Abstract:
An apparatus includes a holder for a drive leader of a tape drive. The drive leader is for coupling with a buckle attached to tape spooled in a tape cartridge. The holder may rotate about a tower attached to a housing of the tape drive. The apparatus further includes a restraining member for restraining the buckle during coupling with the drive leader. The member may include an elongate body disposed with the post to rotate into a restraining position with respect to the buckle during a buckling operation. The tape drive may include a motor for pulling the tape from the tape cartridge. A method includes restraining a buckle attached to the tape while coupling the drive leader with the buckle. Firmware in the tape drive may coordinate the movements of the holder and the restraining member with operation of the motor and other drive components.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Field 
     The present invention relates generally to tape drives for reading cartridges having tape for magnetically storing data. More specifically, the present invention relates to a tape drive having an improved buckler for buckling and unbuckling a cartridge leader coupled with the storage tape to a drive leader of the tape drive. 
     2. Related Art 
     Tape drives are widely used for storing information in digital form. These tape drives commonly use a storage tape having a thin film of magnetic material which receives the information. Typically, the storage tape is moved between a pair of spaced apart reels, past a data transducer to record and/or read back information from the storage tape. 
     In one type of tape drive system, one of the reels is part of the tape drive, while the other reel is part of a removable cartridge. For this type of tape drive system, the reel that is a part of the tape drive is commonly referred to as a take-up reel, while the reel that is a part of the cartridge is commonly referred to as a cartridge reel. With this system, upon insertion of the cartridge into the tape drive, it is necessary to couple the storage tape on the cartridge reel to the take-up reel of the tape drive. After tape operations, such as reading and/or writing data to the tape, are completed, the storage tape may be uncoupled from the take-up reel prior to removing the cartridge from the tape drive system. 
     Typically, the storage tape is attached to a cartridge leader that terminates in a buckle, and the take-up reel is coupled to a drive leader that terminates in a buckle pin. The buckle pin is for interfitting with the buckle to complete a “buckling” of the pin and the buckle. The buckling may occur at some point after insertion of the tape cartridge into the tape drive, in an automated buckling process implemented by a buckler. 
     A prior art buckler  20  is illustrated in  FIG. 1 . The buckler  20  includes a tube shaped section  110  that pivots on a buckler pin  98 . The buckler  20  includes an upper arm  112  and a spaced apart, lower arm (not illustrated) which rotate with the tube shaped section  110  to cantilever ends of the upper arm  112  and the lower arm away from the tube shaped section  110 . The buckler  20  includes a second component  102  that is attached to and is operable to rotate relative to the upper arm  112  on a connector pin  104 , the rotation causing a tapered lip  118  of the second component  102  to cantilever away from the upper arm  112 . A spring  106  biases the second component  102  to swing away from the upper arm  112 . 
     The second component  102  includes a pair of spaced apart buckler retainers  96  (upper buckle retainer identified). The design of the buckler retainers  96  can be varied. In this prior art example, the buckle retainers  96  are designed to hold the buckle pin described above (not illustrated in  FIG. 1 ) near outer edges of the buckle pin. The buckler  20  operates by disposing the buckle pin with the buckle as the components of the buckler  20  rotate and cantilever as described above. Once the buckler  20  has disposed the buckle pin with the buckle, a motor that rotates the cartridge reel operates to pull on the drive leader, which in turn pulls on the buckle, thereby causing the storage tape to be pulled from the cartridge reel. Generally, this action causes complete seating of the buckle pin in the buckle at some point in the tape path. However, this type of buckling operation still fails to complete buckling on occasion, and an improved system and method of buckling is desirable. 
     SUMMARY 
     Present inventive aspects include bucklers for tape drives that include a mechanism for reducing movement of a buckle that is coupled with tape spooled on a cartridge reel while a portion of a drive leader is coupled with the buckle. 
     In one aspect, a buckler for a tape drive comprises a holder for a drive leader that is operable to dispose the drive leader with a buckle of a tape cartridge. The buckler also comprises a member adapted to restrain the buckle during disposition of the drive leader with the buckle. 
     The member may include a distal portion for disposing proximate to a pin that couples the buckle to a cartridge leader that is in turn coupled with the tape on the tape drive. The distal portion may be for restraining the buckle. The member may also include a depth limiting portion for aiding in positioning of the distal portion. The member may be rotatable into position during a buckling operation. 
