JPH1069690A - Magnetic tape cartridge changer device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To house a large number of cartridges although the mechanism is small size and simple and to make the device inexpensive and high reliable by disposing a take-in/take-out mechanism part and a loading mechanism part respectively in their different and adequate positions corresponding to a stopping position of a housing case. SOLUTION: A large number of housing cases 32 is arranged on the outer surface of a belt 31 to perform cyclic motion, and the take-in/take-out mechanism part 2 and the loading mechanism part 6 are disposed in their respective different and adequate positions corresponding to a stopping position of the housing case 32. Then, any specified numbered housing case 32 can be stopped in the position of the take-in/take-out mechanism part 2 or the loading mechanism part 6.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is used in a cartridge type magnetic tape storage device used as an external storage device of an information processing apparatus, and stores a plurality of magnetic tape cartridges and designates a specified magnetic tape therein. The present invention relates to a magnetic tape cartridge exchanging device for selecting a cartridge and conveying the cartridge to a recording / reproducing unit.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A cartridge type magnetic tape storage device used as an external storage device of an information processing apparatus is used.
A conventional magnetic tape cartridge exchanging apparatus that stores a plurality of magnetic tape cartridges (cartridges), selects a designated cartridge among the cartridges, and conveys the cartridge to a recording / reproducing unit, moves up and down a cartridge magazine storing a plurality of cartridges. A mechanism for transporting the cartridge to a recording / reproducing unit (magnetic tape device) by moving the cartridge in a direction is used.

For example, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 62-55254 discloses a configuration in which a magazine containing about 10 cartridges is moved up and down by a feed motor so that an operator can easily attach and detach the cartridge. .

In Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 2-123742, a cartridge magazine containing a plurality of cartridges is moved up and down, and the cartridge that comes immediately before is selected and recorded by a cartridge attaching / detaching device that moves horizontally. A configuration that is inserted into a reproduction unit (cartridge device) is disclosed.

In addition to the relatively simple magnetic tape cartridge exchanging apparatus described above, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 63-7556 discloses that a plurality of shelves in which a plurality of cartridges are stored in a circular shape are provided vertically. A large-capacity, short-access-time magnetic tape cartridge exchanging apparatus is provided in which a plurality of storage shelves are provided and a designated cartridge is selected using a manipulator.

[0006]

As described above, the conventional magnetic tape cartridge exchanging apparatus is disclosed in
In the case of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5254 and Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 2-123741, the size and weight of the cartridge magazine are limited because the operator has to mount and remove the cartridge magazine. There is a problem that the number of turns is limited to about a dozen or more.

On the other hand, in the case of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 63-7556, the storage amount of the cartridge is large, but the storage shelf is large, and a cartridge attaching / detaching device and a moving device for moving the cartridge are required. However, there is a problem in that the entire apparatus becomes large, the mechanism becomes complicated, the cost increases, and the reliability decreases.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks of the conventional magnetic tape cartridge exchanging apparatus, and to accommodate a few tens of cartridges with a small and simple mechanism. An object of the present invention is to provide a high magnetic tape cartridge exchange device.

[0009]

According to the present invention, there is provided a magnetic tape cartridge exchanging apparatus, comprising: a belt mounted on two pulleys for circulating motion; and one belt provided on an outer surface of the belt and inserted into each belt. A plurality of storage cases for holding magnetic tape cartridges, a loading / unloading mechanism provided at an appropriate position corresponding to the stop position of the storage case, and a storage device provided at another appropriate position corresponding to the stop position of the storage case One or more loading mechanism units, and a control unit that stops the storage case of the designated number of the plurality of storage cases at the position of the loading / unloading mechanism unit or the loading mechanism unit; A drive mechanism for driving the movement of the belt, wherein the loading mechanism is on the same side of the belt as the loading / unloading mechanism. Disposed on the opposite side, the housing case is one having a pawl for holding the magnetic tape cartridge by grooves engage with the magnetic tape cartridge to the inner surface.

