JPH0719844U - Auto changer - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Object] An object of the present invention is to provide an autochanger configured to prevent erroneous insertion of a recording medium. [Structure] The cartridge loading section 5 of the autochanger 1 is provided with an erroneous insertion prevention mechanism 100. When the cartridge is inserted in the correct direction, the incorrect cartridge insertion preventing mechanism 100 is provided with an incorrect insertion preventing member 111.
And the incorrect insertion prevention arm 112 performs the retracting operation. Then, when the cartridge is returned, the roller 89 rides on the upper surface of the cartridge and the rotating member 90 rotates to raise the tip of the connecting arm 101 connected to the cartridge erroneous insertion preventing mechanism 100. This prevents the erroneous insertion prevention member 111 of the cartridge erroneous insertion prevention mechanism 100 from moving above the cartridge passage 73 and hindering the cartridge return operation.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to an autochanger, and more particularly to a recording medium conveying mechanism configured to convey a recording medium inserted from the outside or a recording medium accommodated in a recording medium accommodating section to a recording / reproducing section by a carriage.

[0002]

[Prior art]

 For example, in an information processing system for handling a large amount of data such as a computer, a recording medium such as a magneto-optical disk, an optical disk, a magnetic disk, a tape cassette is used as an external storage means for storing the data. As the amount of information increases, the number of stocks of recording media also increases, which requires considerable time for management, search, recording / playback of recording media, and so on. Various changers have been developed.

An example of this type of autochanger is a device having a structure as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 62-140266. In this device, in order to store more recording media, a storage chamber is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the rotary storage rack, and the storage rack is rotated to transfer the specified cartridge of the recording medium to the recording medium transport mechanism. It is configured so as to be taken out and conveyed to the recording / reproducing section. Therefore, when reproducing the designated recording medium, the rotary storage rack is first rotated to stop at the position where the row of the storage chambers in which the target recording medium is stored faces the carriage of the recording medium transport mechanism. After that, the carriage is moved up and down and stopped at a height position facing the storage chamber in which the target recording medium is stored.

Further, in this type of autochanger, a cartridge loading unit (recording unit) for inserting a cartridge from the outside so that an object other than the cartridge stored in the storage rack can be mounted in the recording / reproducing unit. A medium insertion section) is provided. However, in the conventional autochanger, if the cartridge is inserted in the wrong direction, it will be transferred to the carriage as it is, and the erroneous insertion prevention mechanism provided in the recording / reproducing section when the cartridge is inserted into the recording / reproducing section from the carriage. This prevented the cartridge from being installed in the wrong orientation.

Further, as an erroneous insertion preventing mechanism provided in the magneto-optical disk device, there is, for example, a mechanism proposed by the present applicant in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-212275.

[0006]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 However, in the conventional autochanger, the recording / playback unit has an erroneous insertion prevention mechanism, so even if the cartridge is inserted into the cartridge loading unit in the wrong orientation, the orientation of the cartridge remains unchanged until it is inserted into the recording / playback unit. Incorrectness is not detected and the operator does not know until the cartridge is returned from the cartridge loading section. Therefore, in the conventional autochanger, there is a problem that it takes a long waiting time for the operator to correct the cartridge in the correct direction and reinsert it.

It is also possible to provide the erroneous insertion prevention mechanism shown in the above publication as it is in the cartridge loading portion of the autochanger. In that case, the cartridge loading unit can prevent the insertion operation of the cartridge that was inserted in the wrong direction, so you can immediately correct the cartridge and re-insert it. When the cartridge is returned from the carriage, the trailing edge of the cartridge contacts the erroneous insertion prevention member and the cartridge cannot be returned.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an autochanger that solves the above problems.

[0009]

The present invention has a recording medium insertion portion into which a recording medium is inserted from the outside, and a carriage that conveys the recording medium inserted in the recording medium insertion portion to a recording / reproducing portion. In the auto changer, an erroneous insertion preventing member that prevents the recording medium from being inserted when the recording medium is inserted into the recording medium inserting portion in the wrong direction; and the recording medium is inserted from the carriage to the recording medium inserting portion. When returned, the erroneous insertion preventing member is displaced to a position where it does not come into contact with the recording medium.

[0010]

[Action]

 The erroneous insertion prevention member provided in the recording medium insertion section can prevent the recording medium inserted in the recording medium insertion section from being inserted in the wrong direction, and the recording medium can be moved from the carriage to the recording medium insertion section. When the recording medium is returned to the recording medium, the recording medium can be returned from the recording medium insertion portion without any trouble by displacing the erroneous insertion prevention member to a position where it does not contact the recording medium.

[0011]

【Example】

 1 to 3 show an embodiment of an autochanger according to the present invention.

In each figure, the autochanger 1 is generally composed of a rotary storage unit 2, a fixed storage unit 3, a cartridge transport unit 4, a cartridge loading unit 5, a first recording / reproducing unit 6, and a second storage unit 2. The recording / reproducing unit 7 and the control circuit 64 for controlling these are provided in the box-shaped casing 8.

