JPH0410267A - Ejecting mechanism for recording medium cartridge library device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To simplify the work of ejecting a cartridge by providing a means to move a pedestal for a prescribed distance each time the cartridge is supported on the pedestal. CONSTITUTION:A used recording medium cartridge 1 is conveyed to an exit port 6 by conveyer robot 8 and loaded on a pedestal 12. Next, when it is detected by an upper beam sensor SU that the cartridge 1 is supported on the pedestal 12, the pedestal 12 is moved for the distance corresponding to the thickness of the cartridge 1 by driving a driving belt 13. Thus, the cartridge to be next conveyed to the exit port 6 by the conveyer robot 8 is laminated onto the cartridge 1 loaded on the pedestal 12 and afterwards, the following cartridges are stocked in the state of being laminated on the preceding cartridge successively. Therefore, the plural cartridges can be totally ejected from the exit port.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an ejection mechanism in a recording medium cartridge library device, and in particular to a mechanism for sequentially stacking recording medium cartridges conveyed to a cartridge ejection port by a conveyance means at the ejection port. The present invention relates to a cartridge that can be stored in a state in which a recording medium cartridge is stored and that allows an operator or the like to easily take out the recording medium cartridge.

[Conventional technology]

A magnetic tape library device is a device that stores and drives i-tape cartridges (hereinafter referred to as cartridges), and includes a cartridge introduction port (hereinafter referred to as an entry port) and a cartridge introduced from the entry port. A storage rack that can store, for example, several thousand cartridges, a drive for driving (reading or reading/writing) the cartridges, and a cartridge ejection port (for ejecting used cartridges from the library device to the outside of the device). (hereinafter referred to as exit boat)
and a transport robot that transports the cartridge within the device. The transport robot transports the cartridge inserted into the entry port to the storage rack, transports the cartridge to be driven from the storage rack to the drive, and then returns the driven cartridge from the drive to the storage rack, and transports the cartridge to the storage rack. Cartridges to be discharged outside are transported to an exit boat.

In addition, the exit boat is equipped with multiple ejection shelves, and when used cartridges are ejected from the library device, the cartridges are moved from the storage rack or drive to the respective ejection rails by a transport robot. 6 [Problem to be Solved by the Invention] However, in this type of conventional magnetic tape library device, as described above, Since the cartridges must be taken out one by one from each take-out column, the work of taking out the cartridges is troublesome, and the operability of the library apparatus is degraded.

This invention was made in view of the above points.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an ejection mechanism in a recording medium cartridge library device that allows the operation of removing a recording medium cartridge from a cartridge ejection port to be easily performed.

[Means for Solving 8M] The ejecting mechanism in the recording medium cartridge library device according to the present invention includes a cartridge inlet, a storage body for storing a plurality of recording medium cartridges introduced from the inlet, and a storage body for storing a plurality of recording medium cartridges introduced from the inlet. At least a driving means for reading, a cartridge ejection port for ejecting the used recording medium cartridge in the apparatus to the outside, and transportation of the cartridge between the cartridge introduction port, the storage body, the driving means, and the cartridge ejection port. A recording medium cartridge library device comprising: a pedestal section provided in the ejection port on which a recording medium cartridge sent from the conveying means is placed and supported; and a pedestal section on which the recording medium cartridge is supported. By moving the pedestal part by a distance corresponding to the thickness of the supported cartridge each time, a new recording medium cartridge sent from the conveying means is placed on top of the last supported recording medium cartridge. a moving means that allows the cartridges to be stacked, the cartridges sent from the conveying means can be stored in a sequentially stacked state on the pedestal, and a plurality of cartridges can be stored at once from the discharge port. It is made so that it can be taken out.

[Effect]

A recording medium cartridge library (hereinafter referred to as a first cartridge for convenience) that has been used in the recording medium cartridge library device is conveyed to a cartridge ejection port by a conveyance robot, and placed and supported on a pedestal. Next, when the detection means such as an optical sensor detects that the first cartridge is supported on the pedestal, the moving means moves the pedestal by a distance corresponding to the thickness of the first cartridge. Moving. In this way, the recording medium cartridge (second cartridge) that is next transported to the cartridge ejection port by the transport robot is stacked on top of the first cartridge.

