GB2162677A - A non-adhesive write enable/inhibit tab for floppy disks in disk drives of computers - Google Patents
A non-adhesive write enable/inhibit tab for floppy disks in disk drives of computers Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2162677A GB2162677A GB08516756A GB8516756A GB2162677A GB 2162677 A GB2162677 A GB 2162677A GB 08516756 A GB08516756 A GB 08516756A GB 8516756 A GB8516756 A GB 8516756A GB 2162677 A GB2162677 A GB 2162677A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- write enable
- inhibit
- adhesive
- disk
- notch
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Withdrawn
Links
- 239000000853 adhesive Substances 0.000 title claims abstract description 39
- 230000001070 adhesive effect Effects 0.000 title claims abstract description 32
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 19
- 230000037431 insertion Effects 0.000 claims abstract description 8
- 238000003780 insertion Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 8
- 239000004033 plastic Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 4
- 229920003023 plastic Polymers 0.000 claims abstract description 4
- 238000004026 adhesive bonding Methods 0.000 claims description 3
- 238000003466 welding Methods 0.000 claims description 3
- 230000005540 biological transmission Effects 0.000 abstract description 3
- 230000006870 function Effects 0.000 description 4
- 230000002411 adverse Effects 0.000 description 2
- 239000011248 coating agent Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000000576 coating method Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000005294 ferromagnetic effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- 230000005415 magnetization Effects 0.000 description 2
- 239000012780 transparent material Substances 0.000 description 2
- 230000000007 visual effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000005452 bending Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000003302 ferromagnetic material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000000523 sample Substances 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
- G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
- G11B23/00—Record carriers not specific to the method of recording or reproducing; Accessories, e.g. containers, specially adapted for co-operation with the recording or reproducing apparatus ; Intermediate mediums; Apparatus or processes specially adapted for their manufacture
- G11B23/28—Indicating or preventing prior or unauthorised use, e.g. cassettes with sealing or locking means, write-protect devices for discs
- G11B23/288—Protecting disks from being written or overwritten
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
- G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
- G11B19/00—Driving, starting, stopping record carriers not specifically of filamentary or web form, or of supports therefor; Control thereof; Control of operating function ; Driving both disc and head
- G11B19/02—Control of operating function, e.g. switching from recording to reproducing
- G11B19/04—Arrangements for preventing, inhibiting, or warning against double recording on the same blank or against other recording or reproducing malfunctions
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Computer Security & Cryptography (AREA)
- Packaging For Recording Disks (AREA)
Abstract
A non-adhesive write enable/inhibit tab 1 for floppy disks in disk drives of computers comprises a write enable/inhibit member 2 which is to fit into a standard notch in an edge of the jacket of a floppy disk, and two thin, flexible strips 5 and 6 of material secured one to each face of member 2 and which against the outer walls of the jacket to retain member 2 in the notch during insertion of the disk into a disk drive and during removal of the disk from the drive. The write enable inhibit member 2 and the retaining strips 5 and 6 are of non-magnetizable plastics material and the material of at least one of the retaining strips is opaque to prevent transmission of light when the disk is used in a disk drive in which the write enable/inhibit function is controlled by light-responsive means. Alternatively member 2 be opaque. Member 2 may also be U-shaped. <IMAGE>
Description
SPECIFICATION
A non-adhesive write enable/inhibit tab for floppy disks in disk drives of computers
The invention relates to a non-adhesive write enable/inhibit tab for floppy disks in disk drives of computers.
When a floppy disk is inserted into a disk drive of a computer for the purpose of reading data from the disk to the memory of the computer or writing data from the memory to the disk, a notch in an edge of the jacket containing the disk which is coated with a ferromagnetic material cooperates with mechanical or light-responsive means which are provided in the disk drive and which sense whether the notch is covered or uncovered.If the notch is covered, a mechanical probe will be unable to enter the notch in the case of disk drive in which the write enable/inhibit function is controlled by mechanical means, or a beam of light will be unable to pass through the notch in the case of a disk drive in which the write enable/inhibit function is controlled by light-responsive means, and a write operation will be enabled in a first type of disk drive and inhibited in a second type of disk drive. Conversely, an uncovered notch will inhibit a write operation in the said first type of disk drive and enable a write operation in the said second type of disk drive.
If it is desired to inhibit an inadvertent write operation to a floppy disk when it is inserted into a disk dirve, the notch in the edge of the disk jacket has to be uncovered or covered according as to whether the disk drive being used is of the first or second type.
