JP2919237B2 - Auto changer - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic changer, and more particularly to an automatic changer configured to reliably remove a recording medium inserted into a storage section.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, in an information processing system such as a computer which handles a large amount of data, a recording medium such as a magneto-optical disk, an optical disk, a magnetic disk, and a tape cassette is used as external storage means for storing data. As the amount of information increases, the number of recording medium stocks also increases, so that management, search, recording and reproduction of the recording medium takes considerable time, and various automatic changers as devices for automatically performing these operations are available. Is being developed.

As this type of autochanger, there is, for example, an apparatus having a configuration as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-140266. In this apparatus, in order to be able to store more recording media, a storage chamber is provided on the outer peripheral surface of a rotary storage rack, and the storage rack is rotated to take out a cartridge of a specified recording medium by a carriage and perform recording. It is configured to be conveyed to a reproduction unit. Therefore, when reproducing the designated recording medium, first, the rotary storage rack is rotated to stop the row of the storage chamber in which the target recording medium is stored facing the carriage, and then the carriage is moved up and down. Thus, the recording medium is stopped at a height position facing the storage chamber in which the target recording medium is stored.

The carriage for transporting the recording medium as described above is provided with a gripping mechanism for gripping the end of the cartridge stored in the storage chamber, and the gripping mechanism is moved to grip the cartridge. Into the carriage. Thereafter, the carriage moves to a position facing the recording / reproducing unit, and operates so that the cartridge is mounted on the recording / reproducing unit by the movement of the gripping mechanism.

[0005]

However, in the conventional autochanger, the holding mechanism of the carriage operates so as to pick up and hold the cartridge stored in the storage chamber and then return to the inside of the carriage. It takes a considerable time to pull the cartridge stored in the carriage into the carriage, and as a result, there is a problem that the waiting time until the target recording medium is mounted on the recording / reproducing unit becomes long.

In the case where a carriage provided with a roller for pulling in a cartridge is used instead of the gripping mechanism, a mechanism for moving the roller into the storage section is required, which may lead to a complicated structure. There is. Further, in this case, it is necessary to increase the interval between the storage sections so that the roller does not contact another cartridge stored adjacently, and there is a problem that the storage rack of the cartridge becomes large.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an autochanger which has solved the above-mentioned problems.

[0008]

According to the present invention, a first storage section in which a recording medium is stored and a first storage section facing the first storage section are provided.
A second housing portion, the recording medium mounting of which is urchin arranged
It is in a recording and reproducing unit for recording or reproduction, the first
A vertically movable unit provided between the storage unit and the second storage unit;
Is a carriage for conveying the recording reproduction unit takes out the recording media stored in said first storage portion or the second housing portion, the first, the SL provided in the second storing part
First and second locking the recording medium in the first and second storage portions.
2 locking members, and provided inside the first and second storage portions.
Urging member for urging the recording medium in the take-out direction
And moving the carriage toward the first and second storage sections.
Movably provided, abutting against the first and second locking members;
The first and second locking members engage the recording medium.
First and second unlocking arms for releasing the lock ;
Pushing the second unlocking arm into the first and second storage sections
A push-out mechanism for ejecting the locking member to release the locking member
And the pushing mechanism is rotatably supported.
First and second rotating members, and the first and second rotating members
The first and second unlocking arms
A pressing portion for pressing one end of the system, and provided on the rotating member.
Biased by an elastic member so as to contact the stopper
The first and second cam members and the first and second rotations
A driving unit for rotating the member, wherein the driving unit
The first and second rotating members are moved in a first direction or a second direction.
The first or second cam portion when rotated in the direction of
While the material is in contact with the stopper,
Pressing one end of the first or second unlocking arm to
The first or second locking member is unlocked, and
The second or first cam member is moved forward against the elastic member.
When the pressing portion is separated from the stopper,
Sliding contact with the side surface of the second or first unlocking arm,
The second or first lock release arm is not moved .

[0009]

According to the present invention, first and second unlocking arms are provided.
Operates the locking member provided in the first and second storage sections to release the locking, whereby the discharge member provided in the storage section operates to discharge the recording medium, and the recording medium is taken out. It is pushed out to an easy position. Therefore, the carriage can convey the recording medium in a short time by drawing the recording medium extruded by the discharge member into the carriage. Further, since a mechanism for moving the roller to the storage section is not required, the configuration can be made compact. Further
First and second rotating parts by driving means of the pushing mechanism
When the material is rotated in the first direction or the second direction,
Pressing while the first or second cam member contacts the stopper
Presses one end of the first or second unlocking arm by the part
And release the first or second locking member.
Wherein the second or first cam member opposes the elastic member.
When the pressing portion is separated from the stopper,
2 and the first or the second
To keep the unlocking arm from moving,
One of the locking members of the first and second storage portions
The lock can be released and the other lock member
The first and second collections can be prevented from being canceled.
Selectively remove any recording media stored in the storage section
It can be taken into the carriage smoothly.

[0010]

1 to 3 show an embodiment of an autochanger according to the present invention.

In each of the drawings, an autochanger 1 generally includes a rotary storage section (first storage section) 2 and a fixed storage section ( second storage section) .
Storage section 3, a cartridge transport section 4, a cartridge loading section 5, a first recording / reproducing section 6, a second recording / reproducing section 7, and a control circuit 64 for controlling them. It is provided inside the housing 8.

In the autochanger 1, a cartridge (not shown) in which a cartridge transport unit 4 accommodates a magneto-optical disk (recording medium) from one of a rotary storage unit 2, a fixed storage unit 3, and a cartridge loading unit 5 is used. The recording medium is taken out and attached to the first recording / reproducing unit 6 or the second recording / reproducing unit 7 to perform recording / reproduction. When recording / playback is completed,
The cartridge transport section 4 takes out the cartridge mounted on the first recording / reproducing section 6 or the second recording / reproducing section 7 and returns it to the original storage place or the cartridge loading section 5.

A wheel 9 is mounted on the bottom of the housing 8, so that the autochanger 1 can be easily moved. or,
In order to prevent malfunction of the recording / reproducing units 6 and 7 due to heat generated by each device, a duct 8a for introducing outside air is provided in the housing 8.
And a cooling fan 10 for generating an airflow in the duct 8a.
Is provided.

Next, the configuration of each block will be described.

I Configuration of Rotary Storage Unit 2 The rotary storage unit 2 includes a rotary storage rack 11 for storing cartridges, a storage rack drive mechanism 12 for driving the storage rack 11 to rotate, and a rotation of the storage rack 11. A position detection mechanism 13 for detecting the position, a storage rack lock mechanism 14 for locking the storage rack 11, and a protrusion detection mechanism 15 for detecting the protrusion of the cartridge from the storage rack 11.
And more.

