DE102018116896B4 - Magnetic head, method for storing information and product - Google Patents

Abstract

Magnetic head (1) having a magnetic flux guide (2) with two interacting pole legs (3), wherein the pole legs (3) have pole leg ends (4) facing each other and a working gap (5) is formed between the facing pole leg ends (4) and a pole shoe (6) with at least two pole structures (7, 7') is formed on the pole leg end (4) of at least one of the interacting pole legs (3), each of which forms a partial working gap (8, 8') with the interacting pole leg (3), characterized in that by means of the magnetic head (1) at least two spatially separated magnetic individual structures (21) forming a magnetic pattern (20) can be introduced into a magnetic storage medium (13) at the same time, which differ in their geometric shape and/or size, wherein the magnetic flux guide (2) is designed to be elastic, for which purpose a respective pole shoe (6) has pole structures (7, 7') of at least two in their basic form different groups of pole structures (7, 7').

Description

The invention relates to a magnetic head having a magnetic flux guide with two interacting pole legs, wherein the pole legs have pole leg ends facing each other and a working gap is formed between the facing pole leg ends, wherein a pole shoe with at least two pole structures is formed on the pole leg end of at least one of the interacting pole legs, each of which forms a partial working gap with the interacting pole leg. The invention further relates to a method for magnetically storing information in a storage medium and a product with information magnetically stored in the product.

The need for methods to trace the origin of a component has been growing steadily for several years. This is particularly important with regard to identifying components from a third-party manufacturer that do not meet the quality requirements for the properties of the components of an original equipment manufacturer, but cannot be easily distinguished from one another due to their identical design.

In the area of article identification, since the 1970s - especially to simplify the checkout process - US 2 612 994 A known barcodes or barcodes are attached to or on articles, by means of which a simple machine-readable, unique article number assigned to a particular article can be realized. On the one hand, there is the possibility of attaching such barcodes or barcodes as a cost-effective disposable marking on an article or a component, or on the other hand, of inseparably incorporating such a barcode or barcode into the component. The latter case can be done by means of engraving, and in particular by means of laser engraving, as is possible through the WO 01/39 108 A2 disclosed. However, it is also practicable to incorporate information into a component in a form other than a bar code or barcode. In order to identify an article or component marked with a bar code or barcode, however, the bar code or barcode must be read directly, which usually requires a short distance of a few centimeters from a reader. In addition to bar codes or barcodes, RFID (radio-frequency identification) tags have become established, particularly in industrial environments, by means of which identification, inventory control and transport route control of articles or components is possible even over greater distances of up to several meters.

However, the disadvantage of identifying components using these methods is that the information assigned to a component in this way is not hidden, but essentially obvious. In addition, there is no possibility of changing or adding information while at the same time it is inseparable from the component.

As a result, methods are considered advantageous which allow the information used to identify a component to be supplemented or modified while at the same time ensuring that the storage medium containing the information is inseparable from the component.

Such a possibility is provided by the EN 10 2012 022 894 A1 described, whereby the document discloses a projectile which has a storage unit arranged within the projectile for the unique identification of the projectile. Among other things, it is also shown that information can be magnetically introduced into this storage unit.

Magnetic storage of data in or on storage media, i.e. components in the broader sense, is well known both in analogue and thus value and time-continuous form and in digital, thus value and usually time-discrete form. Examples of the former storage technology or components in the broader sense include sound carriers with magnetic tapes as storage media in the form of classic 8-track cassettes or the more modern compact audio cassette. The latter storage technology has been widely used in mass data storage devices such as hard disk drives. However, the aim of storage in the component - and thus the corresponding storage medium - is obviously to store the data, in particular a large amount of data itself, and not to enable the component itself to be identified.

When magnetic tapes are used as a storage medium, information is usually stored using a toroidal core head that comes into contact with the magnetic tape. As exemplified by the US 2 948 488 A As described, during the writing process it is necessary to guide and stretch the magnetic tape in such a way that reliable contact with the writing head is ensured.