In the case of the second type of disk drive, a write operation is conventionally inhibited by covering the notch by means of a self-adhesive strip or tab before inserting the disk into a disk drive, while, in the first type of disk drive, a write operation is inhibited by leaving the notch uncovered, or removing an adhesive tab which may already be covering the notch, before inserting the jacket containing the disk into a disk drive. When the use of a self-adhesive write enable,inhibit tab is required, it is normally affixed to the outer wall of the jacket on one side thereof in the region of the notch and is then folded over the top of the jacket to cover the notch and is affixed to the outer wall of the jacket on the other side thereof.
The material of the self-adhesive write enable/inhibit tab is non-magnetizable in order to prevent inadvertent magnetization of the tab, which would adversely affect any data recorded on the ferromagnetic coating on the floppy disk contained in the jacket, and is opaque in order to prevent transmission of a beam of light through the tab when the latter is in a position covering the notch in the edge of the jacket of a disk to be used in a disk drive in which the write enable inhibit function is controlled by light-responsive means.
Although this conventional type of self-adhesive write enable inhibit tab is effective in itself, it has the disadvantage that its removal from the jacket is
an operation requiring some care and necessitates
undue handling of the jacket, hence entailing the
risk of mechanical damage to the sensitive disk within the jacket as a result of bending or distortion of the disk. Moreover, the self-adhesive tab can only be used a limited number of times before
it becomes unserviceable.
The aim of the present invention is to mitigate these disadvantages and to provide a non-adhesive write enable/inhibit tab which can be repeatedly slipped onto, and removed from, the region of the notch in the edge of the jacket of a floppy disk in a convenient manner to enable or inhibit a write operation to the disk without the risk of damage to the disk, and which cannot be dislodge from the region of the notch during insertion of the disk into a disk drive, when in use, and during removal of the disk from the drive.
According to the present invention there is provided a non-adhesive write enablelinhibit tab which can be conveniently slipped onto, and removed from, the jacket of a floppy disk in the region of the notch in an edge of the jacket, comprising a write enable/inhibit member of nonmagnetizable material which is adapted to fit into the notch and whose thickness is no greater than, and preferably equal to, the thickness of the jacket, and two thin, flexible retaining strips of non-magnetizable material which are secured one to each face of the write enable/inhibit member and which abut and lie against the outer walls of the jacket to retain the write enable/inhibit member in the notch during insertion of the disk into a disk drive, when in use, and during removal of the disk from the drive, the material of at least one of the retaining strips being opaque
In order to prevent the non-adhesive write enable/inhibit tab from obstructing insertion of the jacket which contains the disk, and to which the tab is fitted, into a disk drive, the write enable/in- hibit member is dimensioned such that its top edge is flush with the edge of the disk jacket in the region of the open edge of the notch when the bottom edge of the write enable/inhibit member abuts against the base of the notch, and the top edge of each retaining strip secured to the write enable/inhibit member is flush with the top edge of the write enable/inhibit member.The thin retaining strips themselves need not be any thicker than a conventional self-adhesive write enable'inhibit tab, and hence will not constitute the source of any obstruction when inserting the jacket containing the floppy disk into a disk drive.
To ensure that the write enablelinhibit member is reliably held in position in the notch in the edge of the disk jacket, the width of each retaining strip is preferably greater than the width of the notch in the edge of the jacket, and the length of each retaining strip is such that the strip extends to a greater or smaller distance below the base of the notch when the write enable/inhibit member is fully inserted into the notch with its bottom edge in abutment against the base of the notch.
Preferably, one of the retaining strips is longer than the other retaining strip, thus facilitating the slipping of the non-adhesive write enable/inhibit tab onto the disk jacket.
The write enable/inhibit member and the retaining strips are preferably made from a plastics material, and the strips are secured to the write enable/inhibit member by glueing or welding. The material of one of the retaining strips is opaque in order to prevent transmissionof a beam of light through the region of the notch when the non-adhesive write enable/inhibit tab is fitted to the jacket of a disk which is to be used in a disk drive in which the write enable/inhibit function is controlled by light-responsive means.
It is conceivable for the write enable/inhibit member itself to be opaque, although it is preferably that one of the retaining strips should be opaque, since a retaining strip secured to the write enable/inhibit member overlaps the entire area of the notch when the non-adhesive write enable/inhibit tab is in position for use, and hence avoids the transmission of light through any gaps which may exist between the write enablelinhibit member and the boundary edges of the notch in the jacket containing the floppy disk when in use in a disk drive provided with light-responsive write enable/ inhibit means.
Advantageously, the other one of the retaining strips may be made from a transparent material in order to facilitate visual guidance of the write/inhibit member into the notch in the jacket of a floppy disk.
