1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a library device to store a plurality of data cartridges including a magnetic tape, magnetic disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, or a like and to selectively unload a desired data cartridge out of these data cartridges to read and/or write data from or onto storage media housed in the data cartridge by using a drive device mounted internally and to a picker mechanism making up the library device.
The present application claims priority of Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-014389 filed on Jan. 22, 2004, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional library device (called a data storage system or a like in some cases) is known which is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2002-269875 in which data cartridges are stored in a plurality of cells housed in a plurality of magazines and a desired data cartridge is selectively unloaded from these data cartridges, and data stored in the cartridge is read and/or written by using a drive device.
A cartridge carrying system 1101 included in the data storage system 1100 shown in
The cartridge carrying system 1101 includes a U-shaped lower guiding member, that is, a lower plate 1108 having a U-shaped lower groove 1107 and a U-shaped upper guiding member, that is, an upper plate (not shown) having a groove (not shown), which are together used to guide a cartridge access device 1105 along an approximately U-shaped path 1106, so that the cartridge access device 1105 gains access to data cartridges 1104 housed in the plurality of cartridge magazines 1102 and the plurality of cartridge reading/writing devices 1103.
The cartridge access device 1105 partially includes a cartridge positioning system 1109 to move the cartridge access device 1105 along the cartridge magazines 1102 and the cartridge reading/writing devices 1103 in various positions (for example, positions 1140, 1140′, and 1140″) so that the cartridge access device 1105 gains access to data cartridges 1104 being housed in the cartridge magazines 1102 and cartridge reading/writing devices 1103.
The cartridge access device 1105 moves along the U-shaped lower groove 1107 formed on the lower plate 1108 (the lower guiding member) and the U-shaped upper groove (not shown) formed on the upper plate (the upper guiding member), that is, along the U-shaped path 1106, by an actuator system 1110. The actuator system 1110 includes a rack pinion driving system having gear racks placed in a position adjacent to the groove 1107 in the lower plate 1108 and being substantially connected to one another.
Moreover, such a library device as described above is equipped with a picker mechanism to bring data cartridges in or from the cartridge magazines and cartridge reading/writing devices.
The picker mechanism 1200 shown in
In the picker mechanism 1200, for example, as shown in
Moreover, as shown in
The picker mechanism 1300 shown in
The picker mechanism 1300, as shown in
The picker mechanism 1400 shown in
The picker mechanism 1400, as shown in
As described above, the data storage system 1100 (library device) shown in
Moreover, the picker mechanism 1200 having the right and left picker arms 1220a and 1220b on its both sides shown in
On the other hand, the picker mechanism 1300 having the picker arm 1310 shown in
Moreover, as shown in
In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a picker mechanism and a library device having the same that can achieve its miniaturization. It is another object of the present invention to provide a picker mechanism and a library device having the same that can shorten time required to move data cartridges.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a picker mechanism making up a library device having at least one drive device to read and write data from or onto storage media housed in a plurality of data cartridges and at least one magazine being provided with a plurality of cells each housing one of the plurality of the data cartridges, for loading and unloading each of the data cartridges on or from the at least one drive device and each of the cells, the picker mechanism including:
a swivel mechanism to rotate the picker mechanism on a supporting base used to support the picker mechanism;
a feeding section having a picker arm being attached on one side of the feeding section and being held in a fixed manner by a notch formed on a side of each of the data cartridges; and
a feeding section driving mechanism to move the feeding section in a direction intersecting a direction of rotation of the picker mechanism made by the swivel mechanism.
By configuring above, operations of making the picker arm be held by the notch of the data cartridge in a fixed manner or be separated from the notch of the data cartridge can be performed, not by rotating the picker arm, but by moving the picker mechanism itself by using an accessor mechanism mounting the picker mechanism or rotating the picker mechanism by the swivel mechanism. As a result, it is not necessary that the picker mechanism is provided with a mechanism to open or close the picker arm and it is made possible to miniaturize the picker mechanism itself. Furthermore, it is not necessary that space is provided for rotating the picker arm between the cells adjacent to one another in the magazine and/or in a portion surrounding the drive device and, therefore, it is made possible for the magazine to be arranged with small intervals between the cells and for the data cartridge to be mounted in high density, which enables the drive device to be arranged in high density, thus achieving miniaturization of the library device having the picker mechanism.
