Tape drive cleaner

An apparatus for cleaning a tape drive unit having a read and/or write head and a capstan, the apparatus comprising:

• (a) a housing having top, bottom, side, forward and rearward walls, said housing being configured to be received within a tape drive unit;
• (b) a drive wheel engageable with a capstan, said drive wheel being rotatably secured within said housing about a generally vertical axis;
• (c) a head cleaner movably secured within said housing, said head cleaner including a cleaning element that moves vertically as said head cleaner moves, said head cleaner being operatively engaged to said drive wheel and said head cleaner including a cleaning arm comprising:
• (1) a first portion pivotally secured to said housing about an axis substantially parallel to said bottom wall, said first portion including a tab engaging said cam,
• (2) a second portion extending forwardly from said first portion and holding said cleaning element, said second portion of said arm being slidable with respect to said first portion, and
• (3) a spring between said first and second portions biasing said second portion forwardly;
• and
• (d) a cam rotatably secured within said housing and slidably engaged with said head cleaner.

An apparatus for cleaning a tape drive unit having a drive element and a read and/or write head, the apparatus comprising:

• (a) a housing arranged and configured to be received within a tape drive unit, said housing having top, bottom, side, forward, and rearward walls, at least one of said top and bottom walls including a first groove therein, said first groove defining a continuous, closed path having both lateral and longitudinal components, first and second pairs of points, a forward path and a return path, said forward path extending between said first pair of points and said return path extending between said second pair of points and not along said first pair of points;
• (b) a reciprocating carriage including a cleaning member selectively engageable with the head of a tape drive unit when the housing is in a tape drive unit, said carriage including a first guide post engageable with said first groove to follow said path as said carriage reciprocates;
• and
• (c) a drive mechanism engageable with a drive element of a tape drive unit and coupled to said carriage to move said carriage such that said guide post moves along said path;
• said guide post, said first groove, said reciprocating carriage, said drive mechanism, and said cleaning member being arranged such that when said housing is in said tape drive unit and said drive mechanism causes said guide post to move along said path, said cleaning member engages and moves along a head of the tape drive unit as said guide post moves along said forward path of said first groove, and does not engage said head of the tape drive unit as said guide post moves along said return path.

An apparatus for cleaning a tape drive unit having a read and/or write head defining first and second edges thereon and a capstan, the apparatus comprising:

• (a) a housing having a top, bottom, side, forward and rearward walls, said housing being configured to be received within a tape drive unit;
• (b) a reciprocating carriage having a cleaning member mounted thereon;
• and
• (c) a drive mechanism engageable with a capstan of a tape drive unit when the housing is in a tape drive unit and coupled to said carriage such that rotation of a capstan when the housing is in a tape drive unit causes said carriage to move in a reciprocating path, the reciprocating path being defined such that during the movement of the carriage said cleaning member engages the first edge of a head of a tape drive unit and wipes across the head to the second edge of the head, the cleaning head then moving away from the head and returning to engage the first edge of the head.

An apparatus for cleaning a tape drive unit having a read and/or write head and a drive element, the apparatus comprising:

• (a) a housing arranged and configured to be received within a tape drive unit, said housing having top, bottom, and side walls, a forward side configured to oppose a head when the apparatus is received in a tape drive unit, and a rearward side opposite the forward side;
• (b) a vertically reciprocating head cleaner movably coupled within said housing, said head cleaner including:
• (1) a cleaning element attached thereto for vertical movement with said head cleaner relative to said housing, said cleaning element being arranged and configured to contact a head of a tape drive unit when the apparatus is received in a tape drive unit;
• and
• (2) a first portion pivotally secured to said housing about an axis substantially parallel to said bottom wall, said first portion including a cam follower attached thereto for vertical movement with said head cleaner;
• (3) a second portion extending forwardly from said first portion and holding said cleaning element, and wherein said second portion of said arm is slidable with respect to said first portion;
• and
• (4) a spring between said first and second portions biasing said second portion forwardly;
• and
• (c) a drive mechanism coupled within said housing, said drive mechanism being configured to engage a drive element of a tape drive unit when the apparatus is received in a tape drive unit and the drive mechanism being configured to engage said cam follower and cause vertical reciprocation of said head cleaner when said housing is received within a tape drive unit.

An apparatus for cleaning a tape drive unit having a read and/or write head and a drive element, the apparatus comprising:

• (a) a housing arranged and configured to be received within a tape drive unit, said housing having top, bottom, and side walls, a forward side configured to oppose a head when the apparatus is received in a tape drive unit, and a rearward side opposite the forward side;
• (b) a vertically reciprocating head cleaner movably coupled within said housing, said head cleaner including:
• a cleaning element attached thereto for vertical movement with said head cleaner relative to said housing, said cleaning element being arranged and configured to contact a head of a tape drive unit when the apparatus is received in a tape drive unit;
• and
• (c) a drive mechanism coupled within said housing, said drive mechanism comprising:
• (1) a drive wheel configured to engage a drive element of a tape drive unit when the apparatus is received in a tape drive unit;
• (2) a cam mounted for rotation by the drive wheel and engaged with said head cleaner;
• (3) a cam gear secured to said cam for rotation therewith;
• (4) an intermediate gear engaged with said cam gear and operatively coupled to said drive wheel, movement of a drive element of a tape drive unit in which the housing is receiving causing the cam to cause vertical reciprocation of said head cleaner.