Patent Application
20090201609
This description relates to tape drive systems for moving a tape, such as a recording tape for storing information, longitudinally across a head where the tape is subject to lateral movement.
Typically, tape drive systems provide tape guides for controlling the lateral movement of the tape as the tape is moved along a tape path in a longitudinal direction across a tape head. The tape may have a plurality of data tracks extending in the longitudinal direction, and the tape drive system may provide a track following servo system for moving the tape head in a lateral direction for following lateral movement of the longitudinal tracks as the tape is moved in the longitudinal direction. The track following servo system may employ servo tracks on the tape which are parallel to the data tracks, and employ servo read heads to read the servo tracks to detect position error and thereby position the tape head at the data tracks and follow the data tracks. This allows the data tracks to be placed closely together and increase the number of data tracks.
The tape is typically contained in a cartridge of one or two reels, and the tape is moved between a supply reel and a take up reel. The reels typically have runout causing the tape to move laterally as the tape is moved longitudinally. Tape guides can to an extent limit at least the amplitude of the lateral movement of the tape with the goal of limiting the lateral movement so that it does not exceed the lateral movement capability of the track following servo system.
In functions other than tape guiding, such as a tension roller (U.S. Pat. No. 4,310,863), an inertia roller (U.S. Pat. No. 4,633,347), or a tape timer roller (U.S. Pat. No. 3,037,290), where only longitudinal motion of the tape is concerned, high friction rollers that are in the tape path and displaced a considerable distance from the tape head, are intended to prevent or reduce tape slippage longitudinally with respect to the roller.
Typical tape guides may comprise stationary buttons or edges, or flanges at the side of tape guide rollers, positioned against the edges of the tape to control the amplitude of the lateral movement of the tape. In order to increase the total capacity of a tape, the tape is increasingly made thinner to allow more wraps of tape to fit on a given tape reel. As a result, the tape can be relatively weak in the lateral direction, and can, in some instances, be relatively easily damaged at the edge from the tape guide. Thus, the tape guides are typically positioned at a bearing where the tape assumes a cylindrical shape, thus increasing the ability of the tape edge to support a load. The tape roller bearing is generally rotatable about a central axis parallel to the cylindrical peripheral surface, allowing the tape freedom of movement in the longitudinal direction.
The bearing is also typically designed to have low friction. This arrangement can minimize the potential to distort the edge of the tape as the guides push against the edges of the tape to move the tape to the center of the bearing to reduce the amplitude of lateral displacement of the tape. One example is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,447,279, which employs an air bearing to reduce the friction of the bearing for stationary tape guides. One type of bearing in which the tape engagement surface remains stationary may also be referred to as a fixed pin or post. Other bearings such as roller bearings may have rotating tape engagement surfaces which reduce the longitudinal friction of the bearing while the flanges of the roller bearings push against the edges of the tape. One example of a roller bearing or fixed pin with flanges arranged to have low friction is U.S. Pat. No. 4,427,166. Fixed surfaces may also be arranged to have low friction. One example is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,466,582, where a synthetic resin or metal coated tape guide bearing has a reduced contact area for the tape to lower the friction between the guide surface and the running tape and allow the flanges to stabilize the tape.
However, when wound on a reel, tape is typically subjected to stack shifts or stagger wraps, in which one wrap of the tape is substantially offset with respect to an adjacent wrap. Thus, as the tape is unwound from the reel, there can be a rapid lateral transient shift of the tape. Other common sources of rapid lateral transient shifts include 1) a buckled tape edge in which the tape crawls against a tape guide flange and suddenly shifts laterally back down onto the bearing, 2) a damaged edge of the tape which causes the tape to jump laterally when contacting a tape guide, and 3) when the take up reel or supply reel runout is so significant that the reel flange hits the edge of the tape.
Because of the low friction of the bearing and the low mass of the tape, rapid lateral transient shift of the tape at any point of the tape path may not be slowed by the typical tape guide and thus may be transmitted along the tape path to the tape head.
A tape head track following servo system may comprise a single actuator, or a compound, multiple element actuator. The transient response of the tape head track following servo system typically comprises a high bandwidth for a very limited lateral movement, called “fine” track following, to permit the tape head to follow small displacements of the tape. Larger movement of the tape head is typically conducted as “coarse” track following, which is also employed to shift the tape head from one set of tracks to another set, and is typically conducted at a slow rate. The occurrence of a lateral transient shift, however, can be so rapid that neither the fine track follower nor the coarse track follower is able to respond, with the result that the tracking error becomes so large that writing may be stopped to prevent overwriting an adjacent track and to insure that the tracking error on read back is not so large as to cause a readback error.
