Pivoting lever cam guide tape head positioner

A tape drive for recording data onto a magnetic recording tape, and reading data from the tape, via a magnetic head structure across which the tape is moving along a tape path within the drive, wherein the magnetic head structure is positionable transversely relative to the direction of tape travel along the tape path in order to register with a multiplicity of lineal tape track positions, the tape drive comprising:

• a support base,
• a head carriage positionable relative to the support base and laterally relative to the tape path,
• coarse positioning means mounted to the support base for moving the head carriage laterally relative to the tape path to position the head carriage at a selected one of multiple tape track positions in accordance with coarse positioning information,
• a head guide defined by the head carriage for guiding the magnetic head structure transversely relative to the direction of tape travel, the magnetic head structure being slidably mounted to the head guide,
• fine positioning means pivotally mounted at a pivot axis to the head carriage and having a cam engaging a cam follower of the head structure for displacing the magnetic head structure along the head guide,
• fine position actuator means mounted to the head carriage and responsive to fine position correction information for rotating the fine positioning means along a locus of limited rotational displacement for adjusting head structure displacement generally laterally relative to the tape path about the rotational pivot axis in order to enable the head to follow more precisely a particular recording track of a magnetic recording tape traveling along the tape path.

A coarse and fine lateral head positioner for positioning a magnetic read/write head structure within a tape drive having a base and a predetermined tape transport path relative to the base and across the head structure, the positioner comprising:

• a stepper motor mounted to the base,
• a threaded lead screw rotated by the stepper motor,
• a head carriage assembly including a threaded follower nut engaging the lead screw and including a follower surface for following a registration feature extending from the base as the lead screw is rotated and the carriage assembly moves transversely relative to the tape transport path,
• a tape head guide defined by the head carriage assembly extending transversely relative to the tape transport path,
• the magnetic read/write head structure slidably mounted onto the tape head guide,
• a rigid beam structure pivotally mounted to the head carriage for limited rotational displacement transversely relative to the tape transport path,
• the rigid beam structure having at least one cam for guiding a cam follower of the head,
• a voice coil actuator having a fixed part mounted to the head carriage assembly and a moving part coupled to rotate the beam structure,
• the stepper motor for providing lateral coarse head position control, and the voice coil motor for providing lateral fine position control, of the head structure relative to the tape path, such that the head structure is coarsely positioned laterally among multiple sets of parallel tracks defined along a longitudinal direction of a magnetic tape moving along the tape transport path, and finely positioned to follow precisely a particular set of parallel tracks of the tape during a data writing or reading operation.

A tape head actuator assembly adapted to move a tape head relative to a tape that moves along a tape path, the actuator assembly comprising:

• a frame;
• a tape head guide secured to the frame, the tape head guide being adapted to guide movement of the tape head so that the tape head moves transversely relative to the tape path along the guide;
• a lever that pivots relative to the frame, the lever including a head guiding cam region that is coupled to the tape head so that movement of the head guiding cam region results in movement of the tape head transversely relative to the tape path along the tape head guide;
• and
• a motor coupled to the lever, the motor being adapted to move the lever and the head guiding cam region.