Storage Technology Corporation

Exabyte Corporation

Mohawk Data Sciences Corporation

Qualstar Corporation

Thomas J Studebaker

Frank A Goodknight

Michael E Moy

Kelly J Beavers

Paul Kummli

Stuart W Bray

Richard G Sellke

Eugene Kutasy

Daniel J Woodruff

Frederick G Munro

Bruce L Younglove

Daniel W Hoekstra

Raymond L Lucchesi

Thomas W Volckhausen

Christopher L Scott

Max S Robinson

Gregory D Volan

William R Brennan, Jr

Steven F Nugent

Kenneth Lee Manes

James W Kendall

John R Anderson

William H Vermeer

James R Baer

Timothy C Hughes

Everette C Van Wert

Chad A Follmar

John L Seabury

This system includes a base unit having an array of data storage locations mounted in a rectangular form factor along a back wall of the housing and at least one read/write device. The robotic mechanism includes a stationary vertical shaft on which is mounted on a horizontal track, movable in the vertical direction. The horizontal track extends from end to end of the base unit housing. The robotic mechanism includes a rotatable gripper that moves on the horizontal track and swivels on a pivot about an axis that is parallel to the vertical shaft to provide access to all interior surfaces of the base unit housing where data storage locations reside. An expansion module, comprising a rotary carousel of data storage locations, can be connected to either end of the base unit which enables the robotic mechanism to access the data storage elements within the expansion module without modification.

Scalable composite rectangular/cylindrical automated data storage library system

An automated library (30) handles a plurality of data storage units (e.g., data cartridges) stored therein. The library comprises an octagonal drum-like member (34) mounted above a library frame (32). The drum (34) has a plurality of faces on an exterior periphery thereof, each for selectively accommodating a cartridge rack (62). Each face of the drum has a rack mount (110) selectively attachable thereto. The library further comprises a rack (38) for accommodating a plurality of modular I/O drive-containing drawers (64). A picker device (80) engages and transports data cartridges between drives (320), an active rack (60), and an entry/exit port transport (500). The entry/exit transport device (500) transports a selected cartridge between a predetermined position in the cabinet and the entry/exit port (100). The entry/exit transport device (500) is both rotatable and extensible. A picker move method and library inventory method are also provided.

Cartridge library and method of operation

An automated library (30) for handling a plurality of data storage units comprises a frame (32), an I/O drive (320); a unit engagement device (80) which transports data storage units between the drive and the storage receptacle. A cabinet substantially encloses the frame and has an entry/exit port (100) formed therein. The library is further provided with an entry/exit transport device (500) which pivots 90 degrees about an axis perpendicular to a unit orientation plane to transport a selected data storage unit between the entry/exit port and a predetermined position in the cabinet. The entry/exit transport device has a cartridge engagement portion with two edges (574, 576), a first of the edges being configured to load/unload the selected data storage unit at the entry/exit port and a second of the edges being configured to load/unload the selected data storage cartridge at the predetermined position. The first and second edges are orthogonal to one another in the entry/exit transport plane.

Entry-exit port for cartridge library

Cartridge library system

The expandable magnetic tape cartridge storage system is designed to handle a moderate number of magnetic tape cartridges and is expandable without the need to add an additional robotic cartridge handling mechanism. This is accomplished by the use of a base module that consists of a half cylinder of magnetic tape cartridge storage locations. A center pivot robotic cartridge handling mechanism is included in the base module in order to transport the magnetic tape cartridges between the cartridge storage locations and a plurality of magnetic tape drives included in the base module. The capacity of this cartridge storage system can be increased by adding an additional half cylinder of magnetic tape cartridge storage locations to thereby create a complete cylinder of cartridge storage locations. The robotic cartridge storage mechanism is adaptable to operate in a half cylinder or a full cylinder environment to thereby accommodate the storage capacity increase without the need for additional robotic cartridge handling mechanisms. This cartridge storage system can also be used to expand the cartridge storage capacity of an existing automated cartridge storage system in moderate increments.

Expandable magnetic tape cartridge storage system

A storage and retrieval subsystem in a data processing system includes a plurality of magnetic tape cartridges, a host computer, and a library storage module storing the plurality of magnetic tape cartridges in substantially upright positions. The library storage module includes a first cylindrical array of storage cells centered about a vertical axis, a second cylindrical array concentrically arranged about the first array, and a library tape unit including a plurality of tape drives, each of the tape drives being adapted to receive one of the magnetic tape cartridges in a substantially horizontal transducing position. A robot within the library storage module is used to transfer selected ones of the magnetic tape cartridges between their substantially upright positions and the substantially horizontal transducing positions at a selected tape drive. A first controller outboard the channel communicating with the host computer is adapted to receive commands from the host computer for interfacing between the host computer and the library storage module, and a second controller inboard of the channel is adapted to receive commands from the outboard controller for interfacing between the outboard controller and the robot.

Automated cartridge system

A storage and retrieval subsystem in a data processing system includes a plurality or magnetic tape cartridges, a host computer, and a library storage module storing the plurality of magnetic tape cartridges in substantially upright positions. The library storage module includes a first cylindrical array of storage cells centered about a vertical axis, a second cylindrical array concentrically arranged about the first array, and a library tape unit including a plurality of tape drives, each of the tape drives being adapted to receive one of the magnetic tape cartridges in a substantially horizontal transducing position. A robot within the library storage module is used to transfer selected ones of the magnetic tape cartridges between their substantially upright positions and the substantially horizontal transducing positions at a selected tape drive. A first controller outboard the channel communicating with the host computer is adapted to receive commands from the host computer for interfacing between the host computer and the library storage module, and a second controller inboard of the channel is adapted to receive commands from the outboard controller for interfacing between the outboard controller and the robot.

A keyswitch assembly including a circuit board having a plurality of circuits, each circuit terminating with a pair of first and second contacts, and a curved, resilient contact plate associated with each pair of contacts having at least a portion of its periphery in communication with one of the pair of contacts, the plate being selectively deflectable so that it communicates with the other contact to close the respective circuit. The contact plates are fixed in position by a retaining element comprising a film formed by a layer of thermoplastic material bonded to a flexible sheet of insulative material, the thermoplastic material being bonded to the resilient plates and circuit board thereby maintaining the former in correct position relative to the latter. The method of manufacturing the assembly includes precisely locating the plates over the pairs of contacts, placing the retaining element over the circuit board an applying pressure to the assembly at an elevated temperature for a predetermined time.

Method of manufacturing keyswitch assemblies

A keyswitch assembly including a circuit board having a plurality of circuits, each circuit terminating with a pair of first and second contacts, and a curved, resilient contact plate associated with each pair of contacts having at least a portion of its periphery in communication with one of the pair of contacts, the plate being selectively deflectable so that it communicates with the other contact to close the respective circuit. The contact plates are fixed in position by a retaining element comprising a film formed by a layer of thermoplastic material bonded to a flexible sheet of insulative material, the thermoplastic material being bonded to the resilient plates and circuit board thereby maintaining the former in correct position relative to the latter. The method of manufacturing the assembly includes precisely locating the plates over the pairs of contacts, placing the retaining element over the circuit board and applying pressure to the assembly at an elevated temperature for a predetermined time.

Keyboard switch assembly having adhesive position retainer element

Growing community of inventors

Boulder, CO, United States of America

Thomas J Studebaker