Patent ID: 6469867
Filing Date: 2002-10-22
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
A tape drive including a head assembly positioned immediately between a pair of guide rollers, the tape drive receiving a tape that is moved along a tape path, the tape having a tape width, the head assembly comprising: a body including a tape-confronting face having (i) a raised central mesa, (ii) a plurality of spaced apart head elements secured to the central mesa, the head elements being adapted for reading longitudinally recorded data tracks and further adapted to be rotated for reading azimuthally recorded data tracks, (iii) a left side wing on one side of the central mesa, (iv) a right side wing on another side of the central mesa, the two side wings having face surfaces recessed relative to the raised central mesa; and (v) a retract mechanism that moves the body between a first position in which the body contacts the magnetic tape in the tape path and a second position in which the body does not contact the magnetic tape in the tape path, the retract mechanism also rotating the body to read the longitudinally recorded data tracks and the azimuthally recorded data tracks.