Winding – tensioning – or guiding – Unwinding and rewinding a machine convertible information... – Including threading
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-25
2003-10-28
Nguyen, John Q. (Department: 3654)
Winding, tensioning, or guiding
Unwinding and rewinding a machine convertible information...
Including threading
C360S095000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06637691
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for releaseably attaching a hub filler to a take-up reel to prevent deformation of an attached tape.
DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART
Single reel tape cartridges are used to transport and store tape for reelto-reel tape drives. A single reel tape cartridge is inserted into a tape drive and a mechanism is used to load the end of the tape into a take-up reel from the tape cartridge. Once the end of the tape is loaded into the take-up reel, the tape drive operates as a reel-to-reel tape drive. A motor is coupled to the take-up reel to rotate the take-up reel about the take-up reel axis and another motor is coupled to the single reel tape cartridge to rotate the reel of the tape cartridge about its axis.
The tape drive loading mechanism attaches to a tape leader pin, located at the end of the tape contained in the single reel tape cartridge. The hub filler uses a slot in the hub filler for receiving the tape leader pin. The hub filler is coupled to a guide arm that drives the hub filler between the single reel tape cartridge and the take-up reel. An example of a mechanism for driving the hub filler between the tape cartridge and the take-up reel is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,034,839.
FIG. 1
is a view of the tape drive loading mechanism disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,034,839. The hub filler
300
enters into the cartridge
210
and attaches to the end of the tape. The hub filler
300
then moves along a guide rail
247
, driven by the guide arm
250
. Typically, the hub filler
300
attaches to the end of a tape in the tape cartridge
210
and the guide arm
250
moves the hub filler
300
along the guide rail
247
, trailing the tape across the read/write head
222
and into the take-up reel
242
. The hub filler
300
enters the take-up reel
242
through a channel
244
and into the hub
245
of the take-up reel
242
.
FIG. 2
is a top view of the tape drive, depicting the hub filler
300
in the take-up reel
242
with the tape
216
attached. The tape
216
passes across the read/write head
222
and the end of the tape
216
is secured to the take-up reel
242
. The tape drive is then operated by rotation of the take-up reel
242
and the single reel of the cartridge
210
about their respective axes to move the tape
216
across the read/write head
222
. Motors are used to rotate the take-up reel
242
and the single reel of the cartridge
210
, controlling the speed of the tape
216
as it moves across the read/write head
222
. The hub filler
300
pivots on an axle
252
that is coupled to the guide arm
250
. This pivoting is necessary for the hub filler
300
to be guided on the guide rail
247
into the take-up reel
242
. Once the hub filler
300
is in the take-up reel
242
, with the tape
216
attached, the take-up reel
242
rotates to thereby unload the tape from the cartridge
210
. The hub filler
300
rotates with the take-up reel
242
on the axle
252
. The loading mechanism attempts to align the axle
252
axis and the takeup reel
242
axis perfectly.
FIG. 3
is a top perspective view of the hub filler
300
partially ejected from take-up reel
242
. It is shown that tape
600
is wrapped around the take-up reel
242
with a partially ejected hub filler
300
. The partially ejected hub filler
300
prevents the tape
600
from wrapping on the circumference
602
of the take-up reel
242
. As the tape
600
is progressively wrapped around the take-up reel
242
with the partially ejected hub filler
300
, the partially ejected position of the hub filler
300
is maintained. This is due to both the pressure from the end of the tape
600
attached to the hub filler
300
and the force of the tape
600
on the hub filler
300
as it is wrapped around the take-up reel
242
.
FIG. 4
is a cross-sectional view of the hub filler
300
partially ejected from the take-up reel
242
. This figure also illustrates the misalignment of the axis
244
of the take-up reel
242
and the axle
246
of the hub filler
300
.
There are some concerns regarding the conventional tape drive loading mechanism described above. After a hub filler has entered a take-up reel, the take-up reel is rotated by a motor to wrap tape around the take-up reel. However, there is a tendency for the hub filler to partially eject from the take-up reel during the initial rotation of the take-up reel. This ejection may be caused by the centrifugal force on the hub filler from the rotation of the take-up reel. The ejection may also be caused by other forces exerted on the hub filler, such as force from attached tape. After the initial wrapping of tape around the take-up reel, the position of the partially ejected hub filler in the take-up reel is relatively stable. This stability is a result of the force of the tape on the hub filler as the tape is wrapped around the take-up reel. This situation is the cause of several problems.
One problem is that the partially ejected hub filler disturbs the intended circumference portion of the take-up reel, around which the tape is intended to be wrapped. The hub filler is designed such that when the hub filler is properly positioned in the take-up reel, the circumference of the take-up reel is smooth all around. This smooth circumference preserves the integrity of tape that is wrapped around the take-up reel. A partially ejected hub filler disrupts this smooth circumference of the take-up reel and can damage tape wrapped around the take-up reel. This damage can be a bump or print formed on the tape from the portion of the hub filler that is protruding from the take-up reel. This bump or print is undesirable, as it will distort the quality of the data stored on the tape where the bump or print is formed. Also, the bump or print may deteriorate the mechanical strength of the tape and may eventually result in tape breakage.
Another concern related to a partially ejected hub filler from a take-up reel is the possibility that, as tape is progressively wrapped around the take-up reel, the pressure from tape on the hub filler will force the hub filler into the take-up reel. This is a problem because the hub filler is in a locked position after the initial wrapping of tape around the take-up reel. This forcing of the hub filler into the take-up reel puts mechanical stress on the tape near where the end of tape is attached to the hub filler. Accordingly, the tape may either be stretched or broken during this forced insertion of the hub filler into the take-up reel. As tape is progressively wrapped around a take-up reel, the pressure on the initially wrapped tape is also progressively increased. This pressure on the tape leads to stretching or breakage of the tape and distorts the stretched portion of the tape. There is also the possibility that the stretching of the tape will cause the tape to break or collapse. All of these types of damages to wrapped tape are undesirable and compromise the reliability of a tape drive.
Another concern relates to the alignment of a hub filler's axle and a take-up reel axis. Misalignment can cause minor imbalances during rotation of the take-up reel; these minor imbalances can create small speed variations in the tape wind and unwind speeds. These variations in speed are difficult for the motors of the take-up reel and cartridge reel to compensate for. Hence, the variations in speed deter from the quality of the reading and writing of the tape at the read/write head. Additionally, misalignment of the hub filler axis and the take-up reel axis reduce the life of the bearings in the take-up reel. Worn bearings will produce vibrations and result in noise during recording and reading at the read/write head. A partially ejected hub filler from the take-up reel can cause such a misalignment and therefore result in a tape drive being unreliable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
There is a need for a tape drive loading mechanism that can releaseably attach a hub filler to a take-up reel. There is also a need to prevent the unintended ejection of the hub filler from the take-up
Bauer Russell Allen
Fehlmann Walter
Goker Turguy
Hamming John Anthony
Hanson Scott Louis
McDermott & Will & Emery
Nguyen John Q.
Seagate Removable Storage Solutions LLC
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