Tape winding apparatus

Abstract

A tape winding apparatus includes: a rotating device configured to rotate a wind-up core for winding a tape into a roll which defines a tape roll; a push roller configured to be pressed against the tape roll, the push roller contacting with and rolling on an outer periphery of the tape roll at a tape feeding position where the tape is fed onto the tape roll; a feeding direction control guide arranged upstream from the push roller as viewed in a running direction of the tape and configured to control a tape-feeding direction of the tape that is fed onto the tape roll; and a movement device configured to move at least one of the push roller and the feeding direction control guide such that the tape-feeding direction conforms with a tangential direction of the tape roll at the tape feeding position.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for producing a roll of tape wound on a wind-up core comprising:
 a setting step of setting a tape and a wind-up core to a tape winding apparatus which comprises: a rotating device configured to rotate the wind-up core to wind the tape into a tape roll; a push roller configure to contact with and roll on an outer periphery of the tape roll at a tape feeding position where the tape firstly contacts with the tape roll and is fed onto the tape roll; a feeding direction control guide arranged at a non-contact position relative to the tape roll and upstream from the push roller as viewed in a running direction of the tape and configured to control a tape-feeding direction of the tape that is fed onto the tape roll, the feeding direction control guide having a cylindrical guide surface for guiding the tape; and a movement device configured to move at least one of the push roller and the feeding direction control guide such that the tape-feeding direction conforms with a tangential direction of the tape roll at the tape feeding position,   a rotating step of rotating the wind-up core while guiding the tape by the push roller and the feeding direction control guide along the tangential direction; and   a moving step of moving the movement device in accordance with a change in diameter of the tape roll, such that regardless of the diameter of the tape roll, the tape-feeding direction determined by positions of the push roller and the feeding direction control guide conforms with the tangential direction.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the movement device comprises: a swing arm supporting the push roller and configured to be swingable about a central axis of the cylindrical guide surface of the feeding direction control guide; a slide stage on which the swing arm is swingably supported while supporting the feeding direction control guide; a spring having a first end engaged with the swing arm and a second end engaged with the slide stage and configured to apply a pressing force to the push roller; a rail along which the slide stage is guided; an actuator for moving the slide stage along the rail; and a controller configured to control the actuator to maintain the tangential direction of the tape roll at the tape feeding position, and
 wherein the moving step comprising moving the slide stage along the rail by means of the actuator in accordance with the change in diameter of the tape roll.   
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the movement device comprises: a swing arm supporting the push roller and configured to be swingable about a central axis of the cylindrical guide surface of the feeding direction control guide; a first longitudinal swing arm member on which the swing arm is swingably supported by the feeding direction control guide; a spring having a first end engaged with the swing arm and a second end engaged with the first longitudinal swing arm member and configured to apply a pressing force to the push roller; an actuator for swinging the first longitudinal swing arm member; and a controller configured to control the actuator to maintain the tangential direction of the tape roll at the tape feeding position, and
 wherein the moving step comprising moving the feeding direction control guide via the first longitudinal swing arm member by means of the actuator in accordance with the change in diameter of the tape roll.   
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the movement device comprises: a base on which the feeding direction control guide is fixed so as not to be movable relative to the wind-up core; a second longitudinal swing arm member supporting the push roller and swingably supported on the base; and a spring configured to apply a swinging force to the second longitudinal swing arm member,
 wherein a pivot axis of the second longitudinal swing arm member is positioned at a midpoint of a line segment connecting a rotation axis of the wind-up core and a tape contacting point of the feeding direction control guide at which point the tape contacts with the cylindrical guide surface of the feeding direction control guide for guiding the tape toward the tape roll, and   wherein the moving step comprising moving the second longitudinal swing arm member in accordance with the change in diameter of the tape roll, such that the push roller moves along a trajectory of a circular arc passing through the rotation axis of the wind-up core and the feeding direction control guide.   
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the roll of tape wound on the wind-up core is a servo-formatted magnetic tape. 
     
     
         6 . A method for producing a roll of tape wound on a wind-up core comprising:
 a setting step of setting a tape and a wind-up core to a tape winding apparatus which comprises: a rotating device configured to rotate the wind-up core to wind the tape into a tape roll; a push roller configure to contact with and roll on an outer periphery of the tape roll at a tape feeding position where the tape firstly contacts with the tape roll and is fed onto the tape roll; a feeding direction control guide arranged at a non-contact position relative to the tape roll and upstream from the push roller as viewed in a running direction of the tape and configured to control a tape-feeding direction of the tape that is fed onto the tape roll, the feeding direction control guide having a cylindrical guide surface for guiding the tape; and a movement device comprising a swing arm supporting the push roller and configured to be swingable about a central axis of the cylindrical guide surface of the feeding direction control guide, and configured to move at least one of the swing arm and the feeding direction control guide, relative to the wind-up core, such that the tape-feeding direction conforms with a tangential direction of the tape roll at the tape feeding position,   a rotating step of rotating the wind-up core while guiding the tape by the push roller and the feeding direction control guide along the tangential direction; and   a moving step of moving the movement device in accordance with a change in diameter of the tape roll, such that regardless of the diameter of the tape roll, the tape-feeding direction determined by positions of the push roller and the feeding direction control guide conforms with the tangential direction.   
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the movement device comprises: a slide stage on which the swing arm is swingably supported while supporting the feeding direction control guide; a spring having a first end engaged with the swing arm and a second end engaged with the slide stage and configured to apply a pressing force to the push roller; a rail along which the slide stage is guided; an actuator for moving the slide stage along the rail; and a controller configured to control the actuator to maintain the tangential direction of the tape roll at the tape feeding position, and
 wherein the moving step comprising moving the slide stage along the rail by means of the actuator in accordance with the change in diameter of the tape roll.   
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the movement device comprises: a first longitudinal swing arm member on which the swing arm is swingably supported by the feeding direction control guide; a spring having a first end engaged with the swing arm and a second end engaged with the first longitudinal swing arm member and configured to apply a pressing force to the push roller; an actuator for swinging the first longitudinal swing arm member; and a controller configured to control the actuator to maintain the tangential direction of the tape roll at the tape feeding position, and
 wherein the moving step comprising moving the feeding direction control guide via the first longitudinal swing arm member by means of the actuator in accordance with the change in diameter of the tape roll.   
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the roll of tape wound on the wind-up core is a servo-formatted magnetic tape.