JPH1011937A - Tape cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize stable running of an ultrathin magnetic recording tape. SOLUTION: In the tape cartridge, a magnetic recording tape 7 traces a belt 1 to be sent by a friction force generated between the belt and the tape. The tape cartridge is provided with a mechanism whereby a plurality of belt rollers 5, 6 winding the belt 1 therearound are moved to control a path length of the belt and the friction force between the belt 1 and tape 7 is changed thereby to control a tensile force of the belt in a direction to restrict a change of the tensile force in accordance with the wound amount of the tape and a feed direction of the tape, so that the tensile force of the tape and the change of the tensile force are reduced.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a tape cartridge of a magnetic recording tape (hereinafter, simply referred to as a tape) such as a data storage device, a VTR, and a DAT.
In particular, the present invention relates to a recording apparatus using a thin tape and requiring a large recording capacity.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a VTR (Video Tape Recorder), a DAT (Digital Audio Tape Recorder), or the like, a tape is run between a rotating shaft (capstan) and a rotating roller (pinch roller). Further, in a data storage device, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-57421, there is a tape cartridge which feeds a tape by a frictional force between the belt and the tape by driving the belt with a motor by driving the belt along a tape.

[0003]

In the conventional tape running with a capstan, the tape is fed in a state where the tape is sandwiched between the capstan and a pinch roller. There was a problem in terms of reliability, such as wrinkling of the tape. In addition, when the tape is fed by a belt, the tape tension greatly changes at the beginning and end of the winding of the tape, and there is a problem that the recording by the rotating head adversely affects the linearity of the track and that a good tape head contact cannot be obtained. . Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a tape cartridge that can stably run a tape with a small change in tape tension even with a thin tape in response to an increase in recording density.

[0004]

In order to achieve this object, a tape cartridge according to the present invention has a belt along a magnetic recording tape, and a tape cartridge for feeding a magnetic recording tape by a frictional force generated between the belt and the tape. The cartridge controls the path length of the belt by moving the rotation axis of at least one belt roller among a plurality of belt rollers around which the belt is wound in parallel in a plane orthogonal to the rotation axis, and The frictional force generated between the tapes is changed, and the belt tension is controlled in a direction that suppresses the tape tension fluctuation according to the tape winding amount and the tape feeding direction, thereby reducing the tape tension and the tape tension fluctuation. It is characterized by having a mechanism.

[0005]

According to the present invention, in a tape cutting ridge for feeding a magnetic recording tape by a frictional force generated between the belt and the tape, the belt tension is controlled according to the tape winding amount and the tape feeding direction. Since a mechanism for reducing the tape tension and the variation in the tape tension is provided, the tape can be stably run even with a thin tape.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment. A belt 1 is wound around the surface of a tape 7 wound around a take-up reel 2 and a supply reel 3, and a driving roller 4
The belt 1 and the tape 7 are rotated by rotating the
The tape is fed by the frictional force generated between the tapes. The rollers 5 and 6 around which the belt is wound are rotatably fixed to a movable table A8 with a rack at a distance S. For example, the rotation of a motor 10 provided on a deck causes the pinion gear 9 to rotate.
1 (b) and 1 (c) through the center of the movable range of the movable table. In the case of FIG. 1B in which the tape 7 is wound from the supply reel 3 to the take-up reel 2, the motor 1 is moved in the direction of the supply reel 3 opposite to the tape feed direction (right in the figure).
At 0, the movable table with rack A8 is controlled (movement amount S1 to the right). In the case of FIG. 1C in which the tape 7 is wound from the take-up reel 2 to the supply reel 3, the motor 10 moves in the direction (left in the figure) of the take-up reel 2 opposite to the tape feeding direction. The movable table with rack A8 is controlled (movement amount S1 to the left).

In the present invention, in order to control the roller position of the belt 1, information on the reel winding amount and the tape feeding direction is required. FIG. 2 shows an embodiment in which the reel rotation speed is detected to detect the reel winding amount and the tape feed direction.
(A) and (b) show.