The storage rack 11 is mounted and fixed on a turntable 16. The turntable 16 is supported on a support base 17 formed on a base 17 at the bottom of the housing 8.
The bearing 18 is rotatably supported by a bearing 18 provided at a. The storage rack 11 is configured by arranging media blocks 19A to 19D in which media boxes 19 capable of storing, for example, 20 cartridges are vertically stacked in two tiers at intervals of 90 °.

[0017] In addition, the media box 19 rib 19a projecting each thickness spacing of the cartridge on both sides of the inner side wall is integrally formed, the ribs 19a (19a ₁ ~ 19
housing chamber 19b of the cartridge is inserted by a ₂₀₎
(19b ₁ ~19b ₂₀₎ has been defined. Each of the media boxes 19 is arranged such that the opening 19c on the front surface is positioned on the outer peripheral surface side of the turntable 16 so that the cartridge can be easily taken out and returned, and the rear surface is located at the center of the turntable 16. It is supported by a bracket 20 fixed to the turntable 16 in an upright state so as to face the portion.

A driving rotating body 21 is mounted on the upper surface of the storage rack 11 in which the above-mentioned media boxes 19 are stacked. The driving rotator 21 has a gear 21a on the outer periphery so as to be rotationally driven integrally with the storage rack 11, and a position detecting mechanism 13 is provided on the upper surface.

The storage rack driving mechanism (storage rack driving means) 12 for rotating and driving the storage rack 11 is provided on the lower surface of the driving rotator 21 and the fixed base 22 laid over the driving rotator 21. A supported rack drive motor 23, and a motor gear 24 which is driven to rotate by the rack drive motor 23 and meshes with a gear 21 a of the drive rotating body 21.
And more. Therefore, the rotation driving force of the rack driving motor 23 is controlled by the motor gear 24 and the gear 2.
When transmitted to the driving rotator 21 via 1a, it rotates clockwise or counterclockwise.

The rack driving motor 23 comprises a stepping motor, and rotates by an angle corresponding to the number of supplied pulses. The number of teeth of the gear 24 is set so that the reduction ratio becomes a predetermined ratio as compared with the number of teeth of the gear 21a.

The storage rack lock mechanism 14 is provided on the base 17 at the bottom of the housing 8 so as to lock the turntable 16 in a non-rotatable state when the power is turned off. That is, the storage rack lock mechanism 14 includes a rod 30 that fits into a lock hole (not shown) formed in the turntable 16 corresponding to each of the media blocks 19A to 19D.
An arm 31 for supporting the rod 30 and a solenoid 32 for rotating the arm 31 are provided.

When the power of the autochanger 1 is turned on, the solenoid 32 is excited to lower the rod 30. When the power of the autochanger 1 is turned off, the solenoid 32 is demagnetized, and the rod 30 moves upward by the spring force of a coil spring (not shown) to move the turntable 1.
6 is fitted into a lock hole (not shown). Thereby, the turntable 16 is fixed to the base 17. The rod 30 has a tapered distal end so that it can be easily inserted into a lock hole (not shown).

The protruding detection mechanism 15 optically detects whether the cartridge protrudes from the storage rack 11. If the storage rack 11 is rotated with the cartridge protruding from the storage rack 11, the protruding portion of the cartridge may collide with the cartridge transport unit 4, and the cartridge or the cartridge transport unit 4 may be damaged. Will be.

The protruding detection mechanism 15 is connected to the storage rack 11.
, Four light emitting elements 33a to 33d disposed below
The light emitting elements 33 a to 33 are disposed above the storage rack 11.
Four light receiving elements 34a for receiving light emitted from 3d
To 34d. The light emitting elements 33a to 33d and the light receiving elements 34a to 34d are provided so as to face each other and form a pair, and are provided so as to correspond to the stop positions of the respective media blocks 19A to 19D.

Therefore, after the cartridge is returned by the return operation of the cartridge transport section 4, the drive mechanism 12
When all the outputs from the light receiving elements 34a to 34d are on, the rotation driving of the storage rack 11 is permitted, and if the returned cartridge protrudes from the storage rack 11 and one of the outputs of the light receiving elements 34a to 34d is off. At this time, the rotation driving of the storage rack 11 is prohibited.

II Structure of Fixed Storage Unit 3 The fixed storage unit 3 is formed by stacking two media boxes 40 and 41 each having the same configuration as the media box 19 attached to the storage rack 11. The media boxes 40 and 41 are mounted on a media box mounting portion 43 provided on the front panel 8 b of the housing 8, and are locked so that the opening portions 40 c and 41 c for taking out the cartridge face the cartridge transport portion 4. You. Further, the media boxes 40 and 41 are attached to and detached from the front surface of the housing 8 and can be replaced with different ones for each box.

In the upper and lower portions of the openings 40c and 41c of the media boxes 40 and 41, similarly to the above-described protrusion detection mechanism 15, it is optically detected whether or not the cartridge has protruded from the media boxes 40 and 41. Light emitting element 61 and light receiving element 44 are provided.

III Configuration of the Cartridge Transport Section 4 The cartridge transport section 4 includes a lead screw 45 that hangs on the base 17, a carriage 46 that moves up and down along the lead screw 45, and a carriage elevation drive section 47 that drives the carriage 46. And more.

The lead screw 45 is composed of a ball screw, and both ends thereof are rotatably supported by bearings 49 and 50 provided on the base 17 and a frame (not shown). The carriage lifting / lowering drive unit 47 includes a lifting / lowering motor 51 and a reduction mechanism 52 for reducing the rotation of the lifting / lowering motor 51 and transmitting the rotation to the lead screw 45.

The lead screw 4 is mounted on the carriage 46.
The lead screw 45 is rotatably driven by the lifting / lowering motor 51 to move up and down in accordance with the amount and direction of rotation of the lead screw 45.
The elevating motor 51 is composed of a stepping motor.
An angle rotation drive corresponding to the supplied pulse number is performed. The speed reduction mechanism 52 has a belt 52c stretched between a large-diameter pulley 52a and a small-diameter pulley 52b, and the elevating speed of the carriage 46 is determined by the reduction ratio between the large-diameter pulley 52a and the small-diameter pulley 52b.

The carriage 46 has a cartridge moving mechanism (not shown) for moving the cartridge therein, and takes out a designated cartridge from any of the storage rack 11, the fixed storage section 3, and the cartridge loading section 5. The cartridge is housed inside, and is raised by the carriage lifting / lowering drive unit 47, and the cartridge is inserted into a vacant side of the first recording / reproducing unit 6 or the second recording / reproducing unit 7 described above.

