Tape drive, tape, and storage system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2026080902-A1
Application number	US-202519402356-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 26, 2025
Priority date	May 31, 2023
Publication date	Mar 19, 2026
Grant date	—

Abstract

A tape drive includes a first take-up reel and a second take-up reel that are in a stacking layout and that rotate around respective rotation axes, where the first take-up reel and the second take-up reel wind a tape body, and the respective rotation axes coincide or do not coincide. When the first take-up reel and the second take-up reel rotate, the tape body is driven to be transported from the first take-up reel to the second take-up reel. A tape header and roller structures are disposed on a transport path of the tape body between the first take-up reel and the second take-up reel. The tape header performs a read operation or a write operation on the tape, and the roller structures support the tape body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A tape drive, comprising:
a first take-up reel and a second take-up reel, wherein the first take-up reel and the second take-up reel are in a stacking layout, the first take-up reel and the second take-up reel are capable of rotating around respective rotation axes, the first take-up reel is capable of rotating around a first rotation axis, the second take-up reel is capable of rotating around a second rotation axis, and the first rotation axis and the second rotation axis coincide or do not coincide; a tape body, wherein the first take-up reel and the second take-up reel are configured to wind the tape body, and when the first take-up reel and the second take-up reel rotate, the tape body is capable of being transported from the first take-up reel to the second take-up reel; a tape header, disposed on a transport path of the tape body between the first take-up reel and the second take-up reel, wherein the tape header is configured to perform a read operation or a write operation on the tape body; and roller structures, disposed on the transport path of the tape body between the first take-up reel and the second take-up reel, wherein the roller structure is configured to support the tape body, and the roller structure is further configured to gradually change a height of the tape body, for the height of the tape body to adapt to the first take-up reel and the second take-up reel.

2 . The tape drive according to claim 1 , wherein the roller structures comprise a first roller structure and a second roller structure;
in a direction of the first rotation axis, the first roller structure is disposed on one side of the tape header, and the second roller structure is disposed on the other side of the tape header; the first roller structure is configured to support a part that is of the tape body and that is located between the tape header and the first take-up reel; and the second roller structure is configured to support a part that is of the tape body and that is located between the tape header and the second take-up reel.

3 . The tape drive according to claim 2 , wherein the first roller structure comprises at least one roller disposed in parallel to the first rotation axis, and at least one roller disposed obliquely relative to the first rotation axis.

4 . The tape drive according to claim 3 , wherein the roller disposed obliquely relative to the first rotation axis comprises a first roller and a second roller;
a rotation axis of the first roller is parallel to a rotation axis of the second roller; the tape body comprises a first surface and a second surface that are opposite to each other, and the first surface is closer to the first rotation axis than the second surface; the first roller supports the first surface; and the second roller supports the second surface.

5 . The tape drive according to claim 4 , wherein the roller disposed in parallel to the first rotation axis comprises a third roller and a fourth roller;
the first roller and the second roller are located between the third roller and the fourth roller; the third roller supports the first surface; and the fourth roller supports the first surface.

6 . The tape drive according to claim 3 , wherein the at least one roller disposed in parallel to the first rotation axis is disposed around the first rotation axis, and the at least one roller disposed obliquely relative to the first rotation axis is disposed around the first rotation axis.

7 . The tape drive according to claim 6 , wherein a height of the at least one roller disposed in parallel to the first rotation axis is sequentially increased or decreased.

8 . The tape drive according to claim 2 , wherein
the tape body comprises a first surface and a second surface that are opposite to each other, and the first surface is closer to the first rotation axis than the second surface; the second surface is provided with magnetic particles; the first roller structure and the second roller structure each comprise a plurality of rollers; and a quantity of rollers supporting the first surface is greater than a quantity of rollers supporting the second surface.

9 . The tape drive according to claim 8 , wherein the tape drive further comprises a tape header driver, the tape header driver is connected to the tape header, the tape header driver is configured to drive the tape header to move in a first direction, and the first direction is parallel to a width direction of the tape body;
the tape header is disposed on the second surface; and the tape header driver is disposed on the first surface.

10 . The tape drive according to claim 1 , wherein the tape drive further comprises:
a housing, wherein the first take-up reel, the second take-up reel, the tape body, the tape header, and the roller structures are all disposed in the housing, and the roller structures comprise the first roller structure and the second roller structure; a plurality of corners are formed in the housing; the first roller structure is located at a location that is in the housing and that is close to a first corner; and the second roller structure is located at a location that is in the housing and that is close to the first corner.

11 . The tape drive according to claim 1 , wherein the tape drive further comprises a first motor and a second motor;
the first motor is configured to drive the first take-up reel to rotate; and the second motor is configured to drive the second take-up reel to rotate.

12 . The tape drive according to claim 11 , wherein
the first take-up reel is of a hollow structure, and the first motor is located in the first take-up reel; and the second take-up reel is of a hollow structure, and the second motor is located in the second take-up reel.

13 . A tape, comprising:
a first take-up reel, wherein the first take-up reel is capable of rotating around a first rotation axis, and the first take-up reel is configured to wind a tape body; and the tape body, configured to record data, wherein the tape body comprises a fastening end and a moving end, the fastening end is fastened to the first take-up reel, and the moving end is configured to: when the tape is placed in a tape driver, to be connected to a second take-up reel in the tape driver.

14 . The tape according to claim 13 , wherein
when the tape is disposed in the tape driver, the first take-up reel and the second take-up reel are in a stacking layout, and the tape driver comprises the second take-up reel, a tape header, and roller structures; the second take-up reel is configured to wind the tape body after the moving end is connected to the second take-up reel, wherein when the first take-up reel and the second take-up reel rotate, the tape body is capable of being transported from the first take-up reel to the second take-up reel; the tape header is disposed on a transport path of the tape body between the first take-up reel and the second take-up reel, and the tape header is configured to perform a read operation or a write operation on the tape body; and the roller structures are disposed on the transport path of the tape body between the first take-up reel and the second take-up reel, and the roller structure is configured to support the tape body.

15 . A tape drive, wherein the tape drive comprises a tape mount port, a second take-up reel, a tape header, and roller structures;
the tape mount port is configured to: mount a tape into the tape drive or remove the tape from the tape drive, wherein the tape comprises a first take-up reel and a tape body, the first take-up reel i

Assignees

• Huawei Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• He Jiaqi
• Chen Can
• Tang Kun
• Qin Tianyi
• Chen Anwen

Classifications

• G11B15/32 Primary

  through the reels or cores on to which the record carrier is wound · CPC title

• G11B23/048

  Driving features · CPC title

• G11B23/044

  Reels or cores; positioning of the reels in the cassette · CPC title

• G11B15/60 Primary

  Guiding record carrier (guiding devices structurally associated with magazines or cassettes G11B23/04) · CPC title

• G11B23/087

  using two different reels or cores · CPC title