In the area of hard disk drives, however, due to the required high data density and thus the small size of individual data bits, so-called thin-film heads are used, such as in the US 4 819 111 A or the US 5 898 541 A described application, whose manufacture position is based on technologies of microsystems technology and microelectronics. These thin-film heads comprise a flying body, which has a magnetic field on its underside facing the writing medium of the hard disk drive, e.g. US 8 593 764 B1 shown structuring, whereby an air cushion and thus a defined distance between the thin-film head and the writing medium is created when the writing medium rotates. This enables a reliable, contactless writing process.

As already mentioned, an increase in storage density inevitably leads to a reduction in the size of a data bit. Such a reduction can be achieved by reducing the size of the thin-film head that writes the data bits. However, this reduction leads to a reduction in the magnetic field strength that can be generated by the thin-film head. A contrary condition to be taken into account is that the reduction in the size of the data bits requires magnetic storage media that have a high magnetic moment and a high coercive field strength. This is due to the fact that magnetic materials and thus the storage media made from them regularly have a grain structure and as the data bit size is reduced, a steadily smaller number of such grains - down to just one grain - represent a data bit. Magnetic materials which have low coercive field strengths and could thus be easily remagnetized using reduced thin-film heads to represent the bit values zero and one would be subject to spontaneous demagnetization and thus data loss if the data bit size were reduced due to the superparamagnetic effect.

To circumvent this problem, the WO 2005/ 034 093 A1 a thin-film head which has a transducer element which is used to generate heat radiation. Such a distinctive thin-film head uses the so-called heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) process. This process enables the magnetization of a magnetic storage medium at low magnetic field strengths and significantly below its coercive field strength by locally heating a magnetic storage medium to a temperature close to or above its Curie temperature.

From the EN 693 14 178 T2 A magnetic head is produced from a magnetic head precursor, wherein a plurality of magnetic heads are produced from the magnetic head precursor. For this purpose, surfaces on an upper side of the magnetic head precursor are ground to a desired line or depth and the magnetic heads are then separated from the magnetic head precursor in order to provide a magnetic head which has pole legs produced by sputtering.

The US 4 941 064 A and the EP 0 195 411 A2 A double magnetic head with a read/write head and an erase head separated by a magnetic barrier can also be seen. The erase head also has two interacting pole legs, each with two identically shaped pole structures formed on the pole legs.

The EN 36 02 654 A1 describes a US 4 941 064 A comparable double magnetic head, again with a read/write head and an erase head. Here too, the erase head has two pole structures formed on at least one pole leg.

From the US 5 535 078 A In addition, a read/write head is known by means of which several magnetic structures, in this case several magnetic tracks, can be introduced into a magnetic stripe of a magnetic card at once.

However, the methods described for magnetic storage of information on magnetic tapes or hard disk drives are only suitable to a limited extent for storing information on virtually any component. The write heads used are not flexible and therefore cannot adapt to the surface of the component. Instead, either the flexible storage medium must lie against the write head or the write head and storage medium must be aligned with a minimal distance of a few nanometers from each other. Neither is practical when it comes to storing data on a component. In addition, the magnetic materials used in the write heads in the form of iron alloys are susceptible to vibrations due to their mechanical properties and are subject to increased wear during operation. For this reason, the write heads are usually encapsulated, which means that they cannot be easily replaced.

A method that overcomes a major disadvantage of the aforementioned methods and a device by means of which information can be incorporated into a component using magnetic storage technology is presented by P. Taptimthong, JF Düsing, L. Rissing and MC Wurz in the publication “Flexible magnetic reading/writing system: heat-assisted magnetic recording” in Procedia Technol. 26 (2016), pages 72-78 , posted shows. The document discloses a magnetic writing head of the type mentioned at the beginning, by means of which data bits can be inserted into a component. The magnetic writing head has a flexible flow guide that comes into contact with the surface of the component to be written during a writing process. In addition, the magnetic writing head has a laser source and a lens system that serves to focus a laser beam generated by the laser source onto the surface of the component. Using the magnetic writing head disclosed, it is thus possible to achieve a magnetization of the material of the component itself or of a magnetic material inserted into the component that represents data bits, both without and with the method of heat-assisted magnetic recording. The disadvantage of this is the fact that simply introducing information in digital form - i.e. generating data bits representing information in the component - does not offer sufficient security against imitation. It is conceivable that, due to the comparatively simple writing process of data bits on a component from an original equipment manufacturer, information that is present can be read out and transferred to a component from a third-party manufacturer.

