Tape cartridge and tape drive system with internal and external tape guides

1. A tape system comprising:

a tape drive including a read/write head and at least two drive mounted tape guides, the drive mounted tape guides being spaced apart at a fixed distance from each other, each of the drive mounted tape guides including an upper flange and a lower flange, and the read/write head being moveable toward and away from the drive mounted tape guides;

a tape cartridge including tape, at least two tape reels to receive the tape, at least two cartridge tape guides spaced apart at a fixed distance from each other, and a housing having a side wall and a base wall, the base wall defining a cutout between the cartridge tape guides to receive the drive mounted tape guides, and the side wall defining an access opening to expose a portion of the tape that extends between the cartridge tape guides to the read/write head; and

wherein loading the tape cartridge in the tape drive moves the drive mounted tape guides through the cutout in the base wall to align the drive mounted tape guides and the cartridge tape guides in a linear relationship, locates the tape between the read/write head and the drive mounted tape guides, guides the tape between the upper and lower flanges of the drive mounted tape guides, and provides the read/write head access to engage the tape through the access opening in the side wall of the housing to create a recessed portion in the tape between the drive mounted tape guides, the recessed portion extending generally perpendicular to a plane parallel to a longitudinal axis of the drive mounted tape guides.

2. The tape system of claim 1 wherein the read/write head engages the tape between the drive mounted tape guides to selectively read/write to the tape.

3. The tape system of claim 1 wherein the tape drive includes a slide to selectively move the read/write head in a plane toward and away from the drive mounted tape guides.

4. The tape system of claim 1 wherein the drive mounted tape guides are in fixed alignment with the cartridge tape guides when the tape cartridge is loaded in the tape drive.

5. The tape system of claim 1 wherein the drive mounted tape guides control a lateral position of the portion of the tape that extends between the drive mounted tape guides.

6. The tape system of claim 1 wherein the access opening and the cut out portion open into each other in the housing.

7. The tape system of claim 1 wherein the recessed portion in the tape serves to reduce lateral tape motion and improve data storage efficiency.

8. The tape system of claim 1 wherein the drive mounted tape guides retain the tape in a closely controlled relationship relative to the read/write head when the read/write head engages the tape.

9. The tape system of claim 1 wherein the read/write head is held in controlled registry with the tape when the read/write head engages the tape between the drive mounted tape guides.

10. The tape system of claim 1 wherein the cartridge tape guides and the drive mounted tape guides define a plane parallel to a longitudinal axis of the drive mounted tape guides.

11. The tape system of claim 1 wherein the read/write head, the drive mounted tape guides, and the cartridge tape guides define a plane parallel to a longitudinal axis of the cartridge tape guides when the read/write head engages the tape.

12. The tape system of claim 1 wherein the read/write head define and the drive mounted tape guides define a plane parallel to a longitudinal axis of the drive mounted tape guides when the read/write head engages the tape.

13. A tape drive for receiving a tape cartridge including tape, at least two tape reels to receive the tape, at least two cartridge tape guides spaced apart at a fixed distance from each other, and a housing having a side wall and a base wall, the base wall defining a cutout between the cartridge tape guides and the side wall defining an access opening to expose a portion of the tape that extends between the cartridge tape guides in the tape cartridge, the tape drive comprising:

at least two drive mounted tape guides spaced apart at a fixed distance from each other, each of the drive mounted tape guides including an upper flange and a lower flange;

a read/write head being moveable toward and away from the drive mounted tape guides for selectively writing data and reading data from the tape in the tape cartridge; and

wherein loading the tape cartridge in the tape drive moves the drive mounted tape guides through the cutout in the tape cartridge to align the drive mounted tape guides and the cartridge tape guides in a linear relationship, locates the tape between the read/write head and the drive mounted tape guides, and provides the read/write head access to engage the tape through the access opening in the side wall of the housing to create a recessed portion in the tape between the drive mounted tape guides, the recessed portion extending generally perpendicular to a plane parallel to a longitudinal axis of the drive mounted tape guides.

14. The tape drive of claim 13 wherein the read/write head engages the tape in the tape cartridge between the drive mounted tape guides to selectively read/write data to the tape.

15. The tape drive of claim 13 further comprising a slide to selectively move the read/write head in a plane toward and away from the drive mounted tape guides.

16. The tape drive of claim 13 wherein the drive mounted tape guides control a lateral position of the portion of the tape that extends between the drive mounted tape guides when the tape cartridge is loaded in the tape drive.

17. The tape drive of claim 13 wherein the read/write head intersects a plane parallel to a longitudinal axis of the drive mounted tape guides when the read/write head engages the tape.

18. The tape drive of claim 13 wherein the read/write head define and the drive mounted tape guides define a plane parallel to a longitudinal axis of the drive mounted tape guides when the read/write head engages the tape.

19. A tape drive for receiving a tape cartridge including tape, at least two tape reels to receive the tape, at least two cartridge tape guides spaced apart at a fixed distance from each other, and a housing having a side wall and a base wall, the base wall defining a cutout between the cartridge tape guides and the side wall defining an access opening to expose a portion of the tape that extends between the cartridge tape guides in the tape cartridge, the tape drive comprising:

at least two drive mounted tape guides spaced apart at a fixed distance from each other and each of the drive mounted tape guides including an upper flange and a lower flange for guiding the tape between the cartridge tape guides;

a read/write head for selectively writing data and reading data from the tape in the tape cartridge;

a slide to selectively move the read/write head in a plane toward and away from the drive mounted tape guides;

wherein loading the tape cartridge in the tape drive moves the drive mounted tape guides through the cutout in the tape cartridge to align the drive mounted tape guides and the cartridge tape guides in a linear relationship, locates the tape between the read/write head and the drive mounted tape guides, and provides the read/write head access to engage the tape in the tape cartridge through the access opening in the tape cartridge to create a recessed portion in the tape between the drive mounted tape guides; and

wherein the slide moves the read/write head through a plane parallel to a longitudinal axis of the drive mounted tape guides to create the recessed portion in the tape, the recessed portion extending generally perpendicular to a plane parallel to a longitudinal axis of the drive mounted tape guides when the read/write head engages the tape between the drive mounted tape guides.

20. The tape drive of claim 19 wherein the read/write head define and the drive mounted tape guides define a plane parallel to a longitudinal axis of the drive mounted tape guides when the read/write head engages the tape.