JP2002175612A - Magnetic recording and reproducing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a magnetic recording and reproducing device by which stable reproduction of a signal is always enabled. SOLUTION: This device is furnished with a rotary magnetic head device 1 arranged so that magnetroresistive magnetic heads 6 for reading out a magnetic signal recorded on a magnetic recording medium by utilizing the magneto- resistance effect are mounted on a rotary drum, and a cleaning mechanism 11 provided with a cleaning roller 12 for cleaning the magnetroresistive magnetic head 6 by coming in contact with the magnetroresistive magnetic head 6, a moving means 13 for operating to move the cleaning roller 12 from a position where the cleaning roller 12 comes in contact with the magnetroresistive magnetic head 6 to a position where the roller 12 is separated away from the magnetroresistive magnetic head 6, and a driving means 14 for driving the moving means 13 by the electromagnetic force. Then, a magnetic shield member 19 for shielding leaked magnetic field from the driving means 14 is arranged on at least a part of the driving means 14 confronted with the rotary magnetic head device 1.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus for recording / reproducing on / from a magnetic recording medium, and more particularly to a magnetoresistive effect for reading a signal recorded on the magnetic recording medium by utilizing the magnetoresistance effect. The present invention relates to a magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus provided with a magnetic head.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a rotary type magnetic head device having a fixed drum and a rotary drum rotatably provided with respect to the fixed drum and having a magnetic head attached to the rotary drum has been used. A magnetic tape is obliquely wound around the outer peripheral surface of a type magnetic head device, and a magnetic head that moves with the rotation of the rotating drum is slid obliquely on the magnetic tape to record or reproduce signals on the magnetic tape. A recording / reproducing method called helical scan (oblique scanning) has been proposed.

In the helical scan system, a magnetic head slides on a running magnetic tape at a high speed to record and reproduce signals, so that the relative sliding speed between the magnetic tape and the magnetic head is high, and data transfer is difficult. Improvements in rates have been realized.

In recent years, in the helical scan system, an anisotropic magnetoresistive head (hereinafter, referred to as an AMR head) or a giant magnetoresistive magnetic head, which is widely used as a reproducing magnetic head for a hard disk drive or the like. There has been proposed a technique of using a magneto-resistance effect type magnetic head (hereinafter, referred to as MR head) such as a GMR (hereinafter referred to as GMR) as a reproducing head.

[0005] For example, an MR head is a magnetic head that reads a signal recorded on a magnetic recording medium by using a magnetoresistive effect of a magnetoresistive element (hereinafter, referred to as an MR element). An MR element which is joined and integrated through the gap and exhibits a magnetoresistive effect in the gap is formed as a thin film. In this MR head, the track width is determined by the width of the MR element to be formed as a thin film, so that it is easy to narrow the track, and the MR element is exposed from the surface facing the magnetic recording medium, so that the reproduction sensitivity is low. It has the characteristic of being expensive.

Therefore, by using an MR head having the above-mentioned characteristics as a helical scan type reproducing head, it is possible to realize a narrower recording track and to record and reproduce signals at a higher density. Expected.

[0007]

Incidentally, a magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus using an MR head in the helical scan system as described above usually has a cleaning mechanism for cleaning the MR head.

[0008] The cleaning mechanism contacts the MR head and cleans the MR head, and moves the cleaning roller between a position where the cleaning roller is brought into contact with the MR head and a position separated from the MR head. It comprises a moving means and a driving means for driving the moving means by electromagnetic force.

When it is determined that cleaning of the MR head is necessary, or periodically when the cleaning roller contacts the MR head, the MR head is cleaned. At this time, the cleaning roller comes into contact with the MR head by moving the moving means by a magnetic force generated by energizing the driving means.

[0010] However, the MR head is easily affected by an external magnetic field, and becomes unstable due to a leakage magnetic field generated from the driving means. As a result, there is a problem that the MR head cannot reproduce a signal and must be re-magnetized. That is, in a helical scan type magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus using an MR head, a cleaning mechanism for cleaning the MR head without exerting an adverse effect on the MR head by a magnetic field has not yet been established.

Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional circumstances, and has a cleaning mechanism capable of performing normal cleaning of the MR head, so that a stable signal can be always reproduced. It is an object of the present invention to provide a possible magnetic recording / reproducing device.

[0012]

A magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus according to the present invention has a magnetoresistive effect type magnetic head for reading a magnetic signal recorded on a magnetic recording medium utilizing a magnetoresistance effect mounted on a rotating drum. A rotary magnetic head device,
A cleaning roller for contacting the magnetoresistive head and cleaning the magnetoresistive head; a cleaning roller for contacting the cleaning roller with the magnetoresistive head; and a cleaning roller for separating the cleaning roller from the magnetoresistive head. And a cleaning mechanism having a driving means for driving the moving means by electromagnetic force, and a leakage magnetic field from the driving means at least in a portion of the driving means opposed to the rotary magnetic head device. Characterized in that a magnetic shield member for shielding the magnetic head is provided.

In the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus configured as described above, since the drive means has a magnetic shield member for shielding a leakage magnetic field from the drive means at least at a portion facing the rotary magnetic head device, The leakage magnetic field from the means is blocked by the magnetic shield member and does not reach the magnetoresistive head. Therefore,
In this magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus, the leakage magnetic field from the driving unit is prevented from adversely affecting the magnetoresistive magnetic head, and after the magnetoresistive magnetic head is cleaned, the magnetoresistive magnetic head is cleaned. It is possible to prevent inconvenience such as instability and inability to reproduce a signal.

[0014]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings used below, the scale of each member may be different from the actual scale in order to show features. Further, the present invention is not limited to the following description, and can be appropriately changed without departing from the gist of the present invention.

The magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus shown in FIG. 1 is a magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus including a rotary magnetic head device 1 configured to record and reproduce signals on and from a magnetic tape T by a helical scan method. A magnetic head slides on a recording surface of a magnetic tape T guided by a tape traveling system and travels in the recording / reproducing apparatus along a predetermined path, and a signal is written to the magnetic tape T. The magnetic head is slid over the recording surface of the magnetic tape T to read out the signal written on the magnetic tape T.

The rotary magnetic head device 1 includes a fixed drum 2 fixedly provided in a recording / reproducing device, and a rotary drum 3 provided coaxially with the fixed drum 2 and operated to rotate by a motor. These are formed in a substantially columnar shape as a whole.

On the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum 3, a magnetoresistive magnetic head (hereinafter, referred to as an MR head) 6 is mounted at a predetermined position from the outer surface to the outside.
The MR head 6 as a reproducing magnetic head includes:
For example, an AMR head, a GMR head, or the like can be used. Further, the effect of the present invention can be obtained when any type of magnetoresistive head is used as the reproducing magnetic head.

In the vicinity of the rotary drum 3, a cleaning mechanism 11 for cleaning the MR head 6 mounted on the rotary magnetic head device 1 is provided.

The fixed drum 2 is made of a metal material such as aluminum and formed into a substantially disk shape having a predetermined thickness. The fixed drum 2 guides the winding of the magnetic tape T on its outer peripheral surface to maintain its posture. The tape guide groove 4 is provided. The tape guide groove 4 is formed to be inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to a direction perpendicular to the center axis of the fixed drum 2. The magnetic tape T is obliquely wound around the outer peripheral surface of the rotary magnetic head device 1 with the lower end supported by the tape guide groove 4 provided on the outer peripheral surface of the fixed drum 2.

The rotary drum 3 is made of a metal material such as aluminum and formed into a substantially disk shape having a predetermined thickness, similarly to the fixed drum 2. The shaft of the motor is inserted into the center of the rotating drum 2 and the rotating drum 2 is rotated by driving the motor.

