JPH10162472A - Composite type library system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a composite type library system for automatically carrying recording media among a plurality of composite type library devices, which is suitably used when a storage room is arranged or when the recording/ reproducing section of one composite type library system fails. SOLUTION: A composite type library system comprises a plurality of storage rooms 26 for storing cartridges 25, a recording/reproducing section for performing at least one selected from information recording and reproducing for the cartridge 25 and a plurality of composite type library devices 11 and 13 each having a carrying section for carrying the cartridge 25 between the recording/reproducing section and each storage room 26. The composite type library system further comprises an inter-device carrying mechanism 16 for carrying the cartridge 25 between the composite type library devices 11 and 13.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a composite library system, and more particularly, to a composite library system having a plurality of composite library devices.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional collective library apparatus is disclosed in
No. 6-251485. The collective library device described in the publication includes a cell block including a plurality of storage chambers for storing a cartridge containing a magnetic tape or the like,
A recording / reproducing unit that loads a cartridge and performs at least one of recording and reproduction of information on a magnetic tape, and automatically moves the cartridge between each cell block and the recording / reproducing unit based on an input from an operator or a movement command from a higher-level device. And a transfer unit for transferring.

[0003]

In the above-mentioned conventional compound library apparatus, the cartridge can be freely transferred between the storage room and the recording / reproducing section by operating the transfer section. When a plurality of printers are arranged in parallel, the cartridge cannot be automatically transported between the collective library devices. For this reason, the cartridges stored in the storage room of one of the collective type library devices are totally organized, or if the recording / reproducing unit of one of the collective type library devices fails and becomes unusable, the one of the collective type library devices becomes unusable. It is very inconvenient to move the cartridges in the storage room of the type library device to the storage room of the other collective type library device, or to manually carry out the complicated operation of transporting the cartridge to the other recording / reproducing unit and loading it. Met.

[0004] In view of the above, the present invention makes it possible to automatically transport a cartridge (recording medium) between a plurality of composite library devices, to arrange storage rooms, or to use a recording / reproducing section of one composite library device. It is an object of the present invention to provide a composite library system that can be suitably used in the event that a device has failed.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, a composite library system according to the present invention comprises a plurality of storage rooms for storing a recording medium, and at least one of recording and reproducing information on and from the recording medium. A recording and playback unit for performing
In a composite library system in which a plurality of composite library devices each having a transport unit that transports a recording medium between the recording / reproducing unit and each of the storage rooms are arranged in parallel, a recording medium is transferred between the composite library devices. It is characterized by comprising an inter-device transport mechanism for transporting.

In the composite library system of the present invention,
Since the inter-device transport mechanism is provided between the plurality of composite library devices, the recording medium can be automatically transported between the plurality of composite library devices. For this reason, for example, when organizing the storage room, the recording medium is automatically transported from one complex library device to the other complex library device according to an input from the host computer by the operator or a movement command from a higher-level device. On the other hand, it is possible to change and arrange the storage status of the storage room of one composite library device. Further, when the recording / reproducing unit of one composite library device fails, the recording medium stored in the storage room of one composite library device is automatically conveyed to the other composite library device, and Can be loaded by the recording / reproducing unit of the library device.

The inter-apparatus transport mechanism includes a guide rail extending between the plurality of composite library apparatuses, and a recording medium transporter reciprocally movable between the plurality of composite library apparatuses along the guide rail. It is preferable that a holding member for holding the recording medium to be conveyed is provided on the recording medium conveyance body. According to this configuration, the recording medium can be fixed to the recording medium transport body and transported in a stable state.

[0008]

The present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a front view showing a composite library system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the composite type library system has composite type library devices 11 and 13 which are opposed to each other at a predetermined interval.

The composite type library device 11 includes an outer frame 12 having an opening 12a at the top, an inner frame 15 surrounded by the outer frame 12 and having an opening 15a corresponding to the opening 12a.
Cell blocks C housed in the inner frame 15 and facing each other
B ₁ and CB ₂ . A plurality of storage chambers 26 are formed in the cell blocks CB ₁ and CB ₂ and are adjacent to each other in a vertical and horizontal direction. Each storage chamber 26 has a cartridge (recording medium) containing a magnetic tape. 25 is stored.

The composite library device 13 includes an outer frame 14 having an opening 14a at the top, an inner frame 18 surrounded by the outer frame 14 and having an opening 18a corresponding to the opening 14a.
Cell blocks C housed in the inner frame body 18 and facing each other
B ₃ and CB ₄ . Cell block CB _3, the CB _4, the cell block CB _1, CB ₂ and like plurality of storage chambers 2
6 are provided.

The composite type library devices 11 and 13 are respectively
A recording / reproducing unit (not shown) for loading and / or reproducing information on and from the magnetic tape by loading the cartridge 25; a transport unit (not shown);
And a robot hand (not shown) for transferring the cartridge 25 between the transfer unit and the transfer unit. The transport unit of the composite library device 11 automatically transports the cartridge 25 between the cell blocks CB ₁ and CB ₂ and the recording / reproducing unit of the composite library device 11. The transport unit of the composite library device 13 automatically transports the cartridge 25 between the cell blocks CB ₃ and CB ₄ and the recording / reproducing unit of the composite library device 13.

The composite library device 11 has a control unit 31. The control unit 31 controls the operation of the recording / reproducing unit, the transport unit, and the robot hand in the combined library device 11 based on an input by an operator or a movement command from a higher-level device (not shown). The composite library device 13 includes a control unit 32. The control unit 32 controls the operation of the recording / reproducing unit, the transport unit, and the robot hand in the combined library device 13 based on an input by an operator or a movement command from a higher-level device (not shown).

