Hewlett-packard Company

Hewlett-packard Development Company, L.p.

Robert Wesley Luffel

Paul Clinton Coffin

David Paul Jones

Robert L Mueller

Nicholas D Thayer

Curtis C Ballard

Kelly John Reasoner

Gregg S Schmidtke

Mark A Smith

Daniel R Dauner

D Scott Paul

Michael V Leman

Kevin Lo

Richard Lynn Gardner, Jr

David B Larson

Anthony Peter Carcia

Richard Alan Irwin

Alexander M Nameroff

Wayne E Foslien

Matthias A Lester

Akifumi Hirota

Daniel Huang

Jon D Rugg

Dan Canfield

Wee Teck Woon

An accessory mating system for mating a print engine to an accessory may include a pin and a pin receiving detent. The pin has a collar having a pin vertical axis datum surface and a shaft extending from the collar. The shaft provides left-right axis datum surfaces and second opposite sides providing fore-aft axis datum surfaces. The pin receiving detent receives the pin. The pin receiving detent may include a detent perimeter providing a detent vertical axis datum surface, first opposite internal sides providing first detent left-right axis datum surfaces facing the pin left-right axis datum surfaces and second opposite internal sides providing detent fore-aft axis datum surfaces.

Print engine and accessory mating

Printer

A modular data storage system for handling and storing data cartridges comprises a cartridge access device and at least two laterally adjacent modular units. Each of the modular units may comprise a plurality of cartridge receiving devices and a plurality of elongate gear racks aligned along a displacement path. The elongate gear racks are substantially in alignment with one another such that the cartridge access device may be translated among the laterally adjacent modular units. The system further comprises a translation apparatus for moving a cartridge access device along a displacement path. The translation apparatus may comprise a plurality of drive pinions mounted to the cartridge access device and engaging the plurality of elongate gear racks, and a pinion drive apparatus operatively associated with the drive pinions. The pinion drive apparatus rotates the drive pinions to move the cartridge access device among the elongate gear racks of the adjacent modular units. The adjacent modular units may be comprised of a master modular unit and at least one slave modular unit. The master modular unit further comprises a power supply and may also comprise a control system operatively associated with the pinion drive apparatus, and each slave modular unit may be electrically connected to the power supply in the master modular unit.

Laterally expandable modular data storage system

A rack-mount storage system comprises an equipment cabinet that defines at least one device opening therein. A first device sized to be received by the first device opening defines a first mounting pathway therein. The first device has a chassis that is sized to receive at least one component of the first device and that also defines at least a portion of the first mounting pathway. A support spar sized to be received by the first mounting pathway and being sized to engage said equipment cabinet and extend substantially between first and second sides of the equipment cabinet engages the first mounting pathway and the equipment cabinet to support said first device in the equipment cabinet.

Low profile support system for device rack-mounting

Cartridge-handling apparatus for a media storage system. One embodiment comprises a carriage and a translate frame pivotally mounted to the carriage. A rotational drive system is operatively associated with the carriage, the rotational drive system rotating the translate frame about a y-axis in the media storage system. At least one cartridge-engaging assembly is mounted in the translate frame.

Media storage systems and cartridge-handling apparatus therefor

A reconfigurable cartridge processing module for use in a data storage system may comprise a frame having a plurality of sets of mounting locations provided thereon so that the frame defines a first component configuration and a second component configuration. In the first component configuration, a first cartridge receiving device is mounted to a first set of the plurality of sets of mounting locations provided on the frame so that the first cartridge receiving device is located at a first position within the frame. A second cartridge receiving device is mounted to a second set of the plurality of sets of mounting locations provided on the frame so that the second cartridge receiving device is located at a second position within the frame. In the second component configuration, a third cartridge receiving device replaces the first and second cartridge receiving devices and is mounted to a third set of the plurality of sets of mounting locations provided on the frame.

