JPH0743795Y2 - Cassette auto changer - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial field of application] The present invention relates to a cassette autochanger which is suitable for continuous video reproduction and recording over a long time in a television broadcasting station, for example.

B Outline of the Invention The present invention includes a shelf device including a plurality of cassette storage shelves in which cassettes are stored, a recording and / or reproducing device into which the cassette is inserted, the shelf device, and the recording and / or reproducing device. Between the cassette transfer machine and the cassette storage rack or the recording and / or reproducing apparatus provided in the cassette transfer machine. In a cassette autochanger including a cassette transfer device for delivering cassettes, the cassette transfer device includes cassette transfer means for transferring the cassette in a transfer direction,
A recording / reproducing apparatus, for example, is provided with a cassette crimping means for pressing the cassette to press it against the cassette carrying means, and by urging the both means in directions toward each other by the urging means. Alternatively, the cassette ejected from the cassette storage shelf can be smoothly sandwiched between the cassette conveying means and the cassette pressure bonding means from above and below and taken into the cassette transfer machine.

[Conventional technology]

The applicant of the present invention has previously filed an application No. 61-54732 as a prior application example of a cassette autochanger using a video cassette or the like.

In this prior application, the cassette transfer is performed by sandwiching the cassette from above and below between a transfer belt which is a cassette transfer means of a cassette transfer device provided in a cassette transfer device and a plurality of pressure bonding rollers which are cassette pressure bonding means. It is a cassette autochanger configured to transfer a cassette between a machine and a recording / reproducing apparatus or a cassette storage shelf.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

However, in this prior application, the transport belt is fixed at a predetermined height, and the cassette is pressure-bonded to the transport belt fixed at the height by a plurality of pressure rollers. Therefore, if the height of the conveyor belt varies with respect to the cassette entrance / exit of the recording / reproducing apparatus or the cassette storage shelf due to the variation in the height of the cassette transfer device with respect to the recording / reproducing apparatus or the cassette storage shelf, for example, the recording / reproducing apparatus A conveyor belt whose height is fixed when the cassette discharged from the cassette storage shelf is sandwiched between the conveyor belt and the pressure bonding roller from above and below and the cassette is driven into the cassette transfer machine by driving the conveyor belt. As a result, the cassette is strongly pressed to the upper edge side or the lower edge side of the cassette entrance and exit, and becomes inclined. As a result, when the cassette is taken into the cassette transfer machine, the cassette is accidentally caught on the upper edge side or the lower edge side of the cassette inlet / outlet, and there is a problem that the taking-in operation of the cassette cannot be performed smoothly.

In addition, for example, when the cassette transporter moves forward with respect to a cassette that is ejected in a state where a part of the cassette is projected outside the cassette inlet / outlet of the recording / reproducing device, and the cassette is sandwiched between the transport belt and the pressure roller. In addition, there is a risk that the conveyance belt having a fixed height collides with the entire surface of the cassette and unexpectedly pushes the cassette back into the recording / reproducing apparatus, thereby making the pinching impossible.

An object of the present invention is to provide a cassette autochanger having a height-direction self-centering function in a cassette transfer device, which comprises a cassette transfer means and a cassette pressing means provided in a cassette transfer machine.

[Means for solving problems]

According to the present invention, in the above-described cassette autochanger, the cassette transporting device transports the cassette in the delivery direction, and the cassette transporting means cooperates with the cassette to sandwich the cassette in the delivery direction. And a cassette crimping means for guiding,
The cassette carrying means and the cassette crimping means are movable in the vertical direction and are urged by the urging means so as to approach each other, and the cassette is placed at a vertical intermediate position between the cassette carrying means and the cassette crimping means. The present invention relates to a cassette auto changer, which is characterized in that it is configured so as to sandwich.

