Leader pin seat for tape cartridges
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsRobert C. Aaron, Stephen V. Deckers, Tad D. Shupe
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A retention spring for a tape cartridge that both secures a leader pin and operates as a wide angle guide for directing the leader pin into the access port of the cartridge as the tape is being rewound onto the supply reel. The retention spring includes pairs of opposing guides, retention grooves, and binding elements. The guides define an entry for receiving a portion of the leader pin while the retention grooves define a retention slot for at least partially surrounding a portion of the leader pin. The binding elements each define a transition between one guide and one retention groove while providing resistance as the leader pin is urged between the entry and the retention slot.
Claims24
A retention spring for securing a leader pin on a tape within a tape cartridge, the retention spring comprising:
- a pair of opposing guides defining an entry for receiving a portion of the leader pin;
- a pair of opposing grooves defining a retention slot for at least partially surrounding a portion of the leader pin;
- and
- a pair of opposing resilient binding elements each defining a transition between one guide and one retention groove, the binding elements being configured to resist the leader pin as the leader pin is urged between the entry and the retention slot in either direction.
A leader pin seat for use in combination with a single reel tape cartridge having a supply reel enclosed by a cartridge housing having an access port and a data storage tape having a first end coupled to the supply reel and a second end coupled to a leader pin, the seat comprising:
- a first retention spring disposed within the access port at a location corresponding to one end of the leader pin;
- and
- a second retention spring disposed within the access port opposite the first retention spring at a location corresponding to another end of the leader pin.
A cartridge housing for a single reel tape cartridge comprising:
- a shell encompassing a supply reel having a data tape with a first end coupled to the supply reel and a second end coupled to a leader pin;
- a tape access port defined, at least in part, by the shell;
- retention walls formed on the inside walls of the shell within the access port, the retention walls forming channels;
- a pair of opposing retention springs configured to guide the leader pin into and secure the leader pin within the tape access port as the data tape is rewound onto the supply reel, each retention spring being at least partially contained within one channel and coupled to an inside wall of one shell.
A single reel tape cartridge, the cartridge comprising:
- a cartridge housing having a pair of opposing shells;
- a tape access port formed at least in part by the shells;
- a tape supply reel rotatable within the housing;
- a data storage tape having one end affixed to the supply reel and a second end coupled to a leader pin;
- retention walls formed on the inside walls of each shell within the access port, the retention walls forming channels;
- and
- a seat having a first retention spring disposed within the access port at a location corresponding to one end of the leader pin and a second retention spring disposed within the access port opposite the first retention spring at a location corresponding to another end of the leader pin.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.