In the autochanger 1, the cartridge transport unit 4 has a cartridge (not shown) in which a magneto-optical disk (recording medium) is stored from any one of the rotary storage unit 2, the fixed storage unit 3, and the cartridge loading unit 5. It is taken out and mounted on the first recording / reproducing unit 6 or the second recording / reproducing unit 7 for recording / reproducing. When the recording / reproducing is completed, the cartridge transport unit 4 takes out the cartridge mounted in the first recording / reproducing unit 6 or the second recording / reproducing unit 7 and returns it to the original storage place or the cartridge loading unit 5. .

Wheels 9 are attached to the bottom of the casing 8 so that the autochanger 1 can be easily moved. Further, in order to prevent malfunction of the recording / reproducing units 6 and 7 due to heat generated by each device, a duct 8a for introducing outside air and a cooling fan 10 for generating an air flow in the duct 8a are provided in the housing 8. It is provided.

Next, the configuration of each block will be described.

I Configuration of Rotational Storage Section 2 The rotary storage section 2 includes a rotary storage rack 11 in which cartridges are stored, a storage rack drive mechanism 12 that rotationally drives the storage rack 11, and a storage rack 11. It comprises a position detection mechanism 13 for detecting the rotational position, a storage rack lock mechanism 14 for locking the storage rack 11, and a protrusion detection mechanism 15 for detecting the protrusion of the cartridge from the storage rack 11.

The storage rack 11 is placed and fixed on a turntable 16, and the turntable 16 is rotated by a bearing 18 provided on a support stand 17 a formed so as to project on a base 17 at the bottom of the housing 8. It is supported freely. The storage rack 11 is formed by arranging media blocks 19A to 19D in which two media boxes 19 each of which can store, for example, 20 cartridges are vertically stacked in layers at 90 ° intervals.

[0018] Further, the media box 19 is a rib 19a which exits collision for each thickness spacing of the cartridge on both sides of the inner sidewall is integrally formed, each cartridge is inserted by the rib 19a (19a ₁ through 19a ₂₀₎ storage chamber 19b (19b ₁ ~19b ₂₀₎ Gae have been made. In order to facilitate the taking out and returning of the cartridge, each media box 19 is arranged with the opening 19c on the front surface facing the outer peripheral surface side of the turntable 16 and the rear surface of the turntable 16. It is supported by a bracket 20 fixed to the upper surface of the turntable 16 so as to face the center thereof.

A drive rotating body 21 is attached to the upper surface of the storage rack 11 in which the media boxes 19 are stacked. The drive rotating body 21 has a gear 21a on the outer circumference so as to be integrally rotated with the storage rack 11, and a position detecting mechanism 13 is provided on the upper surface.

The storage rack drive mechanism 12 that rotationally drives the storage rack 11 is a rack drive that is supported on the lower surface of the drive rotating body 21 and a fixed base 22 that is provided above the drive rotating body 21. Motor 23, and a motor gear 24 that is rotationally driven by the rack driving motor 23 and meshes with a gear 21a of the driving rotating body 21. Therefore, when the rotational driving force of the rack driving motor 23 is transmitted to the driving rotating body 21 via the motor gear 24 and the gear 21a, the storage rack 11 rotates in the clockwise direction or the counterclockwise direction.

The rack driving motor 23 is a stepping motor and rotates by an angle corresponding to the number of pulses supplied. Further, the number of teeth of the gear 24 is set so that the reduction ratio has a predetermined ratio as compared with the number of teeth of the gear 21a.

The storage rack lock mechanism 14 is provided on the base 17 at the bottom of the housing 8 so as to lock the turntable 16 in a rotation-disabled state when the power is turned off. That is, the storage rack lock mechanism 14 includes a rod 30 that fits into a lock hole (not shown) formed in the turntable 16 corresponding to each of the media blocks 19A to 19D, and an arm that supports the rod 30. 31 and a solenoid 32 for rotating the arm 31.

The solenoid 32 is excited when the power source of the autochanger 1 is turned on and lowers the rod 30. Further, the solenoid 32 is demagnetized when the power of the autochanger 1 is turned off, and the rod 30 is moved upward by the spring force of a coil spring (not shown) to a lock hole (not shown) formed in the turntable 16. Mating. As a result, the turntable 16 is fixed to the base 17. The rod 30 has a tapered end so that it can be easily inserted into a lock hole (not shown).

The protrusion detecting mechanism 15 optically detects whether the cartridge is protruding from the storage rack 11. If the storage rack 11 is rotated while the cartridge is protruding from the storage rack 11, the protruding portion of the cartridge may collide with the cartridge transport unit 4, and the cartridge or the cartridge transport unit 4 may be damaged. It will be damaged.

The protrusion detection mechanism 15 includes four light emitting elements 33a to 33d arranged below the storage rack 11 and light emitting elements 33a to 33d arranged above the storage rack 11. It is composed of four light receiving elements 34a to 34d which receive light. The light emitting elements 33a to 33d and the light receiving elements 34a to 34d are provided so as to face each other and form a pair, and are provided so as to correspond to the stop positions of the media blocks 19A to 19D, respectively.

Therefore, after the cartridge is returned by the return operation of the cartridge transport unit 4, the drive mechanism 12 permits the rotation drive of the storage rack 11 when the outputs from the light receiving elements 34a to 34d are all on. If the returned cartridge is protruding from the storage rack 11 and any of the outputs of the light receiving elements 34a to 34d is off, the rotation drive of the storage rack 11 is prohibited.