[Action]

According to the present invention, the height of the cassette carrying means of the cassette carrying device automatically changes according to the change of the height of the sandwiched cassette, and the height of the cassette crimping means automatically changes accordingly. The cassette carrying device has an automatic centering function in the height direction. Therefore, for example, when the cassette ejected from the recording / reproducing device or the cassette storage shelf is taken into the cassette transfer device by the cassette transport device, the recording / reproducing device or the cassette storage shelf may be varied due to the height variation of the cassette transfer device. Even if variations occur in the height of the cassette carrier with respect to the cassette entrance of the device or cassette storage shelf,
The cassette carrying device is automatically aligned according to the height of the cassette discharged to the cassette entrance / exit.

〔Example〕

An embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a cassette autochanger using a video cassette will be described below with reference to the drawings.

First, the entire cassette autochanger will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.

First, this cassette autochanger is a large-sized machine that accommodates a large number of cassettes 1 of hundreds. A plurality of shelf blocks 3 composed of a large number of cassette storage shelves 2 for accommodating the large number of cassettes 1 in a plurality of rows (30 to 50 rows) in a horizontal row (5 to 10 rows) are shown in FIG. In FIG. 6, it is arranged in two rows along the front and rear sides of the movement path 5 of the cassette transfer machine 4 which is moved in the left-right direction.
It should be noted that the two shelf blocks 3 arranged on the operator side (front side) 6 are configured to be openable and closable in a double door shape, and the two shelf blocks 3 arranged on the rear side are fixed. A plurality of upper and lower recording / reproducing devices 7 are arranged on one lateral side of the shelf block 3. In addition,
These recording / reproducing devices 7 are ordinary front-loading cassette type VTRs arranged laterally with respect to the operator side 6, and the cassette insertion port 8 of these recording / reproducing devices 7 is located on the moving path 5. It is opposed to the lateral side which is the left side in FIGS. A large number of cassettes 1 are inserted and stored in a large number of cassette storage shelves 2 from the longitudinal direction.

Then, the cassette transfer device 4 transfers the cassette 1 from the direction of arrow A, which is the first direction, to and from the multiple cassette storage shelves 2 on both the front and rear sides of the moving path 5, and the first front and rear sides.
Also, the cassette 1 is transferred between the second cassette inlet / outlet ports 9 and 10 and the cassette insertion port 8 of the recording / reproducing apparatus 7 having a plurality of upper and lower stages in the direction of arrow B which is the second direction perpendicular to the first direction. A third cassette entrance / exit 11 is provided.

Then, this cassette auto changer uses the first or second cassette inlets / outlets 9 and 10 of the cassette transfer machine 4 which is moved in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction from a designated shelf address of a large number of cassette storage shelves 2. The cassette 1 is sequentially and selectively taken out in the direction of arrow A while keeping its longitudinal direction. Then, the cassette 1 taken out is transferred by the cassette transfer device 4 to the cassette insertion port 8 at the designated height position of the recording / reproducing device 7 in the upper and lower stages, and the transfer is performed by using the third cassette inlet / outlet 11. The cassette 1 is selectively fed from the direction of arrow B into the cassette insertion opening 8 of the recording / reproducing apparatus 7 in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction without changing the direction of the cassette 1. The cassette 1 sent in is taken in and set by the cassette taking-in mechanism in the recording / reproducing apparatus 7. Then, in this way, the cassettes 1
Are sequentially supplied, and continuous video reproduction and recording are performed for a long time by the recording / reproducing devices in the upper and lower stages.
It should be noted that each cassette 1 for which video reproduction and video recording have been completed is returned to the original designated shelf address of the cassette storage shelf 2 by the reverse operation of the above operation.

Next, details of the cassette transporter 4 will be described with reference to FIGS.

First, as shown in FIG.
Using the third cassette entrance / exit 11 to transfer the cassette 1 in the direction of arrow B to / from the recording / reproducing device 7, and the first and second cassette entrances / outlets 9 and 10, A cassette carrying device 17 for delivering the cassette 1 in the direction of arrow A between the cassette storage shelves 2 on both sides is provided. Each of these cassette carrying devices 13 and 17 is composed of a plurality of carrying belts 14 and 18 which are cassette carrying means, and a plurality of pressure bonding rollers 15 and 19 which are cassette pressure bonding means.

