transport path having a drive shaft rotatably mounted therein; and (b) means mounted to the drive shaft of the stepper motor for converting rotary motion of the shaft into corresponding linear movement.

Claim 6

A head positioning mechanism according to claim 4 wherein said linear support means includes a single cylindrical shaft which restrains the coarse positioning means to motion along a single axis.

Claim 7

A head positioning mechanism according to claim 1 wherein the fine positioning means comprises a voice coil and a magnet assembly wherein the voice coil and magnet assembly are affixed as to travel with said at least one head when it is coarsely positioned.

Claim 8

A head positioning mechanism according to claim 1 wherein said first spring restoration means and fine positioning means are arranged along an axis which is canted at an oblique angle to the tape transport path.

Claim 9

The head positioning mechanism according to claim 7 wherein said first spring restoration means and fine positioning means are arranged along said canted axis so as to accommodate a 5.25 inch form factor 1/4 inch tape drive.

Claim 10

In a tape recorder adapted for recording on and playing back of data from any one of a multiplicity of parallel tracks extending the length of a magnetic recording tape and in which at least one recording/playback head is adapted to interface with the tape along a tape transport path and to be variably positioned transversely with respect to the tape, a head positioning mechanism comprising: (a) support means secured proximate to a transport path; (b) movable means for mounting said at least one head; (c) spring restoration means connected between the head mounting means and the support means so as to maintain said at least one head in a predetermined position in the absence of any counteracting force; and (d) means for positioning said at least one head in relation to the center of the selected recording tract wherein the positioning means comprises a voice coil which drives said at least one head transversely to the direction of movement of the recording tape by applying a positioning force.

Claim 11

In a tape recorder adapted for recording on and playing back of data from any one of a multiplicity of parallel tracks extending the length of a magnetic recording tape and in which at least one recording/playback head is adapted to interface with the tape along a tape transport path and to be variably positioned transversely with respect to the tape, a head positioning mechanism comprising: (a) support means secured proximate to a transport path; (b) movable means for mounting said at least one head; (c) spring restoration means connected between the head mounting means and the support means so as to maintain said at least one head in a predetermined position in the absence of any counteracting force; and (d) means for positioning said at least one head in relation to the center of the selected recording tract wherein the positioning means comprises a voice coil which drives said at least one head transversely to the direction of movement of the recording tape by applying a positioning force.

Claim 12

In a tape recorder adapted for recording on and playing back of data from any one of a multiplicity of parallel tracks extending the length of a recording tape and in which at least one recording/playback head is adapted to interface with the recording tape along a tape transport path and to be variably positioned transversely with respect to the tape, a head positioning mechanism comprising: (a) support means secured proximate to a transport path; (b) first spring restoration means affixed at a first end to the support means and having a second end; (c) a movable base means affixed at the second end of the first spring restoration means so as to maintain said at least one head in a predetermined position in the absence of any counteracting force; (d) a stepper motor secured relative to the tape transport path having a drive shaft rotatably mounted therein; (e) lead screw means mounted to the drive shaft of the stepper motor for converting rotary motion of the shaft into corresponding substantially linear movement wherein the lead screw means is threaded into the movable base means to vertically move the movable base means in a substantially linear direction transversely to the transport path; (f) a plurality of leaf springs attached between the movable base means and the means for mounting said at least one head; and (g) means for finely positioning said at least one head in relation to the center of the selected recording track.

Claim 13

In a tape recorder adapted for recording on and playing back of data from any one of a multiplicity of parallel tracks extending the length of a recording tape and in which at least one recording/playback head is adapted to interface with the recording tape along a tape transport path and to be variably positioned transversely with respect to the tape, a head positioning mechanism comprising: (a) support means secured proximate to a transport path; (b) first spring restoration means affixed at a first end to the support means and having a second end; (c) a movable base means affixed at the second end of the first spring restoration means so as to maintain said at least one head in a predetermined position in the absence of any counteracting force; (d) a stepper motor secured relative to the tape transport path having a drive shaft rotatably mounted therein; (e) lead screw means mounted to the drive shaft of the stepper motor for converting rotary motion of the shaft into corresponding substantially linear movement wherein the lead screw means is threaded into the movable base means to vertically move the movable base means in a substantially linear direction transversely to the transport path; (f) a plurality of leaf springs attached between the movable base means and the means for mounting said at least one head; and (g) means for finely positioning said at least one head in relation to the center of the selected recording track.

Claim 14

A head positioning mechanism in accordance with claim 10 wherein the fine positioning means comprises a voice coil which drives said at least one head transversely to the direction of movement of the tape.

Claim 15

A head positioning mechanism according to claim 10 wherein the first restoration means comprises substantially parallel cantilever arms having leaf springs connecting them to the head mounting means and support means.

