Abstract: There are provided a tape cartridge which can reliably remove contamination adhering to the surface of a head and a tape loading system using the same. A tape such as recording tapes and leader tapes is unreeled from a case body housing the tape and is taken up to the take up reel of a tape drive through a loading path of the tape drive. A brush which can bend elastically is placed on a leading end side of the tape in a protruding manner. The brush moves in the state of being in contact with a head placed along the loading path of the tape drive upon unreeling of the tape, so that the head of the tape drive is cleaned by the brush.

Abstract: In a magnetic tape cassette, a top end portion of a reel urging plate spring for urging a tape reel is subjected to a surface treatment to prevent from a friction. A distance between a couple of flanges of the tape reel is selected to keep a form of the wound magnetic tape, and to prevent the tape running from being disturbed by the increases of a contract resistance of the tape edges to the flanges. Additionally, positioning portions for positioning the magnetic tape cassette relative to a magnetic tape drive device are formed of a differential resin from the resin of the remaining part of the cassette case. Additionally, at least one of both end faces of each guide roller is surface treated so that the end face is not worn through its contact with the cassette half. Further, an information presenting section for displaying variable information is provided at a location other than label areas of the tape cassette.

Abstract: In a magnetic tape cartridge comprising a thin cartridge casing having flat upper and lower surfaces and a single reel which is housed in the cartridge casing for rotation and around which a magnetic tape is wound, island-like or point-like projections are provided at least three places of the lower surfaces of the cartridge casing near the leading edge and the trailing edge of the cartridge casing as viewed in the direction X of insertion of the magnetic tape cartridge in a recording and reproducing apparatus and recesses which are adapted to be engaged with the projections are provided on the upper surface of the cartridge casing so that, when a plurality of the magnetic tape cartridges are stacked, the projections and the recesses of the cartridge casings of magnetic tape cartridges which are just above and below each other are engaged with each other, whereby the magnetic tape cartridges are prevented from being displaced with respect to each other when a plurality of magnetic tape cartridges are stacked

Abstract: A data storage tape cartridge (10) includes two tape guides (23, 24). The tapes guides (23, 24) have a foil (43, 143, 243) which is constructed from material which causes a wear pattern (200) to be formed in the foil (43), thereby removing localized forces and spreading out the forces and thereby decreasing the tape pressure.

Abstract: A system for testing and cleaning a removable media drive such as a tape drive includes a utility cartridge and computer readable program code to initiate utility operations. The utility cartridge comprises computer readable magnetic storage media for performing testing operations thereon and non-magnetic cleaning media for cleaning the drive head. A method for testing and cleaning a removable media drive is also disclosed, as is a method for providing the system described herein.

Abstract: A lifter device, and a method of maintaining contact between a magnetic tape in a tape cartridge and an external read/write device using the lifter device that provides tension on the tape sufficient to maintain contact between the tape and a read/write device that physically contacts the tape within a bay portion of the tape cartridge.