Reduced friction retention of a data storage cartridge within a storage cell

• US 9,355,652 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2012
• Issued: 05/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Boday, Dylan J., Green, Andrew S., Nave, Shawn M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Haughton, Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gafur, Razmeen
• Application Number:
  US13/606,666
• Publication Number:
  US 20140071609A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,362 Days
• Field of Search: 360/97.11, 360/98.01, 360/137, 312/332.1, 312/333, 3122231-2233, 248/618, 248633-638, 248633-336, 369/75.11, 369/75.21, 369/76, 369/77.11, 369/77.21, 369 78- 82, 267136-141, 174/544, 206/701, 211/26, 211/187, 211/190, 720601-652, 36167933-67939, 36167931-67939, 36167901-67945, 36167955-67961, 361724-727, 36167926-6793, 361/756, 361/741, 361/686, 361/687, 361/688, 361/696, 361/697, 361/787, 361/789, 361/794, 361701-703, 361/709, 361807-810, 4555751-5759, 349 56- 60
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/04 modified to store record carriers containers, storing means adapted for cooperation with the recording or reproducing apparatus G11B23/02
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/124 of the single recording/reproducing device, e.g. disk drive, onto a chassis
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/128 of the plurality of recording/reproducing devices, e.g. disk drives, onto a chassis
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/78 Tape carriers

Abstract

Described are embodiments of an invention for a textured interface between a notch of a data storage cartridge and a retention tab of a storage cell. The textured surface reduces the contact surface between the retention tab and the notch of the data storage cartridge. The reduced contact surface between the retention tab and notch of the data storage cartridge reduces the amount of friction between the retention tab and the notch of the data storage cartridge. The data storage cartridge can thus be removed from the storage cell with less force than that required by the prior art having a generally smooth interface between the notch of the data storage cartridge and the retention tab of the storage cell.

Claims

1. A storage cell comprising:

a housing for storing a data storage cartridge;

an opening in said housing for inserting and removing a data storage cartridge;

a retention tab within said housing for engaging with a notch of said data storage cartridge for retaining said data storage cartridge within said housing, wherein said retention tab is textured for reducing a contact surface between said retention tab and said notch.

2. The storage cell of claim 1, wherein said housing includes a pair of opposing side walls, a back wall, and a floor orthogonal and connected to said opposing side walls and said back wall, and wherein said side walls, back wall, and floor, define said opening for inserting and removing a data storage cartridge.

3. The storage cell of claim 2, wherein said retention tab protrudes from at least one side wall of said housing,

wherein said retention tab is configured to depress out of a path of said data storage cartridge when said data storage cartridge is inserted in said housing and engage with said notch of said data storage cartridge when said data storage cartridge is fully inserted in said housing.

4. The storage cell of claim 1, wherein the texture of the said retention tab is configured to reduce a force necessary for inserting and/or removing said data storage cartridge from said storage cell.

5. The storage cell of claim 1, wherein said retention tab has at least one textured surface that contacts said notch on a side wall of said data storage cartridge when said data storage cartridge is inserted into said storage cell.

6. The storage cell of claim 1, wherein said texture of said retention tab comprises at least one of bumps, lines, and grooves.

7. The storage cell of claim 1, wherein a portion of said retention tab that is textured is positioned in the housing to contact said notch of said data storage cartridge as said data storage cartridge is inserted into said housing.

8. The storage cell of claim 1, wherein the retention tab is configured to retain said data storage cartridge within said housing by engagement with the notch of said data storage cartridge.

9. A storage cell comprising:

a housing for storing a data storage cartridge;

an opening in said housing for inserting and removing a data storage cartridge;

a retention tab within said housing for engaging with a notch of said data storage cartridge for retaining said data storage cartridge within said housing,

wherein said retention tab is textured, wherein said texture of said retention tab reduces a contact surface between said retention tab and said notch.

10. The storage cell of claim 9, wherein said reduced contact surface between said retention tab and said notch reduces an amount of force necessary for removing said data storage cartridge from said storage cell.