Reconfigurable cartridge processing module for storing cartridge receiving devices in a data storage system

Translation apparatus for moving a cartridge access device along a displacement path may comprise a first elongate gear rack aligned along the displacement path and a second elongate gear rack positioned in spaced-apart relation to the first elongate gear rack so that the second elongate gear rack is aligned along the displacement path. A first drive pinion mounted to the cartridge access device engages the first elongate gear rack. A second drive pinion mounted to the cartridge access device engages the second elongate gear rack. A pinion drive apparatus operatively associated with the first and second drive pinions rotates the first and second drive pinions to move the cartridges access device along the first and second elongate gear racks.

Apparatus for translating a cartridge access device

A low-overhead storage magazine and method for storing at least one data cartridge therein. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the low-overhead storage magazine comprises a frame assembly having a chamber formed therein sized to receive a plurality of data cartridges, and a partition mounted to the frame assembly and movable in the chamber to define an adjustable storage area. A method for mapping the low-overhead storage magazine is also disclosed.

Low-overhead storage magazine

Cartridge-handling apparatus for use in a media storage system. According to an embodiment of the invention, the cartridge-handling apparatus may comprise a platform mounted in the media storage system and movable along a displacement path defined therein. A carriage is mounted to the platform and rotatable about a line normal to the displacement path. In addition, a cartridge-engaging assembly is mounted to the carriage, and faces different directions when the carriage is so rotated. A lift system operatively associated with the cartridge-engaging assembly is provided for vertically positioning the cartridge-engaging assembly relative to the carriage.

Cartridge-handling apparatus

A data cartridge to caddy referencing system for a data cartridge handling mechanism within an autochanger. The referencing system provides X, Y and Z referencing for the data cartridge handling mechanism or the picker of the autochanger as it tries to insert a data cartridge into the data cartridge caddy.

Data cartridge-to-caddy referencing system for a data cartridge handling mechanism within an autochanger

A mail slot data cartridge exchange system for a data storage system may comprise a drawer mounted to the data storage system so that the drawer can be moved between a retracted position and an extended position. A cartridge magazine for holding at least one data cartridge is sized to be removably received by the drawer so that at least a portion of the cartridge magazine is exposed when the drawer is in the extended position. A drawer stop index member is operatively associated with the drawer so that the movement of the drawer stop index member corresponds to movement of the drawer. A lock apparatus mounted to the data storage system is switchable between a locked state and an unlocked state. The lock apparatus engages the drawer stop index member when the lock apparatus is in the locked state and when the drawer is in a regulated extended position.

Mail slot data cartridge exchange system for use with a data storage system

A method for mounting a device in an equipment cabinet may comprises: Providing a device with a mounting pathway; providing a support spar that is sized to be received by the mounting pathway in the device; engaging the support spar with the mounting pathway; engaging a spacer sleeve with the support spar; and engaging the first and second ends of the support spar with the equipment cabinet so that the support spar supports the device within the cabinet and so that the spacer sleeve is positioned between the device and at least one side of the equipment cabinet.

Method for device rack-mounting

A method for disengaging a cartridge picker from a data cartridge includes moving a thumb assembly in the cartridge picker in a first direction to insert the data cartridge in a cartridge receiving device, then moving the cartridge picker in a second direction, the second direction being substantially perpendicular to the first direction, until a finger pivotally mounted to the thumb assembly is withdrawn from a notch in the data cartridge.

Automatic splaying picker finger

A magazine assembly containing numerous media units is disposed adjacent to a picker assembly. One of the two assemblies is normally stationary, while the other assembly is a traveling assembly. In either case, the two assemblies cooperate with one another to selectively provide the picker assembly with access to the media units that are stored in the magazine assembly. A motion reversal assembly is coupled to the normally stationary assembly and is engageable by the traveling assembly when it enters an end portion of its excursion path. When the motion reversal assembly is so engaged, it moves the normally stationary assembly in the direction opposite to that of the traveling assembly's movement. The effect is an apparent increase in the traveling assembly's available excursion length, which makes it possible for the picker assembly to access media slots that would otherwise be disposed in the dead spaces located on either end of the traveling assembly's excursion path.

Growing community of inventors

Greeley, CO, United States of America

Robert Wesley Luffel