The invention will be described hereinafter, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the non-adhesive write enableiinhibit tab according to the present invention, not necessarily drawn to scale;
Figure 2a is a front elevation of one embodiment of the write enablelinhibit member of the non-adhesive write enableiinhibit tab in accordance with the invention, not necessarily drawn to scale;
Figure 2b is a corresponding side elevation of the write enablelinhibit member;;
Figure 3 shows the non-adhesive write enable/inhibit tab in position on the jacket (only partially illustrated) of a floppy disk intended for insertion into a disk drive, viewed from that side of the jacket against which a transparent retaining strip lies, and
Figure 4 is a fragmentary cross section, taken on the line A-A of Fig. 3, through the disk jacket to which the non-adhesive write enabletinhibit tab according to the present invention is fitted.
Referring to the drawings, a non-adhesive write enable inhibit tab 1 according to the present invention comprises a write enable inhibit member 2 of non-magnetizable material to the front and rear faces 3 and 4 of which are secured respective retaining strips 5 and 6 of thin, resilient, non-magnetizable material, the material of at least one of the retaining strips 5 and 6 being opaque. When in use, the non-adhesive write enable inhibit tab is slipped onto the jacket 8 of a floppy disk 12 in such a way that the write enable inhibit member 2 enters the standard notch 7 in the top edge 9 of the jacket 8 and the retaining strips 5 and 6 abut and lie snugly against the walls 10 and 11 respectively of the jacket 8 to retain the member 2 in the notch 7.To facilitate insertion of the member 2 into the notch 7, the width W of the write enable/inhibit member 2 is slightly smaller than the width W' of the notch 7.
It is essential that, when slipped onto to the disk jacket 8 for use, the non-adhesive write enable/inhibit tab 1 does not obstruct insertion of the jacket 8 containing the floppy disk 12 into a disk drive. To avoid such obstruction, the height H of the write enable/inhibit member 2 is chosen such that the top edge 2a of the member 2 is flush with the edge of the jacket 8 in the region of the notch 7 when the member is fully inserted into the notch 7 with its bottom edge 2b in abutment against the base 7a of the notch 7, the thickness of the member 2 being no greater than, and preferably equal to, the thickness of the jacket 8 containing the floppy disk 12, so that each of the thin retaining strips 5 and 6 secured to the faces 3 and 4 of the member 2 lies snugly against a respective outer wall 10 and 11 of the jacket 8.Furthermore, the top edges 5a and 6a of the retaining strips 5 and 6 are flush with the top edge 2a of the write enablelinhibit member 2.
Advantageously, to ensure that the write enable/ inhibit member 2 is reliably held in position in the notch 7, and to avoid lateral flexure of the retaining strips 5 and 6, as viewed in Fig. 4, relative to the jacket 8 when the non-adhesive write enable/ inhibit tab 1 is in position for use, the width "W" of each retaining strip 5 and 6 is greater than the width W' of the notch 7, and the length of each retaining strip 5 and 6 is such that each retaining strip extends to a greater or smaller distance below the base 7a of the notch 7 when the write enable/inhibit member 2 is fully inserted into the notch 7 with its bottom edge 2b in abutment against the base 7a of the notch 7.
Preferably, one of the retaining strips (5 in the illustrated embodiment) is longer than the other one in order to facilitate the slipping on of the non-adhesive write enable/inhibit tab 1 onto the jacket 8.
To facilitate visual guidance of the write enable/inhibit member 2 into the notch 7, one of the retaining strips 5 and 6 made be made from a transparent material.
As already mentioned, the write enable/inhibit member 2 and the thin retaining strips 5 and 6 are made from a non-magnetizable material, this being essential to avoid inadvertent magnetization of the parts 2, 5 and 6 which would adversely effect the data recorded on the ferromagnetic coating on the floppy disk contained in the jacket 8. Preferably, the member 2 and the thin retaining strips 5 and 6 are made from a plastics material, the strips 5 and 6 being secured to the member 2 by glueing or welding.
It will be appreciated that, while the write enable/ inhibit member 2 illustrated in the drawings is adapted for fitting into a rectangular notch 7 in the edge of a jacket 8, the member 2 may be of any desired configuration, such as U-shaped, adapted to the configuration of a notch in the edge of a disk jacket to which it is to be applied.
Unlike existing self-adhesive write enable'inhibit tabs, the non-adhesive write enableiinhibit tab of the present invention can be readily applied to and removed from irepeatedly, if necessary) a floppy disk without the risk of damage to, or distortion of, the jacket or the disk contained therein.
Claims (11)
1. A non-adhesive write enable/inhibit tab for floppy disks in disk drives of computers, comprising a write enableinhibit member of non-magnetizable material which is adapted to fit into a standard notch in an edge of the jacket of a floppy disk, and two thin, flexible retaining strips of nonmagnetizable material which are secured one to each face of the said write enableiinhibit member and which lie and abut against the outer walls of the jacket to retain the write enable/inhibit member in the notch during insertion of the disk into a disk drive, when in use, and during removal of the disk from the drive
2.A non-adhesive write enable/inhibit tab as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the write enable/inhibit member is dimensioned such that, when in use, its top edge is flush with the edge of the disk jacket in the region of the open edge of the notch when the bottom edge of the write enable/inhibit member abuts against the base of the notch.
