Patent US4523133A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4523133A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Tape transport system with tension sensing bearings
Assignee: Philips North America LLC
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Filing: 1982-01-13
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Granted: 1985-06-11
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Expires: 2002-01-13
Abstract
Abstract A tape transport system has reduced unreeled tape length by employing only one tape-deflecting bearing on each side of the read/write head. These bearings are fixed in position, but capable of pneumatically sensing tape tension. This tape tension is sensed at both bearings, and used to counteract the effects of stiction at the head.
Inventors
- 👤 Carl Messenger
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 11:56
CPC Classifications
G; G11; G11B; G11B15/00; G11B15/18; G11B15/43
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
152 words
A system for transporting magnetic tape between reels and past a magnetic read/write head, comprising a pair of tape-deflecting bearings, respectively supporting the tape on opposite sides of said head, said bearings being geometrically positioned relative to the head so as to produce a predetermined amount of tape wrap about the head, with one direction of curvature around said bearings and the opposite direction of curvature around said head, said pair of bearings being the only tape-deflecting bearings between the reels and the head, and said bearings being constructed and arranged so as not to be subject to intentional displacement in the plane of rotation of the tape reels, each of said bearings having means for sensing the tension in the tape portion supported thereby, servo motors for driving said reels, and means for utilizing the tension sensed by both said sensing means to control the motor driving one of said reels.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
152 words
A system for transporting magnetic tape between reels and past a magnetic read/write head, comprising a pair of tape-deflecting bearings, respectively supporting the tape on opposite sides of said head, said bearings being geometrically positioned relative to the head so as to produce a predetermined amount of tape wrap about the head, with one direction of curvature around said bearings and the opposite direction of curvature around said head, said pair of bearings being the only tape-deflecting bearings between the reels and the head, and said bearings being constructed and arranged so as not to be subject to intentional displacement in the plane of rotation of the tape reels, each of said bearings having means for sensing the tension in the tape portion supported thereby, servo motors for driving said reels, and means for utilizing the tension sensed by both said sensing means to control the motor driving one of said reels.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
31 words
The system of claim 1 wherein one of said servo motors is a tension servo motor, and wherein said pair of tension sensing means cooperate to control said tension servo motor.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
29 words
The system of claim 2 wherein the other of said servo motors is a velocity servo motor, and wherein said velocity servo motor operates responsive to a tachometer signal.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
The system of claim 3 wherein said tachometer signal also cooperates with the signals produced by said tension sensing means to control said tension servo motor.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
21 words
The system of claim 1 wherein the magnetic tape joins the reels at confronting portions of respective peripheries of said reels.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
165 words
A system for transporting magnetic tape between reels and past a magnetic read/write head, comprising a pair of tape-deflecting air bearings, respectively supporting the tape on opposite sides of said head, said air bearings being geometrically positioned relative to the head so as to produce a predetermined amount of tape wrap about the head, with one direction of curvature around said air bearings and the opposite direction of curvature around said head, said pair of air bearings being the only tape-deflecting bearings between the reels and the head, and said air bearings being constructed and arranged so as not to be subject to intentional displacement in the plane of rotation of the tape reels, each of said air bearings having pneumatic means forming part of the air bearing for sensing the tension in the tape portion supported thereby, servo motors for driving said reels, and means for utilizing the tension sensed by both said sensing means to control the motor driving one of said reels.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
165 words
A system for transporting magnetic tape between reels and past a magnetic read/write head, comprising a pair of tape-deflecting air bearings, respectively supporting the tape on opposite sides of said head, said air bearings being geometrically positioned relative to the head so as to produce a predetermined amount of tape wrap about the head, with one direction of curvature around said air bearings and the opposite direction of curvature around said head, said pair of air bearings being the only tape-deflecting bearings between the reels and the head, and said air bearings being constructed and arranged so as not to be subject to intentional displacement in the plane of rotation of the tape reels, each of said air bearings having pneumatic means forming part of the air bearing for sensing the tension in the tape portion supported thereby, servo motors for driving said reels, and means for utilizing the tension sensed by both said sensing means to control the motor driving one of said reels.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
44 words
The system of claim 6 wherein a side of the tape is provided with an oxide layer, and wherein the air bearings are positioned relative to the reels and the head so that the oxide side of the tape faces away from the bearings.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
203 words
