Storage Technology Corporation

Other

Imation Corporation

Dimation Corp

Christian Allen Todd

David T Hoge

Donovan M Janssen

Lester M Yeakley

Lynn C Jacobs

William Joseph Vanderheyden

G Phillip Rambosek

Clark M Janssen

Barry K Spicer

Charles Allen Milligan

Michael Lawrence Leonhardt

Frank A Goodknight

Michael W Johnson

Matthew P Wojciechowski

Brian P Egan

Daniel W Underkofler

Phillip Monroe Morgan

Samuel D Cheatham

James William Wolf

John R Anderson

William D Hart

Don Janssen

Philip J Burke

A spool system for packing tape on a hub. The spool has upper and lower flanges on the hub, and a flexure positioned on the hub between the two flanges. The flexure is normally parallel to the flanges, but when a force is applied to the tape lead-in edge of the flexure, that edge of the flexure is pressed toward one of the flanges. This causes the tape lead-in side of the spool system to have a wider opening than the tape packing side of the spool system. The width of the space on the tape packing side is preferably equal to or narrower than the width of the tape to be packed, so that the flexure presses against the edge of tape as it loads, reducing stagger of the tape.

Method for packing tape on a spool without tape edge wear

A data storage tape cartridge is disclosed including a housing, a single tape reel, a storage tape, and a leader block. The housing includes a front, a back, a first side, a second side, a top, and a bottom. Further, the housing forms a leader block window, a lateral datum pad, and a longitudinal datum pad. The leader block window is formed at a corner defined by the front and the first side. The lateral datum pad is formed in the top. Finally, the longitudinal datum pad is formed in the front. The single tape reel is rotatably maintained within the housing. The storage tape is wrapped about the tape reel. The leader block is coupled to a leading end of the storage tape and is selectively secured to the housing at the leader block window. With this configuration, the lateral datum pad is configured to identify a top-to-bottom position of the tape reel. Similarly, the longitudinal datum pad is configured to identify a front-to-back position of the tape reel. In one preferred embodiment, the housing is formed from a plastic material and the datum pads are molded into the housing. In another preferred embodiment, the housing forms a registration slot for identifying a side-to-side position of the tape reel. Regardless, upon insertion of the data storage tape cartridge into a tape drive, the datum pads are engaged by corresponding registration devices of the tape drive to precisely align the tape reel. In another preferred embodiment, the first side forms a retention tab for selectively securing the leader block, and first and second notches above and below, respectively, the retention tab.

Data storage tape cartridge with datum pads for registration with a tape drive

An apparatus for positioning a transducer includes a fixed frame and a moving frame movably associated with the fixed frame such that the moving frame is movable between a plurality of discrete positions relative to the fixed frame. A carriage is movably associated with the moving frame and has the transducer mounted thereon. The apparatus further includes an actuator associated with the carriage. The actuator is operative to move the moving frame to a selected discrete position of the plurality of discrete positions, and is further operative to move the carriage relative to the moving frame when the moving frame is in the selected discrete position.

Coarse and fine positioning device employing a single driving mechanism

A magnetic tape head cleaning system is provided that linearly moves a cleaner element across the surface of a read/write head while simultaneously using the liner displacement to rotate the cleaner element relative to the surface of the head. A cleaning mechanism includes a stationary post having a drive pin that engages a spiral cam slot in a rotary slide positioned to slide over the post. A linearly moving cleaner slide is mounted over the rotary slide to cause linear displacement of the rotary slide. As the rotary slide is displaced linearly, the drive pin and spiral cam slot cause the rotary slide to rotate. The rotation of the rotary slide in turn drives the cleaner element to rotate.

Combination linear and rotary head cleaner

A tape drive having a magnetic head cleaning apparatus comprising a frame, a read and write magnetic head attached to the frame, a flexure supported by the frame for relative movement between the frame and the read and write magnetic head, and a brush attached to the flexure for cleaning debris off the magnetic head. The read and write magnetic head attached to the frame is configured for reading and writing data to and from a storage medium. The flexure having the brush attached thereon moves upwardly and downwardly with respect to the frame and the read and write magnetic head to clean the magnetic head. The flexure biases the brush toward the read and write magnetic head to insure proper brush contact with the magnetic head. The tailorable compliance of the magnetic head cleaning apparatus increases the cleaning effectiveness and prolongs the life of the brush.

Compliant read and write head cleaner

The reaction force decoupling system, as implemented in a tape drive, reduces the motion that is coupled back into the tape cartridge from the reaction force that is generated by the operation of the read/write head actuator. The read/write head actuator consists of a magnet assembly which produces a large magnetic field in an annular gap and a coil of wire which operates freely in the magnetic field of the gap. The magnet assembly is mounted to the base of the drive and the coil is attached to the read/write head carriage. When current is applied to the coil, a force is produced between the coil and the magnet assembly to move the read/write head carriage. The magnet assembly is disconnected from the base of the drive and mounted on dual flexures arranged in a four bar linkage parallel guide arrangement. The reaction forces that are generated by the operation of the read/write head actuator must deflect the flexures to apply a load to the base of the drive. As the flexures are deflected, the magnet assembly is guided to remain coaxial with the coil. At low frequencies, the same reaction force is still applied to the base of the drive through this apparatus but above the resonant frequency of this apparatus, the reaction forces are attenuated with the result that the servo loop instability is reduced.

