Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval – Record transport with head stationary during transducing – Tape record
Reexamination Certificate
1997-12-31
2001-03-06
Davis, David (Department: 2754)
Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval
Record transport with head stationary during transducing
Tape record
C369S036010
Reexamination Certificate
active
06198593
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cartridge transferring robot for use in a library apparatus which stores a large number of cartridges such as magnetic tape cartridges and optical disk cartridges, with the cartridge transferring robot taking the charge of the conveyance of the cartridges among a storage unit (or rack), a cartridge entry/exit station and a drive unit within the library apparatus.
2) Description of the Related Art
In general, a library apparatus functions as a large-capacity external storage unit, and a storage unit 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 toward the storage medium within each of the cartridges.
Furthermore, in addition to the aforesaid storage unit for storing the cartridges, the library apparatus is equipped with a station [for example, a CAS (Cartridge Access Station), a DEE (Direct Entry/Exit), and an FES (Forced Exit Station)] for carrying out the entry of the cartridges from the external into the apparatus or vice versa, a plurality of magnetic tape drive units (which will be referred hereinafter to as MTUs) for conducting access such as write/read of recording/recorded data toward a storage medium (magnetic tape) within a cartridge, and a cartridge transferring robot [automatic transferring robot; which will be referred hereinafter to as an accessor (ACC)] for performing the conveyance among the storage unit, the cartridge entry/exit station and the MTU.
In the case of such a library apparatus, on receiving an access demand to one cartridge from a host unit or the like, the accessor moves to the storage unit to search the directing cartridge and then transfers that cartridge up to the MTU in a state of gripping or holding it through the use of a hand mechanism, thereby putting it in the MTU. Whereupon, the MTU processes the storage medium (magnetic tape) within the cartridge. The cartridge discharged from the MTU after the completion of the processing is regripped by the hand mechanism of the accessor and transferred up to the storage unit by that accessor to be stored in a given location.
The accessor to be employed for the foregoing library apparatus is composed of a picker section including a hand mechanism for inserting and pulling out a cartridge in a state of gripping it, a moving mechanism for shifting this picker section to a given position, and a tilt mechanism (see
FIG. 23
) for adjusting an angle to be made with respect to a horizontal direction at the insertion and extraction (pulling-out) of the cartridge.
Thus, while transferring the cartridge, that cartridge is conveyed by the moving mechanism to the given position in a state of being gripped by the hand mechanism and taken into the interior of the picker section, and subsequently put in a unit (a cell of the storage unit or the MTU) at the given position. At this time, because of taking different insertion/extraction angles of the cartridges for the respective units, there is a need to change the cartridge insertion/extraction angle taken by the hand mechanism.
As the cartridge inserting/extracting direction (angle) of the hand mechanism
112
, for example there are taken a horizontal direction (0°) and a direction looking (inclined) downward by a given angle with respect to the horizontal direction. In the case of the MTU, in general the cartridges are inserted and pulled out in/from the horizontal direction (0°). On the other hand, in the case of the storage unit or the like, the cartridges are set in a condition looking downward (for example, 12°) relative to the horizontal direction to prevent them from dropping from the cells of the storage unit due to the vibrations caused by earthquakes and others, and therefore, the insertion and extraction of the cartridges are made at that angle.
For these reasons, the accessor is provided with a tilt mechanism
100
, for example, as shown in FIG.
23
. This tilt mechanism
100
comprises a tilt base (not shown) for supporting a picker section
110
so that the picker section
110
is swingable about or around a supporting shaft (spindle)
111
protrusively stood at a side surface of a substantially central portion of the picker section
110
in the forward and backward directions (in the left- and right-hand directions in FIG.
23
), and a swinging drive mechanism
120
for making the picker section
110
rock around the supporting shaft
111
with respect to this tilt base.
The picker section
110
incorporates a hand mechanism
112
which is movable in the forward and backward directions and made to insert and draw a cartridge while gripping it, and as mentioned before, the cartridge held by the hand mechanism
112
is introduced into the picker section
110
at the cartridge conveyance. In
FIG. 23
, a mechanism for moving the hand mechanism
112
in the forward and backward directions is omitted from the illustration.
Furthermore, the swinging drive mechanism
120
is made up of a cam follower
121
protrusively set upright on its side surface on the front side of the picker section
110
which is in opposed relation to the cartridge inserted and extracted unit (storage unit, cartridge entry/exit station, MTU, and others), a plate cam
122
fitted to be movable in the cartridge inserting/extracting (drawing) direction with respect to the tilt base for guiding the cam follower
121
in the vertical directions in accordance with its movements in the forward and backward directions, and a drive mechanism (not shown) for moving the plate cam
122
in the cartridge inserting/extracting direction with respect to the tilt base.
The plate cam
122
has an elongated guide hole
122
a
made to extend in the forward and backward directions, and a pair of guide rollers
123
,
123
installed on the tilt base side are fitted in this elongated guide hole
122
a
. Further, a pair of guide rollers
124
,
124
set on the tilt base side in the forward and backward directions are placed into contact with a horizontal lower edge portion
122
c
of the plate cam
122
from the below. Whereupon, the plate cam
122
is set up on the tilt base to be movable in the cartridge inserting/extracting direction while being guided by the guide rollers
123
,
124
.
In addition, the plate cam
122
incorporates a rack
122
d
which gears with a pinion (not shown) fitted over a drive shaft of a tilt motor (not shown). Accordingly, when the pinion is rotationally driven by the tilt motor, this rotational movement is converted into a linear movement of the plate cam
122
through the rack
122
d
gearing with this pinion, so that the plate cam
122
is driven in the cartridge inserting/extracting direction. That is, the tilt motor, the pinion and the rack
122
d
constitute the aforesaid drive mechanism.
Moreover, the plate cam
122
has an elongated rocking drive hole
122
b
engaging with the cam follower
121
. This elongated rocking drive hole
122
b
includes two horizontal portions
122
b
-
1
,
122
b
-
3
different in height from each other and an inclined portion
122
b
-
2
making the connection between these horizontal portions
122
b
-
1
,
122
b
-
3
.
The front side horizontal portion
122
b
-
1
serves as a portion for maintaining the picker section
110
in the horizontal condition. As shown in
FIG. 23
, in a state where the cam follower
121
is located at the horizontal portion
122
b
-
1
of the elongated hole
122
b
, the picker section
110
takes the horizontal condition, and the cartridge inserting/extracting direction depending upon the hand mechanism
112
are maintained to assume the horizontal directions.
On the other hand, the rear side horizontal portion
122
b
-
3
is at position lower than the front side horizontal portion
122
b
-
1
, and serves as a portion for maintaining the picker section
110
in the tilt condition in which the front surface of the picker section
110
is directed downward
Hori Daisuke
Kato Chikatsu
Motoyama Nobuhiko
Saito Keiichi
Shibuya Hiroshi
Davis David
Fujitsu Ltd.
Greer Burns & Crain Ltd.
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