One approach has been to make the tape guide edges or flanges closer together to maintain a pressure on both edges of the tape. However, this tends to stress and damage the edges of the tape, reducing its durability. An attempt at reducing the stress comprises spring loaded tape guides, such as the above-mentioned '279 patent. However, although the amplitude of the tape shift may be reduced somewhat by this approach, the speed of the shift is typically not reduced, and a track following servo error may still occur, reducing the performance of the tape drive.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,754,033 describes a tape roller bearing having a cylindrical peripheral surface comprising a grooved frictional surface for contacting and engaging the surface of the tape, allowing the tape to move freely with the tape roller bearing cylindrical peripheral surface in a direction perpendicular to the central axis, and constraining movement of the tape in the lateral direction. The frictional surface limits slip in the lateral direction, thereby reducing the rate of the lateral transient movement of the tape to allow the track following servo system to follow the reduced rate lateral transient movement of the longitudinal tracks.
Thus, the tape is contacted and engaged at its surface rather than at an edge, constraining the tape in the lateral direction, providing substantial lateral drag to the tape, such that the tape is able to move laterally at a slower rate as the tape roller bearing rotates, which can substantially reduce the rate of the lateral transient movement. The grooved tape engagement surface substantially quenches any potential air bearing that could form between the surface of the tape and the surface of the roller bearing, e.g., due to the air drawn along by the tape as it is moved rapidly. As a result, an air bearing beginning to form is generally collapsed to ensure that the roller bearing frictionally contacts and engages the surface of the tape. A flat cylindrical surface may also be provided at the edges of the tape to fully support the tape edges.
Another approach has been to provide rollers having a crowned tape engagement surface which exerts a lateral force on the tape which tends to restore the tape to a central position. However, the effectiveness of this approach can be limited due to various factors such as the Young's Modulus exhibited by the tape and the degree of strain permitted to be exerted on the tape.
Yet another approach utilizes a post having a concave tape engagement surface rather than a crowned tape engagement surface. Here too, the curvature can provide some restoring force to center the tape. However, like the crowned tape engagement surface, the concave curvature is limited by the allowable tension gradient in the tape. Typically, the tension gradient is maximum when the tape is at nominal tension and the edges are “baggy” or at zero tension.
It has also been proposed to use sensors to detect the lateral position of the tape edge as it passes the bearing and to tilt the bearing in an active closed control loop to control the lateral position of the tape. It is recognized that tilting the bearing can introduce a gradient of tension between the top and bottom edges of tape which can be used to actively steer the tape riding on an air bearing formed between the tape and the physical bearing surface. However, the air bearing may be inadvertently quenched such as when the tape stops or momentary stiction occurs between the tape and the physical bearing surface. As a consequence, a momentary loss of control of the tape may be produced which may have severe consequences causing damage to the tape.
A tape movement constraint is provided for a tape drive system. In one embodiment, the tape movement constraint rotates a tape roller barrel of a roller bearing by engaging a surface of the tape roller barrel with a longitudinally moving magnetic tape, quenching at least a portion of any air bearing between the moving tape and the barrel surface using grooves formed in the barrel surface, sensing the lateral position of the moving tape, and tilting the rotating roller barrel in response to the sensed lateral position of the moving tape to control the lateral position of the moving tape
In the illustrated embodiment, the tape roller barrel is tilted by driving an electric current which is conducted by a coil held by a coil holder at least partially disposed within the roller barrel, to generate a magnetic field which interacts with a magnetic field of a permanent magnet to move the coil and its coil holder. A hinge, at least a portion of which is disposed in the coil holder, allows the coil holder to pivot relative to a first support frame.
In the illustrated embodiment, the hinge provides a pivot axis aligned with a center position of the roller barrel surface in the lateral direction. Also, the hinge is a living hinge having a flexure member coupled by a first hinge member to the coil holder, and a second hinge member coupled to the first support frame.
In the illustrated embodiment, the tiltable tape roller bearing of the constraint system is positioned along the tape path closely adjacent the tape head, has a cylindrical peripheral surface parallel to the lateral direction of the tape and extending a length greater than the width of the tape, for contacting a surface of the tape. The tape roller bearing is rotatable about a central axis parallel to the cylindrical peripheral surface, allowing the tape freedom of movement in the longitudinal direction.
The tiltable cylindrical peripheral surface comprises a frictional surface for contacting and engaging the surface of the tape, allowing the tape to move freely with the tape roller bearing cylindrical peripheral surface in a direction perpendicular to the central axis, and constraining movement of the tape in the lateral direction. The frictional surface limits slip in the lateral direction, thereby reducing the rate of the lateral transient movement of the tape to allow the track following servo system to follow the reduced rate lateral transient movement of the longitudinal tracks.