The carriage 46 is provided with an elevating position detecting mechanism 53 for detecting the elevating position. The elevation position detection mechanism 53 includes a lower limit sensor 54, a home position detection sensor 55 provided to detect a projecting piece 46a provided on the carriage 46 at each position,
An upper limit sensor 56, the carriage positioning sensor 57 for the relative positioning of the housing chamber 19b cartridge and the carriage 46 which is accommodated in (19b ₁ through 19b ₂₀₎ of the storage rack 11, the media box 19,
It comprises a cartridge detection sensor 62 for detecting the presence or absence of a cartridge in 40 and 41.

Each of the sensors 54 to 56 is composed of a photo interrupter, and the carriage positioning sensor 57 is composed of a reflection type optical sensor. Accordingly, by obtaining detection signals from the sensors 54 to 57, the position of the carriage 46 is determined, and the detection signal from the sensor 62 is used to detect the presence or absence of the cartridge.

Further, a carriage lock mechanism 58 for locking the carriage 46 when detecting that the carriage 46 is at the stop position of the lower position is provided in the housing 8. The carriage lock mechanism 58 includes a locking rod 59 that is fitted to the carriage 46 from the lateral direction, and a solenoid 60 that drives the locking rod 59.

IV Schematic Configuration of Cartridge Loading Unit 5 The cartridge loading unit 5 is attached to the front surface of the housing 8, has a cartridge insertion opening (not shown) in the front panel 8b, and has a rear side through which the cartridge passes. The passage 73 is open. Further, the cartridge loading section 5 is provided with a cartridge transfer mechanism 105 for transferring the cartridge inserted from the cartridge insertion slot to the carriage 46 or for transferring the cartridge returned from the carriage 46 to the cartridge insertion slot.

A positioning plate 6 for positioning the carriage 46 on the first recording / reproducing section 6 or the second recording / reproducing section 7 is provided below the cartridge loading section 5.
3 are provided.

V Configuration of First and Second Recording / Reproducing Units 6 and 7 The first and second recording / reproducing units 6 and 7 have magneto-optical devices housed in a cartridge carried by the carriage 46. A pickup (not shown) for reading data recorded on the disk or writing data on the magneto-optical disk is provided.

The recording / reproducing sections 6 and 7 have the same configuration, and are provided in a pair to reduce the time from when a cartridge is selected to when recording / reproducing is started. Therefore, the cartridges are alternately inserted into the pair of recording / reproducing units 6 and 7, and while one performs recording / reproducing, the other returns the cartridge that has been recorded / reproduced.

Next, the internal structure of the cartridge loading section 5 and the cartridge lock mechanism 71 of the rotary storage section 2 and the fixed storage section 3 will be described.
The configuration of No. 6 will be described in detail.

VI Detailed Configuration of Cartridge Loading Unit 5 In FIGS. 4 and 5, the cartridge loading unit 5 includes a base 72 attached to the front surface of the housing 8 and a base 7.
2, a cartridge insertion port 73a opened on the front side of the cartridge path 73.
An opening / closing mechanism 74 for opening and closing the cartridge, a cartridge loading mechanism 76 for transferring the cartridge inserted in the cartridge passage 73 to the cartridge outlet 73 b for sending the cartridge into the autochanger 1, and locking the cartridge inserted in the cartridge passage 73. And a cartridge lock mechanism 77 that operates.

On the side of the cartridge passage 73 of the base 72, a cartridge insertion detection sensor 78 for detecting that the leading end of the cartridge inserted from the cartridge insertion port 73a has passed the intermediate position of the cartridge passage 73.
And a cartridge insertion completion detecting sensor 79 for detecting that the leading end of the cartridge has reached the cartridge outlet 73b of the cartridge passage 73. The detection sensors 78 and 79 are composed of photointerrupters, and output detection signals when the side of the cartridge passes and blocks detection light.

The opening / closing mechanism 74 includes a roller 80 having a diameter sufficiently larger than the thickness of the cartridge, a shaft 81 penetrating the center of the roller 80 in the longitudinal direction, and a shaft 81.
And a coil spring 83 for urging the rotating arm 82 in the A direction. The rotating arm 82 has arms 82b and 82c provided at both ends of a laterally extending portion 82a which is extended over the roller 80, and the arms 82b and 8c.
The pins 84 provided on both sides of the base 72 have ends 2c.
It is rotatably supported by. The roller 80 is mounted so as to be rotatable with respect to a shaft 81 supported by the pair of arms 82b and 82c.

The roller 80 before the cartridge is inserted is lowered to a position where it comes into contact with the bottom surface 73c of the cartridge passage 73 so as to close the cartridge insertion opening 73a by the pulling force of the coil spring 83, as shown in FIG. When the cartridge is inserted, it rides on the front end of the cartridge K (indicated by a dashed line) while rotating, and rotates the rotating arm 82 in the B direction. When the roller 80 comes into contact with the upper surface of the cartridge, the insertion speed of the cartridge is reduced to prevent the cartridge from being inserted vigorously, and the rattling of the insertion operation is prevented. or,
The same effect as described above is obtained in the cartridge discharging operation.

Since the roller 80 rolls with the operation of inserting the cartridge, the load at the time of inserting the cartridge is relatively small.

The cartridge loading mechanism 76 includes a loading motor 86 provided on a bracket 85,
A reduction gear 87 that meshes with a gear 86b provided on an output shaft 86a of the motor 86 to reduce the rotation of the motor 86; a shaft 88 that is fitted to the reduction gear 87 and laid over the top of the cartridge passage 73; A pair of rubber rollers 89 fitted on the shaft 88, a rotating member 90 rotatably supported on the shaft 88 and rotatably supported on the upper surface of the base 72, and biasing the rotating member 90 downward. It comprises a coil spring 91. The roller 89 is in contact with the upper surface of the cartridge inserted into the cartridge passage 73 and is provided at the same position as the detection sensor 78 in the cartridge insertion direction.

Accordingly, when the cartridge is inserted into the cartridge passage 73 from the cartridge insertion port 73a and detected by the detection sensor 78, the motor 86 is driven to rotate the reduction gear 87, the shaft 88, and the roller 89 counterclockwise. Then, the cartridge is pulled into the apparatus by the rotation of the roller 89.

The cartridge lock mechanism 77 includes a base 7
A solenoid 93 attached to a bracket 92 fixed to the upper surface of the second unit 2, and a connecting rod 94 connected to a rod 93a driven by the solenoid 93 and extending in the lateral direction.
And one end is connected to a rod 93a via a connecting rod 94, and a lock pin 95a at the other end is provided.
The rotation lever 95 is supported by a shaft 92a protruding forward from the position 2 and a detection switch 96 for detecting that the cartridge is locked.