Next, details of the cassette carrying device 13 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2A to 3.

First, the plurality of conveyor belts 14 and the plurality of pressure bonding rollers 15 are arranged vertically above and below the third cassette entrance 11.

The plurality of conveyor belts 14 are driven by the driving rollers 21,
The drive roller 21, the intermediate roller 22, and the movable roller 23 are wound around the intermediate roller 22 and the movable roller 23 and arranged in parallel.
Are attached to the drive shaft 24, the intermediate shaft 25, and the movable shaft 26, respectively. The drive shaft 24 is rotatably supported at a fixed position, and the intermediate shaft 25 is used as a fulcrum to indicate the upward and downward arrows c and c '.
A movable shaft 26 is installed between the tips of a plurality of belt arms 27 that are configured to be movable in any direction. A belt arm 28 is provided between the other ends of the plurality of belt arms 27. The plurality of belt arms 27 are urged to rotate in the direction of arrow c with the intermediate shaft 25 as a fulcrum by a plurality of springs 29 serving as urging means, so that the plurality of conveyor belts 27 are urged.
The tip 14a side of 14 is urged to move downward in the direction of arrow c. The drive shaft 24 is rotationally driven by the motor 30 so that the plurality of conveyor belts 14 are driven.

Next, the plurality of pressure bonding rollers 15 are rotatably attached to the upper ends of the plurality of roller arms 31, and the plurality of roller arms 31 are vertically moved by a sliding structure such as a long hole 33 and a guide pin 34 in a slide block 32. It is mounted so as to be movable in the directions of arrows d and d '. And
An arrow d indicates that the plurality of pressure-bonding rollers 15 are upward by a spring 35 that is an urging means for urging the plurality of roller arms 31.
It is urged to move in the direction. The tip of the conveyor belt 14
Biasing force in the direction of arrow c on the side of 14a and arrow d of the pressure roller 15
The urging force in the direction is almost equal. Further, the slide block 32 as a whole is driven by a motor 36, and an elevating mechanism such as a pinion 37, a rack 38, etc.
Slide block that can be moved up and down in the e'direction
A slide arm 39 provided on 32 is configured to be engaged with the belt arm pin 28.

Next, the operation of loading the cassette 1 from the recording / reproducing apparatus 7 into the cassette transfer device 4 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2A to 3.

First, as shown by the alternate long and short dash line in FIGS. 2A and 2B, initially, the slide block 32 is lowered in the direction of arrow e ′,
The full press roller 15 is lowered in the same direction, and the belt arm pin 28 is pulled down in the direction of arrow e'by the slide arm 39, so that the belt arm 27 acts on the intermediate shaft 25 as a fulcrum against the spring 29 and the arrow c. The conveyor belt 14 is rotated in the 'direction.
14a is raised in the direction of arrow c '.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, with the cassette 1 in the recording / reproducing apparatus 7 being sandwiched between the cassette holder base 42 and the cassette retainer 43 of the cassette attaching / detaching apparatus 41, 8 is ejected horizontally in the direction of arrow b to the outside, and the cassette 1 is held in the ejected state.

Next, the cassette transfer device 4 is advanced in the direction of the arrow b'from the position indicated by the alternate long and short dash line in FIGS. 2A and 2B to the position indicated by the solid line, and the front end 14a of the conveyor belt 14 and the third cassette inlet / outlet port 11 are shown. The pressure-bonding roller 15 that is closest to is stopped at a position where the cassette 1 can be sandwiched.

Next, the pinion 37 and the rack driven by the motor 36
The slide block 32 is raised in the direction of arrow e by 38 and the like, and all the pressure bonding rollers 15 are raised in the same direction.
Arrow e'of the belt arm pin 28 by the slide arm 39
The belt arm 27 is released from the spring 29.
Is rotated in the direction of arrow c with the intermediate shaft 25 as a fulcrum, and the tip 14a side of the conveyor belt 14 is lowered in the direction of arrow c. As a result, the cassette 1 inserted into the third cassette inlet / outlet port 11 has a spring 29 between the lower surface of the front end 14a of the conveyor belt 14 and the pressure roller 15 closest to the third cassette inlet / outlet port 11.
It is sandwiched from above and below by the urging force of 35 and 35.

