JPH0477987B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a hand cylinder mechanism for a case (generally referred to as a disk cartridge in this specification) in which an optical disk medium, a magnetic disk medium, etc. are housed in a case.

[Prior art] For example, in the case of an optical disk library device,
Disk cartridges containing optical disk media (hereinafter referred to as optical disk cartridges) are stored vertically in a storage cabinet. Then, the optical disk cartridges are taken out one by one from the storage by the handling mechanism, held, transported to the position of the disk drive unit, and loaded into the disk drive unit.

After the disk drive unit has finished reading or writing information to the optical disk cartridge,
The optical disk cartridge is pushed out to the front side of the disk drive unit, and the optical disk cartridge is taken out from the disk drive unit and held by the handling mechanism, transported to the storage position, and loaded into the storage.

In this way, the handling mechanism includes a mechanism for taking in and holding optical disk cartridges from a storage or a disk drive unit, and conversely filling the optical disk cartridges held therein, and a mechanism for loading optical disk cartridges held therein. It has a mechanism to move the mechanism for conveyance.

Furthermore, since a disk drive unit that can simultaneously read or write information on both sides of an optical disk medium is expensive, a disk drive unit that can read and write information on only one side is generally used.

Therefore, the handling mechanism also includes a surface reversing mechanism for reversing the held optical disk cartridge from the front side to the rear side or vice versa. This surface reversing mechanism is integrated with the loading/unloading mechanism and is moved together when the assembly is transported.

[Problems to be Solved] Conventionally, in such a handling mechanism, the surface reversing mechanism and the loading/unloading mechanism have independent power sources (for example, motors) and power transmission systems. This increases the complexity of both mechanisms, increases costs, and
Furthermore, this leads to a decrease in reliability.

Additionally, due to the independent power source and power transmission system for each mechanism, the weight of the assembly of both mechanisms increases, requiring a large motor etc. to move the assembly.
As a result, the entire handling mechanism becomes larger, the cost increases, or the conveyance speed decreases.

[Object of the Invention] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a handling mechanism for a disk cartridge that solves the above-mentioned conventional problems by improving the structure related to loading and unloading the disk cartridge, reversing the surface, etc. There is a particular thing.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The structure of the disk cartridge handling mechanism of the present invention to achieve such an object is that the mechanism is screwed onto the screw shaft through a nut member or directly. a slide member;
A state in which a guide member that guides the advance and retreat of the slide member and a rear part of the guide member when viewed from the side where the disk cartridge is put in and taken out is formed, and the slide member is separated from the guide by the guide member and does not support both ends of the slide member. The screw shaft has a retaining mechanism provided on the slide member for grasping and retaining the disk cartridge, and a stopper member is fixed at a specific position on the screw shaft. In the case of an insertion/removal operation, the slide member is advanced or retreated while being guided by the guide member by the rotation of the screw shaft, and in the case of a surface reversal operation, the slide member is moved to the deviation part by the rotation of the screw shaft. The specific position to which the stopper member is fixed after retreating and deviating from the guide member is the position at which the slide member stops retreating. Therefore, the stopper member can prevent the slide member from retreating during the surface reversal operation, thereby causing the rotation of the screw shaft to become the rotation of the disk cartridge.

[Function] By the rotational drive of the screw shaft, both the loading/unloading operation of the disk cartridge and the surface reversing operation are performed, and the drive source of the screw shaft is sufficient as the only driving source.

In this way, there are fewer drive sources (and power transmission systems) than before, which reduces the weight of the handling mechanism,
Simplification and cost reduction can be achieved.

Furthermore, the drive source for moving the entire handling mechanism can be downsized, and furthermore, the speed of movement can be increased easily.

[Example] Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 4 is a simplified front view showing the overall structure of an optical disk library device using the handling mechanism according to the present invention. In this figure, 10 is a storage with an open front side. In this storage 10, optical disk cartridges (optical disk media are housed in cases) 12 are stored vertically in a horizontal position and can be taken in and taken out as shown.

Disk drive units 14 and 16 are provided below the storage 10. The disk drive units 14 and 16 include an optical head for reading or writing information on one side of an optical disk medium, and a mechanism for chucking the optical disk medium of an optical disk cartridge loaded to a certain depth to a rotating spindle. It is equipped with such things as The optical disk cartridges are inserted and removed through windows 14A and 16A provided at the front of the housings of the disk drive units 14 and 16.

windows 14A of disk drive units 14, 16;
A handling mechanism 20 is provided on the side facing 16A. This handling mechanism 20 is
An optical disk cartridge is taken out from the storage 10, and while it is held, it is transported downward and loaded into the disk drive unit 14 or 16. The optical disk cartridge is taken out from the disk drive unit 14 or 16, and while it is held, it is loaded into the disk drive unit 14 or 16. In addition to being transported upward and stored in the original storage position in the storage 10,
The optical disk cartridge is turned over as required.

