JPH0596929U - Auto cartridge loader - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] In the ACL, the locking arm of the magazine holding the cartridge is automatically released at the pull-out position. [Structure] A magazine 3 accommodating a cartridge 4 moves up and down with respect to an ACL base 7. Each section of the magazine 3 for accommodating the cartridge 4 has a cantilevered locking arm 10
Have. The locking arm engages with the recess 4 a of the cartridge 4 to hold the cartridge 4 in the magazine 3. A release arm 17 is provided at a predetermined position of the base 7 where the cartridge is pulled out, and the locking arm 10 of the compartment that has come to the position is flexed outward to free the cartridge 4.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to an auto cartridge loader (hereinafter abbreviated as ACL) for automatically loading and unloading a magnetic tape cartridge (hereinafter abbreviated as a cartridge) with respect to a cartridge drive mechanism.

[0002]

[Prior Art]

 The ACL for loading / unloading the cartridge into / from the cartridge drive mechanism generally has the following structure. First, the ACL has a box-shaped magazine that can store a plurality of cartridges. Generally, magazines are divided into shelf-like compartments that store cartridges one by one. In each compartment, the cartridges can be prevented from jumping out of the magazine and falling due to vibrations such as shaking or earthquake when carrying the magazine alone. A locking arm is provided to prevent this. The locking arm has an elastic force set to an appropriate value, and the cartridge can be pulled out by pulling with a predetermined force.

This magazine is attached to the insertion part of the ACL body. The moving means provided in the main body of the ACL moves this magazine to move the magazine in and out of the insertion part of the main body. Then, the conveyance means provided in the ACL main body pulls out a desired cartridge from the magazine stopped at an appropriate position against the holding force of the locking arm and sends it to the adjacent cartridge drive mechanism. Alternatively, the cartridge ejected from the cartridge drive mechanism is stored at a predetermined position in the magazine.

[0004]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 According to the ACL having the above-described structure, since each cartridge is held in the magazine with a predetermined force by the locking arm, a large force is required to pull out the cartridge from the magazine. For this reason, the driving force of the transporting means must be set to a value equal to or higher than that required for actual transport so that the cartridge can be pulled out with a force larger than the holding force of the locking arm. Further, since the cartridge is pulled out against the holding force of the locking arm, there is a problem that the cartridge and the locking arm are worn or broken.

An object of the present invention is to make it possible for an ACL to automatically release a locking arm of a magazine holding a cartridge with a simple structure.

[0006]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 The auto cartridge loader of the present invention accommodates a plurality of cartridges and has a magazine having a locking arm for holding each cartridge, a base on which the magazine is mounted, and the magazine with respect to the base. In an automatic cartridge loader equipped with moving means for moving and setting to a desired position and carrying means for moving the cartridge in and out of the magazine set in a desired position, the locking arm of the moving magazine is contacted. A releasing arm for releasing the holding of the cartridge by the locking arm is provided at a predetermined position of the base.

[0007]

[Action]

 The magazine moves with respect to the base. The release arm of the base comes into contact with the locking arm of the magazine that has come to the predetermined position, and the holding of the cartridge by the locking arm is released. Therefore, the cartridge at the predetermined position in the magazine becomes free and can be pulled out of the magazine without any resistance by the conveying means.

[0008]

【Example】

 FIG. 1 shows an ACL 2 of this embodiment applied to a cartridge magnetic tape device 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the ACL 2 has a resin magazine 3. As shown in FIG. 2, the magazine 3 is a box-shaped container having an open front surface, and the inside is vertically divided into a plurality of stages to accommodate the cartridges 4, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 3, each stage of the magazine 3 has an insertion opening 5 having an enlarged inner dimension so that the cartridge 4 can be easily inserted and removed.

As shown in FIG. 3, guide grooves 6 are formed along the vertical direction on the outer surfaces of the three wall surfaces of the magazine 3, and are engaged with the guide rollers 8 provided on the base 7 of the ACL 2. It is supposed to meet.

