JPS60243864A - Automatic disk exchanging device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To allow of a transportation of a disk cassette in the condition where the disk cassette is held with high accuracy and to prevent increases in its weight and size by executing carrying-in and sending-out of the disk cassette to a transporting frame of the disk cassette from a slide claw provided on the transporting frame. CONSTITUTION:A slide claw 88 which engages a disk cassette 10 with a concealed hole 53 and executes carying-in of said cassette 10 to a transporting frame 72 and sending-out of it from said frame 72 is slidably provided on a lower guide rail 86, and coupled with some part of belt 89. Said belt 89 is constituted in such a way that it can be stretched between rollers 90 and 90 provided on both ends of the lower guide rail 86, and executes an edgeless traveling along the lower guide rail 86, and moreover drive force of a stepping motor 91 fitted on a frame 84 is trasmitted through a pulley 92 and a belt 93.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Technical Field of the Invention] The present invention relates to a disc that automatically loads and ejects a disc into, for example, an optical disc device, and also automatically replaces a designated disc with a designated disc. Related to automatic switching equipment.

[Technical background of the invention and its problems]

In the above-mentioned type of automatic disk exchange device, circular and lightweight objects can be transported with high accuracy by gripping a part of the outer shape with a chuck of a simple structure.
When transporting a rectangular and heavy object, such as a disc housed in a cassette, using the same method as above would require a heavy chuck and a complicated structure to ensure accuracy. Therefore, there is a problem in that the conveyance system becomes heavy and the entire apparatus becomes sturdy and large.

[Purpose of the invention]

The present invention has been made based on the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is to be able to transport a disc cassette in a state where it is accurately held, and to avoid increasing the weight and size of the device. The purpose of the present invention is to provide an automatic disk exchange device.

[Summary of the invention]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention automatically loads and ejects a disk into and from an information recording/reproducing means,
In an automatic disk exchange device that also automatically exchanges with a specified disk, the disk cassette containing the disk is taken into a conveyance frame and conveyed while being completely held within the conveyance frame, and further, The present invention is characterized in that the disk cassette is taken into the conveyance frame and sent out from the conveyance frame by means of a sliding claw provided on the conveyance frame so as to be freely slidable.

[Embodiments of the invention]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 shows an image information storage and retrieval device to which the automatic disk exchange device according to the present invention is applied;
is the main controller. This main control device 1 is connected to a reading device 2, an automatic disk exchange device 4 having a built-in optical disk device 3, a keyboard 5, an output device 6, a recording device 7, and a floppy disk device 8, and is connected to a reading device 2, an optical disk device 3.3, a keyboard 5, an output device 6, a recording device 7, and a floppy disk device 8. It is now ready to process. Further, the reading device 2 is constituted by, for example, a two-dimensional scanning device, and generates an electric signal according to image information on the document by two-dimensionally scanning an original such as a document with a laser beam light. The optical disk device 3.3 of the automatic disk exchange device 4 sequentially stores image information read by the reading device 2 and supplied via the main controller 1 onto an optical disk 9, which will be described later. The keyboard 5 is used to input a unique search code corresponding to image information, various operation commands, etc. The output device 6 is constituted by, for example, a cathode ray tube display device ml (CRT display device), and receives image information read by the reading device 2 and supplied via the main control device 1, and image information read out from the optical disk device 3.3. Image information supplied via the main controller f1, a search code read from the floppy disk device 8 and supplied via the main controller 1, a search code input via the keyboard 5, etc. are displayed. The recording device [7 receives image information read by the reading device 2 and supplied via the main controller 1 or image information read from the optical disk device 3.3 and supplied via the main controller 1. Output in hard copy form. The floppy disk device 8 stores search data for each image information on the floppy disk, which is composed of a search code entered through the keyboard 5 and a storage address on the optical disk 9 where the image information corresponding to the search code is stored. Remember.

