JPS60224144A - Device for holding and retrieving large volume of information - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce access time and to assure putting in and out operations by using plural medium carriers so that respectively separate information storage media can be transferred and disposing an information read-write device in the central part of medium housing racks. CONSTITUTION:The medium carrier 8 is moved and controlled in arrow directions C, D and stops in front of the selected information storage medium 5 when one of the media 5 housed in the medium housing rack 2 or 3 is selected. A moving body 11 advances in this stage and the medium 5 is gripped by a medium gripping part 12 and is drawn into a U-shaped medium holder 9 to the prescribed position. The carrier 8 is thereafter moved to the position facing the insertion port 6 of the information read-write device 4 provided between the two racks 2 and 3 where the body 11 advances and the medium 5 is pushed into the insertion port 6 along a medium guide 10, by which the reading or writing of information is executed.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Technical Field] The great invention is to select a desired information storage medium from a media storage rack, supply it to an information reading/writing device, and return the information storage medium of the device to the media storage rack. The present invention relates to a large-capacity information storage and retrieval device for so-called electronic files, which is capable of storing and retrieving information.

<Prior art> Conventionally, the basic configuration is a medium storage rack, an information read/write device, a medium carrier, and its drive unit, and a desired one is selected from a large number of information storage media stored in the medium storage rack and transferred to the information read/write device. Several large-capacity information holding and retrieval devices have been proposed in which the medium is returned to its original storage rack after it has been set and read/written.

However, since the information storage medium is exchanged using a single media carrier, for example, the information storage medium is removed from the information read/write device, returned to its original position in the media storage rack, and then replaced with a new one from the media storage rack. This method has a major problem in that it requires selecting a different information storage medium and setting it in the information reading/writing device, which inevitably increases the access time.

Furthermore, in this type of device, the support of the information storage medium during transportation is unstable, so there is no certainty in the insertion and setting operations into the medium storage rack or the information reading/writing device. Furthermore, there is a drawback that it takes too much time and effort to insert and remove the information storage medium from the main body of the search device.

<Purpose> The present invention has been made in view of the conventional problems, and its purpose is to provide a plurality of media carriers, to be able to transport different information storage media at the same time, and to provide a media storage rack. Access time can be significantly shortened by locating the information reading/writing device in the center of the search device, by improving the structure of the medium carrier, and by using the medium carrier to insert and remove the information storage medium from the main body of the retrieval device. In addition, it is an object of the present invention to provide a large-capacity information holding and retrieval device that operates reliably and allows easy loading and unloading of information storage media.

<Example> The present invention will be explained in detail below based on the drawings.

The figure is a diagram showing the internal structure of a large-capacity information holding and retrieval device according to the present invention.

In the figure, 1 is the main body of the apparatus, 2 and 3 are media storage racks, and 4 is an information reading/writing device, which is disposed between the medium storage racks 2 and 3.

Media storage rack 2. lj: As shown in the figure, a large number of storage parts are formed in the direction of the outer row, and the plate-shaped information storage medium 5 is stored in these storage parts. This is an insertion slot for an information storage medium 5 formed in the six-digit information reading/writing device 4. Further, 7 is a part that accommodates a control circuit and a power supply circuit of this device.

8 is a first medium carrier arranged at a constant interval on the front surface of the medium storage rack 2; 911-j: the first medium carrier;
This is a U-shaped medium holder that is rotatably attached to the storage rack 2 side of the medium carrier in the direction indicated by the arrow in the figure, and guide portions 10 each consisting of a concave groove are provided on the inside of both legs of this medium holder. It is being A movable body 11 that can be moved in the direction of arrow B in the figure, that is, back and forth, is loosely fitted into this guide portion by a driving means. This is a gripping section that grips the 12-digit information storage medium 5. This gripping portion is composed of, for example, a pair of claws that can be opened and closed, and is configured so that the recesses provided on both sides of the information storage medium 5 can be gripped by the claws.

Reference numerals 13 and 14 denote slide shafts that slidably support the medium carrier 8 in the axial direction, that is, in the direction of arrow C in the figure, and both ends of this shaft are slidably fitted into the grooves of the slide guide 16.16. It is fixed to the slide piece 15. That is, the medium carrier 8 can be moved in the direction of the arrow in the figure in response to the slide of the slide piece 15.

17Iri is another medium carrier, and like the medium carrier 8 described above, a medium holder 18 having a moving body 19 and a gripping part 20 is attached to this medium carrier.

Further, this media carrier is connected to the slide guide 16.
It is slidably supported by a slide shirt (22, 23) whose both ends are fixed to a slide piece 21 which is slidably fitted into a groove of 16. Therefore, the medium carrier 17
It is also configured to be movable in the directions of arrows E and F in the figure.

Reference numeral 24 denotes an opening for inserting the information storage medium 5 into the apparatus or taking it out of the apparatus, and this opening is provided within the movement range of the medium carrier 8.17.

Next, the operation will be explained.