     In another aspect, a method for use in buckling operations in tape drives comprises restraining a buckle coupled to tape spooled on a cartridge reel of a tape cartridge during a disposition of a portion of a drive leader for a coupling with the buckle. 
     The method above may be implemented under control from program code stored on a computer readable medium. The program code is operable to initiate buckling of a drive leader to a buckle coupled to a tape spooled in a tape cartridge, where the initiation of buckling causing a structure adapted for restraining the buckle to move towards a restraining position. The program code may also be operable to initiate retraction of the structure after a disposition of the drive leader with the buckle, and cause a force to be applied to the drive leader for beginning read and write operations on the tape. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a fuller understanding of aspects and examples disclosed herein, reference is made to the accompanying drawings in the following description. 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a prior art buckler; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a tape drive in which exemplary bucklers according to aspects presented herein may be used; 
         FIG. 3A  illustrates a top view of a tape cartridge readable by the tape drive; 
         FIG. 3B  illustrates a perspective view of the tape cartridge of  FIG. 3A ; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a buckler exemplifying inventive aspects presented herein; 
         FIG. 5  illustrates another view of the buckler of  FIG. 4 , wherein the buckler is positioned with a drive leader; 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a view of the exemplary buckler in relation to a tape cartridge prior to disposing the drive leader with a buckle from the tape cartridge; 
         FIG. 7  illustrates a view of the buckler in relation to the tape cartridge during disposition of the drive leader with the buckle of the tape cartridge; 
         FIG. 8  illustrates a view of the buckler in relation to the tape cartridge after disposition of the drive leader with the buckle; 
         FIGS. 9A-D  illustrate top views of the buckler in relation to the buckle of the tape cartridge during various steps of a buckling operation; and 
         FIG. 10  illustrates method steps of buckling and unbuckling implemented by bucklers according to aspects presented herein. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The following description is presented to enable a person of ordinary skill in the art to make and use various aspects of the inventions. Descriptions of specific materials, techniques, and applications are provided only as examples. Various modifications to the examples described herein will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other examples and applications without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventions. For example, aspects and examples may be employed for buckling in a variety of devices. Unless noted otherwise, any system configurations, components, tolerances, design criteria, and the like provided herein are by way of example and illustration rather than limitation. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , a tape drive  10  having features of the present invention includes a drive housing  12 , a data transducer  14 , a take-up reel  16 , a cartridge receiver  18 , and a buckler  200 . The tape drive  10  is designed for use in conjunction with a cartridge  22  ( FIGS. 3A-B ) that includes a cartridge reel  24  and a storage tape (not illustrated) spooled on the cartridge reel  24 . The storage tape is coupled with a cartridge leader  255  ( FIG. 6 ) that is in turn coupled with a buckle  28  ( FIG. 3B ). As provided in detail below, the buckler  200  moves a buckle pin  251  ( FIG. 5 ) coupled with a drive leader  32  ( FIGS. 2 &amp; 5 ) relative to the cartridge  22  to automatically couple and uncouple the buckle  28  to the drive leader  32  by seating the buckle pin  251  in the buckle  28 . 
     The tape drive  10  may be installed within a computer (not shown). Alternately, the tape drive  10  can be used as part of a tape library. The drive housing  12  retains the various components of the tape drive  10 . The drive housing  12 , illustrated in  FIG. 2 , includes a base  40 , four spaced apart side walls  42  and a cover (not illustrated in  FIG. 2  for clarity). The drive housing  12  also includes a cartridge receiver portion  18  for receiving and holding a cartridge. The tape drive  10  includes a plurality of tape rollers  44  (one roller identified) for guiding the storage tape past the data transducer  14  and onto the take-up reel  16 . The path of the storage tape through the tape rollers  44 , past the data transducer  14  and onto the take-up reel  16  may be referred to as a tape path. A buckle motor  132  is operable to cause rotation of buckler  200 , as further described herein. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3A and 3B , the cartridge  22  includes a substantially rectangular cartridge housing  46  which encloses the cartridge reel  24  and the storage tape (not shown). The cartridge housing  46  includes a cartridge door (not shown for clarity) which pivots between an open door position in which the buckle  28  is exposed and a closed door position.  FIGS. 3A and 3B  illustrate that the cartridge housing  46  includes a buckle stop  48  positioned near the cartridge reel  24  and a housing opening  50  in the cartridge housing  46 . The cartridge stop  48  is sized and positioned to prevent the buckle  28  from retracting onto the cartridge reel  24 . 
