JP2645905B2 - Automatic search device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Industrial application field) The present invention selects a desired cassette from a rack (storage shelf) accommodating a large number of microfilm cassettes, transfers the cassette to a search device, and performs an automatic search. The present invention relates to an automatic microfilm search device.

(Technical Background of the Invention) Conventionally, a large number of microfilm cassettes are accommodated in a flat rack, and a desired cassette is taken out by a carrier moving opposite to one surface of the rack and transferred to a search device. What to search is known. In this conventional device, a search device is arranged on the same surface side as a carrier with respect to a rack.

However, in this case, there is a problem that the search device becomes an obstacle when performing inspection and maintenance of the carrier of the rack, and it becomes difficult to perform inspection and maintenance of the carrier.

In addition, the search device generally needs to be serviceable not only from the front side where the screen is located, but also from the back side.
However, in this conventional apparatus, since the rack comes close to the back of the search device, there is a problem that it is difficult to perform maintenance from the back of the search device.

Therefore, it is conceivable to dispose the search device away from the rack. However, in this case, there is a problem in that the cassette transfer path between the rack and the search device becomes complicated, and the reliability of the cassette transfer operation deteriorates. .

(Object of the Invention) The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances,
The carrier installed on the rack side is easy to maintain, the inspection and maintenance from the back as well as from the front of the search device is also good, and the transport path of the cassette is extremely simple and short, improving the reliability of the transport operation. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an automatic microfilm search device that can obtain various effects such as performing a search and a rational arrangement.

(Constitution of the Invention) According to the present invention, there is provided an automatic search apparatus which selects a desired cassette from a rack accommodating a cassette of microfilms, searches a target image from the microfilm, and projects the target image on a screen. A rack having a window that two-dimensionally arranges and accommodates the cassettes on a substantially vertical plane and has a window passing through the vicinity of the center, a carrier that transfers the cassette in opposition to one surface of the rack, A search device that is arranged on the other surface side and searches for a target image from a microfilm in a cassette loaded in a cassette loading port provided at one of the left and right ends toward the screen; And the screen and the search device are formed substantially in a T-shape in plan view with the screen approaching the window and the screen being substantially perpendicular to the rack. And an automatic search device for transferring a cassette through the window.

(Operation) A desired cassette is selected by a carrier provided on one side of a rack that stores cassettes two-dimensionally, and is carried to a window of the rack. Through this window the cassette is transferred to a retrieval device located on the opposite side of the rack. The search device is conveyed through almost the shortest path because the cassette loading port located at the left or right end toward the screen is close to this window, and the path is also very simple become. In addition, since the search device is arranged so that the screen is substantially orthogonal to the rack and the search device and the rack form a substantially T-shape in plan view, there is sufficient space for inspection and maintenance from the rear of the search device, that is, from behind the screen and from behind the screen. Can be secured.

When the search is completed by the search device, the cassette is sent in the reverse direction and returned to the original position on the rack.

(Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a conceptual view showing a cassette transfer path according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an external view of the entire apparatus, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a rack and a carrier, and FIG. FIGS. 5A to 5C are explanatory views of a cassette attitude correcting operation using the cassette hand, FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a buffer and a lift, and FIG. FIG. 8 is a partial sectional view showing a cassette grip portion of the lift, and FIG. 9 is a plan layout view of the whole.

In FIGS. 1 to 3, reference numeral 10 denotes a rack (storage shelf) for storing a large number of microfilm cassettes 12 two-dimensionally on a substantially vertical plane. That is, the rack 10 is provided with a large number of vertically long cassette storage sections 14 which circulate on one surface thereof, and the cassettes 12 are stored vertically in the storage sections 14. A vertically long window 16 is provided near the center of the rack 10, and the cassette 12 can be transferred to both sides of the rack 10 through the window 16.

Reference numeral 20 denotes a cassette carrier, one side of the rack 10,
That is, the cassette housing 14 moves so as to face the opening-side surface. That is, a horizontal beam 24 can be moved up and down while maintaining a horizontal level on a vertical guide rail 22 (only one is shown in FIG. 3) fixed to the left and right side edges of the rack 10. It is guided by the horizontal beam 22 and the horizontal beam 24 and moves vertically and horizontally by a servomotor (not shown).

The carrier 20 moves between the desired cassette storage portion 14 and the window 16 to carry the cassette 12 to the window 16, and conversely, returns the cassette 12 from the window 16 to a predetermined cassette storage portion 14. The structure is as shown in FIG.

In this figure, 26 is a board, 28 is a guide rail fixed on the board 26 so as to be perpendicular to the rack 10, and 30 is a cassette hand that moves on the guide rail 28. Reference numeral 32 denotes an endless belt that runs parallel to the rails 28. The endless belt 32 is moved forward and backward by a driving mechanism 34 using a motor. The hand 30 is fixed to the belt 32 and moves forward and backward on the rail 28. As a result, the hand 30 moves so as to approach or separate from the cassette storage section 14 of the rack 10.

