Imation Corporation

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

Mary R Hable

Kam Wah Law

Miguel Antonio Guerra

Jeffrey W McCutcheon

Christopher J Zwettler

David P Smith

James L Albrecht

Randy S Bay

David L Tussey

Matthew J Schaenzer

James C Anderson

Mark R Larson

R Galen McCrea, Jr

The data cartridge drive belt of this invention comprises a layer of a low stiffness belt material and a layer of a high stiffness belt material. By inserting the belt into the tape cartridge so that the high stiffness belt material is adjacent to the tape pack and the low stiffness material is away from the tape pack the neutral axis in the belt is shifted toward the tape pack.

Composite data cartridge drive belt

Using corner roller assemblies with different drag force profiles provides improved control in establishing tape tension characteristics of a belt-driven tape cartridge. The belt driven tape cartridge has a tape tension profile and is of the type comprising first and second corner roller assemblies defining a portion of a drive belt path of a cartridge. The first corner roller assembly has a first drag force profile and includes a first shaft and a first rotating member comprising a first bore. The first rotating member is rotatably mounted on the first shaft, such that the first shaft is disposed in the first bore. The second corner roller assembly has a second drag force profile and includes a second shaft and a second rotating member comprising a second bore. The second rotating member is rotatably mounted on the second shaft, such that the second shaft is disposed in the second bore. The first and second corner roller assemblies are configured such that the drag force profile of the first corner roller assembly is preselected to be different from the drag force profile of the second corner roller assembly in order to totally establish the tape tension of the cartridge.

Belt-driven data storage device with corner roller assemblies

A corner roller for a belt-driven tape cartridge consists of an outer wall which contacts a drive belt in the cartridge and an inner wall attached to the outer wall. The inner wall includes a stepped axial bore which engages a shaft attached to a baseplate of the cartridge. A small diameter region of the axial bore forms a journal bearing surface for the shaft, and this surface preferably has a length and orientation with respect to the cartridge baseplate sufficient to symmetrically distribute on the journal bearing surface a load exerted on the corner roller by the cartridge belt.

Data cartridge corner roller with stepped bore

A data storage device is provided with an area on the surface of the baseplate adjacent a thrust bearing surface of at least one rotating component of the device is modified to control interface friction between the component and the baseplate. The surface quality is enhanced by altering the roughness of the surface by embossing or machining the baseplate, preferably in areas beneath the rotating component.

Data storage device with baseplate for modified thrust surface drag

A data storage device of the type having a rotating member mounted on a shaft, said data storage device comprising a lubricant provided between the shaft and the rotating member, wherein the lubricant comprises (a) a linear, nonpolar polyether base oil having a glass transition temperature (T.sub.g) of about -110.degree. C. or less and an activation energy of flow (E.sub.a) of about 30 kJ/mol or less, and (b) an amount of a thickening agent sufficient to provide the lubricant with a grease-like consistency.

Data storage device with improved roller lubricant characterized by

A data storage device, of the type having a roller mounted on a shaft, wherein the roller has a central bore adapted to receive the shaft, and wherein a lubricant is provided between the shaft and the roller, the lubricant comprising a lubricant carrier, a plurality of fluorinated resin particles dispersed in the lubricant carrier, and a dispersing agent which is a copolymer of monomers, the monomers comprising a nonfluorinated monomer and a fluorinated monomer, such that the copolymerized dispersing agent comprises a plurality of nonfluorinated segments and a plurality of fluorinated segments.

Growing community of inventors

Stillwater, MN, United States of America

Mary R Hable