Abstract: A tape path roller guide has a cylindrical guiding surface between two flanges. A plurality of continuous venting valleys in the guiding surface are wholly parallel to a central axis of the cylinder forming axial paddle-like surfaces generating air flow away from the cylindrical guiding surface tending to draw air from the guiding surface. Thus, a tape is allowed to stay in contact with the guiding surface. Because of the continuous venting valleys, the roller cylinder is made by molding or extrusion.

Abstract: A plastic cartridge holder for restraining and protecting data tape cartridges during shipping has individual cartridge slots with corrugated padding between adjacent slots and on the sides of the slots to decouple the cartridges from virtually any shock event. The cartridges do not separate or fall apart from each other when the external bundling material or shrink-wrapping is removed. The corrugations and slots hold the cartridges in place with a retention force that is firm yet comfortable for the user to overcome. The slots on the beveled corners allow individual cartridge actuation of access doors for inspection of the tape leader pins before the cartridges are removed. The opposite side of the holder has a full, cartridge-length access to the individual slots. The holder also has an access slot to allow the user to manually push all of the cartridges out of the holder simultaneously.

Abstract: An electrical connection of a transfer station releasably, repeatably electrically couples with respect to a matching connection of a portable cartridge. A substrate in the portable cartridge has electrical contacts on a facing surface. In the transfer station, a matching circuitized flexible substrate has electrical contacts on a facing surface thereof, which are arranged to match the portable cartridge electrical contacts when in a face-to-face relationship. An elastomeric compression element, at the rear of the matching substrate, has individual protruding compression members contacting the rear surface and registered with corresponding individual electrical contacts. Elongated electrical contacts are registered with two adjacent individual compression members.

Abstract: Stackable rotary devices form a multi-position mechanical indicator for a portable data storage cartridge. Each rotary device is a right cylindrical section, and is separately rotatable in a chamber of the cartridge. A peripheral surface of the rotary device has an encoded pattern of 1) at least one cylindrical surface and at least one facet interrupting the cylindrical surface, or of 2) readable indicia, located at various angularly spaced rotational positions. At differing rotational positions of the rotary devices, at least one or none of the facets or readable indicia are positioned at an exterior wall opening of the cartridge chamber.

Abstract: A tape path roller guide has a cylindrical guiding surface between two flanges. A plurality of continuous venting valleys in the guiding surface are wholly parallel to a central axis of the cylinder forming axial paddle-like surfaces generating air flow away from the cylindrical guiding surface tending to draw air from the guiding surface. Thus, a tape is allowed to stay in contact with the guiding surface. Because of the continuous venting valleys, the roller cylinder is made by molding or extrusion.

Abstract: A threader assembly for a tape drive has a retractable, low profile head brush assembly that is articulated into and out of wiping contact with the tape head. The head brush assembly is integrated into the threader assembly such that the same components used to load and unload the media tape also articulate the head brush assembly. The head brush assembly includes a set of bristles that are mounted to a brush arm. The head brush assembly has a cleaning position for placing the bristles in contact with the tape head. When the head brush assembly is in the cleaning position, the tape head is cleaned through oscillation of the head via a coarse track following actuator. The head brush assembly also has a storage position wherein the entire head brush assembly is pivotally retracted away from the tape head without interfering with other components of the threader assembly.

Abstract: A data storage cartridge having an data storage device, such as an encased magnetic disk drive assembly, is, in one embodiment, of generally an exterior dimensional form factor of a tape cartridge having a leader block with a hole therethrough for engagement by a threading pin. To distinguish the cartridge from a tape cartridge, the cartridge shell comprises a blocking portion at the location of the leader block hole. A transfer station both identifies the cartridge and indicates the presence of the cartridge at an end of travel in a cartridge receiver, employing an optical source and an opposed sensor directed toward the leader block hole when a cartridge is at the end of travel. In another embodiment, an encased magnetic disk drive assembly is supported and mounted in a cartridge shell by a shock mount.

Abstract: An electrical connection releasably, repeatably electrically couples with respect to a matching connection of a portable cartridge. A substrate in the portable cartridge has electrical contacts on a facing surface of a flex cable termination mounted on a backing plate. A matching circuitized flexible substrate has electrical contacts on a facing surface thereof, which are arranged to match the portable cartridge electrical contacts when in a face-to-face relationship, and is mounted on a compression element with protruding compression members. Elongated electrical contacts are registered with two adjacent individual compression members. A loader exerts a normal force to the cartridge to compress the compression element and create non-wiping contact between the facing electrical contacts.

Abstract: An electrical connection releasably, repeatably electrically couples with respect to a matching connection of a portable cartridge. A substrate in the portable cartridge has electrical contacts on a facing surface of a flex cable mounted on a backing plate. A matching circuitized flexible substrate has electrical contacts on a facing surface thereof, which are arranged to match the portable cartridge electrical contacts when in a face-to-face relationship, and is mounted on a compression element with protruding compression members. Elongated electrical contacts are registered with two adjacent individual compression members. A loader exerts a normal force to the cartridge to compress the compression element and create non-wiping contact between the facing electrical contacts.

