Supports: racks – Special article – Platelike
Reexamination Certificate
1998-03-27
2001-09-18
Stodola, Daniel P. (Department: 3623)
Supports: racks
Special article
Platelike
C360S092100, C211S001510, C312S265100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06290072
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a library apparatus which stores a large number of cartridges such as magnetic tape cartridges and optical disk cartridges, and which transfers the cartridges through an accessor to a deck for processing a storage medium accommodated within each of the cartridges, and more particularly to a library apparatus which is constructed by coupling a plurality of lockers and which contains an accessor traveling passage formed to penetrate these lockers.
2) Description of the Related Art
In general, a library apparatus functions as a largecapacity external storage memory, and a storage rack in its locker stores several thousands 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 in relation to the storage medium within each of the cartridges.
Furthermore, the library apparatus is equipped with the aforesaid storage rack for storing the cartridges, a plurality of magnetic tape decks (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 (cartridge transferring robot) for performing the conveyance of the cartridges between the storage rack and the decks.
Commonly, this library apparatus is made up of a storage unit having a storage rack for storing a large number of cartridges, a drive unit incorporating decks, an accessor unit functioning as a garage for accessors, a unit including a controller or the like for controlling the accessors, and other units.
Each of these units is constructed as being one locker, and the arrangement of the whole library apparatus relies on the connections among a plurality of lockers (units). I n addition, with the plurality of lockers being in connection, a traveling passage for the accessors is defined in these lockers to penetrate them.
In the library apparatus thus arranged, in response to an access request to one cartridge from a host unit or the like, the accessor travels within the passage to come to 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 from the deck is again gripped by the hand mechanism and conveyed by the accessor up to the storage unit 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 does not directly carry out the insertion/extraction of the cartridge into/from the deck.
However, recently, in order to accomplish the size and cost reduction of the library apparatus, a requirement is issued so that the accessor is capable of directly carrying out the insertion/extraction into/from the deck without the use of the cartridge delivering and receiving mechanism.
For meeting this requirement, in addition to requiring a higher control accuracy of the hand mechanism of the accessor, there is a need for the accessor to accurately know the position of the insertion/extraction opening of the deck and a cartridge storage position (cell position) in the storage rack, and even the locker structure needs to have a high dimensional accuracy.
If, like a prior art, the locker structure only relies upon the assembling based on the welding connection among a top board, a base and a columns, a sufficient dimensional accuracy is unobtainable at every frame structure of a plurality of lockers, which makes difficult that the accessor accurately knows the storage position of the cartridge, with the result that there is a possibility that difficulty is encountered to carry out the insertion/extraction of the cartridge into/from a given cell of the storage rack or a given deck.
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 library apparatus which is capable of enhancing the dimensional accuracy of the locker frame structure to make sure that the accessor certainly performs the insertion/extraction of the cartridge into/from the storage rack or the deck.
For this purpose, in accordance with the present invention, a library apparatus comprises a storage rack for storing cartridges each accommodating a storage medium, a deck for carrying out access to the storage medium within the cartridge, and an accessor for transferring the cartridge between the storage rack and the deck, the library apparatus being constructed by coupling a plurality of lockers to each other and a passage is formed to run through the plurality of lockers for allowing the accessor to travel therein, wherein a frame structure of each of the lockers is composed of a top board, a base and sheet metal columns vertically standing between corner portions of the top board and the base, and each of the sheet metal columns is fixedly welded to the top board and the base from the inside of the locker.
In the library apparatus thus constructed according to this invention, since the welding connections between the top board and each of the sheet metal columns and between the base and each of the sheet metal columns are done from the inside of the locker, the welding beads do not protrude outwardly, thereby making it possible to smooth the outer surfaces of the locker frame structure. In addition, the use of the sheet metal columns can enhance the dimensional accuracy of the locker frame structure.
Another library apparatus according to this invention comprises a storage rack, a deck and an accessor and is constructed by coupling a plurality of lockers, and contains an accessor traveling passage formed to run through the plurality of lockers as in the case of the first-mentioned library apparatus, wherein a frame structure of each of the lockers is composed of a top board, a base and sheet metal columns standing at corner portions between the top board and the base, and projecting portions protrusively formed on upper and lower end portions of each of the sheet metal columns are fitted in positioning holes made in the base and the top board, respectively, so that the sheet metal column is positioned with respect to the base and the top board.
In this case, it is also appropriate that a supporting member for supporting a rail serving to guide the accessor along the coupling directions of the plurality of lockers in the passage is laid on the base of each of the lockers in this coupling directions, and this supporting member is positioned with respect to the base through the use of a reference pin protrusively placed on an upper surface of the base.
In addition, it is also appropriate that a top rail serving to guide the accessor along the coupling directions of the plurality of lockers in the passage is installed on a lower surface of the top board of each of the lockers in the coupling directions, and this top rail is positioned with respect to the top board through the use of a reference pin protrusively placed on the lower surface of the top board.
In the library apparatus thus arranged according to this invention, for positioning the sheet metal columns with respect to the base and the top board, the projecting portions protrusively formed on the upper and lower portions of each of the sheet metal columns are fitted in the positioning holes of the base and the top board, with the result that a sufficient dimensional accuracy is insurable at every frame structure of the plurality of lockers.
Furthermore,
Kanetsuku Toshihito
Miyamoto Takahisa
Ohmori Osamu
Sugai Yutaka
Utsumi Kenichi
Fujitsu Limited
Greer Burns & Crain Ltd.
Novosad Jennifer E.
Stodola Daniel P.
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