US 11,887,625 B1
Tape drive with a tape roller assembly that includes a roller member and a stop mechanism
George A Saliba, Boulder, CO (US)
Assigned to MagStor Inc., Columbus, OH (US)
Filed by MagStor Inc., Columbus, OH (US)
Filed on Jan. 14, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/097,227.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/299,872, filed on Jan. 14, 2022.
Int. Cl. G11B 23/50 (2006.01); G11B 15/60 (2006.01); G11B 15/29 (2006.01)
CPC G11B 23/502 (2013.01) [G11B 15/60 (2013.01); G11B 15/29 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A tape drive, comprising:
a tape transport assembly, the tape transport assembly including a drive member, the drive member of the tape transport assembly configured to displace tape media in the tape drive; and
a tape roller assembly, the tape roller assembly including a roller member, the roller member having one or more slanted grooves or protrusions formed in an outer surface of the roller member, the roller member configured to support and/or guide the tape media as the tape media is displaced by the tape transport assembly, the one or more slanted grooves or protrusions of the roller member configured to burnish and/or clean the tape media so as to prevent damage to a tape head, and the one or more slanted grooves or protrusions of the roller member being angled so as to prevent the tape media from sliding in an axial direction of the roller member, and the tape roller assembly further comprises a stop mechanism, the roller member being configured to rotate less than 360 degrees as the drive member of the tape transport assembly changes direction so that tape stiction is able to dissipate, and then the stop mechanism is configured to prevent the roller member from further rotating so as to allow the one or more slanted grooves or protrusions of the roller member to burnish and/or clean the tape media.