Tape storage cartridge having two-level tape path

摘要

A tape cartridge includes a first rotatable hub and a second rotatable hub and a tape head receiving region. A flexible recording tape is wound upon the first rotatable hub and the second rotatable hub. The flexible recording tape is routed through the cartridge to provide two levels or layers of tape at the tape head receiving region. The tape path may include a flexible tape routed through the cartridge to provide two levels of tape at least one of the tape guides or tape pins within the tape cartridge. Of course the tape path through the tape cartridge may also include the tape head. At startup the tape always driven in the same direction so that the layer of tape underneath the other layer of tape is initially placed in tension. This prevents binding of one layer with respect to the second layer at startup. If the initial startup direction is opposite from the desired direction, the direction of the tape is reversed within the tape cartridge. A tape for use in a tape drive including a double loop type tape path includes a substrate having a magnetic layer applied to one side of the substrate, and having a backside of soft magnetic material applied to the other side of the substrate. The backside acts as a magnetic shield to prevent writing though the layer of tape nearest the head to the layer of tape underneath the layer of tape being written to.