Thus, the tape is contacted and engaged at its surface rather than at an edge, constraining the tape in the lateral direction, providing substantial lateral drag to the tape, such that the tape is able to move laterally at a slower rate as the tape roller bearing rotates, substantially reducing the rate of the lateral transient movement. In one embodiment, any potential air bearing that could form between the surface of the tape and the surface of the roller bearing, e.g., due to the air drawn along by the tape as it is moved rapidly, is collapsed to insure that the roller bearing frictionally contacts and engages the surface of the tape.
The tape drive system moves the tape along a tape path in a longitudinal direction across a tape head, the tape having tracks extending in the longitudinal direction, the tape head having a track following servo system for moving the head in a lateral direction for following lateral movement of the longitudinal tracks, where the tape is subject to lateral transient movement.
Other embodiments are described and claimed.
For a fuller understanding of the present description, reference should be made to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
a is a top, schematic view of one embodiment of the interaction of permanent magnets and a coil in an actuator of a tiltable roller bearing in accordance with the present description;
a and 5b are schematic diagrams illustrating a non-tilt position and a tilt position, respectively, of a flexural pivot used in one embodiment of a tiltable roller bearing in accordance with the present description, which may be employed in the tape drive of
a and 8b depict one example of dynamics of operation of a tape constraint in accordance with the present description;
a and 9b are enlarged views of alternative embodiments of the roller bearing barrel of
a and 14b are diagrammatic representations of alternative embodiments of peripheral surfaces of the roller bearing barrel of
In the following description with reference to the Figures, like numbers represent the same or similar elements. While this description is provided in terms of the best mode, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that variations may be accomplished in view of these teachings without deviating from the spirit or scope of the present description.
Referring to
The compound actuator may comprise a coarse actuator, such as a stepper motor, and a fine actuator, such as a voice coil, mounted on the coarse actuator. The fine actuator in this embodiment has a high bandwidth for a very limited lateral movement, called “fine” track following, for allowing the tape head to accurately follow small displacements of the tape. Larger movement of the tape head is in this embodiment conducted by the coarse actuator for centering the actuator at the average position of the fine actuator during track following, and is also employed to shift the tape head from one set of tracks to another set, and is conducted at a slow rate. An example of a compound actuator is described in coassigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,793,573. It is appreciated that many differing types of actuators may be employed in embodiments of the present description, depending upon the particular application.
The tape drive 10 additionally comprises a controller 20 which provides the electronics modules and processor to implement a servo system to operate the compound actuator. In addition, the controller 20 provides the electronics modules and processor portion of the tape movement constraint described below.
The magnetic tape 11 of the present example may be provided in a tape cartridge or cassette 13 having a supply reel 12 or having both the supply and take up reels. The servo tracks or bands 18 may comprise any of several types of longitudinal servo patterns as is known to those of skill in the art. For example, a timing based servo pattern is described in coassigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,689,384, and comprises magnetic transitions recorded at more than one azimuthal orientation across the width of the servo track. In one example, five longitudinal timing based servo tracks are prerecorded on the magnetic tape for track following at these positions. The pattern of magnetic transitions recorded in the servo tracks is a repeated set of frames, each of which are of different azimuthal orientations. Thus, the tape head 15 may comprises at least two narrow servo read elements allowing two servo tracks to be sensed simultaneously, and the outputs used redundantly to reduce error rates.
In this example, the magnetic tape 11 may also be provided with suitable guard bands at the edges of the tape, and four data track regions between the servo tracks. A plurality of read and write elements may be provided at the tape head 15 for reading and/or writing data on the tape 11. When the servo elements are properly positioned at the specific servo tracks, the read and write elements are properly positioned to transfer data with respect to the corresponding data track locations of the tape 11.
The data tracks are typically narrow and closely spaced, and the tape 11 is typically very thin with little lateral stiffness at the edge. Tape edge guides may be provided which push against the edge of the tape to prevent excessive lateral movement of the tape, for example, from runout of the supply reel 12 or the take up reel 14, at least from the standpoint of the amplitude of the movement of the tape. However, when wound on a reel, tape is typically subjected to rapid lateral transient shifting, for example, from stack shifts or stagger wraps, in which one wrap of the tape is substantially offset with respect to an adjacent wrap. Other common sources of rapid lateral transient shifts include 1) a buckled tape edge in which the tape crawls against a tape guide flange and suddenly shifts laterally back down onto the bearing, 2) a damaged edge of the tape which causes the tape to jump laterally when contacting a tape guide, and 3) when the take up reel or supply reel runout is so significant that the reel flange hits the edge of the tape.
