International Business Machines Corporation

James Alfred Jackmond

Reed Alan Hancock

Joseph Chase Ramirez

Raymond Yardy

Armando Jesus Argumedo

Paul Y Hu

John Ray Blair

David C Graves

Kevin Keith Kartchner

Loyal Keith Whitted

Perry E Abbott

Donald Charles Acosta

Linda S Daanen, Legal Representative

A method to write information to, or retrieve information from, an information storage medium disposed within a portable data storage cartridge moveably disposed in a data storage and retrieval system, wherein the data storage and retrieval system further comprises a data storage device. The portable data storage cartridge comprises a moveable curved door slidingly disposed within the enclosure, and a tape reel rotatably disposed within the enclosure, wherein the moveable curved door and the tape reel are non-concentric. The method retrieves the portable data storage cartridge from a storage slot, transports that portable data storage cartridge to a data storage device, disposes the portable data storage cartridge in the data storage device. The method further moves the moveable curved door from said a position to a second position, and reads information from and/or writes information to, the information storage medium.

Housing for information storage medium and method using same

Cartridge for information storage media

A cartridge magazine with interfaces to automatic cartridge feeder devices. On one side, the magazine has an open interface that provides unencumbered access by a robotic picker that accesses cartridges for a library. The magazine is accessible on another side by a transport mechanism of an automatic cartridge feeder (ACF). The transport carries a cartridge from the magazine to a drive unit where the data stored on the cartridge is read or new data is written. The interface to the ACF includes a handle member for placing the magazine into the feeder. The magazine is mounted by loading it into the feeder and pushing the handle inward allowing a plunger on the ACF to engage a groove on the handle member that locks the magazine into place. Locking the magazine in place activates a sensor, thereby enabling the operation of the feeder. The interface securely engages the ACF so that the magazine cannot be accidentally dislodged from it. The magazine may be released from the feeder by pulling the handle forward, thereby activating the sensor which sends a signal to disable operation of the feeder. Pulling the handle forward also unlocks the magazine for easy removal. The handle may be extended for ease of carrying the magazine.

Data cartridge magazine with interface to automatic cartridge accessing

Growing community of inventors

Tucson, AZ, United States of America

James Alfred Jackmond