United States Patent (19) 11, 3,877,705 Joschko Et Al
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United States Patent (19) 11, 3,877,705 Joschko et al. (45) Apr. 15, 1975 54 DIAMOND SCANNING ELEMENT 3,781,020 12/1973 Batsch et al.......................... 274/38 75) Inventors: Gunter Joschko; Karl-Ekkehard FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Schriefl; Hans-Jurgen Winter, all of 234,353 5/1960 Australia............................... 125/39 Berlin, Germany OTHER PUBLICATIONS 73 Assignee: Ted Bildplatten Aktiengesellschaft, Industrial Diamond Review, Vol. 20, 2/60, PP. 31-37, AEG-Telefunken, Teldec Zug, Pahlitzsch. Switzerland 22 Filed: Nov. 14, 1972 Primary Examiner-Richard E. Aegerter Assistant Examiner-Steven L. Stephan (21) Appl. No.: 306.208 Attorney, Agent, or Firn-Spencer & Kaye (30) Foreign Application Priority Data (57) ABSTRACT Nov. 19, 1971 Germany............................ 2158216 In a signal scanner for the scanning of signals stored on an information carrier which is moving with a ve 52 U.S. Cl. ........................., 274/38; 179/100.41 P locity relative to the signal scanner, an element in 5ll Int. Cl........................... G1 lb 3/44: G1 lb 9/00 cluding a diamond adapted at least for guiding the 58 Field of Search ......... 274/38; 33/18 R; 128/39; signal scanner by following a groove, which diamond 179/100.41 PE; 178/6.6 A has at least one part of its bounding surfaces selected from the natural crystal surfaces of diamond, on which 56 References Cited part the crystallographic orientation of the diamond is UNITED STATES PATENTS recognizable. 3,138,875 6/1964 Christensen......................... 33/18 R 44 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures PATENTED APR 151975 3,877, 705 SHEET 1 or 2 FIG.) a1S-7 UN2 6. a iW ess es essas . 9 s . O s e t Ys As t t as s 6.86: 0. 1. A.a NY PATENTED APR 151975 3,877,705 SEE 2 OF 2 8 4. FIG.3aso FIG.3bclbyclip (4 (III) IIIO-2S (OO) 2-2 V Y Y N. V. 1. (OIDKYA/NM \\/ ?27 FIG.4b. FIG4C P2 8 Plust-t-135o slexandSig.1 in (376.4Ca 900 3,877,705 1 2 DAMOND SCANNING ELEMENT like information carrier, or it can be used just for groove-guidance, where the scanning of the surface un BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION dulations is done optically. The present invention relates to a scanning element In the storing and playback of signal oscillations in of a signal scanner. The scanning element is made of 5 the megahertz range, the information carrier, for in diamond and serves either for groove-guiding the signal stance a disc resembling a phonograph record, must scanner and simultaneously for signal sensing, or else run with a high rotational speed. In the case of video only for guiding the scanner by following a groove, dur signals, a rotational velocity of 25 rotations per second ing the scanning of signals stored on an information is needed. It has been found that the information car carrier. During scanning, the scanning element has a O rier can undergo a large number of repetitions of the velocity relative to the information carrier along a playback process without suffering in quality, while, to groove associated with the carrier. the contrary, the tracing portion of the scanning ele It is known that it is possible to capture not only ment, although made of a wear-resistant material, sound oscillations of an upper frequency limit of about namely diamond, begins to show wear after a period of 20 kilohertz in the form of undulations on the surface 15 use and must be replaced. of a recording groove on a phonograph-record-like in According to a previous proposal, it has been already formation carrier, but also signal oscillations of a much possible to increase the life of the tracing portion of a higher frequency, for example a video signal, extending diamond scanning element considerably. This previous to the range of several megahertz. A technique of scan proposal is set forth in pending U.S. patent application ning referred to as 'pressure scanning' is used to store Ser. No. 202,988, filed Nov. 29, 1971, now U.S. Pat. and then mechanically read out these surface undula No. 3,781,020, by Helmut Batsch et al. for a "Diamond tions of higher frequency. No longer is a mechanical Stylus for Disc Records.' The disclosure of that appli electrical transducer used, whose tracing portion must cation is incorporated here by reference for the pur indergo deflections corresponding to the undulations pose of providing basic exemplary information which being traced. Rather, a so-called pressure scanner is 25 may be applied for putting the diamond scanning ele used, which engages, with the help of an ice-skate ment of the present invention to use. According to the blade shaped tracing portion, in the signal groove. The teachings of this