Next, the sandwiched cassette 1 is pulled out in the direction of arrow b from the recording / reproducing apparatus 7 to the cassette transfer device 4 side by the conveying force of the conveyor belt 14 driven by the motor 30.
The cassette 1 is sequentially pressed against the lower surface of the conveyor belt 14 by a plurality of pressing rollers 15, and the cassette 1 is taken in the cassette transfer machine 4 in the direction of the arrow b to the position shown by the solid line in FIGS. 2C and 3. It gets caught and stopped.

However, at the time of leverage, the tip end 14a of the conveyor belt 14 caused by the spring 29 is
Side pressing force in the direction of arrow c and pressure roller with spring 35
By making the urging force of 15 in the direction of arrow d substantially equal, as shown in FIG. 2A, the height of the cassette transporter 4 with respect to the recording / reproducing apparatus 7 is shifted in the direction of arrow D, which is downward, As shown in FIG. 2B, the height of the cassette transfer device 4 with respect to the recording / reproducing device 7 is deviated in the upward arrow D'direction, and the center P of the height of the cassette 1 inserted into the third cassette inlet / outlet 11 is P. also the center P ₂ of the height of the third cassette entrance 11 for _one is not shifted downward and upward by a step H _1, H _2, changes in the level difference H ₁ and H ₂ partial of the cassette 1 height The height of the tip end 14a of the conveyor belt 14 and the height of the pressure bonding roller 15 closest to the third cassette inlet / outlet 11 are automatically changed in accordance with the above.

As a result, until the height of the cassette 1 is determined by the intermediate roller 22 of the conveyor belt 14, the cassette 1 discharged into the cassette insertion port 8 is smoothly and smoothly moved in the cassette transfer machine 4 in the direction of arrow b which is a horizontal direction. Can be taken into.

From the beginning, the slide block 32 is raised in the direction of arrow e, the tip 14a side of the conveyor belt 14 is lowered in the direction of arrow c by the spring 29, and the pressure roller 15 is pressed.
Is moved upward in the direction of the arrow d by the spring 35, the cassette transfer device 4 is advanced in the direction of the arrow b'in FIG. 2A,
The cassette 1 discharged to the outside of the cassette insertion port 8 is sandwiched between the tip 14a of the conveyor belt 14 and the pressure roller 15 closest to the third cassette port 11 against the springs 29 and 35. Is also possible.

However, at this time, in particular, as shown in FIG. 2A, even when the cassette transfer device 4 is largely displaced in the downward direction of the arrow D with respect to the recording / reproducing device 7, the front end 14a of the conveyor belt 14 is moved.
When the cartridge collides with the cassette 1 in the direction of the arrow b ', its tip 14a can smoothly escape against the spring 29 in the direction of the arrow c which is above the cassette 1. Therefore,
The tip 14a of the conveyor belt 14 does not accidentally push the cassette 1 back into the recording / reproducing apparatus 7 in the direction of the arrow b '.

By the way, after the cassette 1 is taken into the cassette transfer device 4 as described above, as shown in FIG. 2D, the slide block 32 is lowered in the direction of arrow e ′, and the cassette 1 is
The cassette transfer device is separated from the transfer belt 14 downward.
The cassette 1 is placed horizontally on the conveyor belt 18 and the cassette 1 is pressure-bonded onto the conveyor belt 18 by the pressure roller 19 moved up and down by the slide block 32. Then, as shown by the one-dot chain line in FIG. 3, the cassette 1 is moved by the conveyor belt 18 into the first or second cassette inlet / outlet 9 or
It is selectively fed horizontally from 10 into the cassette storage shelves 2 on the front and rear sides in the arrow a direction or the arrow a'direction.

It should be noted that the loading of the cassette 1 from the cassette storage shelf 2 into the cassette transfer device 4 and the delivery of the cassette 1 from the cassette transfer device 4 into the recording / reproducing device 7 are performed in the reverse operation of the above operation.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments, and various effective modifications can be made based on the technical idea of the present invention.

