Drive for handling multiple size information storage media cartridges and cartridges therefor
AssigneeImation Corp.
InventorsJames S. Anderson, Sten R. Gerfast, Warren W. Opheim, Robert W. Tapani, Hung T. Tran
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A drive can handle media cartridges of differing physical size provided the relative positioning of the drive/control mechanism and the media access opening for the cartridges can be held constant. Numerous possible structures and cartridges using this concept are disclosed.
Claims62
An information storage media container having a plurality of reference points for accurate positioning of the container, a housing of a first size containing information storage media and a drive/control mechanism for moving the media, the drive/control mechanism including a driven part, and the housing having a media access opening providing outside access to the media and a drive, opening providing outside access to the driven part, characterized in that
- a. the relative positions of the media access opening and the driven part are the same as for a second information storage media container having a second size;
- b. the portion of the housing having at least one of the media access opening and the drive opening is a different width than the analogous portion of the second information storage media container;
- c. the reference points are in the same relative positions to the media access opening and the driven part as the analogous reference points in the second container;
- and
- the container has a guide structure at at least one of the top and bottom thereof, the relative position of a side of the guide structure to the media access opening and the driven part being the same as the relative position of one side the second container to its media access opening and driven part.
A method of manufacturing a drive to handle multiple size cartridges, comprising:
- a. selecting an established cartridge standard for a first cartridge of a type in which the relative positions of a media access opening and a drive/control mechanism for the cartridge could be held constant even if the size of the cartridge was otherwise changed;
- b. designing and assembling a drive body having a head and a drive mechanism having the appropriate relative positions to engage the first cartridge;
- c. defining a second cartridge having the same relative positions for the media access opening and a drive/control mechanism as defined in the standard, but wherein the width of the portion of the second cartridge normally positioned inside the drive when in use in a drive is of a different size than that defined in the standard;
- d. defining and assembling a cartridge support structure which can support both the first and second cartridges in the correct position to engage the head and drive mechanism.
A data storage drive for accessing media in containers of at least two different front face widths, each container having a housing, a media access opening, a drive/control mechanism for moving the media with a driven part accessible from the outside of the housing and a plurality of reference points, the relative positions of at least the media access opening and the driven part being the same in the containers regardless of other aspects of their size, the drive comprising:
- a. a head for accessing the media through the media access opening;
- b. a driving motor engageable with the driven part to drive the drive/control mechanism;
- c. a support mechanism for positioning the media access opening and the drive/control mechanism of the different size containers a predefined position relative to the head and driving motor;
- and
- d. a rail on at least one side of the drive having a surface engageable with the side of each of the different size containers, and biasing means for biasing the rail toward the center of the drive and into engagement with the side of a container in the drive.
A data storage tape cartridge having a housing of a first size, containing data storage tape, a belt for moving the tape and a drive puck for moving the belt, and the housing having a media access opening providing outside access to the tape and a drive opening providing outside access to the drive puck, the media access opening and the drive opening being positioned on a front face of the housing, characterized in that:
- a. the relative positions of the media access opening and the drive puck are the same as those defined by an industry standard for a data storage tape cartridge, but with a second size;
- and
- b. the front face of the housing is wider than the front face defined by the standard.
A data storage drive for accessing media in containers of at least two different front face widths, each container having a housing, a media access opening, a drive/control mechanism for moving the media with a driven part accessible from the outside of the housing and a plurality of reference points, the relative positions of at least the media access opening and the driven part being the same in the containers regardless of other aspects of their size, and the first size container having a first support structure formed in at least one of the top and bottom surface of the container, one side of the support structure having the same position relative to the media access opening and driven part as the side of the second size container the drive comprising:
- a. a head for accessing the media through the media access opening;
- b. a driving motor engageable with the driven part to drive the drive/control mechanism;
- c. a support mechanism for positioning the media access opening and the drive/control mechanism of the different size containers at a predefined position relative to the head and driving motor, and
- d. a rail on at least one of the top and bottom sides of the drive having a surface engageable with the side of the support structure when the first size container is in the drive and engageable with the side of the second size container when the second size container is in the drive.