     The buckle  28  may be formed from an upper catch  70  and a lower catch  71  (see also  FIG. 8 ), each of upper catch  70  and lower catch  71  have a shape that allows entry from one side of respective ends of a buckle pin  251  ( FIG. 5 ). The shape of the catches  70  and  71  also prevent exit from an opposite side of the buckle pin  251 . The catches may be shaped, coupled with the tape leader  255  ( FIG. 6 ), and otherwise disposed for allowing reliable entry of the buckling pin  251  and preventing undesired exit of the buckling pin  251  from the catches  70  and  71 . 
     Turning to  FIG. 4 , there is illustrated the exemplary buckler  200  of  FIG. 2  in more detail. Buckler  200  includes a base  204  that aids in supporting a tower  205  about which rotatable cam  210  is mounted. Pivot arm  215  is rotatable about pivot pin  260  such that the combined rotating movement of cam  210  and pivot arm  215  provides a rotatably extensible structure for holding the buckle pin  251  ( FIG. 5 ) and for eventually disposing the buckle pin  251  with the buckle  28 . As such, the cam  210  and pivot arm  215  are an example of a holder for the buckle pin  251 . Various other structures may be devised for holding the buckle pin  251 . 
     An end portion  216  of the pivot arm  215  includes a notch  221 , in which is disposed a buckle restraining member  225 . The buckle restraining member  225  is rotatably mounted on the tower  205 . The presently presented example of the buckle restraining member  225  comprises a depth limiter portion  226  and a distal end portion  227  (illustrated in  FIG. 6 ). The buckle restraining member  225  is urged into the notch  221  by a spring  230 . The buckle restraining member  225  may be made from any of a variety of materials including metals and plastics by any of a variety of techniques including but not limited to stamping, molding, and extruding techniques. Portions of the buckle restraining member  225 , such as the depth limiter  226  and the distal end  227  may be formed integrally or separate from an arm portion (generally illustrated as  225 ) that extends from the tower  205 . The buckle restraining member  225  may be made in a variety of shapes, including curvilinear shapes 
     In the present example of  FIG. 4 , the spring  230  is coiled about an upper portion of the tower  205  and includes an end portion that fits against a side of the buckle restraining member  225 . In practice, the spring  230  may be implemented in a variety of ways, including for example by coiling the spring internally in the tower and extending the end portion  231  through a hole in the tower, or coiling the spring around the tower between the tower and an inner surface of the restraining member  225 . The restraining member  225  may also be pulled from an opposite side to bias the restraining member  225  towards the pivot arm  215  (and into the notch  221 ). A variety of other mechanisms and techniques for biasing the restraining member  225  according to the presently presented aspects would be within the understanding of one of ordinary skill in the art. An aspect of this biasing includes that the restraining member  225  moves with the pivot arm  215  as the pivot arm  215  rotates away from the restraining member  225  and cantilevers towards the buckle  28 , as will be discussed further herein. 
     Turning to  FIG. 5 , there is another illustration of the buckler  200 , with the drive leader  32  disposed with the buckler  200  and the buckle pin  251  is held by pin catches  217   a  and  217   b . The pin catches  217   a  and  217   b  are shaped to retain the buckle pin  251  as pivot arm  215  pivots about pivot pin  260 . As pivot arm  215  pivots to sweep out end portion  216 , buckle pin  251  moves with the pivot arm  215 . At a point in this movement, the buckle pin  251  and the pin catches  217   a  and  217   b  will no longer be in contact as the force that was holding them in contact is instead directed to causing the buckle in  251  to move into a recess  218 . The recess  218  aids in keeping the buckle pin  251  in place as the buckling operation progresses. The recess may also force buckle pin  251  into upper and lower catches  70  and  71   
     In  FIG. 6 , the buckler  200  is further illustrated in a perspective view in relation to the tape cartridge  22  at a time early in the buckling operation. In the present illustration, the tape leader  255  is coupled with the buckle  28  through a tape leader pin  256  that is in turn secured in each of the upper catch  70  and the lower catch  71 . The tape leader  255  may be coupled with the buckle  28  by looping portions of the tape leader around the tape leader in  256  and fixing that looped material back on itself.  FIG. 5  also illustrates that the restraining member  225  is biased against the pivot arm  215  such that the restraining member  225  will sweep into position for restraining the buckle  28  before the buckle pin  251  is disposed with the buckle  28 . 