Against this background, the invention is based on the object of providing information with increased security against imitation or forgery in a magnetic storage medium.

This object is achieved according to the invention with a magnetic head according to the features of claim 1.

The further embodiment of the invention can be taken from the subclaims.

According to the invention, a magnetic head is therefore provided, in particular for magnetic storage of information on or in a magnetic storage medium, which has at least one, in particular elastic, magnetic flux guide with at least two interacting pole legs. The pole legs have pole leg ends facing each other - and in particular spaced apart from each other - with a working gap being formed between the facing pole leg ends. In a variant of the magnetic head not according to the invention, it can be provided that the magnetic head has at least two flux guides, each with a working gap. In contrast, the variant of the magnetic head according to the invention consists in that a pole shoe with at least two pole structures is formed on the pole leg end of at least one of the interacting pole legs - a flux guide - which each form a partial working gap with the interacting pole leg. It should be noted here, however, that such a pole shoe should preferably be formed on each of the interacting pole legs. Another non-inventive combination of the first and second variants of the magnetic head according to the invention would also consist in, for example, a magnetic head having two flux guides, at the respective pole leg ends of which a pole shoe is formed. However, according to the invention it is also provided that at least two spatially separated magnetic individual structures forming a magnetic pattern can be introduced into a magnetic storage medium by means of the magnetic head, which structures differ in their geometric shape and/or size, wherein the magnetic flux guide is designed to be elastic.

By means of the variants of the magnetic head according to the invention, it is possible for at least two spatially separated individual magnetic structures forming a magnetic pattern to be introduced into the magnetic storage medium at the same time, whereby the magnetic storage medium can also be a product - such as a component - itself or a part of a product. Such patterns result in increased security against imitation or counterfeiting, in particular in the area of plagiarism protection. The individual magnetic structures produced in the storage medium and forming the magnetic pattern can be of the same design or differ in their geometric shape and/or size, whereby the shape and/or size depend, among other things, on the geometric design of the pole structures forming the pole shoes. Furthermore, the simultaneous introduction is to be understood in particular as the production of the individual magnetic structures within a writing process, above all without a change in the position of the magnetic head in relation to the storage medium. Such a writing process - i.e. the introduction of one or more individual magnetic structures into the storage medium - includes, among other things, the excitation and thus a current flow through at least one excitation coil, whereby a magnetic field and thus a magnetic flux is generated in the flux guide or flux guides.

As previously noted, the flow guide or flow guides are preferably elastic and thus flexible and bendable, which allows, for example, an adaptation of the elastic flow guide to the geometry of the surface of the magnetic storage medium. The elasticity of the flow guide results from the production of the flow guide or guides by forming a film, for example by folding or creasing and the associated creation of fold lines or fold edges in the film. Furthermore, this film is made as a semi-finished product, in this case from a thin layered carrier and a thin-layered lamination of a soft magnetic material. By structuring this soft magnetic material, e.g. by subtractive manufacturing methods such as etching, a structure that actually guides the magnetic flux is formed on the carrier. An elastic flux guide therefore consists at least of the carrier and an actual flux-guiding structure made of soft magnetic material formed on the carrier. The soft magnetic material can be, for example, an alloy of nickel-iron or cobalt-iron, and the carrier a plastic, preferably polyimide. The elastic flux guide should have at least three sections, two of which are flat and a section formed between these two flat sections has a curvature, in particular a convex curvature formed in the direction of the storage medium when the magnetic head is in operation. Furthermore, it is possible to design the flexible flux guide with a further section opposite the section having a curvature, which is essentially flat and in which end sections of the flux guide or the pole legs facing away from the working gap overlap or lie against one another end-to-end.

With regard to the use of several elastic flux guides in the magnetic head, it is thus conceivable that these elastic flux guides are embodied separately from one another, each consisting numerically of a carrier and numerically of a flux-guiding structure, or consisting numerically of a carrier and several - thus at least two - flux-guiding structures structured separately from one another on this carrier.

