JPH0363958A - Automatic cassette exchange device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic cassette exchange device such as an automatic video tape cassette exchange device or an automatic audio tape cassette exchange device used in TV broadcasting stations and the like.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, automatic cassette exchange apparatuses are known that are equipped with a robot that automatically supplies a cassette selected from a large number of cassettes stored in a cassette storage case to an information recording/reproducing apparatus such as a VTR set.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, in the conventional automatic cassette changing device, an information recording/reproducing device is placed on one side, and the editing/recording function such as standardization work and the sending/reproducing function are performed simultaneously by one device. That was difficult.

It is an object of the present invention to solve the above-mentioned problems and to facilitate the work of adding information recording and reproducing devices.

Means for Solving the Problems The automatic cassette changing device of the present invention has a cassette storage section located in the center of a box whose front space is a space for robot movement, and information recording and reproducing devices on both left and right sides. It is characterized by its placement.

Further, the automatic cassette exchange device of the present invention has a cassette storage section disposed in the center of a box whose front space is a space for robot movement, and information recording and reproducing devices are disposed on both left and right sides. It is characterized by having two cassette exchange robots in the space.

Further, the automatic cassette exchange device of the present invention includes a basic unit in which a stationary cassette storage case or a rotary cassette storage case is arranged in a box whose front space is a robot movement space, and a basic unit whose front space is a robot movement space. The present invention is characterized in that an information recording and reproducing device is disposed in a box with an expansion unit, and the expansion units are connected to both sides of the basic unit so that the robot movement spaces communicate with each other.

According to the present invention, a cassette storage section is provided in the center, information recording and reproducing devices are provided on both the left and right sides of the cassette storage section, and two cassette exchange robots are provided in the space in front of the cassette storage section. A single device can perform multiple functions at the same time, such as a group of recording and reproducing devices executing editing and recording functions such as unification work, and a group of information recording and reproducing devices on the other side executing a transmission and reproducing function. .

Further, according to the present invention, since the expansion units are arranged on both sides of the basic unit, it is possible to easily install the expansion units by selecting the number of expansion units according to the number of required information recording/reproducing devices. In addition, initially it was sufficient to use only one side of the information recording/reproducing device, but even if you want to increase the number of information recording/reproducing devices and expand their functions, you can simply connect an expansion unit, making the expansion work easier.

EXAMPLE Below, automatic cassette exchange of the present invention will be explained using a video cassette as an example. FIGS. 1 and 2 show an overall view of an automatic cassette exchange device in which a basic unit 1, a carousel expansion unit 2, and a VTR expansion unit 3 are connected.

The basic unit 1 has a cassette storage case 6 inside a basic unit box 5 equipped with a protective glass 4 that can be opened and closed on the entire surface.
, a VTR set (information recording and reproducing device) 7, a control box 8, and a cassette exchange robot 9. The basic unit box 5 is formed in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped, and its front space is a robot movement space 10 in which the robot 9 is disposed so as to be movable in the X direction (horizontal direction) and the Y direction (vertical direction). Basic unit box 5
On the right side of the deck are decks 7a, 7b, loaded vertically.
A VTR set 7 consisting of 7e is arranged such that each cassette entrance/exit 11 faces the robot moving space 10. A cassette storage case 6 is arranged from the left side to the center of the basic unit box 5 so as to face the robot movement space 10.

The cassette storage case 6 includes a large number of storage sections 13 partitioned in a matrix in the X-Y direction, and each cassette storage section 13 stores a cassette 12 containing a video tape. What is shown in the figure is three rack cases 6a, 6b each having a large number of shelves formed in the vertical direction.
6c is configured. An opening (cassette entrance/exit) 14 of each cassette storage section 13 is open to the robot movement space 10 .

The rotating shelf expansion unit 2 is constructed by disposing a rotating cassette storage case 16 in an expansion unit box 15a having a protective φ glass 4a that can be opened and closed on the front side.

The VTR expansion unit 3 has a protective glass 4 that can be opened and closed on the front.
The VTR set 18 is arranged in an expansion unit box 15b equipped with an extension unit box 15b.

The expansion unit boxes 15a and 15b are formed in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped with the same height and depth as the basic unit box 5, but their width is slightly smaller than that of the basic unit box 5. The space in front of the expansion unit boxes 15a and 15b is a robot movement space, and a cassette exchange robot Tato (sub robot) 17 is also disposed in this robot movement space so as to be movable in the X-Y direction. ing.

The basic unit 12, the carousel expansion unit 2, and the VTR expansion unit 3 are connected in the left-right direction as shown in the figure, and have respective robot movement spaces 10, 10a.

10b becomes in communication.

