Data transfer apparatus for use with tape cartridges having a helical cammed surface and tape cartridges having cammed surface for use with such data transfer apparatus
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsPhilip Turner, James West, Mark Digby Teucher, Andrew Mark Fernihough, Mark Dillon
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tape cartridge includes a housing and a tape reel that is rotatable about an axis of rotation. The tape reel is adapted to cooperably engage a reel drive member of a data transfer apparatus that, in use, applies a drive torque to the tape reel to rotate the tape reel about the axis of rotation. The cooperable engagement of the tape reel and reel drive member is such as to secure the tape reel to the reel drive member to at least substantially prevent tipping of the tape reel with respect to the reel drive member.
Claims17
A tape cartridge comprising a tape reel that is rotatable about an axis of rotation and adapted to cooperably engage a reel drive member of a data transfer apparatus which, in use, applies a drive torque to the tape reel to rotate the tape reel about said axis of rotation, said tape reel having opposite ends with a centre height that is midway between said ends and being adapted to receive a free end portion of a said reel drive member through one of said ends such that said cooperable engagement between the tape reel and the reel drive member takes place internally of the tape reel at a location or locations between said centre height and said one of the ends, and said cooperable engagement being such as to secure the tape reel to the reel drive member to at least substantially prevent tipping of the tape reel with respect to said reel drive member;
- wherein said tape reel comprises at least one camming surface that extends helically with respect to the axis of rotation and that is cooperably engageable by said reel drive member to secure the tape reel to the reel drive member.
A data transfer apparatus for use with tape cartridges comprising a tape reel, said apparatus being arranged to receive at a loaded position tape cartridges containing a tape having a specified width wound on a tape reel that has opposed ends and a centre height that is midway between said ends and comprising a reel drive member for cooperably engaging a said tape reel of a tape cartridge received at said loaded position, said reel drive member having a portion for entering the tape reel through one of said ends such that said cooperable engagement between the tape reel and reel drive member takes place internally of the tape reel at a location or locations disposed between said centre height and said one of the ends and said cooperable engagement being such as to secure the tape reel to the reel drive member to at least substantially prevent tipping of the tape reel with respect to the reel drive member when, in use, said reel drive member applies a torque to rotate said tape reel about said axis of rotation;
- wherein said reel drive member comprises a first part that, in use, cooperably engages the tape reel and a second part on which said first part is mounted, said first and second parts being arranged such that said first part is axially slideable relative to said second part and the second part can transmit said torque to the first part.
A method of operating a data transfer apparatus for use with tape cartridges, said method comprising bringing a tape reel of a said tape cartridge that is rotatable about an axis of rotation into cooperable engagement with a reel drive member of the data transfer apparatus such that the tape reel is secured to the reel drive member by, in part, at least one helical camming surface provided on said tape reel such as to at least substantially prevent tipping of the tape reel with respect to the reel drive member, the tape reel having opposed ends and a centre height midway between said ends and being adapted to receive a free end portion of the reel drive member and said cooperable engagement between the tape reel and the reel drive member being at a location or locations between said centre height and an opening through which said free end portion enters the tape reel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.