Guide roller having magnets and bushings to stabilize a roller barrel for a tape medium
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsKevin Bruce Judd, Walter Haeberle, Simeon Furrer, Mark Alfred Lantz, Armando Argumedo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Provided are a tape guide roller and tape drive having a guide roller having magnets and bushings to stabilize a roller barrel for a tape medium. The tape guide roller has a roller barrel extending around a vertical axis. The tape medium passes across the roller barrel to guide the tape medium on a tape path. A plurality of magnets positioned with respect to the vertical axis provide an axial force to stabilize the tape guide roller axially.
Claims13
A tape guide roller to guide a tape medium with respect to a read or write head to read or write with respect to the tape medium, comprising:
- a roller barrel extending around a vertical axis, wherein the tape medium passes across the roller barrel to guide the tape medium on a tape path;
- an axle extending through the roller barrel;
- and
- at least one pair of opposing rings of passive magnetic bearings extending around the vertical axis and having opposite polarity, within an open space of the roller barrel, to provide an axial force to stabilize the tape guide roller axially, wherein each pair of rings of passive magnetic bearings are separated by a distance on the vertical axis.
A tape guide roller to guide a tape medium with respect to a read or write head to read or write with respect to the tape medium, comprising:
- a roller barrel extending around a vertical axis, wherein the roller barrel has an upper end and a lower end with respect to the vertical axis, wherein the tape medium passes across the roller barrel to guide the tape medium on a tape path;
- a first pair of magnets positioned along the vertical axis closer to the upper end than the lower end of the roller barrel;
- and
- a second pair of magnets positioned along the vertical axis closer to the lower end than the upper end of the roller barrel, wherein the first pair and the second pair of magnets are within an open space of the roller barrel and provide an axial force to stabilize the tape guide roller axially.
A tape drive to perform read or write operations with respect to a tape medium, comprising:
- a read or write head to read or write with respect to the tape medium;
- a tape guide roller to guide the tape medium with respect to the read or the write head, comprising:
- a roller barrel extending around a vertical axis, wherein the tape medium passes across the roller barrel to guide the tape medium on a tape path;
- an axle extending through the roller barrel;
- and
- at least one pair of opposing rings of passive magnetic bearings extending around the vertical axis and having opposite polarity, within an open space of the roller barrel, to provide an axial force to stabilize the tape guide roller axially, wherein each pair of rings of passive magnetic bearings are separated by a distance on the vertical axis.
A tape drive to perform read or write operations with respect to a tape medium, comprising:
- a read or write head to read or write with respect to the tape medium;
- a tape guide roller to guide the tape medium with respect to the read or the write head, comprising:
- a roller barrel extending around a vertical axis, wherein the roller barrel has an upper end and a lower end with respect to the vertical axis, wherein the tape medium passes across the roller barrel to guide the tape medium on a tape path;
- a first pair of magnets positioned along the vertical axis closer to the upper end than the lower end of the roller barrel;
- and
- a second pair of magnets positioned along the vertical axis closer to the lower end than the upper end of the roller barrel, wherein the first pair and the second pair of magnets are within an open space of the roller barrel and provide an axial force to stabilize the tape guide roller axially.
A tape guide roller to guide a tape medium with respect to a read or write head to read or write with respect to the tape medium, comprising:
- a housing, including:
- a roller barrel extending around a vertical axis, wherein the tape medium passes across the roller barrel to guide the tape medium on a tape path;
- an axle extending through the roller barrel;
- at least one pair of opposing rings of passive magnetic bearings extending around the vertical axis and having opposite polarity, within an open space of the roller barrel, to provide an axial force to stabilize the tape guide roller axially, wherein each pair of rings of passive magnetic bearings are separated by a distance on the vertical axis;
- and
- an opening in the housing exposing a surface of the roller barrel to engage the tape medium.
A tape guide roller to guide a tape medium with respect to a read or write head to read or write with respect to the tape medium, comprising:
- a housing, including:
- a roller barrel extending around a vertical axis, wherein the roller barrel has an upper end and a lower end with respect to the vertical axis, wherein the tape medium passes across the roller barrel to guide the tape medium on a tape path;
- an opening in the housing exposing a surface of the roller barrel to engage the tape medium;
- a first pair of magnets positioned along the vertical axis closer to the upper end than the lower end of the roller barrel;
- and
- a second pair of magnets positioned along the vertical axis closer to the lower end than the upper end of the roller barrel, wherein the first pair and the second pair of magnets are within an open space of the roller barrel and provide an axial force to stabilize the tape guide roller axially.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.