Two-sided compliant tape guide
AssigneeImation Corp.
InventorsG. Phillip Rambosek, Leif O. Erickson, William J. Vanderheyden
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Abstract
A data storage cartridge includes a length of magnetic tape wound on a pair of tape reels within a housing to define a tape path. A tape guide disposed along a portion of the tape path includes a top and bottom flange. Each flange is resilient so that it acts to resiliently guide an edge of the tape. This minimizes violent crashes of a tape edge against the tape guide. Each flange may have a plurality of spaced resilient finger guides for directly contacting the edges of the tape. The finger guides serve to independently exert a force on the edges of the tape, thereby guiding the tape.
Claims15
A data storage cartridge, comprising:
- a cartridge housing;
- a pair of tape reels rotatably mounted in the housing on spaced, substantially parallel axes;
- a length of magnetic tape having two edges wound on the reels such that a portion of the tape extends from one reel to the other along a tape path;
- and
- a tape guide disposed along a portion of the tape path, the tape guide comprising a top resilient flange and a bottom resilient flange, wherein each of the flanges includes a plurality of spaced resilient finger guides for directly contacting the edges of the tape, wherein each finger guide is operative to exert a force of less than 0.5 grams, whereby each finger guide is operative to independently exert a force on the edges of the tape.
A tape guide for guiding a length of magnetic data storage tape having two edges along a tape path, the tape guide having top and bottom flanges for contacting the edges of the tape, wherein both of the flanges are resilient, wherein both flanges have a plurality of spaced resilient finger guides for directly contacting the edges of the tape, and wherein each finger guide is operative to exert a force of less than 0.5 grams, whereby both edges of the tape are guided by the finger guides.
A data storage cartridge comprising:
- a housing;
- at least one tape reel;
- a length of magnetic tape having two edges wound on the at least one tape reel and extending along a tape path;
- and
- at least one tape guide disposed along the tape path, the tape guide comprising a top and bottom resilient flange for contacting the edges of the tape, wherein at least one of the flanges includes a plurality of spaced resilient finger guides for directly contacting one edge of the tape, wherein each finger guide is operative to exert a force of less than 0.5 grams, whereby each finger guide is operative to independently exert a force on said one edge of the tape.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.