Winding – tensioning – or guiding – Unwinding and rewinding a machine convertible information... – Particular frame or frame attachment
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-02
2001-08-07
Marcelo, Emmanuel M. (Department: 3653)
Winding, tensioning, or guiding
Unwinding and rewinding a machine convertible information...
Particular frame or frame attachment
C242S346100, C360S132000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06270031
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to guiding magnetic tape past reel flanges and across a tape access head.
BACKGROUND ART
Magnetic tape is commonly used to store voice and data information due to its reliability, cost efficiency, and ease of use. Magnetic tape may be made more useful and cost effective by increasing the density of information stored on the magnetic tape. One method of increasing information density is to decrease the thickness of the tape thereby permitting more tape to be stored in a given volume.
Decreasing the thickness of magnetic tape creates difficulties in a tape transport system. Thinner tape more easily stretches, increasing the possibility of read and write errors. Thin tape is also susceptible to folding, kinking, creasing, curling and other mechanical damage. Thin tape is more easily skewed relative to the tape head. These difficulties are exacerbated by complex tape transport systems requiring rollers, guides, and the like to drive the tape and position the tape relative to the tape head.
What is needed is an effective tape transport system for thin tape. The tape transport system must be able to guide the magnetic tape past the tape head without causing mechanical damage. The tape transport system should further be simple, inexpensive, and easy to maintain.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to guide thin magnetic tape past a tape head.
It is another object of the present invention to position magnetic tape relative to the tape head.
It is still another object of the present invention to protect magnetic tape from mechanical damage along the tape path.
It is yet another object of the present invention to reduce the complexity of the tape path.
In carrying out the above objects and other objects and features of the present invention, a tape transport system is provided. The tape system includes two tape reels. Each reel has a pair of flanges between which the tape is held. The parallel flange pairs position the tape in a direction normal to tape travel across the tape head contact surface. A cam guide is associated with each reel. Each cam guide has a curved surface over which the magnetic tape travels. The curved surface is positioned between the reel flange pair based on the amount of tape wound on the tape reel. The cam is positioned so that magnetic tape contacts the tape head contact surface at substantially the same location for any amount of tape wound on the tape reel.
In an embodiment of the present invention, each cam guide curved surface is positioned between the reel tape flange pair so that the angle at which the magnetic tape leaves the reel when the reel is fully wound is substantially the same as the angle at which the magnetic tape leaves the reel when the reel is fully unwound.
In another embodiment of the present invention, each cam guide curved surface is positioned between the reel tape flange pair to guide tape near the edges of each flange in a tape direction non-normal with a direction of reel rotation where the tape crosses the flange edges.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, each cam guide curved surface moves completely out from between the flange pair to facilitate loading the associated tape reel into the tape transport system.
A cam for guiding magnetic tape out of a tape reel is also provided. The magnetic tape has an active side onto which information can be written and from which information can be read and a passive side opposite from the active side. The tape reel has two parallel flanges between which the magnetic tape is wound as a cylindrical tape pack. The cam has a curved surface over which travels the magnetic tape passive side. The curved surface fits between the tape reel flanges to guide tape near the tape pack in a path tangential to the tape pack. The cam curved surface moves between the flanges in response to the amount of tape in the tape pack to guide tape near the edges of each flange in a tape direction non-normal with a direction of reel rotation where the tape crosses the flange edges.
A method of guiding magnetic tape past the tape head is also provided. Tape from within a first reel is driven past the tape head an onto a second reel. Curved surfaces are inserted between the flange pairs of each respective reel. Each curved surface guides tape at the edge of the flange pair at a tape angle substantially the same when the reel is fully wound as when fully unwound.
The above objects and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention are readily apparent from the following detailed description of the best mode for carrying out the invention when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1953985 (1934-04-01), Kindelmann et al.
patent: 2094581 (1937-10-01), Bundick et al.
patent: 2209178 (1940-07-01), Taesler
patent: 2855160 (1958-10-01), Fundingsland
patent: 3115314 (1963-12-01), Manley et al.
patent: 3265317 (1966-08-01), Liang et al.
patent: 3467342 (1969-09-01), Siegemund
patent: 3539130 (1970-11-01), Winkler et al.
patent: 3843035 (1974-10-01), Fitterer et al.
patent: 3923271 (1975-12-01), Pertzsch et al.
patent: 5206771 (1993-04-01), Katou et al.
patent: 5251844 (1993-10-01), Albrecht et al.
patent: 5284308 (1994-02-01), Comeaux et al.
patent: 5289331 (1994-02-01), Eaton et al.
patent: 5358193 (1994-10-01), Madsen et al.
patent: 5562258 (1996-10-01), Sato et al.
patent: 5758837 (1998-06-01), Doninelli
patent: 5947410 (1999-09-01), Chrisite
patent: 803808 (1958-11-01), None
Brooks & Kushman P.C.
Marcelo Emmanuel M.
Storage Technology Corporation
LandOfFree
Tape transport with cam guides does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Tape transport with cam guides, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Tape transport with cam guides will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2514121