US4807067A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Cartridge tape drive
Assignee: SHUGART Corp A CA CORP
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Filing: 1987-02-02
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Granted: 1989-02-21
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Expires: 2007-02-02
Abstract
Abstract A cartridge drive adapted for endwise loading of tape cartridges has a retractable friction roll to open the tape access door as the cartridge is loaded into the drive. A pivoted cartridge carriage swings the loaded cartridge across the loading path of travel to an operative position in engagement with the drive motor and magnetic head of the drive. In preferred forms, the drive is dimensioned to fit within the "foot print" of a standard 51/4" floppy disk drive.
Inventors
- 👤 Wolfgang Spiegelstein
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 15:29
CPC Classifications
G; G11; G11B; G11B15/00; G11B15/18; G11B15/1883; G11B15/675; G11B15/6751; G11B15/67521
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
211 words
A tape drive for a digital magnetic cartridge of the type having a generally flat rectangular body comprising a pair of mutually spaced ends interconnecting a pair of elongated sides, a longitudinal axis intersecting said ends, and a tape access opening in one of said sides; said drive including: a housing adapted to receive said cartridge by manual loading; means defining a generally rectilinear loading path of travel within said housing for said cartridge; a magnetic head mounted in said housing adjacent said path; said housing having a loading slot configured to permit only endwise insertion of the cartridge into the housing thereby requiring lengthwise movement of the cartridge to follow along said loading path of travel, means for shifting said transversely of said generally rectilinear loading path to and from engagement with said magnetic head after the cartridge has been inserted endwise into said housing and has traversed at least a portion of said rectilinear loading path, said shifting means including a cartridge carriage pivotally mounted within said housing for swinging said cartridge transversely of said loading path toward and away from a position wherein said cartridge is in operable engagement with said head and the longitudinal axis of the cartridge is skewed relative to said generally rectilinear loading path.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
211 words
A tape drive for a digital magnetic cartridge of the type having a generally flat rectangular body comprising a pair of mutually spaced ends interconnecting a pair of elongated sides, a longitudinal axis intersecting said ends, and a tape access opening in one of said sides; said drive including: a housing adapted to receive said cartridge by manual loading; means defining a generally rectilinear loading path of travel within said housing for said cartridge; a magnetic head mounted in said housing adjacent said path; said housing having a loading slot configured to permit only endwise insertion of the cartridge into the housing thereby requiring lengthwise movement of the cartridge to follow along said loading path of travel, means for shifting said transversely of said generally rectilinear loading path to and from engagement with said magnetic head after the cartridge has been inserted endwise into said housing and has traversed at least a portion of said rectilinear loading path, said shifting means including a cartridge carriage pivotally mounted within said housing for swinging said cartridge transversely of said loading path toward and away from a position wherein said cartridge is in operable engagement with said head and the longitudinal axis of the cartridge is skewed relative to said generally rectilinear loading path.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
38 words
A tape drive as claimed in claim 1 wherein said carriage comprises a generally flat plate, said plate being provided with a pivot remote from said slot and on the opposite side of said path from said head.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
37 words
A tape drive as claimed in claim 2, said plate having an arcuate guideway formed therein, said housing having rigid guide pin extending into said guideway whereby to facilitate swinging movement of the plate about its pivot.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
50 words
A tape drive as claimed in claim 1, said carriage having means for engaging the leading edge of the cartridge at the end of said path whereby further manual pressure against the cartridge in the loading direction effects swinging of the carriage and cartridge about said pivot toward said head.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
29 words
A tape drive as claimed in claim 4, said shifting means including a spring mounted between said housing and said carriage to bias the latter away from said head.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
38 words
A tape drive as claimed in claim 1, said cartridge having a hinged door normally covering said access opening, said drive including means for opening said door as the cartridge is advanced along said loading path of travel.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
34 words
A tape drive as claimed in claim 6, said opening means comprises a friction member disposed within said path of travel for grippingly engaging said door as the cartridge is loaded into the housing.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
21 words
A tape drive as claimed in claim 7 said friction member comprising a roller rotatably supported within said path of travel.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
120 words
The method of loading a digital tape cartridge into a tape drive adapted to receive the cartridge comprising the steps of: inserting the cartridge endwise into the drive and continuing such endwise cartridge motion along a generally rectilinear loading path of travel which lies within a generally flat loading plane contacting pivotal member disposed at least partially in said plane; and swinging the pivotal member and the cartridge along a curving path extending generally transversely of said generally rectilinear path of travel while keeping the cartridge within said generally flat loading plane, said curving path leading to a final loaded position in which the cartridge is positioned for recording operation, said final loaded position being disposed within said loading plane.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
120 words
The method of loading a digital tape cartridge into a tape drive adapted to receive the cartridge comprising the steps of: inserting the cartridge endwise into the drive and continuing such endwise cartridge motion along a generally rectilinear loading path of travel which lies within a generally flat loading plane contacting pivotal member disposed at least partially in said plane; and swinging the pivotal member and the cartridge along a curving path extending generally transversely of said generally rectilinear path of travel while keeping the cartridge within said generally flat loading plane, said curving path leading to a final loaded position in which the cartridge is positioned for recording operation, said final loaded position being disposed within said loading plane.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
158 words
In a tape drive adapted to accommodate endwise loading of a generally rectangular digital magnetic tape cartridge of the type having a tape access opening in one of its longer edges and a hinged, channel-shaped door normally covering said opening, a mechanism for opening said door when the cartridge is loaded into the drive, said mechanism comprising: a high friction material member mounted in said drive for movement to and from a door-engaging position at an intermediate location beneath the loading path of said cartridge; means for shifting said member upwardly to its door-engaging position when the door is at said location in the loading path; said shifting means including means yieldably biasing said member toward said path to grippingly engage a side of the door when the latter is at said location whereby the door is caused to swing progressively away from the access opening as the cartridge is advanced further along the loading path of travel.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
158 words
In a tape drive adapted to accommodate endwise loading of a generally rectangular digital magnetic tape cartridge of the type having a tape access opening in one of its longer edges and a hinged, channel-shaped door normally covering said opening, a mechanism for opening said door when the cartridge is loaded into the drive, said mechanism comprising: a high friction material member mounted in said drive for movement to and from a door-engaging position at an intermediate location beneath the loading path of said cartridge; means for shifting said member upwardly to its door-engaging position when the door is at said location in the loading path; said shifting means including means yieldably biasing said member toward said path to grippingly engage a side of the door when the latter is at said location whereby the door is caused to swing progressively away from the access opening as the cartridge is advanced further along the loading path of travel.
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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) | 1992-02-21 | 1992-08-22 | 1993-02-21 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1996-02-21 | 1996-08-22 | 1997-02-21 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2000-02-21 | 2000-08-22 | 2001-02-21 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |