JPH0410264A - Safety mechanism for recording medium cartridge library device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the hand or the like of an operator from being put into a conveyer route or the like when detaching a feeding mechanism by providing a shutter means to block an interval between the conveyer path and a cartridge entrance/exit part and to cancel the block. CONSTITUTION:When the feeding mechanism is detached from an entry port 2 or an exit port 6, shutters S1 and S2 blocks the interval between a conveyer path P and the port 2 or 6 and when the feeding mechanism is attached to the port 2 or 6, the shutters cancel the block between the conveyer path P and the port 2 or 6. Thus, when detaching the feeding mechanism from the port 2 or 6, the hand or the like of the operator can be prevented without fail from being put into the conveyer path P.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a safety mechanism in a recording medium cartridge library device, and in particular, to a safety mechanism in a recording medium cartridge library device. This invention relates to something that can reliably prevent an operator's hands from entering the conveyance path.

[Conventional technology]

A magnetic tape library device is a device that stores and drives magnetic tape cartridges (hereinafter referred to as cartridges), and includes a cartridge introduction port (hereinafter referred to as an entry port) and a cartridge introduced through the entry port. A storage rack that can store a large number of cartridges, a drive for driving (reading or reading/writing) cartridges, and a cartridge ejection port (hereinafter referred to as an exit port) for ejecting used cartridges from the library device to the outside of the device. The system consists of a transport robot that transports cartridges along a predetermined transport path between an entry port, a storage rack, a drive, and an exit boat. For example, the transport robot transports a cartridge inserted and set in an entry port to a storage rack, or transports a cartridge to be driven from the storage rack to a drive, and then returns the driven cartridge to the storage rack. It also transports cartridges to be ejected from the library device to an exit boat.

In addition, a feeding mechanism is detachably attached to the entry port to send out the cartridge inserted and set in the port to the transfer robot. A feeding mechanism for taking cartridges into the exit boat is removably attached.

[1ilfl that the invention seeks to solve] However,
In this type of conventional magnetic tape library device,
If the feed mechanism is removed from the entry port or exit boat, a relatively large cavity will be created in the entry port or exit boat that communicates with the transfer passageway from outside the device. For this reason,
There is a risk that an accident may occur in which the operator accidentally inserts his or her hand into the conveyance path from the cavity and the hand or the like is damaged by the conveyance robot traveling in the conveyance path. Therefore, when the transport mechanism is removed from each port for repair or replacement, the transport work by the transport robot must be temporarily stopped, which is not efficient.

This invention has been made in view of the above points, and provides safety in a recording medium cartridge library device that can reliably prevent an operator's hand from entering the conveyance path when the feeding mechanism is removed from the recording medium cartridge entrance/exit portion. The purpose is to provide a mechanism.

[Means for solving 1111M] The safety mechanism in the recording medium cartridge library device according to the present invention includes a cartridge entrance/exit portion for introducing or ejecting a recording medium cartridge, and a plurality of cartridges introduced from the entrance/exit portion. a storage body for storing the cartridge; a drive means for at least reading out the cartridge; a transport means for transporting the cartridge between the entrance and exit section, the storage body and the drive means; and an entrance and exit section that is detachably attached to the entrance and exit section. and a feeding mechanism that transfers the cartridge between the conveying means and the conveying means, in which, as the feeding mechanism is removed from the entrance and exit section, the distance between the conveyance path and the entrance and exit section is removed. and a shutter means for releasing the interruption between the transport passage and the entrance/exit part as the feeding mechanism is attached to the entrance/exit part, and when the feeding mechanism is removed by the shutter means. This prevents the operator's hands and the like from entering the conveyance path.

[Effect]

According to the present invention, when the feeding mechanism is attached to the cartridge entrance/exit section, the shutter means is maintained at an open position for communicating the conveyance path and the cartridge entrance/exit section. With the shutter means in the open position as described above, it becomes possible to transfer the cartridge between the conveyance means that has moved along the conveyance path to the position of the entrance and exit portion and the entrance.