The 7 currently stored in media storage rack 2 or 1l-t3
' When one of the information storage media 5 is selected, the medium carrier 8 is appropriately controlled to move, for example, in the directions of arrows C and D in the figure, by a position detection means and a drive means (not shown), and the information storage medium 5 is selected. It will be stopped in front of the storage area where . Here, the movable body 11 moves forward and the information storage medium 5 is gripped by the medium gripping section 12, and when this state is detected by a detection means (not shown), the movable body 11 moves backward and grips the information storage medium 5. The information storage medium 5 is pulled into the U-shaped medium holder 9 to a predetermined position. At this time, both ends of the information storage medium 5 are connected to medium guides 10 formed on both legs of the medium holder 9.
It fits into the guide and is stably supported by this guide.

When the information storage medium 5 selected in this manner is taken out from the storage rack 2 or 3 by the medium carrier 8, this medium carrier 8 is transferred to the information reading/writing device 4 disposed between the two storage racks. It is moved to a position opposite to the insertion port 6. When that position is reached, the moving body 11 of the medium carrier 8 moves forward, and the information storage medium 5 is pushed out along the medium guide 10 into the insertion opening 6 of the device. When this state is confirmed by the mechanism of the information reading/writing device 4 itself, the claw portion of the medium gripping portion 12a is opened, and at the same time, the movable body 11 is completely separated from the information storage medium 5 by retreating.

Thereafter, the information on the information storage medium 5 is read by the information reading/writing device 4, or new information is written on the medium 5, and when the series of operations is completed, the information storage medium 5 is
is pushed out from the insertion-6, and one end thereof protrudes. The information storage medium 5 is again held by the medium carrier 8 and transported to the original storage section of the medium storage rack 2 and stored therein.

In this way, the information storage medium 5r/' of the storage rack 2
It is taken out from the rack by the i-media carrier 8 and automatically set in the information reading/writing device 4. After the information is read and written, it is returned to the original storage rack 2 by the medium carrier 8 again. Similarly, the information storage medium 5 in the storage rack 3 is transported to the information reading device by another medium carrier 17, and after a series of operations is completed, it is again transported to the storage rack 3 and stored therein.

Therefore, according to this embodiment, the information reading/writing device 4 is placed in the center of the storage racks 2 and 3, and the information storage medium 5 of each storage rack is separately stored in the two medium carriers 8 and 17. Each media carrier 8.17
Therefore, the time required to exchange the information storage medium 5, that is, the time required to access the information storage medium 5, can be significantly shortened. Further, during transportation, the information storage medium 5 is drawn into the medium guide of the medium holder and is firmly held. Therefore, insertion into the storage rack and the information reading/writing device can always be performed accurately.

Note that this device 1 has an opening 24 within the movement range of the medium carriers 8 and 17, and is used when adding a new information storage medium to the storage rack 2.3, or when adding a new information storage medium to the storage rack 2.3. The information storage medium is designed to be easily transported by the medium carriers 8 and 17 when exchanging the information storage medium.

In the above-described control operation, the access time can be further shortened by exchanging information storage media using only one medium carrier or by controlling two medium carriers at the same time.

That is, when exchanging the information storage medium A installed in the information reading/writing device 4 and the information storage medium B accommodated in the storage rack 2, the medium carrier 8 is moved to the storage rack 2 without being separated. Let B be retained. During this time,
Another medium carrier 17 is moved to the information reading/writing device 4 to hold the information storage medium A installed in the device.

Then, the medium carrier 17 is once moved in the direction of the storage rack 3, and then the medium carrier 8 is moved to the information reading/writing device 4, and the information storage medium B is loaded therein. After that, move this medium carrier 8 out of the way,
Subsequently, the medium carrier 17 is moved to the storage rack 2 to accommodate the information storage medium A. In this way, by controlling two medium carriers 8.17 at the same time to exchange information storage media, wasted time can be saved compared to the case of one medium carrier, and therefore the access time can be shortened a little.

In the above embodiment, the case of two medium carriers and one information reading/writing device was explained, but the number of medium carriers may be slightly increased and a plurality of information reading/writing devices may be installed at the same time.

Effects> As explained above in detail, the large-capacity information storage and retrieval device of the present invention can significantly shorten access time, improve operational reliability, and facilitate loading and unloading of information storage media. Great effects such as simplification can be achieved.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The figure is a diagram showing the internal structure of a large-capacity information holding and retrieval device according to the present invention. lid main body, 2 and 3t/'i storage racks, 4 an information read/write device, 5 an information storage medium, 6 an insertion slot, 8 and 1
7 is a medium carrier, 10 is a medium guide, 11 and 19 are movable bodies, and 12 and 20 are gripping parts.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A medium storage rack capable of accommodating a plurality of information storage media, and information disposed in the center of the medium storage rack and for writing and reading information to and from the information storage medium. A large-capacity information storage device comprising: a reading/writing device; and a plurality of medium carriers for transporting the medium between the medium storage rack and the information reading/writing device or the exchange opening of the information storage medium. Search device. 2. The medium carrier includes a medium holder having a gripping part that grips the information storage medium, a moving part that pulls in the gripped medium, and a medium guide part that guides and supports the medium. Large-capacity information holding and retrieval device described in Section 1.