Retroreflective marker for data storage cartridge
AssigneeIomega Corporation
InventorFred C. Thomas, III
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cartridge for a data storage disk drive has a retroreflective marker. Light from a source is reflected from the marker almost exactly on its incident path. This property makes possible unique identification of the cartridge with minimal senstivity to light reflected from other surfaces. The marker enables a disk drive enable circuit so that the drive cannot be used with improper cartridges which might damage it. Also, a retroreflective marker is used for write protection of the cartridge.
Claims16
A cartridge for a data storage drive which has a source of irradiance and a detector of said irradiance for determining whether the cartridge is suitable for use in said drive, said cartridge comprising:
- a body;
- a data storage medium in said body;
- and
- a marker on said body, said marker being a retroreflective material which reflects irradiance from said source back toward said source for detection by said detector which thereby identifies said cartridge as being suitable for use in that drive.
The combination of a data storage drive and a cartridge for said drive, said drive comprising:
- a source of irradiance;
- a detector of reflected irradiance;
- and
- means for enabling said drive when reflected irradiance exceeds a predetermined level, said cartridge comprising:
- a body;
- a data storage medium in said body;
- and
- a retroreflective marker on said cartridge, said detector being connected to enable said means for enabling said disk drive when light from said retroreflective marker exceeds a predetermined level.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.