Data storage tape cartridge

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10957356-B2
Application number	US-201816199376-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 26, 2018
Priority date	Nov 26, 2018
Publication date	Mar 23, 2021
Grant date	Mar 23, 2021

Abstract

A data storage tape cartridge includes a housing having a reel within and rotatably supported by the housing. Two or more data storage tapes are wound up on the same rotary axis of the reel. Each subsequent winding of a first one of the tapes is separated from the previous winding of the first tape by at least another one of the other tapes. A leader pin is attached to a free end of each of the tapes. The leader pins may be connected to one another. The leader pins may be disconnected from one another as part of process for mounting the cartridge in a tape drive.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A data storage tape cartridge, comprising:
a housing;
a reel, the reel being rotatably supported by the housing;
at least two data storage tapes, the tapes being wound up on a same rotary axis of the reel, wherein each subsequent winding of a first one of the tapes is separated from a previous winding of the first tape by at least one second tape of the tapes; and
at least two leader pins, each free end of each tape being attached to one of the leader pins.

2. The tape cartridge of claim 1 , wherein each of the leader pins further comprises a joining structure to detachably join the leader pins with each other.

3. The tape cartridge of claim 2 , wherein the joining structure further comprises a stub and a cavity, the cavity being adapted for receiving the stub for forming the joining of the leader pins.

4. The tape cartridge of claim 2 , wherein each of the leader pins further comprises a cylindrical body, the joining structure being adapted for forming the joining in a radial joining direction of the cylindrical body.

5. The tape cartridge of claim 4 , wherein the leader pins have a rated axial length, the joining structure being adapted for forming the joining of a given one of the leader pins to another one of the leader pins such that the axial length of the joined leader pins is between 95% and 105% of the rated axial length.

6. The tape cartridge of claim 4 , wherein the joining structure further comprises a stub and a cavity, the cavity being adapted for receiving the stub for forming the joining of the leader pins, the joining structure of a given one of the leader pins having a radial extension, measured from a radial perimeter of the given leader pin at the axial position of the joining structure, of between 50% and 100% of the radial extension of the radial perimeter in the joining direction.

7. The tape cartridge of claim 4 , wherein each of the leader pins comprises a central section and two head sections, the central section comprising two axial ends, each of the head sections being attached to one of the axial ends, the attachment between the tape and the leader pin being located at the central section, the central section having a radial extension in the joining direction of between 50% and 90% of the radial extension of the head section in the joining direction.

8. The tape cartridge of claim 7 , each of the head sections being attached to the central section by a neck section, the neck section having a radial extension in the joining direction of between 50% and 90% of the radial extension of the central section in the joining direction.

9. The tape cartridge of claim 2 , the joining structure being adapted for forming the joint with a positive fit.

10. The tape cartridge of claim 2 , each of the leader pins comprising a flat face, the joining structure being disposed on the flat face.

11. The tape cartridge of claim 1 , further comprising a stop, the stop being adapted for receiving at least a given one of the leader pins and for preventing the tape comprising the given leader pin from being further wound up on the reel.

12. The tape cartridge of claim 11 , the stop further comprising an elastic element, the elastic element being adapted for exerting a force on the leader pin received by the stop, the force counteracting a movement of the tape comprising the received leader pin in a wind-up direction of the reel.

13. The tape cartridge of claim 11 , the stop further comprising a lock element, the lock element being adapted for detachably engaging the at least one received leader pin with the stop.

14. The tape cartridge of claim 1 , each of the tapes comprising a protective layer and an anti-adhesive back coating, the protective layer forming a front face of the tape and the back coating forming a back face of the tape, the tapes being wound up on the rotary axis of the reel with the back face facing the rotary axis of the reel.

15. The tape cartridge of claim 1 , further comprising a memory, the memory storing tape-specific information for each of the tapes.

16. The tape cartridge of claim 1 , comprising a single reel.

17. The tape cartridge of claim 1 , each of the tapes comprising one of the following data storage media: an optical film, an electro-optical film, a thermoelectric film, a graphene film, and a combination thereof.

18. The tape cartridge of claim 1 , each of the tapes comprising a magnetic film as a data storage media.

19. A method for making a data storage tape cartridge, comprising:
providing a housing having a reel within the housing, the reel being rotatably supported by the housing;
simultaneously winding two data storage tapes on a same rotary axis of the reel, wherein each subsequent winding of a first one of the tapes is separated from a previous winding of the first tape by at least one second tape of the tapes; and
attaching a leader pin to a free end of each tape.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Rueger Erik
• Schafer Markus
• Wiedemann Stefan
• Beiderbeck Robert
• Asmussen Ole

Classifications

• G11B23/26

  of leaders for loading or threading, e.g. to form a temporary connection · CPC title

• G11B23/107 Primary

  using one reel or core, one end of the record carrier coming out of the magazine or cassette · CPC title

• G11B15/674 Primary

  Threading or attaching end of record carrier on or to single reel (G11B15/671 takes precedence) · 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

• G11B5/1871

  Shaping or contouring of the transducing or guiding surface · CPC title