II Structure of Fixed Type Storage Section 3 The fixed type storage section 3 is formed by stacking two media boxes 40 and 41 having the same configuration as the media box 19 attached to the storage rack 11. The media boxes 40 and 41 are mounted on a media box mounting portion 43 provided on the front panel 8b of the housing 8 and locked so that the opening portions 40c and 41c for taking out the cartridge face the cartridge transporting portion 4. To be done. Further, the media boxes 40 and 41 can be exchanged with the respective boxes which are attached and detached from the front surface of the housing 8.

Similarly to the protrusion detection mechanism 15 described above, the upper and lower portions of the openings 40c, 41c of the media boxes 40, 41 optically determine whether or not the cartridge is protruding from the media boxes 40, 41. A light emitting element 61 and a light receiving element 44 for detection are arranged.

III Configuration of Cartridge Conveying Section 4 The cartridge conveying section 4 includes a lead screw 45 which stands upright on the base 17, a carriage 46 which moves up and down along the lead screw 45, and a carriage elevating / lowering drive section which drives the carriage 46. And 47.

The lead screw 45 is composed of a ball screw, and both ends thereof are rotatably supported by bearings 49 and 50 provided on the upper portion of the base 17 and the frame (not shown). The carriage lifting / lowering drive unit 47 includes a lifting / lowering motor 51 and a speed reduction mechanism 52 that reduces the speed of rotation of the lifting / lowering motor 51 and transmits it to the lead screw 45.

The carriage 46 is provided with a screwing portion (not shown) which is screwed into the lead screw 45. When the lead screw 45 is rotationally driven by the lifting / lowering motor 51, the amount and direction of rotation thereof. Move up and down according to. The elevating motor 51 is a stepping motor and is driven to rotate by an angle corresponding to the number of pulses supplied. Further, the reduction mechanism 52 has a belt 52c stretched between a large-diameter pulley 52a and a small-diameter pulley 52b, and the ascending / descending speed of the carriage 46 is determined by the reduction ratio of the large-diameter pulley 52a and the small-diameter pulley 52b.

The carriage 46 has a cartridge moving mechanism (not shown) for moving the cartridge therein, and takes out a designated cartridge from any one of the storage rack 11, the fixed storage unit 3, and the cartridge loading unit 5. Then, the cartridge is raised by the carriage ascending / descending drive unit 47, and the cartridge is inserted into the vacant one of the first recording / reproducing unit 6 or the second recording / reproducing unit 7 described above.

Further, the carriage 46 is provided with an ascending / descending position detecting mechanism 53 for detecting the ascending / descending position. The elevating position detecting mechanism 53 includes a lower limit sensor 54, a home position detecting sensor 55, an upper limit sensor 56, which is provided so as to detect the protruding piece 46a provided on the carriage 46 at each position, and the storage rack. a carriage positioning sensor 57 that the relative positioning between the cartridge and the carriage 4 6 housed in 11 of the housing chamber 19b (19b ₁ ~19b _20), detects the presence or absence of a cartridge in the media box 19,40,41 And a cartridge detection sensor 62.

Each of the sensors 54 to 56 is a photo interrupter, and the carriage positioning sensor 57 is a reflection type optical sensor. Therefore, the up and down position of the carriage 46 is determined by obtaining the detection signals from the sensors 54 to 57, and the presence or absence of the cartridge is detected by the detection signal from the sensor 62.

A carriage lock mechanism 58 that locks the carriage 46 when the carriage 46 is detected to be at the lower stop position is provided in the housing 8. The carriage lock mechanism 58 includes a locking rod 59 that is laterally fitted to the carriage 46, and a solenoid 60 that drives the locking rod 59.

Schematic Configuration of IV Cartridge Loading Unit 5 The cartridge loading unit 5 is attached to the front surface portion 40 of the housing 8, has a cartridge insertion port (not shown) in the front panel 8b, and has a cartridge passage on the rear surface side. The passing cartridge passage 73 is open. Further, the cartridge loading unit 5 is provided with a cartridge transfer mechanism (not shown) for transferring the cartridge inserted from the cartridge insertion port to the carriage 46 or transferring the cartridge returned from the carriage 46 to the cartridge insertion port. Has been.

A positioning plate 63 for positioning the carriage 46 to the first recording / reproducing unit 6 or the second recording / reproducing unit 7 is arranged below the cartridge loading unit 5.

V Configurations of First and Second Recording / Reproducing Units 6 and 7 In the first and second recording / reproducing units 6 and 7, the magneto-optical disk housed in the cartridge carried by the carriage 46 is stored. A pickup (not shown) for reading the data recorded on the disc or writing the data on the magneto-optical disc is provided.

The recording / reproducing sections 6 and 7 have the same configuration, and a pair of recording / reproducing sections are provided in order to shorten the time from the selection of the cartridge to the start of recording / reproduction. Therefore, the cartridges are alternately inserted into the pair of recording / reproducing units 6 and 7, and while one is performing recording / reproducing, the other returns the recorded / reproducing cartridge.

Next, the internal configuration of the cartridge loading unit 5, the cartridge lock mechanism 71 of the rotary storage unit 2, and the fixed storage unit 3 will be described, and the configuration of the carriage 46 will be described in detail.