According to the invention, a respective pole shoe furthermore has - in particular three - pole structures of at least two groups of pole structures that differ in their basic shape, whereby the geometric shape of the individual magnetic structures to be produced can be influenced in direct connection by the different geometric basic shape of the pole structures. As a result, depending on the number of different groups, at least two different magnetic individual structures can be produced in the storage medium, which in turn form a specific magnetic pattern. In addition, by forming the pole structures in a different basic shape and a resulting differentiated design of the partial working gaps corresponding to the pole structures, it is possible to control the production of individual magnetic structures in the storage medium. The different basic shapes, in conjunction with a magnetic flow caused by the current flow through one or more excitation coils, lead to magnetic flux densities that differ in height in the pole structures of different groups and, as a result, to different magnetic field strengths in the corresponding partial working gaps. By varying the current flow through the excitation coil or several excitation coils, a magnetic field strength could be generated in certain partial working gaps which has a level that is sufficient to cause magnetization or remagnetization of the storage medium, while such a level is not sufficient in other partial working gaps.

Another extremely advantageous embodiment of the magnetic head is when at least two pole structures of a first group are formed on at least one pole structure of a second group. The first group should contain pole structures which are present as pole fingers with a triangular base. Pole structures which, on the other hand, are formed as pole tongues with a trapezoidal base and preferably as an isosceles trapezoid, should also be assigned to the second group. A pole shoe formed by the pole structures of these groups could therefore be formed, for example, in such a way that a pole finger is arranged on each of the two opposite legs of a pole tongue which taper in the direction of the working gap between interacting pole legs, with the pole fingers extending into the working gap normal to the respective leg of the pole tongue.

In a further development of the magnetic head, a pole shoe is advantageously formed at the pole leg end of each pole leg and/or the pole shoes of interacting pole legs are formed symmetrically, so that the individual magnetic structures also assume a symmetrical shape. In the case of a preferred design of a flux guide with only two pole legs, with their pole legs facing each other, it should be provided accordingly that the pole shoes formed at the pole leg ends are designed to be mirror-symmetrical.

If the magnetic head for coupling heat into the storage medium also has at least one, in particular only one, irradiation unit generating at least one energy-transmitting beam, or if the number of irradiation units each generating a beam corresponds to the number of partial working gaps, then it is carried out by means of the irradiation unit or the irradiation units advantageously enables the method of heat-assisted magnetic recording, also called heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR), to be used to achieve magnetization or remagnetization of individual magnetic structures below the coercive field strength of the magnetic material used for the magnetic storage medium, by heating the storage medium in the areas of individual magnetic structures to be introduced to a temperature close to or above the Curie temperature. In this case, an irradiation unit should preferably be designed as a laser diode, which generates a laser beam in the ultraviolet, visible or infrared spectral range. By arranging one or more irradiation units, the number of which corresponds to the number of partial working gaps, it would be advantageous to completely dispense with a deflection device or at least with a deflection device which enables a variable change in the direction of the beam or beams. If the flow guide is designed as an elastic flow guide with a carrier, it would be necessary for one or more openings to be formed in the carrier of the elastic flow guide in the region of the working gap and/or at least in regions of the partial working gap, so that the beam or beams can pass through the carrier, strike the storage medium and thus couple heat into it.

A promising embodiment of the magnetic head according to the invention is further characterized in that the magnetic head has a deflection device or a respective deflection device for influencing a direction of travel of the beam or of a respective beam, wherein the deflection device or devices can be designed in such a way that they cause a constant change in the direction of travel on the one hand or a variable change in the direction of travel on the other. If the beam is designed as a laser beam, for example, a constant change in the direction of travel of the beam could be brought about in a simple case by means of a deflection device which is designed as a mirror fixed at a fixed angle to the direction of travel of the beam or the beams. To achieve a variable deflection, however, the or a respective deflection device can be designed as a mirror scanner with a mirror which can be pivoted or rotated, for example, relative to the direction of travel of the beam or the beams.