Method and apparatus for reducing the coupling of the reaction force from the head actuator into the track follow servo loop of a media drive

A read-write head positioning device and method of operation that provide coarse and fine positioning using only one actuator. The read-write head is mounted on a carriage. The carriage is resiliently mounted to a moving frame. The moving frame is slidably mounted to a fixed frame. A detent mechanism disposed between the fixed frame and moving frame provides coarse positioning of the moving frame in several discrete positions relative to the fixed frame. An actuator disposed between the fixed frame and carriage provides for fine positioning of the transducer. To change coarse positions, the actuator drives the carriage in the desired direction to engage a mechanical stop on the carriage with a stop abutment on the moving frame. The actuator then continues to drive the carriage and the moving frame in the desired direction causing the detent mechanism to release from its current coarse position. When the detent mechanism captures the moving frame in the desired coarse position, the actuator backs the mechanical stop away from the stop abutment and resumes fine positioning operations.

An apparatus is provided for moving a tape cartridge with respect to a read/write head in a media system, wherein the tape cartridge includes a tape stored on tape reels. The apparatus includes a housing having a base, and a plurality of flexures extending substantially perpendicularly with respect to the base and having first and second ends. The first ends are attached to the housing. A deck is configured for holding a tape cartridge with the tape exposed at one end of the deck. The deck is attached to the second ends of the flexures. The flexures are sufficiently flexible to allow movement of the deck with respect to the base for moving the tape toward and away from the read/write head. A shuttle interlock mechanism is positioned between the deck and a movable shuttle for selectively locking the shuttle with respect to the deck to prevent damage to the read/write head. A substantially H-shaped flexure connects the deck to a vertically movable motor plate to prevent backlash.

Cartridge loading method and apparatus

A cartridge for cleaning read/write heads and associated tape path in a magnetic tape system includes a brush arranged to loosen debris, and an impeller driven by a tape drive mechanism to create a vacuum within the cartridge housing to facilitate capture of the loosened debris within a removable filter. In one embodiment, the brush is attached to a wiper arm driven by either the same or a second tape drive mechanism in the tape system. The wiper arm can be driven in a direction orthogonal to the direction of tape movement to allow efficient cleaning of magnetic heads having bleed slots or gutters which extend orthogonal to the tape path. In addition, the wiper arm can be made of electrically conductive material, and the cartridge can include a conductive base plate arranged to provide a ground path between the brush and a ground potential in the tape system, thereby safely dissipating any buildup of static electricity. Alternatively, the brush can be stationary mounted for use with tape systems capable of moving the head orthogonal relative to the tape path.

Mechanically actuated tape head cleaner having debris removal vacuum

A data storage tape cartridge having a misinsertion notch. The data storage tape cartridge includes a housing, a tape reel and a storage tape. The housing includes a base and a cover, each defining a front, a back, a first side and a second side. The misinsertion notch is defined in the base, extending from the front of the base and along the first side of the base. The misinsertion notch has a length less than approximately one-half a length of the first side of the base for facilitating proper insertion into a receiving frame.

Data storage tape cartridge with misinsertion notch and library notch

The azimuth angle between a tape head and magnetic tape accessed by the tape head must be properly set in high areal information density magnetic tape drives. A frame for setting the azimuth angle includes a first portion rigidly attached to a base. The head is mounted in a carriage held by a second frame portion permitting the carriage to move in a transverse direction across the tape width. Flexures join the first and second frame portions and permit the second frame portion to be rotated a frame angle relative to the first frame portion. Each flexure is positioned such that, when the frame angle is at a preset value, the flexure is radially aligned with the azimuth axis. A drive is set between the frame first and second portions. The drive rotates the second portion relative to the first portion by deflecting the flexures, thereby changing the azimuth angle.

Tape head azimuth adjustment

A tape cartridge, a cartridge-drive system, and a method of operation for aligning spools inside the tape cartridge with fixed center drives. The spools are allowed to slide relative to a baseplate allowing them to move in a direction normal to their axis of rotation to account for axial misalignment with the fixed center drives. Posts maintain the spools in close proximity to the baseplate. The fixed center drives have a flexible joint to account for angular misalignments of the spool and drive axes, and to account for spool-to-drive distance variations along the axis of rotation. Each spool and drive have a ring of triangular shaped teeth that self-align when engaged. Thrust bearings may be disposed between the spools and the baseplate to minimize friction. Each spool may include a normally engaged locking clutch mechanism to reduce the possibility of tape spillage during handling. The clutch is disengaged by engagement with an annular boss on the drive.

Method for floating tape spools in fixed center drives

A data storage tape cartridge having an exposed base plate datum for improved tape registration. The data storage tape cartridge includes a housing defined by a first housing section and a second housing section, a base plate, at least one tape reel and a storage tape. The base plate is disposed within the housing and includes a reference portion that is exposed through a protected opening in the first housing section. In one preferred embodiment, the first housing section protects the base plate, including the reference portion. The at least one tape reel is rotatably associated with the base plate. Finally, the storage tape is maintained by the at least one tape reel within the housing. Upon insertion of the data storage tape cartridge into a tape drive, a registration device engages the reference portion of the base plate to determine and precisely control location of the storage tape relative to a read/write head.

Growing community of inventors

Thornton, CO, United States of America

Christian Allen Todd