GB2250128A

GB2250128A - Tape guide and vacuum attracting post

Info

Publication number: GB2250128A
Application number: GB9119707A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kazuo Nagaoka
Original assignee: Sony Magnescale Inc
Current assignee: Sony Magnescale Inc
Priority date: 1990-09-18
Filing date: 1991-09-16
Publication date: 1992-05-27
Anticipated expiration: 2011-09-16
Also published as: GB2250128B; JPH04125245A; ITRM910692A0; ITRM910692A1; DE4131079A1; IT1249705B; GB9119707D0

Description

2250128 1 TAPE TRANSPORT DEVICES This invention relates to tape transport

devices and, more particularly, to tape transport devices suitable for use with. for example. a high speed magnetic tape transfer apparatus.

In the prior art, when a magnetic tape is loaded on a tape transport device of an open reel type, tape loading in a tape transport path from a supply reel to a take-up reel has been performed in a manual fashion. To perform manual loading of the tape quickly and easily, it is preferred that the tape transport path is simple in arrangement. However, since the tape transport path is determined in accordance with requirements such as high speed operation, it is f requently the case that the tape transport path is relatively complicated, such as when the transport angle of the tape is changed may times by tape guides, such as guide rollers or the like.

Figure 1 shows an example of a tape transport device having a complicated tape transport path in a high speed magnetic tape transfer apparatus. The transfer apparatus comprises a master tape compartment 2 for housing a master tape 1. and a slave tape compartment 4 for housing a slave tape 3.

The master tape 1 is transported from the master tape compartment 2 via a first capstan 6. a tape guide group 7 including guide rollers or the like, a transfer head drum 8, a tape guide group 9 and a second capstan 10, and returned to the master tape compartment 2. In the following description, it is assumed that the tape guide group 7 includes tension rollers, tape guides, etc., in addition to the guide rollers. The master tape 1 is of the endless type, and the first and second capstans 6 and 10 are provided with pinch rollers 12 and 13 for pinching the master tape 1 thereto.

The slave tape 3 is loaded such that it is supplied from a supply reel 15, transported via a tape guide group 16, the transfer head drum 8 and a tape guide group 17. and rewound around a take-up reel 18 in the slave tape compartment 4.

With this arrangement, the master tape 1 and the slave tape 3 are transported around the transfer drum head 8 at high speed while being brought into close contact with each other under the application of a magnetic field, whereby a magnetic signal recorded on the master

2 tape 1 is magnetically transferred to the slave tape 3 at high speed.

A number of tape guide groups 7. 9 and -16. 17 smoothly guide the tapes 1 and 3 along the tape transport paths of the master and slave tapes 1 and 3 so they are stably transported at high speed.

In the device of Figure 1. as a preliminary, the tapes 1 and 3 must be loaded on the tape transport paths including the tape guide groups 7. 9 and 16, 17. More specifically, the slave tape 3, for example. must be loaded on the tape transport path such that it is pulled from the supply reel 15, transported via tape guides 16A to 161 such as tension arms, guide rollers, tape guides, etc., constituting the tape guide group 16. the transfer head drum 8 and tape guides 17A to 17H constituting the tape guide group 17, and then rewound around the take-up reel 18. Similarly, the master tape 1 must be loaded on the tape transport path via the tape guide group 7 having tape guides 7A to 7F. the transfer head drum 8, and the tape guide group 9 having tape guides 9A to 9E. etc. In practice, the master tape 1 is loaded before the slave tape 3.

Since the tape transport path is complicated, the user must load the tapes 1 and 3 manually. Also, since the tapes 1 and 3 are wrapped around some of the tape guides with a large tape wrapping angle, bends and slackening, etc., of the tapes 1 and 3 may occur during loading. Further. the tapes 1 and 3 may come of f the tape guides during loading. and may be broken, scratched or damaged. Some skill is therefore needed, but even so that are difficulties in the tape loading.