The optical disc 9 has information forming layers on both sides that can be recorded and reproduced by laser beams, etc., and is housed in a disc cassette 10 as shown in FIG. 3. Further, the disc cassette 10 containing this optical disc 9 has a length of 34 ONn.

Horizontal 3504111. It has a thickness of 18 mrns and a weight of 1.3 kg.

The automatic disk exchange device 4 has a height of 1410 am, a width of 660 am, and a depth of 1200 #lII+, and the disk cassette 10 is mounted on the front in the X direction (back and forth direction).
A people exit 11 is provided that allows people to exit in a standing position. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, inside the interior is a loading/unloading device 12 for loading and unloading disk cassettes 10 through the exit 11, and a plurality of disk cassettes 10 carried in by this loading/unloading device 12. A storage section 13 that can be stored, two optical disk devices (information recording and reproducing devices) 3.3 that record and reproduce information on the disk 9 in the loaded disk cassette 10, and these optical disk devices 3. , 3, the loading/unloading device 12, and the storage section 13. The storage section 13 and the two optical disk units w3, 3 are arranged in the Z direction (vertical direction, ie, vertical direction).

The storage section 13 has a box-shaped storage rack 15a with two upper and lower stages,
Each of these storage racks 15a and 15b stores a large number of disk cassettes 10 in an upright position along the X direction, with the rear part protruding, and stacked with a predetermined gap in the Y direction (horizontal direction). It is now possible to do so. The disk cassette 10 can be stored and taken out from the back side. Note that these storage racks 15a and 15b are
As shown in the figure, upper end guide grooves 17 for guiding the upper end of the disk cassette 10 to the frame 16 constituting the upper part...
However, a disk cassette 1o is attached to the base 18 that constitutes the lower part.
A lower end guide groove 19 for guiding the lower end of the disk cassette 10 is provided, and a first detector 20 for detecting that the disk cassette 10 is housed at the tip of each lower end guide groove 19 is provided. ... is provided.

As shown in FIGS. 4 to 7, the loading/unloading device 12 transports the disk cassette 10 from the person exit 11 to the right end of the upper storage rack 15a in the Y direction, where it is connected to other disks already stored in the upper storage rack 15a. While transporting the cassette 10 to the same position as the upper storage rack 1,
It is configured to be transported from the right end in the Y direction of 5a to the entrance/exit 11.

That is, the right end in the Y direction of the base 18 of the upper storage rack 15a extends to the vicinity of the exit 11, and the first and second guides 21 are provided on the right end of the base 18.
．． 22 is screwed.

Also, between the first and second guides 21 and 22, there is a slide portion 2 that supports the lower end of the disk cassette 10.
3 is sandwiched between them, allowing them to slide in the X direction.

This sliding portion 23 is connected to a stepping motor 24.
The vehicle is driven to travel based on the rotation of the vehicle.

That is, a stepping motor 24 is attached to the vicinity of the front end of the base 18 via a support frame 25, and a pulley 27 is attached to the rotating shaft 26 of the stepping motor 24.
is installed. A pulley 29 is supported by the support frame 25 via a shaft 28, and a belt 30 is hooked between the pulley 29 and the pulley 27 so that it runs endlessly. In addition, the pulley 29
A pulley 31 is integrally fixed to the base 18, and a belt 3 is connected between the pulley 31 and a pulley 34 supported near the rear end of the base 18 via a support frame 32 and a shaft 33.
5 runs endlessly along the X direction. Further, this belt 35 is connected to the slide portion 23 via a bracket 36. The stepping motor 24 rotates in forward and reverse directions to reciprocate along the X direction. Incidentally, the first guide 21 and the slide section 23 are respectively provided with upright protrusions 37 and 38 along the X direction so as to guide both sides of the lower end of the disk cassette 10.

Further, three stoppers are screwed to the front end of the base 18 so as to block the slide section 23, and the position where the stoppers block the slide section 23 is the initial position of the slide section 23. A second detector 40 detects whether the slide portion 23 is at the initial position.

