Rotary head and recording/reading apparatus provided with rotary head

摘要

Disclosed in an arrangement to achieve satisfactory head contact by increasing contact face pressure at a head gap and to reduce the change in time of head contact performance in a double azimuth head. Heads in a portion in which a tape is slid are respectively constructed with each head having two different arcs with a radius of curvature R1 in a first area which includes a gap, and with a radius of curvature R2 in a second area which is adjacent to the first area. A transition portion P for transitioning an arc with the radius of curvature R1 and an arc with the radius of curvature R2 is located in the direction of its adjacent head based upon a contact point Q on R1 of a common tangent drawn from an arc forming a periphery of a rotating drum to a circle formed by R1. The relationship between the radiuses of curvature in two areas is set to R1>R2. As the area in which a tape is in contact can be reduced, contact face pressure by the tape on a gap can be increased, satisfactory head contact can be obtained and as a contact area with a tape is wide to some extent, a change in time of contact performance can be reduced.