       FIG. 7  illustrates the buckler  200  in position to restrain the buckle  28  by being positioned with respect to the cartridge pin  256  such that a movement in a direction similar to the direction of the pivot arm  215  would be restricted or otherwise limited.  FIG. 7  also illustrates the buckle pin  251  of the drive leader entering the lower catch  71  of buckle  28 . The upper catch  70  is also illustrated, and would be receiving an upper portion of the buckle pin  251 . The depth limiting portion  226  of the restraining member  225  rests against a portion of the housing  46  of the tape cartridge  22 . The depth limiting portion  226  aids in positioning the distal end portion  227  with the cartridge pin  256 . 
     Other implementations of the restraining member  225  may omit the depth limiting portion  226  in that the distal end portion  227  may be controlled in positioning such that the depth limiting portion  226  of the restraining member is not needed. Still other examples may have a modified depth limiting portion that can take any of a variety of shapes. For example, the depth limiting portion may include an end more similar to the distal end  227  that would push against a portion of the housing  46  available between side portions of the tape leader  255 . Such details and a variety of other selections would be within the scope of understanding of those of ordinary skill in the art. 
     In the context of these exemplary aspects, restraining the buckle  28  includes reducing or otherwise limiting play in the buckle  28  as the buckle pin  251  is disposed in the buckle  28 . Restraining the buckle  28  may also be more generally viewed as providing a counteracting force to the force exerted on the buckle as the buckler  200  sweeps through, depositing the buckle pin  251  with the buckle  28 . Restraining the buckle  28  may also include counteracting force exerted on the buckle through the drive leader  32  by the take-up motor of the tape drive  10 , in circumstances where the take-up motor is controlled to aid in buckling by pulling on the drive leader  32  while the buckle  28  is restrained. As such, restraint of the buckle need not be complete or otherwise absolute because a purpose of restraining the buckle may be fulfilled even though the buckle  28  may move to some extent during deposition of the buckle pin  251  with the buckle  28 . 
     In contrasting buckler  200  with the prior art buckler  20 , illustrated in  FIG. 1 , buckling, if using buckler  20 , would often be completed only after the take-up reel motor was activated to pull the tape from the cartridge reel  24  and the buckle  28  had proceeded in the tape path to move around at least one of the rollers  44  ( FIG. 2 ). In present examples, buckling may be completed as the buckle pin  251  is disposed with the buckle  28 , under the force of the buckler  200 , and without requiring involvement of the take-up reel motor. Recess  218  may be formed with an edge angle that provides increased force during buckling, such an edge angle would generally be closer to perpendicular with the buckle. However, the edge angle should provide for a ramp to allow the buckle pin  251  to leave the recess  218  as the pivot arm  215  continues to sweep across the tape cartridge  22  and the buckle  28 . The take-up reel motor may be used as well in buckling operations according to present examples. For instance, the take-up reel motor may be activated while restraining member  225  is in place for restraining the buckle  28 , which may further ensure a complete buckling before movement of the storage tape from the cartridge reel  24 . 
       FIG. 8  illustrates the buckler  200  with respect to the cartridge housing  46  after disposal of the buckle pin  251  with the buckle  28  and the buckle pin  251  has disengaged from the recess  218 . As illustrated, by virtue of the path of travel of the cam  210  (to the right and away from buckle  28 ), the pivot arm  215  has been moved away from the buckle  28  to some extent such that the pivot arm  215  would not interface with movement of the buckle  28  through the tape path. In this movement, as the pivot arm  215  moves away, the notch  221  again contacts restraining arm  225  and causes the restraining arm  225  to move away from restraining the cartridge pin  256 , as will be discussed in more detail with regard to  FIGS. 9C-D . In an unbuckling movement, the basic steps described above may be reversed such that the restraining member  225  moves into place for restraining the buckle  28 , and the pivot arm  215  sweeps from the other direction such that pin catches  217   a  and  217   b  catch the buckle pin  251  and remove the buckle pin  251  from the buckle  28 . 