A system for transporting magnetic tape between reels and past a magnetic read/write head, comprising a pair of tape-deflecting air bearings, respectively supporting the tape on opposite sides of said head, said bearings being geometrically positioned relative to the head so as to produce a predetermined amount of tape wrap about the head, with one direction of curvature around said bearings, and the opposite direction of curvature around said head, said pair of bearings being the only tape-deflecting bearings between the reels and the head, and said bearings being constructed and arranged so as not to be subject to intentional displacement in the plane of rotation of the tape reels, each of said air bearings having means for sensing the tension in the tape portion supported thereby, servo motors for driving said reels, and means for utilizing the tension sensed by both said sensing means to control the motor driving one of said reels, said utilizing means including means for producing signals respectively representing the tension sensed by the respective sensing means, means for producing a reference signal, means for comparing said reference signal subtractively with the sum of said tension representing signals, and means for utilizing the comparison to control said motor.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
203 words
A system for transporting magnetic tape between reels and past a magnetic read/write head, comprising a pair of tape-deflecting air bearings, respectively supporting the tape on opposite sides of said head, said bearings being geometrically positioned relative to the head so as to produce a predetermined amount of tape wrap about the head, with one direction of curvature around said bearings, and the opposite direction of curvature around said head, said pair of bearings being the only tape-deflecting bearings between the reels and the head, and said bearings being constructed and arranged so as not to be subject to intentional displacement in the plane of rotation of the tape reels, each of said air bearings having means for sensing the tension in the tape portion supported thereby, servo motors for driving said reels, and means for utilizing the tension sensed by both said sensing means to control the motor driving one of said reels, said utilizing means including means for producing signals respectively representing the tension sensed by the respective sensing means, means for producing a reference signal, means for comparing said reference signal subtractively with the sum of said tension representing signals, and means for utilizing the comparison to control said motor.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
27 words
The system of claim 8 wherein the signal produced by each tension sensing means saturates at a magnitude which is less than that of the reference signal.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
224 words
A system for transporting magnetic tape between reels and past a magnetic read/write head, comprising a pair of tape-deflecting air bearings, respectively supporting the tape on opposite sides of said head, said bearings being geometrically positioned relative to the head so as to produce a predetermined amount of tape wrap about the head, with one direction of curvature around said bearings, and the opposite direction of curvature around said head, said pair of bearings being the only tape-deflecing bearings between the reels and the head, and said bearings being constructed and arranged so as not to be subject to intentional displacement in the plane of rotation of the tape reels, each of said air bearings having means for sensing the tension in the tape portion supported thereby, servo motors for driving said reels, and means for utilizing the tension sensed by both said sensing means to control the motor driving one of said reels, said utilizing means including means for producing signals respectively representing the tension sensed by the respective sensing means, means for producing a reference signal with an absolute magnitude substantially equal to the sum of the signals representing the desired tension in the respective tape portions, means for comparing said reference signal subtractively with the sum of said tension representing signals, and means for utilizing the comparison to control said motor.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
224 words
A system for transporting magnetic tape between reels and past a magnetic read/write head, comprising a pair of tape-deflecting air bearings, respectively supporting the tape on opposite sides of said head, said bearings being geometrically positioned relative to the head so as to produce a predetermined amount of tape wrap about the head, with one direction of curvature around said bearings, and the opposite direction of curvature around said head, said pair of bearings being the only tape-deflecing bearings between the reels and the head, and said bearings being constructed and arranged so as not to be subject to intentional displacement in the plane of rotation of the tape reels, each of said air bearings having means for sensing the tension in the tape portion supported thereby, servo motors for driving said reels, and means for utilizing the tension sensed by both said sensing means to control the motor driving one of said reels, said utilizing means including means for producing signals respectively representing the tension sensed by the respective sensing means, means for producing a reference signal with an absolute magnitude substantially equal to the sum of the signals representing the desired tension in the respective tape portions, means for comparing said reference signal subtractively with the sum of said tension representing signals, and means for utilizing the comparison to control said motor.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
267 words
