Patent ID: 7446972

Claim:
A tape drive with a storage cartridge disposed therein, comprising: a storage cartridge housing having: a single supply reel rotatably disposed within the storage cartridge housing and having storage tape wound on the supply reel, only a single access window for allowing a tape drive access to the storage tape wound on the supply reel for reading or writing to the storage tape, and only a single guide surface disposed within the storage cartridge housing, wherein the guide surface is positioned within the storage cartridge housing to guide the storage tape away from the supply reel and then back to reengage tape of the supply reel before extending to the access window; and a tape drive having: at least a first guiding element, a data transducer, and a take-up reel, wherein the storage tape is guided within the tape drive along a tape path passing adjacent a data transducer, and wound on the take-up reel, wherein the storage tape passes adjacent the data transducer along the tape path between at least the first guiding element and the take-up reel.