JP2005190666A - Tape driving device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a tape driving device capable of cleaning a converter head with a simple configuration at a predetermined timing. <P>SOLUTION: This device is provided with a loading mechanism 2 for conveying an inserted tape cartridge 1 to a predetermined position in the device, a head cleaning part 4 movable between a cleaning position brought into contact with a converter head 3 for reading information from a data tape 1a delivered from the tape cartridge 1 and a refuge position separated from the converter head 3, and a transmission part 5 for moving the head cleaning part 4 between the refuge position and the cleaning position in synchronization with the conveying operation of the loading mechanism 2. The transmission part 5 transmits the displacement of the movable part of the loading mechanism 2 in the conveying operation by changing it into the displacement of the head cleaning part 4 between the refuge position and the cleaning position. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a tape drive device.

As a tape drive device provided with a transducer head cleaning mechanism, one described in JP-A-11-296827 is known. In this conventional example, the tape drive device includes a transducer head for reading a data tape of a loaded tape cartridge, and a cleaning device for cleaning the transducer head. The cleaning device is configured to rotatably support a support arm having a cleaning brush at the tip, and when necessary, the converter head is cleaned with a support arm interposed between the data tape and the converter head.
JP 11-296827 A

  However, this conventional example has the following problems. First of all, the cleaning of the converter head is performed by pushing the data tape in contact with the converter head 3 outward by the cleaning brush, so that an excessive tension is applied to the data tape, which causes a problem in terms of data protection. There is.

 In addition, since an independent drive source is required to drive the support arm, the cost is increased, and the mounting space for other mechanisms is compressed to secure the mounting space for arranging the drive source. As a result, the entire structure becomes complicated, or the cost increases due to the complicated structure.

 The present invention has been made to solve the above-described drawbacks, and an object of the present invention is to provide a tape drive device that can clean the transducer head at a predetermined timing with a simple structure.

  In the present invention, the head cleaning unit 4 for cleaning the converter head 3 moves from the cleaning position to the retracted position when the loading mechanism 2 is driven to the drawing-in side (set position side) of the tape cartridge 1, and the loading mechanism 2 2 is moved from the retracted position to the cleaning position in synchronism with the drive of the tape cartridge 1 to the discharge side.

  The retracted position can be set at an appropriate position in the apparatus as long as it is retracted at least from the running track of the data tape 1a and does not interfere with the data tape 1a, and the head cleaning unit 4 is moved. The trajectory may be a straight line or a curved line.

  By associating the operation of the tape cartridge 1 and the operation of the head cleaning unit 4, the converter head 3 can be automatically cleaned with the insertion / extraction operation of the tape cartridge 1 without the user being aware of it. Thus, the transducer head 3 can always be kept clean, and the reliability of reading and writing is improved. Further, the cleaning operation of the transducer head 3 is performed after the loading mechanism 2 ejects the tape cartridge 1, that is, at the timing when the data tape 1a does not exist. Never give.

  In order to synchronize the operation of the head cleaning unit 4 with the operation of the loading mechanism 2, for example, the movable unit of the loading mechanism 2 can be monitored by a sensor and the head cleaning unit 4 can be driven by an appropriate actuator. However, if the displacement of the movable part of the loading mechanism 2 is transmitted to the head cleaning part 4 via the appropriate transmission part 5, it is not necessary to separately arrange the sensor or the actuator, so that the structure is simple. In addition, the manufacturing cost can be reduced. In this case, the transmission unit 5 only needs to be able to transmit the movement of the movable unit of the loading mechanism 2 to the head cleaning unit 4 by adjusting the movement stroke between the cleaning position and the retracted position of the head cleaning unit 4.

  As apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, the transducer head can be cleaned at a predetermined timing with a simple structure.

  1 and 2 show an embodiment of the present invention configured as a linear tape drive using an LTO (Liner Tape Open) medium. The tape drive device is configured by arranging a loading mechanism 2 including a carrier 6, a device-side reel 7, and a transducer head 3 on a mechanical substrate 8, and tape guides 9 are disposed on both sides of the transducer head 3. Is done. When the tape cartridge 1 is guided to a predetermined position by the loading mechanism 2, the data tape 1 a in the tape cartridge 1 is pulled out from the tape cartridge 1 by a threading mechanism (not shown) and wound around the apparatus-side reel 7. In the state of being wound around the apparatus-side reel 7, the data tape 1a is guided by the tape guide 9 so that the contact area with the transducer head 3 or the contact angle with respect to the transducer head 3 is properly maintained. 3 is contacted, and reading or writing is performed by the transducer head 3. The tape guide 9 is provided with a flange 9 a that guides the edge in the width direction of the data tape 1 a and regulates the vertical deviation with respect to the transducer head 3.

  In FIG. 2, 10 indicates a motor for rotationally driving the apparatus-side reel 7, and 11 indicates a motor for rotationally driving the reel 1b of the set tape cartridge 1.

