Storage Technology Corporation

Quantum Corporation

Oracle International Corporation

Other

Storage Technology Corportion

Clark M Janssen

David T Hoge

Lester M Yeakley

Joseph Philip Falace

Christian Allen Todd

Wayne Richard Hemzacek

Donald Wayne Selg

Turguy Goker

Donovan M Janssen

James Zweighaft

Joe Kent Jurneke

John Sam Todor

Daniel James Plutt

William Joseph Vanderheyden

Joseph Paul Manes

Kazuya Tamura

Scott M Rockwell

James P Peng

Michael W Johnson

Lawrence G Neumann

John S Todor, Jr

Henrik Vladimir Nejezchleb

Steven A Bendson

David C Graves

Timothy Joe Kindvall

A tape media cartridge includes a cartridge housing having a standard form factor, a cartridge reel that is coupled to and retained within the cartridge and a tape media. The tape media can be selectively wound onto the cartridge reel between a fully wound state, a partially wound state and an unwound state. The tape media forms a media hollow cylinder having a media outer diameter and a media inner diameter that varies depending upon the state of the tape media. When the tape media is in the fully wound state, the tape media has a ratio of the media outer diameter to media inner diameter of at least approximately 95:43. The cartridge housing can include a side wall having a wall center and wall edge, the side wall having a side wall thickness that gradually increases from the side wall center to the side wall edge.

Magnetic tape media cartridge with increased tape media capacity

A tape library having a robot zone and a robot on the robot zone, movable in the robot zone of the tape rack in at least a first direction and a second direction. A tape drive, which has an opening to receive cartridges, is positioned so that the robot nears the tape drive when the robot moves in a second direction. A width of the tape drive is wider than a width of the robot zone. This tape drive design is called the 'Sideways Format Path for 19&#x2033; Rack Libraries.' It is achieved by using unique dimensions for a new tape drive that uses blind spaces existing in tape libraries unreachable by the robot to provide a bigger space to design longer tape paths, resulting in higher cartridge density with longer tape path without requiring bigger overall library dimensions for a library of tape cartridges.

Large form factor extended tape path magnetic tape storage device

Techniques for performing precise tracking in optical tapes are provided. The techniques include providing and using a servo pattern on an optical tape. The servo pattern includes a first set of parallel physical grooves slanted in a first direction across a width of the optical tape and a second set of parallel physical grooves slanted in a second direction that is different from the first direction across the width of the optical tape. Subsets of the first set of parallel physical grooves alternate with subsets of the second set of parallel physical grooves along a length of the optical tape. Two subsets of the first set of parallel physical grooves separated by one subset of the second set of parallel physical grooves form a servo frame in the optical tape.

Servo pattern for precise tracking in optical tapes

A system for limiting contact between a tape (e.g., magnetic, optical) and opposite reel flanges of a reel assembly as the tape is being wound onto or unwound from the reel assembly to reduce axial and radial tape run out and improve tape drive operations.

System for reducing contact between tape and flanges of reel in tape drive

An optical data storage device includes an optical storage tape having one or more optical storage layers. A plurality of optical pickup units reads and/or writes data to the optical storage tape. A feed reel provides the optical storage tape to the optical pickup units. A guiding wheel that guides the optical storage tape when the optical storage tape is in the vicinity of the optical pickup units during read and/or write operations. Finally, a take-up reel receives the optical storage tape from the guiding wheel.

Thin web optical media guiding method

The self-centering tape reel for a single reel tape cartridge provides a magnetic tape reel that is equipped with one or more features to center the tape reel with respect to a rotatably driven feature, such as a drive chuck, in the tape drive that rotates the tape reel. The self-centering tape reel uses a chamfered ring that encircles the drive teeth formed on the tape reel that engage the drive chuck. The chamfered ring fits into a chamfer that is formed in the circumference of the spline access hole located in the bottom of the tape cartridge housing.