That is, the second detector 40 is fixed to a part of the stopper 39, and has a concave cross section containing a light source (not shown) and a light receiving element that receives light from the light source.

Further, a light shielding plate 41 is fixed to the lower surface of the slide portion 23. When the slide portion 23 is located at the initial position, the light shielding plate 41 enters the recess of the second detector 40 and blocks light directed from the light source to the light receiving element.

Further, on the light shielding plate 41, a third detector 42 for detecting whether or not the insertion direction of the disk cassette 10 is correct, and a fourth detector 43 for detecting whether or not the disk cassette 10 is reliably inserted. are attached, and these detection rods 44 and 45 are inserted into holes 46 made in the slide part 23.
It protrudes onto the slide portion 23 through. Note that a hole 47 is formed in the base 18 so that the light shielding plate 41, the third detector 42, and the fourth detector 43 can be moved as the slide portion 23 moves.

Further, a stopper 48 is screwed to the rear end of the base 18, and is used to prevent the slide portion 23 from moving too far.

Furthermore, a guide roller 48 is attached to the exit 11 side of the slide portion 23 via a support frame 49, and when inserting the disk cassette 10, the guide roller 48
It guides the lower end of the disk cassette 10 and positions the rear end of the disk cassette 10. In addition, a disk cassette 1 is mounted on the frame 16 of the upper storage rack 15a.
A third guide 50 is attached to guide the upper end of the disk cassette 10 when inserting the disk cassette 10.

Further, as shown in FIG. 8, a stopper device 52 having a rotationally driven actuation stopper 51 is attached to the inner wall of the upper storage rack 15a, and the inserted disk cassette 10 is hit by the actuation stopper 51. When the third detector 42 confirms that the insertion direction of the disk cassette 10 is correct and the fourth detector 43 confirms that the disk cassette 10 has been inserted correctly, the operating stopper 51 rotates to allow the disk cassette 10 to be transported.

Assuming that the slide portion 23 is now in the initial position, when the disk cassette 10 is placed on the guide row 48 with its upper end aligned with the third guide 50 and pushed, the disk cassette 10 is slide part 2
3. Third guide 50, standing protrusion 3 of slide portion 23
8 and the upright protrusion 37 of the first guide 21 to move in an upright position. When the disk cassette 10 is completely inserted onto the slide section 23, the disk cassette 10 is sandwiched between the guide roller 48 and the operation stopper 51, so that the disk cassette 10 and the slide section 23 are of the same type. It is fixed at the initial position.

When the disk cassette 10 is fixed, the third detector 4
2, it is detected whether or not the insertion direction of the disk cassette 10 is correct, and a fourth detector 43 detects whether or not the disk cassette 10 is inserted reliably. As shown in FIG. 8, the correct insertion direction is when the hidden hole 53 provided in the disk cassette 10 is on the back side, and when the disk cassette 10 is inserted securely in the correct direction, the third and fourth detection Both devices 42 and 43 are turned "ON", and this is detected. On the other hand, when the insertion direction is reversed, as shown in FIG. 9, the fourth detector 43 becomes "ON", but the third detector 42 becomes -rOFFJ, indicating that it is inserted in the correct direction. It is detected that the Then, when it is detected that the insertion direction is correct, the operation stopper 51 is released, but when the insertion direction is reversed, the operation stopper 51 is not released.

When it is confirmed that the insertion direction is correct and the operation stopper 51 is released, the stepping motor 24 rotates in the normal direction, and as a result, as shown in FIG. Storage rack 15a
The vehicle travels in the same direction and stops when it reaches a predetermined location.

At the stop position, the disk cassette 10 placed on the slide portion 23 is in the same state as the disk cassette 10 already stored in the upper storage rack 15a. here,
A stepping motor 24 serves as a driving source for the slide section 23.
, the stop position accuracy is high and the position can be maintained by the self-holding force of the motor, and the slide part 2
3 is in a fixed state at the stop position. Therefore, the disk cassette 10 carried into the storage section 13 by the carry-in/out device 12 can be handled in the same manner as other disk cassettes 10 stored in the storage section 13 by the transport device 14.

