Magnetic recording tape drive with tape guide assembly having dampening disk
View Patent ↗A tape drive is provided having a pair of stationary guide assemblies disposed symmetrically about the magnetic read/write head. Each of the stationary guide assemblies has a mounting portion and a separate guide surface portion mounted on the mounting portion. The mounting portion may be made of a plastic and the guide surface portion of a ceramic, for example. A spring arrangement with pressure pads is mounted directly on the mounting portion, and applies pressure to a top edge of a tape during guiding of the tape.
1. A magnetic recording tape drive comprising:
a read/write head; and
means for guiding tape past the read/write head having at least one dampening disk.
2. A magnetic recording tape drive comprising:
a magnetic read/write head; and
a stationary guide for guiding tape past the magnetic read/write head, the stationary guide having:
a mounting portion and a separate guide surface portion mounted on the mounting portion;
a spring arrangement mounted directly on the mounting portion to apply pressure to a top edge of the tape during guiding of the tape, the spring arrangement having at least two spring beams; and
a dampening disk on each of the at least two spring beams.
3. The drive of claim 2 , wherein the guide surface portion is composed of a wear-resistant material.
4. The drive of claim 3 , wherein the wear-resistant material is a ceramic.
5. The drive of claim 4 , wherein the mounting portion comprises a molded plastic.
6. The drive of claim 5 , wherein the mounting portion has molded spring mounting elements, the spring arrangement having mating spring seating elements that mate with the spring mounting elements to mount to the spring arrangement on the mounting portion.
7. The drive of claim 6 , wherein the mounting portion has guide surface portion mounting elements, the guide surface portion having mating elements that mate with the guide surface portion mounting elements to mount the guide surface portion to the mounting portion.
8. The drive of claim 7 , wherein each spring beam supports a pad finger configured to bear against the top of the tape during guiding of the tape.
9. The drive of claim 8 wherein the spring arrangement further includes a connecting notch between the two spring beams that connects the spring beams.
10. The drive of claim 9 , wherein the mounting portion has an inclined seat configured to receive and seat the spring arrangement to incline the spring arrangement at a non-perpendicular angle with respect to the tape during guiding of the tape.