A data storage tape cartridge selectively positionable in a drive, comprising:
- a. a cover having a front, back, top and two sides;
- b. a baseplate having a top and bottom, and having reference points defined on the top and bottom thereof, the baseplate being mounted to the cover to form a housing;
- c. a media access opening formed in the housing;
- d. a drive opening formed in the housing;
- e. hubs rotatably mounted in the housing;
- f. tape media wrapped around the two hubs in the housing to form two tape packs, extending past the media access opening and accessible from the outside of the housing through the media access opening;
- g. a drive puck rotatably mounted in the housing and accessible from the outside of the housing through the drive opening;
- h. at least one belt roller rotatably mounted in the housing on the opposite side of the tape packs from the drive puck;
- and
- i. an elastic belt wrapped around the drive puck, belt roller and the tape such that the rotation of the drive puck will move the tape.
A data storage drive for accessing media in containers of at least two different front face widths, each container having a housing, a media access opening, a drive/control mechanism for moving the media with a driven part accessible from the outside of the housing and a plurality of reference points, the relative positions of at least the media access opening and the driven part being the same in the containers regardless of other aspects of their size, and further having a door with a main door body and an extension, the door being mounted to the housing by a pivot pin between the main door body and the extension, and pivotal between a closed position covering the media access opening and an open position exposing the media access opening, the drive comprising:
- a. a head for accessing the media through the media access opening;
- b. a driving motor engageable with the driven part to drive the drive/control mechanism;
- c. a support mechanism for positioning the media access opening and the drive/control mechanism of the different size containers a predefined position relative to the head and driving motor;
- d. a rod movably mounted in the drive and engageable with the door extension of either size cartridge upon insertion of the cartridge into the drive;
- and
- e. a biasing mechanism for biasing the rod toward the door extension while allowing the rod to retract as either size cartridge is inserted into the drive far enough to allow proper seating of the cartridge in the drive, while keeping the rod pressed against the door extension firmly enough to hold the door pivoted in its open position when the cartridge is so seated.
A data storage cartridge drive for use with a data cartridge, the cartridge having a door mounted pivotally thereon to be pivotal between an open and a closed position, the door having a main body on one side of the pivot and an extension on the other side of the pivot, and the drive comprising:
- a. a cartridge receiving area for selectively receiving a cartridge through one end thereof;
- b. a rod movably mounted in the drive substantially on the opposite side of the cartridge receiving area from the one end, and engageable with the door extension of a cartridge upon insertion of a cartridge into the drive;
- and
- c. a biasing mechanism for biasing the rod toward the door extension while allowing the rod to retract as a cartridge is inserted into the cartridge receiving area far enough to allow proper seating of the cartridge in the drive, while keeping the rod pressed against the door extension firmly enough to hold the door pivoted in its open position when the cartridge is so seated.
A method of manufacturing a drive to handle multiple size cartridges, comprising:
- a. selecting an established cartridge standard for a first cartridge of a type having a housing containing media, a media access opening formed in the housing through which the media can be accessed from the outside of the housing, a drive/control mechanism for controlling motion of the media within the cartridge, and a drive opening formed in the housing through which the drive/control mechanism can be accessed from the outside of the housing, and in which the relative positions of the media access opening and drive opening of the cartridge could be held constant even if the size and shape of the cartridge was otherwise changed;
- b. designing and assembling a drive chassis having a head and a drive mechanism having the appropriate relative positions to engage the media and drive/control mechanism of the first cartridge;
- c. defining a second cartridge having the same relative positions for the media access opening and drive opening as defined in the standard, but a different housing size than that defined in the standard, and including a support structure matching the size and position of sides of the cartridge defined in the standard;
- d. defining and assembling a cartridge support mechanism in the drive which can support both the first and second cartridges in the correct position to engage the head and drive/control mechanism of both size cartridges through the media access opening and drive opening, by engaging the sides of the first cartridge, and the support structure of the second cartridge.