Thereafter, subsequent recording medium cartridges conveyed by the conveyance means are stacked one after another on top of the preceding recording medium cartridge.

In this way, the recording medium cartridges that have been used in the recording medium cartridge library device are stored in a sequentially stacked state on the pedestal, and an operator etc. can take out a plurality of cartridges at once from the ejection port. This makes it possible to easily remove the recording medium cartridge.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on an embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an ejection mechanism EX according to an embodiment of the present invention, and this embodiment is implemented in a magnetic tape library device as shown in its entirety in FIG. That is, the library device has entry port 2.
, a storage rack 4 capable of storing, for example, several dozen cartridges 1 introduced from the boat 2 in respective storage positions 4a, a drive 5 for driving the cartridges, and a storage rack 4 for storing cartridges 1 that have been used in the library device. 1 to the outside of the apparatus. Further, the transfer robot 8 is movable vertically and horizontally along the transfer path P, and carries the cartridge 1 inserted into the entry port 2 by the operator ○P.
Take the receiver one by one and place it in the designated storage position 1i of the storage rack 4.
Specific cartridge 1 to be transported or driven to i4a
is taken out from the storage position 4a and conveyed to the drive 5, and then the cartridge 1 that has been driven by the drive 5 is returned to the storage position 4a, or the cartridge 1 to be ejected to the outside of the apparatus is exited from the storage rack 4 or the drive 5. It is used for transporting to port 6. When trying to introduce cartridges 1 into the library device, operator ○P can set a plurality of cartridges 1 in a stacked state in the entry port 2, and in this way, the cartridges 1 can be set in a stacked state. The plurality of cartridges 1 are sequentially delivered to the transport robot 8 starting from one end.

In the discharge mechanism EX shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. It is for mounting and supporting the cartridge 1 sent from the robot 8. Pedestal 12
is fixedly connected to the drive belt 13. In this way, the pedestal 12 is driven by the drive belt 13, thereby being able to slide vertically within the entry port 6 along the pedestal guide G in the slider portion 12a. The optical sensor S1 is fixed at a position aligned with the cartridge entrance/exit 8a of the transport robot 8 stopped at the ejection position.

It is detected that the cartridge 1 sent from the transport robot 8 has reached the first position 1ii (the position shown by the solid line) on the pedestal 12. When the optical sensor S1 detects the cartridge 1 as described above, the feeding roller 10 is moved to the shaft 1 by the feeding roller support arm 14 being driven by a solenoid or the like.
5, the cartridge 1 is pushed onto both sides of the cartridge 1, and then rotated in the direction of the arrow by belts B1 and B2 driven by a common motor. In this way, the feed roller 10
is taken in to a second position (position shown by a two-dot chain line) closer to the operator OP side.

The upper light sensor SU is fixed at a position aligned with the light sensor S1, and the lower light sensor SL is aligned with the thickness (height) of one cartridge 1 along the pedestal guide G (that is, in the sliding direction of the pedestal 12). It is fixed and spaced apart from the upper optical sensor SU by a distance corresponding to (a). In the initial state where the cartridge 1 is not supported at all on the pedestal 12, the pedestal 12 is stopped at a standard mounting position with its upper surface slightly below the lower edge of the cartridge entrance/exit 8a of the transport robot 8. There is. In this initial state, the upper and lower optical sensors SU and SL are not detecting anything.

The upper optical sensor SU detects that the first cartridge 1 has been taken in from the transport robot 8 to the second position on the pedestal 12, and outputs a taking-in detection signal to a control unit (not shown). The control section lowers the pedestal 12 by driving the drive belt 13 based on this intake detection signal. At this time, as the pedestal 12 descends, the lower light sensor SL detects that the cartridge 1 taken onto the pedestal 12 as described above has passed the sensor S2, and transmits the passage detection signal to the control output to the section.