Claim 16

In a tape recorder adapted for recording on and playing back of data from any one of a multiplicity of parallel tracks extending the length of a magnetic recording tape and in which at least one recording/playback head is adapted to interface with the tape along a tape transport path and to be variably positioned transversely with respect to the tape, a head positioning mechanism comprising: (a) a first linear support means secured proximate to a transport path and generally perpendicular to the direction of motion of the tape; (b) a second linear support means secured proximate to the transport path and generally perpendicular to the direction of motion of the tape; (c) an actuator member including in combination (i) a first bearing means engaged to slide along the first linear support means; (ii) a second bearing means engaged to slide along the second linear support means; (iii) a head mounting means for mounting said at least one head; (iv) a voice coil and magnet for driving the actuator along said support means in response to signals supplied to said coil; and (d) means for sensing the position of said at least one head secured proximate to the transport path and for modifying said signals supplied to the coil in response to the sensed position.

Claim 17

In a tape recorder adapted for recording on and playing back of data from any one of a multiplicity of parallel tracks extending the length of a magnetic recording tape and in which at least one recording/playback head is adapted to interface with the tape along a tape transport path and to be variably positioned transversely with respect to the tape, a head positioning mechanism comprising: (a) a first linear support means secured proximate to a transport path and generally perpendicular to the direction of motion of the tape; (b) a second linear support means secured proximate to the transport path and generally perpendicular to the direction of motion of the tape; (c) an actuator member including in combination (i) a first bearing means engaged to slide along the first linear support means; (ii) a second bearing means engaged to slide along the second linear support means; (iii) a head mounting means for mounting said at least one head; (iv) a voice coil and magnet for driving the actuator along said support means in response to signals supplied to said coil; and (d) means for sensing the position of said at least one head secured proximate to the transport path and for modifying said signals supplied to the coil in response to the sensed position.

Claim 18

The head positioning mechanism of claim 13 wherein the sensing means comprises a linear variable differential transformer (LVDT) mounted therein, and the coil and LVDT operate together so as to position said at least one head in relation to the center of a selected recording track.

Claim 19

A positioning method for a multi-channel head assembly for use in a tape recorder, wherein the tape recorder handles a multi-track tape, transported in a lengthwise direction by the tape recorder, wherein at least one of the tracks includes servo data, the method comprising the steps of: (a) reading the servo data; (b) generating a servo control signal as a function of the servo data; and (c) receiving the servo control signal and translating the servo control signal into a corresponding driving signal for driving a voice coil, the voice coil bearing against the head assembly in a location suitable for moving the head assembly transversely to the transport direction of the tape, so as to reposition the voice coil to a position consistent with the servo control signal so as to correct the head assembly position relative to the track including the servo data

Claim 20

A positioning method for a multi-channel head assembly for use in a tape recorder, wherein the tape recorder handles a multi-track tape, transported in a lengthwise direction by the tape recorder, wherein at least one of the tracks includes servo data, the method comprising the steps of: (a) reading the servo data; (b) generating a servo control signal as a function of the servo data; and (c) receiving the servo control signal and translating the servo control signal into a corresponding driving signal for driving a voice coil, the voice coil bearing against the head assembly in a location suitable for moving the head assembly transversely to the transport direction of the tape, so as to reposition the voice coil to a position consistent with the servo control signal so as to correct the head assembly position relative to the track including the servo data

Claim 21

A positioning system for a multi-channel head assembly for use in a tape recorder, wherein the tape recorder handles a multi-track tape, transported in a lengthwise direction by the tape recorder, wherein at least one of the tracks includes servo data, the system comprising: (a) a magnetic recording head including at least one transducer means for reading the servo data; (b) a voice coil bearing against the magnetic recording head in a location suitable for moving the magnetic recording head transversely to the transport direction of the tape; (c) means coupled to said at least one transducer means and providing a servo track signal representative of the servo data; (d) means coupled to the servo track signal for generating a servo control signal as a function of the servo track signal; and (e) driving means coupled to receive the servo control signal and translate the servo control signal into a corresponding driving signal for driving the voice coil so as to reposition the voice coil to a position consistent with the servo control signal so as to correct the head position relative to the track including the servo data.

Claim 22

A positioning system for a multi-channel head assembly for use in a tape recorder, wherein the tape recorder handles a multi-track tape, transported in a lengthwise direction by the tape recorder, wherein at least one of the tracks includes servo data, the system comprising: (a) a magnetic recording head including at least one transducer means for reading the servo data; (b) a voice coil bearing against the magnetic recording head in a location suitable for moving the magnetic recording head transversely to the transport direction of the tape; (c) means coupled to said at least one transducer means and providing a servo track signal representative of the servo data; (d) means coupled to the servo track signal for generating a servo control signal as a function of the servo track signal; and (e) driving means coupled to receive the servo control signal and translate the servo control signal into a corresponding driving signal for driving the voice coil so as to reposition the voice coil to a position consistent with the servo control signal so as to correct the head position relative to the track including the servo data.

Claim 23

A head positioning mechanism according to claim 16 wherein the voice coil is attached to said at least one head at a point along a line whose axis intersects the center of mass of said at least one head and an associated head mounting member.

Claim 24

The head positioning mechanism according to claim 16, further comprising means for coarsely positioning said head in relation to a said servo data track.

Claim 25

The head positioning mechanism according to claim 18, wherein said voice coil is mounted to said coarse positioning means to travel with said head as it is coarsely positioned and to thereafter provide fine position control.