Winding – tensioning – or guiding – Unwinding and rewinding a machine convertible information... – Cartridge system
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-15
2001-07-31
Rivera, William A. (Department: 3653)
Winding, tensioning, or guiding
Unwinding and rewinding a machine convertible information...
Cartridge system
C360S132000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06267313
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This application relates to the field of data storage devices and more particularly to the field of magnetic tape storage devices using a wide tape cartridge.
One device for the storage of electronic data is a tape cartridge having one or two reels and containing a length of recordable magnetic tape. One common type of cartridge has wide top and bottom cartridge members connected by relatively narrow front, back and side cartridge portions. The reels rotate about respective spaced-apart axes which are perpendicular to the wide top and bottom cartridge members. The tape has typically a width comparable to the height of the narrow cartridge portions and moves parallel thereto for recording and reading data. In typical data storage applications, the tape width is between ½ inch and 1 inch. The tape is fed from the cartridge to a reading device through a hinged door in the surface of the cartridge. These cartridges are widely used for storage of crucial data, files, and information because they are inexpensive and capable of storing a large quantity of information.
Data are recorded on parallel recording tracks extending along the tape transport direction. Modern tape drives using ½ inch wide tape in combination with STORM (Servo Track Optical Write Magnetic) technology may record several hundred parallel logical tracks, with each logical track containing 8, 16 or more physical tracks. The tapes may have a length of several hundred meters and may therefore have to be moved over a considerable distance before a specified file can be accessed. File access with tape storage devices therefore tends to be relatively slow, typically in the order of several ten seconds to several minutes.
Larger quantities of data may be stored and accessed online by arranging the data tapes in juke-box type storage cabinets, with each cabinet holding tens or hundreds of tapes. Robotic tools may be used to automatically remove a requested tape from its storage slot in the cabinet and insert the tape into a tape drive.
It would therefore be desirable to provide a tape cartridge and a tape recording system which allows faster access to the files recorded on the recording tape. It would also be desirable to use existing storage facilities and robotic tools with the different types of tape cartridges.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a wide magnetic recording tape which is housed in a tape cartridge that can be used with tape libraries adapted to use conventional ½ to ¾ inch wide data recording tapes. Unlike the conventional data recording tapes, however, the width of the tape according to the invention is substantially equal to the width of the tape cartridge of approximately 3½ inches. The tape cartridge has at least one supply tape reel from which the recording tape can be unwound and at least one take-up tape reel on which the recording tape can be wound. The rotation axes of the reels extend substantially parallel to one the wide directions of the tape cartridge.
According to another aspect of the invention, a cartridge system for a tape cartridge includes a tape drive for moving a wide recording tape disposed in the tape cartridge along a tape transport path, and a positioning mechanism for positioning a recording head relative to the recording tape. The tape cartridge has at least one supply tape reel from which the recording tape can be unwound and at least one take-up tape reel on which the recording tape can be wound. The rotation axes of the reels extend substantially parallel to one the wide directions of the tape cartridge.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, a method is described for recording information on a wide recording tape disposed in a tape cartridge. The method includes moving the wide recording tape to a predetermined tape location along a tape transport path located inside the tape cartridge and positioning a recording head inside the tape cartridge at a predetermined position relative to the recording tape by moving the recording head perpendicular to the tape transport path while the tape is located inside the tape cartridge. The method further includes recording the information on at least one recording track extending substantially parallel to the transport path.
Embodiments of the invention may include one or more of the following features. The tape cartridge may have at least one tape guide disposed along a tape path extending between the supply tape reel and the take-up tape reel and an opening located in a side portion of the housing for enabling access to the recording tape. The recording tape may be unwound from a pair of spaced-apart supply tape reels and wound onto a pair of spaced-apart take-up tape reels, wherein the tape surrounds the pairs of supply and take-up tape reels, respectively. To tension the tape around the pairs of rollers, at least one of the pairs of supply tape reels and take-up tape reels may be surrounded by a resilient belt to which the tape is attached. Alternatively or in addition, the tape reels of at least one of the pairs of supply tape reels and take-up tape reels are coupled by one of a gear or a belt. Tension between the roller pairs can also be applied by making one of the tape reels of at least one of the pairs of supply tape reels and take-up tape reels movable relative to the tape assembly perpendicular to the rotation axis of the tape reel. The tape reels may be urged apart by a resilient member, such as a spring. The tape guide may be disposed either between the supply tape reel and the take-up tape reel or on a side of the supply tape reel or the take-up tape reel, respectively, which faces away from the respective take-up tape reel or supply tape reel. The recording tape may wrap over the supply reel after passing over the recording head and before being taken up by the take-up reel. Likewise, the recording tape unwound from the supply reel may wrap over the take-up reel before passing over the recording head. The entire transport path of the recording tape may advantageously be located inside the housing during the recording process.
Further features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments and from the claims.
REFERENCES:
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patent: 487520 (1892-12-01), Gillette
patent: 695639 (1902-03-01), Goerz
patent: 3138081 (1964-06-01), Nerwin
patent: 3377438 (1968-04-01), Schroter
patent: 3650489 (1972-03-01), Bresson et al.
patent: 3664595 (1972-05-01), Nerwin
patent: 3677487 (1972-07-01), Knowles et al.
patent: 4019695 (1977-04-01), Wharam
patent: 4390914 (1983-06-01), Nagai
patent: 5620265 (1997-04-01), Kondo
Cranson Ken
Kim Chan
Mallick Satya
Saliba George A.
Stamm Steve
Fish & Richardson
Quantum Corporation
Rivera William A.
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