Claims
- 1. An automated data storage library comprising:
- at least first, second and third columns of storage cells for holding storage media cartridges therein, at least one of said column of storage cells including a cell containing a peripheral storage device;
- the first and second columns of storage cells being bisected by a first directional axis and the third column of storage cells being spaced from the first directional axis and being bisected by a second directional axis, the first and second directional axes being perpendicular with respect to one another;
- a cartridge picker mechanism positioned for accessing the storage cells of said columns and transporting storage media cartridges therebetween;
- said cartridge picker mechanism including a single cartridge casing which has a top and a bottom which are bounded laterally by right, left, front and back sides, each of the right and left sides being bisected by the first directional axis and each of the front and back sides being bisected by the second directional axis;
- said cartridge casing having first and second open sides, the first open side being one of said right and left sides and the second open side being one of said front and back sides;
- said first open side facing one of said first and second columns of storage cells and the second open side facing said third column of storage cells;
- said cartridge picker mechanism including first and second grippers mounted in the cartridge casing and independently movable within the cartridge casing toward said first and second open sides, respectively, in order to retrieve storage cartridges located in columns of storage cells adjacent said first and second open sides respectively; and
- said cartridge picker mechanism being mounted for rotation about said second directional axis for selectively accessing said first and second columns of storage cells through said first open side while the third column of storage cells remains accessible at all times to the cartridge picker mechanism through said second open side.
- 2. The automated data storage library of claim 1 wherein said library is extended by repetition of said picker mechanism four times, repetition of said first and second columns of storage cells to form a carousel and repetition of the carousel four times with the carousels arranged in a square, a respective one of the four picker mechanisms positioned between each adjacent carousel and four of the third column of storage cells with each third column of storage cells centrally positioned between said carousels, each of the third column of storage cells containing a media drive for receiving said cartridge.
- 3. The automated data storage library of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first and second grippers of the cartridge picker mechanism is a double lip gripper which includes a resilient friction lip and a resilient separator lip which are spaced with respect to each other, the separator lip having a flexed position away from the friction lip for receiving the cartridge between the lips and a relaxed position which blocks receipt of said cartridge between the lips; and
- the friction and separator lips engaging the cartridge when the cartridge is received between the lips for transporting the cartridge into the casing and the separator lip engaging a portion of the cartridge when the cartridge is not received between the lips for pushing the cartridge out of the casing.
- 4. The automated data storage library of claim 3 wherein each double lip gripper is positionable in a respective cartridge casing between a cartridge engagement position and a retracted position, and wherein said respective cartridge picker mechanism includes a cartridge stop member in the casing for engaging said cartridge as said picker mechanism moves from its engagement position to said retracted position.
- 5. The automated data storage library of claim 4 wherein said at least one of the first and second grippers is positionable to retrieve said cartridge from a storage cell location by (1) extending said double lip gripper toward said engagement position with said separator lip vertically spaced from said cartridge, (2) vertically translating said picker mechanism until the separator lip enrages the cartridge and further extending the respective double lip gripper until said friction lip engages said cartridge, and (3) retracting said double lip gripper to said retracted position while disengaging said double lip gripper from said cartridge as said friction lip and said cartridge engage said cartridge stop member.
- 6. A data storage library comprising:
- a first picker assembly including:
- a picker casing having a top and a bottom which are bounded laterally by right, left, front and back sides, each of the right and left sides being bisected by a horizontally oriented x axis and each of the front and back sides being bisected by a horizontally oriented y axis, the x and y axes being perpendicular with respect to one another so as to define an x-y horizontal plane which is perpendicular to a vertically oriented z axis;
- one of the right and left sides of the picker casing providing the casing with a first opening for receiving said cartridge within said picker casing;
- one of the front and back sides of the picker casing providing the casing with a second opening;
- a first gripper device for gripping a cartridge, the gripper device being mounted in the picker casing for reciprocable movement along the x axis;
- a first translation means for reciprocably moving the first gripper device along the x axis so that said cartridge can be received or ejected from the picker casing through said first opening;
- a second gripper device in the picker casing and a second translation means in the casing for reciprocating the second gripper device along said y axis;
- the first gripper device transporting cartridges through the first opening of the picker casing and the second gripper device transporting cartridges through the second opening of the picker casing;
- first flipping means for flipping the picker casing about the y axis; and
- means for reciprocably moving the picker casing along said z axis;
- first and second rotatable carousels located adjacent the right and left sides respectively;
- each carousel having a plurality of vertically oriented columns of cartridge receptacles with openings which selectively face one of said right and left sides upon rotation of the carousel;
- an additional column of cartridge receptacles adjacent said second opening and
- at least one of the receptacles in the individual column of receptacles containing a media drive for receiving said cartridge,
- whereby cartridges will be transferred between receptacles in a column of cartridge receptacles, between receptacles in columns of cartridge receptacles, between cartridge receptacles in said carousels and between cartridge receptacles in said carousels and cartridge receptacles in said additional column of receptacles.