VI Detailed Configuration of Cartridge Loading Section 5 In FIGS. 4 and 5, the cartridge loading section 5 includes a base 72 mounted on the front surface of the housing 8 and a cartridge passage 73 provided in the base 72. And an opening / closing mechanism 74 that opens and closes a cartridge insertion opening 73a that opens on the front side of the cartridge passage 73, and transfers the cartridge inserted in the cartridge passage 73 in the direction of the cartridge outlet 73b that delivers the cartridge into the autochanger 1. It comprises a cartridge loading mechanism 76 and a cartridge locking mechanism 77 for locking the cartridge inserted in the cartridge passage 73.

On the side of the cartridge passage 73 of the base 72, a cartridge insertion detection sensor 78 for detecting that the tip of the cartridge inserted through the cartridge insertion opening 73 a has passed the intermediate position of the cartridge passage 73, and a cartridge insertion detection sensor 78 A cartridge insertion completion detection sensor 79 for detecting that the tip has reached the cartridge delivery port 73b of the cartridge passage 73 is provided. The detection sensors 78 and 79 are made of photo interrupters and output a detection signal when the side surface of the cartridge passes and blocks the detection light.

The opening / closing mechanism 74 supports a roller 80 having a diameter sufficiently larger than the thickness of the cartridge, a shaft 81 penetrating the center of the roller 80 in the longitudinal direction, and both ends of the shaft 81. It is composed of a rotating arm 82 and a coil spring 83 for biasing the rotating arm 82 in the A direction. The rotating arm 82 has arms 82b and 82c provided at both ends of a laterally extending portion 82a which is horizontally provided above the roller 80, and ends of the arms 82b and 82c are provided on both sides of the base 72. It is rotatably supported by 84. The roller 80 is mounted so as to be rotatable with respect to the shaft 81 supported by the pair of arms 82b and 82c.

The roller 80 before the insertion of the cartridge descends to the position where it comes into contact with the bottom surface 73 c of the cartridge passage 73 so as to close the cartridge insertion opening 73 a by the pulling force of the coil spring 83. When the cartridge is inserted as shown in the drawing, it rides on the front end of the cartridge K (indicated by the one-dot chain line) while rotating, and rotates the rotating arm 82 in the B direction. When the roller 80 contacts the upper surface of the cartridge, the insertion speed of the cartridge is reduced to prevent the cartridge from being vigorously inserted, and the rattling of the insertion operation is prevented. In addition, the same effect as above can be obtained during the cartridge ejection operation.

Since the roller 80 rolls along with the insertion operation of the cartridge, the load when the cartridge is inserted is relatively small.

The cartridge loading mechanism 76 includes a loading motor 86 provided on the bracket 85, a reduction gear 87 that meshes with a gear 86b provided on an output shaft 86a of the motor 86 to reduce the rotation of the motor 86, and a reduction gear. A shaft 88 that is fitted to 87 and hangs horizontally on the upper portion of the cartridge passage 73, a pair of rubber rollers 89 that is fitted to the shaft 88, and a shaft 88 that is rotatably supported and is mounted on the upper surface of the base 72. The rotating member 90 is rotatably supported, and the coil spring 91 urges the rotating member 90 downward. The roller 89 is in contact with the upper surface of the cartridge inserted into the cartridge passage 73, and is provided at the same position as the cartridge insertion direction detection sensor 78.

Further, the rotating member 90 is provided with a connecting arm 101 connected so as to retract the cartridge erroneous insertion preventing mechanism 100 as described later.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the connecting arm 101 has a bent portion 101a whose tip is bent downward, and the bent portion 101a contacts the lower surface of the misinsertion preventing member 111. The cartridge passage 73 is provided with a connecting pin 101b which is inserted from the side.

Therefore, as will be described later, when the cartridge is returned from the carriage 46 to the cartridge passage 73, the roller 89 rides on the upper surface of the cartridge, whereby the rotating member 90 rotates clockwise about the shaft 90a. When the cartridge erroneous insertion preventing mechanism 100 is moved, the tip of the connecting arm 101 is moved upward. Therefore, the erroneous insertion preventing member 111 of the cartridge erroneous insertion preventing mechanism 100 does not move above the cartridge passage 73 and hinder the returning operation of the cartridge.

Further, description will be given by returning to FIGS. 4 and 5.

In the cartridge loading mechanism 76 having the above structure, when the cartridge is inserted into the cartridge passage 73 through the cartridge insertion port 73a and detected by the detection sensor 78, the motor 86 is driven to drive the reduction gear 87, the shaft 88, The roller 89 is rotationally driven in the clock direction. Therefore, the cartridge is pulled into the apparatus by the rotation of the roller 89.

The cartridge lock mechanism 77 includes a solenoid 93 attached to a bracket 92 fixed to the upper surface of the base 72, and a connecting rod 94 that is connected to a rod 93 a driven by the solenoid 93 and extends in the lateral direction. The rotation lever 95, one end of which is connected to the rod 93a through the connecting rod 94, the other end of which is provided with the lock pin 95a, and which is supported by the shaft 92a protruding forward from the bracket 92, and the cartridge are locked. And a detection switch 96 for detecting the fact.