Additionally, by configuring as above, for example, operations of transferring the data cartridge from one cell to another cell in the magazines facing one another can be performed by reversing the picker mechanism using the swivel mechanism after having unloaded the data cartridge from one cell using the picker mechanism and by loading the data cartridge on another cell from the picker mechanism and, as a result, time required for operations of transferring the data cartridge can be shortened more when compared with the conventional technology in which the data cartridge is transferred along the U-shaped path.
In the foregoing, a preferable mode is one wherein the picker arm in the feeding section is mounted on a side facing a direction of rotation of the picker mechanism made by the swivel mechanism.
Also, a preferable mode is one wherein the swivel mechanism is so configured as to rotate the picker mechanism about an approximately central portion of the picker mechanism and wherein the feeding section driving mechanism is so configured as to move the feeding section in a radius direction of a rotation circle formed by the picker mechanism being made to rotate about the approximately central portion of the picker mechanism by the swivel mechanism.
By configuring as above, it is possible that space required for rotation of the picker mechanism made by the swivel mechanism can be minimized and the library device having the picker mechanism can be made smaller.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a library device including:
at least one drive device to read and write data from and onto storage media housed in a plurality of data cartridges;
at least one magazine having a plurality of cells each housing one of the plurality of the data cartridges,
a picker mechanism to load and unload each of the data cartridges on or from the at least one drive device and each of the cells; and
an accessor mechanism to mount the picker mechansim and to transfer the picker mechanism between the at least one drive device and each of the cells;
wherein the picker mechanism has a swivel mechanism to rotate the picker mechanism on the accessor mechanism, a feeding section having a picker arm being attached on one side of the feeding section and being held in a fixed manner by a notch formed on a side of each of the data cartridges, and a feeding section driving mechanism to move the feeding section in a straight line in a direction intersecting a direction of rotation of the picker mechanism made by the swivel mechanism.
In the foregoing, a preferable mode is one wherein the picker arm in the feeding section is mounted on a side facing a direction of rotation of the picker mechanism made by the swivel mechanism.
Also, a preferable mode is one wherein the swivel mechanism is so configured as to rotate the picker mechanism about an approximately central portion of the picker mechanism and wherein the feeding section driving mechanism is so configured as to move the feeding section in a radius direction of a rotation circle formed by the picker mechanism being made to rotate about the approximately central portion of the picker mechanism by the swivel mechanism.
By configuring above, operations of transferring the data cartridge from one cell to another cell in the magazines facing one another can be performed, not by rotating the picker arm, but by moving the picker mechanism itself using the accessor mechanism mounting the picker mechanism or by rotating the picker mechanism on the accessor mechanism using the swivel mechanism. As a result, it is not necessary that the picker mechanism is provided with a mechanism to open or close the picker arm and it is possible to miniaturize the picker mechanism itself. Furthermore, it is not necessary that space is provided for rotating the picker arm between the cells adjacent to one another in the magazine and/or in a portion surrounding the drive device and, therefore, it is made possible for the magazine to be arranged with small intervals between the cells and for the data cartridge to be mounted in high density, which enables the drive device to be arranged in high density, thus being able to achieve miniaturization of the library device having the picker mechanism.
Additionally, by configuring as above, for example, operations of transferring the data cartridge from one cell to another cell in the magazines facing one another can be performed by reversing the picker mechanism using the swivel mechanism after having unloaded the data cartridge from one cell using the picker mechanism and by loading the data cartridge on another cell from the picker mechanism and, as a result, time required for operations of transferring the data cartridge can be shortened more when compared with the conventional technology in which the data cartridge is transferred along the U-shaped path.
Also, a preferable mode is one wherein the library device is so configured as to unload the data cartridge housed in any one of cells or in the at least one drive device, by performing operations of moving the picker mechanism using the accessor mechanism to make the picker mechanism face the data cartridge being housed in the one of the cells or in the at least one drive device and of rotating the picker mechanism using the swivel mechanism to make an aperture of the picker mechanism face the data cartridge, by performing operations of moving the feeding section using the feeding section driving mechanism to make the picker arm be placed in a position facing the notch formed on a side of the data cartridge, by performing an operation of moving the accessor mechanism mounting the picker mechanism to make the picker arm be held in a fixed manner by the notch in the data cartridge, and by performing an operation of moving the feeding section using the feeding section driving mechanism to load the data cartridge on the picker mechanism.
