System and method for cleaning a magnetic head transducer

摘要

A system and method for removing debris and other contaminants from a magnetic head transducer including a head cleaning cartridge containing a flexible sheet of abrasive material for cleaning and polishing the head transducer. The cartridge has a recess in an external surface thereof to distinguish it from a normal recording cartridge. The system includes a sensor member such as a switch for mating with the cartridge recess and indicating that a head cleaning cartridge, rather than a recording cartridge, has been inserted into the system. The system is responsive to a indication from the sensor member that a head cleaning cartridge has been inserted for rotating the abrasive sheet and moving the head transducer back and forth across the abrasive sheet for a predetermined period of time, thereby cleaning and polishing the head transducer.