Next, the transport device 14 will be explained in detail. 54 in Figure 4 above
is a frame, and in this frame 54, a pair of first guide shafts 55, 55 are arranged parallel to each other along the Z direction. A first carriage 56 is installed between these first guide shafts 55 and 55, and two
It can be moved freely in any direction. In addition, the frame 54
, rollers 57... are pivotally supported on the upper and lower end sides of each guide shaft 55,55, and the upper and lower rollers 57...
...Belts 58, 58 are stretched between them so as to run endlessly along each guide shaft 55, 55. Further, the rows 557.57 on the lower end side are rotated together by a shaft 59, and the driving force of a stepping motor 60 is applied to the shaft 59 through a pulley 61 and a belt 6.
2, a belt 63, etc. A part of the belts 58, 58 is connected to the first carriage 56, and the first carriage 56 is moved in the Z direction, that is, in the up and down direction by rotating the stepping motor 60 in forward and reverse directions. There is.

Further, a pair of second guide shafts 64, 64 are arranged in the first carriage 56 in parallel along the Y direction. These second guide shafts 64
．． A second carriage 65 is installed at 64111, and Y
It can be moved freely in any direction. In addition, rollers 67.67 are pivotally supported on the first carriage 56 at the right and left ends of the second guide shaft 64.64, and between these rollers 67.67, the second guide shaft 64. 6
A belt 68 is stretched around the belt 4 so as to run endlessly along the belt 4. Furthermore, the driving force of the stepping motor 69 is transmitted to the right-end roller 67 via a belt 70 and the like. A portion of the belt 68 is connected to the second carriage 65, and the second carriage 65 is moved in the Y direction, that is, in the left-right direction by rotating the stepping motor 69 in forward and reverse directions.

Further, a rotating shaft 71 is supported by the second carriage 65 so as to pass through the second carriage 65, and a transport frame 72 is fixed to one end of the rotating shaft 71. A pulley 73 is attached to the other end of the rotating shaft 71, and the driving force of a stepping motor 74 is transmitted to the pulley 73 via a pulley 75 and a belt 76. Then, the forward and reverse rotation of the stepping motor 74 causes the transport frame 72 to rotate in the forward and reverse directions, so that it assumes an upright state and a collapsed state.

In addition, a pair of wheel sets 77.77 are pivotally supported on the frame 54 (not shown), and each wheel set 77.77 is
As shown in FIG. 11, a large diameter pulley 78 and a small diameter pulley 7
9 are coaxially integrated. And each wheel set 7
One end of each of two wires 80.81 is fixed to 7.77, the middle part of one of the wires 80 is passed through the large diameter pulley 78 and a fixed pulley (not shown), and the other end is connected to the large diameter pulley 78 and the fixed pulley (not shown). It is fixed to the first carriage 56.

In addition, the other wire 81 has a middle portion that is connected to the small diameter pulley 79.
The hook is spanned and the other end is connected to one end of a spring 82, which is connected to the lower part of the frame 54 (not shown). The mass of the first carriage 56 portion and the mass of the springs 82, 82 are balanced.

Further, the disk insertion slot 83 of the optical disk device 3, 3
．． Reference numeral 83 is for inserting the disk cassette 10 in an inclined state, and the rotating shaft 71 of the second carriage 65 is aligned at the same angle as the inclination of the disk insertion opening 83.83 as shown in FIG. The transport frame 72 is tilted and tilted.
It is also sloped.

Also, the storage rack 15a is adjusted according to this inclination.