When the feeding mechanism is removed from the cartridge entrance/exit section, the shutter means is moved to a blocking position that blocks the conveyance path from the cartridge entrance/exit section in response to, for example, a suitable detection means detecting the removal of the feeding mechanism. , maintained. With the shutter means in the blocking position in this manner, it is possible to reliably prevent the operator's hands from entering the conveyance path through the cavity created at the cartridge entrance/exit section by removing the feed M& mechanism. It happens. Therefore, even if the feeding mechanism is removed from the cartridge entrance/exit portion, there is no need to stop the carrying operation by the carrying means.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a safety mechanism in a recording medium cartridge library device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
This was carried out on entry boat 2 of iMLU. The i-Q tape library device has a cartridge 1.
An entry boat 2 for introducing cartridges into the device, and storage positions 4a for storing, for example, several dozen cartridges 1.
A storage rack 4 for storing the cartridges 1, a drive 5 for driving the cartridges 1, an exit boat 6 for ejecting the cartridges 1 used in the library apparatus to the outside of the apparatus, and an upper and lower part along the transport path P.

The transport robot 8 is movable in the left-right direction and is configured to transport the cartridge 1 between the entry boat 2, the storage rack 4, the drive 5, and the exit boat 6. The entry boat 2 and the exit boat 6 are open toward the operator OP side and the conveyance path P at both ends thereof. The entry boat 2 is equipped with a sending mechanism (hereinafter referred to as an entry unit) EU that sends out the cartridge 1 inserted and set in the port 2 by the operator ○P to the transfer robot 8.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3, the entry unit EU is connected to a base B and a pedestal 10 on which a plurality of cartridges 1 that the operator OP wants to introduce into the library apparatus are set in a stacked state. A swinging arm 111 that moves the pedestal 10 toward and away from the transport robot 8 via the pedestal 10 and the transport robot 8. In order to approach the cartridge 1a, the claw portion 13a swings until it enters between the lowest cartridge 1a and the second cartridge 1b from the bottom.
A locking body 13 that supports the cartridges 1b, . ), etc. The entry unit EU is removably attached to the entry boat 2 by fixing an entry unit frame (not shown) to a frame (not shown) of the library device with screws or the like. Each locking body 13 is swingably connected by a shaft 15 to a vertically movable support arm 14, and the support arm 14 is slidably rigged in a long hole 16a of a link arm 16 at a circular projection 14a. ing. Links 16 corresponding to each locking body 13 are connected by link arms 17, 19°20. The link arm 19 has its upper end protrusion 19a engaged with the groove 18a of the cylindrical cam 18, and can swing about the shaft 19b as the cylindrical cam 18 rotates. When the link arm 19 swings in this manner, the link arms 16 move toward and away from each other via the link arms 17 and 20. Therefore, the locking body 13 swings about the shaft 15 when the support arm 14 is pressed by the edge of the elongated hole 16a in the circular projection 14a.

When introducing the cartridges 1 into the library apparatus, the operator ○P sets a plurality of cartridges 1 in a stacked state on the pedestal 10. next.

The locking body 13 swings while rising as the support arm 14 rises by an appropriate means and the cylindrical cam 18 rotates at the same time, so that the claw part 13a engages the lowest cartridge 1a from below. It enters between the cartridges 1b and 1b, and slightly lifts the cartridges 1b...1n above the lowest cartridge 1a. In this way, only the lowest cartridge 1a is supported on the base 10 while being separated from the other cartridges 1b, . . . 1n. Next, the swing arm 11 is rotated by an appropriate means to move the pedestal 10 and the lowest cartridge 1a to a position close to the transport robot 8, and then the cartridge 1a is moved to the pedestal by the feed roller. 10 and sent to the transfer robot 8. When the feeding of the cartridge 1a is completed in this way, the swinging arm 11 rotates back to the initial position, and the pedestal 10 also returns to the initial position. 13a is rotated so as to retreat from the second cartridge 1b from the bottom. In this way, the cartridges 1b...1n are released from the locking body 13 and placed on the base 10 with the second cartridge 1b from the bottom positioned at the lowest end. Thereafter, by repeating the above-described operations, the lowest cartridges 1b, . . . 1n are sequentially delivered to the transport robot 8.

As shown in FIG. 2, in the entry port 2, a partition wall 24 that partitions the entry boat 2 and the transport path P is fixedly provided at the boundary with the transport path P.

A passage port 24a is formed at the lower end of the partition wall 24, through which the lowest cartridge 1 among the cartridges 1 stacked on the pedestal 10 passes when being delivered to the transport robot 8, as described above. . Therefore, the transport robot 8 moves along the transport path P to the position of the passage port 24a and receives the lowest cartridge 1. Furthermore, in the entry port 2, the front force side (that is, the operator OP side) of the bulkhead 24 is moved by the rotation of the swinging arm 25 driven by a motor or the like.
A shutter S1 is provided which opens and closes the passage port 24a by moving along the passage 24a. Further, the entry port 2 is provided with a sensor (not shown) such as an optical sensor, which detects whether the entry unit EU is inserted into or removed from the entry port 2.