Lower hub of take-up reel 2 (FIG. 2A)
Alternatively, a magnetic signal or a lattice-like pattern 13 is recorded on a sprocket 15 (FIG. 2B) of a recording / reproducing device which is fitted on the take-up reel 2, and a magnetic change or a photoelectric change is measured by a magnetic or optical sensor 14. Take-up reel 2
Detect the rotation speed of. The tape feed direction is shifted into two phases (A phase, B phase) by shifting the phase of the magnetic signal or the lattice pattern.
Phase) is recorded, and the discrimination is made based on the phase difference of the detection signal generated due to the difference in the rotation direction, or based on information on operation buttons such as reproduction, rewind, and fast forward in the recording / reproducing apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the take-up reel speed detection. A pulse-like signal generated with the rotation of the take-up reel 2 is detected by the sensor 14 and input to the frequency / speed converter (F / V) 16 as A-phase and B-phase pulse signals to convert the speed / winding diameter. It is converted into a winding diameter value based on the driving roller rotation information in a unit (V / r) 17 and input to the microcomputer 18. Also, the A-phase and B-phase pulse signals are
To determine the direction and input to the microcomputer 18. The microcomputer 18 determines the optimum position of the roller based on the diameter of the take-up reel 2 and the tape feeding direction, and generates a control signal. This signal is sent to the motor control amplifier 19 and the rollers 5, 6
Is driven to the optimum position by the motor 10 that moves the motor.

FIG. 4 shows the effect of stabilizing the tape tension according to the present invention. Tape 7 is taken up from supply reel 3 to take-up reel 2
In the case of the tape feeding direction, the rollers 5 and 6 are fixed at the center position of the movable range of the movable table 8 (FIG. 1A), and the rollers 5 and 6 are fixed in the direction of the supply reel 3 (FIG. 1A). When fixed at the position moved to the right in the figure (FIG. 1)
(B) shows the variation of the tape tension. The measurement was performed at the tape position 12 in FIG. 1 corresponding to the magnetic head contact position. When the rollers 5 and 6 are fixed at the center position, the tape tension increases from about 6 gf (gram force) to about 17 gf.
When fixing at the position set to mm, 25 mm, 30 mm,
8 gf to 11.5 gf, 8.3 gf to 1 respectively
It has been greatly corrected to 0.7 gf, an increase from 7.7 gf to 11 gf, and the increase amount when the movement amount S1 is 25 mm is 2.
It is understood that the effect of stabilizing the tape tension is most obtained at 4 gf. FIG. 1 (c) moved in the direction of the take-up reel 2.
It is confirmed that the tape tension variation shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 shows a change diagram of the belt tension. FIG.
1A and 1B in which the rollers 5 and 6 shown in FIG. 1A are fixed at the center position of the movable range of the movable table 8, and FIGS.
The belt tension in the case (c) is shown as a relationship between the tape winding amount and the belt tension. The measurement of the belt tension was performed at the position 11 in FIG. The change in belt tension when the movable table with rack A8 is fixed at the center position is about 5 gf, but in the tape cartridge of the present invention, the change is about 50 gf in both the cases of FIGS. 1B and 1C. You can see that

FIG. 6 shows a second embodiment in which the actuator in the first embodiment is replaced with a linear motor. The rollers 5 and 6 around which the belt 1 is wound are rotatably mounted on the movable table B22 of the linear motor 23 operating left and right, and can be moved to an appropriate position according to the tape winding amount and the tape feeding direction. It has a structure.

FIG. 7 shows a third embodiment in which the actuator in the first embodiment is replaced with a cylinder. The rollers 5 and 6 around which the belt 1 is wound are rotatably mounted on a movable table C26 fixed to a piston rod 25 of a cylinder 24 that moves left and right, and are set in accordance with the tape winding amount and the tape feeding direction. It can be moved to an appropriate position.