15b is also inclined.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 13, the conveyance frame 72 has a frame 89 attached to the rotation shaft 71.
, an upper guide rail 85 that is attached to this frame 89 and guides the upper part of the disk cassette 10 , a lower guide rail 86 that is also attached to the frame 84 and guides the lower part of the disk cassette 10 , and an upper guide rail 85 and the lower part of the disk cassette 10 . It is formed into a substantially rectangular shape with reinforcing plates 87 and 87 that connect and reinforce the guide rail 86, and when transporting the disc cassette 10, the disc cassette 10 is completely inserted into the transport frame 72 as shown in FIG. It is designed to be transported while being held in place. Further, the lower guide rail 86 is longer than the upper guide rail 85, and the disk cassette 10 is attached to the lower guide rail 86.
A sliding claw 88 is provided to freely slide, which engages with the hidden hole 53 (shown in FIG. 15) to take the material into the transport frame 72 and send it out from the transport frame 72. is connected to a part of the belt 89. This belt 89 is passed between rollers 90 and 90 attached to both ends of the lower guide rail 86 so as to run endlessly along the lower guide rail 86, and is also connected to a stepping motor attached to the frame 84. The driving force of 91 is applied to pulley 92 and belt 93.
It is intended to be transmitted via. The sliding claw 88 moves on the lower guide rail 86 by forward and reverse rotation of the stepping motor 91. Further, as shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, a pair of guide rollers 94 and 94 are provided at the tip of the lower guide rail 86, and guide rollers 94 and 94 are provided on both sides of the lower portion of the disk cassette 10 when loading and unloading the disk cassette 10. It is designed to guide you.

Therefore, the loading from the storage racks 15a, 15b into the transport frame 72 is first carried out as shown in FIG. 18(a).
A slide claw 88 is slightly lower than the bottom of the disc cassette 10 stored in the storage racks 15a and 15b.
position. Then, as shown in FIG. 18(b),
The entire transport frame 72 is raised and the slide claw 88 is inserted into the hidden hole 53 of the disk cassette 10. Then, the first
As shown in FIG. 8(C), the slide claw 88 is driven to pull the disk cassette 10 into the transport frame 72, and in this state, the transport frame 72 is moved to a designated location. Transport frame 72
Delivery from the storage racks 15a and 15b to the storage racks 15a and 15b is performed in the opposite manner to the above operation.

Further, the loading from the optical disk device 3.3 to the transport frame 72 is carried out from the storage racks 15a, 15b to the transport frame 72.
This is done in the same way as the import into Figure 19(a)-(
The difference is that the transport frame 72 changes from an upright state to a collapsed state as shown in C).

The transport device 14 configured in this manner further supports storage racks 15a and 15b in the Y direction (disk cassette 10 and
The center position (in the stacking direction) is the initial position (transport start position), and the designated disk cassette 10 is taken out by moving it left and right. Moreover, the transport frame 72 rotates at this initial position and also moves in the Z direction. Furthermore, the transport device 14 once loads the disk cassette 10 carried in by the loading/unloading device 12 into the optical disk device 3, and the optical disk device 3 identifies whether it is side A or side B by reading information on one side of the disk 9. Based on that information, the transport frame 72 is rotated in the determined direction of the reference plane, and the disk cassette 1 is placed in the open part of the storage racks 15a, 15b.
0 are stored in the same direction.

Next, the general operation of the entire system will be explained. When the disk cassette 10 is inserted from the exit 11, this disk cassette 1
0 is carried into the storage portion at the end of the upper storage rack 15a by the carry-in/out device 12.

Next, this disk cassette 10 is loaded into one of the optical disk devices 3 by the transport device 14, and the optical disk device 3 identifies whether it is the A side or the B side. Next, the optical disc device 3 transports the disc cassette 3 from the optical disc device 3 to the storage rack 14 or 15, and stores it in the same orientation as the other disc cassettes 10. Further, when a processing command is issued by the operator, the transport device 14 takes out the specified disk cassette 10 from the storage rack 15a or 15b based on the command and loads it into one of the optical disk devices 3. Here, if a processing command for several discs is issued, the transport device 14 takes out the next designated disc cassette 10 from the storage rack 15a or 15b, loads it into the optical disc device 3 that is currently there, and
At this point, the transport device 14 is in a standby state. When the processing of one of the optical disk devices 3 is completed, the disk cassette 10 is taken out and stored in the storage rack 15a or 15.
b, take out the next designated disk cassette 10 from the storage rack 15a or 15b, and place it in the optical disk device 3! ! i, and repeat this process continuously. Also, when an operator issues a discharge command,
The transport device 14 takes out the specified disk cassette 10 from the storage rack 15a or 15b and supplies it to the loading/unloading device 112. Then, this disk cassette 10
is discharged from the entrance/exit 11 by the loading/unloading device 12.

