Winding – tensioning – or guiding – Convolute winding of material – With particular material guide or guard
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-25
2002-09-17
Jillions, John M. (Department: 3654)
Winding, tensioning, or guiding
Convolute winding of material
With particular material guide or guard
C242S547000, C242S614000, C242S346200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06450438
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention pertains to tape take-up devices and more specifically, to apparatus and methods for forming a tape pack in a substantially aligned formation as a length of tape is wound onto the tape pack.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Various forms of tape are employed for the storage of data. When we say “tape” we mean an elongated strip of substantially flexible material. One form of tape is that of magnetic tape. Other types of tape are known, such as punch tape in which a pattern of perforations is made to correspond to specific data characters. Although various forms of tape are known, some portions of the discussion herein will be primarily presented with regard to magnetic tape for illustrative purposes.
However, it is understood that the instant invention is equally applicable to any type of tape that can be wound onto a drum or the like, and it is further understood that the primary use of magnetic tape for illustrative purposes herein is not intended to limit the instant invention to any particular type of tape, including magnetic tape. Furthermore, when we use the word “tape” herein without the use of any specific corresponding modifying words, we mean to include within the meaning of the word “tape” any type of tape which can be wound onto a reel, drum, or the like.
Prior art magnetic data storage tape often comprises extremely thin plastic tape along with a substance that is supported on the tape and which can be magnetized. The tape is linearly passed by a writing tape head that is configured to impart, or write, a magnetic pattern on the tape. The magnetic pattern imparted on the tape by the tape head corresponds to various data characters which can be employed to store data on the tape. The data can be recorded in either a digital format or an analog format.
The magnetic tape can be passed by a reading tape head that is configured to detect and measure the magnetic pattern on the tape in order to “read” the data that is magnetically stored on the tape. In some instances, the writing head and the reading head can be integrally incorporated into one single tape head which is referred to as a read/write head. Often, tape is wound onto a prior art tape take-up device such as a reel, a spool, or the like, to hold the tape in a secure manner during storage and handling of the tape.
Referring to
FIG. 1
, a perspective view is shown of a typical prior art tape take-up device
10
which is in the form of a reel. The prior art take-up device
10
comprises a substantially cylindrical drum
12
. The drum
12
is positioned between, and connected to, a first flange
14
and a second flange
16
. The take-up device
10
is configured to be rotated about an axis of rotation
20
. A length of tape (not shown) can be wound around the drum
12
between the first and second flanges
14
,
16
as the take-up device
10
is rotated. A slot
18
, or the like, can be formed on the drum
12
to provide an anchoring point for one end of the tape.
Now referring to
FIG. 2
, a top view is shown of a typical prior art tape read/write device
50
. As is seen, a first take-up device
10
A and a second take-up device
10
B, which can be configured as reels, are rotatably supported on a base “B” of the device
50
. The read/write device
50
includes a tape head “H” which can be either a write only head, a read only head, or a combination read/write head. The device
50
can also include various tape guides “G” and a tape drive device “D” which is configured to pull a length of tape “T” past the tape head “H.” As is evident, the first and second take-up devices
10
A and
10
B can be employed in conjunction with one another to each hold at least a portion of a length of tape “T” when data is being written onto, or read from, the length of tape.
During operation of the prior art read/write device
50
, the first reel
10
A which initially holds an entire length of tape “T” can be placed onto the base “B” so as to be rotatable about a first axis of rotation
20
A. The tape “T” is held on the first reel
10
A in a coil winding, which is sometimes referred to as a “tape pack.” A free end (not shown) of the tape “T” can be threaded across the guides “G” and the tape head “H” as well as the tape drive device “D.” The tape “T” can then be attached or connected to the second reel
10
B in preparation for take-up of the tape onto the second reel.
The first and second reels
10
A,
10
B can then rotate in the directions indicated by the arrows
52
A,
52
B, respectively, as the tape “T” moves across the tape head “H” in the direction indicated by the arrow
54
. The tape head “H” can read from, or write onto, the tape “T” as the tape passes, or moves across, the tape head. As the tape “T” moves in the direction
54
, the tape unwinds from the first reel
10
A and winds onto the second reel
10
B. The tape “T” can be wound back onto the first reel
10
A by reversing the directions of rotation
52
A,
52
B of the first and second reels
10
A,
10
B which will cause the tape to move across the tape head “H” in a direction which is opposite the direction
54
.
Alternatively, the tape “T” can be rewound back onto the first reel
10
A from the second reel
10
B without being moved across the tape head “H.” This can be accomplished by extending the tape “T” directly from the first reel
10
A to the second reel
10
B, wherein the tape bypasses the tape head “H,” guides “G,” and drive device “D.” This alternative procedure for rewinding the tape “T” onto the first reel
10
A from the second reel
10
A can be used when no reading or writing by the tape head “H” is to be performed during the rewinding of the tape “T” back onto the first reel
10
A. In one variation of the prior art tape read/write device, the tape head “H” can be retracted while the tape is rewound in order to reduce abrasion wear of the tape head as a result of the tape moving across the tape head at a relatively high speed.
Moving to
FIG. 3
, a top view is shown of the prior art take-up device
10
which is depicted in FIG.
1
. As is seen in
FIG. 3
, the cylindrical drum
12
is located between and attached to a first flange
14
and a second flange
16
which is located in substantially juxtaposed relation to the first flange. The take-up device
10
is configured to rotate about the axis of rotation
20
. The second flange
16
is shown broken away to reveal a winding of tape “T,” known as a tape pack, which is shown supported about the drum
12
. An anomaly
30
which is in the form of a bump is also revealed in the winding of tape “T.” As is evident, three sectional views,
3
A—
3
A,
3
B—B, and
3
C—
3
C, are taken through the prior art take up device
10
, each of which will be discussed below.
Now referring to
FIG. 3A
, a first sectional view
3
A—
3
A through the tape take-up device
10
is shown. The axis of rotation
20
of the take-up device
10
is shown for reference. As is also seen, a portion of the drum
12
is shown between the first and second flanges
14
,
16
respectively. One purpose of the first and second flanges
14
,
16
is to assist in forming a coil of tape “T” as the tape is wound around the drum
12
. That is, the first and second flanges
14
,
16
are supposed to keep the tape “T” in a substantially straight and orderly coil as the tape is wrapped or wound around the drum
12
.
To accomplish the aforementioned purpose of assisting in forming the tape “T” into an orderly coil on the drum
12
, spacing is maintained between the first and second flanges
14
,
16
. The first and second flanges
14
,
16
are generally configured so as to be substantially parallel to one another and to be spaced slightly wider than the width of the tape “T.” Ideally, this configuration allows the tape “T” to pass freely between the first and second flanges
14
,
16
while also being guided thereby so as to form a substantially orderly coil about the drum
12
.
However, as illustrated in
FIG. 3A
, the spacing between the first and second flanges
14
,
16
can sometimes be too narrow for the tape “T” t
Anderson James C.
Hoerger Carl R.
McAllister Jeffrey S
Turner Philip John
Hewlett-Packard Co.
Jillions John M.
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