When the entry unit EU is attached to the entry port 2, the shutter S1 is connected to the passage port 24.
a is maintained in the open position on the open side. With the shutter S1 in the open position as described above, the conveyance path P and the entry unit 2 communicate with each other via the passage port 24a, and the cartridge 1 can be delivered from the entry unit 2 to the conveyance robot 8. When the entry unit EU is removed from the entry port 2, the swinging arm 25 rotates downward in response to the sensor detecting the row, thereby opening the shutter S1.
is lowered to the closing position to close the passage port 24a. By bringing the shutter S1 to the closed position in this way, the conveyance path P is blocked from the entry port 2. For this reason,
A situation in which the operator OP's hand or the like enters into the conveyance path P from the cavity created in the entry port 2 by removing the entry unit EU is reliably prevented. Therefore, the entry unit EU
Even if the entry unit EU is removed from the entry port 2 in order to repair or replace it with another one, the transport robot 8 continues the transport work between the storage rack 4, the drive 5, and the exit boat 6. can do.

Furthermore, the present invention is applicable not only to the entry port 2 but also to the exit boat 6. That is, although not shown, a feeding mechanism (exit unit) is removably attached to the exit boat 6 in order to take the cartridge 1 transported by the transport robot 8 into the exit boat 6. The cartridge 1 is taken into the exit boat 6 from the upper part of the boat 6.

They are stacked one by one on a pedestal, and each time the pedestal supports one cartridge 1, the pedestal descends by a distance equal to the thickness of the cartridge 1. The operator OP is thus able to take out the plurality of cartridges 1 set in a stacked state at once from the exit boat 6. The cartridge 1 is taken in through a passage hole formed in a partition wall that partitions the exit boat 6 and the transport path P. The exit port 6 is also provided with a shutter S2, which is similar in structure and operation to the shutter S1, to open the passage port. That is, the shutter S2 is configured so that the exit unit is connected to the exit boat 6.
When the exit unit is attached to the exit port 6, the passage opening is opened, and when the exit unit is removed from the exit port 6, the passage opening is closed.

The present invention is not limited to an entry boat or an exit port in which a plurality of cartridges are set in a stacked state as described above, but may be applied to an entry boat or an exit port in which only one cartridge is set. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to magnetic tape cartridge library devices, but can also be used in library devices that handle other types of recording medium cartridges, such as optical disk cartridges.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, in the present invention, when the feeding mechanism is removed from the cartridge entrance/exit part, the transport path and the entrance/exit part are cut off, and when the feeding mechanism is attached to the cartridge entrance/exit part, the transport path is closed off. By providing a shutter means for releasing the interruption between the door and the entrance/exit section,
This has the effect of reliably preventing the operator's hands from entering the conveyance path when the feed mechanism is removed from the cartridge entrance/exit portion. Therefore, even when the feeding mechanism is removed, the conveying operation by the conveying means can be continued.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a side view showing a safety mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing a magnetic tape library device employing the safety mechanism according to the embodiment, and Fig. 3 is an entry It is a front view showing an example of a feeding mechanism in a boat. 1... Cartridge, 2... Cartridge inlet (
Entry boat), 4...Storage rack, 5...Drive, 6...Cartridge ejection port (exit boat), 8...Transportation robot, EU...Feeding mechanism (entry unit), P...Transportation Passage, Sl, S2...
Shutter. Applicant Hitachi Electronics Engineering Co., Ltd.
Hitachi, Ltd. Representative Patent Attorney Yoshi Iizuka

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A cartridge entrance/exit section for introducing or ejecting a recording medium cartridge, a storage body housing a plurality of the cartridges introduced from the entrance/exit section, and a driving means for at least reading out the cartridges; a conveying means for conveying the cartridge between the entrance/exit section, the storage body, and the driving means along a conveyance path; and a conveying means detachably attached at the entrance/exit section for transferring the cartridge between the entrance/exit section and the conveying means. In a recording medium cartridge library device comprising a feeding mechanism, when the feeding mechanism is removed from the entrance/exit part, the transport path and the entrance/exit part are cut off, and the feeding mechanism is attached to the entrance/exit part. shutter means for releasing the interruption between the conveyance passage and the entrance/exit portion as the feed mechanism is removed, the shutter means preventing an operator's hand or the like from entering the conveyance passage when the feed mechanism is removed A safety mechanism that prevents this.