Patent ID: 7427043

Claim:
A method for inhibiting damage to a cartridge drive, the method comprising the steps of: providing a first cartridge drive having a first protrusion pattern including n protrusions; providing a second cartridge drive with a substantially similar form factor as the first cartridge drive, the second cartridge drive having a second protrusion pattern including greater than n protrusions, each protrusion pattern impeding full insertion of an incompatible cartridge into the corresponding cartridge drive; and partially inserting a first cartridge alternately into the first cartridge drive and the second cartridge drive, the first cartridge including (i) a first cartridge housing having a substantially planar first cartridge wall with a reel aperture, and (ii) a rotatable reel having a portion that is partially exposed through the reel aperture, the first cartridge wall including at least a portion of a first recess pattern that is sized and positioned to fully receive the first protrusion pattern to allow full insertion of the cartridge into the first cartridge drive, the first recess pattern being sized and positioned to not fully receive the second protrusion pattern so that full insertion of the first cartridge into the second cartridge receiver is impeded.