Half-inch tape drive in half high form factor
US6568618B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 23, 2000 |
| Grant date | May 27, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 23, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG11B25/063
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
The half-inch tape drive comprises a novel takeup reel, tape deck, PC board packaging, loading mechanism, and housing. The takeup reel comprises a pair of segmented flanges that define a first and second tape containment section. The tape deck is approximately half the height of a conventional tape deck and includes reinforcing ribs to provide structural rigidity and maintain alignment of the moving components of the tape drive during operation. The loading mechanism comprises a horizontally mounted load motor that employs a worm gear to engage a simplified gear train. The printed circuit board is segmented into multiple sections that are mounted in various locations on the tape drive to maximize spatial efficiencies and reduce the overall height of the tape drive. The tape drive housing provides a protective exterior for the tape drive components and provides the structure for mounting the present tape drive in a single drive bay of a computer housing.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.