19 is a control unit. Communication with a host device (not shown) and control of each part of the device based on commands from the host device are performed by this control unit 19. In connection with this control, sensors are provided to detect the movement and movement position of each part of the device.
The detection signal is input to the control unit 19, but such a sensor is omitted from the figure.

1 to 3 are schematic plan views for explaining the structure and operation of this handling mechanism 20. FIG. In these figures, the medium handling mechanism 20 has a substantially U-shaped frame body 22 that is open to the storage 10 side. This frame body 2
2 is adapted to be raised and lowered by screw shafts 26 and 28 which are belt-driven by a motor 24 (see FIG. 4).

A motor 30 is fixed to the center plate portion of the frame body 22. The rotating shaft of this motor 30 includes
The base end of the screw shaft 32 is fixed. This screw shaft 32 is for horizontally advancing and retracting the slide plate 34 and for rotating it, and is threadedly engaged with a nut member 36 fixed to the slide plate 34. Stoppers 38 and 40 are fixed to the distal and proximal ends of the screw shaft 32, respectively.

Two upper and lower rows of guides 41 (only the upper row is shown in the figure) are provided on the inner surface of each side plate portion of the frame body 22, respectively. The slide plate 34 moves forward and backward in a horizontal position while its both ends are guided by guide grooves 42 of a pair of guides 41 in the upper or lower row. An inward protrusion 44 is provided at the distal end of the guide 41, and there is a gap slightly wider than the width of the slide plate 34 between the base end and the base end of the side plate portion of the frame body 22. This forms a deviation portion 43 where the slide plate 34 deviates from the guide 41.

A pair of pick levers 46 are attached to the slide plate 34 near both ends so as to be horizontally rotatable about a shaft 48. A tension spring 50 is applied to the pick lever 46 to urge it to rotate inward. Additionally, the pick lever 46 has an inwardly directed notched groove 52, as clearly shown in FIG.
is formed, and a pin 54 is fixed inside.

A detent member (detent) 62 biased by a spring 60 is provided inside the center plate portion of the frame body 22. In relation to this detent member 62, a pin 6 is provided on the slide plate 34.
Two 4's are provided.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4, the operation of the handling mechanism 20 will be explained in relation to the overall operation of this optical disk library apparatus.

Assume that no optical disk cartridge is held in the handling mechanism 20, and it becomes necessary to read information from the optical disk cartridge 12A in the storage 10. It is assumed that the slide plate 34 is advanced to a position where it engages with the stopper 38, and the pick lever 46 is opened outward as shown in FIG.

In this case, the control unit 19 controls the motor 24 to raise or lower the handling mechanism 20 to position it at a height corresponding to the optical disk cartridge 12A.

Next, the control unit 19 reversely rotates the motor 30 to move the slide plate 34 backward. As it retreats, the pick lever 46 gradually rotates inward, and the tip of the optical disk cartridge 12A enters the notch groove 52 (FIG. 2). When the slide plate 34 is further retreated and the pick lever 46 is separated from the protrusion 44, the pick lever 46 is rotated further inward by the tension spring 50, and the pin 54 moves into the notch 70 of the optical disk cartridge 12A. Get into it.

In this way, the tip of the optical disk cartridge 12A is held by the pair of pick levers 46,
The slide plate 34 is pulled out from the storage 10 by retreating.

If it is not necessary to invert the surface of the optical disk cartridge 12A, as shown in FIG.
4 is moved back to near the base end of the guide 41 and stopped.

Next, the control unit 19 lowers the handling mechanism 20 by controlling the motor 24, so that the optical disk cartridge 12A held there opens the window 14A (or 16A) of one disk drive unit 14 (or 16). ), the motor 24 is stopped.

When the height position of the handling mechanism 20 is determined in this way, the control unit 20 rotates the motor 30 in the forward direction, thereby moving the slide plate 34.
is advanced until it is stopped by the stopper 38. As a result, the optical disk cartridge 12A is gradually pushed into the disk drive unit 14 from its rear end. When the optical disk cartridge 12A is pushed in to a predetermined depth, the pick lever 46 opens outward as shown in FIG. 1 by engaging with the protrusion 44, and releases the optical disk cartridge 12A.
The optical disk medium of this optical disk cartridge 12A is chucked to a rotating spindle to read or write information.

Now, when the slide plate 34 is advanced to the position where it engages with the stopper 38, the pick lever 46 is opened outward from the optical disk cartridge 12A, so that the handling mechanism 20 can be raised and lowered as it is.

Here, for example, the other disk drive unit 1
Suppose that it becomes necessary to return the optical disk cartridge loaded in the optical disc cartridge 6 to the storage 10. In that case, the control unit 19 controls the disk drive unit 1.
The handling mechanism 20 is lowered to a height corresponding to the window 16A of No. 6 and stopped. And motor 3
0 is reversely rotated, the slide plate 34 is moved backward, and the optical disk cartridge is taken out. Then, as shown in FIG. 2, while holding the optical disk cartridge, the handling mechanism 20 is raised to a height corresponding to its storage position, and then the slide plate 34 is advanced to hold the optical disk cartridge. It is stored in a predetermined position in the storage 10.

