Take-up reel lock
AssigneeQuantum Corporation
InventorGreg Hertrich
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A locking system for preventing a take-up reel of a tape drive from rotating when a tape cartridge is not inserted to the drive. Locking elements are defined about the take-up reel, a buckling mechanism, and a load ring to interact and provide locking engagement to prevent take-up reel rotation. The take-up reel, buckling mechanism and load ring rotate in concert during insertion and removal of the cartridge and are positioned relative to each other such that as the tape cartridge is inserted to the tape drive, locking elements disengage to enable rotation of the take-up reel. As the cartridge is inserted into the drive, locking elements return to locking engagement.
Claims17
A locking mechanism for preventing a rotatable take-up reel, defined within a tape drive, from rotating, the locking mechanism comprising:
- a first locking element defined on a flange in the take-up reel;
- a second locking element defined about a rotatable buckling cam, the buckling cam being mounted in the tape drive, relative the take-up reel, such that the first locking element and the second locking element rotate into engagement, preventing the take-up reel from rotating when a tape cartridge is removed from the tape drive.
A tape drive for receiving and operating upon an insertable tape cartridge, comprising:
- a first locking element defined about a take-up reel, the take-up reel being rotatably mounted to the tape drive;
- a take-up leader attached to the take-up reel;
- a second locking element defined about a buckling mechanism, the buckling mechanism for holding and joining the take-up leader with a cartridge leader defined with data storage tape wound within the tape cartridge, the buckling mechanism being positioned relative the take-up reel such that the first locking element and the second locking element engage, preventing the take-up reel from rotating in a first direction when the tape cartridge is removed from the tape drive.
In a tape drive having a rotatable reel mounted therein, a take up leader attached to the reel, a rotatable buckling mechanism for holding and joining the take-up leader with a cartridge leader defined in an insertable tape cartridge, a method for preventing the take-up reel from rotating when the tape cartridge is removed from the tape drive comprising:
- defining a first locking element about a flange on the take-up reel;
- defining a complementary second locking element about the buckling mechanism such that the first locking element and the second locking element are engaged, preventing the take-up reel from rotating in a first direction;
- engaging the take-up leader with the buckling mechanism when the cartridge is removed to prevent the take-up reel from rotating in a second direction.
A method of manufacturing a tape drive having a locking mechanism for preventing a rotatable take-up reel from rotating comprising the steps of:
- providing a housing for mounting:
- the rotatable take-up reel, including a take-up leader attached thereon;
- a head assembly for reading from and writing to data storage tape;
- a rotatable buckling cam for releasably holding the take-up leader;
- a rotatable buckling arm for urging the take-up leader into buckling engagement with a cartridge leader;
- rotatable load ring adjacent the buckling cam;
- defining an opening in the housing for receiving an removable tape cartridge;
- defining a first locking element about a flange on the take-up reel;
- and
- defining a second locking element about the buckling cam such that the first locking element and the second locking element are rotatable into engagement, preventing the take-up reel from rotating in a first direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.