JPH0594661A - Carrier mechanism in cartridge library device of recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To effectively realize miniaturization and cost reduction by providing a clamping means to clamp a cartridge to be carried from the vertical direction and moving the cartridge. CONSTITUTION:A handling unit H is provided with a clamper hand part 3 having a cartridge guiding function and a cartridge holding function corresponding to a conventional housing type carrier holder. The clamper hand part 3 is moved back and forth, e.g. according to the driving of a slider 6 made by a motor MH, etc., for back and forth driving. Through such an approaching action, the cartridge C can be exactly loaded and unloaded in/from a housing cell, or between drivers without requiring a specific cartridge guide, in the clamper hand part 3.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a conveying mechanism in a recording medium cartridge library apparatus, and more particularly, it is possible to convey a recording medium cartridge without the need for a relatively large cartridge holder type conveying holder. The present invention relates to a recording medium cartridge library device that can be made compact and low cost.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An optical disk cartridge library device (hereinafter, referred to as OLU) is a device for storing, reading and writing an optical disk cartridge (hereinafter, also referred to as a cartridge), and is generally a storage rack for storing a plurality of cartridges. , A drive for reading and writing the cartridge, and a transport mechanism for transporting the cartridge between the storage rack, the drive and the like. The transport mechanism includes a transport holder that transports the cartridge by taking in a cartridge to be transported from a storage rack, a drive, or the like, and moving the cartridge by an appropriate driving means while holding the cartridge detachably. The transport holder is a box-shaped, so-called storage type, which substantially corresponds to the shape of the cartridge, so as to properly slide and guide the cartridge to be taken in and out of the transport holder and to securely hold the cartridge being transported. Has become.

By the way, in the conventional OLU, when the cartridge is taken in and out between the transport holder and the storage rack, the drive, etc., for example, rollers or locking arms provided on both sides (both sides) of the transport holder. The cartridge is grasped on both sides by the grasping means, and the cartridge is slid along the inner surface of the transport holder by rotating the roller or moving the locking arm in that state. By the locking arm,
It is called a hooking type, and a claw portion at the tip of the arm is engaged with a recess formed in the cartridge in advance, and the arm pulls the cartridge.

Further, in order to invert the surface to be read and written by a drive, for example, the cartridge is turned upside down (A / B).
When it is necessary to invert, the cartridge is taken into the transport holder by the roller or the locking arm, and then the transport holder is inverted together with the cartridge.

[0005]

However, in the conventional OLU of this type, the carrying holder has a relatively large size, particularly a wide width, and the gripping means is provided on both sides of the wide carrying holder. Since it is provided, a considerably large installation space and operation space are required in the lateral direction, and therefore the OLU cannot be made slim (compact). In addition to this, the mechanism for movably and reversibly providing the transport holder of a considerable size and weight is large-scale and complicated, and therefore has a large number of parts. The size was further increased and the cost was increased. The present invention has been made in view of the above points,
A transport mechanism in a recording medium cartridge library device capable of transporting a recording medium cartridge without the need for a cartridge storage type transport holder, and effectively realizing downsizing and cost reduction of the recording medium cartridge library device. Is to provide.

[0006]

A transport mechanism according to the present invention includes a container for accommodating a plurality of recording medium cartridges,
In a recording medium cartridge library apparatus including a drive for reading and writing a recording medium cartridge, a transport mechanism for transporting the cartridge, and a gripping unit that detachably grips the cartridge to be transported from above and below. A first moving means for carrying the cartridge by moving the holding means to a position such as the storage body, a drive, and the like; A second moving means for bringing the gripping means closer to the storage body, drive, etc. for exchanging with the body, drive, etc., and recording without the need for a cartridge storage type transport holder. The medium cartridge can be transported.

[0007]

The grasping means supports the weight of the cartridge to be conveyed by detachably grasping the cartridge from above and below. By gripping the cartridge from above and below in this way, the gripping means can hold the cartridge to be transported only by the gripping force. Therefore, the gripping means can securely hold the cartridge with a relatively small and simple structure. The first moving means carries the cartridge by moving the gripping means gripping the cartridge to the position of the storage body, the drive, or the like. The second moving means exchanges the cartridge to be transported or has been transported between the gripping means and the storage body, drive, etc., so that the gripping means is transferred to the storage body, drive, etc. Bring them closer. By such an approaching operation, the gripping means can exchange the cartridges without requiring a specific cartridge guide. In this way, in the transport mechanism according to the present invention, the recording medium cartridge can be transported without the need for the conventional cartridge storage type transport holder.