Next, the surface reversing operation of the optical disk cartridge by the handling mechanism 20 will be explained.

If surface reversal is required, control unit 19 reversely rotates motor 30 to retract slide plate 34 until it engages stopper 40 as shown in FIG. However, the motor 30 is not stopped immediately. As a result of the screw feeding action of the screw shaft 32, the slide plate 34 and the stopper 40 are strongly pressed together, so that the slide plate 34 begins to rotate together with the screw shaft 32.

In addition, at this time, the slide plate 34 is moved to the stopper 4.
At 0, the backward movement stops, and both ends of the guide 41 come off the guide 41 and are at the deviation part 43. Therefore, it is possible to rotate without being hindered by the guide 41.

When the slide plate 34 rotates 180 degrees, the control unit 19 stops the motor 30. The slide plate 34 is held in this position by the engagement between the pin 64 and the daytent 62. Thus,
The surface reversal of the optical disk cartridge held by the pick lever 46 is completed.

In this manner, in this handling mechanism 20, the reversal of the loading/unloading surface of the optical disk cartridge is performed using the common motor 30 as a power source.

In the surface-inverted state, since the slide plate 34 is located below the screw shaft 32, its horizontal movement is guided by the guide 41 on the lower row side.

Although one embodiment has been described above, the present invention is not limited thereto.

For example, in the embodiment described above, the pick lever 46, which grips and holds the optical disk cartridge, is opened and closed using the forward and backward force of the slide plate 34. This is effective in reducing the weight of the handling mechanism 20, reducing the number of parts, and reducing costs, but it is also possible to separately provide a power source such as a solenoid exclusively for driving the pick lever 46.

Further, instead of the nut member 36, a screw hole may be formed in the slide plate 34, and the screw shaft 32 may be directly screwed into the screw hole. The nut member may be a ball nut.

In the embodiment described above, the stopper 40 and the slide plate 34 are in surface contact with each other, but one may be provided with a pin and the other may be provided with a groove or hole that engages with the pin.

The present invention may be implemented with various modifications in other configurations without departing from the spirit thereof.

Further, the present invention can be similarly applied to handling mechanisms for similar disk cartridges other than optical disk cartridges, such as disk cartridges containing magnetic detent media.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, in the present invention, both the loading/unloading operation and the surface reversing operation of the disk cartridge are performed by the rotational drive of the screw shaft. transmission system)
This reduces the weight, simplification, and cost of the handling mechanism. Furthermore, the drive source for moving the entire handling mechanism can be made smaller and the movement can be made faster.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 4 are diagrams showing one embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1 is a simplified schematic plan view for explaining the configuration of the handling mechanism and a specific operating state, and FIG. A simplified schematic plan view for explaining another operating state of the handling mechanism; FIG. 3 is a simplified schematic plan view for explaining another operating state; FIG. 4 is a simplified schematic plan view for explaining another operating state; FIG. 1 is a front view showing a simplified overall configuration of a disk library device. FIG. 10... Storage, 12, 12A... Optical disk cartridge, 14, 16... Disk drive unit, 20... Handling mechanism, 30... Motor, 32... Screw shaft, 34... Slide plate, 36 ... Nut member, 40 ... Stopper, 46 ... Pick lever, 52 ... Notch groove,
54...pin, 62...day tent, 70...notch.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A mechanism for inserting and removing the disk cartridge 12A and reversing the surface of the disk cartridge 12A, which
2, a drive means 30 for rotationally driving this screw shaft, and a slide having a width larger than the width of the disk cartridge, which is screwed onto the screw shaft through a nut member 36 or directly. a member 34; a guide member 41 for guiding the sliding member forward and backward in a width larger than the width of the disk cartridge; a deviation part 43 that comes off the guide and leaves both ends of the slide member unsupported; and holding mechanisms 46, 48, and 5 provided on the slide member for gripping and holding the disk cartridge.
0, and a stopper member 40 is fixed to a specific position of the screw shaft, and in the case of the insertion/removal operation, the slide member is guided by the guide member by rotation of the screw shaft. and in the case of the surface reversing operation, the slide member retreats to the deviation part and deviates from the guide member by the rotation of the screw shaft, and the stopper member is fixed at the specific position. is a position at which the slide member stops retreating at this deviated position, and the stopper member prevents the slide member from retreating during the surface reversal operation, thereby preventing rotation of the screw shaft from the disk. A disk cartridge handling mechanism characterized by rotating the cartridge. 2. The disk cartridge handling mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the holding mechanism is configured to rotate a pair of lever members 46 as the slide member moves.