Patent Application
20070008683
The present invention is generally directed to a tape transport apparatus of the type employed in the data storage industry. More particularly, however, the present invention is directed to an enclosed and sealed combination tape drive and tape medium. Here, the drives, the tape medium, the tape transport structure and the read/write head are all parts of an integral unit that, in turn, may be mounted in a desired location.
The advent of the information age has seen an exponential growth in the accumulation and storage of data both for online usage as well as for archival purposes. In addition, many applications employ data storage systems for the recording of events occurring over a specified interval or event.
In the early days of the computer industry data was typically stored on magnetic tapes, such as reel-to-reel tapes and later cassettes that held spools of tape. The magnetic tape would be transported across a transducer, such as a magnetic coil, which would imprint or recall data from the moving band of magnetic film. Magnetic tape has an advantage that it is relatively low on cost and can be erased and rewritten many times. These systems were adequate where a low volume of data was to be retained. Following the development of tape storage, the use of magnetic disks was employed. Here, data was stored on a rotating flexible magnetic disk by a read/write head that was moved radially across the disk as the magnetic disk was rotated.
In addition to the magnetic media, other tape storage media have been developed or are possible. For example, data storage on optical media in the form of discs or tapes has been employed in an effort to increase the density of data stored on the medium. Optical media stores data according to the frequency of light of the transducer such that increased density is possible. Here, a laser device records and reads data. Due to the small wavelength of light, a greater density is obtained.
Regardless of the type of storage, the read/write apparatus typically accepted a removable storage medium. For example, cassettes containing the storage tape could be mounted and demounted from the read/write assembly so that individual cassettes could be stored and/or archived. Where either magnetic or optical discs are employed, the read/write assembly would mount and demount such disks. In this manner, a large number of discreet cassettes or disks could be employed with a single read/write assembly.
In many applications, the portability of the media that contains the data is desirable. For example, the use of easily transportable data storage media allows the access and use of data by read/write assemblies that are independent of each other. However, in some applications, it may not be desirable to have readily transportable media. Such applications, for example, include situations where the data may be of a sensitive nature. In such situations, the portability of the data may lead to its compromise. At the same time, portability under controlled circumstances may be needed.
In addition, the tolerances employed in the manufacture or either cassettes or discs due not allow for extremely high density of storage. Cassettes are usually made of plastic components that do not employ precision in manufacture, especially where numerous components need to be mated. The registration of cassettes and discs with the drive components also require some latitude resulting in lower tolerances. Where tape is employed, this can result in a significant amount of wobble and run-out. In either case, the presence of openings in the tape storage apparatus can allow dirt and debris to enter the interior, thus risking damage to the apparatus or to the storage media. All of these degrade the apparatus's ability to achieve a high data density. The present invention is directed to eliminating these issues and achieving high data storage capacity.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and useful data storage apparatus.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a data storage apparatus wherein the storage medium is integral with the apparatus.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a date storage apparatus that is self contained and sealed.
Still further object of the present invention is to provide a portable data storage apparatus that can be mounted and removed from the system.
A still a further object of the present invention is to provide a data storage apparatus that increases the security of the date recorded therein.
These and other objects of the present invention will become more readily appreciated and understood from a consideration of the following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention when taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which:
The present invention broadly concerns a data storage apparatus. More particularly, the present invention concerns a data storage apparatus including a storage medium contained therein as a sealed, tamperproof, and integral unit. According to the present invention, the apparatus may include internal electronics, or, alternatively, may be adapted to interface with the electronics that are exterior of the apparatus.
With reference, then, to
As best shown in
Bearing members 41, 42, 43 and 44 define a tape transport path for media tape 34 (
Bearings 41-44 can be of any type known in the art, but preferably employ single edge guiding, i.e., have a single datum, which helps reduce tape wobble and harmonics. Such bearings can be roller bearings, hydrodynamic surfaces, air bearings, etc. This would include pressurized air bearings of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,777,823 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,722,608, the disclosures of which are incorporated here in by reference.
An important aspect of the present invention is that the tape medium is permanently mounted in a tamperproof manner within the data storage apparatus 10. Making the housing 12 tamperproof would inhibit tampering and/or provide evidence of tampering. This does not mean, however, that the housing 12 is impregnable. Further, if desired, housing 12 not only completely encloses the components of data storage apparatus 10 but also can be hermetically sealed so as to prevent easy access to the tape medium 34 and to reduce the risk of ingress of dirt and contaminants. Accordingly, it is necessary to make suitable connections with the components located on the interior of housing 12.
Thus, as is illustrated in
Transducer 38 can be any type of suitable transducer currently known in the art or hereinafter developed. Where the tape 34 is an optical tape, such would typically be any suitable laser read/write head. Where tape 34 is magnetic tape, the transducer would be any suitable electromagnetic head.
Where optical tape is employed, it is expected that the area and density for data storage, using high precision tape guides of the type referred to in the above-referenced patents and red lasers, data storage on the order of fourteen terabytes may be achieved. With blue laser transducers, the data storage could reach eighty terabytes.
The second exemplary embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in
Accordingly, the present invention has been described with some degree of particularity directed to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention. It should be appreciated, though, that modifications or changes may be made to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention without departing from the inventive concepts contained herein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60638476 | Dec 2004 | US |