11. The storage cell of claim 9, wherein said housing includes a pair of opposing side walls, a back wall, and a floor orthogonal and connected to said opposing side walls and said back wall, and wherein said side walls, back wall, and floor define said opening for inserting and removing a data storage cartridge.

12. The storage cell of claim 11, wherein said retention tab protrudes from at least one side wall of said housing.

13. The storage cell of claim 12, wherein said retention tab depresses out of a path of said data storage cartridge when said data storage cartridge is inserted within said housing and engages with said notch of said data storage cartridge.

14. The storage cell of claim 9, wherein said retention tab has at least one textured surface that contacts said notch on a side wall of said data storage cartridge when said data storage cartridge is inserted into said storage cell.

15. The storage cell of claim 9, wherein said texture of said retention tab comprises at least one of bumps, lines, and grooves.

16. A storage cell comprising:

a housing having a pair of opposing side walls, a back wall, and a floor, said floor orthogonal and connected to said opposing side walls and said back wall, and wherein said side walls, back wall and floor define an opening for inserting and removing a data storage cartridge;

a retention tab protruding from at least one side wall for releasably engaging with a notch on a side wall of a data storage cartridge and retaining said data storage cartridge within said opening when said data storage cartridge is inserted into said storage cell; and

wherein said retention tab has at least one textured surface positioned to directly contact said notch on said side wall of said data storage cartridge when said data storage cartridge is inserted into said storage cell, wherein said textured surface of said retention tab reduces a contact surface between said retention tab and said notch.

17. The storage cell of claim 16, wherein said texture of said retention tab comprises at least one of bumps, lines, and grooves configured to reduce an amount of force necessary for removing said data storage cartridge from said storage cell.

18. The storage cell of claim 16, wherein said textured surface of said retention tab contacts said notch on said side wall of said data storage cartridge as said data storage cartridge is inserted into said storage cell.

19. A storage cell comprising:

a housing having a pair of opposing side walls, a back wall, and a floor, said floor orthogonal and connected to said opposing side walls and said back wall, and wherein said side walls, back wall and floor define an opening for inserting and removing a data storage cartridge;

a retention tab protruding from at least one side wall for releasably engaging with a notch on a side wall of a data storage cartridge and retaining said data storage cartridge within said opening when said data storage cartridge is inserted into said storage cell; and

wherein said retention tab has at least one textured surface that contacts said notch on said side wall of said data storage cartridge when said data storage cartridge is inserted into said storage cell,

wherein said texture of said retention tab reduces a contact surface between said retention tab and said notch.

20. The storage cell of claim 19, wherein said reduced contact surface between said retention tab and said notch reduces an amount of force necessary for removing said data storage cartridge from said storage cell.

21. An automated data storage library for data storage cartridges comprising:

an array of storage cells for storing said data storage cartridges; and

wherein each storage cell comprises;

a housing having a pair of opposing side walls, a back wall, and a floor, said floor orthogonal and connected to said opposing side walls and back wall, said side walls, back wall and floor defining and opening for inserting and removing said data storage cartridge from said storage cell;

a retention tab protruding from at least one side wall for releasably engaging with a notch on a side wall of said data storage cartridge and retaining said data storage cartridge within said opening when said data storage cartridge is inserted into said storage cell; and

wherein said retention tab has at least one textured surface that contacts said notch on said side wall of said data storage cartridge when said data storage cartridge is inserted into said storage cell, wherein said textured surface of said retention tab reduces a contact surface between said retention tab and said notch.

22. The automated data storage library of claim 21, further comprising an accessor for transporting said data storage cartridge within said storage library, wherein said textured surface of said retention tab reduces an amount of force necessary for said accessor to remove said data storage cartridge from said storage cell.

23. The automated data storage library of claim 21, wherein said textured surface of said retention tab comprises at least one of bumps, lines, and grooves.

24. The automated data storage library of claim 23, wherein said textured surface of said retention tab reduces a contact surface between said notch and said retention tab.

25. The storage cell of claim 21, wherein the retention tab is configured to retain said data storage cartridge within said housing by engagement with the notch of said data storage cartridge.