Storage Technology Corporation Partners II

Kenneth L Manes

James R Baer

William D Hart

Harold A Lunka

Edward M White

Zahirudeen Premji

A protective cartridge assembly for protecting the sensitive recording surface of an information recording disk, said assembly being comprised of a cartridge housing having a pair of cartridge stand-offs attached to the inner upper surface of the cartridge housing, a cartridge tray for supporting the disk placed therein, and a disk spacer ring attached to the disk. The cartridge housing has an opening in its side in which the cartridge insert tray is slidably mounted. The cartridge housing has a protruding lip which cooperates with a recess in the exterior portion of the cartridge tray to sealably close the cartridge assembly thereby preventing contamination from entering the cartridge interior. The cartridge housing stand-offs and the disk spacer rings cooperate to prevent the disk recording surface from contacting the interior surface of the cartridge housing. Therefore, the cartridge assembly prevents exterior contamination from entering the cartridge thereby damaging the disk as well as preventing the disk from being damaged by inadvertent contact with the interior wall of the cartridge housing.

Information recording disk cartridge protective structure

An automatic load/unload apparatus is disclosed for handling of workpieces that must be removed from protective cartridges prior to use. In particular, the workpiece to be handled is an optical disk adapted for use in an optical disk information storage device. The load/unload apparatus includes a guide frame, a cartridge pull-in tray, a cartridge insert separator, reciprocating means for moving the pull-in tray and separator, and an elevator assembly. During a load operation, the cartridge is inserted into the information storage device wherein the load/unload apparatus is housed. The cartridge is received in the guide frame and opened, allowing the pull-in tray to be slideably removed. The disk is separated from the pull-in tray and raised by the elevator assembly to a desired position. An unload operation proceeds in a reverse sequence.

Recording disk load and unload apparatus

An improved cooling system for electronic components wherein an air supply housing with two openings cooperates with a manifold with one opening to allow air distribution from the air supply housing through the manifold to a card cage both while the manifold is closed for normal operation and while the manifold is extended to allow maintenance of the electronic components. When the manifold is closed for normal operation, the first opening in the air supply housing is blocked by the manifold and air flows into the manifold through the second opening. When the manifold is extended for maintenance, air flows into the manifold through the first opening and the second opening is blocked by a flapper which swings down over the second air supply housing opening.

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Lafayette, CO, United States of America

Kenneth L Manes