Here, the hand 30 includes a pair of left and right sandwiching plates 36 extending toward the rack 10. These sandwiching plates 36 are driven by an electromagnetic solenoid (not shown) so that the distal ends thereof approach and separate from each other. The traveling of the hand 30 and the opening / closing operation of the sandwiching plate 36 are controlled by a hand control device 37.

The operation is performed as follows. When the carrier 20 moves in front of the desired cassette 12, the hand 30 advances toward the cassette 12, and holds the cassette 12 as shown in FIG. 5A.
Sandwich between 36. When the hand 30 moves backward, the desired cassette 12 is taken out of the storage section 14. Note that there is some variation in the stop position of the carrier 20, so that when the cassette 12 is pulled out onto the guide rail 28 as shown in FIG. Occurs. In this state, the sandwiching plate 36 is opened once and the bottom surface of the cassette 12 is
And align it correctly as shown in Fig. 5C.

The rack 10 and the carrier 20 are stored in a storage case 38. An openable / closable glass plate 40 is fitted on the surface of the storage case 38 on the carrier 20 side, so that the cassette 12 can be viewed from the outside (FIG. 3).

50 is a microfilm search device. This search device
50 is provided on the other surface side of the rack 10, that is, on the side surface opposite to the carrier 20.
38 are substantially T-shaped in plan view (see FIGS. 2 and 9).

As shown in FIG. 1, the search device 50 has a cassette loading port 52 that opens upward at the right end toward the screen 56, and vertically loads the cassette 12 from above. From the cassette 12 loaded here, the microfilm is automatically sent to the take-up reel 54, and a search for a target image is performed. For example, when the identification code of the target image is input from the keyboard 55, the film is automatically fed, and the target image is automatically searched and projected on the screen 56. If necessary, the image is printed by the printer 58 (FIG. 2). The search may be performed by manually inserting a predetermined cassette into the loading port 52.

A buffer 70 and a lifter 72 shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 are interposed between the search device 50 and the rack 10. The buffer 70 receives the cassette 12 from the carrier 20 through the window 16 of the rack 10, changes the direction of the cassette, and transfers the cassette to the lifter 72. The lifter 72 inserts this cassette into the cassette loading port 52 of the search device 50.
The cassette 12 is returned to the carrier 20 from the cassette loading port 52.

The buffer 70 has a bucket 74 rotatably mounted on a substrate 76 by a shaft 78 (FIG. 7).
74 is rotated by a motor 80 (FIG. 6) in a range between a horizontal position (solid line position in FIG. 7) and a vertical position (same virtual line position). The bucket 74 has an opening at the rotation end side, into which the cassette 12 can be inserted. At the horizontal position of the bucket 74, the bucket 74 enters the window 16 of the rack 10 and faces the carrier 20 side. The carrier 20 and the cassette 12 are transferred at this horizontal position, and are transferred to the lifter 72 at the vertical position.

The lift 72 has a movable plate 82 that can move up and down. This moving plate
The 82 is fixed to a linear bearing 86 held by a guide rod 84 fixed to the substrate 76, and moves up and down integrally with the linear bearing 86. The upper end of the guide rod 84 is held by an upper plate 92 fixed to the substrate 76 by columns 88 and 90.

The moving plate 82 is pushed up by a push rod 94 penetrating the substrate 86 and moves up and down. That is, the push rod 94 is vertically movably held by a linear bearing 96 fixed to the substrate 76, and has its upper end fixed to the moving plate 82 and its lower end pushed up by the plate cam 100 via the link 98. It has become. Here, one end of the link 98 is connected to the lower surface of the substrate 76 by a link 102, and a cam follower 104 (FIG.
Transfer on top of

Therefore, if the plate cam 100 is rotated by the motor 106, the link
Push rod 94 moves up and down via 98. Plate cam
The rotation position of the plate 100 is such that the plates 108 and 1 rotate integrally with the plate cam 100.
It is determined by detecting the position 10 (FIG. 6) with the optical sensor 112.

A pulley 114 is rotatably mounted on the outer periphery of the linear bearing 86 holding the moving plate 82 as shown in FIG.
The pulley 114 is provided with a pair of arms 116, 116 projecting radially at symmetrical positions. Cassette grips 118, 118 are attached to these arms 116, 116. Each grip 118 has a pair of swingable claws 120, 120 as shown in FIG.
The lower end of 22 is engaged with these claws 120, and the pressing rod 122 is depressed to open the pawl 120, and the pressing rod 122 is returned to the return spring 12.
If it is returned upward by 4, the claws 120 are closed. The tips of the claws 120, 120 engage and disengage with the engaging projections 126, 126 of the cassette 12, open the cassette 12 when opened, and grip the cassette 12 when closed.