When the rod 93a of the solenoid 93 is driven in the C direction, the rotation lever 95 rotates about the shaft 92a to move the lock pin 95a into the cartridge passage 73, and is provided on the side surface of the cartridge. Fit into a recess (not shown). That is, when the cartridge is inserted into the cartridge passage 73 and the cartridge loading mechanism 76 operates as described above, the front end of the cartridge is detected by the detection sensor 79. Based on the detection signal from the detection sensor 79, the solenoid 93 is excited, the rod 93a is driven in the C direction, and the cartridge is locked by the lock pin 95a.

Before the cartridge is inserted into the cartridge passage 73, the rod 93a is displaced in the D 1 direction, and the connecting rod 94 connected to the rod 93a is in contact with the detection switch 96. However, when the solenoid 93 is excited and the rod 93a is driven in the C direction as described above, the connecting rod 94 is separated from the detection switch 96 and the detection switch 96 is turned off. As a result, it is confirmed that the cartridge is locked by the cartridge lock mechanism 77, the solenoid 93 is demagnetized, the rod 93a is driven in the D direction, and the lock is released when the detection switch 96 is turned on. To be done.

VII Cartridge Structure As shown in FIG. 9, a magneto-optical disk cartridge K has a case 103 in which a disk 104 is housed. Square recesses 103a are provided near the rear portions of both side surfaces of the case 103, and arcuate recess portions 103b are provided near the front portions of both side surfaces of the case 103.

A shutter 103d that opens and closes the opening 103c is slidably attached to the upper and lower surfaces of the front edge of the case 103. Further, an inclined portion 103e inclined at an angle of about 45 ° is formed on the left corner of the front end of the case 103. An erroneous insertion detection portion 103f is formed at the right corner of the front end of the case 103.

VIII Configuration of Cartridge Wrong Insertion Prevention Mechanism 100 As shown in FIG. 10, the cartridge erroneous insertion prevention mechanism 100 roughly includes an erroneous insertion prevention member 111 shown in FIG. 11 and an erroneous insertion prevention arm 112 shown in FIG. The structure is made up of a twisting spring member 113.

The erroneous insertion preventing member 111 is provided on the base 72 so that the erroneous insertion preventing portion 114 protruding downward does not fit into the recess 103a of the cartridge K.

The main body 115 of the misinsertion preventing member 111 has a hypotenuse 117 that allows the misinsertion preventing member 111 to rotate, which will be described later, on the base side of the lower surface 116. A boundary line 118 between the lower surface 116 and the hypotenuse 117 serves as the center of rotation of the misinsertion preventing member 111.

Further, the main body 115 has an opening 119 in the center and a concave spring receiving portion 121 on the upper surface 120.

The erroneous insertion prevention member 111 has a central opening 119 fitted into a vertical portion 123 formed by cutting and raising from the upper surface 122 of the base 72, and the base side is cut and raised by the cut and raised pieces 124 and 125. Faced with each other, the boundary line 118 is oriented in the same direction as the disc cartridge insertion direction, and the rotation around the opening 119 is restricted, and further, the portion of the upper surface 120 on the left side of the insertion port 119 is seen. It is provided.

The erroneous insertion prevention member 111 is rotatable about the boundary line 118 in the E ₁ and E ₂ directions, that is, in a plane perpendicular to the upper surface 122 of the base 72. Then, the connection pin 101b inserted from the left side is in contact with the lower surface 116 of the erroneous insertion prevention member 111. Therefore, when the connecting pin 101b moves upward during the ejecting operation of the cartridge K, the erroneous insertion preventing member 111 rotates in the E ₂ direction around the boundary line 118.

The torsion spring member 113 has U-shaped arm portions 113b and 113c that are twisted by approximately 90 degrees on both sides of the central portion 113a. The torsion spring member 113 cuts and raises the central portion 113a and fits into the 126 and 127, and in a twisted state, one arm portion 113b is locked to the spring locking portion 123a of the vertical portion 123, and the other. The arm portion 113c is provided so as to be locked to the spring receiving portion 121.

As a result, the incorrect insertion prevention member 111 is rotationally biased in the E ₁ direction, that is, the direction in which it is pressed against the upper surface 122 of the base 72. The base 72 is formed with an erroneous insertion preventing portion 114 of the erroneous insertion preventing member 111 and a cutout portion 129 into which the connecting pin 101b provided at the tip of the connecting arm 101 is inserted.

The erroneous insertion preventing portion 114 of the erroneous insertion preventing member 111 has a substantially inverted triangular pyramid shape and has a triangular receiving surface 130 perpendicular to the cartridge inserting direction indicated by the arrow F, and the upper surface of the base 72. It has a hypotenuse part 131 extending obliquely to the left side surface from 122, and a top part 132 at the lower end of the hypotenuse part 131.

Further, as shown in FIG. 11, the erroneous insertion prevention arm 112 is formed by pressing a metal plate and bending it. The first erroneous insertion prevention plate for erroneous insertion prevention is provided. It has a portion 133, an upward protruding portion 134, and an abutting portion 135 that abuts on the rear end corner portion 103g of the cartridge K during the ejecting operation.

The erroneous insertion preventing arm 112 is pivotally supported on the base side by the pins 136 on the upper surface 122 of the base 72, extends in the direction opposite to the cartridge inserting direction (the direction of arrow F), and forms the base 72. The cartridge passage 73 is disposed at a portion on the left side of the insertion port 73a as viewed from the insertion port 73a, and is rotatable in the G ₁ and G ₂ directions along the upper surface 122.