[0010]

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a storage case of the embodiment of FIG.

The magnetic tape cartridge exchanging apparatus shown in FIG. 1 includes an input / output mechanism section (ENTRY / EXIT mechanism section) 2, a transport mechanism section 3, a drive mechanism section 4, a control section 5,
And a loading mechanism 6. The loading mechanism 6 is connected to a recording / reproducing unit (deck) 7.

The ENTRY / EXIT mechanism 2 is provided on the front of the cartridge type magnetic tape storage device, and inserts and removes the cartridge 1 in a horizontal state.

The transport mechanism 3 includes a drive pulley 33 provided at a lower portion of the cartridge type magnetic tape storage device and a drive pulley 33 provided at an upper portion of the cartridge type magnetic tape storage device.
Driven pulley 34 provided directly above the belt 3 and a belt 3 mounted on the driving pulley 33 and the driven pulley 34 to perform a reciprocating motion.
1 and a number of storage cases 32 disposed at equal intervals on the outer surface of the belt 31.

As shown in FIG. 2, the storage case 32 has claw 32a having elastic force on the left and right inner surfaces. The claw 32a is engaged with the groove 1a of the inserted cartridge 1 so that Hold 1

As shown in FIG. 1, the drive mechanism 4 includes a drive motor 41 fixed to a frame (not shown),
Drive pulley 42 fixed to the shaft of drive motor 41
And a driven pulley 4 fixed to the shaft of the driving pulley 33.
4 and a belt 43 mounted on a driving pulley 42 and a driven pulley 44. Accordingly, the driven pulley 44 is rotated via the belt 43 by rotating the driving motor 41, the driving pulley 33 is rotated by the rotation of the driven pulley 44, and the belt 31 is moved by the rotation of the driving pulley 33. Is moved.

The loading mechanism 6 includes an ENTRY / E
The cartridge 1 inserted in the storage case 32 is pulled out and inserted into the deck 7 below the XIT mechanism unit 2, and the cartridge 1 is pulled out from the deck 7 and inserted into the storage case 32. insert.

The control unit 5 controls the insertion / removal operation of the cartridge 1 of the ENTRY / EXIT mechanism unit 2 and the loading mechanism unit 6 and the movement of the drive mechanism unit 4 in accordance with a command from the host device.

The deck 7 records or reproduces information on the inserted cartridge 1.

Next, the operation of the magnetic tape cartridge exchanging apparatus configured as described above will be described.

When loading the cartridge 1 into the cartridge type magnetic tape storage device, the operator inserts the cartridge 1 into the ENTRY / EXIT mechanism 2.
As a result, the ENTRY / EXIT mechanism 2 inserts the inserted cartridge 1 into the storage case 32 immediately before it. Storage case 32 attached to belt 31
Cartridges 1 can be stored.

When the cartridge 1 is inserted into the deck 7, the control unit 5 controls the movement of the drive mechanism unit 4 according to a command from the host device, and stores the storage case 32 of the designated number.
To the position immediately before the loading mechanism 6.
When the storage case 32 of the designated number stops, the control unit 5 operates the loading mechanism unit 6 to store the storage case 3.
When the cartridge 1 stored in the cartridge 2 is inserted into the deck 7 and the insertion is completed, the control unit 5 sends an insertion completion notification to the host device. Upon receiving the insertion completion notification, the higher-level device gives a command to the deck 7 to record or reproduce information.

When the recording or reproduction of information on the deck 7 is completed, the deck 7 ejects the cartridge 1,
At this time, the control unit 5 having received the notification from the host device controls the loading mechanism unit 6 to eject the cartridge 1 discharged from the deck 7 and insert it into the storage case 32.