3. A non-adhesive write enable/inhibit tab as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the thickness of the write enable/inhibit member is not greater than and is preferably equal to the thickness of the disk jacket.
4. A non-adhesive write enable/inhibit tab as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the width of each retaining strip is greater than the width of the notch in the edge of the disk jacket, and the length of each retaining strip is such that the strip extends to a greater or smaller distance below the base of the notch when the write enable/inhibit member is fully inserted into the notch with its bottom edge in abutment against the base of the notch.
5. A non-adhesive write enable/inhibit tab as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 4 wherein one of the retaining strips is longer than the other retaining strip.
6. A non-adhesive write enable/inhibit tab as claimed in Claim 5 wherein the material of at least one of the retaining strips is opaque.
7. A non-adhesive write enable/inhibit tab as claimed in claim 6 wherein the material of the other one of the retaining strips may be transparent.
8. A non-adhesive write enable/inhibit tab as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the retaining strips and the write enableiinhibit member are made from plastics material.
9. A non-adhesive write enable/inhibit tab as claimed in Claim 8, wherein the retaining strips are secured to the write enable/inhibit member by glueing or welding.
10. A non-adhesive write enablewinhibit tab as claimed in Claim 9 wherein the top edge of each retaining strip secured to the write enable inhibit member is flush with the top edge of the write enable/inhibit member.
11. A non-adhesive write enable inhibit tab substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 1-4 of the accompanying drawings.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB08516756A GB2162677A (en) | 1984-07-13 | 1985-07-02 | A non-adhesive write enable/inhibit tab for floppy disks in disk drives of computers |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB8418034A GB2145124A (en) | 1983-08-11 | 1984-07-13 | Fabric and method and machine for making it |
| GB08516756A GB2162677A (en) | 1984-07-13 | 1985-07-02 | A non-adhesive write enable/inhibit tab for floppy disks in disk drives of computers |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB8516756D0 GB8516756D0 (en) | 1985-08-07 |
| GB2162677A true GB2162677A (en) | 1986-02-05 |
Family
ID=26287990
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB08516756A Withdrawn GB2162677A (en) | 1984-07-13 | 1985-07-02 | A non-adhesive write enable/inhibit tab for floppy disks in disk drives of computers |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| GB (1) | GB2162677A (en) |
Cited By (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP0236534A2 (en) * | 1986-02-06 | 1987-09-16 | Dietrich Dunisch | Data recording floppy disc with a safety switch |
| DE4200435A1 (en) * | 1992-01-10 | 1993-07-15 | Thomson Brandt Gmbh | Magnetic audio or video tape cassette - has marking point at end of aperture made opaque to prevent recording but made transparent to light source when recording is desired |
Citations (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB2037252A (en) * | 1978-11-20 | 1980-07-09 | Tdk Electronics Co Ltd | Magnetic tape cassette |
| GB1588548A (en) * | 1977-06-06 | 1981-04-23 | Kuoppala P | Device for use with magnetic tape cassettes |
| US4348700A (en) * | 1978-12-18 | 1982-09-07 | Jerry Iovino | Erase attachment for tape cassettes |
| GB2104478A (en) * | 1981-06-04 | 1983-03-09 | Sony Corp | Magnetic tape cassettes |
-
1985
- 1985-07-02 GB GB08516756A patent/GB2162677A/en not_active Withdrawn
Patent Citations (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB1588548A (en) * | 1977-06-06 | 1981-04-23 | Kuoppala P | Device for use with magnetic tape cassettes |
| GB2037252A (en) * | 1978-11-20 | 1980-07-09 | Tdk Electronics Co Ltd | Magnetic tape cassette |
| US4348700A (en) * | 1978-12-18 | 1982-09-07 | Jerry Iovino | Erase attachment for tape cassettes |
| GB2104478A (en) * | 1981-06-04 | 1983-03-09 | Sony Corp | Magnetic tape cassettes |
Cited By (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP0236534A2 (en) * | 1986-02-06 | 1987-09-16 | Dietrich Dunisch | Data recording floppy disc with a safety switch |
| EP0236534A3 (en) * | 1986-02-06 | 1988-08-17 | Dietrich Dunisch | Data recording floppy disc with a safety switch |
| DE4200435A1 (en) * | 1992-01-10 | 1993-07-15 | Thomson Brandt Gmbh | Magnetic audio or video tape cassette - has marking point at end of aperture made opaque to prevent recording but made transparent to light source when recording is desired |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| GB8516756D0 (en) | 1985-08-07 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| WAP | Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1) |