- 7. A data storage library as claimed in claim 6 comprising:
- third and fourth rotatable carousels which replicate the first and second rotatable carousel, the first, second, third and fourth carousels being arranged in a square;
- second, third and fourth picker assemblies which replicate the first picker assembly;
- each picker assembly being located between a pair of the rotatable carousels so that cartridges can be transported between any cartridge receptacle in any carousel to any cartridge receptacle in any other carousel;
- second, third and fourth individual columns of receptacles replicating the first individual column of receptacles and adjacent selected openings of the cartridge casings of the second, third and fourth picker assemblies respectively;
- said first flipping means for individually flipping each of said first and second picker casings about said y axis for selectively aligning the first opening in the first picker casing with cartridge receptacles in the first and second carousels and for selectively aligning the first opening in the second picker casing with the third and fourth carousels; and
- second flipping means for individually flipping said third and fourth picker casings about said x axis for selectively aligning the second opening in the third picker casing with cartridge receptacles in the first and third carousels and for selectively aligning the second opening in the fourth picker casing with cartridge receptacles in the second and fourth carousels.
- 8. The data storage library of claim 7 wherein at least one of the first and second grippers of each cartridge picker assembly is a double lip gripper which includes a resilient friction lip and a resilient separator lip which are spaced with respect to each other, the separator lip having a flexed position away from the friction lip for receiving the cartridge between the lips and a relaxed position which blocks receipt of said cartridge between the lips; and
- the friction and separator lips engaging the cartridge when the cartridge is received between the lips for transporting the cartridge into the casing and the separator lip engaging a portion of the cartridge when the cartridge is not received between the lips for pushing the cartridge out of the casing.
- 9. The data storage library of claim 8 wherein each double lip gripper is positionable in a respective cartridge casing between a cartridge engagement position and a retracted position, and wherein said respective cartridge picker mechanism includes a cartridge stop member in the casing for engaging said cartridge as said picker mechanism moves from its engagement position to said retracted position.
- 10. The data storage library of claim 9 wherein said at least one of the first and second grippers is positionable to retrieve said cartridge from a storage cell location by (1) extending said double lip gripper toward said engagement position with said separator lip vertically spaced from said cartridge, (2) vertically translating said picker mechanism until the separator lip engages the cartridge and further extending the respective double lip gripper until said friction lip engages said cartridge, and (3) retracting said double lip gripper to said retracted position while disengaging said double lip gripper from said cartridge as said friction lip and said cartridge engage said cartridge stop member.
- 11. A data storage library as claimed in claim 6 wherein the first and second translation means include:
- one of the top and bottom of each picker casing having a first slot which extends parallel to said horizontal plane and the other of the top and bottom of the picker casing having a second slot which extends parallel to said horizontal plane, the first and second slots being mutually perpendicular as projected in said horizontal plane;
- first and second lead screws with respective first and second engaging nuts located in said first and second slots respectively with each screw being rotatably mounted to the picker casing so that upon rotation of the screw the respective nut can reciprocate in the respective slot; and
- the first and second nuts being connected to the first and second gripper devices for reciprocating the first and second gripper devices parallel to said x and y axes respectively.