In the tape drive 10 of
In accordance with one aspect of the present description, the tape engagement surface 200 of each tape roller bearing 60, 61 is tiltable to control the lateral position of the moving tape, and is also textured, that is, grooved, to enhance lateral friction to a degree between the tape and the engagement surface 200. In the illustrated embodiment, the tape engagement surface 200 of each tape roller bearing 60, 61 is tiltable about an axis, such as the axis 214, for example, which, in this embodiment, is generally orthogonal to the axis 210 of rotation of the tape roller bearing 60, 61. As explained in greater detail below, the tilt of the roller bearing 60, 61 may be controlled to counteract lateral movements of the tape. As a consequence, the rate of the lateral transient movement of the tape may be reduced so that the track following system may continue to track follow the longitudinal tracks of the tape. It is appreciated that in other applications, features other than reduction of lateral transient movement may be achieved, depending upon the particular application.
In the illustrated embodiment, the tape movement constraint comprises at least one tape roller bearing, and preferably comprises two tape roller bearings 60 and 61, positioned along the tape path at either side of and closely adjacent the tape head 15. Alternatively, tape roller bearings 60 and 61 may be located within a removable cartridge, for example, replacing the stationary bearings in an IBM 3570 tape cartridge, for example. When the cartridge is placed in the drive, the tape roller bearings 60 and 61 are positioned along the tape path, and closely adjacent the tape head 15. Elements 112 and 113 may comprise conventional tape guides for reducing the amplitudes of the lateral transient movement, or may comprise additional tape movement constraint roller bearings. It is appreciated that the tape roller bearings of the constraint may be positioned elsewhere with respect to the tape head, depending upon the particular application.
An actuator 320 is coupled to the second support frame 306 and is adapted to pivot the second support frame and the roller barrel 310 at the pivot 308 relative to the first support frame 304 when the actuator 320 is actuated. In the illustrated embodiment, the actuator 320 is a voice coil actuator. It is appreciated that other types of actuators may be used, depending upon the particular application.
The tape movement constraint 300 further includes a tape position sensor 324 positioned to detect the lateral position of the tape 11. The controller 20, responsive to the tape position sensor 324 is adapted to control the actuator 320 to tilt the roller barrel 310 on the pivot axis 214 to control the lateral position of the tape 11 in response to the tape position sensor 324.
In the illustrated embodiment, the voice coil actuator 320 includes a coil 330 which is adapted to conduct an electric current to generate a magnetic field. The actuator 320 further comprises at least one permanent magnet 340 disposed in the base 302. In the illustrated embodiment of
The second support frame 306 includes coil holder 350 which is adapted to hold the coil 330. As best shown in
In the illustrated embodiment, the coil holder 350 is rigidly attached to the coil 330, so that motion of the coil 330 is directly transmitted to the coil holder 350, bearing tracks 352, and the barrel 310. As described in greater detail below, the motion of the coil holder 350 is constrained by the flexural pivot at the pivot point 308.
In the illustrated embodiment, the roller bearing tracks 352 are angular contact or deep groove ball bearings, preloaded against each other to permit smooth rolling motion of the barrel 310. In that there is little or no relative motion of the tape with respect to the roller in this embodiment, the tape movement constraint 300 can facilitate control of high frequency excitation of lateral motion of the tape 11. Accordingly, such control may be facilitated if the bearing tracks 352 have relatively little radial and axial runout. However, it is appreciated that other types of bearings may be used, depending upon the particular application.
a is a schematic diagram of one example of the pivot 308. In this embodiment, the pivot 308 comprises a hinge 500 disposed in the coil holder 350 wherein the coil holder 350 of the second support frame 306 is pivotally coupled to the first support frame 304 by the hinge 500. In this example, the hinge 500 is a living hinge which includes first and second hinge members 510, 520 and a flexure member 530 flexibly coupling the first hinge member 510 to the second hinge member 512.
In the illustrated embodiment, the plate 610 of the second support frame 306 is rigidly attached to the coil holder 350 so that the first hinge member 510 is rigidly coupled to the coil holder 350. Conversely, the second hinge member 520 is rigidly connected by the member 620 (
The living hinge 500 including the flexture member 530 provides a flexural pivot, having a predetermined stiffness which is low enough to provide a relatively low frequency resonance. For example, the living hinge may provide a low frequency resonance near 10 Hz. Conversely, the living hinge 500 may be sufficiently stiff to provide a restoring force large enough to center the roller bearing 60 without forces external to the bearing.
