Claims
- 1. A take up assembly for data storage tape in combination with a leader assembly, comprising:a take up reel hub comprising an annular member that includes a tape winding core with a gap and a door mechanism connected to said tape winding core at said gap, said door mechanism having an open position and a closed position, each of said door mechanism and said tape winding core having an arcuate surface and, when said door mechanism is in said closed position, said arcuate surfaces together define a substantially continuous circumferential surface; first and second take up reels connected to said take up reel hub, said first take up reel being spaced from said second take up reel; and a leader assembly including a first leader band and a second leader band, said first leader band being positionable about said first take up reel and said second leader band being positionable about said second take up reel.
- 2. A take up assembly, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:substantially all of said gap is filled by said arcuate surface of said door mechanism when said door mechanism is in said closed position.
- 3. A take up assembly, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:said take up reel hub includes a biasing member connected to said door mechanism that biases said door mechanism in said open position.
- 4. A take up assembly, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:said tape winding core includes a ledge adjacent to said gap that can receive a tape pin connected to the data storage tape.
- 5. A take up assembly, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:said take up reel hub is located between said first and second take up reels.
- 6. A method for wrapping data storage tape having a tape pin connected thereto using a take up assembly and a leader assembly having at least a first leader band, comprising:causing at least said first leader band to be wrapped using said take up assembly; receiving said tape pin by a take up reel hub of said take up assembly, said take up reel hub including a tape winding core with an outer surface and said receiving step being conducted while a door mechanism having an outer surface of said take up reel hub is in an open position; and wrapping said data storage tape using said take up reel hub after said receiving step, said wrapping step including changing said door mechanism from said open position to a closed position without said data storage tape contacting said outer surface of said door mechanism.
- 7. A method, as claimed in claim 6, wherein:said receiving step includes receiving said tape pin adjacent to a ledge formed in a tape winding core of said take up reel hub.
- 8. A method, as claimed in claim 6, wherein:said outer surface of said tape winding core of said take up reel hub is an arcuate surface.
- 9. A method, as claimed in claim 8, wherein:said outer surface of said door mechanism has an arcuate surface and when in said closed position, said door mechanism arcuate surface is substantially continuous with said arcuate surface of said tape winding core.
- 10. A method, as claimed in claim 6, wherein:said causing step includes wrapping said first leader band about a first take up reel spaced from said take up reel hub and said wrapping step includes wrapping said data storage tape such that said data storage tape does not contact said first leader band.
- 11. A method, as claimed in claim 6, wherein:said leader band assembly includes a hook subassembly and said receiving step includes receiving said tape pin adjacent to a ledge of said take up reel hub while said hook subassembly is joined to said tape pin.
- 12. A tape system, comprising:a tape load/unload control mechanism; a leader assembly operatively associated with said tape load/unload control mechanism, said leader assembly including at least a first leader band having a first end and a second end; and a take up assembly including a take up reel hub having a tape winding core defining an open area and a door mechanism pivotally connected to said tape winding core, said tape winding core having an arcuate surface, said door mechanism having an arcuate surface and including an open position in which said arcuate surface of said door mechanism is positioned inwardly of said tape winding core arcuate surface.
- 13. A tape system, as claimed in claim 12, wherein:said door mechanism has a closed position, and when said door mechanism is in said closed position, said door mechanism arcuate surface is circumferentially continuous with said tape winding core arcuate surface.
- 14. A tape system, as claimed in claim 12, further including:a tape cartridge including data storage tape having an end and a tape pin connected adjacent to said end; wherein said tape winding core has a ledge disposed inwardly of said arcuate surface and said tape pin is received inwardly of said tape winding core arcuate surface adjacent to said ledge while said door mechanism is in said open position.
- 15. A tape system, as claimed in claim 12, wherein:said take up assembly includes at least a first take up reel spaced from said take up reel hub, said first take up reel having said first leader band wrapped thereabout.
- 16. A tape system, as claimed in claim 15, wherein:said leader assembly includes a second leader band and said take up assembly includes a second take up reel and in which said take up reel hub is located between said first and second take up reels.
- 17. A tape system, as claimed in claim 12, further including:a tape cartridge including data storage tape having an end and a tape pin connected adjacent to said end; wherein said tape winding core has a ledge disposed inwardly of said arcuate surface and said leader assembly includes a hook subassembly connected to said second end of said first leader band, said hook subassembly being joined to said tape pin and wherein, when said tape pin is held adjacent to said ledge, said hook subassembly remains joined to said tape pin.
- 18. A tape system, as claimed in claim 17, wherein:said leader assembly includes a second leader band having a first and second ends, said second end being connected to said hook subassembly, said take up assembly also including a second take up reel and, when said first and second leader bands are wrapped about said first and second take up reels, respectively, said tape pin is joined to said hook subassembly and held in said tape winding core adjacent to said ledge.
- 19. A tape system, as claimed in claim 12, further including:a tape cartridge including data storage tape; wherein said door mechanism has an arcuate surface and a closed position and when said door mechanism is moved from said open position to said closed position, said door mechanism arcuate surface is free of contact with said data storage tape.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
The present application claims priority from prior U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/250,188 filed Nov. 29, 2000 which is fully incorporated herein by reference. This application relates to application Ser. No. 09/774,356, filed Jan. 30, 2001, and application Ser. No. 09/774,380, filed Jan. 30, 2001.
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