JP2806844B2 - Magnetic tape unit - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a magnetic tape device having a 36-track head mounted thereon, and more particularly to a magnetic tape device for shortening the time required to completely erase a magnetic tape.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional magnetic tape apparatus having a 36-track head (hereinafter referred to as a 36-track magnetic tape apparatus), the structure of the 36-track head is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 2, a write head element 11 for writing data on a magnetic tape (not shown) and a read head element 12 for reading data written on the magnetic tape form a pair, and these head elements are It is arranged in two rows in a state where the positions are alternately changed every time, and is arranged in a direction perpendicular to the running direction of the magnetic tape.

In the figure, the row of head elements located on the left side is called a head element A group 13, and the row of head elements located on the right side is called a head element B group 14.

Next, a description will be given of a processing operation for completely erasing a magnetic tape in a conventional magnetic tape device.

Normally, to erase a certain track on a magnetic tape, the track is erased using a write head element corresponding to each track. Therefore, when erasing the entire magnetic tape, referring to FIG.
ning Of Tape) and set head element A group 13
Write head element (odd track number: 1,
3,..., 35) 11 to transmit erasure data (erase current) to move the magnetic tape 15 to the position of EOT (End Of Tape). Then, when the magnetic tape 15 moves to the position of EOT, the running of the magnetic tape 15 is stopped, and the transmission of the erase data to the head element A group 13 is stopped.

Subsequently, switching to the head element B group 14 is performed.
The erase data is sent to the write head elements (even track numbers: 2, 4,..., 36) 11 in the head element B group 14, and the magnetic tape 15 is caused to travel from the EOT position to the BOT position. And the magnetic tape 15 is BOT
, The running of the magnetic tape 15 is stopped, and the head element B group 14 stops sending the erase data. Thus, the processing operation of erasing the entire magnetic tape 15 ends.

[0007]

In the above-described conventional 36-track magnetic tape apparatus, since the write head elements of the two head element groups are not arranged at the same position, erase data is sent out at the same time and the magnetic tape is read. It is not possible to erase all in one run. For this reason, for example, as compared with the case where the entire magnetic tape is erased in an 18-track magnetic tape device, there is a disadvantage that it takes about twice as long.

An object of the present invention is to provide a magnetic tape device in which an erasing head element is provided for each track to shorten the entire erasing time of a magnetic tape.

[0009]

According to the present invention, each track has a pair of write head elements and a read head element, and the write head elements and the read head elements are alternately arranged in position. In a magnetic tape device having a 36-track head mounted thereon, an erase head element is provided for each of the tracks.

The erasing head element is disposed between the pair of write head elements and the read head element.

[0011]

Next, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, a 36-track head mounted on a magnetic tape device of the present invention has a pair of a write head element 1 and a read head for each track, similarly to the conventional 36-track head shown in FIG. An erasing head element 3 dedicated to erasing is arranged in a direction perpendicular to the running direction of a magnetic tape (not shown) in a substantially intermediate portion where the elements 2 are alternately arranged. It is.

In the figure, these rows of head elements are referred to as head element A group 4, erase head group 6 and head element B group 5 in order from left to right.

Next, a description will be given of the entire erasing operation of the magnetic tape in the magnetic tape device of the present invention thus constituted.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the entire erasing process in the magnetic tape device of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 2, in the magnetic tape device of the present invention, in order to completely erase the magnetic tape 7, first, the magnetic tape 7 is set at the BOT position. Then, the erase data (erase current) is sent to the erase head group 6, and the magnetic tape 7 is caused to travel to the position of EOT. Then, when the magnetic tape 7 moves to the position of EOT, the transmission of the erase data to the erase head group 6 is stopped, and the running of the magnetic tape 7 is stopped. This completes the processing operation for erasing all of the magnetic tape 7.

[0016]

As described above, the magnetic tape device of the present invention can erase all tracks (36 tracks) of the magnetic tape by one tape run, so that the time required for the erasing process is reduced to about half of the conventional one. Can be shortened. That is,
The effect is that the time required for the entire erasure of the magnetic tape in the 18-track magnetic tape device is almost the same.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an element arrangement of a 36-track head used in a magnetic tape device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a processing operation of all erasure of a magnetic tape in the magnetic tape device of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the element arrangement of a 36-track head used in a conventional magnetic tape device.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a processing operation of all erasure of a magnetic tape in a conventional magnetic tape device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 11 Write head element 2, 12 Read head element 3 Erase head element 4, 13 Head element A group 5, 14 Head element B group 6 Erase head element group 7, 15 Magnetic tape

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁶ , DB name) G11B 5/027 501 G11B 5/024 601 G11B 5/265 G11B 5/29

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A 36-track head having a pair of write head elements and read head elements for each track, and in which the write head elements and the read head elements are alternately arranged. A magnetic tape device, comprising: an erase head element for each track. 2. The magnetic tape device according to claim 1, wherein the erasing head element is arranged between the pair of write head elements and the read head element.