Techniques for compensating for high initial unloading force requirement in tape cartridge-loading mechanism

A tape cartridge loader, for automatically loading a tape cartridge into a tape drive for reading and writing data on a tape within the cartridge, the loader comprising:

• a base;
• a frame housing secured to the base;
• a conveyor mounted for linear motion in a first direction within the frame housing during loading of the tape cartridge and for linear motion in a second direction within the frame housing during unloading of the tape cartridge,
• an actuator system coupled to the conveyor, automatically driven for inducing linear motion of the conveyor in the first and second directions;
• a shuttle for receiving the tape cartridge;
• at least one cam profile and at least one cam follower bearing, coupling the shuttle to the conveyor, for moving the shuttle to and from a position within the loader in which a gear within the tape cartridge engages a gear coupled to a drive motor of the tape drive in response to the linear motions of the conveyor during loading and unloading of the tape cartridge, respectively;
• and
• at least one spring for producing a force opposing movement of the shuttle to said position and assisting movement of the shuttle from said position in such manner as to assist in separating the gear within the tape cartridge from the gear coupled to the drive motor,
• wherein the at least one cam profile comprises:
• a first inclined section having a high pressure angle for inducing a substantial portion of the motion of the at least one cam follower bearing and the shuttle toward said position;
• and
• a second section having a low pressure angle for inducing additional motion of the at least one cam follower bearing and the shuttle to reach said position and overcome the opposing force produced by the at least one spring.

A tape cartridge loader, for automatically loading a tape cartridge into a tape drive for reading and writing data on a tape within the cartridge, the loader comprising:

• a base;
• a frame housing secured to the base;
• a conveyor mounted for linear motion in a first direction within the frame housing during loading of the tape cartridge and for linear motion in a second direction within the frame housing during unloading of the tape cartridge,
• an actuator system coupled to the conveyor, automatically driven for inducing linear motion of the conveyor in the first and second directions;
• a shuttle for receiving the tape cartridge;
• at least one cam profile and at least one cam follower bearing, coupling the shuttle to the conveyor, for moving the shuttle to and from a position within the loader in which a gear within the tape cartridge engages a gear coupled to a drive motor of the tape drive in response to the linear motions of the conveyor during loading and unloading of the tape cartridge, respectively;
• and
• at least one spring for producing a force opposing movement of the shuttle to said position and assisting movement of the shuttle from said position in such manner as to assist in separating the gear within the tape cartridge from the gear coupled to the drive motor, wherein the at least one spring comprises a compression spring attached to the base for compression by the shuttle as it moves to said position.

A tape cartridge loader, for automatically loading a tape cartridge into a tape drive for reading and writing data on a tape within the cartridge, the loader comprising:

• a base;
• a frame housing secured to the base;
• a conveyor mounted for linear motion in a first direction within the frame housing during loading of the tape cartridge and for linear motion in a second direction within the frame housing during unloading of the tape cartridge,
• an actuator system coupled to the conveyor, automatically driven for inducing linear motion of the conveyor in the first and second directions;
• a shuttle for receiving the tape cartridge;
• at least one cam profile and at least one cam follower bearing, coupling the shuttle to the conveyor, for moving the shuttle to and from a position within the loader in which a gear within the tape cartridge engages a gear coupled to a drive motor of the tape drive in response to the linear motions of the conveyor during loading and unloading of the tape cartridge, respectively;
• and
• a pair of springs attached to the base for producing a force opposing movement of the shuttle to said position and assisting movement of the shuttle from said position in such manner as to assist in separating the gear within the tape cartridge from the gear coupled to the drive motor.

A tape cartridge loader, for loading a tape cartridge into a tape drive for reading and writing data on a tape within the cartridge, the tape loader comprising:

• a conveyor mounted for linear motion, the conveyor having opposing first and second sidewalls, a first cam profile in the first sidewall, and a second cam profile in the second sidewall;
• a shuttle for receiving the tape cartridge;
• a first cam follower bearing attached to a first side of the shuttle in cam engagement with the first cam profile;
• a second cam follower bearing attached to a second side of the shuttle opposite to the first side of the shuttle, the second cam follower bearing being in engagement with the second cam profile, wherein:
• the second cam follower bearing is larger than the first cam follower bearing, and
• the first and second cam profiles are contoured so that interaction of the first and second cam follower bearings respectively with the first and second cam profiles during unloading of the tape cartridge from the loader provides a difference between forces on opposing sides of the tape cartridge.

