TEXTURING OF A STORAGE CELL FOR REDUCED FRICTION RETENTION OF A DATA STORAGE CARTRIDGE

• US 20140069250A1
• Filed: 09/07/2012
• Published: 03/13/2014
• 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., Nave, Shawn M., Green, Andrew S.
• Granted Patent: US 9,039,486 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 83/861
• CPC Class Codes: B24D 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/68 Automatic cassette changing arrangements; automatic tape changing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 23/049 Cassettes for special applications not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/02 Other than completely through work thickness

Abstract

Described are embodiments of an invention for a method and a tool to produce a textured surface on the retention tab of a storage cell. The tool has a form that fits within the storage cell. The form has a hard material with a hard surface with contacts a surface of the retention tab within the storage cell. The movement of the hard surface across the surface of the retention tab produces a textured surface on the retention tab. The textured interface between a notch of a data storage cartridge and a retention tab of a storage cell provides a consistent and low friction force that retains the data storage cartridge within the cell but allows the accessor to easily remove the data storage cartridge when needed.

Claims

1. A tool for texturing comprising:

a form that fits within a storage cell;

said form having a hard material having a least one hard surface which contacts a surface of a retention tab within said storage cell when said form is inserted within said storage cell; and

wherein

a movement of said hard surface across said surface of retention tab producing a textured surface on said surface of retention tab.

2. The tool of claim 1, wherein said hard material is comprised of a material that is harder than a material of said surface of retention tab.

3. The tool of claim 1, wherein said hard material comprises one of steel, an abrasive filler, an abrasive oxide or any combination thereof.

4. The tool of claim 1, wherein said hard material is affixed to said form by molding, welding, ultrasonic welding, over molding, compression, adhesive, or by a fastener.

5. The tool of claim 1, wherein said form has a form factor of a data storage cartridge stored within said storage cell.

6. The tool of claim 1, wherein said form includes a top, bottom, front, back and two sides and wherein at least one side of said form includes said hard surface.

8. The tool of claim 1, further comprising a handle.

7. The tool of claim 7, wherein at least one side of said form includes a notch and said hard surface is adjacent said notch.

9. A method of texturing a storage cell comprising:

inserting a texturing tool into a storage cell, wherein said texturing tool has a hard material having a least one hard surface;

contacting a surface of a retention tab of said storage cell with said at least one hard surface of said texturing tool; and

removing said texturing tool from said storage cell, wherein said removal causing said at least one hard surface in contact with said retention tab to produce a textured surface on said surface of retention tab.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said step of inserting said texturing tool is performed by a library accessor.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said step of inserting said texturing tool is performed by a human.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said hard material of inserted texturing tool is comprised of a material that is harder than a material of said surface of retention tab.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein said texturing tool has a form factor of a data storage cartridge stored within said storage cell.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein said texturing tool includes a top, bottom, front, back and two sides and wherein at least one side of said form includes said hard surface.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein at least one side of said form includes a notch and said hard surface is adjacent said notch.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein said texturing tool further comprises a handle.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein said storage cell is a data storage cartridge storage cell and wherein producing texture on said retention tab decreases the force necessary for removing a data storage cartridge from said data storage cell.