Self-centering tape reel for single reel tape cartridges

A compact tape drive for reading and writing data on single reel magnetic tape cartridges. The compact tape drive has a tape threading mechanism that extracts the leader block from the magnetic tape cartridge and threads the leader block into a takeup reel that is located juxtaposed to the loaded magnetic tape cartridge. A separate magnetic tape wrap mechanism having a plurality of cooperatively operative tape wrap arms is also provided to position the magnetic tape around a set of tape guides and the read/write head. The magnetic tape wrap mechanism functions both to thread the magnetic around the takeup reel, spanning the space in front of the read/write head, and then to wrap the magnetic tape around the read/write head. In addition, the tape elevator, electronics and other standard tape drive assemblies are included in a predefined volume.

Compact tape drive for reading and writing data on single reel magnetic tape cartridges

A staggered calibration track comprising a plurality of calibration tracks for use positioning a tape drive tape head for reading and writing data to and from multiple data tracks. The staggered calibration track is written by positioning the write head to a predetermined location and moving the tape media horizontally as the vertical position of the tape head is incremented in a stepwise alignment. Locating one of the plurality of calibration tracks is accomplished by positioning the read head at the predetermined location corresponding to the edge of the particular calibration track and moving the tape media horizontally as the read head output is recorded. The particular calibration tracks vertical position is derived using the average read head output.

Method for calibrating a tape media using staggered calibration tracks

In order to provide a head transfer mechanism capable of absorbing a play of a head assembly not only in a thrust direction but also in a radial direction as well as a head actuator assembly and a tape drive using the same, the head transfer mechanism comprises a lead screw with a thread ridge, a head elevation guiding member, a preload bushing arranged in a hollow opened portion of a head lift, and a compression coil spring for applying the head lift with a pressing force in an axial direction of the lead screw. The head elevation guiding member comprises as an integral structure a head lift on which the head assembly is mounted and a head guide having a thread groove engaged with the lead screw and serving to move the head lift up and down along a rotation center axis following the rotation of the lead screw. In the head elevation guiding member, the head assembly is given a biasing load in a radial direction of the lead screw.

Head transfer actuator assembly used in a tape device with a head assembly given a bias in a radial direction of the lead screw

According to the present method a plurality of vertically adjacent reference tracks corresponding to a plurality of vertically adjacent data tracks are written to the tape media so that each data track includes a dedicated reference track that is used to locate that data track. To locate a desired data track, the tape head assembly is used to locate a boundary between a reference track corresponding to a desired data track and an adjacent reference track. Using the boundary as a reference point, the tape head assembly is aligned with the desired reference track and the tape media wound through the tape path to read or right data to the corresponding track.

Method for locating data tracks on a tape media

The present compact tape drive for reading and writing data on single reel magnetic tape cartridges that functions to implement the tape drive in a minimum predefined volume. The compact tape drive comprises a tape threading mechanism that extracts the leader block from the magnetic tape cartridge and threads the leader block into a takeup reel that is located juxtaposed to the loaded magnetic tape cartridge. The read/write head is located adjacent to the takeup reel and the loaded magnetic tape cartridge. A separate magnetic tape wrap mechanism comprising a plurality of cooperatively operative tape wrap arms is also provided to position the magnetic tape around a set of tape guides and the read/write head. The magnetic tape wrap mechanism functions both to thread the magnetic tape around the takeup reel, spanning the space in front of the read/write head, and then to wrap the magnetic tape around the read/write head. In addition, the tape elevator, electronics and other standard tape drive assemblies are included in the predefined volume, preferably comprising a 5&frac14; inch by 8 inch form factor.

Compact tape drive having delayed in time first, second and third rotated tape guides for reading and writing data on single reel magnetic tape cartridges

A coupling for driving a magnetic tape reel uses the interface between a flat surface on the coupling and datum pads on the reel to locate the reel. The coupling includes a drive ring with ring teeth located around a drive shaft. The ring teeth engage mating teeth on the tape reel. The coupling also includes a datum ring having an annular surface located about the drive shaft. The annular surface contacts datum pads on the tape reel to axially position the tape reel relative to the drive shaft.

Magnetic tape reel coupling

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 mechanism and method for guiding a tape across a transducer, and a method for making the mechanism. The mechanism has one rolling guide on either side of the transducer. Each guide has a tapered surface and a flange at one end of the tapered surface. Each tapered surface biases one edge of the tape against a flange to fix the tape's position in the transverse direction on opposite sides of the transducer. The taper of the first and second guides are oriented in opposite directions.

Growing community of inventors

Loveland, CO, United States of America

Clark M Janssen