Quantum Corporation

Seagate Technology Incorporated

Certance LLC

Seagate Removable Storage Solutions LLC

James Mark Decot

Ashok Babubhai Nayak

Turguy Goker

Ming-Chih Weng

John Anthony Hamming

Kurt A Buckland

Walter Fehlmann

Scott L Hanson

Minh Vu

Robert Ralph Heinze

John Ycas

Son Hung Truong

Robert Lindner

A head rotator assembly () for dynamically compensating for a tape skew of a storage tape that moves over a head () in a tape drive () comprises a head supporter () that is coupled to and supports the head (), and a supporter mover assembly (). The supporter mover assembly () includes a first actuator (A) that indirectly rotates a portion of the head supporter () about an axis to move the head () in an azimuth direction relative to the storage tape to dynamically compensate for the tape skew as the storage tape moves over the head (). Additionally, the supporter mover assembly () can include a first lever (A) moved by the first actuator (A) to rotate the portion of the head supporter () so that the head () moves in the azimuth direction relative to the storage tape to dynamically compensate for the tape skew.

Head rotator assembly for tape drive

A head rotator assembly for positioning a head of a tape drive relative to a storage tape that moves over the head comprises a head supporter and a supporter mover assembly. The head supporter is coupled to and supports the head. The supporter mover assembly includes a first actuator that indirectly rotates a portion of the head supporter about an axis to move the head in an azimuth direction relative to the storage tape as the storage tape moves over the head. The supporter mover assembly can further include a first lever. The first actuator moves the first lever to rotate the portion of the head supporter so that the head moves in the azimuth direction relative to the storage tape.

A head rotator assembly () for positioning a head () of a tape drive () relative to a storage tape includes a head supporter () and a supporter mover assembly (). The head supporter () is coupled to and supports the head (). The supporter mover assembly () rotates a portion of the head supporter () about an axis () to move the head () in an azimuth direction relative to the storage tape as the storage tape moves over the head (). The head rotator assembly () includes a controller () that controls movement of the supporter mover assembly () based on a positioning signal. The supporter mover assembly () can include a first actuator (A) that moves a first lever (A) to rotate the head supporter () to move the head () in the azimuth direction. The first actuator (A) biases the first lever (A) to rotate part of the head supporter () to move the head in the azimuth direction.

In a method of electronically measuring reel off-center run-out and reel hub mismatch, tape speed data related to a tape coupled with an operating drive reel is electronically measured. The tape speed data is correlated with drive reel rotation angles. The correlated tape speed data is translated to drive reel hub radii variations with respect to the drive reel rotation angles. The drive reel hub radii variations comprise an operational measure of reel off-center run-out and reel hub mismatch of the drive reel.

Electronic measurement of off-center run-out and reel-hub mismatch

A servo-controlled, head actuator design that has low profile characteristics in both the height and width dimensions. The low height allows the actuator to fit into a half-high tape drive form factor. Additionally, in some implementations, the actuator comprises a smaller, concentrated moving mass coupled with a flexure construction having a narrowed width with added ribs for torsional stiffness. These aspects of the actuator provide a higher second mode of vibration compared to the flexure designs of the prior art. The actuator includes a coarse actuator assembly for larger movements of the head, and a fine actuator, including a Voice coil motor, responsive to analysis of servo signals. In some embodiments, the voice coil motor of the fine actuator and the coarse actuator shafts are in line. Since the centerlines of the shafts are in-line with the voice coil motor, the resonance response of the shaft spring-mass system is reduced.

Narrow width actuator for tape drive systems

A head actuator design for a low profile tape drive is configured with a damping system for a head suspension system having flexure springs to accommodate a half-high form factor. The damping system employs hall sensors, for example, mounted on the head carriage that moves with the head carriage to provide position signals that are differentiated to form velocity signals used by a servo loop control system to dampen suspension system resonance. A flexible circuit routing is provided that is manageable for half-high form factors by combining the fine positioner loop and course positioner loop into a single loop, and preventing the head flexible printed circuit from contacting a top cover in the routing to a printed circuit board near the top cover.

Head actuator design for a low profile tape drive

A head actuator assembly includes a coarse positioner base assembly that is mounted on a guide shaft and an anti-rotation shaft and provides increased structural rigidity due to a four-point support and spring loading of the coarse positioner base against the anti-rotation shaft. A two-part head-carriage and voice coil holder system permits different materials to be used for the head-carriage and the voice coil holder, obviating structural problems of a single-structured head-carriage and coil-holder system. A flexible printed circuit bracket eases manufacture and allows flexible printed circuits to be slid into the bracket and retained in place without the need for locating tabs and screws.