When the rod 93a of the solenoid 93 is driven in the direction C, the rotation lever 95 rotates about the shaft 92a to cause the lock pin 95a to enter the cartridge passage 73, and is provided on the side surface of the cartridge. Fit into a recess (not shown). That is, when the cartridge is inserted into the cartridge passage 73 and the cartridge loading mechanism 76 operates as described above, the leading end of the cartridge is detected by the detection sensor 79. This detection sensor 7
The solenoid 93 is excited based on the detection signal from the actuator 9, the rod 93a is driven in the direction C, and the cartridge is locked by the lock pin 95a.

Before the cartridge is inserted into the cartridge passage 73, the rod 93a is displaced in the direction D, and the connecting rod 94 connected to the rod 93a is in contact with the detection switch 96. However, when the solenoid 93 is excited as described above and the rod 93a is driven in the direction C, the connecting rod 94 is separated from the detection switch 96 and switches off the detection switch 96. Thereby, it is confirmed that the cartridge is locked by the cartridge lock mechanism 77, and it is confirmed that the lock is released when the solenoid 93 is demagnetized, the rod 93a is driven in the D direction, and the detection switch 96 is turned on. Is done.

VII Detailed Configuration of Cartridge Lock Mechanism 71 of Rotary Storage Unit 2 and Fixed Storage Unit 3 As described above, the rotary storage unit 2 and the fixed storage unit 3 are provided with the ribs 19a.
(19a ₁ ~19a ₂₀₎ by accommodating chamber 19b of each cartridge is inserted (19b ₁ through 19b ₂₀₎ are defined. A cartridge lock mechanism 71 is provided which includes a locking spring (first and second locking members) 98 for locking the cartridge and a plate spring (biasing member) 100 for pushing back the cartridge for each storage chamber 19b. Have been.

As shown in FIG. 7, a locking spring 98 for locking the rear end 97 of the cartridge K is provided at the entrance of the storage chamber 19b.
Is provided. The locking spring 98 has a flat plate portion 98a attached to the upper part of the storage chamber 19b, and a triangular locking portion 98c provided at the tip of an arm portion 98b extending from the flat plate portion 98a to the entrance side.

The locking spring 98 normally has its arm 98b lowered clockwise as shown by a solid line, and is at a position where the locking portion 98c locks the rear end 97 of the cartridge K. Therefore, the cartridge stored in the storage chamber 19b is locked by the locking spring 98.

As shown in FIG. 8, a leaf spring 100 for pressing the front end 99 of the cartridge K is provided at the back of the storage chamber 19b.
Is attached. The leaf spring 100 is provided in each storage room 1.
9b provided in (19b ₁ through 19b ₂₀₎ each, each leaf spring 1
00 are integrally formed in a comb-teeth shape. The leaf spring 100 is formed such that the base 100a is fixed to the rear surface of the storage chamber 19b, and the arm 100b projects into the storage chamber 19b at a predetermined angle.

Accordingly, when the cartridge K is inserted into the storage chamber 19b and pressed in the direction E, the leaf spring 100 bends as shown by a two-dot chain line, and
Is not inserted, the arm 100b enters the storage chamber 19b as shown by the solid line. When the arm portion 98b of the locking spring 98 is pressed upward by a lock release mechanism described below, the cartridge lock mechanism 71 releases the locking of the cartridge K, and the storage chamber 19b is pressed by the leaf spring 100. Is pressed in the direction F and pushed back to a position where it can be easily taken out.

When the cartridge K is stored in the storage chamber 19b, after the arm 98b of the locking spring 98 is bent upward by the lock release mechanism 111 described later, the cartridge K resists the leaf spring 100. The lock release mechanism 111 is inserted into the storage chamber 19b, and
The rear end 97 of the cartridge K is locked by the locking portion 98c of the locking spring 98 by being separated from the locking member 98.

Next, the structure of the carriage 46 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 9, the carriage 46 has an intermediate base 103 mounted in a lower base 102, and an upper base 104 mounted on the lower base 102 and the intermediate base 103.
A cartridge transfer mechanism 105 for transferring a cartridge and a drive motor 106 for driving the cartridge transfer mechanism 105 are provided on the upper surface of the upper base 104. On the upper surface of the intermediate base 103, there is provided a cartridge pressing mechanism 107 for pushing the cartridge into the rotary storage section 2 and the fixed storage section 3, and a drive motor 108 for driving the cartridge pressing mechanism 107.
Is a bracket 1 standing on the upper surface of the upper base 104.
09.

On the upper surface of the intermediate base 103, a cam mechanism 110 for displacing the cartridge transfer mechanism 105 to an operating position before or after the cartridge is inserted, as described later, is provided. Further, the intermediate base 103 has a cartridge insertion portion 103a bent in a U-shape on both sides, and the cartridge inserted from the rotary storage portion 2, the fixed storage portion 3, or the cartridge loading portion 5 is inserted into the cartridge insertion portion. 103a.

The flat plate portion 102a of the lower base 102 is provided with the locking spring 9 of the cartridge lock mechanism 71 described above.
8 (see FIG. 7), a lock release mechanism (push-out mechanism) 111 for releasing the lock is provided, and the lock release arms (first, first ) of the lock release mechanism 111 are provided on the side plates 102b and 102c of the lower base 102 . Second lock
Release arm) 112 is slidably mounted in the front-rear direction. In addition, one lock release arm (first engagement
The lock release arm 112 operates to release the lock by the cartridge lock mechanism 71 provided in the rotary storage unit 2, and the other lock release arm (second lock release arm )
The removal arm 112 operates to release the lock of the fixed storage unit 3 by the cartridge lock mechanism 71.

On the lower surface of the upper base 104, operation position detection sensors 113 to 115 for detecting the operation position of the cartridge pressing mechanism 107 are provided at predetermined intervals.
At the front end and the rear end of the side plate 102b of the lower base 102, cartridge detection sensors 116 and 117 for detecting a cartridge pulled into the carriage 46 are provided. Each of the sensors 113 to 117 includes a photo-interrupter, and outputs a detection signal by blocking detection light as described later.

When the cartridge is ejected from the carriage 46 to the rotary storage section 2 or the fixed storage section 3,
By operating the lock release arm 112 of the lock release mechanism 111 described above, the locking spring 98 of the cartridge locking mechanism 71 escapes.
Is displaced to a position where it does not rub against the cartridge, and the cartridge does not need to be damaged.

Next, the structure of each mechanism provided on the carriage 46 will be described.