  The loading mechanism 2 includes the carrier 6 and the carrier driving unit 12 described above. As shown in FIG. 5, the carrier drive unit 12 has a reduction gear train 12b that transmits the power of the drive motor 12a, and a boss 12d is erected on the terminal gear 12c of the reduction gear train 12b. The boss 12d is loosely fitted in a long hole 13a provided in the slide link 13 integrally connected to the carrier 6, and when the drive motor 12a is rotated, the boss 12d moves from the position indicated by the solid line in FIG. 5 to the position indicated by the chain line. Then, the slide link 13 moves in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 5, and transports the tape cartridge 1 inserted into the carrier 6 to a set position where the rotation shaft of the reel 1 b is connected to the rotation shaft of the motor 11.

  In order to clean the converter head 3, a head cleaning unit 4 in which a cleaning brush 4 b is fixed to the tip of the arm 4 a is disposed in the vicinity of the converter head 3. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the arm 4a is pivotally supported by a head base 3a that holds the transducer head 3, and the cleaning position in which the cleaning brush 4b abuts against the transducer head 3 shown in FIG. Rotation is made between a retracted position that retracts from the contact position with the transducer head 3 and allows the data tape 1a to pass.

  Further, in order to drive the head cleaning unit 4, the arm 4 a is connected to the carrier driving unit 12 via the transmission unit 5. In this embodiment, the transmission portion 5 is integrally fixed to the back surface of the carrier 6, and protrudes from the rectangular opening 8 a formed in the mechanical substrate 8 to the back surface of the mechanical substrate 8. Are connected to each other, and the other end of the connecting rod 5b is rotatably connected to the arm 4a. The distance (arm length L) from the center of rotation of the arm 4a to the connecting point of the connecting rod 5b is the moving stroke of the carrier 6. The arm 4a is set so as to correspond to the retracted position and the cleaning position at both terminal positions. In this embodiment in which the connecting rod 5b is fixed to the protrusion 5a without any degree of freedom, the connecting rod 5b is formed of an elastic material such as a piano wire and is orthogonal to the moving direction of the carrier 6 when the arm 4a rotates. Absorbs the dimensional change in the direction.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, when the tape cartridge 1 is not loaded, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the head cleaning unit 4 is in the cleaning position, and the cleaning brush 4 b is in contact with the transducer head 3. . When detection means (not shown) detects that the tape cartridge 1 has been inserted into the carrier 6 from this state, the drive motor 12a of the loading mechanism 2 is driven and the terminal gear 12c is driven half-turn to drive the slide link 13. . As the slide link 13 moves, the carrier 6 starts to move in the direction of arrow B in FIG. 1 and starts to draw the tape cartridge 1 into the apparatus. With the movement of the carrier 6, the connecting rod 5b is pushed in the direction of arrow C in FIG. 4 to rotate the arm 4a, and the head cleaning unit 4 retracts the cleaning brush 4b away from the transducer head 3 as shown in FIG. Move to position.

  When the loading of the tape cartridge 1 is completed as described above, the data tape 1a is pulled out by a threading mechanism (not shown) and wound on the apparatus-side reel 7, and data is read and written. During this time, the head cleaning unit 4 The retracted position is maintained and interference with the data tape 1a is prevented.

  When the processing using the tape cartridge 1 is completed, the data tape 1a is rewound onto the reel 1b in the tape cartridge 1 by the threading mechanism, and the loading mechanism 2 is driven to the tape cartridge 1 discharge side. Since the carrier 6 returns to the original position by the operation of the loading mechanism 2, the arm 4 a is also pulled by the connecting rod 5 b and rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 3A, and the cleaning brush 4 b is moved to the transducer head 3. Then, the cleaning operation is performed by driving the transducer head 3 up and down or sideways, for example.

It is a principal part perspective view of a tape drive apparatus. It is a reverse view of FIG. It is a figure which shows operation | movement of this invention, (a) is a top view in case a head cleaning part exists in a retracted position, (b) is a front view, (c) is a back view. It is a figure which shows operation | movement of this invention, (a) is a top view in case a head cleaning part exists in a cleaning position, (b) is a front view, (c) is a back view. It is a figure which shows a carrier drive part, (a) is a back view, (b) is a 5A direction arrow directional view of (a).

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Tape cartridge 1a Data tape 2 Loading mechanism 3 Converter head 4 Head cleaning part 5 Transmission part

Claims (1)

A loading mechanism for transporting the inserted tape cartridge to a predetermined position in the apparatus;
A head cleaning unit that is movable between a cleaning position that contacts a transducer head that reads information from a data tape fed out from a tape cartridge and a retracted position that is spaced apart from the transducer head;
A transmission unit that moves the head cleaning unit between the retracted position and the cleaning position in synchronization with the transport operation of the loading mechanism;
The transmission unit is a tape drive device that transmits the displacement of the movable unit of the loading mechanism in the transport operation by changing the displacement of the head cleaning unit between the retracted position and the cleaning position.

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