Appeal No. 96-1631
Application 08/136,997
Claim 1 reads as follows:
1. A magnetic head for contact with a magnetic tape,
comprising:
a ferromagnetic body having a protruding rail defined
by sides and having a top surface defining a maximum tape
contacting surface area between the sides;
a recess in the ferromagnetic body extending beyond
said sides in a tape running direction;
a ferromagnetic core having pole tips in the recess and
arranged for contact with the magnetic tape at said top surface
of the rail, said pole tips extending at said top surface in a
tape running direction beyond body sides of the rail and up to
sidewalls of said recess which are perpendicular to said tape
running direction;
a non-magnetic material only along each side of the
magnetic core pole tips in the recess, said non-magnetic material
extending parallel to the running direction of the tape, no non-
magnetic material being provided between ends of the pole tips
and said side-walls of said recess which are perpendicular to the
tape running direction;
relative hardnesses of the ferromagnetic body,
ferromagnetic core pole tips, and non-magnetic material being
chosen such that as the tape wears away on contact surfaces of
the magnetic core pole tips, non-magnetic material, and
ferromagnetic body, the core pole tips protrude relative to
adjacent portions of the ferromagnetic body and the non-magnetic
material so that the tape rides on the protruding core pole tips;
and
a radius of curvature in a running direction of the
tape at the tape contact surface of the core pole tips prior to
wearing being smaller than a natural radius of bending of the
tape, and said relative hardnesses being selected such that after
approximately 1500 hours of tape wear, said radius of curvature
substantially becomes said natural radius of bending of the tape.
The examiner’s Answer cites the following prior art:
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