VIII Detailed Structure of Cartridge Transfer Mechanism 105 As shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, the cartridge transfer mechanism 105 includes a pair of rollers 118, 119 which are in sliding contact with the upper surface of the cartridge and one end of the rollers 118, 119. Roller arms 120 and 121 rotatably supported, a shaft 122 supporting the other ends of the roller arms 120 and 121,
The gear group 123 includes a gear group 123 for reducing the rotation of the drive motor 106, and a drive pulley 124, intermediate pulleys 125 and 126, and belts 127 and 128 wound around rollers 118 and 119 driven through the gear group 123.

The roller arms 120 and 121 are connected to the shaft 1
The coil springs 129 and 130 are supported to rotate around the center 22, respectively, and are urged to rotate by the pulling forces of the coil springs 129 and 130, respectively. Therefore, the rollers 118 and 119 supported on the distal ends of the roller arms 120 and 121 are displaced downwardly in sliding contact with the upper surface of the cartridge, respectively.

Further, since the pair of rollers 118 and 119 are driven to rotate via the belts 127 and 128, respectively, they come into sliding contact with the upper surface of the cartridge and transmit rotational driving force to the cartridge to pull the cartridge into the carriage 46. Alternatively, the cartridge stored in the carriage 46 is discharged.

IX Detailed Structure of the Cartridge Pressing Mechanism 107 The cartridge pressing mechanism 107 provided on the upper surface of the intermediate base 103 has a drive motor 108 provided on the upper surface of the upper base 104 as shown in FIGS. The shaft 131 that transmits the rotation of the worm gear 108a provided on the drive shaft of the shaft 131 via a worm wheel 131a, and the shaft 1
Gear 13 meshing with gear 131b fitted to the lower end of 31
2 and a gear 133 arranged at a predetermined distance from the gear 132. Further, the cartridge pressing mechanism 1
Reference numeral 07 denotes rack plates 134 and 135 slidably provided between the gears 132 and 133, a stopper plate 136 in contact with the upper surfaces of the rack plates 134 and 135, and a slide provided on the upper surface of the stopper plate 136. A moving plate 137 and pressing levers 138a supported by support portions 137a and 137b protruding from both ends of the sliding plate 137;
138b, a linear bearing plate 139 fixed to the upper surface of the sliding plate 137, and a guide member 140 fixed to the lower surface of the upper base 104 and guiding the sliding direction of the linear bearing plate 139.

The pair of rack plates 134, 1
Reference numeral 35 is slidably provided between the gears 132 and 133 in an abutted state. Therefore, the rack 134a of one rack plate 134 meshes with the gear 132 on the driving side, and the rack 135a of the other rack plate 135 meshes with the gear 133 on the driven side.

On the upper surfaces of the rack plates 134 and 135, a stopper plate 136, a sliding plate 137, and a linear bearing plate 139 are integrally connected by mounting screws (not shown) to form a sliding unit 141. Have been. Therefore, when the gear 132 is driven, the entire sliding unit 141 slides in the G and H directions together with the rack plates 134 and 135. Therefore, the rack plate 13
4, 135 are driven by the gear 132 and the gear 1
The rotation is transmitted to 33.

The stopper plate 136 has a stopper portion 136a projecting upward from a central portion thereof. The stopper plate 136 is provided with a locking portion 14 in which a stopper portion 136a is laterally projected by both ends of a locking member 142 attached to the upper surface of the intermediate base 103.
2a, 142b, the rack plates 134, 1
35 racks 134a, 135a are gears 132, 133
From falling off. The locking portions 142a, 1
A coil spring 143 is provided on 42b in order to reduce the impact when the stopper 136a comes into contact. Therefore, the stopper portion 136a comes into contact with the coil spring 143, compresses it, and stops.

As described above, the sliding plate 137 is
Pressing levers 138a, 138b rotatably supported by support portions 137a, 137b protruding from both ends of 37 and a shaft 144 passing through the support portions 137a, 137b.
And projections 137c to 137e as detected portions detected by the operation position detection sensors 113 to 115 described above. The pressing levers 138 a and 138 b rotate downward by the spring force of the torsion spring 145, and
And stops at its pivot position.

The press levers 138a and 138b slide together with the rack plates 134 and 135 when the cartridge is returned to the rotary storage unit 2 and the fixed storage unit 3 as described later, so that the leading end pushes the cartridge. Press. Further, the sliding unit 1 is provided by the sensors 113 to 115.
The sliding position of the sensor 41 is detected.
The rotation amount and the rotation direction of the motor 108 are controlled based on the detection signal output from.

Since the balls provided on the outer periphery of the linear bearing plate 139 are guided in sliding contact with the inner wall of the guide member 140, the sliding unit 141 can slide smoothly and with a low load.

Detailed Configuration of X Cam Mechanism 110 The cam mechanism 110 includes an intermediate gear 146 meshing with a gear 133 provided on the upper surface of the intermediate base 103, and an intermediate gear 1
A pair of cam gears 147 and 148 meshing with the cam gear 46 are provided. On the upper surfaces of the cam gears 147 and 148, the roller arms 120 and 121 of the cartridge transfer mechanism 105 described above are provided.
The cams 147a and 148a that come into contact with each other protrude.

As shown in FIG. 13, the cam mechanism 110 of the cam gears 147 and 148 displaces one of the roller arms 120 and 121 upward.
7a and 148a are brought into contact with the lower ends of the roller arms 120 and 121. As a result, before the cartridge is pulled in, one of the rollers 118 and 119 moves up to a position where it does not slide on the cartridge, and the other moves down to a position where it slides on the upper surface of the cartridge.

The operation of the carriage 46 has six operation modes 1 to 6 as described later, and one of them is selected and executed. The operation mode 1 is an operation of moving the cartridge inserted into the cartridge loading unit 5 to the carriage 46. The operation mode 2 is an operation of moving the cartridge inserted into the carriage 46 to the storage rack 11 of the rotary storage unit 2 or the fixed storage unit 3. In the operation mode 3, the cartridge mounted on the first recording / reproducing unit 6 or the second recording / reproducing unit 7 is moved to the carriage 46.
Operation. The operation mode 4 is an operation of moving the cartridge inserted into the carriage 46 to the cartridge loading unit 5. The operation mode 5 includes the storage rack 11 of the rotary storage unit 2.
Alternatively, it is an operation of returning the cartridge stored in the fixed storage unit 3 to the carriage 46. In the operation mode 6, the cartridge inserted into the carriage 46 is moved to the first recording / reproducing section 6 or the second recording / reproducing section 7
This is the operation of moving the object.

For example, when the cartridge K inserted into the fixed storage section 3 or the cartridge loading section 5 is transferred into the carriage 46, as shown in FIG. 120 is rotated upward, and the arm 121 of the roller 119 on the outlet side
Is rotating downward.

