JP2010146643A - Magnetic tape drive unit - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a magnetic tape drive unit capable of suppressing and reducing bad effects by employing a detachable cleaner and a flexible adhesive material as the cleaning method of the magnetic tape drive unit, thus effectively performing cleaning, and preventing resticking of removed dusts, stains or the like. <P>SOLUTION: The magnetic tape drive unit includes a means for turning a magnetic tape, a write head and a read head in a non-contact state, and a means for conveying a detachable cleaner to the write head and the read head to bring the detachable cleaner into contact with them, and uses a flexible adhesive material for the contact part with the write head and the read head of the detachable cleaner. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a magnetic tape drive device used as a data backup of a computer system, and relates to conventional cleaning of problems such as a write / read error and an increase in error rate due to contamination of the write head and read head of the magnetic tape drive device. The present invention relates to a method for cleaning a magnetic tape drive device that improves problems by providing a more effective removable cleaner and adopting a flexible adhesive material.

  In recent years, with the digitization, the volume of data has increased, and the demand for high reliability of computer system devices and the like has increased. Computer system devices are required to be able to quickly return to their current state when a failure occurs. Therefore, it is important to regularly back up large volumes of data. Conventionally, magnetic tape drive devices have been used as data backup for computer system devices. Magnetic tape media generally has a lower unit price per unit capacity and is larger than other media, so it is recorded on a medium such as a hard disk in preparation for a failure in a hard disk drive of a computer system device. It is widely used to back up existing data.

  The magnetic tape medium stores a magnetic tape coated with a magnetic material in a cartridge, and has a type having only a supply reel (supply reel), a supply reel (supply reel), and a take-up reel (take-up reel). There are types. The former is used for a magnetic tape drive device incorporating a take-up reel. The magnetic tape drive device can load and eject the magnetic tape medium, and the magnetic tape medium is a so-called removable medium. Therefore, data recorded on the same magnetic tape medium can be read or recorded by another magnetic tape drive device. Typical magnetic tape media include LTO (Linear Tape Open), AIT (Advanced Intelligent Tape), which can record a large capacity of several hundred gigabytes, and DDS (Digital Data Storage), which can record a capacity of several tens of gigabytes. )and so on.

  2. Description of the Related Art A magnetic tape drive apparatus that uses a type of medium having a supply reel (supply reel) and a take-up reel (take-up reel) as a magnetic tape medium is generally called a helical scan system and is configured as shown in FIG. Has been. The magnetic tape 5 in the magnetic tape cartridge 2 inserted into the magnetic tape drive device 1 is pulled out by a plurality of pinch rollers 10 and capstan rollers 9 in the magnetic tape drive device 1, and a write head 7 and a read head 8 are mounted. The drum 6 is brought into contact. The drum 6 rotates at a high speed, and the magnetic tape 5 advances at a constant speed by the pinch roller 10 and the capstan roller 9, and writing / reading is performed on the magnetic tape 5 by the write head 7 and the read head 8. The written / read magnetic tape 5 is stored in the take-up reel 4 of the magnetic tape cartridge 2.

  A magnetic tape drive device in which a magnetic tape medium to be used is provided with only a supply reel (supply reel) and a magnetic tape drive device is provided with a take-up reel (take-up reel) is generally referred to as a linear system. As shown in FIG. The magnetic tape 5 in the magnetic tape cartridge 2 inserted in the magnetic tape drive device 1 is pulled out by the take-up tape 17 integrated with the take-up reel 4 in the magnetic tape drive device, and written via a pinch roller. Writing / reading is performed on the magnetic tape 5 by the head 7 and the read head 8. The written / read magnetic tape 5 is stored in a take-up reel 4 in the magnetic tape drive device 1.

  In the magnetic tape drive apparatus as described above, the adverse effects caused by dust adhesion are (1) mechanical troubles in the magnetic tape travel path. (Magnetic tape entangled with magnetic tape drive, etc.) (2) Increase in error rate due to dust adhering to write head and read head. (3) It may be possible to shorten the life due to head damage, and some measures against dust are required.

JP 2001-176038 A JP 2001-167712 A

  In the case of a magnetic tape drive apparatus as shown in FIG. 2, measures against dust on the magnetic tape traveling path and the write head and read head are performed by the blade cleaner 12 and the brush cleaner 11. The blade type cleaner 12 applies a certain pressure to the magnetic tape 5 to scrape dust adhering to the magnetic tape 5, but there is no means for removing the dust and no means for cleaning the blade itself. There is a risk that the dust removed during the reverse feeding of the tape 5 will adhere to the magnetic tape again. The brush cleaner 11 is brought into contact with the drum 6 rotating at a high speed to clean the write head 7 and the read head 8, and this also similarly removes the dust and means for cleaning the brush itself. There is a risk that the removed dust will adhere to the write head 7 and the read head 8 again.