The arrangement of one or more irradiation units and/or the influencing of the direction of travel of the beam by means of the deflection device or the deflection devices is carried out in such a way that the area in which the beam or a respective beam strikes the storage medium to support or simplify the magnetization or remagnetization of the individual structures in the storage medium is located in the working gap or the partial working gaps and is thus limited orthogonally to the direction of travel of the beam or the beams essentially by interacting pole legs and/or pole structures of interacting pole legs.

A promising further development of the magnetic head according to the invention is further characterized in that the beam or a respective beam, in particular by means of the respective irradiation unit and/or an optic arranged in or on the magnetic head, can be changed, in particular controlled or regulated, in its respective beam cross-section. The beam cross-section corresponds to or essentially corresponds to an area intensity profile of the respective beam. Due to the local limitation of the heating of the storage medium to the beam cross-section, the structural shape of an individual magnetic structure introduced into the magnetic storage medium in this way essentially follows the beam cross-section of the beam locally heating the storage medium during magnetization or remagnetization below the coercive field strength of the storage medium, since magnetization or remagnetization of unheated areas cannot take place. This makes it possible to produce a high variety of shapes for the individual magnetic structures and, associated with this, almost any number of different magnetic patterns in the storage medium.

If the magnetic head in one embodiment also has at least one damper element which is operatively connected to the flux guide, a largely defined contact of the flux guide with the storage medium can be set and, in the case of an elastic flux guide, an undesirable, excessive deformation of the elastic flux guide can be avoided. The damper element or damper elements should be operatively connected to a section of the flux guide facing the storage medium during operation of the magnetic head, in particular be applied to this section, with the application of the damper element to this section facing the storage medium taking place accordingly on the side of the relevant section of the flux guide facing away from the storage medium. In particular in the case of an elastic flux guide, the section of the flux guide facing the storage medium, to which the damper element is operatively connected, could have a convex curvature formed in the direction of the storage medium. In this case, the damper element can have not only damping properties but also spring properties. and thus exist as a spring/damper element. This is possible, for example, if the damper element is designed as a viscoelastic damper.

In a highly practical embodiment, the flux guide is detachable and - separable from the magnetic head - arranged in the magnetic head, which enables easy replacement of the flux guide and thus a modular construction of the magnetic head.

In particular, to minimize saturation effects in the magnetic flux guide, it is also advantageous if, in a further development of the magnetic head, the magnetic head has a magnetic core that guides magnetic flux and the flux guide is connected to this magnetic core in sections in a flux-guiding manner. The magnetic core should only be partially closed, in particular in a U-shape, and/or essentially not elastic, but rigid.

If at least one distance measuring device and/or at least one force sensor is arranged on an underside of the magnetic head facing the storage medium during operation of the magnetic head, the distance and/or the contact force of the magnetic head and thus the flow guide or guides to and/or with the storage medium can be regulated by continuously evaluating the generated measurement signals by means of an evaluation device and by moving the magnetic head to the storage medium as a function of the measurement signals via one or more actuators. In one embodiment, for example, three such distance measuring devices and/or force sensors could also be arranged on the underside of the magnetic head, which in particular enables an equidistant alignment of the magnetic head parallel to the plane of the storage medium by adjusting the three distances and/or contact forces represented by the measured measurement signals. The detection and regulation of the contact force between the magnetic head and the storage medium facilitates the setting of an optimal contact in the context of a contact-based introduction or contact writing of the individual magnetic structures into the storage medium. Accordingly, the detection and control of the distance between the magnetic head and the storage medium promotes an optimal distance between the magnetic head and the storage medium in order to ensure reliable introduction of individual magnetic structures into the storage medium during contactless writing.

Furthermore, the object is achieved according to the invention with a method according to the features of claim 11.

The further embodiment of the method according to the invention can be found in the associated subclaims.

Thus, according to the invention, a method for magnetic storage of information in a magnetic storage medium is provided, wherein, in particular by means of the magnetic head, at least two spatially separated individual magnetic structures forming a magnetic pattern are introduced into the storage medium at the same time.

The individual magnetic structures are created during a writing process without a change in the position of the magnetic head - which enters at least part of the information into the storage medium - relative to the storage medium. The individual magnetic structures form a magnetic pattern and differ in their geometric shape and/or size.