As described above, according to the present invention, the relatively large-sized storage type carrier holder used conventionally is not provided, and the space where the gripping means is moved by the first moving means is utilized. Since the cartridge is gripped from above and below, a wide mounting space and operating space are not required. For this reason, the recording medium cartridge library device can be made compact, and hence the capacity can be increased. Further, since the gripping means is small and has a simple structure, a mechanism for mounting the gripping means so as to be movable and reversible for carrying the cartridge, performing A / B reversal, etc. should be small and simple. You can As a result, the OLU can be made more compact and the cost can be reduced. As a result, the present invention is particularly applicable to a portable type recording medium cartridge library device, for example, a portable type OLU (P
-OLU) can exert a remarkable effect.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an example in which a cartridge carrying mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention is used for an OLU, and FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view showing details of a handling unit H constituting the cartridge carrying mechanism. Is. FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line III-III in FIG. As shown in these figures, in the OLU, the storage rack 2 has a plurality of cartridges C in each storage cell 2a.
And is separated from the drive ODD for reading and writing the cartridge C in the vertical direction. In each of the storage cells 2a, the cartridge C is stored with its tip portion protruding from the storage cell 2a. This cartridge transporting mechanism transports the cartridge C between the storage cell 2a in the OLU, the drive ODD, and other positions, but here, in order to simplify the description, the storage cell 2a and the drive ODD are connected. The description will be limited to only the transportation between them.

The cartridge transporting mechanism according to this embodiment includes a handling unit H. The handling unit H is connected to a slider ES that slides in the vertical direction along the elevating guide shaft E by being driven by an elevating motor ME or the like on a guide shaft 4 that extends in the horizontal direction, for example. In this way, the handling unit H is moved up and down by the storage cell 2a or the drive while holding the cartridge C to be transported via the slider ES. In the following description, for convenience, the direction from the handling unit H toward the storage rack 2 and the drive ODD is referred to as the front, and the opposite direction is referred to as the rear.

According to this embodiment, the handling unit H includes a clamper hand section 3 having a cartridge guiding function and a cartridge holding function, which corresponds to a conventional storage type transport holder. Clamper hand part 3
Holds the weight of the cartridge C by detachably gripping the cartridge C to be conveyed in the vertical direction (front and back direction). In FIGS. 1 and 2, the clamper hand unit 3 is at a standby position separated from the storage cell 2a or the drive ODD. The handling unit H is moved up and down with the clamper hand section 3 stopped at this standby position. More specifically, the clamper hand portion 3 is fixedly connected to a slider 6 slidably attached to the guide shaft 4 extending in the front-rear direction. In this way, the clamper hand unit 3 moves back and forth along the guide shaft 4 so as to approach and retract with respect to the storage rack 2 or the drive ODD by the slider 6 being driven by, for example, the front-back drive motor MH. It is supposed to do. By such an approaching operation, in the clamper hand section 3, the storage rack 2 or the drive O
The cartridge C to be transported or having been transported is stored in the storage cell 2a or the drive O without the need for a specific cartridge guide serving as a bridge function with the DD.
It will be possible to accurately move in and out of DD.

More specifically, the clamper hand portion 3 has a frame 7 having front and bottom front flanges 7a.
On the front flange 7a of the frame 7, a pair of clamper guide shafts 8 which are separated from each other in a direction perpendicular to the guide shaft 4 are fixed. The clamper guide shaft 8 has an upper base member 9a and a lower base member 9b.
Is slidably mounted. Upper clamper member 10
The a and the lower clamper member 10b are integrally fixed to the respective base members 9a and 9b, so that they can be slid vertically along the clamper guide shaft 8 via the base members 9a and 9b. Has become. Further, the upper and lower clamper members 10a, 10b are
Tensile springs 11 attached to flanges formed on both sides of the lower base members 9a and 9b are constantly urged in directions toward each other. In this way, the upper and lower clamper members 10a and 10b can elastically grip one end of the cartridge C to be conveyed.

The friction contact member 12 made of rubber, for example, is fixed to the opposing surfaces of the respective clamper members 10a and 10b, and the elastic force of the spring 11 causes both the clamper members 10 to move.
The cartridge C held between a and 10b is prevented from being displaced. Further, in each of the clamper members 10a and 10b, behind the friction contact member 12, as described later, the clamper hand portion 3 moves forward along the guide shaft 4 while the storage cell 2a or the cartridge C of the drive ODD is moved. A stopper 14 for stopping the cartridge C at a predetermined position when the cartridge is taken in between the upper and lower clamper members 10a, 10b is fixed. The stopper 14 locks the tip end surface of the cartridge C taken in between the upper and lower clamper members 10a and 10b, so that the friction contact member 1 is
It also has a function of cooperating with 2 to more reliably prevent displacement of the cartridge C in the width (lateral) direction.