FIG. 8 shows a fourth embodiment in which the distance between the axes of two belt rollers each of which can be individually wound around a belt is increased or decreased by a ball screw of a motor with an encoder to control the path length of the belt. The rollers 5 and 6 around which the belt 1 is wound are movable tables D27 which independently move left and right.
And a motor 31 with an encoder provided on a deck, for example, via ball screws 29 and 30 at appropriate positions previously determined according to the tape winding amount and the tape feeding direction. , 32 to control the belt path length.

The position of one belt roller, which is provided between the shafts of two belt rollers that are rotatably fixed around the belt and that can wind and move the belt, is substantially aligned with the tape feeding direction by a ball screw of a motor with an encoder. FIG. 9 shows a fifth embodiment in which the belt path length is controlled by moving the belt in a direction orthogonal to the fifth embodiment. A roller 33 which is rotatable on a movable table E34 which moves back and forth is attached at a substantially central position of the rollers 5 and 6 which are fixed so that the belt 1 can be wound and rotated. The belt path length is controlled by driving to an appropriate position determined in advance in accordance with the direction through a ball screw 35 by, for example, an encoder motor 36 provided on a deck.

A sixth embodiment in which an auxiliary roller is added to the fifth embodiment.
FIG. 10 shows an embodiment of the present invention. In this example, in order to make the path length of the belt larger than that of the fifth embodiment shown in FIG. 9, auxiliary rollers 37 and 38 are provided between the rollers 5 and 6 around which the belt 1 is wound, and the belt path length is reduced. It has a structure to control.

FIG. 11 shows a seventh embodiment in which the movable table in the first embodiment is swung about a predetermined fulcrum as the center of rotation to control the belt path length. Roller 5 and 6 around which belt 1 is wound are geared movable table G39 that swings back and forth around the rotation axis of roller 5 as a fulcrum.
Is mounted so as to be rotatable at a predetermined swing angle determined in advance according to the tape winding amount and the tape feeding direction, for example, by a motor 41 with an encoder via a drive gear 40 provided on a deck. It is designed to drive and control the belt path length. In FIG. 11, the roller 5
Although the example in which the center of rotation is the center of oscillation is shown, the center of oscillation is not limited to the center of rotation of the roller 5 and may be the center of rotation of the roller 6. May be the point.

FIG. 12 shows an eighth embodiment in which the movable table in the first embodiment is moved by a motor with an encoder and a ball screw in a direction substantially perpendicular to the tape feeding direction to control the belt path length. The rollers 5 and 6 around which the belt 1 is wound are rotatably mounted on a movable table H42 that moves back and forth, and a ball screw is placed at an appropriate position determined in advance according to the tape winding amount and the tape feeding direction. For example, the belt is driven by a motor 44 with an encoder provided on a deck via the deck 43 to control the belt path length.

FIG. 13 shows an example of the result of obtaining the control amount of the belt path length. When the tape 7 is set in a tape feeding direction in which the tape 7 is wound from the supply reel 3 to the take-up reel 2, FIG.
A mechanism for moving the movable table shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 to the left and right, a case having a mechanism for changing the distance between the rollers shown in FIG. 8, and a mechanism for changing the belt path length shown in FIGS. The control amount of the belt path length in the case of the provision is defined as the relationship between the tape winding amount of the take-up reel and the control amount of the belt path length based on the belt path length when the tape take-up amount of the take-up reel 2 is 0%. Indicated. In this example, take-up reel 2
When the tape winding amount is 50%, the control amount of the belt path length is −10 mm (control so as to be shorter by 10 mm than when the winding amount is 0%), and when the winding amount is 100%, it may be changed by −17 mm. The control amount when the tape feed direction is reversed is also obtained in advance in the same manner as in FIG.

[0020]

By using the tape cartridge of the present invention, stable tape running with little variation in tape tension can be obtained, stable running of ultra-thin tape can be achieved, and this greatly contributes to higher recording density of magnetic recording tape. .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1A is a schematic front view showing a first embodiment of the present invention. (B) and (c) are explanatory views showing a first embodiment to which the moving mechanism of the present invention is applied.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are explanatory diagrams showing examples of detecting the rotation speed of a take-up reel according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration block diagram of speed detection of a take-up reel according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing the effect of stabilizing the tape tension according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a change in belt tension according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic front view showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic front view showing a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a schematic front view showing a fourth embodiment of the present invention in which the belt path length is changed.