The erroneous insertion prevention arm 112 is urged to rotate in the G ₁ direction by the spring 137 and is rotated to a position where it is locked by the stopper portion 122a. Is fitted into the rear portion of the cutout portion 129 of the base 72.

As shown in FIG. 13, the projection 134 of the erroneous insertion prevention arm 112 projects above the upper surface 122 of the base 72. The erroneous insertion preventing member 111 has a lock portion 138 that abuts the above-mentioned protrusion 134 on the main body 115. Therefore, before the insertion of the cartridge K, the lock portion 138 of the erroneous insertion prevention member 111 locks the protrusion 134 of the erroneous insertion prevention arm 112, and the erroneous insertion prevention arm 112 restricts the rotation in the G ₂ direction. Has been done.

Further, the abutting portion 135 has a tip inclined leftward so that the rear end corner portion 103g of the cartridge K comes into abutment during the ejecting operation as described later. Therefore, when the cartridge K is ejected, the rear end corner portion 103g of the cartridge K contacts the contact portion 135 to rotate the incorrect insertion prevention arm 112 in the G ₂ direction, and the incorrect insertion prevention portion 133 and the protrusion. The portion 134 is retracted to the side of the cartridge passage 73.

IX Operation of the cartridge erroneous insertion prevention mechanism 100 when the cartridge K is inserted in the correct direction As shown in FIG. 6, the cartridge K is inserted in the F direction and is inserted into the cartridge passage 73 of the cartridge loading unit 5. Is inserted.

When the cartridge K is normally inserted, as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the inclined surface portion 103 e of the cartridge K faces the erroneous insertion prevention portion 114. When the inclined surface portion 103e of the cartridge K comes into contact with the oblique side portion 131 of the erroneous insertion prevention portion 114, the erroneous insertion prevention portion 114 is pushed upward in accordance with the insertion of the cartridge K. Therefore, the cartridge K is further inserted into the cartridge passage 73.

Since the recess 103b of the cartridge K is not open to the upper surface side, the erroneous insertion prevention portion 114 does not engage with the recess 103b, and the cartridge K is inserted at a predetermined insertion position.

As shown in FIG. 16, when the erroneous insertion preventing portion 114 is pushed upward in response to the insertion of the cartridge K, the erroneous insertion preventing member 111 resists the spring member 113 and E ₂ Direction, that is, a direction in which it floats from the upper surface 122 of the base 72. Therefore, the incorrect insertion prevention member 111 is₂When the lock portion 138 is rotated in the direction, the lock portion 138 is disengaged from the protrusion 134 of the erroneous insertion prevention arm 112, and the arm 112 is unlocked.

Further, when the cartridge K is inserted, the inclined surface portion 103e comes into contact with the erroneous insertion prevention portion 133 of the erroneous insertion prevention arm 112. Then, the erroneous insertion prevention arm 112 is rotated in the G ₂ direction while the slope portion 103 e of the cartridge K is in sliding contact with the erroneous insertion prevention portion 133. Therefore, when the cartridge K is inserted in the normal direction, the erroneous insertion prevention arm 112 slides the sloping surface portion 103e of the cartridge K onto the erroneous insertion prevention portion 133, so that the erroneous insertion prevention portion 133 is located on the side of the cartridge passage 73. Rotate so as to retract toward you. Therefore, the cartridge K passes through the cartridge erroneous insertion prevention mechanism 100 and is inserted into a predetermined insertion position in the cartridge passage 73.

As described above, when the cartridge K is inserted into the cartridge passage 73 in the normal direction, the erroneous insertion preventing portions 114 and 133 are separated from the cartridge passage 73. Therefore, the cartridge K can be inserted into the cartridge passage 73 without any trouble. Then, the cartridge K inserted in the cartridge passage 73 is transferred into the carriage 46 by the cartridge loading mechanism 76 as described above, and the carriage 46 is moved up and down and mounted in the recording / reproducing units 6 and 7.

After that, when the recording / reproducing operation on the mounted cartridge K is completed in the recording / reproducing sections 6 and 7, the cartridge K is returned to the cartridge loading section 5 by an eject operation which is the reverse of the above-mentioned mounting operation.

As shown in FIG. 17, when the cartridge K is inserted from the carriage 46 into the cartridge passage 73 of the cartridge loading section 5, the roller 89 of the cartridge loading mechanism 76 is brought into sliding contact with the upper surface of the cartridge K. At that time, the roller 89 rides on the upper surface of the cartridge K and is displaced upward.

Since the rotating member 90 supporting the roller 89 is supported by the shaft 90a which is horizontally mounted on the base 72, it rotates clockwise about the shaft 90a as the roller 89 moves upward. As a result, the tip of the connecting arm 101 provided integrally with the rotating member 90 rises. As described above, since the tip end of the connecting arm 101 is provided with the connecting pin 101b that comes into contact with the lower surface 116 of the incorrect insertion preventing member 111 from the side as described above, as shown in FIG. 111 is lifted from the side by the connecting pin 101b and rotates in the E ₂ direction.

As shown in FIG. 19, when the cartridge K moves in the cartridge passage 73 in the eject direction, the rear end corner portion 103 g of the cartridge K contacts the contact portion 135 of the erroneous insertion prevention arm 112. Since the tip of the abutting portion 135 is inclined to the left so that the rear end corner portion 103g of the cartridge K abuts during the ejecting operation, when the cartridge K is ejected, the misinsertion preventing arm 112 is inserted. Is rotated in the G ₂ direction to retract the incorrect insertion prevention portion 133 and the protrusion 134 to the side of the cartridge passage 73.

As a result, the erroneous insertion preventing portion 114 of the erroneous insertion preventing member 111 and the erroneous insertion preventing portion 133 of the erroneous insertion preventing arm 112 are retracted to positions that do not interfere with the ejecting operation of the cartridge K. Therefore, the cartridge K is ejected by moving the roller 80 of the opening / closing mechanism 74 upward without being disturbed by the cartridge erroneous insertion prevention mechanism 100.

Operation of the cartridge erroneous insertion prevention mechanism 100 when the X cartridge K is inserted in the wrong orientation As shown in FIG. 20, when the cartridge K is erroneously inserted with the front and back reversed, the erroneous insertion The detection unit 103f collides with the receiving surface 130 of the erroneous insertion prevention unit 114, and further insertion of the cartridge K is restricted.

XI Operation of the cartridge erroneous insertion prevention mechanism 100 when a cartridge other than the above-mentioned magneto-optical disk is erroneously inserted into the cartridge loading unit 5, for example, as shown in FIGS. 21 (A), (B) and (C). The insertion preventing operation when the magnetic disk cartridge 141 shown in the figure is inserted into the cartridge passage 73 from the cartridge loading section 5 will be described.

In FIGS. 21A, 21B, and 21C, the magnetic disk cartridge 141 accommodates the magnetic disk 143 in the case 142, and the case 142 has a shutter 144 for opening and closing the opening 142a. It is movably attached. In addition, in FIG. 21A, a sloping surface portion 142b is provided at the right front edge corner portion of the case 142, and an erroneous insertion detection portion 142c is provided at the left front edge corner portion.

Arc-shaped recesses 142 d are provided on both sides of the case 142, and the recesses 142 d are formed so as to open to the side surface and the back surface of the case 142.

Since the magnetic disk cartridge 141 is thinner than the cartridge K and has substantially the same external dimensions as the cartridge K for the magneto-optical disk, the roller 80 of the cartridge loading section 5 is easily raised to raise the cartridge passage 73. It will be inserted inside.

For example, when the magnetic disk cartridge 141 is inserted in the normal orientation, the cartridge 141 does not come into contact with the second erroneous insertion preventing portion 114 of the erroneous insertion preventing member 111 as shown in FIG. The erroneous insertion detection portion 142c is inserted through the lower side and contacts the first erroneous insertion prevention portion 133 of the erroneous insertion prevention arm 112. Since the erroneous insertion prevention arm 112 is locked by the lock portion 138 of the erroneous insertion prevention member 111, the insertion of the cartridge 141 is limited in a state of colliding with the second erroneous insertion prevention portion 133.

When the magnetic disk cartridge 141 is inserted with its front and back reversed, as shown in FIG. 25, the magnetic disk cartridge 141 passes through the lower side of the second erroneous insertion prevention portion 114 as described above. When the magnetic disk cartridge 141 is inserted, the slope portion 142b contacts the first erroneous insertion prevention portion 133. The erroneous insertion prevention arm 112 is locked by the lock portion 138 of the erroneous insertion prevention member 111, and the insertion of the cartridge 141 is restricted.

As a result, the magnetic disk cartridge 141 is prevented from being inserted into the cartridge passage 73 by the cartridge loading portion 5 regardless of the normal orientation and the inverted orientation.

Next, the insertion preventing operation when the CDROM disk cartridge 151 is accidentally inserted into the cartridge passage 73 from the cartridge loading portion 5 will be described.

As shown in FIGS. 24 (A), (B), and (C), the CDROM disc cartridge 151 has an outer shape substantially equal to that of the magneto-optical disc cartridge K and has a thickness for the magneto-optical disc. It is slightly thinner than the thickness of the cartridge K.

In FIGS. 24A, 24B, and 24C, a CDROM disc cartridge 151 has a CDROM disc 153 housed in a case 152, and a shutter 153 for opening and closing an opening 152a is slid in the case 152. It is movably installed.

In FIG. 24 (A), a sloping surface portion 152b is provided at the right front edge corner portion of the case 152, and an erroneous insertion detection portion 152c is provided at the left front edge corner portion. A step portion 152d is formed on the back surface side of the slope portion 152b.

Arc-shaped recesses 152e are provided on both sides of the case 152, and the recesses 152e are formed so as to open to the side surface and the back surface of the case 142.

For example, when the CDROM disc cartridge 151 is inserted from the cartridge loading unit 5 in the normal orientation, the erroneous insertion detection target portion 152c is received by the second erroneous insertion prevention unit 114 as shown in FIG. Upon impacting the surface 130, the cartridge 151 is restricted from further insertion.

Further, when the CDROM disc 151 is inserted with the front side upside down, the inclined surface 152b abuts the oblique side portion 131 of the second erroneous insertion preventing portion 114, as shown in FIG. The erroneous insertion prevention unit 114 is pushed away in the H direction, and the cartridge 151 is inserted.

