Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval – Record transport with head stationary during transducing – Tape record
Reexamination Certificate
1998-03-25
2001-02-27
Davis, David (Department: 2754)
Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval
Record transport with head stationary during transducing
Tape record
C369S178010
Reexamination Certificate
active
06195223
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording/reproduction unit for use in a library apparatus which stores a large number of cartridges such as magnetic tape cartridges and optical disk cartridges, where the unit performs processing such as write/read of recording/recorded data on/from a storage medium accommodated in the cartridge transferred through a transferring mechanism and inserted thereinto, and more particularly relates to a cartridge insertion/discharge opening structure of the recording/reproduction unit, and a library apparatus including this cartridge insertion/discharge opening structure.
2) Description of the Related Art
In general, a library apparatus functions as a large-capacity external storage memory, and a storage rack in its locker stores several thousand of cartridges each accommodating, for example, a magnetic tape as a storage medium, and access such as write/read of recording/recorded data is automatically done toward the storage medium within each of the cartridges.
Furthermore, in addition to the aforesaid storage rack (storage unit) for storing cartridges, the library apparatus is equipped with a station for conducting the entry of a cartridge from the exterior into the apparatus and the exit of the cartridge from the interior of the apparatus to the exterior, a plurality of magnetic tape decks (recording/reproduction units; which will be referred hereinafter to as decks) for conducting access such as write/read of recording/recorded data with respect to a storage medium (magnetic tape) within a cartridge, and an accessor robot (transferring mechanism; which will be referred hereinafter to as an accessor) for performing the conveyance of the cartridges among the cartridge entry/exit station, the storage rack and the decks.
In such a library apparatus, in response to an access request to one cartridge from a host unit or the like, the accessor travels toward the storage rack to search a directing cartridge there, and subsequently, a hand mechanism grips that cartridge and transfers it to the deck for insertion into the deck. With these operations, in that deck, given processing is done with respect to the storage medium (magnetic tape) within the inserted cartridge. After the completion of the processing, the cartridge discharged or ejected from the deck is again gripped by the hand mechanism and conveyed by the accessor up to the storage rack to be stored at a given position.
In a prior library apparatus, a dedicated cartridge delivering and receiving mechanism is installed in each of the decks so that the insertion of the cartridge into the deck or the extraction (pulling-out) of the cartridge from the deck is carried out through the cartridge delivering and receiving mechanism. In this case, the accessor is not designed to directly carry out the insertion/extraction of the cartridge into/from the deck.
In the case that the cartridge delivering and receiving mechanism is provided at every deck, the mounting space enlarges within the library apparatus and the system gets complicated. For this reason, a requirement has arisen for omitting the cartridge delivering and receiving mechanism and for allowing the accessor to directly carry out the insertion/extraction of a cartridge into/from a deck without the intervention of the cartridge delivering and receiving mechanism so that the reduction of the mounting space and the simplification of the system are realizable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been developed with a view to eliminating these problems, and it is therefore an object of this invention to provide a cartridge insertion/discharge opening structure of a recording/reproduction unit for a library apparatus and a library apparatus which allow a transferring mechanism to certainly conduct the direct cartridge insertion/extraction operations into/from the recording/reproduction unit, thus realizing the reduction of the mounting space and the simplification of the system.
For this purpose, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a cartridge insertion/discharge opening structure of a recording/reproduction unit for use in a library apparatus storing cartridges each accommodating a storage medium, the recording/reproduction unit conducting recording/reproduction processing toward the storage medium within the cartridge transferred by a transferring mechanism, wherein the cartridge insertion/discharge opening structure serving for the insertion/discharge of the cartridge comprises a guide member for guiding the cartridge to be inserted from the external through the transferring mechanism toward the interior of the recording/reproduction unit, with the guide member being provided in a cartridge insertion/discharge opening section of the recording/reproduction unit, and being formed to have a tapered surface broadening out from the recording/reproduction unit side to the external.
In addition, in accordance with this invention, there is provided a library apparatus comprising a storage rack for storing cartridges each accommodating a storage medium, a recording/reproduction unit for conducting recording/reproduction processing toward the storage medium within the cartridge, and a transferring mechanism for transferring the cartridge between the storage rack and the recording/reproduction unit, wherein a guide member for guiding the cartridge to be inserted from the external through the transferring mechanism toward the interior of the recording/reproduction unit is provided in a cartridge insertion/discharge opening section of the recording/reproduction unit, and the guide member is formed to have a tapered surface broadening out from the recording/reproduction unit side to the external.
In the above-mentioned constitution, a tapered surface widening toward the external is formed on the guide member, that is, when viewed from the transferring mechanism side, the compartment for the insertion of the cartridge into the recording/reproduction unit is made to be in an enlarged condition. Whereupon, even if a positional discrepancy somewhat occurs between the cartridge transferred through the transferring mechanism and the cartridge insertion/discharge opening section of the recording/reproduction unit, after coming into contact with the guide member, the cartridge can be inserted into the cartridge insertion/discharge opening section while being guided by the tapered surface. This permits the cartridge to be directly inserted from the transferring mechanism into the recording/reproduction unit.
In this case, it is also appropriate that the guide member is integrally equipped with a reference flag to be used to make the transferring mechanism recognize the position of the cartridge insertion/discharge opening section. Whereupon, the transferring mechanism can find the position of the cartridge insertion/discharge opening section through the use of the reference flag with a high accuracy.
Furthermore, it is also possible that the guide member and the reference flag are fitted integrally to a base member attached to the cartridge insertion/discharge opening section. That is, in a way of only fitting the base member, integrally bearing the guide member and the reference flag in advance, to the cartridge insertion/discharge opening section, the guide member and the reference flag can both simultaneously and accurately be placed at given positions with respect to the cartridge insertion/discharge opening section.
Still further, it is also possible that a detent mechanism is provided to lock a cartridge discharged from the recording/reproduction unit to prevent it from jumping out from the opening section to the external. This detent mechanism prevents the cartridge from jumping out to the external or from dropping due to vibrations or the like.
In this arrangement, the detent mechanism is composed of a locking member located to protrude from the guide member to the cartridge side for locking the cartridge and a biasing member for biasing the locking member to the car
Kanetsuku Toshihito
Miyamoto Takahisa
Takayama Naoki
Utsumi Kenichi
Davis David
Fujitsu Limited
Greer Burns & Crain Ltd.
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