Positive engagement buckle for a tape drive and cartridge

A combination comprising:

• a tape drive including a take-up leader;
• a cartridge including a cartridge leader;
• and
• a buckle which secures the take-up leader of the tape drive to the cartridge leader of the cartridge, the buckle including (i) a first buckle component secured to one of the leaders, the first buckle component including a pair of spaced apart bar sections;
• and (ii) a second buckle component secured to the other one of the leaders, the second buckle component including a pair of spaced apart receivers, each receiver being sized and shaped to receive a portion of one of the bar sections to couple the take-up leader to the cartridge leader, each receiver including a bottom;
• and wherein the bottom of the first receiver faces the bottom of the second receiver.

A cartridge adapted for use with a tape drive, the tape drive having a take-up leader including a bar shaped buckle bar, the buckle bar having a pair of bar ends which cantilever transversely from opposed edges of the take-up leader, the cartridge comprising:

• a cartridge housing;
• a storage tape including a cartridge leader;
• and
• a first receiver and a second receiver secured to the cartridge leader, each receiver being adapted to receive a portion of one of the bar ends to couple the take-up leader to the cartridge leader.

A cartridge adapted for use with a tape drive, the tape drive having a take-up leader including a pair of spaced apart receivers, the cartridge comprising:

• a cartridge housing;
• a storage tape including a cartridge leader;
• and
• a bar shaped, buckle bar secured to the cartridge leader, the buckle bar including a pair of bar ends which cantilever transversely from opposed leader edges of the cartridge leader, each bar end being adapted to engage one of the receivers to couple the cartridge leader to the take-up leader.

A tape drive adapted for use with a cartridge, the cartridge having a cartridge leader including a bar shaped buckle bar, the buckle bar having a pair of bar ends which cantilever transversely from opposed edges of the take-up leader, the tape drive comprising:

• a drive housing;
• a take-up reel including a take-up leader;
• and
• a first receiver and a spaced apart second receiver secured to the take-up leader, each receiver being adapted to receive a portion of one of the bar ends to couple the take-up leader to the cartridge leader.

A tape drive adapted for use with a cartridge, the tape drive having a cartridge leader including a pair of spaced apart receivers, the tape drive comprising:

• a drive housing;
• a take-up reel including a take-up leader;
• and
• a bar shaped, buckle bar secured to the take-up leader, the buckle bar including a pair of bar ends which cantilever transversely from opposed leader edges of the cartridge leader, each bar end being adapted to engage one of the receivers to couple the cartridge leader to the take-up leader.

A tape drive adapted for alternate use with a first cartridge and a second cartridge, the first cartridge having a first cartridge leader and the second cartridge having a second cartridge leader, the tape drive comprising:

• a drive housing;
• a take-up reel;
• and
• a take-up leader secured to the take-up reel, the take-up leader including two alternate buckle components, one of the buckle components being adapted to secure the take-up leader to the first cartridge leader while the other buckle component is adapted to secure the take-up leader to the second cartridge leader.

A combination comprising:

• a tape drive including a take-up leader;
• a cartridge including a cartridge leader;
• and
• a buckle which secures the take-up leader of the tape drive to the cartridge leader of the cartridge, the buckle including (i) a first buckle component secured to one of the leaders, the first buckle component including a buckle bar, the buckle bar having a pair of bar ends which cantilever transversely from opposed edges of the leader;
• and (ii) a second buckle component secured to the other one of the leaders, the second buckle component including a first receiver and a second receiver, each receiver being is sized and shaped to receive a portion of one of the bar ends to couple the take-up leader to the cartridge leader.

A combination comprising:

• a tape drive including a take-up leader;
• a cartridge including a cartridge leader;
• and
• a buckle which secures the take-up leader of the tape drive to the cartridge leader of the cartridge, the buckle including (i) a first buckle component secured to one of the leaders, the first buckle component including a bar shaped first bar section and a bar shaped, second bar section spaced apart from the first bar section (ii) a second buckle component secured to the other one of the leaders, the second buckle component including a first receiver and a second receiver, each receiver being sized and shaped to receive a portion of one of the bar sections to couple the take-up leader to the cartridge leader;
• wherein each receiver includes a clasp which is sized and shaped to substantially encircle a portion of one of the bar sections.

A combination comprising:

• a tape drive including a take-up leader;
• a cartridge including a cartridge leader;
• and
• a buckle which secures the take-up leader of the tape drive to the cartridge leader of the cartridge, the buckle including (i) a first buckle component secured to one of the leaders, the first buckle component including a pair of spaced apart bar sections;
• and (ii) a second buckle component secured to the other one of the leaders, the second buckle component including a pair of spaced apart channels, each channel being sized and shaped to receive a portion of one of the bar sections to couple the take-up leader to the cartridge leader, wherein at least one of the channels includes a bump which inhibits movement of the bar section in the channel.