The rear portion of the frame 7 is a cylindrical portion 7b, and an actuator shaft 15 is provided in the cylindrical portion 7b so as to be rotatable relative to the frame 7. The actuator shaft 15 is connected at its rear end portion to a rotary drive mechanism DM composed of a motor and a clutch portion, and a cam 17 is fixed to its front end portion. The cam 17 includes upper and lower base members 9a, 9
upper roller 16a and lower roller 16 which are attached to the rear surface of each of b and function as cam followers.
It is in contact with b. In this way, this cam 17
As the actuator shaft 15 is rotated by the rotary drive mechanism DM, it is rotated by 90 degrees. By the rotation of the cam 17 as described above, the upper and lower clamper members 10a and 10b move to the respective base members 9a and 9a.
9b, along the clamper guide shaft 8 to move between a holding position for holding the cartridge C to be conveyed and an opening position for releasing the held cartridge C. There is.

Further, when the surface of the cartridge C to be read / written by the drive ODD needs to be A / B-inverted, the clamper hand section 3 uses the cartridge C.
While being held by the clamper members 10a and 10b, it can be inverted by 180 degrees as shown by an arrow R in FIG. That is, the frame 7 is connected to the rotary drive mechanism DM at the rear end portion of the cylindrical portion 7b, and through the appropriate switching operation of the clutch portion C, the same rotary drive mechanism DM as described above through the bearing 18, It is adapted to rotate with respect to the slider 6. In this way, when the frame 7 rotates, the upper and lower base members 9a and 9b, the upper and lower clamper members 10a and 10b, which are fixed to the frame 7, also rotate together. Also, when the frame 7 rotates,
Cartridge C with upper and lower base members 9a and 9b
The actuator shaft 15, and thus the cam 17, will rotate with it so that the grip of the actuator is maintained.

With the above configuration, the clamp hand unit 3
When the cartridge C is inserted into and removed from the storage slot 2a or the drive ODD, the cartridge C approaches the storage slot 2a or the drive ODD and grips the cartridge C in the vertical direction to support its weight. I have to. Therefore, the cartridge guide function and the cartridge holding function can be achieved without the need for the conventional storage type transport holder. Therefore, unlike a conventional OLU that uses a storage type transport holder and is further provided with gripping means on both sides thereof, it does not require a large installation space and operation space in the lateral direction,
As a result, the OLU can be made significantly compact. In addition to this, unlike the conventional one, the mechanism for movably and reversibly providing the clamp hand portion 3 is small in scale, simple, and therefore has a small number of parts. For the above reasons, the OLU can be effectively made compact, and hence the capacity can be increased and the cost can be reduced.

Further, since the cartridge C is elastically gripped by the force of the spring 11, the gripping force is constant and damage to the cartridge C is prevented. In particular, the damage of the cartridge C when the cartridge C is taken in and out is more reliably prevented as compared with the conventional hooking type gripping means. Further, even when the power is cut off for some reason, the cartridge C does not drop out. Further, when an external force in the vertical direction, vibration, or the like is generated, the cartridge C can be elastically followed, so that the cartridge C is reliably prevented from falling off. Further, by appropriately switching the clutch of the rotary drive mechanism DM, the rotation of the cam 17 for moving the upper and lower clamper members 10a, 10b between the holding position and the open position, and the cartridge C are performed. The rotation of the clapper hand portion 3 for A / B inversion can be performed by the same rotation drive mechanism DM.