When the cartridge 151 is further inserted, the top portion 132A of the second erroneous insertion preventing portion 114 engages with the concave portion 152e, and the cartridge 151 is restricted from further insertion.

The distance between the second erroneous insertion prevention unit 114 and the first erroneous insertion prevention unit 133 is set to be larger than the distance between the front edge of the cartridge 151 and the recess 152e.

As a result, the insertion of the cartridge 151 is restricted at the position immediately before the position where the inclined surface 152b of the case 152 collides with the first erroneous insertion prevention portion 133.

Further, depending on the length of the second erroneous insertion preventing portion 114, the concave portion 152d of the inclined surface 152b engages with the second erroneous insertion preventing portion 114, and insertion of the cartridge 151 is restricted in this state. Sometimes it comes to be.

In the above embodiments, the magneto-optical disk is described as being housed in a cartridge, but the present invention is not limited to this, and is an apparatus that uses a recording medium such as an optical disk, a magnetic disk, or a tape cassette. Of course, it can also be applied to.

[0102]

[Effect of device]

 As described above, the autochanger according to the present invention can prevent the recording medium inserted in the recording medium insertion portion from being inserted in the wrong orientation by the incorrect insertion prevention member provided in the recording medium insertion portion. , When the recording medium is returned from the carriage to the recording medium inserting portion, the recording medium can be returned from the recording medium inserting portion without any trouble by displacing the erroneous insertion preventing member to a position where it does not contact the recording medium. It has features such as

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of an embodiment of an autochanger according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of an autochanger.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the autochanger.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a cartridge loading unit.

FIG. 5 is a side view of a cartridge loading unit.

FIG. 6 is a side view showing the operation when the cartridge is inserted into the cartridge loading section.

FIG. 7 is a side view for explaining a connecting arm 101 connected to an erroneous insertion preventing member 111 of the cartridge erroneous insertion preventing mechanism.

FIG. 8 is a front view for explaining a connecting arm 101 connected to an erroneous insertion preventing member 111 of the cartridge erroneous insertion preventing mechanism.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a cartridge for a magneto-optical disk.

FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the cartridge erroneous insertion prevention mechanism 100.

11 is a perspective view of an erroneous insertion prevention arm 112. FIG.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of an erroneous insertion prevention member 111.

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a cartridge erroneous insertion prevention mechanism 100.

FIG. 14 is a view for explaining the operation of the cartridge erroneous insertion prevention mechanism 100.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view for explaining an operation when a magneto-optical disk cartridge is properly inserted.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view for explaining an operation when a magneto-optical disk cartridge is normally inserted.

FIG. 17 is a side view for explaining the operation of the rotating member 90 and the roller 89 when the cartridge is ejected.

FIG. 18 is a front view for explaining the operation of the connecting arm 101 and the erroneous insertion preventing member 111 when the cartridge is ejected.

FIG. 19 is a plan view for explaining the operation of the erroneous insertion prevention arm 112 when the cartridge is ejected.

FIG. 20 is a perspective view for explaining the operation when the cartridge is ejected in the wrong direction.

FIG. 21 is a diagram for explaining a magnetic disk cartridge.

FIG. 22 is a perspective view for explaining the operation when the magnetic disk cartridge is inserted in the correct orientation.

FIG. 23 is a perspective view for explaining the operation when the magnetic disk cartridge is inserted in the wrong direction.

FIG. 24 is a diagram for explaining a CDROM disc cartridge.

FIG. 25 is a perspective view for explaining the operation when the CDROM disk cartridge is inserted in the correct orientation.

FIG. 26 is a perspective view for explaining the operation when the CDROM disk cartridge is inserted in the wrong orientation.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Auto Changer 2 Rotating Storage Section 3 Fixed Storage Section 4 Cartridge Conveying Section 5 Cartridge Loading Section 6 First Recording / Reproducing Section 7 Second Recording / Reproducing Section 11 Storage Rack 12 Storage Rack Drive Mechanism 13 Position Detection Mechanism 14 Storage Rack Lock Mechanism 15 Protrusion detection mechanism 16 Turntable 19 Media box 19A to 19D Media block 19b (19b _{1 to} 19b ₂₀ ) Storage chamber 21 Drive rotor 46 Carriage 47 Carriage lift drive unit 51 Lift motor 53 Lift position detection mechanism 73 Cartridge passage 74 Opening / Closing Mechanism 76 Cartridge Loading Mechanism 77 Cartridge Lock Mechanism 80 Roller 82 Rotating Arm 100 Wrong Insertion Prevention Mechanism 101 Coupling Arm 111 Wrong Insertion Prevention Member 112 Wrong Insertion Prevention Arm 114 Second Error Insertion prevention section 130 Receiving surface 131 Oblique side section 132 Top section 133 First erroneous insertion prevention section 134 Projection section 138 Lock section

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. An autochanger comprising: a recording medium inserting section into which a recording medium is inserted from the outside; and a carriage for conveying the recording medium inserted in the recording medium inserting section to a recording / reproducing section. When the recording medium is inserted in the wrong direction, an erroneous insertion preventing member that prevents the recording medium from being inserted; and when the recording medium is returned from the carriage to the recording medium inserting portion, the erroneous insertion prevention member An automatic changer comprising: a displacement unit that displaces a member to a position where it does not contact the recording medium.