A tape cartridge loader, for loading a tape cartridge into a tape drive for reading and writing data on a tape within the cartridge, the tape loader comprising:

• a conveyor mounted for linear motion, the conveyor having opposing first and second sidewalls, a first cam profile in the first sidewall, and a second cam profile in the second sidewall;
• a shuttle for receiving the tape cartridge;
• a first cam follower bearing attached to a first side of the shuttle in cam engagement with the first cam profile;
• a second cam follower bearing attached to a second side of the shuttle opposite to the first side of the shuttle, the second cam follower bearing being in engagement with the second cam profile, wherein:
• the second cam follower bearing is larger than the first cam follower bearing,
• the first and second cam profiles are contoured so that interaction of the first and second cam follower bearings respectively with the first and second cam profiles during unloading of the tape cartridge from the loader provides different forces on opposing sides of the tape cartridge, and
• the first and second cam profiles are contoured such that motion of the conveyor during unloading causes the first cam profile to apply force through the first cam follower bearing to the shuttle prior to the second cam profile applying force through the second cam follower bearing to the shuttle.

A tape cartridge loader, for loading a tape cartridge into a tape drive for reading and writing data on a tape within the cartridge, the tape loader comprising:

• a frame housing;
• a conveyor mounted for linear motion within the frame housing, the conveyor having opposing first and second sidewalls, a first cam profile in the first sidewall, and a second cam profile in the second sidewall;
• a shuttle for receiving the tape cartridge;
• a first cam follower bearing attached to a first side of the shuttle in cam engagement with the first cam profile;
• a second cam follower bearing attached to a second side of the shuttle opposite to the first side of the shuttle, the second cam follower bearing being in engagement with the second cam profile, wherein:
• the second cam follower bearing is larger than the first cam follower bearing,
• the first and second cam profiles are contoured so that interaction of the first and second cam follower bearings respectively with the first and second cam profiles during unloading of the tape cartridge from the loader provides different forces on opposing sides of the tape cartridge,
• the frame housing comprises a path constraint groove comprising a first section parallel to the linear motion of the conveyor and a second section perpendicular to the first section;
• and
• one of the cam follower bearings also interacts with the path constraint groove to limit motion of the shuttle to a path defined by the path constraint groove.

A tape drive for a data tape cartridge comprising:

• a tape drive motor;
• a tape drive gear coupled for rotation by the tape drive motor;
• a magnet secured to the tape drive gear for magnetically attracting a gear within the tape cartridge;
• and
• an automatic loader for loading the tape cartridge such that the tape drive gear engages the gear within the tape cartridge and for unloading the tape cartridge from engagement and from the tape drive, the automatic loader comprising:
• (a) a frame housing;
• (b) a conveyor mounted for linear motion in a first direction within the frame housing during loading of the tape cartridge and for linear motion in a second direction within the frame housing during unloading of the tape cartridge, the conveyor having first and second sidewalls, a first groove formed in the first sidewall, and a second groove formed in the second sidewall, each of the first and second grooves having a cam profile for loading and a cam profile for unloading;
• (c) an actuator coupled to the conveyor, automatically driven for inducing linear motion of the conveyor in the first and second directions;
• (d) a shuttle for receiving the tape cartridge;
• (e) a first cam follower bearing, attached to a first side of the shuttle, for cam engagement with the cam profiles of the first groove;
• and
• (f) a second cam follower bearing, attached to a second side of the shuttle opposite to the first side of the shuttle, for engagement with the cam profiles of the second groove, the second cam follower bearing being larger than the first cam follower bearing, wherein:
• the loading cam profiles of the first and second grooves are contoured so that interaction with the first and second cam follower bearings respectively during tape cartridge loading induces a motion of the shuttle for retracting the tape cartridge into the frame housing and into engagement of the gear within the tape cartridge with the tape drive gear, and
• the unloading cam profiles of the first and second grooves are contoured so that interaction with the first and second cam follower bearings respectively during unloading of the tape cartridge from the loader provides different forces on opposing sides of the tape cartridge, to assist in overcoming attraction and engagement by the magnet and in separation of the gear within the tape cartridge from engagement with the tape drive gear.