International Business Machines Corporation

David Howard Flores Harper

Wayne Isami Imaino

Nhan Xuan Bui

Reed Alan Hancock

William Marvin Dyer

Kevin Bruce Judd

Armando Jesus Argumedo

Luis Hector Palacios Borja

James Howard Eaton

A tape movement constraint for a tape drive system, comprises a tiltable tape roller bearing having a grooved surface adapted to contact and engage a surface of the tape as the roller barrel rotates, and an actuator adapted to pivot the roller bearing surface when the actuator is actuated, to control the lateral position of a tape. In operation, in one embodiment, a roller barrel of the tiltable roller bearing is biased in a first position on a pivot axis, using magnetic attraction between a movable magnet and a return path structure of magnetically permeable material. The roller barrel is pivoted on the pivot axis by conducting current through a fixed coil to generate a magnetic field which is conducted by the return path structure to interact with the magnetic field of the magnet. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Magnetically biased tilting roller bearing tape guidance

In one embodiment, a tape movement constraint for a tape drive system, comprises a tiltable tape roller bearing having a roller barrel biased in a first position on a pivot axis, using magnetic attraction between a movable magnet and a return path structure of magnetically permeable material. The roller barrel is pivoted on the pivot axis by conducting current through a fixed coil to generate a magnetic field which is conducted by the return path structure to interact with the magnetic field of the magnet. At least a portion of any air bearing between the moving tape and the barrel surface is quenched using grooves formed in the barrel surface. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

A system for adjusting misalignment between a read/write head and a flexible data storage media is provided. The system includes a head carriage assembly, a linear assembly that includes a pivot member pivotably supporting the head carriage assembly, and a magnetic assembly coupled to the head carriage assembly. Current is applied to the magnetic assembly for dynamically positioning the head carriage assembly relative to a direction of media movement across the head carriage assembly. A first current is applied to the magnetic assembly for track following of media moving across the head carriage assembly. A second current is applied to the magnetic assembly for dynamically rotationally positioning the head carriage assembly to compensate for skew of flexible media moving across the head carriage assembly.

System including a pivot assembly for adjusting misalignment and skew between a read/write head and a flexible data storage media

An actuator in one embodiment includes a threaded shaft; a shaft engaging portion coupled to the threaded shaft, the shaft engaging portion being moveable in a direction parallel to an axis of the threaded shaft upon a relative rotation between the threaded shaft and the shaft engaging portion; and a ceramic bushing coupled to the shaft engaging portion, the bushing encircling the threaded shaft.

Linear actuator with wear-resistant ceramic bushing

In one embodiment, first and second levers of a tape head actuator are balanced using first and second masses carried on first and second sides, respectively, of the first and second levers. The first and second levers are linked with a link member of the first mass which further includes a tape read/write head supported by the link member. In the illustrated embodiment, the levers are linked by the pivotally connected link members to form a four member linkage. The tape read/write head may be carried by the link member. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Balanced linkage actuation of tape head

In one embodiment, a tape read/write head supported by a lever is biased in a first position, using magnetic attraction between a magnet supported by the lever, and a return path structure of magnetically permeable material. In the illustrated embodiment, the magnet centers itself, in the absence of a coil generated magnetic field, in the middle of a gap of the magnetic return path structure. In one aspect, the mass of the read/write head and one side of the lever may be balanced by the mass of the magnet and the other side of the lever. The lever and hence the tape read/write head carried by the lever, may be pivoted by conducting current through a coil to generate a magnetic field which is conducted by the return path structure to interact with the magnetic field of the magnet. As a consequence, the lever pivots on a pivot axis as a function of the magnitude and direction of the current through the coil. The face of the magnet may be divided into portions of opposite magnetic polarity to facilitate a relatively pure torque to be developed substantially without a net force. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Moving magnet actuation of tape head

An actuator including a threaded shaft and a carriage having a shaft engaging portion coupled to the threaded shaft. The carriage is moveable in a direction parallel to an axis of the threaded shaft upon a relative rotation between the threaded shaft and the shaft engaging portion. A ceramic bushing is coupled to the shaft engaging portion of the carriage, the bushing surrounding the threaded shaft. The ceramic bushing is much harder than heretofore used materials and results in greatly reduced particulate formation. The carriage or portion thereof can be formed around the bushing, e.g., by injection molding.

An actuator device includes a pole piece and at least one magnet for generating a magnetic field. A coarse positioner having a coil surrounding the pole piece provides coarse actuation in a direction parallel to an axis of the pole piece. A fine positioner having a coil surrounding the pole piece provides fine actuation in a direction generally parallel to an axis of the pole piece.

Mono pole piece for a two stage tape drive actuator

A mechanical linkage, including a worm gear and a worm gear support bracket, for joining a drive motor to a helical gear; it is particularly adapted for controlling a tape drive head. The worm gear head is threadably engaged with the helical gear. The shaft of the worm gear is engaged with the motor and is sufficiently flexible to operably correct misalignments between the worm gear shaft and the motor shaft. The support bracket includes a flat leaf spring which provides lateral spring force against the worm gear shaft to maintain a driving engagement between the worm gear and the helical gear, while the leaf spring is stiff in the in-plane directions of movement. The support bracket also includes a bushing, such as a C-shaped bushing or a cylindrical bushing, which provides support for the worm gear shaft against the helical gear.

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Vail, AZ, United States of America

David Howard Flores Harper