Also, a preferable mode is one wherein the library device is so configured as to load the data cartridge into the cells, by performing operations of moving the picker mechanism with the data cartridge housed in an inside thereof, by using the accessor mechanism, with the picker arm being held in a fixed manner by the notch in the data cartridge, to make the picker mechanism be placed in a position facing the cells housing the data cartridge and of rotating the picker mechanism using the swivel mechanism to make an aperture of the picker mechanism face the cells, by performing an operation of moving the feeding section using the feeding section driving mechanism to load the data cartridge in the cells, and by performing an operation of moving the accessor mechanism mounting the picker mechanism to separate the picker arm from the notch in the data cartridge.
Also, a preferable mode is one wherein the library device is so configured as to unload the data cartridge being housed in the at least one drive device or any one of the cells, by performing operations of moving the picker mechanism using the accessor mechanism to make the picker mechanism be placed in a position facing the data cartridge being housed in the at least one drive device or the one of the cells and of rotating the picker mechanism using the swivel mechanism to make an aperture of the picker mechanism face the data cartridge, with the aperture of the picker mechanism being made slant in a direction of a side on which the picker arm in the feeding section is mounted, by performing an operation of moving the feeding section using the feeding section driving mechanism to make the picker arm be placed in a position facing the notch formed on a side of the data cartridge, by performing an operation of rotating the picker mechanism using the swivel mechanism to make the picker arm be held in a fixed manner by the notch in the data cartridge, and by performing an operation of moving the feeding section using the feeding section driving mechanism to load the data cartridge into the picker mechanism.
Furthermore, a preferable mode is one wherein the library device is so configured as to load the data cartridge into the at least one drive device by performing operations of moving the picker mechanism housing the data cartridge in an internal portion in the picker mechanism using the accessor mechanism, with the picker arm being held in a fixed manner by the notch in the data cartridge, to make the picker mechanism be placed in a position facing the at least one drive device housing the data cartridge and of rotating the picker mechanism using the swivel mechanism to make an aperture of the picker mechanism directly face the at least one drive device, by performing an operation of moving the feeding section using the feeding section driving mechanism to insert the data cartridge to a first position in the at least one drive device, by performing an operation of rotating the picker mechanism using the swivel mechanism to separate the picker arm from the notch in the data cartridge, by performing an operation of moving the feeding section using the feeding section driving mechanism to draw the feeding section into the picker mechanism, and by performing an operation of moving the picker mechanism using the accessor mechanism to make a cartridge pushing-in section being mounted in an aperture of the accessor mechanism be placed in a position facing the data cartridge, and by performing an operation of moving the picker mechanism using the accessor mechanism to insert the data cartridge to a second position in the at least one drive device, so that the cartridge pushing-in section pushes the data cartridge into the at least one drive device.
By configuring as above, in a case where the drive device are provided with an automatic loading mechanism which automatically loads the data cartridge, after the data cartridge has been inserted to its second position and thereafter, when the data cartridge is fully inserted to its second position by moving the feeding section using the feeding driving mechanism, since the data cartridge to be drawn in the drive device by the automatic loading mechanism that has started its operation is pulled by the picker arm, there is a fear that a failure occurs in the picker arm or the automatic loading mechanism. Therefore, by moving the feeding section using the feeding section driving mechanism to remove the picker arm from the notch in the data cartridge after having inserted the data cartridge to the first position in the drive device and then by moving the picker mechanism using the accessor mechanism and by pushing the data cartridge using the cartridge pushing-in section into the picker mechanism to insert the data cartridge to the second position, the data cartridge can be smoothly inserted into the drive device having the automatic loading mechanism.
With the above configuration, the picker mechanism is provided with the swivel mechanism to rotate the picker mechanism on a supporting base used to support the picker mechanism, with the feeding section having the picker arm being attached on one side of the feeding section and being held in a fixed manner in the notch formed on a side of each of the data cartridges, and with the feeding section driving mechanism to move the feeding section in a straight line in a direction intersecting a direction of rotation of the picker mechanism made by the swivel mechanism and, therefore, it is not necessary that the picker mechanism has a mechanism to open and close the picker arm and it is possible to miniaturize the picker mechanism itself and it is also not necessary that space for rotating the picker arm is provided between the cells being adjacent to one another in the magazine, thus enabling intervals between the cells to be made narrow and the data cartridge to be housed in high density and miniaturization of the library device to be achieved.