The cartridge 25 is inserted between the composite library apparatuses 11 and 13.
An inter-device transport mechanism 16 for automatically transporting between the three is provided. The inter-device transport mechanism 16 is used for the composite library device 1.
A guide rail 23 extending between the inner frames 15, 18 through the openings 12a, 15a and 14a, 18a of the respective 1 and 13 and a cartridge transport body 24 reciprocally movable along the guide rail 23 are provided. Prepare. Guide rail 23
Is parallel to the front side and the back side of FIG.
Consists of books.

The cartridge carrier 24 has a pair of engaging claws 2 forming a holding member for holding the cartridge 25 to be carried.
7 and a moving support portion 24b fixed to the upper portion of the cartridge housing portion 24a and supported by the guide rail 23 so as to be able to reciprocate.
The moving support portion 24b has two lower sliding pins 28 and one upper sliding pin 29 on each of the surfaces facing the two guide rails 23. The moving pin 29 is slidably engaged with each of the two guide rails 23.

The inter-device transport mechanism 16 includes a bracket 17 projecting from the lower edge of the opening 15 a into the inner frame 15,
It includes a tension pulley 19 rotatably supported at the tip of the bracket 17, a bracket 20 projecting from the lower edge of the opening 18 a into the inner frame 18, and a motor 21 fixed to the tip of the bracket 20. The pulley 22 fixed to the rotating shaft of the motor 21 and the tension pulley 19 are located at the same height, and an endless wire 30 is wound between the pulleys 19 and 22. Endless wire 30
The tension is adjusted by the urging force of the tension pulley 19. The moving support 24b of the cartridge carrier 24 is fixed to the endless wire 30.

In the composite library system including the composite library devices 11 and 13, the operation of the inter-device transport mechanism 16 is controlled while controlling the control units 31 and 32 of the composite library devices 11 and 13, respectively. An overall control unit 33 is provided.

In the composite library system having the above-described configuration, the composite library devices 11 and 13 are normally controlled by the control units 31 and 3 based on an input from a host computer by an operator or a movement command from a higher-level device (not shown).
2, respectively. That is, in the complex type library device 11 (or 13), the control unit 31 (or 3
Under the control of 2), the cartridge 25 taken out from the selected storage chamber 26 by the robot hand is transported by the transport unit to the recording / reproducing unit and is loaded.
At least one of recording and reproduction on the magnetic tape is performed.

Also, for example, the composite type library device 11
When the cartridge 25 on the side is transported to the complex type library apparatus 13 side, first, the cartridge transport body 24 of the inter-apparatus transport mechanism 16 is guided by the overall control unit 33 based on an input by an operator or a movement command from an upper apparatus. The rail 23 is moved to the leftmost end. After that, the robot hand of the complex type library device 11
A desired cartridge 25 is taken out of the storage chamber 26 and transported to the cartridge transporter 24, where
4a. At this time, the cartridge 25 is fixed to the cartridge carrier 24 by the pair of engaging claws 27.

Further, the motor 21 is rotated by the overall control unit 33, and the cartridge carrier 24 is moved to the complex type library device 13 via the endless wire 30, and is moved from the opening 18a to the inside of the inner frame 18. Stopped in the state of entering. Thereafter, the robot hand of the combined library device 13 is operated by the control unit 32 to take out the cartridge 25 from the cartridge accommodating portion 24a of the cartridge carrier 24 and direct it to a desired storage room 26.
Alternatively, it is conveyed to a recording / reproducing device. When the cartridge 25 of the combined library device 13 is transported to the combined library device 11, the operation control of the flow in the opposite direction to that described above is executed.

As described above, in the present complex type library system, since the inter-device transport mechanism 16 is provided between the complex type library devices 11 and 13, the cartridge 25 can be automatically moved between the different complex type library devices 11 and 13. It is now possible to transport. Thus, while the cartridge 25 is automatically conveyed between the composite library apparatuses 11 and 13, the storage state of the storage room 26 on the composite library apparatus 11 (or 13) side can be changed and arranged. Alternatively, when one of the recording / reproducing units of the complex type library devices 11 and 13 fails, the cartridge 25 stored in the one storage chamber 26 is automatically conveyed to the other and loaded by the other recording / reproducing unit. can do.
Therefore, complicated manual operation for transporting the cartridge 25 between the complex type library devices 11 and 13 is not required, so that the operation becomes extremely simple.

Although the present invention has been described based on the preferred embodiment, the composite library system of the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above-described embodiment. A composite library system in which various modifications and changes have been made from the configuration is also included in the scope of the present invention.

[0023]

As described above, in the composite library system of the present invention, the inter-device transport mechanism is provided between a plurality of composite library devices, so that a recording medium can be automatically transferred between the plurality of composite library devices. Since the recording medium can be conveyed, the present invention has a remarkable effect that a complicated manual operation when conveying a recording medium between a plurality of complex type library apparatuses is not required.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a composite library system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 11, 13 Composite library device 16 Inter-device transport mechanism 23 Guide rail 24 Cartridge transporter (recording medium transporter) 25 Cartridge (recording medium) 26 Storage chamber 27 Engagement claw (holding member)

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of storage rooms for storing a recording medium, a recording / reproducing unit for performing at least one of recording and reproducing of information on and from a recording medium, and recording between the recording / reproducing unit and each of the storage rooms. In a composite library system in which a plurality of composite library devices each having a transport unit for transporting a medium are provided in parallel, an inter-device transport mechanism for transporting a recording medium between the composite library devices is provided. Complex type library system. 2. The inter-apparatus transport mechanism includes a guide rail extending between the plurality of composite library apparatuses, and a recording medium transport body reciprocally movable between the plurality of composite library apparatuses along the guide rail. 2. The composite library system according to claim 1, further comprising: a holding member for holding a recording medium to be conveyed, provided on the recording medium conveyance body.