application of Helmut Batsch et al., it tracing portion covers simultaneously a plurality of is proposed that the diamond be crystallographically so wavelengths of the stored signal oscillations and is in oriented that the frictional forces causing the wear be simultaneous contact with a corresponding plurality of directed in one of the wear-resistant directions of the peaks of the signal-representing undulations. The trac diamond crystal. Such directions of high wear resis ing portion has a sharp trailing edge and, as each peak tance and greater hardness lie, for example, along the of the relief formed by the undulations passes by this diagonals of natural cubic faces of the diamond crystal. edge and leaves the tracing portion contact region, These faces should have been formed as much as possi there is an abrupt pressure release on the scanning ele 35 ble without disturbances. The same directions (of the ment. This abrupt change of pressure is registered by diagonals) appear also in natural dodecahedral faces. a mechanical-electrical transducer and changed into an Additionally according to the proposal of the appli electrical output signal. cation of Helmut Batsch et al., the edge of the tracing It should be noted, however, that the simultaneous portion running in contact with the information carrier contact of the tracing portion of a scanning element 40 can be at about 3 to 10 from the direction of greatest with a plurality of peaks of a relief is not an absolutely wear resistance. necessary condition for pressure scanning. Rather, Relative to the system of indices as used in the appli pressure scanning can also be done using a tracing por cation of Helmut Batsch et al., and herein for the desig tion whose length is short compared to the wavelength nation of crystallographic directions and planes, refer of the relief being scanned. 45 ence is made to the book KRISTALLOGRAPHIE, by In pressure scanning, the surface relief of the infor Prof. Dr. W. Bruhns, Sammlung Göschen Publisher, mation carrier represents the stored signal. Due to the 1923, particularly page 21. Reference is also made to: bearing pressure of the scanning element, this relief un the book, ANORGANISCHE CHEMIE (INORGANIC dergoes an elastic compressive deflection as the tracing CHEMISTRY), by Walter Htickel, Verlag Akademis portion of the scanning element moves over it during 50 che Verlagsgesellschaft Publisher, Leipzig Cl, 1960, scanning. This deflection is greater in size than what pages 164 and 165; ELEMENTS OF OF X-RAY DIF ever deflection might be caused for the scanning ele FRACTION, by B.D. Cullity, published by Addison ment. The inertia of the scanning element causes it to Wesley, Reading, Massachusetts, 1956, pages 37 to 39 remain almost motionless in the surface in which the and 48 to 49; and AN INTRODUCTION TO CRYS deflection of the information carrier surface relief oc 55 TAL CHEMISTRY, by R. C. Evans, published by Cam CS. bridge University Press, Cambridge, 1952, pages 28 Besides the sensing of a high frequency signal, for ex and 29. ample a video signal, using pressure variations on a The machining of the tracing portion of a diamond diamond scanning element, it is also possible to carry scanning element according to the teachings of the ap out, for instance, an optical scanning of undulations in 60 plication of Helmut Batsch et al. has led to the advan a groove on an information carrier. But even here, a tage that exactly those crystallographic surfaces and means is needed for gliding in the groove to guide the directions of a diamond crystal are used for tracing optically sensing organ, for example a light-passing slit which can best withstand undesired wear. or a lens. The present invention can thus be used either The tracing portion of a diamond scanning element for groove-guidance plus scanning, such as is the case 65 is here understood to mean the scanning element sur in the pressure scanning of a video signal stored as sur face part which faces toward the information carrier. It face undulations in a groove on a phonograph-record partly fits down into a groove of an information carrier 3,877,705 3 4. and is pointed like a wedge, ball, pyramid, or the like, tween the scanning element and the information car so that this fit may be obtained. The forming of a cut rier, which section has an approximately trapezoidal ting edge or actual point is, however, prevented by a form, a wear of the scanning element takes place on the chamfer, bevel, or rounding off. surfaces extending parallel to the direction of the rela The machining of the tracing portion of a scanning tive velocity on either side of the lowest tracing por. element out of a crystal, as proposed in the application tion. In the case of a wedge-shaped tracing portion, a of Helmut Batsch et al.