Roller shaft

Details Roller shaft Roller shaft

2001-10-02

2003-10-21

Mansen, Michael R. (Department: 3654)

Advancing material of indeterminate length

By orbitally traveling material-engaging surface

Including details of roll or mount

C242S346200

Reexamination Certificate

active

06634535

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a linear tape storage system represented by DLT (Digital Linear Tape) or LTO (Linear Tape Open) and, in particular, to a roller shaft for rotatably supporting, on a chassis, a guide roller which serves to guide a magnetic tape pulled out from a tape cassette (tape cartridge) to a magnetic head.
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 “driving apparatus”, “tape drive” or “drive”) is adapted to receive a tape cartridge (hereinafter may simply be called “cartridge” or “cassette”) having a single reel (supply tape reel). The digital linear tape drive includes a take-up reel in the interior thereof. When the tape cartridge is received in the driving apparatus, a magnetic tape is pulled out from the tape cartridge to be taken 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.
As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,793,574 for example, a tape drive typically comprises a substantially rectangular housing having a common base. The base has two spindle motors. The first spindle motor has a spool (take-up reel) permanently mounted to the base. The spool is dimensioned to accept a magnetic tape streaming at a relatively high speed. The second spindle motor is adapted to receive a removable tape cartridge. 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. Prior to rotation of the first and the second spindle motors, the tape cartridge is connected to the permanently mounted spool by means of a mechanical buckling mechanism. A number of rollers (guide rollers) positioned between the tape cartridge and the permanently mounted spool 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 device for pulling the tape from the supply tape reel to the take-up reel. Such pulling device is disclosed, for example, in International Publication No. WO86/07471. According to the publication, the take-up reel is provided with take-up leader means (first tape leader) coupled thereto. To the tape on the supply tape reel, supply tape 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. The take-up leader means (first tape leader) may be called a take-up leader tape, and the supply tape leader means (second tape leader) may be called a supply leader tape.
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 discloses “Structure of Leader Tape Engaging Part” capable of locking an end of a leader tape to a tape end hooking part of the tape cartridge without requiring a tab protruding on a lateral side of the leader tape (second tape leader).
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 spool and the tape cartridge along a tape path defined by a plurality of guide rollers. In operation, the magnetic tape streams back and forth between the take-up 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 discloses an example of the tape cartridge to be received in the digital linear tape drive.
As described above, the guide roller provided in the tape drive serves to guide the magnetic tape pulled out from the tape cartridge to the magnetic head. The guide roller is rotatably supported by the roller shaft mounted on the chassis.
Referring to
FIG. 1
, description will be made of the structure of a tape drive.
FIG. 1
is a perspective view of the tape drive in a state where its upper cover is removed.
The tape drive
30
serves to receive a tape cartridge (not shown) and includes a take-up reel
31
in the interior thereof. The take-up reel
31
is also called a spool. The tape drive
30
comprises a substantially rectangular housing (gear chassis)
32
having a common base
32
a
. The base
32
a
has two spindle motors (reel motors)
33
and
34
. The first spindle motor
33
has a spool (take-up reel)
31
permanently mounted to the base
32
a
. The spool
31
is dimensioned to receive a magnetic tape (not shown) streaming at a relatively high speed. The first spindle motor
33
may be called a take-up reel motor. The second spindle motor
34
is adapted to receive a removable take cartridge (not shown) The second spindle motor
34
may be called a reel supply motor. The removable tape cartridge is manually or automatically inserted into the drive
30
along an insertion direction indicated by an arrow A via a slot
32
b
formed on a housing (chassis)
32
of the drive
30
. When the tape cartridge is inserted into the slot
32
b
, the cartridge is engaged with the second spindle motor (reel supply motor)
34
by means of a loading mechanism well known in the art. Prior to rotation of the first and the second spindle motors
33
and
34
, the tape cartridge is connected to the permanently mounted spool
31
by means of a mechanical buckle. A number of rollers (guide rollers)
36
positioned between the tape cartridge and the permanently mounted spool
31
guide the magnetic tape as it streams at a relatively high speed back and forth between the tape cartridge and the permanently mounted spool
31
. The housing
32
comprises a sheet metal chassis made of an iron-based magnetic material.
The tape drive
30
further comprises a magnetic tape head actuator assembly (hereinafter may simply be called “actuator assembly” or “magnetic head”)
40
. The actuator assembly (magnetic head)
40
is positioned between the take-up spool
31
and the tape cartridge along a tape path (not shown) defined by the above-mentioned plurality of guide rollers
36
. In operation, the magnetic tape streams back and forth between the take-up spool
31
and the tape cartridge, coming into close proximity to the actuator assembly
40
while streaming along the defined tape path.
Referring to
FIGS. 2A and 2B
, description will be made of an existing roller shaft
10
′ for rotatably supporting the guide roller
36
on the chassis
32
.
FIG. 2A
is a perspective view of the existing roller shaft
10
′, and
FIG. 2B
is a front view of the existing roller shaft
10
′.
The roller shaft
10
′ comprises a shaft portion
12
′ having a substantially solid cylindrical shape and extending in its longitudinal direction (rotation

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