Quantum Corporation

Mitsumi Electric Company Ltd.

Paddy Eliot Collins

Ryan S Porter

John C Owens

Scott Ryan Patterson

Kenichi Hori

Kim M Thomas

David Ray Berry

Peter A Johnson

Alexander Chan

Theodore James Oade

Sam Wen

Christopher Lee Felton

Thua Nang Dai

Gary Eugene Sadler

Dominic John Maglia

Thomas Thorson

Hiromi Tanaka

Dominic John Maglin

A media cartridge autoloader is disclosed which includes a main module including a media cartridge picker that pulls in a media cartridge via a mail slot and ejects the media cartridge via the mail slot. A media drive selectively receives the media cartridge. First and second media cartridge transport magazines transportably store the media cartridge. The main module further includes a stopper mechanism that inhibits the media cartridge from being fully reinserted when inserting the media cartridge is attempted in a state where the media cartridge has been ejected so as to at least partially protrude outside of the mail slot. The stopper mechanism contacts a lower part of a rear side of the media cartridge to stop the media cartridge in a state where a front side of the media cartridge is at least partially ejected through the mail slot.

Media cartridge autoloader

A housing for receiving and securing storage devices of varying dimensions useful in automated library systems is provided. In one example, the housing has an interior space defined by a base and a perimeter wall extending along at least two sides of the base. A first arm is coupled to the perimeter wall, and at least a portion of the first arm is biased to extend into the interior space at a height above the base for allowing insertion of thinner storage devices without pushing on the arm. The first arm is configured to evacuate the interior space in response to a thicker storage device pushing on the first arm. Stand-offs or other length differentiating features may be disposed and sized to provide a common pick point among storage devices of different types insertable in the housing. Further examples include providing additional arms that may be configured similar to the first arm.

Universal housing for holding storage devices

In one aspect of the invention, an apparatus for handling storage cartridges within an automated storage library is provided. In one example, the apparatus includes a frame, a translating member, e.g., a leadnut/leadscrew, and a finger mechanism slidably mounted to the frame. The translating member is operable to translate along the frame. The finger mechanism includes a finger member for engaging a storage device, and the finger mechanism is mechanically associated with the translating member such that translation of the translation member relative to the picker frame results in a translation of the finger mechanism relative to the translation member such that the finger mechanism moves a greater distance than the translation member. A gear assembly, mounted to the translation member, may rotate during translation to cause relative movement of the translation member and finger mechanism.

Compact picker systems and methods for automated storage libraries

A media cartridge autoloader is disclosed that includes a main module having a rotation transmission path forming device and one or more media cartridge transport magazines. The rotation transmission path forming device can include a drive shaft unit, a drive shaft unit shifting mechanism, and a magazine drive motor module. A mechanism that rotates a turntable of a media cartridge picker can be used to move and selectively couple the drive shaft unit with one or more of the media cartridge transport magazines. A drive shaft of the drive shaft unit can be driven by a magazine drive motor of the magazine drive motor module, so that the coupled magazine is driven. This magazine drive motor can also release one or more of the media cartridge transport magazines from the engagement with one or more magazine locking mechanisms of the main module.

A media cartridge autoloader including first and second media cartridge transport magazines is disclosed. A magazine drive includes a drive shaft unit, a drive shaft unit shifting mechanism, and a magazine drive motor module. A mechanism that rotates a turntable of a media cartridge picker is also used to move the drive shaft unit such that the drive shaft unit is selectively coupled with either one of the first or second media cartridge transport magazines. A drive shaft of the drive shaft unit is driven by a magazine drive motor of the magazine drive motor module, so that the coupled media cartridge transport magazine is driven.

Tape cartridge picker including a turntable that rotates in a fixed base to interface with at least one tape cartridge storage location and at least one tape drive. The turntable includes a cavity configured to receive a tape cartridge. The cavity is defined in the turntable about a central axis of rotation so that once received in the cavity, the tape cartridge may be rotated within the turntable for delivery to one of the at least one storage location and the at least one tape drive. Tape cartridges are loaded onto the turntable using a translation arm that extends horizontally from the turntable to engage or hook a tape cartridge and pull the tape cartridge into the cavity. Tape cartridges are unloaded from the turntable by extending the translation arm to slide the tape cartridge out of the cavity and into one of the at least one storage location and the at least one tape drive.

Tape cartridge picker for an automated tape cartridge autoloader/library system

A tape cartridge autoloader library system including at least one read/write tape drive, a tape cartridge picker, a single tape cartridge interface, and a pair of tape cartridge magazines within a compact form factor that fits into a standard library rack mount. The autoloader/library system is a complete tape cartridge library that stores, manages, and automatically exchanges a plurality of tape cartridges between the tape drive, the single cartridge interface, and the pair of tape cartridge magazines. The tape cartridge magazines are each configured to receive and store a plurality of individual tape cartridges in a horizontal relationship. The tape cartridge magazines transport the individual tape cartridges within the tape cartridge magazines so that an individual one of the tape cartridges is in position for selection by the cartridge picker. The cartridge picker rotates to exchange tape cartridges between one of the tape drive, the pair of tape cartridge magazines, and/or the single tape cartridge interface. The single cartridge interface exchanges individual tape cartridges between an operator and the autoloader/library system.

Compact form factor for an automated tape cartridge autoloader/library system

The tape cartridge transport magazine receives and stores tape cartridges in a horizontal orientation relative to the tape cartridge transport magazine to achieve a substantially smaller form factor. Once loaded into the magazine, the tape cartridges are shuffled in a vertical closed loop within the magazine so that any one of the tape cartridges can be positioned for selection by a cartridge picker. During shuffling within the magazine, individual tape cartridges are not flipped or reoriented, but remain properly oriented for selection by the cartridge picker. When used with a tape cartridge autoloader/library system as disclosed herein, a pair of interchangeable magazines can be utilized to store and provide tape cartridges for selection by a rotating cartridge picker.

Tape cartridge transport magazine for an automated tape cartridge autoloader/library system

The cartridge stop/compression pad includes a beveled portion and a planar portion that permits the cartridge stop/compression pad to serve a dual function of compression pad and cartridge stop. During retrieval of tape cartridges from a single cartridge interface, the planar portion of the compression pad is oriented such that a tape cartridge is stopped during manual insertion from the single cartridge interface in position for selection and retrieval by the cartridge picker. During retrieval of tape cartridges from all other locations, tape cartridges contact the beveled portion of the cartridge stop/compression pad causing the cartridge stop/compression pad to function as a compression pad and expand vertically upward to permit the cartridge to be fully received into the cavity of the cartridge picker.

Growing community of inventors

Colorado Springs, CO, United States of America

Paddy Eliot Collins