FIG. 9 is a schematic front view showing a fifth embodiment of the present invention in which the belt path length is changed.

FIG. 10 is a schematic front view showing a sixth embodiment of the present invention in which the belt path length is changed.

FIG. 11 is a schematic front view showing a seventh embodiment of the present invention in which the belt path length is changed.

FIG. 12 is a schematic front view showing an eighth embodiment of the present invention in which the belt path length is changed.

FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a control amount of a belt path length according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 belt 2 take-up reel 3 supply reel 4 drive roller 5, 6, 33 belt roller 7 tape 8 movable table A with rack 9 pinion gear 10 motor 11 belt tension measurement position 12 tape tension measurement position 13 magnetic or photoelectric pattern 14 sensor 15 Sprocket 16 F / V converter 17 V / r converter 18 Microcomputer 19 Motor control amplifier 20 Phase comparator 21 Recording / reproducing device operation panel 22 Movable table B 23 Linear motor 24 Cylinder 25 Piston rod 26 Movable table C 27, 28 Movable table D 29, 30, 35, 43 Ball screw 31, 32, 36, 41, 44 Motor with encoder 34 Movable table E 37, 38 Auxiliary roller 39 Movable table with gear G 40 Drive gear 42 Movable table H

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A tape cartridge for feeding a magnetic recording tape by a frictional force generated between the belt and the magnetic recording tape by moving a belt along the magnetic recording tape, wherein the tape cartridge winds the belt. The rotational axis of at least one of the plurality of belt rollers is translated in a plane perpendicular to the rotational axis to control the path length of the belt, and the friction generated between the belt and the magnetic recording tape is controlled. By changing the force, the belt tension is controlled in a direction that suppresses the tape tension fluctuation according to the winding amount of the magnetic recording tape and the feeding direction of the magnetic recording tape, thereby reducing the tape tension and the tape tension fluctuation. A tape cartridge comprising a mechanism. 2. The tape cartridge according to claim 1, wherein a winding amount measuring means for measuring a winding amount of the magnetic recording tape on a reel, and a feeding direction of the magnetic recording tape for controlling the belt tension. The tape cartridge further comprising: a feed direction detecting unit for detecting the feed direction. 3. The tape cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the reduction mechanism sets a position of two belt rollers capable of integrally moving the belt around the belt by winding the reel of the magnetic recording tape. A tape cartridge, comprising: a mechanism for performing a parallel movement in a direction opposite to a feeding direction of the magnetic recording tape with reference to a center of a movable range of the two belt rollers according to an amount. 4. The tape cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the mechanism for reducing the distance between the shafts of the two belt rollers capable of separately moving the belt by winding the belt is a winding of the reel of the magnetic recording tape. A tape cartridge characterized by a mechanism for increasing or decreasing the amount according to a take-up amount. 5. The tape cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the reduction mechanism winds and moves a belt provided between two shafts of two belt rollers that are rotatably fixed around the belt. A tape cartridge characterized by a mechanism for moving the position of one possible belt roller in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the magnetic recording tape is fed in accordance with the amount of winding of the magnetic recording tape on a reel. 6. The tape cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the reduction mechanism sets a position of two belt rollers capable of integrally moving the belt by winding the belt around a reel of the magnetic recording tape. A tape cartridge, characterized in that the tape cartridge is a mechanism for swinging about a predetermined fulcrum according to an amount about a rotation center. 7. The tape cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the reduction mechanism sets a position of two belt rollers capable of integrally moving the belt around the belt by winding the reel of the magnetic recording tape. A tape cartridge, which is a mechanism for performing a parallel movement in a direction substantially orthogonal to a feeding direction of the magnetic recording tape according to an amount.