Abstract: A control system compensates for web tension variation caused by a first spool, (A) determines rotational frequency of the first spool; (B) determines variation in rotational velocity at the second spool which occurs at the (A) first spool frequency; (C) determines the rotational position at the first spool corresponding to the (B) variation in rotational velocity at the second spool; (D) calculates a drive motor profile for the first spool which tends to cancel the (B) variation in rotational velocity at the second spool; and (E) superimposes the (D) drive motor profile on a first spool drive motor at the (C) determined rotational position of the first spool.

Abstract: An electrical connection of a transfer station releasably, repeatably electrically couples with respect to a matching connection of a portable cartridge. A substrate in the portable cartridge has electrical contacts on a facing surface. In the transfer station, a matching circuitized flexible substrate has electrical contacts on a facing surface thereof, which are arranged to match the portable cartridge electrical contacts when in a face-to-face relationship. An elastomeric compression element, at the rear of the matching substrate, has individual protruding compression members contacting the rear surface and registered with corresponding individual electrical contacts. Elongated electrical contacts are registered with two adjacent individual compression members.

Abstract: A shutter mechanism is provided at an access opening in a portable data storage cartridge. Clamshell shutters meet at a common junction in the access opening. Actuation paddles positioned at the clamshell shutters are arranged to, when engaged by actuation pins, pivot the respective clamshell shutters in opposite directions away from the common junction, to expose the access opening. The clamshell shutters are mounted such that, when pivoted away from the common junction, each clamshell shutter remains within the cartridge housing.

Abstract: A tape path roller guide has a cylindrical guiding surface between two flanges. A plurality of continuous venting valleys in the guiding surface are wholly parallel to a central axis of the cylinder forming axial paddle-like surfaces generating air flow away from the cylindrical guiding surface tending to draw air from the guiding surface. Thus, a tape is allowed to stay in contact with the guiding surface. Because of the continuous venting valleys, the roller cylinder is made by molding or extrusion.

Abstract: A cartridge loading and unloading mechanism, and in particular, pertains to a removable media cartridge transfer manipulator for accurately positioning a cartridge into a deck tape or other removable media for the purpose of data interchange. Also provided is a method for implementing the manipulation of the cartridge.

Abstract: Initially, from an off-track position at a known side of, and displaced from, a servo track pattern of a tape subject to lateral movement, servo loop logic slews a tape head servo sensor laterally toward the pattern at a rate greater than the maximum rate of lateral movement of the tape. Upon detecting sensed servo signals, the logic decelerates the slewing rate. Upon detecting that the sensed servo signals are within a lock window tolerance, the logic locks a servo loop to a position error signal representing the current lateral position of the servo sensor, thereby acquiring the servo pattern.

Abstract: A cartridge loading apparatus has at least one movable member with a pin to engage a notch of a cartridge and has a reversible motor. A compliant link has a longitudinal leaf spring resilient beam, and has a laterally extending arm at one end of the beam, forming an “L” shape. The movable member and the motor apparatus are coupled at axes respectively at the other end of the beam and at an end of the arm. Thus, a compression force provides a rotational torque at the arm which flexes the beam outwardly away from a straight line between the axes; and a tension force provides a rotational torque to flex the beam inwardly.

Abstract: Stackable rotary devices form a multi-position mechanical indicator for a portable data storage cartridge. Each rotary device is a right cylindrical section, and is separately rotatable in a chamber of the cartridge. A peripheral surface of the rotary device has an encoded pattern of 1) at least one cylindrical surface and at least one facet interrupting the cylindrical surface, or of 2) readable indicia, located at various angularly spaced rotational positions. At differing rotational positions of the rotary devices, at least one or none of the facets or readable indicia are positioned at an exterior wall opening of the cartridge chamber.

Abstract: An indicator comprises a rotary device in the form of a right cylinder arranged to be rotatable in a chamber of a portable data storage cartridge, which has an exterior wall opening to the chamber. A peripheral surface of the rotary device has an encoded pattern of at least one cylindrical surface and a plurality of facets interrupting the cylindrical surface(s). The facets are located at various axial positions, and at various angularly spaced rotational positions, such that, at differing rotational positions of the rotary device, at least one or none of the facets is positioned at the exterior opening.

Abstract: An electrical connection of a transfer station releasably, repeatably electrically couples with respect to a matching connection of a portable cartridge. A substrate in the portable cartridge has electrical contacts on a facing surface. In the transfer station, a matching circuitized flexible substrate has electrical contacts on a facing surface thereof, which are arranged to match the portable cartridge electrical contacts when in a face-to-face relationship. An elastomeric compression element, at the rear of the matching substrate, has individual protruding compression members contacting the rear surface and registered with corresponding individual electrical contacts. Elongated electrical contacts are registered with two adjacent individual compression members.

Abstract: A threader assembly for a tape drive has a retractable, low profile head brush assembly that is articulated into and out of wiping contact with the tape head. The head brush assembly is integrated into the threader assembly such that the same components used to load and unload the media tape also articulate the head brush assembly. The head brush assembly includes a set of bristles that are mounted to a brush arm. The head brush assembly has a cleaning position for placing the bristles in contact with the tape head. When the head brush assembly is in the cleaning position, the tape head is cleaned through oscillation of the head via a coarse track following actuator. The head brush assembly also has a storage position wherein the entire head brush assembly is pivotally retracted away from the tape head without interfering with other components of the threader assembly.