Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval – Head – Head accessory
Patent
1989-12-21
1991-06-04
Wolff, John H.
Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval
Head
Head accessory
360137, 15DIG12, G11B 510, G11B 5127
Patent
active
050219111
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an apparatus for cleaning the record/playback head of a cassette drive device such as a magnetic tape drive device, the apparatus having a casing in the form of a cassette which may be inserted into the cassette drive device.
The invention is particularly concerned with streamer tape drives, as used for back-up purposes in computer installations. U.S. Pat. No. 4,631,614 discloses in FIG. 6 a cleaner for the heads of a streamer tape drive in which a complex drive train transmits drive to a rocking cleaning head which wipes a pad across the heads in a direction transverse to the direction of tape movement (or the longitudinal extent of the tape). Other head cleaning proposals include European Patent Application No. 0 188 655 which is a purely manual streamer tape drive head cleaning system, and U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,442,468; 4,149,206 and 3,955,214 which describe cleaners for audio tape cassette drives of well-known type in which a cleaning means is driven from the usual sprocket or hub of the cassette. We have found that none of these systems are satisfactory for streamer tape drives in providing sufficient cleaning action without causing undue wear on the heads.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is defined in the appended claims to which reference should now be made for a definition thereof.
A particularly preferred example of the invention takes the form of a cleaning cassette having a casing and containing a wiper arm pivoted in the casing at one end and at the other end carrying a replaceable wiper pad assembly which follows an arcuate path on pivotal movement of the wiper arm. The wiper arm is driven from the capstan drive wheel of the drive the heads of which are being cleaned through a pick-up wheel which contacts the capstan drive wheel when the cleaning cassette is in use. The pick-up wheel drives a large wheel through toothed gearing and a crank arm is eccentrically pivoted by one end on the large wheel. The other end of the crank arm is attached to the wiper arm to drive the same.
The replaceable wiper pad assembly is slidable into a T-socket on the wiper arm and includes a pad having a thicker central portion and opposed thinner planar wings. A metal base plate is crimped over the wings.
It is an advantage of the head cleaning cassette of the present invention that it can be loaded into a magnetic tape drive device in the same way as a magnetic tape cassette is loaded. A further advantage is that the cassette is operated by the tape drive to simply and effectively clean the head.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Cleaning cassettes embodying the invention will now be described in detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a cleaning cassette in accordance with this invention;
FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line II--II in FIG. 1 showing the gear drive;
FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line III--III in FIG. 1 showing the wiper arm;
FIG. 4 is a view of the wiper head;
FIG. 5 shows the wiper head in a partially-assembled condition;
FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 4 of a possible modification of the wiper head;
FIG. 7 is a detail view showing a capstan cleaning pad;
FIG 8 is a section taken on line VIII--VIII in FIG. 7; and
FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 1 of a slightly modified head cleaning cassette.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the cleaning cassette 10 has a casing 12 designed to be suitable for loading into a magnetic tape drive device or "streamer" tape such as commonly used for back-up purposes in computer installations. As the external shape of the casing 12 is of standard type, it is not described here in detail; it will be seen that it has a thickness substantially less than its width and length to present a generally planar configuration. A typical size is approximately 150 mm by 100 mm by 16 mm. The casing houses a wiper arm 14 movable in the plane of the casing about a p
REFERENCES:
patent: 4107810 (1978-08-01), Varni et al.
patent: 4141053 (1979-02-01), Kara
patent: 4272796 (1981-06-01), Van Kreuningen et al.
patent: 4490767 (1984-12-01), Neuman et al.
patent: 4631614 (1986-12-01), Davis et al.
Abstract of Japanese Ref. No. 58-100254 (in English).
Abstract of Japanese Ref. No. 59-60727 (in English).
Automation Facilities Limited
Evans Jefferson
Wolff John H.
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