FR2462759A1 - MAGNETICALLY ACCESSIBLE OPTICAL MEMORY - Google Patents

Abstract

THE INVENTION RELATES TO AN OPTICAL MEMORY THAT CAN BE MAGNETICALLY EXTRACTED FROM ITS STORAGE POSITION. THIS MEMORY INCLUDES A PLAN ELEMENT 10, FOR EXAMPLE OF GLASS, AND A MAGNETIC TAPE 12 FORMING A CLAMP WHICH IS FIXED ON AN EDGE OF THE PLAN ELEMENT IN ORDER TO FACILITATE THE MAGNETIC EXTRACTION AND CENTERING OF THE MEMORY IN A WORKSTATION . THE TAPE 12 ALSO PROTECTS THE EDGE WHILE FRAMING THE MEMORY AGAINST ALIGNMENT FEET LOCATED IN THE WORKSTATIONS. FIELD OF APPLICATION: OPTICAL DATA STORAGE.

Description

The invention relates generally to the

  storage of data, and more particularly a provision

  Magnetically accessible data storage system.

  There is a continuing need for increasingly large capacity data and access data storage means, particularly for storage of archive data. Tapes, drums and magnetic disks have so far been the means

  main storage for the databanks.

  However, the physical size of the memories, the data access time, and the security of the magnetically recorded data are limitations for such systems. Optical data recording systems have emerged which allow for permanent storage of data in memories of substantially reduced physical size. One type of optical memory comprises a base plate, for example made of glass, on which a support

  as a metal film is formed.

  An intermediate layer, for example of plastic or any other amorphous material, can be placed between the glass and the metal to facilitate the recording of data in the metal film and reduce

  constraints appearing in this film.

  U.S. Patent Application No. 950,066, filed October 10, 1978 under the title "Method and Means for Recording Data by Laser Means", describes such a recording medium in which data is recorded and read. by means of a laser device. When recording data, a laser beam is focused on the recording film in which holes or other perforations are selectively formed by modulating the power of the beam. Upon reading the stored data, a lower power laser beam scans the surface of the recording film and the reflected light is detected. The stored data

  are determined from the amount of reflected light.

1.

2. 2462759

  In general, the plates have the shape of rectangles whose sides have a length of several

  centimeters. A hole made in the film and corres-

  a data "bit" can measure from 0.5 to 1.0 micrometer in diameter, so that data densities up to 155.106 bits per square centimeter can be obtained. recording and reading data, the plates must be accurately aligned to be squared with respect to the laser system.

  now, this operation was done manually.

  The invention therefore relates to a storage device that can be extracted from its storage position

  and transported to a workstation automatically

  tick. According to the invention, a plane optical memory can be magnetically engaged in order to be extracted and framed. This flat optical memory, accessible magnetically, comprises means for protecting an alignment edge presented by this memory. According to the invention, a magnetic material body, attached to an edge of a planar memory, allows the latter to be extracted magnetically and protects the

  flat memory during alignment in a workstation.

  The invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings by way of non-limiting example and in which: - Figure 1 is a perspective view of a

  embodiment of magnetically accessible optical memory

  according to the invention; FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the memory of FIG. 1; and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a system for the magnetic extraction and framing of a memory

optical device according to the invention.

  Figure 1 is a perspective view of a

  embodiment of magnetically accessible optical memory

  according to the invention. The memory comprises a plane element 10 which can consist of a glass plate of which

  a main surface carries a recording film.

  As previously described, the data is recorded by scanning the recording film by means of a laser beam so that surface perforations are formed by selective modulation of the beam, these perforations representing the recorded data. On reading the data, a lower power laser beam scans the recording film and the reflected light represents the recorded data. The recorded data can take many forms and their

  description is not essential to the understanding of

the invention.