An inductive magnetic head 5 is mounted on the rotary drum 2 as a recording magnetic head for writing signals to the magnetic tape T. A reproducing head for reading signals written on the magnetic tape T is also provided. An MR head 6 is attached as a magnetic head. These magnetic heads are mounted on the rotating drum 3 such that the tips thereof face outward from the outer peripheral surface of the rotary magnetic head device 1 while being supported by the head support substrate.

The rotary magnetic head device 1 configured as described above is disposed in a helical scan type recording / reproducing apparatus. A magnetic tape T guided by a tape traveling system and traveling in a direction indicated by an arrow A in FIG. 1 is wound around the outer peripheral surface of the rotary magnetic head device 1 at a winding angle of, for example, 180 degrees. At this time, the magnetic tape T
Is wound obliquely around the outer peripheral surface of the rotary magnetic head device 1 by being wound along a tape guide groove 4 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the fixed drum 2.

In the rotary magnetic head device 1, the rotary drum 3 is rotated while the magnetic tape T is wound on the outer peripheral surface. As the rotating drum 3 rotates, the recording inductive magnetic head 5 and the reproducing MR head 6 attached to the rotating drum 3 move along the outer peripheral surface of the rotating magnetic head device 1 as shown in FIG. It moves in the direction of the middle arrow B, and slides obliquely on the recording surface of the magnetic tape T wound on the outer peripheral surface of the rotary magnetic head device 1. As a result, a signal is written on the signal recording surface of the magnetic tape T, and a signal is read from the recording surface of the magnetic tape T on which the signal is written.

The cleaning mechanism 11 is provided when it is determined that the MR head 6 attached to the rotary magnetic head device 1 needs to be cleaned, or periodically.
This is for cleaning the MR head 6.
The cleaning mechanism 11 is a cleaning roller 1 that contacts the MR head 6 and cleans the MR head 6.
2, a moving unit 13 for moving the cleaning roller 12 between a position where the cleaning roller 12 is brought into contact with the MR head 6 and a position separated from the MR head 6, and a driving unit 14 for driving the moving unit 13 by electromagnetic force. And a cleaning mechanism 11 having the same.

The cleaning roller 12 is formed so as to be rotatable around the axis by, for example, inserting a plurality of cleaning sheets formed in a substantially disk shape through the axis and stacking the sheets. Connected to one end. Then, the cleaning roller 12
When the cleaning of the MR head 6 is performed, the moving unit 13 moves the outer peripheral edge of the cleaning roller 12 to a position where the cleaning roller 12 comes into contact with the MR head 6, and removes dust and the like attached to the MR head 6. After cleaning,
The cleaning roller 12 is moved and held by the moving means 13 at a position where the outer peripheral edge of the cleaning roller 12 is separated from the MR head 6.

The moving means 13 includes the cleaning roller 12
The cleaning roller 1
2 is to be moved. That is, the cleaning roller 12 is connected to one end of the moving unit 13, and the other end is connected to the driving unit 14. The shape of the moving means 13 is not particularly limited, and may be any shape as long as it does not hinder other mechanisms in the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus. Further, the material forming the moving means 13 is not particularly limited as long as the material has sufficient strength to move and hold the cleaning roller 12 and repeatedly perform cleaning.

The driving means 14 is constituted as an electromagnetic driving means for driving by an electromagnetic force. The driving means 14
It comprises a rod 15, a rod storage tube (not shown), a coil 16, and a protection member 17. The rod 15 is accommodated in a cylinder for accommodating the rod, the coil 14 is further wound around the cylinder, and a protection member 17 is disposed around the circumference except for a part. The rod 15 is movable through a rod hole 18 provided on the side of the protection member 17 in the direction of movement of the rod 15, that is, on the side surface to which the moving means 13 is connected.

To clean the MR head 6 in the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus configured as described above, a magnetic field is generated by energizing the driving means 14 with the rotating drum 3 being rotated. Then, the rod 15 is moved by using the electromagnetic force as a driving force, the moving means 13 connected to the rod is moved, and the cleaning roller 12 attached to the tip of the moving means 13 is moved. As a result, the cleaning roller 12 moves to a position where the outer peripheral edge thereof comes into contact with the MR head 6, and the MR head 6 is cleaned by removing dust and the like adhering to the MR head 6. After the cleaning is completed, the cleaning roller 12 is moved by the moving unit 13 by performing the opposite operation.
Is moved to a position where it is separated from the MR head 6 and is held.

When the MR head 6 is cleaned as described above, when the drive means 14 is energized, a leakage magnetic field is generated from the drive means 14 through the protection member 17. Here, the MR head 6 is easily affected by an external magnetic field. Therefore, when a leakage magnetic field generated from the driving means reaches the MR head 6, the MR head 6, specifically,
The magnetization direction of the MR element constituting the MR head 6 is disturbed,
The MR head 6 is in an unstable state. As a result, the MR head 6 cannot reproduce a signal, and cannot be used unless re-magnetized.

Therefore, in this magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus, a magnetic shield member is provided at a portion of the driving means 14 facing the rotary magnetic head device 1. By providing a magnetic shield member 19 at a portion of the driving means 14 facing the rotary magnetic head device 1, it is possible to shield a leakage magnetic field from the driving means 14. That is, by providing the magnetic shield member 19, the leakage magnetic field from the driving unit 14 can be cut off, and the leakage magnetic field from the driving unit 14 can be prevented from reaching the MR head 6. As a result, M
After the cleaning of the R head 6, the magnetization direction of the MR element is disturbed, and it is possible to prevent the occurrence of problems such as the MR head 6 becoming unstable and signal reproduction becoming impossible.

The magnetic shield member 19 may be formed of a material containing a material having a magnetic shielding effect, for example, a silicon steel plate. Further, as shown in FIG. The magnetic shield layer 21 may be formed in a material such as a film.

The shape of the magnetic shield member 19 is not particularly limited, and a flat plate or a film can be suitably used. Here, the film means having flexibility.

As a material having a magnetic shielding effect,
For example, a magnetic material having a high magnetic permeability can be suitably used. Specifically, for example, Ni-F such as permalloy is used.
e alloy, silicon, permendur, and the like can be suitably used.

Here, the thickness of the magnetic shield member 19 or the thickness of the coating of a material having a magnetic shield effect in the magnetic shield member 19 is preferably as thick as possible from the viewpoint of the magnetic shielding effect. Considering
The thickness may be set to an appropriate thickness that can obtain the above-described effect of blocking the leakage magnetic field. The appropriate thickness of the magnetic shield member 19 varies depending on the material constituting the magnetic shield member 19, and may be appropriately set in consideration of various conditions such as the magnetic shielding characteristics of the material forming the magnetic shield member 19. .

In this case, the permalloy film serving as the magnetic shield layer 21 may be formed on one main surface of the base material 20 as shown in FIG. 3, or as shown in FIG. It may be formed on the surface, and it suffices that it has such a thickness as to obtain the effect of blocking the leakage magnetic field generated from the driving means as a whole.

In the above description, the case where the magnetic shield member 19 is provided at the portion of the drive means facing the rotary magnetic head device 1 has been described. However, the magnetic shield member 19 is further provided with the rotary magnetic head of the drive means. It may be provided in a portion other than the portion facing the device 1. By providing the magnetic shield member 19 also in a portion other than the portion of the driving means facing the rotary magnetic head device 1, the leakage magnetic field generated from the driving means 14 is more reliably shut off, and the leakage magnetic field is reduced.
It is possible to prevent the head 6 from reaching.

The magnetic shield member 19 is connected to the driving means 1.
In the case where the magnetic shield member 19 is provided in a portion facing the rotary magnetic head device 1, the magnetic shield member 19 may be provided in contact with the protection member 17 or may be provided separately from the protection member 17.

As described above in detail, in this magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus, since the magnetic shield member 19 is provided at the portion of the driving means 14 facing the rotary magnetic head device 1, the Leakage magnetic fields can be shielded. That is, by providing the magnetic shield member 19, the leakage magnetic field from the driving unit 14 can be cut off, and the leakage magnetic field from the driving unit 14 is reduced.
Can be prevented. As a result, after the cleaning of the MR head 6 by the cleaning mechanism 11, the magnetization direction of the MR element is disturbed, and
Becomes unstable, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of problems such as the inability to reproduce a signal.