As shown in FIG. 3, a part of one wall surface of the magazine 3 serves as a locking arm 10. The locking arm 10 is a cantilevered rod formed integrally with the entire magazine 3 and can be elastically deformed. Near the tip of the locking arm 10, there is a protrusion 11 that locks in the recess 4a of the cartridge 4 housed in the magazine 3, and the tip of the protrusion 11 is extended outward to form the operation piece 12. There is. Further, the operation piece portion 12 of each stage is located in a groove 9 which is vertically provided continuously on the side wall of the magazine 3.

The ACL 2 shown in FIG. 1 has a base 7 shown in FIG. 4 inside a housing 15. The base 7 is a box-shaped frame that receives the magazine 3 and moves it up and down. Although not shown, the base 7 is provided with a magazine motor as a moving means. The output shaft of the magazine motor is linked to the pinion through a driving force transmission mechanism composed of a plurality of gears. The pinion projects from the inner surface of the base 7 and engages with a drive rack formed vertically on the side surface of the magazine 3 inserted in the base 7.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the base 7 of the ACL 2 is provided with transfer belts 16, 16 as a transfer means. This conveyor belt 16 is a set of two and holds the cartridge 4 in the magazine 3 and feeds it to the magnetic tape device 1 or stores the cartridge 4 discharged from the magnetic tape device 1 in the magazine 3. You can

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a release arm 17 is provided on the inner surface of the base 7 at a cartridge removal position corresponding to the transport belt 16. The release arm 17 faces the tip portions 18, 18 in the vertical direction in which the magazine 3 moves, and moves relative to the locking arm 10 in the groove 9 of the moving magazine 3. Then, the retaining arm 10 of the magazine 3 is brought into contact with the retaining arm 10 and the retaining arm 10 is elastically deformed outward to release the holding of the cartridge 4.

In the above configuration, the magazine motor is driven to move the magazine 3 up and down. The magazine 3 moves along the guide rollers 8 on the base 7.

In the section of the magazine 3 set at the position of the conveyor belt 16, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the release arm 17 engages with the operation piece portion 12 of the locking arm 10 from the inside. The locking arm 10 is elastically deformed outward.

In the other compartment that is not in the pulled-out position, the locking arm 10 is in the original position, and the cartridge 4 is held in the compartment by the locking arm 10. However, as shown in FIG. 6, the holding arm 10 releases the holding by the release arm 17 in the pull-out position section, so that the cartridge 4 in the section is pulled out by the conveyor belt 16 without resistance.

When the cartridge 4 discharged from the magnetic tape device 1 is received, the locking arm 10 of the empty section set to the receiving position is flexed outward similarly to the time of pulling out. Therefore, the resistance when inserting the cartridge 4 can be small.

[0019]

[Effect of the device]

 According to the present invention, in the ACL provided with the magazine having the locking arms, the releasing arm for automatically releasing the holding of the cartridge by the locking arms is provided, so that the driving force of the transporting means accompanying the insertion and removal of the cartridge can be reduced. At the same time, it is possible to reduce wear in sliding parts such as the cartridge and the locking arm.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a magazine and a cartridge.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a magazine.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a base.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the magazine showing the action of the release arm.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a magazine and a base that shows the action of the release arm.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Auto Cartridge Loader (ACL) 3 Magazine 4 Cartridge 7 Base 10 Locking Arm 16 Conveyor Belt as Conveyor 17 Release Arm

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A magazine having a locking arm for accommodating a plurality of cartridges and holding each cartridge, a base on which the magazine is mounted, and a desired position by moving the magazine with respect to the base. In an automatic cartridge loader equipped with a moving means set to a position and a conveying means for loading / unloading the cartridge to / from the magazine set to a desired position, the locking arm is brought into contact with the locking arm of the moving magazine. An automatic cartridge loader, characterized in that a release arm for releasing the holding of the cartridge by the above is provided at a predetermined position of the base.