When a movement command is issued, the drive motor 106 is driven, and the rollers 118 and 119 are driven to rotate. At substantially the same time, the drive motor 108 is driven, and the cam gears 147 and 148 of the cam mechanism 110 rotate. As a result, the cam 147a of the cam gear 147 is
The arm 120 pivots downward by the spring force of the coil spring 129 and presses the roller 118 against the upper surface of the cartridge K.

Therefore, the cartridge K is as shown in FIG.
As shown in (1), the roller 118 is pulled into the cartridge insertion portion 103a of the intermediate base 103 by the rotational driving force. When the sensor 117 detects the end of the cartridge K, the drive motor 106 is stopped, and the cartridge K is stopped at the storage position shown in FIG.

Subsequently, the carriage 46 is moved to a position facing the first recording / reproducing section 6 or the second recording / reproducing section 7 by the carriage lifting / lowering drive section 47. Then, the drive motor 106 is driven again, and the rotation of the rollers 118 and 119 causes the cartridge insertion portion 10 of the intermediate base 103 to rotate.
3a is the first recording / reproducing unit 6 or the second
Is mounted on the recording / reproducing unit 7.

When the cartridge K inserted into the recording / reproducing units 6 and 7 is transferred into the carriage 46, the arm 121 of the roller 119 on the entrance side rotates upward,
The arm 120 of the roller 118 on the outlet side is rotating downward.

When the end of the cartridge is detected by the sensor 117 described above, the drive motor 106 is driven,
The rollers 118 and 119 are driven to rotate. Almost at the same time, the drive motor 108 is driven to drive the cam mechanism 11
The 0 cam gears 147 and 148 rotate. This allows
The cam 148a of the cam gear 148 is separated from the arm 121, and the arm 121 rotates downward by the spring force of the coil spring 130 to press the roller 119 against the upper surface of the cartridge K.

Accordingly, the cartridge K is as shown in FIG.
As shown in (2), the roller 119 is pulled into the cartridge insertion portion 103a of the intermediate base 103 by the rotational driving force. When the sensor 116 detects the end of the cartridge K, the drive motor 106 is stopped, and the cartridge K stops at the storage position shown in FIG.

Subsequently, the carriage 46 is moved by the carriage lifting / lowering drive unit 47 to a position opposite to the original storage position where the cartridge K was stored, and the drive motor 1 is moved.
06 is driven again, and the cartridge K in the cartridge insertion portion 103a of the intermediate base 103 is returned to the original storage position by the rotation of the rollers 118 and 119.

For this reason, the cartridge is
Before the cartridge is inserted into the carriage 46, the rollers 118 and 119 are moved up to a position where they do not prevent the cartridge from being inserted, so that the cartridge can be easily inserted into the carriage 46. Therefore, after the cartridge is inserted, the rollers 11
8 and 119 are rotated and driven down to be pressed against the upper surface of the cartridge.
8, 119, it is drawn into the carriage 46.

Therefore, when the cartridge is transferred to the carriage 46, the end of the cartridge is
The cartridge can be moved in a short time in the carriage
6 is inserted.

The operation of moving the cartridge stored in the rotary storage unit 2 or the fixed storage unit 3 to the carriage 46 will be described.

First, a lock release mechanism 111 described later.
The lock release arm 112 is operated to release the lock of the cartridge by the locking spring 98 of the cartridge lock mechanism 71 provided in the rotary storage unit 2 or the fixed storage unit 3. Therefore, the cartridge is pushed out of the rotary storage unit 2 or the fixed storage unit 3 by the leaf spring 100 of the cartridge lock mechanism 71, and the leading end moves to the cartridge outlet 73b of the cartridge passage 73 formed in the carriage 46. .

At this time, since the arm 121 is pivoted upward, the roller 119 on the side of the cartridge outlet 73b is rotated.
Are displaced upward, and the cartridge smoothly passes under the roller 119 and is inserted into the cartridge passage 73. As described above, when the cartridge is inserted into the cartridge passage 73, the arm 121 rotates downward and the roller 119 comes into contact with the upper surface of the cartridge. Then, the cartridge is further drawn into the cartridge passage 73 by the rotational driving of the roller 119.

The operation for returning the cartridge in the carriage 46 to the rotary storage section 2 or the fixed storage section 3 in the opposite manner to the above will be described.

In this case, first, the lock release mechanism 111
The lock release arm 112 is operated to release the lock of the cartridge by the locking spring 98 of the cartridge lock mechanism 71 provided in the rotary storage unit 2 or the fixed storage unit 3. Next, the roller 119 is driven to rotate in the reverse direction to move the cartridge in the cartridge passage 73 to the rotary storage section 2 or the fixed storage section 3.

Then, the rack plates 134 and 135 of the cartridge pressing mechanism 107 slide in the G direction, and the pressing lever 138b presses the cartridge into the storage chamber 19 of the rotary storage unit 2 or the fixed storage unit 3. The cartridge is pushed by the cartridge pressing mechanism 107 to a position where the cartridge is locked by the locking spring 98 of the cartridge lock mechanism 71, and is returned to the storage chamber 19.

Detailed Configuration of XI Lock Release Mechanism 111 The lock release mechanism 111 is a mechanism for releasing the lock of the cartridge by the cartridge lock mechanism 71 of the rotary storage section 2 and the fixed storage section 3 described above. FIG.
As shown in FIG.
Drive motor 1 serving as a drive unit of lock release mechanism 111
50 and a gear group 15 driven to rotate by a drive motor 150
1 are arranged. Also, the side plate 10 of the lower base 102
A lock release arm 112 for releasing the locking by the locking spring 98 (see FIG. 7) is slidably attached to the front and rear directions 2b and 102c.

As shown in FIG. 14, the gear group 151
Is a gear 1 driven by a drive motor (drive means) 150
52 and a first transmission gear 153 meshing with the gear 152
And a first cam gear meshing with the first transmission gear 153
(First Rotating Member) When engaged with the first transmission gear 153, the second transmission gear 155 and the second transmission gear 1
Second cam gear (second rotating member) meshing with 55
6 and more.

As shown in FIG. 15, the second transmission gear 15
5, a pin 155a (shown by a broken line in FIG. 15)
Are fitted, and a sensor 1 for detecting this pin 155a
80 is provided on the lower base 102. The sensor 180 is formed of a photo interrupter, and has protrusions (presses ) of two cams (first and second cam members) 157 described later.
Part) 157a detects the position of the pin 155a when a neutral point is a position that does not protrude from the opening 102d. When the lock release mechanism 111 is not operated, the second transmission gear 155 is always returned to this position.

The cam gears 154 and 156 have shafts 154.
The cam 157 rotatably supported by the a and 156a is urged by the coil spring 158 and held in a state of being locked by a pin (stopper) 159. Also, shafts 154a, 15
6a is eccentric with respect to shafts 154b and 156b which rotatably support the cam gears 154 and 156.