When extracting the cartridge 1 from the cartridge type magnetic tape storage device, the host device informs the control unit 5 of the storage case 3 from which the cartridge 1 should be extracted.
Specify the number of 2. The control unit 5 that has received the designation controls the movement of the drive mechanism unit 4 and moves the storage case 32 of the designated number to a position immediately before the ENTRY / EXIT mechanism unit 2. When the storage case 32 of the designated number stops, the control unit 5 operates the ENTRY / EXIT mechanism unit 2 to eject the cartridge 1 stored in the storage case 32.

FIG. 3 is a front view showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

In the configuration of the present embodiment, the loading / unloading mechanism (ENTRY / EXIT mechanism) 2 and the transport mechanism 3 are the same as those in the embodiment of FIG. 1, and the drive mechanism 4a also has a basic configuration. 1 is the same as that of the first embodiment except that the arrangement is different. The difference between this embodiment and the embodiment of FIG.
It has two loading mechanism sections 6a and 6b, and the loading mechanism sections 6a and 6b are connected to recording / reproducing sections (deck) 7a and 7b, respectively. Therefore, the control unit 5a controls the operation of inserting and removing the cartridge 1 and the movement of the drive mechanism unit 4 of the ENTRY / EXIT mechanism unit 2, the loading mechanism unit 6a, and the loading mechanism unit 6b.

The loading mechanisms 6a and 6b are
It is arranged on the side opposite to the NTRY / EXIT mechanism 2, that is, on the rear side of the belt 31.

The cartridge-type magnetic tape storage device having the above-described structure is configured such that while recording or reproducing information on or from the deck 7a, the cartridge 1
Can be inserted and removed. Therefore, recording or reproduction of information can be performed without a break.

The number of loading mechanisms is not limited to two, but may be three or more.

[0030]

As described above, in the magnetic tape cartridge exchanging apparatus of the present invention, a large number of storage cases are arranged on the outer surface of the belt performing the reciprocating motion, and the storage case is located at an appropriate position corresponding to the stop position of the storage case. By arranging the loading / unloading mechanism and the loading mechanism, the storage case of the designated number can be stopped at the position of the loading / unloading mechanism or the loading mechanism. And a highly reliable magnetic tape cartridge exchanging apparatus can be obtained at a low cost.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a storage case of the embodiment of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a front view showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

Reference Signs List 1 cartridge 1a groove 2 loading / unloading mechanism (ENTRY / EXIT mechanism) 3 transport mechanism 4.4d drive mechanism 5.5a control unit 6.6a / 6b loading mechanism 7.7a / 7b recording / reproducing unit (deck 31/43 Belt 32 Storage case 32a Claw 33/42 Drive pulley 34/44 Follower pulley 41 Drive motor

Claims (6)

[Claims] A belt mounted on two pulleys and performing a reciprocating motion; a plurality of storage cases provided on an outer surface of the belt and holding one magnetic tape cartridge inserted into each of the belts; A loading / unloading mechanism provided at an appropriate position corresponding to the stop position of the storage case; at least one loading mechanism provided at another appropriate position corresponding to the stop position of the storage case; A control unit that stops the storage case of the designated number in the storage case at the position of the loading / unloading mechanism unit or the loading mechanism unit, and a driving mechanism unit that drives the movement of the belt. A magnetic tape cartridge exchange device. 2. The magnetic tape cartridge exchanging device according to claim 1, wherein the number of the loading mechanism is one. 3. The magnetic tape cartridge exchanging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the number of said loading mechanism units is two or more. 4. The magnetic tape cartridge exchanging device according to claim 1, wherein the loading mechanism is provided on the same side of the belt as the loading / unloading mechanism. 5. The magnetic tape cartridge exchanging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the loading mechanism is provided on a side of the belt opposite to the loading / unloading mechanism. 6. A storage case having an inner surface having a claw for holding the magnetic tape cartridge by engaging with a groove of the magnetic tape cartridge. The magnetic tape cartridge exchanging device according to claim 4 or 5.