- To avoid the need for manual tape loading, professional high speed magnetic tape transfer apparatus employ an automatic tape loading system which can mechanically and automatically load the tape on the tape transport path. However, such a system is very expensive, and not therefore widely used.

According to the present invention there is provided a tape transport device having a tape guide with which a tape comes into contact while being transported, said tape guide changing the transport angle of said tape, the device also comprising:

tape holding means located near said tape guide for holding said tape such that said tape is held at a required tape position.

A tape transport device of this invention is suitable for use i 1 -... 1 3 with a high speed magnetic tape transfer apparatus. The tape transport device has a tape guide with which a tape comes into contact while being transported, the tape guide being used to change the transport angle of the tape. The tape transport device includes a tape holding device located near the tape guide for holding the tape at a proper position. Therefore, the tape can be loaded on the tape transport device manually with ease.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, throughout which like parts are referred to by like references, and in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing an arrangement of a known tape transport device; Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing an arrangement of an embodiment of tape transport device according to the present invention; Figure 3 is a front view illustrating an outer appearance of a tape attracting post used in the embodiment; Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line IV to IV of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a perspective view of the tape attracting post and other elements, illustrating a relation between the tape and the tape attracting post; Figure 6 is a schematic diagram used to explain the operation; Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing transport of the tape in the device of Figure 2; and Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a relation between the tape attracting post and the tape.

Figure 2 shows the arrangement of a high speed magnetic tape transfer apparatus as an embodiment of the tape transport device.

In Figure 2, dots referenced 21A to 211 are respective tape holding devices such as tape attracting posts (tape attracting means). In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the tape guide group 16A includes the tape attracting posts 21A to 21C, the tape guide group 17a includes the tape attracting posts 21D and 21E, the tape guide group 7a includes the tape attracting posts 21F and 21G, and the tape guide group ga includes the tape attracting posts 21H and 211, 4 respectively.

The tape attracting posts 21A to 211 are collectively referred to tape attracting posts 21 for simplicity. As Figures 3 to shown, each tape attracting post 21 is substantially cylindrical in outer appearance and has therein a cylindrical hollow portion 25 whose one end (top) is closed. A part of the side circumferential portion of its cylindrical portion 21a is cut away to form a tape attracting surface portion 26, and it is preferred that the tape attracting surface portion 26 is planar in shape. Alternatively, the tape attracting surface portion 26 may be formed as a cylindrical side circumferential surface shape.

As illustrated, the tape attracting surface portion 26 has a plurality of suction apertures 27 formed therethrough in the tape width direction W and in the tape length direction L. As shown in Figure 4. these suction apertures 27 communicate with the cylindrical hollow portion 25, and the cylindrical hollow portion 25 communicates through a tube 28 or the like to a vacuum suction apparatus and so on (not shown) Accordingly, when the vacuum suction apparatus is driven, this sets up an inflowing current of air to the cylindrical hollow portion 25 through each of the suction apertures 27 from the outside of the cylindrical portion 21a, to cause the tape attracting surface portion 26 to attract the master tape 1 or the slave tape 3, while the tape 1 or 3 is also located positionally in the tape width direction W and in the tape length direction L.

As will be clear from Figures 3 and 4, the tape attracting post 21 is secured at its cylindrical portion 21a to a base table 29 by means of a nut 30. Further, the tape guide groups 7a, ga, 16a and 17a, such as the tape guide 16B, are mounted on the base table 29 as shown in Figure 5.

When the thus arranged high speed magnetic tape transfer apparatus is operated, the tapes I and 3 are wound around the tape guide groups 7a, 9a, 16a, 17a or the like in a manual fashion initially. When the slave tape 3 is loaded, the vacuum suction apparatus is driven and then, the slave tape 3 is pulled from the supply reel 15. While being attracted by the tape attracting surface portion 26 of the tape attracting post 21A located near the tape guide 16B, the slave tape 3 is pulled more, changed in its advancing 1 direction by the tape guides 16B and 16C, and then attracted by the tape attracting surface portion 26 of the next tape attracting post 21B. thus the slave tape 3 is loaded as shown in Figure 6.