The automatic cassette exchange operations of the main robot 9 and the sub robot 17 will be explained. The main robot 9 normally reciprocates between the stationary cassette storage case 6 and the VTR set 7, and operates a pair of upper and lower manipulators 19a.
, 19b share the work while replacing the cassette. During normal operation, the sub-robot 17 stores the stationary cassette storage case 6c, the rotary cassette storage case 16, and the VTR.
The cassette replacement work is performed by reciprocating between the set 18 and having the upper and lower pair of manipulators 19c and 19d share the work. In addition, the main robot 9 rearranges cassettes between the stationary cassette storage cases 6a and 6b and the stationary cassette storage case 6c, and the sub robot 17 rearranges cassettes between the stationary cassette storage case 6c and the rotary cassette storage case 16. I do.

As a result of the above, the cassettes that have been recorded using the left VTR set 18 are automatically transferred to the right VTR set 7 via the stationary cassette storage case 6c.
It becomes possible to attach it and send it out. Also, the VTR on the left
The functions of set 18 and right VTR set 7 may be reversed.

Next, based on FIG. 3, the manipulators 19a, 19b, 19c of the cassette exchange robot 9.17.

The control of insertion and removal of the cassette 12 into and out of the VTR set 7.degree. 18 by the cassette 19d will now be described. First, the cassette exchange robots 9 and 17 take out the cassette 12 to be used from the selected cassette storage section 13 of the stationary cassette storage case 6 or the rotary cassette storage case 16.
moves in X-Y. Then, the upper manipulator 19
ae 19c is taken out from the cassette 12 placed in the storage case 13 to be used next.

Next, as shown in Fig. 3 0), the cassette exchange robot 9
, 17 is the lower manipulator 19b.

19d is the V'TR (
For example, the X
-Move Y. Then the lower manipulators 13b, 1
3d moves forward, grasps the cassette 12, and retreats to take out the cassette 12 from the cassette insertion section 20 (FIGS. 3 (2) and (3)).

Next, the cassette exchange robots 9 and 17 move slightly so that the manipulators 13a and 13c face the cassette insertion section 20 in order to insert the cassette 12 held by the upper manipulators 19a, 19c into the VTR 7a. (Fig. 3 (4)>) The front manipulators 13a, 13c move forward, insert the cassette 12 into the predetermined position of the cassette insertion section 20, and then move backward (Fig. 3 (5), (6)) ).

After completing the cassette exchange in the VTR set 7 as described above, the cassette is transported to the selected cassette storage section 13 of the stationary cassette storage case 6 or the rotary cassette storage case 16.

As explained above, the upper manipulator 19a.

19c is a lower manipulator 19b which takes out the cassette 12 from the stationary cassette storage case 6 or the rotary cassette storage case 16 and inserts it into the VTR set 7.18.

19d takes out the cassette 12 from the VTR set 7.18 and returns it to the stationary cassette storage case 6 or the rotary cassette storage case 16. This result VT
The cassette replacement work in the R set 7 can be performed continuously, and the cassette replacement time can be shortened.

Effects of the Invention According to the present invention, by selectively using the information recording and reproducing devices arranged on both sides, it is possible to simultaneously perform an editing recording function such as a production work and a transmission reproducing function with one device. Further, the work for adding information recording/reproducing devices can be easily performed.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings show an embodiment of the automatic cassette changing device of the present invention, in which FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view, FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view, and FIG. 3 is a cassette changing device for a VTR set by a pair of upper and lower manipulators. It is a work explanatory diagram showing an insertion/removal work. 1... Basic unit, 2... Carousel expansion unit, 3... VTR expansion unit, 5.
...Basic unit box, 6...Fixed cassette storage case, 7, 18...Information recording and reproducing device, 8...Control box, 9
,17...Cassette exchange robot, 10,10
a, 10b...Robot movement space, 15a, 1
5b... Box for expansion unit, 16...
...Rotating cassette storage case, 19a-19d...
····manipulator.

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) An automatic cassette exchange device characterized in that a cassette storage section is arranged in the center of a box whose front space is used as a robot movement space, and information recording and reproducing devices are arranged on both left and right sides. (2) A cassette storage section is arranged in the center of the box whose front space is a robot movement space, information recording and reproducing devices are arranged on both left and right sides, and two cassette exchange robots are installed in the robot movement space. An automatic cassette exchange device characterized by: (3) A basic unit in which a stationary cassette storage case or a rotary cassette storage case is placed inside a box whose front space is used as a robot movement space, and information stored in a box whose front space is used as a robot movement space. 1. An automatic cassette exchange device comprising: an expansion unit in which a recording/reproducing device is disposed, and the expansion units are connected to both sides of the basic unit so that robot movement spaces communicate with each other.