Therefore, the cam 157 is provided with the coil spring 158.
The spring is biased in the I direction, but the rotation is restricted at a position where it comes into contact with the pin 159, and the rotation is provided in the J direction. Also, the lower base 102
A projection 157a is provided to be inserted into an opening 102d formed in the side plates 102b and 102c.

As shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the lock release arm 112 is attached to the side plates 102b, 1 of the lower base 102.
It has elongated holes 112a and 112b into which guide pins 160 and 161 provided on the outer surface of 02c are fitted. The guide pins 160 and 161 are slidably supported in the front-rear direction. In addition, the lock release arm 112
12c is inclined so that the locking portion 98c of the locking spring 98 is lifted upward and displaced to the unlock position, and the rear end 112d is folded in an L-shape so that the projection 157a of the cam 157 comes into contact with the locking portion 98c. Has been tuned.

Rear end 11 of lock release arm 112
One end of the coil spring 163 is hung on 2d,
The coil spring 163 is urged in the G direction by the tensile force. Therefore, when the rear end portion 112d of the lock release arm 112 is not pressed by the projection 157a of the cam 157, the rear end portion 112d abuts on the stopper 164 protruding from the side plates 102b and 102c by the tensile force of the coil spring 163.

Since the first cam gear 154 and the second cam gear 156 rotate in opposite directions, for example, when unlocking the cartridge lock mechanism 71 of the rotary storage section 2, the second cam gear 156 is used. Are driven to rotate in the J direction, and the first cam gear 154 is driven to rotate in the I direction. When the cartridge lock mechanism 71 of the fixed storage section 3 is unlocked, the first cam gear 154 is driven to rotate in the J direction, and the second cam gear 156 is driven to rotate in the I direction.

Also, the side plates 102b, 10 of the lower base 102
A detection switch 1 for detecting that the lock release arm 112 has slid to the unlocked position is provided on the outer surface of 2c.
62 are provided. When the rear end 112d of the lock release arm 112 abuts, the detection switch 162 closes and outputs a detection signal. Then, the detection signal is output from the detection switch 162, thereby confirming that the lock release arm 112 has performed the unlocking operation. If the cartridge is not pulled into the carriage 46 after the unlock operation, the side plate 10 of the lower base 102
If the sensor 116 provided in 2b does not turn on, the unlock operation is performed again.

The operation of the lock release mechanism 111 will now be described.

For example, it is assumed that the lock of the cartridge lock mechanism 71 of the fixed storage section 3 is released. In this case, the first cam gear 154 is driven to rotate in the J direction, and the second cam gear 156 is driven to rotate in the I direction.

As shown in FIGS. 16A and 16B, when the first cam gear 154 is driven to rotate in the J direction, the cam 15
The seventh protrusion 157a contacts the rear end 112d of the lock release arm 112. Therefore, the rear end 112d of the lock release arm 112 is pressed in the H direction with the rotation of the cam 157, and slides in the H direction while being guided by the guide pins 160 and 161 against the spring force of the coil spring 163.

Then, the distal end portion 112c of the lock release arm 112 raises the locking portion 98c of the locking spring 98 upward (the position shown by the dashed line in FIG. 7) and displaces it to the unlocked position. Thereby, the cartridge is stored in the storage room 1
It is pushed out by the elasticity of a leaf spring 100 provided at the rear of 9b. When the lock release operation is completed, the rear end portion 112d of the lock release arm 112 contacts the detection switch 162 and is turned on.

When the tip 112c of the lock release arm 112 does not come into contact with the locking portion 98c of the locking spring 98 and the lock cannot be released, the cam gear 154 stops at the position where the detection switch 162 is turned on. , Lower base 10
If the sensor 116 provided on the second side plate 102b is not turned on, the lock release arm 112 is slid again in the H direction by one rotation.

At the same time as the unlocking operation by the first cam gear 154, the second cam gear 156 on the opposite side rotates in the opposite direction (I direction) from the unlocking operation.

As shown in FIG. 17A, the cam gear 15
When 6 rotates in the I direction, the protrusion 157 a of the cam 157 contacts the side surface of the lock release arm 112. Therefore, the cam 157 is opposed to the coil spring 158 so that the cam gear 1
It will rotate in the I direction later than 56.

As shown in FIG. 17B, the cam gear 15
6 further rotates in the I direction, the shaft 156a for supporting the cam 157 becomes the shaft 1 for rotatably supporting the cam gear 156.
The projection 157a is separated from the side surface of the lock release arm 112 because it is eccentric with respect to 56b.

As shown in FIG. 17C, the protrusion 157a
Is separated from the side of the lock release arm 112,
The cam 157 is moved to the pin 15 by the spring force of the coil spring 158.
It returns to the position where it contacts 9.

As described above, the cam gear 156 on the opposite side rotates in the opposite direction together with the operation of the cam 157.

When the lock of the cartridge lock mechanism 71 of the rotary storage unit 2 is released, the second
Are driven to rotate in the J direction, and the first cam gear 154 is driven to rotate in the I direction.

Next, the operation of the cartridge lock mechanism 71 and the cartridge K accompanying the operation of the lock release mechanism 111 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 18A, before the lock of the cartridge lock mechanism 71 is released, the storage chamber 19 is unlocked.
b of the cartridge K stored in the storage chamber 19b by the locking portion 98c of the locking spring 98 provided at the entrance of the storage chamber 19b.
Are held, and the leaf spring 100 provided at the rear of the storage chamber 19b is held in an elastically deformed state.

As shown in FIG. 18B, when the distal end portion 112c of the lock release arm 112 passes through the side of the cartridge K and enters the entrance of the storage chamber 19b by the operation of the lock release mechanism 111 described above. Tip 11
The inclined portion 2c lifts the locking portion 98c of the locking spring 98 upward and displaces it to the unlocked position.

As shown in FIG. 18C, when the locking by the locking spring 98 is released, the cartridge K is pushed out by the elasticity of the leaf spring 100 provided at the rear of the storage chamber 19b. Therefore, the end portion 97 of the cartridge K is inserted into the cartridge insertion portion 103a of the carriage 46. Before the cartridge K is inserted into the carriage 46, the rollers 118 and 119 are moved upward to positions where they do not hinder the insertion of the cartridge K as described above, and the cartridge K can be reliably inserted into the carriage 46. .

As shown in FIG. 18D, when the cartridge K is inserted into the carriage 46, the roller arm 120 supporting the roller 118 is rotated by the operation of the cam mechanism 110, and the roller 118 is driven to rotate. The cartridge K is moved down while being pressed against the upper surface of the cartridge K.
Drawn into.

