Regenerative braking for tape drive
AssigneeWestern Digital Technologies, Inc.
InventorErhard Schreck
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present disclosure generally relates to a tape drive having a regenerative braking system. The tape drive comprises a first reel; a first spindle coupled to the first reel; a first motor coupled to the first spindle, wherein the first motor is configured to rotate the first spindle; a second reel; a second spindle coupled to the second reel; a second motor coupled to the second spindle, wherein the second motor is configured to rotate the second spindle; and a regenerative braking circuit coupled to the first motor and the second motor, wherein during a braking of the motors, the regenerative braking circuit and the motors convert a mechanical energy of the motors to electrical energy for a power storage mechanism, thereby providing resistance to the rotation of the spindles.
Claims20
A tape drive, comprising:
- an enclosure;
- a first reel disposed in the enclosure, to accept a tape configured to wind around the first reel;
- a first spindle coupled to the first reel;
- a first motor coupled to the first spindle;
- a power storage mechanism;
- first regenerative braking circuit coupled to the first motor and the power storage mechanism, wherein during a braking of the first motor, the regenerative braking circuit and the first motor convert a mechanical energy of the first motor to electrical energy for the power storage mechanism, thereby providing resistance to rotation of the first spindle;
- and
- an external storage capacitor coupled to the first regenerative braking circuit, wherein the power storage mechanism is configured to supply electrical energy to the external storage capacitor during an emergency power off situation.
A tape drive, comprising:
- an enclosure;
- a first reel disposed in the enclosure to accept a tape configured to wind around the first reel;
- a second reel disposed in the enclosure to accept the tape configured to wind around the second reel;
- a motor coupled to the second reel;
- a power storage mechanism coupled to the motor and configured to be coupled to a storage capacitor, wherein the storage capacitor is external to the tape drive, wherein during a braking of the motor, a regenerative braking circuit and the motor convert a mechanical energy of the motor to electrical energy for the power storage mechanism, thereby providing resistance to rotation of the second reel;
- and
- a current divider coupled between the power storage mechanism and the motor, wherein the current divider is configured to supply electrical energy from the power storage mechanism to:
- the storage capacitor via a first path of the current divider, and
- the motor via a second path of the current divider.
A tape drive, comprising:
- an enclosure;
- a first reel disposed in the enclosure configured to accept a tape configured to wind around the first reel;
- a means for controlling a rotational speed of the first reel;
- a means for power storage coupled to the means for controlling the rotational speed of the first reel;
- an external storage capacitor coupled to the means for power storage, wherein the means for power storage is configured to supply electrical energy to the external storage capacitor during an emergency power off situation;
- and
- a means for dividing current coupled between the means for power storage and the means for controlling the rotational speed of the first reel, wherein the means for dividing current is configured to supply electrical energy from the means for power storage to:
- the external storage capacitor via a first path branching off the means for dividing current, and
- the means for controlling the rotational speed of the first reel via a second path branching off the means for dividing current.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.