With another configuration as above, operations of transferring the data cartridge from one cell to another cell in magazines facing one another can be performed by reversing the picker mechanism using the swivel mechanism after having unloaded the data cartridge from one cell using the picker mechanism and by loading the data cartridge on another cell from the picker mechanism and, as a result, time required for operations of transferring the data cartridge can be shortened more when compared with the conventional technology in which the data cartridge is transferred along the U-shaped path.
The above and other objects, advantages, and features of the present invention will be more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
Best modes of carrying out the present invention will be described in further detail using various embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.
In the embodiment, the two magazines 200 are arranged in a manner in which aperture (opening) portions of the cells 300 in one magazine 200 face aperture portions of the cells 300 in another magazine 200 and, further, the two stacked drive devices 600 are placed in the vicinity of one end of each of the two magazines 200, and the magazines 200 and drive devices 600 are arranged in a manner to be approximately U-shaped. The accessor mechanism 400 has a lifter mechanism 410 (see
Each of the magazines 200 is made up of a magazine 200a and a magazine 200b in which the magazine 200b having a total of twelve pieces (4 columns×3 stages) of the cells 300 overlies the magazine 200a having a total of eight pieces (4 columns×2 stages) of the cells 300. That is, in the embodiment, each of the magazines 200 has a total of twenty pieces of the cells 300 and, therefore, the two magazines 200 can house a total of forty pieces of the data cartridges 100. A lowest end of a rib (partition wall, not shown) mounted in the magazines 200 to partition a plurality of the cells 300 in a column direction is a distance away from a bottom plate of the cells 300 and clearance is created between the lowest end of the rib and the bottom plate of the cells 300 accordingly. This clearance enables a picker arm 521 (see
Moreover, any number of cells 300 held by the magazines 200 and any number of the stages of magazines 200 can be acceptable in the present invention. The accessor mechanism 400 may be so configured that a distance of the movement in the X and Y directions can be changed appropriately according to the number of cells 300 held by the magazines 200 and the number of stages of the magazines 200.
The data cartridge 100 is a storage medium to read and write data shared by computers (not shown) being connected to the library device via communication lines to be used in such a LAN (Local Area Network), the Internet, or a like. Such the storage medium includes, for example, tape media such as an LTO (Linear Tape-Open), DLT (Digital Linear Tape) or a like, a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) being placed in each housing, an MO (Magneto-Optical disk), disk media such as an MD (Mini Disk), or a like.
The drive device 600 is a read/write device which reads data written in the data cartridge 100 mounted in the drive device 600 and writes data renewed by an operator of a computer onto the data cartridge 100. In the embodiment, though one drive device 600 overlies another drive device 600, any number of drive devices 600 that the library device has may be mounted.
The picker mechanism 500 mounted in the accessor mechanism 400 performs operations of holding data cartridges 100 to load or unload the data cartridges 100 on or from the cells 300 in the magazines 200 and the drive device 600 and of changing a direction of the data cartridge 100 with its horizontal position being kept. The accessor mechanism 400 having the picker mechanism 500, by performing such operations, can transfer data cartridges 100 between the cells 300 and drive devices 600, among the cells 300, and among the drive devices 600.
As shown in
The linear mechanism 450 includes a driving section 451 made up of a motor and a driving gear string (combined driving gears), a driving shaft 453 having a pair of driving pulleys 452 in the vicinity of its both side portions and being made to rotate to be driven by the driving section 451, a pair of driven pulleys 455 each being able to rotate about the rotational axis 454, a pair of timing belts 456 each being wound round the driving pulley 452 and the driven pulley 455, and two guide rails 457 to guide the lifter mechanism 410 in the X direction shown in
In the linear mechanism 450 having such configurations as above, when a motor of the driving section 451 is driven and rotated in a normal or reverse direction, the driving shaft 453 is rotated by its driving power and the timing belts 456 each rotate in driven manner between the driving pulley 452 and the driven pulley 455. The lifter mechanism 410 being fixed partially to each of the timing belts 456 moves along the two guide rails 457 in the X direction shown in
Next, configurations of the lifter mechanism 410 are described by referring to
As shown in
As shown in
The elevator 419 moves up and down by rotation of a shaft 424 having a pinion gear 423 engaging with the rack 420 on one end of the shaft 424 in a manner in which the shaft 424 can rotate and by rotation of a shaft 425 having a pinion gear 426 (
In the lifter mechanism 410 so configured as described above, when a motor (not shown) of the driving section 411 is made to rotate in a normal or reverse direction to be driven, a driving pulley (not shown) rotates by its driving force and the timing belt 413 rotates in a driven manner. Then, as shown in
Next, the picker mechanism 500 is described.
