Edge tensioning sloping tape guide for arcuately scanning tape drive

Abstract

A sloping tape guide is provided for an arcuately scanning tape drive so that tension per unit width of a magnetic tape is equalized in the head/tape contact zone on a front face of a head assembly of the arcuate scanner. The tape wraps over the circular edge of the magnetic head assembly. As a consequence, the tension per unit width is higher at the center of the tape that at the edges. The low tension at the edges of the tape results in poor head to tape contact in these regions and consequently unacceptable signal performance. This invention overcomes these difficulties by providing a means to equalize tension per unit width across the tape. The sloping tape guide has a front sloping flat surface which is bounded by top and bottom edges and first and second side edges, the first side edge being closer to the lat surface slopes rearwardly from its first edge to its second edge away from the periphery of the head assembly. The second edge is concave so that top and bottom edge portions of the sloping surface have a longer path length than a center portion of the sloping surface. By wrapping the tape around the second edge, the top and bottom edge portions of the magnetic tape traverse a longer tape path length than the middle portion of the magnetic tape thereby increasing tension per unit width at the edge portions of the tape as the tape makes transducing contact with the magnetic heads scanning across the width of the tape. Deadband portions at top and bottom edges of the tape are thereby eliminated to increase the efficiency of the arcuate scanner.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.