Therefore, in this magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus,
Since normal cleaning can be performed on the MR head 6, the MR head 6 can always maintain a good and stable state. In this magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus, cleaning can be performed without giving the MR head 6 an adverse effect of the leakage magnetic field generated from the driving means 14, so that a stable signal can always be reproduced.

[0040]

According to the present invention, there is provided a magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus comprising: a rotary type magnetic head having a magnetoresistive effect type magnetic head for reading out a magnetic signal recorded on a magnetic recording medium utilizing a magnetoresistive effect; A head device, a cleaning roller that contacts the magnetoresistive magnetic head and cleans the magnetoresistive magnetic head, a position where the cleaning roller contacts the magnetoresistive magnetic head, and a position where the cleaning roller contacts the magnetoresistive magnetic head. A cleaning mechanism having moving means for moving the moving means to a position separated from the head, and a driving means for driving the moving means by electromagnetic force, wherein the cleaning means is opposed to at least the rotary magnetic head device of the driving means. A magnetic shield member for shielding a leakage magnetic field from the driving means. That.

In the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus configured as described above, since the magnetic shield member is provided at least in the portion of the driving means facing the rotary magnetic head device, the leakage magnetic field from the driving means is blocked. can do. That is, it is possible to prevent the leakage magnetic field from the driving means from reaching the magnetoresistive head, and to prevent the leakage magnetic field from the driving means from adversely affecting the magnetoresistive head. Become.

That is, in this magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus, normal cleaning can be performed on the magneto-resistance effect type magnetic head, so that the magneto-resistance effect type magnetic head can always be maintained in a good and stable state. Becomes In this magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus, cleaning can be performed on the magnetoresistive effect type magnetic head without adversely affecting the leakage magnetic field generated from the driving means, so that a signal can always be reproduced stably. It becomes possible.

Therefore, according to the present invention, there is provided a magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus having a cleaning mechanism capable of performing normal cleaning of a magneto-resistance effect type magnetic head and capable of always reproducing signals stably. It becomes possible.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a main part of a magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration example of a magnetic shield member.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration example of a magnetic shield member.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing another configuration example of the magnetic shield member.

[Explanation of symbols]

Reference Signs List 1 rotating magnetic head device, 2 fixed drum, 3 rotating drum, 4 tape guide groove, 5 inductive magnetic head, 6 MR head, 11 cleaning mechanism,
12 cleaning roller, 13 moving means, 14 driving means, 15 rod, 16 coil, 17 protective member,
18 rod hole, 19 magnetic shield member, 20 base material, 21 magnetic shield layer

Claims (8)

[Claims] A rotating magnetic head device comprising a rotating drum mounted with a magnetoresistive magnetic head for reading a magnetic signal recorded on a magnetic recording medium by utilizing a magnetoresistive effect; A cleaning roller that contacts the head and cleans the magnetoresistive head; and a position where the cleaning roller contacts the magnetoresistive head and a position separated from the magnetoresistive head. A cleaning mechanism having a moving means for performing a moving operation, and a driving means for driving the moving means by an electromagnetic force, wherein at least a portion of the driving means opposed to the rotary magnetic head device leaks from the driving means. A magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus, comprising: a magnetic shield member for shielding a magnetic field. 2. The magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the magnetoresistive head is an anisotropic magnetoresistive head. 3. A magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said magnetoresistive head is a giant magnetoresistive head. 4. The magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic shield member is provided in contact with one main surface of the driving unit facing the magnetoresistive head. 5. The magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic shield member is provided apart from one main surface of the driving unit facing the magnetoresistive magnetic head. 6. The magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic shield member contains silicon. 7. The magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic shield member contains permalloy. 8. The magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic shield member contains permendur.