According to the above configuration, the disk cassette can be transported while being held accurately. Furthermore, the device does not become heavier or larger. Furthermore, the structure is simplified by using a slide claw that slides only on one side of the transport frame to take in and eject the disc cassette from the transport frame. Easy vertical and horizontal movement. Furthermore, since the pitch interval of the disk cassettes in the storage rack can be minimized, the entire apparatus becomes compact. Further, since the hole for hiding the disk cassette can be in the form of a bag, the shape does not spoil the appearance and is easy to handle.

Although the optical disk device serving as the information recording/reproducing means records and reproduces information, it may also perform recording or reproduction.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, there is provided a storage section capable of storing a plurality of disc cassettes containing discs of information storage media, and an information recording/reproducing unit for recording or reproducing information on or from the discs in the disc cassettes. and a conveying means for conveying the disc cassette held in a conveying frame between the information recording/reproducing means and the storage section, the conveying means being able to slide freely into the conveying frame. Since the disc cassette is taken into the transport frame and sent out from the transport frame using the provided slide claw, the disc cassette can be transported while being held well at 11 degrees. The disk cassette does not become bulky or bulky, and furthermore, it has excellent effects such as making the device more compact and improving the appearance of the disk cassette.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings show one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a side view showing a transport frame, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an image information storage and retrieval device, FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a disk cassette, and FIG. Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the automatic disk exchange device;
The figure is a plan view showing the loading/unloading device, FIG. 6 is a front view also showing the loading/unloading device, FIG. 7 is a side view also showing the loading/unloading device, and FIGS. 8 and 9 are explanations of the operation of the loading/unloading device. 10 is a front view showing the disk cassette inserted onto the slide part, FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the wheel axle, and FIG. 12 is a view showing the inclined state of the transport frame of the transport device.
Fig. 13 is a front view showing the state in which the disc cassette is completely taken into the transport frame, Fig. 14 is a side view showing the same state, Fig. 15 is a perspective view showing the hidden hole of the disc cassette, and Fig. 16 is FIG. 17 is a front view showing the guide roller provided on the conveyance frame, and FIG. 17 is a side view similarly showing the guide roller.
Figures (a) to (C) are explanatory diagrams showing the operation of taking the disk cassette from the storage rack to the transport frame, and Figure 19 (a)
) to (C) are explanatory diagrams showing the operation of taking a disk cassette from the optical disk device into the transport frame. 3... Optical disk device, 4... Disk automatic exchange device, 9... Disk, 10... Disk cassette,
13... Storage section, 14... Conveyance device, 72... Conveyance frame, 88... Slide claw. Applicant's agent Patent attorney Takehiko Suzue No. 12v4 Figure 1 Figure 10 r4 Figure 11 Figure 13 Figure 14, 85 Figure 15 Figure 16 Figure 6 Figure 18 (a) (b) (c) Figure 19 ( a) (b) (c)

Claims (1)

[Claims] a storage section capable of accommodating a plurality of disk cassettes containing disks of information storage media; an information recording/reproducing means for recording or reproducing information on the disks in the disk cassette; the information recording/reproducing means; and a conveying means for conveying the disc cassette while being held in a conveyance frame between the storage unit, and the conveying means carries out the conveyance of the disk cassette by means of a sliding claw provided in the conveyance frame so as to be freely slidable. An automatic disk exchange device characterized in that it is configured to take in a disk into a frame and send it out from the transport frame.