Exabyte Corporation

Exabye Corporation

Tandberg Data Cop.

John F Ellis

Robert Edwin Schneider

Daniel J Woodruff

Brian P Egan

John D Miller

Steve W Small

Daniel W Hoekstra

Christopher J Clos

Michael H Ulrich

Bruce L Younglove

John A Barkley

Everette C Van Wert

Paul A Pedri

Curt Goodknight

Alan Butler

Constance Kephart

A data cartridge handling apparatus comprises a ring-shaped carousel () rotatably mounted within a housing (). Cartridge-accommodating cells () are angularly arranged about the carousel between an inner periphery () and an outer periphery () of the carousel. A transducing drive () is mounted within the housing and outside the outer periphery. A motor () rotates the carousel to facilitate selective alignment of a selected cell (S) with the drive () along a radial dimension () of the carousel. A picker () is mounted within the housing at a point within the inner periphery of the carousel (). The picker () has a picker arm (). A distal end of the picker arm has a gripper () which selectively engages and disengages a data cartridge (). The picker arm linearly translates in the radial dimension for the purpose of moving an engaged data cartridge from the selected cell (S) to a loading position of the drive (), and conversely for unloading a data cartridge from the drive and withdrawing the same into the selected cell. The gripper comprises a thumb (). One of the gripper and the thumb is pivotally connected to the picker arm to allow the thumb to selective engage and disengage a feature () on the data cartridge. A trip member () is mounted in the housing between the outer periphery of the carousel and the drive for actuating pivoting of the gripper, and thereby actuating the selective disengagement of the picker thumb with the feature on the data cartridge for loading of the data cartridge into the drive.

Data cartridges handler including a ring-shaped carousel and a picker within the inner periphery of the carousel

A calibration cartridge ( ) for an automated media library ( ) comprises a cartridge case ( ) having a calibration surface ( ) and an electromagnetic transmissive channel ( ). The electromagnetic transmissive channel transmits electromagnetic radiation incident upon the calibration surface at a radiation reception port ( ) in a first position of the calibration cartridge so that the electromagnetic radiation travels interiorily through the calibration case and exits from the calibration cartridge at a radiation exit aperture ( ) in a second position on the calibration surface. The calibration cartridge is usable in an automated information storage library which comprises plural cartridge-accommodating cells ( ) and a drive ( ).

Calibration cartridge for automated cartridge library and method of using same

An automated cartridge library has an essentially rectangular library frame which includes a frame front wall ( ) and a frame back wall ( ), and a library door ( ) provided on the frame front wall. A transport actuator and guide region ( ) is provided within the frame, the transport actuator and guide region including both a guideway along which a cartridge transport assembly ( ) reciprocates and an actuator ( ) which causes the cartridge transport assembly to rotate from a first transport position to a second transport position. A library front section includes a cartridge magazine cavity ( ) and a entry/exit port module ( ). A library rear section includes a region for tape drives ( ) and an auxiliary cartridge magazine ( ). Cartridge magazines ( ) are insertable into the cartridge magazine cavity when the library door is opened so that a reference surface of the cartridges face the transport actuator and guide region.

Cartridge library

A robotic cartridge picker ( ) for a cartridge library ( ) has picker fingers ( ) for selecting engaging and disengaging a media cartridge ( ), and an electronic device ( ) carried thereon. A ribbon cable ( ) supplies at least one of power and an electrical signal to the electronic device. The robotic picker is rotatably mounted on a mounting block ( ). The mounting block has a chamber ( ) wherein a portion of the ribbon cable is carried in a variable coiled configuration to accommodate rotation of the robot about an axis ( ). The variable coiled configuration facilitates the ribbon cable having a first degree of coiling when the picker robot rotates to a first position and a second degree of coiling when the picker robot rotates to a second position.

Cartridge picker robot with ribbon cable for cartridge library

A cartridge picker uses only one picker drive motor ( ) to perform all of the following operations: &lsqb;1&rsqb; open and close gripper fingers ( ); (2) translate a cartridge ( ) in and out of a storage slot in a library (e.g., magazine or the like) or tape drive ( ); and &lsqb;3&rsqb; push the cartridge ( ) into the tape drive (below the flush plane of the drive bezel).

Cartridge picker for automated library

An automated cartridge library (30) has plural cartridge receiving units which are precisely locatable so that a transport device (300) can accurately move a cartridge (90) between at least two of the cartridge-receiving units. The cartridge-receiving units and/or calibration cartridges inserted therein have an indicia (190) which is of contrasting reflectivity, the indicia having at least two sides (191, 192) which meet at a vertex (193). An illumination source (340) on the cartridge transport device makes two sweeps (Y1, Y2) of an illuminating beam over the indicia. Illumination transitions as detected by a sensor (350) during the two sweeps are used to determine a location of the indicia vertex (193). In the case of a cartridge-receiving unit being a multi-celled cartridge magazine, a rear wall (220) of the magazine has an aperture (222) for each cell. A mounting surface (60) upon which the magazine is mounted has a reflective portion (130) which is exposed through the aperture of the rear wall of the magazine when a cartridge is not in a predetermined cell in the magazine. To detect absence of a cartridge or a magazine, the illumination source directs an illuminating beam toward a predetermined position. A cartridge absence sensor (350) detects illumination reflected from the reflective portion of the mounting surface when the predetermined position is devoid of either a cartridge or a magazine.

Cartridge library and method of operation thereof

An automated cartridge handling system or library (20, 20') for storing cartridges (22) of information storage media comprises a cartridge holder (26); a tape drive (30) movably mounted with respect to the cartridge holder; and, a transport system (40) for transporting the tape drive (30) in a drive transport path (42) between a unloaded position and a cartridge loaded position. The cartridges (22) remain stationary in the library while the tape drive is transported between the unloaded position and the cartridge loaded position. The cartridge holder library has a plurality of apertures (70) which receive cartridge holders or spines (80). To retain the cartridge (22) within the spine, each spine has resilient cartridge retaining fingers (100) formed in its interior cavity (90) for engaging a notch (104) on the cartridge. Each spine is provided with stabilization flanges (112) for stabilizing the cartridge. Each spine has asymmetrical orientation flanges (116) so that the cartridge-laden spine can be inserted into the library only in an up-right orientation.

Cartridge spine and library employing same

An automated cartridge library (30) includes a rotatable spit (100) which has only two mounting surfaces for engaging two respective cartridge magazines (110A, 110B). The library includes a cartridge transport mechanism (80) for selectively engaging cartridges and transporting cartridges between a presented one of the magazines and input/output (I/O) drives (40A, 40B) within the confines of a library housing. The spit (100) has a spit width (SW) which is essentially 0.6 of a smallest dimension (X) of the housing. The spit comprises two tray compartments (130A, 130B), each tray compartment being provided with ribs (144, 154) extending in two dimensions for securing and properly locating its respective magazine. The spit is provided with a magazine latch mechanism (170) which includes biased magazine-capturing protrusions (220A) retained in a pulley member (143).

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Louisville, CO, United States of America

John F Ellis