Data Electronics, Inc.

A Ray Brokaw

Harold H Georgens

A receptacle for a tape cartridge includes cartridge guide rails for engaging opposite sides of the cartridge housing to guide insertion and removal of the cartridge. The cartridge includes a magnetic tape and a door on the cartridge housing for opening to expose a portion of the tape prior to moving the cartridge into a locked position for engaging the tape with the head. The door is normally spring-biased to a closed position, and one of the guide rails has a door control rail that trips the door open against the bias of the return spring as the cartridge passes along the guide rail. The control rail also includes a ramped recessed portion which engages the door tripping arm and reduces the force applied against the bias of the return spring to permit the door to move inwardly through an angle to a partially open position during the latter portion of its travel into the receptacle. The ramped portion of the control rail controls inward movement of the door to keep the door away from the head during insertion and removal of the cartridge. A stop pin or the like can be provided to engage the inside edge of the door to absolutely prevent movement of the door into contact with the head. In the locked position of the cartridge, the control rail retains the door in its partially open position, which reduces the overall width of the cartridge within the tape drive unit. This reduces the overall size requirement of the tape drive unit, making it possible to construct a tape drive package for 1/4-inch magnetic tape cartridges in the same standardized dimensions as 51/4 inch floppy disk drives and Winchester-type disk drives.

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San Diego, CA, United States of America

A Ray Brokaw