- 12. The automated data storage library of claim 11 wherein at least one of the first and second grippers of each cartridge picker mechanism is a double lip gripper which has a positionable separator lip for selectively receiving and repelling a storage media cartridge to prevent engagement of said double lip gripper and said cartridge, and a friction lip configured to engage and grip said cartridge for transport.
- 13. A data storage library comprising:
- first, second, third and fourth picker assemblies, each picker assembly including:
- a picker casing having a top and a bottom which are bounded laterally by right, left, from and back sides, each of the right and left sides being bisected by a horizontally oriented x axis and each of the front and back sides being bisected by a horizontally oriented y axis, the x and y axes being perpendicular with respect to one another so as to define an x-y horizontal plane which is perpendicular to a vertically oriented z axis;
- first and second gripper devices for gripping cartridges, the gripper devices being mounted in the picker casing for reciprocable movement along the x and y axes respectively;
- one of the right and left sides of the picker casing providing the casing with a first opening for receiving said cartridge within said picker casing and one of the front and back sides providing the casing with a second opening for receiving said cartridge within the picker casing;
- the first gripper device transporting cartridges through the first opening of the picker casing and the second gripper device transporting cartridges through the second opening of the picker casing; and
- first and second translation means for reciprocably moving the first and second gripper devices along the x and y axes respectively so that said cartridge can be received or ejected from the picker casing through said first and second openings;
- each of the first and second translation means including:
- one of the top and bottom of the respective picker casing having a first slot which extends parallel to said horizontal plane and the other of the top and bottom of the picker casing having a second slot which extends parallel to said horizontal plane, the first and second slots being mutually perpendicular as projected in said horizontal plane;
- first and second lead screws with respective first and second engaging nuts located in said first and second slots respectively with each screw being rotatably mounted to the picker casing so that upon rotation of the screw the respective nut can reciprocate in the respective slot; and
- the first and second nuts being connected to the first and second gripper devices for reciprocating the first and second gripper devices parallel to said x and y axes respectively;
- means for reciprocably moving the picker casing along said z axis;
- first, second, third and fourth rotatable carousels arranged in a square;
- each carousel having a plurality of vertically oriented columns of cartridge receptacles with openings which face one of the open sides of a respective picker casing upon rotation of the carousel;
- each picker assembly being located between a pair of the rotatable carousels so that cartridges can be transported between any cartridge receptacle in any carousel to any cartridge receptacle in any other carousel;
- first flipping means for individually flipping each of said first and second picker casings about said y axis for selectively aligning the first opening in the first picker casing with cartridge receptacles in the first and second carousels and for selectively aligning the first opening in the second picker casing with the third and fourth carousels; and
- second flipping means for individually flipping said third and fourth picker casings about said x axis for selectively aligning the second opening in the third picker casing with cartridge receptacles in the first and third carousels and for selectively aligning the second opening in the fourth picker casing with cartridge receptacles in the second and fourth carousels;
- first and second individual columns of receptacles adjacent second openings of the casings of the first and second picker assemblies respectively and third and fourth individual columns of receptacles adjacent first openings of the casings of the third and fourth picker assemblies respectively;
- at least one of the receptacles in at least one individual column of receptacles containing a media drive for receiving said cartridge;
- whereby cartridges can be transferred between receptacles in a column of cartridge receptacles, between receptacles in columns of cartridge receptacles and between cartridge receptacles in said carousels.
- 14. A data storage library as claimed in claim 13 wherein at least one of the first and second grippers of each cartridge picker mechanism is a double lip gripper which has a positionable separator lip for selectively receiving and repelling a storage media cartridge to prevent engagement of said double lip gripper and said cartridge, and a friction lip configured to engage and grip said cartridge for transport.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a division of pending application Ser. No. 08/147,228 filed Nov. 3, 1993.
US Referenced Citations (15)
Foreign Referenced Citations (5)
Number |
Date |
Country |
57-135477 |
Aug 1982 |
JPX |
1-178160 |
Jul 1989 |
JPX |
2-94158 |
Apr 1990 |
JPX |
2-302958 |
Dec 1990 |
JPX |
4-157659 |
May 1992 |
JPX |
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
147228 |
Nov 1993 |
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