Tape drive corrosion protection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10249344-B2
Application number	US-201715475201-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 31, 2017
Priority date	Mar 31, 2017
Publication date	Apr 2, 2019
Grant date	Apr 2, 2019

Abstract

A system and method for corrosion protection of a tape drive. The system includes: the tape drive, a temperature sensor, a heating entity and a controller for activating the heating entity. The method includes: establishing, via the temperature sensor, temperature information indicative of a temperature in an area of, or within, the tape drive; receiving the temperature information at the controller; and activating the heating entity in a manner dependent on the temperature information established via the temperature sensor in order to prevent corrosion within the tape drive.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for corrosion protection of a tape drive based on a tape drive corrosion protection system, the system comprising the tape drive, a temperature sensor, a heating entity and a controller for activating the heating entity, said method comprising:
determining, via a humidity sensor, humidity information;
establishing, via the temperature sensor, temperature information indicative of a temperature in an area of, or within, the tape drive;
receiving the temperature information at the controller; and
activating the heating entity in a manner dependent on the temperature information established via the temperature sensor in order to prevent corrosion within the tape drive, said activating the heating entity being in response to a determination that the humidity information determined via the humidity sensor indicates that the relative humidity is above a specified relative humidity threshold value and the established temperature information indicates a temperature drop above a specified temperature drop value within a specified period of time.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said establishing temperature information comprises establishing temperature information indicative of the temperatures T t1 and T t2 in the area of, or within, the tape drive at different consecutive points in time t 1 and t 2 , respectively, wherein t 2 is later in time than t 1 , and wherein the method further comprises:
determining whether or not T t2 is less than T t1 .

3. The method of claim 1 , said method further comprising:
said controller activating the heating entity such that a drop of ambient air temperature of an environment surrounding the tape drive from a first temperature value to a second temperature value is reduced within the tape drive.

4. A method for corrosion protection of a tape drive based on a tape drive corrosion protection system, the system comprising the tape drive, a temperature sensor, a heating entity and a controller for activating the heating entity, said method comprising:
establishing, via the temperature sensor, temperature information indicative of a temperature in an area of, or within, the tape drive;
receiving the temperature information at the controller; and
activating the heating entity in a manner dependent on the temperature information established via the temperature sensor in order to prevent corrosion within the tape drive;
said controller receiving temperature information regarding a temperature drop from a first temperature value to a second temperature value; and
said heating entity providing heat to the tape drive such that the temperature within the tape drive rises to a temperature value above the second temperature value but below the first temperature value.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Asmussen Ole
• Beiderbeck Robert
• Rueger Erik
• Schaefer Markus

Classifications

• G11B33/1453

  by moisture · CPC title

• G11B25/06

  using web-form record carriers, e.g. tape · CPC title

• G11B5/82

  Disk carriers · CPC title

• G11B33/144 Primary

  by detection, control, regulation of the temperature · CPC title

• G11B5/40

  Protective measures on heads, e.g. against excessive temperature  (G11B5/31 takes precedence; protection against wear G11B5/255  {; protective structure of the head: see under structures, e.g. G11B5/3106}) · CPC title