A system for transporting magnetic tape between reels and past a magnetic read/write head, comprising a pair of tape-deflecting air bearings, respectively supporting the tape on opposite sides of said head, said bearings being geometrically positioned relative to the head so as to produce a predetermined amount of tape wrap about the head, with one direction of curvature around said bearings, and the opposite direction of curvature around said head, said pair of bearings being the only tape-deflecting bearings between the reels and the head, and said bearings being constructed and arranged so as not to be subject to intentional displacement in the plane of rotation of the tape reels, each of said air bearings having means for sensing the tension in the tape portion supported thereby, servo motors for driving said reels, and means for utilizing the tension sensed by both said sensing means to control the motor driving one of said reels, said utilizing means including means for producing signals respectively representing the tension sensed by the respective sensing means, means for producing a reference signal, means for comparing said reference signal subtractively with the sum of said tension representing signals, and means for utilizing the comparison to control said motor, said comparison utilizing means including means for causing the controlled motor to change the torque applied to the reel driven by that motor so that the tension in the portions of the tape between the driven reel and the head is caused to vary in opposite sense to the variation in tension sensed in the tape portion between the head and the other reel.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
267 words
A system for transporting magnetic tape between reels and past a magnetic read/write head, comprising a pair of tape-deflecting air bearings, respectively supporting the tape on opposite sides of said head, said bearings being geometrically positioned relative to the head so as to produce a predetermined amount of tape wrap about the head, with one direction of curvature around said bearings, and the opposite direction of curvature around said head, said pair of bearings being the only tape-deflecting bearings between the reels and the head, and said bearings being constructed and arranged so as not to be subject to intentional displacement in the plane of rotation of the tape reels, each of said air bearings having means for sensing the tension in the tape portion supported thereby, servo motors for driving said reels, and means for utilizing the tension sensed by both said sensing means to control the motor driving one of said reels, said utilizing means including means for producing signals respectively representing the tension sensed by the respective sensing means, means for producing a reference signal, means for comparing said reference signal subtractively with the sum of said tension representing signals, and means for utilizing the comparison to control said motor, said comparison utilizing means including means for causing the controlled motor to change the torque applied to the reel driven by that motor so that the tension in the portions of the tape between the driven reel and the head is caused to vary in opposite sense to the variation in tension sensed in the tape portion between the head and the other reel.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
25 words
The system of claim 11 wherein the said tension which is caused to vary does so by an amount substantially equal to said sensed variation.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
21 words
The system of claim 12 wherein the unreeled tape portions between each reel and the head are of substantially equal lengths.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
46 words
The system of claim 11 further comprising means for producing a drive signal for the motor driving the other reel of the system, and means for additionally controlling the motor driving said one reel with a signal which represents said drive signal for said other reel.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
169 words
A system for transporting magnetic tape between reels and past a magnetic read/write head, comprising a pair of tape-deflecting bearings, respectively supporting the tape on opposite sides of said head, said pair of bearings being the only tape-deflecting bearings between the reels and the head, and said bearings being constructed and arranged so as not to be subject to intentional displacement in the plane of rotation of the tape reels, said bearings being geometrically positioned relative to the head so as to produce a predetermined amount of tape wrap about the head, with a first direction of curvature around said head, a second direction of curvature opposite the first direction around said bearings, and a third direction of curvature opposite the second direction around said reels, each of said bearings having means for sensing the tension in the tape portion supported thereby, servo motors for driving said reels, and means for utilizing the tension sensed by both said sensing means to control the motor driving one of said reels.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
169 words
A system for transporting magnetic tape between reels and past a magnetic read/write head, comprising a pair of tape-deflecting bearings, respectively supporting the tape on opposite sides of said head, said pair of bearings being the only tape-deflecting bearings between the reels and the head, and said bearings being constructed and arranged so as not to be subject to intentional displacement in the plane of rotation of the tape reels, said bearings being geometrically positioned relative to the head so as to produce a predetermined amount of tape wrap about the head, with a first direction of curvature around said head, a second direction of curvature opposite the first direction around said bearings, and a third direction of curvature opposite the second direction around said reels, each of said bearings having means for sensing the tension in the tape portion supported thereby, servo motors for driving said reels, and means for utilizing the tension sensed by both said sensing means to control the motor driving one of said reels.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
44 words
The system of claim 15 wherein a side of the tape is provided with an oxide layer, and wherein the air bearings are positioned relative to the reels and the head so that the oxide side of the tape faces away from the bearings.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1988-06-10 | 1988-12-10 | 1989-06-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1992-06-10 | 1992-12-10 | 1993-06-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1996-06-10 | 1996-12-10 | 1997-06-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |