Thermal insulator for protecting a storage tape in a tape drive
US6791789B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 12, 2002 |
| Grant date | Sep 14, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 31, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG11B33/1406
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A tape drive (10) for use with a cartridge (24) having a storage tape (30) that moves along a tape path (32) includes a drive housing (12) defining a drive interior (62), a circuit assembly (42) that generates heat, and a thermal insulator (44). In one embodiment, the thermal insulator (44) is positioned between a portion of the storage tape (30) and the circuit assembly (42). The thermal insulator (44) can be formed from a flexible, plastic material and/or can have a thermal conductivity of less than approximately 50 W/mK to decrease the transfer of heat between the circuit assembly (42) and the storage tape (30). The drive interior (62) can have a first region (64) that includes a portion of the tape path (32), and a second region (66) that includes the circuit assembly (42). The drive housing (62) also includes a plurality of ventilation apertures (74) positioned so that the area of the ventilation apertures (74) extending between the exterior of the drive housing (12) and the first region (64) can be less than approximately 200 percent of the area of the ventilation apertures (74) extending between the exterior of the drive housing (12) and the second region (66). A tape drive …
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.