Therefore, the control section stops the lowering of the pedestal 12 by stopping the driving of the drive belt 13 based on this passage detection signal. Thereafter, the control section drives the drive belt 13 in the opposite direction by a predetermined number of pulses, for example, to raise the cartridge 1 again until the top surface of the cartridge 1 reaches the reference mounting position, and then stops the cartridge 1 (fourth step). figure). In this way, the pedestal 12 has a thickness corresponding to 11 cartridges from the above-mentioned reference mounting position so that the second cartridge 1 to be taken in next can be placed and supported on the first cartridge 1. This means that it has descended by a distance equal to . Thereafter, the second cartridge 1 sent from the transport robot 8 passes through the first position and then to the second position.
That is, the cartridge 1 is taken in to a position where it overlaps with the first cartridge 1, and the upper optical sensor SU outputs a taking detection signal for the second cartridge 1. Further, when the pedestal 12 is lowered by the control section, the lower light sensor SL detects passage of the second cartridge 1.

Based on the passage detection signal, the height position of the pedestal 12 is adjusted so that the upper surface of the second cartridge 1 is at the reference mounting position. Thereafter, in the ejection mechanism EX, the same operation as that performed for the second cartridge 1 is performed for the third and subsequent cartridges.

As described above, in the ejection mechanism EX, the pedestal 1
2 and detects the uppermost cartridge 1 placed and supported on the pedestal 1 by a distance equal to the thickness of 11 cartridges.
By lowering the cartridge 2, a plurality of cartridges 1 can be stored in a stacked state on the base 12.

For this reason, operator ○P may send multiple cartridges 1 to the exit boat 6 at once, rather than one by one, as appropriate.
This means that it can be extracted from When all of the stored cartridges 1 are taken out in this way, the pedestal 12 is raised and returned so that its upper surface is again at the reference mounting position. Furthermore, even when a predetermined number of cartridges 1 are being stored in the exit boat 6, the operator
can be extracted in whole or in part.

In addition, when some of the plurality of cartridges stored in a stacked state as described above are taken out, the top surface of the uppermost cartridge 1 remaining on the pedestal 12 is the reference point. The pedestal 12 is raised and returned to the mounting position. Further, in this way, when cartridges 1 stored as described above are taken out, new cartridges 1 can be taken in from the transport robot 8 at least as many as the number of cartridges 1 that have been taken out.

Note that the present invention is not limited to magnetic tape library devices.
The present invention may also be applied to other types of recording medium cartridge library devices.

As described above, in the present invention, used recording medium cartridges are stored in a sequentially stacked state on the pedestal of the cartridge ejection port, and the cartridges cannot be taken out from the ejection port all at once. This provides an excellent effect in that the recording medium cartridge can be easily removed from the ejection port.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a discharge mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a discharge mechanism according to the same embodiment, and FIG.
This figure is a perspective view showing the overall outline of a magnetic tape library device to which the ejecting mechanism is applied, and FIG. 4 is a side view illustrating the operation of the ejecting mechanism. 1...Cartridge, 2...Entry boat (cartridge introduction port), 4...Storage rack, 6...Exit boat (cartridge discharge port), 8...Transportation [Effects of the invention] Robot. 12. Pedestal. SU...Upper light sensor. L...Downward light sensor. 13... Drive belt.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A cartridge introduction port, a storage body that stores a plurality of recording medium cartridges introduced from the introduction port, a driving means for at least reading out the recording medium cartridges, and a recording medium cartridge that has been used in the apparatus. In a recording medium cartridge library device comprising a cartridge ejection port for ejecting the cartridge to the outside, and a transport means for transporting the cartridge between the cartridge introduction port, the storage body, the driving means, and the cartridge ejection port, a pedestal section provided on the pedestal section for mounting and supporting a recording medium cartridge sent from the conveying means; a moving means that allows a new recording medium cartridge sent from the conveying means to be stacked on top of the last supported recording medium cartridge by moving the pedestal, the conveying means The ejection mechanism is characterized in that the cartridges sent from the cartridges can be stored in a sequentially stacked state on the pedestal, and a plurality of the cartridges can be taken out at once from the ejection port.