As described above, when the cartridge K is transferred to the carriage 46, the lock release arm 112 releases the locking by the locking spring 98 so that the cartridge K stored in the storage chamber 19b is moved to the carriage 4.
6, the cartridge K is pushed out to the position driven by the roller 118 in the recording / reproducing units 6, 7 in a shorter time.
Can be attached to Further, the roller 118 is moved to the storage room 1.
Since the mechanism for moving to the storage chamber 9b is not required, the configuration of the cartridge transfer mechanism 105 can be reduced in size, and the storage rack 11 can be prevented from increasing in size because it is not necessary to increase the interval between the storage chambers 19b. In the above embodiment, the description has been made assuming that the magneto-optical disk is housed in the cartridge. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Of course.

In the above embodiment, the locking spring 98 is used as the locking member. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a lever or the like may be rotatably provided.

In the above-described embodiment, the leaf spring 100 is provided in the storage chamber 19b as the discharge member. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a sliding member that slides in the storage chamber 19b is used instead of the leaf spring 100. Of course, you may do so.

[0120]

As described above, in the automatic changer according to the present invention, the locking member provided at the entrance of the storage section is unlocked, so that the ejection member provided inside the storage section can change the recording medium. The recording medium operates so as to be ejected, and can be pushed to a position where the recording medium can be easily taken out. Therefore, the recording medium extruded by the discharge member can be reliably drawn into the carriage, and the recording medium can be transported in a shorter time. Further, since a mechanism for moving the rollers to the storage section is not required, the configuration of the cartridge transfer mechanism can be reduced in size, and the storage rack can be prevented from being enlarged . Also, the drive of the extrusion mechanism
The first and second rotating members are moved in the first direction or
A first or second cam portion when pivoted in a second direction;
While the material is in contact with the stopper, the first or
2. Press one end of the unlocking arm of
The locking member is unlocked, and the second or first cap is released.
The stopper is separated from the stopper against the elastic member.
The pressing portion is on the side of the second or first unlocking arm.
The second or first unlocking arm is moved while sliding on the surface.
The first and the second are arranged in two directions of the carriage.
It is possible to unlock one of the locking members of the storage section 2
Not to unlock the other locking member
So that any of the first and second storage sections
Remove the recording medium selectively and smoothly inside the carriage
It has features such as being able to be taken in .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of one embodiment of an autochanger according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of an autochanger.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the autochanger.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a cartridge loading unit.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the cartridge loading unit.

FIG. 6 is a side view illustrating an operation when a cartridge is inserted into the cartridge loading unit.

FIG. 7 is a side view showing a locking spring of the cartridge lock mechanism.

FIG. 8 is a plan view showing a leaf spring of the cartridge lock mechanism.

FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the carriage.

FIG. 10 is a side view for explaining a cartridge transfer mechanism 105 of the carriage.

FIG. 11 is a plan view for explaining a cartridge transfer mechanism 105 of the carriage.

FIG. 12 shows a cartridge pressing mechanism 107 and a cam mechanism 1.
It is a top view for explaining 10.

FIG. 13 is a side view for explaining the operation of the cartridge transfer mechanism 105.

14 is a plan view for explaining a lock release mechanism 111. FIG.

15 is a side view for explaining the lock release mechanism 111. FIG.

FIG. 16 is a plan view for explaining a lock release operation of the cam gear of the lock release mechanism 111.

17 is a plan view for explaining the operation of the cam gear on the opposite side of the lock release mechanism 111. FIG.

FIG. 18 is a side view for explaining the operation of the cartridge lock mechanism 71 and the cartridge K accompanying the operation of the lock release mechanism 111.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Autochanger 2 Rotary storage part 3 Fixed storage part 4 Cartridge conveyance part 5 Cartridge loading part 6 1st recording / reproducing part 7 2nd recording / reproducing part 11 Storage rack 12 Storage rack drive mechanism 13 Position detection mechanism 14 Storage rack lock mechanism 15 protrudes detecting mechanism 16 turntable 19 Media box 19A~19D media block 19b (19b ₁ ~19b ₂₀₎ containing chamber 21 driven rotary member 40c, 41c opening 43 media box attachment portion 46 carriage 47 carriage elevation drive unit 49, Reference Signs List 50 bearing 51 elevating motor 53 elevating position detecting mechanism 62 cartridge detecting sensor 63 positioning plate 64 control circuit 73 cartridge passage 74 opening / closing mechanism 76 cartridge loading mechanism 77 cartridge locking machine 80 Roller 82 Rotating arm 83 Coil spring 93 Solenoid 98 Locking spring 102 Lower base 103 Intermediate base 104 Upper base 105 Cartridge transfer mechanism 107 Cartridge pressing mechanism 110 Cam mechanism 111 Lock release mechanism 112 Lock release arm 113-115 Operating position detection sensor 116 , 117 Cartridge detection sensor 118, 119 Roller 120, 121 Roller arm 134, 135 Rack plate 138a, 138b Press lever 141 Sliding unit 147, 148 Cam gear 154 First cam gear 156 Second cam gear 157 Cam

Continuation of the front page (56) References Japanese Utility Model Showa 64-31535 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) G11B 17/22-17/30 G11B 15/68

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A a first housing portion in which the recording medium is accommodated, a second housing arranged to face the first housing part
Unit and recording for recording or reproducing with the recording medium mounted
Up / down movement between the playback unit and the first storage unit and the second storage unit
Provided a carriage for conveying the recording reproduction unit takes out the recording media stored in said first storage portion or the second housing portion, the first, the recording provided on the second housing part Medium
First and second locking members for locking in first and second storage portions
And the recording medium provided inside the first and second storage sections.
Urging member for urging the carriage in the take-out direction, and moving the carriage toward the first and second storage portions.
Is provided so as to be in contact with the first and second locking members.
Locking the recording medium by the first and second locking members;
First and second unlocking arms to be unlocked, and the first and second unlocking arms to the first and second housings
To release the locking member by releasing the locking member
And a push-out mechanism , wherein the push-out mechanism is rotatably supported by first and second turning members, and is rotatably supported by the first and second turning members .
1, a pressing portion for pressing one end of the second unlocking arm
And comes into contact with a stopper provided on the rotating member.
First and second cam members urged by an elastic member
And driving means for rotating the first and second rotating members.
It becomes the first by the driving means, a second rotating member first
When rotated in the first or second direction,
Is pressed while the second cam member contacts the stopper.
One end of the first or second unlocking arm by a pressure portion
To release the lock of the first locking member.
And the second or first cam member resists the elastic member.
Then, when the pressing portion is separated from the stopper,
Sliding on the side surface of the second or first unlocking arm
An autochanger wherein the second or first unlocking arm is not moved .