The opening and closing of the grip 118 is performed by an opening and closing drive mechanism 128 mounted on the upper surface of the moving plate 82. The mechanism 128 includes upper push rods 130 and 130 held on the movable plate 82 so as to move up and down in opposition to the push rod 122 at a position where the cassette 12 is attached to and detached from the grip 118, and the push rods 130 and 130 Upper end and connecting rod 132
And two stoppers that regulate the vertical movement of the crank plates 134 and 134 with respect to the moving plate 82 at the other vertices.
136, 136. The connecting rod 132 is moved right and left by a cam 140 rotated by a motor 138. For example, the eighth
In the figure, when the cam 140 rotates counterclockwise to move the connecting rod 132 to the left, the crank plate 134 pushes down the upper end of the pressing rod 130.
Accordingly, if the push bar 122 of the cassette grip is located below the cassette grip, the push bar 122 is pushed down and the claw 120 is opened.

Here, the grip 118 and the arm 116 can rotate around the linear bearing 86 together with the pulley 114, and this rotation is controlled by a motor 142 (FIG. 6) mounted on the lower surface of the moving plate 82. That is, the rotation of the motor 142
It is transmitted to the pulley 114 by 44. The light shielding plates 146, 146 fixed to the upper surface of the arm 116 are detected by the optical sensors 148, 148 fixed to the moving plate 82, and the push rod 122 of the grip 118 is detected.
Stops the arm 116 at a position below the push rod 130 of the mechanism 128. In this position, one grip 118 is located above the bucket 74 in the upright position and the other grip 118
Is located above the cassette loading port 52 of the search device 50.

Therefore, the lift 72 descends to open the grips 118, 118, so that the cassette 12 in the bucket 74 or in the cassette loading port 52 can be gripped by the claw 120. In this state, by raising the lift 72 and then rotating the arms 116, 180 °, the other cassette from one of the bucket 74 and the loading port 52 can be transferred or replaced.

Next, the overall operation of this embodiment will be described. Now, a large number of cassettes 12 are loaded in the rack 10, and the identification code and the loading position (address) of each cassette 12 are input from the keyboard 55 and stored in the control device (not shown). Then, if the identification codes of the target images are sequentially input to the keyboard 55, the control device moves the carrier 20 to the cassette 12 containing the first target image. And carrier 20 is this cassette
Take out 12 and carry it to window 16. On the other hand, the bucket 74 of the buffer 70 waits horizontally in advance in the window 16, and the carrier 20 transfers the cassette 12 to the bucket 74. Bucket 74 is cassette 12
When it receives, it stands vertically and escapes from the window 16 and grips
Face down below 118. The lift 72 descends and this bucket 74
The cassette 12 in the inside is gripped by the grip 118 and rises again.
Then, the arm 116 rotates by 180 ° to transfer the cassette 12 gripped by the grip 118 above the loading port 52. Then lifter
72 descends, inserts the cassette 12 into the loading port 52, opens the claw 120 of the grip 118, releases the cassette 12, and then retreats upward.

This device is arranged such that the carrier 20 side of the rack 10 faces the wall A at a predetermined interval with respect to the wall A of the room shown by a virtual line in FIG. Therefore, a space B is formed behind the search device 50, and the search device 50 can be easily inspected and maintained from the back from the space B.

(Effects of the Invention) According to the present invention, a carrier is disposed on one side of a rack and a retrieval device is disposed on the other side, and a cassette loading port provided at one of the right and left ends facing the screen of the retrieval device is provided. The two are connected close to a window provided near the center of the rack, and the screen is arranged substantially orthogonal to the rack so that the search device and the rack are substantially T-shaped in plan view. The front of the carrier side is greatly released, which facilitates inspection and maintenance of the rack carrier and the like. In addition, since a sufficient space can be secured behind the search device, that is, behind the screen, the search device can be easily inspected and maintained from the rear. In addition, since the cassette is transported through the shortest path through this window, the reliability of the transport operation is improved,
The effect of shortening the transport time can be obtained,
It can be a reasonable arrangement.

[Brief description of the drawings]

1 is a conceptual diagram showing a cassette transfer path according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an external view of the entire apparatus, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a rack and a carrier, and FIG. 4 is a cassette hand mechanism of the carrier. FIGS. 5A to 5C are explanatory views of a cassette attitude correcting operation by this cassette hand, FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a buffer and a lift, FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view showing an operation of a buffer and a lift, FIG. 8 is a partial sectional view showing a cassette grip portion of the lift, and FIG. 9 is a plan view of the whole. 10 ... rack, 12 ... cassette, 16 ... window, 20 ... carrier, 50 ... search device, 52 ... cassette loading slot, B ... space.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] An automatic search apparatus for selecting a desired cassette from a rack accommodating a cassette of microfilms, searching for a target image from the microfilm, and projecting the target image on a screen, wherein a number of cassettes are arranged on a substantially vertical plane. A rack having a window that is arranged and accommodated two-dimensionally and that passes through the vicinity of the center, a carrier that transfers a cassette in opposition to one surface of the rack, and that is arranged on the other surface side of the rack and is A retrieval device for retrieving a target image from a microfilm in a cassette loaded in a cassette loading port provided at one of the right and left ends toward the screen, wherein the cassette loading port approaches the window and the screen Is substantially perpendicular to the rack to form a substantially T-shape in plan view with the rack and the search device. An automatic search device characterized by transferring.