  For the cleaning of the helical scan type magnetic tape drive device, a blade type cleaner and a brush type cleaner are used together, and the cleaning is performed with a cleaning cartridge of the same type as the magnetic tape cartridge. This cleaning method uses a cleaning tape to rub off dust and dirt adhering to the write head and read head surfaces. However, as with the blade-type cleaner and brush-type cleaner described above, the removed dust and dirt are magnetic tape drive. Since there is no means to exclude outside the apparatus, there is a possibility that dust, dirt, etc. will reattach. FIG. 5 shows a contact state between the write head and the read head and the cleaning tape. Since the surfaces of the write head 7 and the read head 8 are bent and the cleaning tape contacts only the bent ends of the write head 7 and the read head 8, they adhere to both end faces of the write head 7 and the read head 8. Dust and dirt cannot be removed, and at the same time, dust and dirt are likely to accumulate. If the dust, dirt, etc. move during writing / reading and reattach to the tips of the write head 7 and the read head 8 (the part where the writing / reading is actually performed), this will cause a write / read failure.

  The linear magnetic tape drive is also cleaned with a cleaning cartridge. However, the tape area used for cleaning runs on the write head and read head and is rewound onto the magnetic tape cartridge. There is a high factor of reattaching the dust to the write head and read head.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a more effective cleaning method by newly installing a removable cleaner in a magnetic tape drive device, removing dust from the magnetic tape drive device, and employing a flexible adhesive material. It is to suppress and reduce harmful effects.

  A means for bringing the magnetic tape, the write head, and the read head into a non-contact state, and a means for transporting and contacting the removable cleaner to the write head and the read head, and a contact portion between the write head and the read head of the removable cleaner For this, a soft adhesive material is used.

  As described above, the cleaning method of the magnetic tape drive apparatus of the present invention can obtain the following effects.

  Since a removable cleaner is newly installed in the magnetic tape drive, dust attached to the write head and read head is cleaned more effectively with a flexible adhesive material and removed from the magnetic tape drive. It is possible to suppress and reduce mechanical problems in the magnetic tape travel path due to dust, an increase in error rate due to dust adhesion to the write head and read head, and short life due to head damage.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on illustrated embodiments.

  In FIG. 1, cleaning is performed in a state where the magnetic tape 5 is not written / read, that is, in a state where the magnetic tape 5 is separated from the drum 6. Under the control of the drum 6, the removable cleaner 13 rotates the drum 6 to a position where it comes into contact with the write head 7 and the read head 8 to fix the position. The detachable cleaner 13 is composed of a fixed pedestal for mounting on the pedestal transport mechanism and a flexible adhesive resin. The detachable cleaner 13 is mounted on the pedestal transport mechanism from the detachable port 18 of the magnetic tape drive device 1 and is transported by a motor or the like. By the mechanism, it is conveyed / contacted to the write head 7 or the read head 8 which is already fixed by the control of the drum 6. The part that actually contacts the write head 7 and the read head 8 is made of a flexible adhesive resin 14 and reliably adsorbs dust, dirt, etc. with a flexible adhesive resin represented by Onzo Lab. Zero Dust and Stylus Chip Cleaner. Adopt flexible adhesive resin that does not fall off again.

  In the prior art, dust and dirt on both end surfaces of the write head 7 and the read head 8 could not be removed. However, in the present invention, as shown in FIG. The dust, dirt, etc. 16 adhering to the end surfaces of the write head 7 and read head 8 are reliably removed. This is repeated for the two write heads 7, the two read heads 8, and a total of four heads. The removable cleaner 13 that collects dust, dirt, etc. is discharged out of the magnetic tape drive device 1 and is made disposable. Thereby, it is possible to operate without reattaching the collected dust, dirt, and the like. In adopting the present invention, the conventional brush type cleaner 11 and blade type cleaner 12 may cause adverse effects, and therefore it is desirable to exclude them from the magnetic tape drive device 1. Or if the brush type cleaner 11 and the blade type cleaner 12 are similarly operated as a detachable type disposable, further cleaning effect can be expected.

  For the linear magnetic tape drive device, as shown in FIG. 3, the take-up tape 17 on the write head 7 and the read head 8 is moved away from the write head 7 and the read head 8 by the movement of the pinch roller. If a detachable cleaner is loaded from the detachment port 18 provided at the top of the magnetic tape drive device 1 and cleaning is performed in the same manner, the operation is performed with improved cleaning effect without reattaching the collected dust and dirt. It is possible.

It is a block diagram of the magnetic tape drive apparatus by this invention. 1 is a configuration diagram of a helical scan type magnetic tape drive device. FIG. It is a block diagram of the magnetic tape drive apparatus by this invention. It is a block diagram of a linear magnetic tape drive device. It is a figure which shows the cleaning state by the conventional cleaning tape. It is a figure which shows the cleaning state by the flexible adhesive resin by this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1: Magnetic tape drive device 2: Magnetic tape cartridge 3: Supply reel 4: Take-up reel 5: Magnetic tape 6: Drum 7: Write head 8: Read head 9: Capstan roller 10: Pinch roller 11: Brush type cleaner 12 : Blade type cleaner 13: Detachable type cleaner 14: Flexible adhesive resin 15: Cleaning tape 16: Dust, dirt, etc. 17: Take-up tape 18: Detachment port

Claims (2)

  In a magnetic tape drive apparatus comprising means for pulling out a magnetic tape from a supply reel, a write head and a read head for writing to and reading from the magnetic tape, and a storage means for storing the magnetic tape in a take-up reel, the magnetic tape and the write head And a means for bringing the read head into a non-contact state and a means for transporting and contacting the detachable cleaner to the write head and the read head.   A magnetic tape drive device, wherein a flexible adhesive material is used for a contact portion between the write head and the read head of the removable cleaner.

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