  A body 12 made of magnetic material, attached to an edge of the plate 10, is shown in the exploded perspective view of FIG. 2 in the form of a clip attached to the edge of the plate 10. This body may be made of steel

  laminated for wedges or any other suitable magnetic material

  nable can also protect against abrasion the edge of the glass plate. A suitable epoxy may be applied to ensure adhesion of the magnetic tape 12 to the plate 10. The use of the protective magnetic tape 12 allows the memory to be magnetically extracted and transported to a registration station where it is subject to operations of

reading and writing.

  Fig. 3 is a perspective view of an example of an embodiment of a system in which the magnetically accessible optical memory according to the invention can be used. In this embodiment, a storage cabinet 20 contains a plurality of plates 22 which can slide on rails on which they rest within the cabinet 20. Suitable control members such as lead screws 24 move the cabinet 20 vertically so that any of the plates 22 can be placed in alignment with a horizontal surface 26. A workstation, shown generally at 28 and located at the end of the surface 26 remote from the cabinet 20, receives and frame the memory plates in alignment suitable for a

  reading or recording operation using a

  Suitable laser system (not shown). The alignment station 28 comprises two guide elements 30 and 32

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  mounted on opposite sides of a rectangular support plate 34 having a central opening 36. A plurality of legs 38, 40 and 42 at one end of the support member 34 are adapted to receive and align a plate to frame it properly with respect to the laser. Two magnets 44 and 46 are mounted in the surface of the plate 34,

between the feet 38 and 40.

  A transport device 48 comprises a support which is mounted on a lead screw 52 and which is driven by this lead screw 52 and by a motor 54. A support plate 56, one end of which carries a magnet 58, projects from the support 50. The magnet 58 is suitably sized so as to be able to pass between the feet 38 and 40 of

  the support element 34 of the workstation 28.

  During operation, the cabinet 20 is

  moved vertically so that a desired memory plate

  placed in alignment with surface 26 and the

  Transport 48 is moved laterally until the magnet 58 bears against a magnetic tape 23 presented by the aligned memory plate. The transport device is then moved laterally away from the cabinet 20 by pulling the memory plate on the surface 26 to engage it in the workstation 28 in which the guides 30 and 32 align the plate. The ribbon 23 bears against the feet 38 and 40 so that the magnet 58 disengages from the ribbon 23 as a result of the further movement of the transport device. The guide member 30 includes a cam 31 which moves the memory plate so that one of its edges bears against the foot 42 while the magnetic tape bears against the feet 38 and 40. The magnets 44 and 46 bear against the magnetic tape 23 and hold the memory plate in a suitable position in position 28 of

  job. At the end of the read or write operation

  performed on the memory plate, the transport device 48 brings this plate inside the cabinet

storage.

  It follows from the previous description that

  optical memory corresponding to an embodiment of

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  the invention can be extracted and appropriately

  a suitable place of work to be

  reading or recording. It is obvious that the magnetically accessible plate according to the invention can be used in other systems carrying out extraction and

a magnetic framing.

  It goes without saying that many modifications can be made to the memory described and shown

  without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (7)

  1. - Memory accessible magnetically, characteristics   characterized in that it comprises a plane element comprising a plate (10) having a main surface carrying a recording film, a body (12) made of magnetic material, having the form of a ribbon, and means for fixing this ribbon to an edge of the plate.   2. Memory according to claim 1, characterized   in that the plate comprises a rectangular glass part and that the body comprises a ribbon which is attached to an edge of the glass piece.   3. Memory according to claim 2, characterized   in that the ribbon is in the form of a   clamp tight on one edge of the plate.   4. - Memory according to one of claims 2 and   3, characterized in that the ribbon is fixed by means of an epoxy. 5. Optical memory, characterized in that it comprises a plane element (10), a recording film carried by a main surface of this plane element, several holes formed in the recording film and   arranged to represent binary data memo   and a magnetic tape (12) attached to the planar member to facilitate magnetic pickup of the memory for its transport and its framing.   6. Memory according to claim 5, characterized   in that the plane element comprises a piece of glass and in that the magnetic tape forms a clamp tight on a edge of the glass piece.   7. - memory according to claim 6, characterized   in that the ribbon is made of steel, an epoxy being   used to adhere steel to glass.