       FIGS. 9A-D  each illustrates a top view at a different point during a buckling operation.  FIG. 9A  illustrates buckler  200  proximate a beginning position of the buckling operation. Pin catch  217   a  has pin  251  as the buckler  200  sweeps out towards the housing  46  for disposing the buckle pin  251  with the buckle  28  (only the top portion  70  identified). The restraining member  225  fits in notch  221  ( FIGS. 6-7 ). The drive leader  32  is illustrated as wrapping around an outer portion of cam  210 . 
       FIG. 9B  then illustrates that the restraining member  225  is positioned to place the distal end  227  with respect to the buckle  28  to restrain the buckle  28  as the buckle pin  251  is disposed with the buckle  28 . The depth limiter  226  is illustrated in contact with a portion of the housing  46 . As can be discerned, depth limited  226  could be any of a variety of shapes and still perform its positioning function in the present example. 
       FIG. 9C  illustrates that the buckle pin  251  has been disposed with the buckle  28  (again, only top portion  70  identified). The pivot arm  215  has then been moved away from the buckle  28  by virtue of the cam  210  continuing to rotate around tower  205  ( FIGS. 7-8 ).  FIG. 9D  illustrates that the pivot arm  215  moves away from buckle  28 , thereby moving the restraining member  225  away from the buckle  28 . Unbuckling the buckle pin  251  from the buckle  28  may occur in an unbuckling operation that is substantially a reversal of the buckling operation. 
       FIG. 10  illustrates exemplary steps that occur during reading and/or writing of a tape in a tape drive incorporating a buckler according to exemplary aspects presented herein. In  1005 , a tape cartridge is placed in the drive (e.g, drive  10 ). For brevity, steps relating to opening any access doors or other protective devices are omitted. The drive  10 , having access to buckle  28 , begins to rotate buckler  200  into position for sweeping pivot arm  215  across the buckle  28 . Meanwhile, the restraining member  225  is biased against the pivot arm  215  such that as the pivot arm begins to sweep across buckle  28 , the pivot arms moves ( 1015 ) into a position to restrain the buckle  28 . At  1020 , the pivot disposes the buckle pin  251  of the drive leader (in this example) with the buckle  28 . As this disposition occurs, the notch  218  provides some force on the buckle pin  251  to urge the buckle pin  251  into a full buckling with the buckle  28 , and buckling is completed at  1025 . Step  1025  may include providing force on the buckle pin  251  through the drive leader  32  by the take-up reel motor, as well as providing a reverse force on the buckle  28  through the cartridge reel motor. 
     At  1030 , the pivot arm moves away from the buckle  28 , and by virtue of this movement pushes the restraining arm  225  away from the buckle  28 . The take-up reel motor may then begin operation at  1035  by pulling storage tape from the cartridge  22 . After completion of read and/or write operations (not separately illustrated), the tape may be retracted by the cartridge reel motor back onto cartridge reel  24 . The buckle pin  251  may then be removed from buckle  28  by an unbuckling operation that may essentially include reversing the steps of buckling. 
     Steps of the above methods as well as other control functions described with regard to the tape drive, such as control of various motors and other actuators in the tape drive  10  may be controlled by program code that is stored on media in the tape drive  10 . For example, there may be a programmable memory, such as an EEPROM or a Flash memory device that contains code (typically called firmware) for sequencing, synchronizing, and otherwise controlling features of the tape drive  10  that are controllable. For example, the programmable memory may contain code that sequences operations such as the beginning of the buckling movement and the beginning of rotation of the take-up reel motor, as well as other functions such as how much torque should be applied to the take-up reel motor at any given time. The program code may control the actuators and motors through devices known in the art, such as pulse width modulating controllers, and the like. 
     Further description relating to bucklers, such as buckler  20  ( FIG. 1 ) and buckling operations may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,092,754, entitled “Buckler for a tape drive,” which is commonly owned with the present application and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     This description is exemplary and it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that numerous modifications and variations are possible. For example, various exemplary methods and systems described herein may be used alone or in combination with various other tape drive features. Additionally, particular examples have been discussed and how these examples are thought to address certain disadvantages in related art. This discussion is not meant, however, to restrict the various examples to methods and/or systems that actually address or solve the disadvantages.