Head actuator assembly for a tape drive

A tape drive having a cartridge receiving area for receiving a cartridge containing a recording medium on a supply reel is disclosed. The tape drive has a take-up reel. The take-up reel includes a take-up rotatably mounted to the tape drive and a pair of flanges mounted on either side of the take-up hub. A magnetic read/write head is disposed between the cartridge receiving area and the take-up reel. A pair of fixed guide assemblies is disposed symmetrically about the magnetic read/write head. Each of the fixed guide assemblies has a fixed guide mount fixed to the tape drive, a fixed guide attached to a top of the fixed guide mount, and a spring/pressure pad having at least one pressure pad mounted to the fixed guide, wherein the pressure pad applies pressure to a top edge of the recording medium when the tape drive is operational. The tape drive also has a forward guide roller and a rearward guide roller disposed symmetrically about the magnetic read/write head. The forward guide roller is located between the cartridge receiving area and the one of the pair of fixed guide assemblies and the rearward guide roller is located between the take-up reel and the other of the fixed guide assemblies. Each of the forward guide roller and rearward guide roller includes a shaft mounted to the tape drive and a rotor disposed about the shaft.

Tape path for a cartridge tape drive

A head positioning apparatus for positioning a magnetic head in a multi-track tape drive is provided. The apparatus has a voice-coil, a movable carriage supporting the magnetic head and the voice coil, and a center magnetic pole housed in an interior of the voice coil. A pair of outer magnetic poles are positioned opposite each other about the voice coil. First and second flexures are each attached at opposing ends to the outer magnetic poles and in a central portion to the movable carriage. Each of the first and second flexures have one slot near where the first and second flexures are attached to the outer magnetic poles and a pair of slots positioned opposite each other about the area where the first and second flexures are attached to the movable carriage. The first and second flexures each have a plurality of reduced thickness areas and a plurality of increased thickness areas. Each of the increased thickness areas is positioned between adjacent ones of the reduced thickness areas. Each end of the first and second flexures has a plurality of holes for attaching the flexure to the outer magnetic pole and a plurality of holes in the central portion for attaching the flexure to the movable carriage.

Suspension system for a head-carriage assembly for a magnetic tape drive

Disclosed is a method of increasing the transfer rate of a magnetic tape drive by employing at least one head gap per rail. A flexible printed circuit provides communication between main control circuitry of the tape drive and the head positioning apparatus. The flex circuit provides flexible control loops that correspond to the translation range of the head positioning apparatus. In a preferred embodiment, the flex circuit includes a fine positioner loop and a coarse positioner loop.

Flexible circuit routing configuration for a fine/coarse positioner for a tape drive

A voice coil driven positioner is provided for positioning the magnetic head of a tape drive relative to the tape of a removable tape cartridge. The head positioner includes a low-mass carriage that supports the head on one end and the voice coil on an opposed second end. A low friction guide mechanism guides the carriage along a precision movement path that carries the head across tracks of a supplied multi-track tape and simultaneously carries the voice coil through a flux field generated by a stator. A movable portion of a position detector is attached to the carriage and located within the hollow of the voice coil for reciprocating into a hollow passageway of the stator together with reciprocation of the voice coil into another hollow of the stator. A fixed portion of the position detector is attached to the stator and located compactly within the hollow passageway of the stator. A programmable lookup table converts measurement signals output by the position detector into pre-calibrated, head-position indicating signals. A platform is provided on the carriage for mounting an interferometer prism used during calibration.

Voice coil driven positioner for coarse and fine positioning of magnetic

A voice coil driven positioner is provided for positioning the magnetic head of a tape drive relative to the tape of a removable tape cartridge. The head positioner includes a low-mass carriage that supports the head on one end and the voice coil on an opposed second end. A low friction guide mechanism guides the carriage along a precision movement path that carries the head across tracks of a supplied multi-track tape and simultaneously carries the voice coil through a flux field generated by a stator. A movable magnet is attached to the carriage and located within the hollow of the voice coil for reciprocating into a hollow passageway of the stator together with reciprocation of the voice coil into another hollow of the stator. A flux detector is attached to the stator and located compactly within the hollow passageway of the stator for detecting the position of the magnet. A programmable lookup table converts measurement signals output by the flux detector into pre-calibrated, head-position indicating signals. A platform is provided on the carriage for mounting an interferometer prism used during calibration.

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Fountain Valley, CA, United States of America

James Mark Decot