Winding – tensioning – or guiding – Unwinding and rewinding a machine convertible information... – Cartridge system
Reexamination Certificate
2001-10-19
2003-07-01
Rivera, William A. (Department: 3652)
Winding, tensioning, or guiding
Unwinding and rewinding a machine convertible information...
Cartridge system
C242S332400
Reexamination Certificate
active
06585183
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus such as a linear tape storage system represented by DLT (Digital Linear Tape) or LTO (Linear Tape Open) and, in particular, to a loading mechanism for transmitting driving force of a supply reel motor to a reel hub of a tape cartridge.
A linear tape storage system of the type has been developed as a backup for a computer system. A variety of linear tape storage systems have heretofore been proposed. For example, a digital linear tape drive as the DLT is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,862,014.
The digital linear tape drive (hereinafter may simply be called the “drive” or the “tape drive”) is adapted to receive a tape cartridge (hereinafter may simply be called the “cartridge”) having a single reel (supply reel). The digital linear tape drive includes a take-up reel in the interior thereof. When the tape cartridge is received in the drive, a magnetic tape is pulled out from the tape cartridge to be wound up around the take-up reel through a head guide assembly (HGA). The head guide assembly serves to guide to a magnetic head the magnetic tape (hereinafter may simply be called “tape”) pulled out from the tape cartridge. The magnetic head exchanges information to and from the tape. Typically, the head guide assembly comprises an aluminum plate having a boomerang-like shape and a plurality of large guide rollers, six in number, comprising bearings.
The head guide assembly is also called a tape guide assembly which is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,414,585. An example of the guide roller is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-100025 (JP 2000-100025 A).
As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,793,574 for example, a tape drive typically comprises a generally rectangular housing having a common base. The base has two spindle motors (reel motors). The first spindle motor (reel motor) has a permanently mounted spool (take-up reel) permanently mounted to the base and dimensioned to accept a magnetic tape streaming at a relatively high speed. The second spindle motor (reel motor) is adapted to receive a removable tape cartridge. The first spindle motor (reel motor) is called a take-up reel motor while the second spindle motor (reel motor) is called a supply reel motor. The removable tape cartridge is manually or automatically inserted into the drive via a slot formed on a housing of the drive. When the tape cartridge is inserted into the slot, the cartridge is engaged with the second spindle motor (reel motor). Prior to rotation of the first and the second spindle motors (reel motors), the tape cartridge is connected to the permanently mounted spool (take-up reel) by means of a mechanical buckling mechanism. A number of rollers (guide rollers) are positioned between the tape cartridge and the permanently mounted spool and guide the magnetic tape as it streams at a relatively high speed back and forth between the tape cartridge and the permanently mounted spool.
The digital linear tape drive of the above-mentioned structure requires a pulling device for pulling the tape from the supply reel to the take-up reel. Such pulling device is disclosed, for example, in International Publication No. WO86/07471. According to the disclosure in the publication, the take-up reel is provided with take-up leader means (first tape leader) coupled thereto. To the tape on the supply reel, supply leader means (second tape leader) is fixed. The first tape leader has a tab formed at its one end. The second tape leader has a locking hole. The tab is engaged with the locking hole.
Furthermore, a mechanism for joining the first tape leader to the second tape leader is required. Such joining mechanism is disclosed, for example, in International Publication No. WO86/07295.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-100116 (JP 2000-100116 A) discloses “Structure of Leader Tape Engaging Part” capable of locking an end of a leader tape (second tape leader) to a tape end hooking part of the tape cartridge without requiring a tab protruding on a lateral side of the leader tape.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,857,634 discloses a lock system for preventing the rotation of the take-up reel of the tape drive when the tape cartridge is not inserted into the drive.
The tape drive further comprises a tape head actuator assembly. The tape head actuator assembly is positioned between the take-up reel or spool and the tape cartridge along a tape path defined by a plurality of rollers. During operation, the magnetic tape streams back and forth between the take-up reel or spool and the tape cartridge, coming into close proximity to the head actuator assembly while streaming along the defined tape path. An example of the head actuator assembly is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,793,574 mentioned above.
On the other hand, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-149491 (JP 2000-149491 A) discloses an example of the tape cartridge to be received in the digital linear tape drive.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,241,171. discloses a “tape drive” in which a tape leader is urged from a tape cartridge to a take-up reel without using a buckling mechanism or a take-up leader.
As described above, the tape drive comprises the first and the second reel motors (i.e., the take-up reel motor and the supply reel motor). The first and the second reel motors are mounted on a chassis (more specifically, on a back surface of the chassis). As the first and the second reel motors, use is typically made of inner-rotor motors. After the tape cartridge containing the supply reel is inserted into the slot of the tape drive, the supply reel must be engaged with the supply reel motor in order to rotate the supply reel. Such engaging operation is called “loading” in this field of the art. A mechanism for engaging the supply reel with the supply reel motor is called a “loading mechanism”. More in detail, a rotation driving surface (reel hub) of the supply reel is exposed out from a bottom surface of the tape cartridge, as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-149491 mentioned above. On the other hand, as will later be described in detail, the loading mechanism comprises a drive gear attached to a rotation shaft of a rotor of the supply reel motor to be movable up and down. When the tape cartridge is inserted into the slot of the tape drive, the loading mechanism is activated so that the drive gear is moved upward from the lower surface of the chassis. As a consequence, the drive gear is engaged with the reel hub of the cartridge so that the supply reel can be rotated by the supply reel motor.
Now referring to
FIGS. 1 through 7
, an existing loading mechanism will be described.
At first referring to
FIGS. 2 through 4
, description will be made of an existing magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus
10
′ comprising the existing loading mechanism.
The magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus
10
′ includes a chassis
20
′ having an upper surface (front surface)
20
′U and a lower surface (back surface)
20
′L. The chassis
20
′ comprises a diecast of a non-magnetic aluminum material. The upper surface
20
′U is divided into first and second upper regions
20
′U
1
and
20
′U
2
. Similarly, the lower surface
20
′L is divided into first and second lower regions
20
′L
1
and
20
′L
2
faced to the first and the second upper regions
20
′U
1
and
20
′U
2
, respectively. The chassis
20
′ is provided with first and second openings
20
′
a
1
and
20
′
a
2
formed in the first and the second upper regions
20
′U
1
and
20
′U
2
(the first and the second lower regions
20
′L
1
and
20
′L
2
), respectively. The first opening
20
′
a
1
has a cylindrical shape formed by bending a part of the first upper region
20
′U
1
downward. Similarly, the second opening
20
′
a
2
has a cylindrical shape formed by bending a part of the second upper region
20
′U
2
downward.
The magnetic recording/reproducin
Frishauf Holtz Goodman & Chick P.C.
Mitsumi Electric Co. Ltd.
Rivera William A.
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