For example, in the embodiment, the cassette transfer device 4 for transferring the cassette 1 between the cassette transfer device 4 and the recording / reproducing device 7 is provided with the automatic centering function. The cassette carrying device 17 for transferring the cassette 1 between the two may be provided with the same automatic centering function as described above.

Further, the cassette carrying device and the cassette pressing means referred to in the present invention are not limited to the carrying belt 14 and the pressing roller 15, and any device may be used.

That is, for example, in the modification shown in FIG. 4, the cassette carrying means is constituted by a plurality of drive rollers 45, 46, 47, and these drive rollers 45, 46, 47 are driven by a motor via a gear group 48. On the other hand, the drive roller 45 at the tip is
The roller shaft 46a of 46 serves as a fulcrum and is configured to be movable in the directions of arrows c and c'by a roller arm 49 which is rotated in the directions of arrows c and c ', and its driving roller 45 is constituted by a spring (not shown) or the like. Is urged to move in the direction of arrow c '.

Further, the present invention is not limited to a cassette autochanger using a video cassette, but can be applied to an autochanger of various cassettes and cartridges containing various record carriers such as magnetic tapes and optical disks.

[Advantage of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, the cassette carrying device including the cassette carrying means and the cassette crimping means provided in the cassette transfer machine is provided with the automatic centering function in the height direction. , For example, when a cassette ejected from a recording / reproducing device or a cassette storage shelf is taken into a cassette transfer device by a cassette carrying device, the recording / reproducing device is affected by variations in the height of the cassette transfer device with respect to the recording / reproducing device or the cassette storage shelf. Or, even if the height of the cassette carrying device with respect to the cassette entrance / exit of the cassette storage shelf varies, the cassette carrying device is automatically aligned according to the height of the cassette discharged to the cassette entrance / exit. Therefore, due to variations in the height of the cassette transporting device with respect to the cassette entrance and exit, There is no inconvenience such that the cassette is strongly pressed against the upper edge side or the lower edge side of the entrance and becomes inclined, and the cassette is accidentally pushed back into the recording / reproducing apparatus or the cassette storage shelf by the cassette carrying apparatus. Therefore, the cassette ejected from the recording / reproducing device or the cassette storage shelf can be reliably and horizontally taken into the cassette transfer device by the cassette carrying device, and the taking-in operation of the cassette can be performed smoothly and reliably. effective.

[Brief description of drawings]

The drawings show an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a main part, FIGS. 2A to 2D are sectional views for explaining the operation of the main part, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a view showing a modified example, FIG. 5 is a front view of the entire cassette autochanger, and FIG. 6 is a plan view of a part of the cassette autochanger. In the reference numerals used in the drawings, 1 ... cassette 2 ... cassette storage shelf 3 ... shelf block (shelf device) 4 ... cassette transfer device 7 ... recording / reproducing device 13 ... cassette transport device 14 ... transport belt (Cassette transporting means) 15 ...... Pressing roller (cassette pressing means) 29 ...... Spring (biasing means) 35 ...... Spring (biasing means)

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A shelf device having a large number of cassette storage shelves in which cassettes are housed, a recording and / or reproducing device into which the cassette is inserted, and the shelf device and the recording and / or reproducing device. A cassette transporter that moves between the cassette storage shelves and the recording and / or reproducing apparatus and is provided in the cassette transporter, and the cassette transporter and the cassette storage shelves or the recording and / or reproducing apparatus are provided. Alternatively, in a cassette autochanger including a cassette carrying device for delivering the cassette to a reproducing device, the cassette carrying device cooperates with the cassette carrying means for carrying the cassette in the delivering direction, and the cassette carrying means. Cassette crimping hand that sandwiches the above cassette and guides this cassette in the above delivery direction The cassette carrying means and the cassette crimping means are vertically movable and are urged by the urging means so as to approach each other, and the cassette carrying means and the cassette crimping means are vertically intermediate. A cassette auto-changer, characterized in that the cassette is sandwiched at a position.