Next, an example of the operation of this embodiment will be described. For example, when the cartridge C stored in a specific storage cell 2a is conveyed to the drive ODD, this OL
In the U cartridge transport device, first, the lifting motor M
By E, the handling unit H is moved to the height position of the storage cell 2a along the elevation guide axis ES. At this time, the clamper hand unit 3 is at the standby position, above,
The lower clamper members 10a, 10b are in the open position. When the handling unit H is stopped at the position of the storage cell 2a, the slider 6 is driven forward by the front-back drive motor MH, so that the clamper hand section 3 is directed toward the storage cell 2a along the guide shaft 4. Be advanced. With the forward movement of the clamper hand unit 3 as described above, the leading ends of the cartridges C stored in the storage cells 2a enter the upper and lower clamper members 10a and 10b. When the cartridge C enters at its tip until it is stopped by the stopper 14, the advance of the clamper hand unit 3 is stopped. Then, as the actuator shaft 15 is rotated by the rotation drive mechanism DM, the cam 1
7 is rotated 90 degrees. As a result, the upper and lower clamper members 10a and 10b move to the gripping position along the clamper guide shaft 8 and grip the cartridge C at the tip thereof. At this time, the upper and lower clamper members 1
0a and 10b are the storage cells 2a for the cartridge C.
It is designed to be held in a state of being slightly raised from the bottom surface so as not to come into contact with either the bottom surface or the top surface. Next, the slider 6 is driven rearward by the front-back drive motor MH, whereby the clamper hand section 3 is
While holding the cartridge C, it is retracted from the storage cell 2a to the standby position. In this way, the cartridge C is taken into the handling unit H from the storage cell 2a. As described above, the cartridge C is pulled out from the storage cell 2a while being held in a slightly raised state in the storage cell 2a, and
Even in the handling unit H, since it is simply gripped by the upper and lower clamper members 10a and 10b, it does not slide with respect to the storage cell 2a or the component on the side of the handling unit H, and thus the sliding of the cartridge C is performed. Dust, abrasion, noise, etc. due to movement are effectively prevented.

The handling unit H holding the cartridge C in this way is lowered to the height position of the drive ODD by the lifting motor ME. And
The clamper hand section 3 is moved forward by the front-rear drive motor MH, and the cartridge C held by the upper and lower clamper members 10a and 10b is taken into the drive ODD from the tip thereof. When the center of gravity of the cartridge C moves to the drive ODD side, the forward movement of the clamper hand unit 3 is stopped.
Are completely taken into the drive ODD by a transfer means (not shown) such as a roller on the drive ODD side.
In this way, the cartridge C is driven by the drive ODD.
Will be read and written.

After the reading / writing on one side of the cartridge C is completed by the drive ODD, if the reading / writing on the other side of the cartridge C is desired, the A / B inversion of the cartridge C is performed. In this case, first, the cartridge C is ejected by the transfer means until the tip portion thereof projects from the drive ODD. Next, as in the case where the cartridge C is taken out from the storage slot 2a, the forward / backward drive motor MH advances the clamper hand portion 3 toward the drive ODD. At this time, the upper and lower clamper members 10a and 10b are in the open position. Then, after the tip portion of the cartridge C has entered between the upper and lower clamper members 10a and 10b, the actuator shaft 15 is rotated by the rotary drive mechanism DM, whereby the cam 17 is rotated by 90 degrees, which causes the upward movement. , The lower clamper members 10a, 10b
The cartridge C is moved to the grip position, and the cartridge C is gripped at its tip portion. Next, the clutch portion is switched, and the cylindrical portion 7b of the frame 7 is rotated by the rotary drive mechanism DM, whereby the clamper hand portion 3 is rotated by 180 degrees together with the cartridge C. B inversion is performed. After that, A /
The B-inverted cartridge C is sent to the drive ODD by the same operation as described above, and the reading and writing of the other surface is performed. In the above embodiment,
Although a cam is used as a means for moving between the lower clamper members 10a and 10b between the open position and the gripping position,
A solenoid or the like may be used as the means. Further, the present invention is not limited to the OLU, but may be applied to a library device which handles a recording medium cartridge such as a magnetic tape cartridge or the like.

[0021]

As described above, according to the present invention, there is provided the gripping means for gripping the cartridge to be conveyed from above and below, and the cartridge to be conveyed or already conveyed is grasped with the accommodating body, drive, etc. When exchanging with, the gripping means is moved in a direction approaching the storage body, the drive, or the like. With such a configuration, the present invention can carry a cartridge without the need for a cartridge-housing-type carrying holder, so that the recording medium cartridge library apparatus can be effectively made compact and low in cost. ,
This is an excellent effect.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a cartridge transport mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view showing the handling unit shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

3 ... Clamper hand part, 4 ... Guide shaft, 6 ... Slider,
H ... Handling unit, ME ... Lifting motor, MH
… Front-back drive motor.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A recording medium cartridge library apparatus comprising: a container for accommodating a plurality of recording medium cartridges; and a drive for reading and writing the recording medium cartridges. Holding means for holding the cartridge to be detached from above and below in a detachable manner; first moving means for carrying the cartridge by moving the holding means to a position such as the storage body or drive; Second moving means for bringing the gripping means closer to the storage body, drive, etc. for exchanging the cartridge to be carried or transported between the storage means, drive, etc. It is possible to carry the recording medium cartridge without the need for a cartridge-containing carrying holder. A transport mechanism in a recording medium cartridge library device.