Patent ID: 8573525

Claim:
A reel installation method for installing a first reel and a second reel into a drive device from a magazine that is formed from an upper cartridge and a lower cartridge that is detachable from the upper cartridge, that houses the first reel and the second reel that each have a reel hub, and that houses a recording tape that is wound on an outer peripheral surface of at least one reel hub of the first reel or the second reel, the method comprising: (A) holding the reel hub of the first reel and the reel hub of the second reel at the upper cartridge so as to be unable to rotate, by reel holding mechanisms that are provided at the upper cartridge; (B) detaching the lower cartridge from the upper cartridge; (C) conveying the upper cartridge, that is in a state of holding the respective reel hubs of the first reel and the second reel by the reel holding mechanisms, to the drive device, and positioning and placing the reel hub of the first reel and the reel hub of the second reel respectively on a pair of rotating members of the drive device; (D) releasing holding of the respective reel hubs of the first reel and the second reel by the reel holding mechanisms; (E) removing the upper cartridge from the drive device; and (F) fixing the respective reel hubs of the first reel and the second reel to the respective rotating members of the drive device.