In the illustrated embodiment, to offset lateral forces which may be produced by the tape 11 due to tension, the pivot 308 is placed at the midpoint of the barrel 310 of the roller bearing 60 as shown in
In another aspect of the present description, the voice coil actuator 320 is sufficiently small to be self-contained within the body of the roller bearing 60 itself, including its base 302. Moreover, the roller bearing 60, including the base 302, has a form factor for ready implementation into various tape products. It is appreciated that in other applications, the size and position of the actuator, and the form factor of the roller bearing, may vary, depending upon the particular application.
In accordance with one aspect of the present description, it is recognized that a tilting grooved roller bearing, such as the roller bearing 60, which quenches the air bearing between the tape 11 and the roller bearing 60, does not, in this embodiment, operate in the same way as a tilting smooth roller which could permit an air bearing to be maintained between the tape 11 and the surface of the roller barrel. Because the air bearing is substantially quenched in the present embodiment, little or no tension gradient is developed across the tape. Nonetheless, tape 11 is constrained to move in the same direction as the tilting motion of the barrel of the grooved roller.
Accordingly, in additional operations, the lateral position of the moving tape 11 is sensed (block 720) by a sensor such as the sensor 324, and the rotating roller barrel is tilted (block 730) using an actuator such as the actuator 320, in response to the sensed lateral position of the moving tape, to control the lateral position of the moving tape. Thus, for example, if the sensor 324 senses the lateral position deviating from the center position, the actuator 320 tilts the roller barrel 310 which moves the tape back toward the center position. In this manner, deviation from the center lateral position of the tape relative to barrel center position may be readily corrected. It is believed that a tilting grooved roller bearing constraint as described herein has sufficient dynamics for closed loop operation.
In one feature of a method of tape steering or guiding in accordance with the present description, it is believed that there is little or no transition in control on startup. By comparison, such transitions in control may be present for a tilting smooth roller, such as during startup or shutdown. As a consequence, it is believed that, in a tape movement constraint in accordance with the present description, effective control can be maintained at all or substantially all times to reduce or eliminate tape damage.
In another feature of a method of tape steering or guiding in accordance with the present description, it is believed that relatively little relative motion occurs between the tape and the grooved surface of the roller bearing, except that lateral motion intentionally caused by tilting the roller bearing. As a consequence, it is believed that high frequency lateral motion excitations may be controlled. In the illustrated embodiment, the cylindrical peripheral surface 200 comprises a grooved frictional surface for contacting and engaging the surface of the tape and constraining movement of the tape in the lateral direction, while not increasing friction in the longitudinal direction, thereby reducing the rate of the lateral transient movement of the tape to allow the track following servo system to follow the reduced rate lateral transient movement of the longitudinal tracks.
Thus, the tape is contacted and engaged at its surface rather than at an edge, limiting lateral slip and providing substantial lateral drag to the tape, while the tape rolls freely with the tape roller bearing as the tape roller bearing rotates, substantially altering the transient characteristics of the tape and reducing the rate of the lateral transient movement. Thus, undesirable forces and stresses on the tape are reduced or prevented. At the same time, as the result of the substantial lateral drag provided by the lateral constraint of the grooved frictional cylindrical peripheral surface 200, the rate of lateral movement is reduced. To move at a high lateral velocity, the tape would need to overcome the frictional contact of the cylindrical peripheral surface 200. This constraint thereby substantially reduces the lateral velocity of the tape from that which would occur if the tape were free to slide over the bearing surface.
In yet another feature of a method of tape steering or guiding in accordance with the present description, it is believed that such method and apparatus may be readily used with a high wrap angle. By comparison, in the case of a smooth roller bearing, it is believed that a high wrap angle would tend to decrease the height of the self-acting air bearing, and thereby inhibit proper control operation of the smooth bearing.
In the embodiment of
In some applications, the smooth support provided by smooth surfaces 910, 920 may tend to prevent distortion of the tape at the edges and to further prevent damage to the tape. Also, excessive amplitude lateral movement might be further inhibited by conventional tape guiding at adjacent locations.
In the embodiments of
Referring to
Those of skill in the art will understand that various materials and techniques may be employed to provide the roller bearing tape movement constraint of the present description. Those of skill in the art understand that still further alternative peripheral surfaces and techniques for manufacturing the tilting roller bearing may be envisioned.
While embodiments of the present description have been illustrated in detail, it should be apparent that modifications and adaptations to those embodiments may occur to one skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present description as set forth in the following claims.
