Data processing: generic control systems or specific application – Specific application – apparatus or process – Article handling
Reexamination Certificate
2003-01-09
2003-12-30
Crawford, Gene O. (Department: 3651)
Data processing: generic control systems or specific application
Specific application, apparatus or process
Article handling
C700S218000, C700S254000, C700S259000, C356S124000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06671574
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to position detecting apparatuses and library apparatuses and, more particularly, to a position detecting apparatus and a library apparatus that have a flag and a sensor for detecting the flag.
As is generally known, there is a magnetic tape apparatus using a magnetic tape as a recording medium among external storages of a computer. The majority of magnetic tape apparatuses use a magnetic tape cartridge having a tape 0.5 inches in width therein, wherein the tape is automatically fetched from a reel therein to load data. A magnetic tape library apparatus (hereinafter called a library apparatus) accommodates as many magnetic tape cartridges as necessary (entry), which are loaded into a magnetic tape recording-playing apparatus to write and read data.
The library apparatus includes a cabinet having a plurality of cells to accommodate magnetic tape cartridges, a magnetic tape recording-playing apparatus for recording and playing data, and a carrying apparatus for carrying the magnetic tape cartridges between the cabinet and the magnetic tape recording-playing apparatus.
A large-scale library apparatus is formed by connecting mutually a plurality of independent frames each of which accommodates a cabinet, a magnetic tape recording-playing apparatus or the like. Consequently, when such a large-scale library is assembled, there arises an increasing error with respect to alignment of individual parts constituting the large-scale library apparatus, whereby it becomes difficult to position accurately a carrying apparatus for each cell in a cabinet by using only estimated values regarding the architecture of the library apparatus obtained at the designing phase. Thus, in the library apparatus, there is provided a position detecting apparatus for detecting a position of the carrying apparatus relative to the cabinet or the magnetic tape recording-playing apparatus so as to correct misalignment.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1
shows an example of a conventional position detecting apparatus provided in a library apparatus
1
. In
FIG. 1
, there is positioned a carrying apparatus so as to face a cabinet
3
. In the carrying apparatus
2
, there are provided a medium holding mechanism
5
and a sensor
7
on a base
6
. A magnetic tape cartridge
4
is accommodated in a medium slot
14
provided in the cabinet
3
. In addition, a flag
10
is provided at a predetermined position in the cabinet
3
. A position detecting apparatus, which is operable to position the carrying apparatus
2
and the cabinet
3
, comprises the sensor
7
provided in the carrying apparatus
2
and the flag
10
provided in the cabinet
3
.
The carrying apparatus
2
is formed so as to move in any of X, Y and Z directions, represented by arrows in FIG.
1
. The medium holding mechanism
5
has holding arms
8
for holding the magnetic tape cartridge
4
. Thus, the carrying apparatus
2
can insert/eject the magnetic tape cartridge
4
into/from the cabinet
3
.
The magnetic tape cartridge
4
ejected from the cabinet
3
is carried to a magnetic tape recording-playing apparatus not illustrated in FIG.
1
and is mounted thereon to record or play data. Also in the magnetic tape recording-playing apparatus, there is provided a flag
10
similar to that provided in the cabinet
3
.
The flag
10
is accurately positioned relative to the medium slot
14
provided in the cabinet
3
. As a result, the carrying apparatus
2
detects the flag
10
by using the sensor
7
, whereby it becomes possible to position the medium holding mechanism
5
and the magnetic tape cartridge
4
(the medium slot
14
).
FIG. 2
shows a structure of the conventional flag
10
. As is shown in
FIG. 2
, the flag
10
comprises a black part
11
and a white part
12
. Since the sensor
7
provided in the carrying apparatus
2
is a reflective sensor, the sensor
7
becomes OFF when the sensor
7
faces the black part
11
and ON when the sensor
7
faces the white part
12
.
The flag
10
is square-shaped as a whole. The black part
11
is formed as a slightly smaller square than the flag
10
. On the other hand, as is shown in
FIG. 2
, the white part
12
is located in an upper and left area of the black part
11
and is provided so as to form an inverse L-shaped area.
A description will now be given of a conventional process for detecting a relative position of the carrying apparatus
2
to the cabinet
3
by using the flag
10
shown in FIG.
2
.
At the beginning, the carrying apparatus
2
is moved and positioned so that the sensor
7
can face a center P
0
(hereinafter referred to as a nominal sensor position) of the black part
11
formed in the flag
10
. Additionally, in the carrying apparatus
2
, there is provided an encoder capable of detecting moving distances in the X, Y and Z directions, thereby detecting the moving distances of the carrying apparatus
2
.
However, since there are some shape errors in individual parts constituting the carrying apparatus
2
and the cabinet
3
and there arises some unevenness at the assembling of the parts, a sensor detecting position of the sensor
7
cannot always be adjusted correctly to the nominal position P
0
(the center in the black part
11
of the flag
10
). Thus, even if the carrying apparatus
2
is moved to a predetermined position for the cabinet
3
, there arises, in fact, misalignment between the carrying apparatus
2
and the cabinet
3
.
This misalignment is equivalent to misalignment between the holding arms
8
and the magnetic tape cartridge
4
. Accordingly, when the holding arms
8
attempt to hold the magnetic tape cartridge
4
while the misalignment remains, the holding arms
8
are in risk of not holding the magnetic tape cartridge
4
properly.
A description will now be given, with reference to
FIGS. 3 through 5
, of a holding operation of the medium holding mechanism
5
for the magnetic tape cartridge
4
. In the description to be mentioned later, two coordinate systems of the magnetic tape cartridge
4
accommodated in the cabinet
3
and of the medium holding mechanism provided in the carrying apparatus
2
are set separately for the convenience of explanation. Then, the coordinate system of the magnetic tape cartridge
4
is represented as an X′-Y′ coordinate, and the coordinate system of the medium holding mechanism
5
is represented as an X-Y coordinate.
FIG. 3
shows an ideal situation in which there is no shape error in individual parts constituting the carrying apparatus
2
and the cabinet
3
and there arises no unevenness at the assembling of the parts. In this situation, the X′-Y′ coordinate of the magnetic tape cartridge
4
is consistent with the X-Y coordinate of the medium holding mechanism
5
. As a result, the holding arms
8
can hold the magnetic tape cartridge
4
properly.
Here, in the magnetic tape cartridge
4
, there is provided a receiving part
13
(a concave part similar to a receiving part
41
shown in
FIG. 10
) to embed the holding arms
8
therein. As a result, when holding the magnetic tape cartridge
4
, the holding arms
8
interlock the receiving part
13
.
FIGS. 4 and 5
show situations in which there arises misalignment between the carrying apparatus
2
and the cabinet
3
. In the misalignment shown in
FIG. 4
, since the center P
0
(the nominal sensor position) of the X′-Y′ coordinate of the magnetic tape cartridge
4
coincides with a center P
1
(hereinafter, called an actual sensor detecting position P
1
) of the X-Y coordinate of the medium holding mechanism
5
, it is concluded that the misalignment is caused by the fact that one coordinate has rotated relatively to the other on the centers P
0
and P
1
.
Regarding misalignment in a rotational direction as shown in
FIG. 4
, if the misalignment mainly results from slight defects such as the shape errors on individual parts constituting the carrying apparatus
2
and the cabinet
3
and the unevenness at the assembling of the parts, the relat
Crawford Gene O.
Greer Burns & Crain Ltd.
LandOfFree
Position detecting apparatus and library apparatus does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Position detecting apparatus and library apparatus, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Position detecting apparatus and library apparatus will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3178865