If the slave tape 3 is released while attracted by the tape attracting posts 21A and 21B, then the slave tape 3 remains attracted and held by the tape attracting posts 21A and 21B, which can facilitate the tape loading. Further, in this tape loading process, the loading position of the slave tape 3 is accurately restricted within the tape transport path by the tape attracting posts 21A and 21B substantially automatically, so that the slave tape 3 can be loaded on the tape transport path accurately, easily and readily without being damaged. In this case, the user need not become skilful.

The master tape 1 is also loaded in a manual fashion similarly. The slave tape 3 may be loaded after the master tape 1.

Then, if the vacuum suction apparatus is made inoperative after the loading of the tapes 1 and 3 has been completed. then the tapes 1 and 3 are released from being attracted by the tape posts 21.

When the tapes 1 and 3 are transported, then the magnetic signal on the master tape 1 is transferred to the slave tape 3 on the transfer head drum 8 where they are brought into close contact with each other. In the apparatus of Figure 2, the tapes 1 and 3 are transported at about 5 meters per second. When the tapes 1 and 3 are transported, in order that they may be transported while in-the non- contact state with the tape attracting post 21 as shown in Figure 7, the tape attracting post 21 is mounted on the base table 29 so as to isolate the tapes 1 and 3 from the tape attracting surface portion 26 of the tape attracting post 21, that is, at a spacing of. for example, 0.2mm to 0.5mm (see Figure 8) from the tape plate. The reason for this is that the tape transport device in the embodiment of Figure 2 was originally designed such that the tapes 1 and 3 can be smoothly transported at high speed without the tape attracting posts 21.

While the tape guide 16B and so on and the tape attracting posts 21 are formed as different members as described above. the present invention is not limited thereto and a tape guide, which is not a rotating guide roller, for example, may serve as a tape attracting post. In this case, the tape attracting surface portion is 6 preferably calendered as a mirror surface. Further, if a rotating guide roller is employed as the tape attracting post, then a cylindrical guide roller having tape attracting apertures formed through its side circumferential surface portion is loosely fitted to the guide post having the tape attracting surface portion so as to be freely rotatable.

z 1 i i t 7

Claims

A tape transport device having a tape guide with which a tape comes into contact while being transported, said tape guide changing the transport angle of said tape, the device also comprising: tape holding means located near said tape guide for holding said tape such that said tape is held at a required tape position.
2. A device according to claim 1 wherein said tape holding means is tape attracting means for attracting said tape so that said tape is attracted to the required tape position.
3. A device according to claim 2 wherein said tape attracting means is spaced from said tape by a short distance when said tape is transported.
4. A device according to claim 3 wherein said distance lies in a range of from 0.2mm to 0.5mm.
5. A device according to claim 2. claim 3 or claim 4 wherein said tape attracting means is formed of a substantially cylindrical post which has a cylindrical hollow portion therein one end of which is closed, said cylindrical post having a part of its side circumferential surface portion cut away to form an attracting surface portion of substantially planar configuration, and said attracting surface portion having a plurality of suction apertures communicating with said cylindrical hollow portion.
6. A device according to claim 5 wherein said attracting surface portion is calendered as a mirror surface.
7. A device according to claim 5 or 6 wherein said cylindrical hollow portion has the other end thereof communicating with a vacuum suction apparatus.

8. A device according to claim 1 wherein said tape guide comprises said tape holding means.
8
9. A device according to claim 8 wherein said tape guide is a stationary tape guide.
10. A device according to claim 8 wherein said tape guide is a rotating tape guide.
11. A device according to claim 5 wherein said cylindrical post having said tape attracting surface portion is rotatably engaged with a guide roller of cylindrical configuration having apertures formed 10 through its side circumferential surface portion.
12. A tape transport device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.

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