There are essentially two possible ways of storing information in accordance with the method according to the invention. On the one hand, there is the possibility of introducing the information in the form of magnetic patterns into the storage medium using a roll-to-roll method, which can also be referred to as writing or storing. The storage medium should be moved underneath the magnetic head relative to it, while the magnetic head is stationary in the plane parallel to the storage medium. Normal to the plane of the storage medium and thus to the feed direction of the storage medium, the magnetic head should, however, be arranged so that it can move, whereby the distance and/or the contact force between the magnetic head and the storage medium is regulated. On the other hand, it is advantageous, particularly when storing information on curved surfaces of a storage medium, to move the magnetic head over the curved surface and to maintain contact between the magnetic head and the storage medium by regulating the contact force.

The magnetic storage medium can be a product - such as a component - or part of the product itself. In addition to components, it is also conceivable that such a product is, for example, a banknote that contains a magnetic storage medium. A magnetic pattern embedded in this storage medium could serve as a forensic security feature that increases the counterfeit security of the banknotes.

In a highly advantageous development of the method according to the invention, the structural shape of at least one of the individual magnetic structures is determined by a beam cross-section of an energetic energy-transmitting beam. This means that the structural shape of the respective individual magnetic structures essentially takes on the cross-sectional shape of the beam, which allows a high variety of shapes of the individual magnetic structures and, associated with this, an almost unlimited number of different magnetic patterns to be created in the storage medium.

In addition, an embodiment of the method is considered very promising if the individual magnetic structures each generate an individual magnetic field that depends on the shape of the structure, whereby the magnetic pattern has an overlay field made up of the individual magnetic fields. This allows the security against forgery to be increased beyond measure due to a complex writing process.

The object is further achieved according to the invention with a product according to the features of claim 14.

Thus, according to the invention, a product is also provided with information stored magnetically in the product, wherein the product or a magnetic storage medium inherent in the product has at least two spatially separated individual magnetic structures forming a magnetic pattern. The individual magnetic structures form a magnetic pattern, differ in their geometric shape and/or size and each generate an individual magnetic field that depends on the structure shape, whereby the magnetic pattern has a superposition field from the individual magnetic fields.

• 1 eine vereinfachte Darstellung des Magnetkopfs;
• 2 eine weitere Ausführungsform des Magnetkopfs;
• 3a, 3b elastische Flussführungen;
• 4a, 4b vereinfachte Schnitte durch einen Magnetkopf.

The invention allows for various embodiments. To further clarify its basic principle, embodiments are shown in the drawing and are described below. The drawing shows in

• 1 a simplified representation of the magnetic head;
• 2 another embodiment of the magnetic head;
• 3a , 3b elastic flow guides;
• 4a , 4b simplified cuts through a magnetic head.

1 shows a simplified representation of the magnetic head 1. This has the individual magnetic flux guide 2 with the two interacting pole legs 3, the flux guide 2 also being elastic and three sections of which are visible. Two sections are flat, with a section formed between these two flat sections having a convex curvature. A respective flat section is also inserted into a receiving opening 17 of the winding body 9, whereby the flux guide 2 is also arranged in the magnetic head 1 so that it can be detached and separated from the magnetic head 1. The winding bodies 9 also serve to accommodate the excitation coils, which are not shown in this representation. It can also be provided that, in addition to the flat sections of the flux guide 2, flux amplifiers are arranged in the receiving openings 17, which are present, for example, as sheets made of a soft magnetic material. Furthermore, between the mutually facing pole leg ends 4 of the pole legs 3, the working gap 5 and at both pole leg ends 4 of the interacting pole legs 3, a pole shoe 6 is formed from three pole structures 7, 7', which are also formed symmetrically to one another. The respective three pole structures 7, 7' are divided into two pole structures 7 and one pole structure 7'. The pole structures 7, 7' are also assigned to two groups that differ in their basic shape, with the pole structures 7 belonging to the first group and being formed as triangular pole fingers. The second group, on the other hand, is formed by the pole structures 7', which in this embodiment of the magnetic head 1 are formed as trapezoidal pole tongues. The pole shoes 6 formed by the pole structures 7, 7' of these groups are thus designed in such a way that a pole structure 7 designed as a pole finger is also arranged on the two opposite legs of the pole structures 7', each designed as a pole tongue, which taper towards the working gap 5, and these extend into the working gap 5. There is thus a partial working gap 8 between the opposite pole structures 7, which are designed at a distance from one another, and the partial working gap 8' between the pole structures 7'. The representation of the 1 also shows the distance measuring device 15, which is arranged on the underside 14 of the magnetic head 1.