A data storage tape cartridge having a housing of a first size, containing data storage tape, a belt for moving the tape and a drive puck for moving the belt, and the housing having a media access opening providing outside access to the tape and a drive opening providing outside access to the drive puck, the media access opening and the drive opening being positioned on a front face of the housing, characterized in that:
- a. the relative positions of the media access opening and the drive puck are the same as those defined by an industry standard for a data storage tape cartridge, but a second size;
- and
- b. the width of at least a portion of the housing of the cartridge which would normally be positioned inside the drive when used therewith is different from the width defined by the industry standard for the analogous part of the industry standard cartridge.
A data storage tape cartridge selectively positionable in a drive, comprising:
- a. a housing having a top, a bottom and a size;
- b. a media access opening formed in the housing;
- c drive opening formed in the housing;
- d. two hubs rotatably mounted in the housing;
- e. tape media wrapped around the two hubs in the housing to form two tape packs, extending past the media access opening and accessible from the outside of the housing through the media access opening;
- f. a drive puck rotatably mounted in the housing and accessible from the outside of the housing through the drive opening;
- g. at least one belt roller rotatably mounted in the housing on the opposite side of the tape packs from the drive puck;
- h. an elastic belt wrapped around the drive puck, the tape packs and the belt roller such that rotation of the drive puck will move the tape;
- and
- i. shoulders formed in the top of the housing to assist in guiding the cartridge upon insertion into the drive, the distance between the shoulders being substantially the same as the distance defined by an industry standard for the top side edges of a data cartridge having a different size.
A data storage tape cartridge selectively positionable in a drive, comprising:
- a. a cover having a front,back, top and two sides;
- b. a baseplate having a top and bottom, the baseplate being mounted to the cover to form a housing, the width of at least a portion of the housing which would normally be positioned inside the drive when used therewith being different from the width defined by an industry standard for a data cartridge;
- c. a media access opening formed in the housing;
- d. a drive opening formed in the housing;
- e. hubs rotatably mounted in the housing;
- f. tape media wrapped around the two hubs in the housing to form two tape packs, extending past the media access opening and accessible from the outside of the housing through the media access opening;
- g. a drive puck rotatably mounted in the housing and accessible from the outside of the housing through the drive opening;
- h. at least one belt roller rotatably mounted in the housing on the opposite side of the tape packs from the drive puck;
- and
- i. an elastic belt wrapped around the drive puck, belt roller and the tape such that the rotation of the drive puck will move the tape.
A data storage cartridge drive for use with a data cartridge, the drive comprising:
- a. a cartridge receiving area for selectively receiving a cartridge through one end thereof;
- b. a drive door pivotally mounted contiguous to the end of the cartridge receiving area and pivotal between a closed position closing the end of the cartridge receiving area and an open position allowing a cartridge to be inserted through the end into the cartridge receiving area;
- and
- c. a support mechanism formed on a face of the door, the support mechanism engaging a cartridge to guide the cartridge into the cartridge receiving area when the door is pivoted into the open position.
A data storage drive for accessing media in at least two types of data cartridges, each cartridge having a housing, a media access opening, and a drive/control mechanism for moving the media with a driven part accessible from the outside of the housing, wherein the widths of at a least a portion of the housings of the cartridges which normally are positioned inside the drive when used therewith are different, the relative positions of at least the media access opening and the driven part are the same regardless of other aspects of their size and at least the first type of data cartridges has a support structure formed therein having the same position relative to the media access opening and the driven part as a side of the second type of data cartridge, the drive comprising:
- a. a head for accessing the media through the media access opening;
- b. a driving motor engageable with the driven part to drive the drive/control mechanism;
- and
- c. a support mechanism for engaging the support structure of the first type of data cartridge or the side of the second type of data cartridge to position the media access opening and the drive/control mechanism of either type of cartridge at a predefined position relative to the head and driving motor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.