In 2 a further embodiment of the magnetic head 1 is shown, wherein the magnetic head 1 has the single irradiation unit 11 designed as a laser diode, which generates the laser beam 10. Furthermore, the magnetic head 1 has the deflection device 12 for influencing the direction R of the laser beam 10, which in turn is designed as a mirror scanner with a pivotable mirror. The laser beam 10 generated by the irradiation unit 11 designed as a laser diode is also variable in its respective beam cross-section by means of the optics 18 arranged in the magnetic head 1. In addition to changing the beam cross-section of the laser beam 10, the optics also serve to focus the laser beam 10 on the surface che of the in the 3a , 3b or 4a , 4b illustrated storage medium 13. In addition to the beam-changing optics 18, the image recording unit 19 is also arranged in the magnetic head 1. This image recording unit 19 is designed in particular as a camera or as an endoscope camera for observing structures of the storage medium 13 and thus for positioning the magnetic head 1 relative to the storage medium 13.

3a and 3b each show a similarly shaped, elastic flux guide 2, which consists of the actual flux-guiding structure 23 and the carrier 24. The respective pole legs 3 have pole shoes 6 formed from the pole structures 7, 7' at the pole leg ends 4, wherein the pole structures 7, 7' are formed as pole tongues and pole fingers arranged on the pole tongues. The magnetic individual structures 21 that can be introduced into the storage medium 13 by this formation of the pole shoes 6 and the magnetic patterns 20 formed from the individual structures 21 are shown in the representation of the respective 3a and 3b shown to the right of the river guides 2. The 3a The magnetic pattern 20 shown consists of two rectangular magnetic individual structures 21, which are introduced into the magnetic storage medium 13 via the partial working gap 8 formed between the pole structures 7. The magnetic field generated in the partial working gap 8 is sufficiently high to cause magnetization of the storage medium 13, even without heat-assisted magnetic recording. On the other hand, magnetization of the storage medium 13 is not possible due to the partial working gap 8' being larger than the partial working gap 8 and a magnetic field being formed at a lower height. As in 3b As shown, it is only by means of heat-assisted magnetic recording via a heat input of the beam 10 into the storage medium 13 in the area of the partial working gap 8' that an additional magnetic individual structure 21 is introduced into the storage medium 13 in this area. The structural shape of the magnetic individual structure 21 depends on the beam cross-section of the beam 10. This is as shown in the left illustration of the 3b circular, so that the introduced magnetic single structure 21 is also circular. The one shown in the right illustration of the 3b The magnetic pattern 20 shown in the storage medium 13 thus consists of two rectangular individual structures 21 introduced via the partial working gaps 8 and the circular individual structure 21 introduced between these rectangular individual structures 21 and thus a total of three spatially separated magnetic individual structures 21. The magnetic individual structures 21 each generate an individual magnetic field dependent on the structure shape, whereby the magnetic pattern 20 has a superposition field from the individual magnetic fields.

In 4a and 4b show simplified sections through a respective magnetic head 1, each of which has damper elements 22. By means of the damper elements 22, a defined contact of the elastic flux guide 2 with the storage medium 13 can be set and an undesirable, excessive deformation of the elastic flux guide 2 can be avoided. The damper element 22 or the damper elements 22 are applied to the curved section of the flux guide 2 facing the storage medium 13, the damper element 22 being applied to the side of the curved section of the flux guide 2 facing away from the storage medium 13. As in 4b As indicated schematically, the damper element 22 has not only damping properties but also spring properties and is thus designed as a spring/damper element. 4a The magnetic head 1 shown also has three force transducers 16, by means of which a defined contact force between the magnetic head 1 or the flux guide 2 and the storage medium 13 can be set in a controlled manner.

LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

1

Magnetic head

2

River routing

3

Pole leg

4

Pole leg end

5

Working gap

6

Pole shoe

7, 7'

Pole structure

8, 8'

Partial working gap

9

Winding body

10

Beam

11

Irradiation unit

12

Deflection device

13

Storage medium

14

bottom

15

Distance measuring device

16

Force transducer

17

Receiving opening

18

optics

19

Image acquisition unit

20

Magnetic pattern

21

magnetic single structure

22

Damper element

23

river-bearing structure

24

Carrier

R

Direction of flow

Claims (14)

Magnetic head (1) having a magnetic flux guide (2) with two interacting pole legs (3), wherein the pole legs (3) have pole leg ends (4) facing one another and a working gap (5) is formed between the facing pole leg ends (4), and a pole shoe (6) with at least two pole structures (7, 7') is formed on the pole leg end (4) of at least one of the interacting pole legs (3), each of which forms a partial working gap (8, 8') with the interacting pole leg (3), characterized in that by means of the magnetic head (1) at least two spatially separated magnetic individual structures (21) forming a magnetic pattern (20) can be introduced into a magnetic storage medium (13) at the same time, which differ in their geometric shape and/or size, wherein the magnetic flux guide (2) is designed to be elastic, for which purpose a respective pole shoe (6) has pole structures (7, 7') of at least two groups of pole structures (7, 7') differing in their basic form. Magnetic head (1) after Claim 1 , characterized in that at least two pole structures (7) of a first group are formed on at least one pole structure (7') of a second group. Magnetic head (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a pole shoe (6) is formed at the pole leg end (4) of each pole leg (3) and/or the pole shoes (6) of interacting pole legs (3) are formed symmetrically. Magnetic head (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the magnetic head (1) has at least one irradiation unit (11) generating at least one energy-transmitting beam (10) or the number of irradiation units (10) each generating a beam (10) corresponds to a number of partial working gaps (8, 8'). Magnetic head (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the magnetic head (1) has a deflection device (12) or one deflection device (12) each for influencing a direction of travel (R) of the beam (10) or of a respective beam (10). Magnetic head (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the beam (10) or a respective beam (10) is variable in its respective beam cross-section. Magnetic head (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the magnetic head (1) has at least one damper element which is operatively connected to the flux guide (2). Magnetic head (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the flux guide (2) is arranged in the magnetic head (1) so as to be detachable and separable from the magnetic head (1). Magnetic head (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the magnetic head (1) has a magnetic core that carries magnetic flux and the flux guide (2) is connected in sections to this magnetic core in a flux-carrying manner. Magnetic head (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one distance measuring device (15) and/or at least one force transducer (16) is arranged on an underside (14) of the magnetic head (1) facing a storage medium (13) during operation of the magnetic head (1). Method for magnetically storing information in a storage medium (13) by means of the magnetic head (1), wherein at least two spatially separated, magnetic individual structures (21) are simultaneously introduced into the storage medium (13), characterized in that the magnetic individual structures (21) are generated within a writing process without a change in position of the magnetic head (1) relative to the storage medium (13), wherein the magnetic individual structures (21) form a magnetic pattern (20) and differ in their geometric shape and/or size. Procedure according to Claim 11 , characterized in that the structural shape of at least one of the individual magnetic structures (21) is influenced by a beam cross-section of an energy-transmitting beam (10). Procedure according to Claim 11 or 12 , characterized in that the individual magnetic structures (21) each generate an individual magnetic field dependent on the structure shape, whereby the magnetic pattern (20) has a superposition field of the individual magnetic fields. Product with information magnetically stored in the product, wherein the product or a magnetic storage medium inherent in the product has at least two spatially separated, magnetic individual structures (21), characterized in that the magnetic individual structures form a magnetic pattern (20), differ in their geometric shape and/or size and each generate an individual magnetic field dependent on the structure shape, whereby the magnetic pattern (20) has a superposition field from the individual magnetic fields.

Images