As shown in
The feeding section 520 is provided with a picker arm 521 having a hook (not shown) used to be latched to a notch 110 (see
As shown in
The screw shaft 524 and nut section 525 make up a feed screw mechanism (feeding section driving mechanism) which moves the feeding section 520 in an “A” direction shown in
Moreover, the feeding position detecting sensor 511, when the feeding section 520 is fully housed in the picker frame 510 (position obtained when the feeding section 520 is fully housed in the picker frame 510 is called a “home position”) is so configured as to detect the presence of the flag 526. In the embodiment, the picker driving motor 530 is made up of a stepping motor. Therefore, a moving distance (feeding position) from the home position of the feeding section 520 can be managed based on the number of pulses input into the picker driving motor 530 to rotate the screw shaft 524.
The picker mechanism 500 is mounted on the elevator 419 with the rotation axis 540 (see
Moreover, in the embodiment, the swivel driving motor 550 is made up of a stepping motor and an amount of rotation from a predetermined position of the picker mechanism 500 can be managed based on the number of pulses input in the swivel driving motor 550.
Next, various moving operations to be performed by the data cartridge 100 in the library device are described by referring to
(1) Operations of Unloading Data Cartridge from Cell
When the data cartridge 100 is unloaded from the cell 300, as shown in
Next, as shown in
Next, with the picker mechanism 500 being kept in the state shown in
Finally, as shown in
As described above, the library device of the embodiment is so configured that the picker mechanism 500 grasps the data cartridge 100, not by rotating the picker arm 521 itself, but by moving each picker mechanism 500 by a length of the hook of the picker arm 521 in a direction in which the hook of the picker arm 521 is inserted into the notch 110 formed on a side of the data cartridge 100, after having inserted the picker arm 521 in a direction being in a parallel to the side of the data cartridge 100. Therefore, it is not necessary that the picker mechanism 500 is provided with a mechanism to open and close the picker arm 521, thus enabling the picker mechanism 500 itself to be made smaller in size. It is also not necessary that space for rotating the picker arm 521 is provided among cells 300 being adjacent to one another in the magazine 200, thus enabling intervals among the cells 300 to be made narrow and the data cartridge 100 to be housed in high density and miniaturization of the library device to be achieved. Moreover, operations of unloading the data cartridge 100 from the drive device 600 are the same as described above.
(2) Operations of Loading Data Cartridge into Cell
When the data cartridge 100 is to be housed in the cell 300, as shown in
Next, as shown in
Then, as shown in
Next, with the picker mechanism 500 being kept in the state shown in
Finally, as shown in
Moreover, for example, between two magazines 200, 200 facing one another, a transfer of the data cartridge 100 from one of the cells 300 in one magazine 200 to another of the cells 300 in another magazine 200 can be achieved by unloading the data cartridge 100 from the above one cell 300 using the picker mechanism 500 and then by driving the swivel driving motor 550 to move and reverse the picker mechanism 500 while the picker mechanism 500 is moved using the accessor mechanism 400 and by housing the data cartridge 100 from the picker mechanism 500 to another cell 300 and, therefore, it is made possible to reduce time required to transfer the data cartridge when compared with the conventional technology in which the data cartridge is carried along the U-shaped path.
(3) Operations of Unloading Data Cartridge from Drive Device
Before the operations of unloading the data cartridge 100 from the drive device 600 are started, the lifter mechanism 410 on which the picker mechanism 500 is mounted has been placed in an arbitrary position as shown in
When operations of unloading the data cartridge 100 from the drive device 600 are started, as shown in
Next, as shown in
Then, as shown in
Finally, as shown in
As described above, the library device of the embodiment is so configured that the picker mechanism 500 grasps the data cartridge 100, not by rotating the picker arm 521 itself, but by moving, after having arranged the picker arm 521 in the vicinity of a side of the data cartridge 100, each picker mechanism 500 by a length of the hook of the picker arm 521 in a direction in which the hook of the picker arm 521 is inserted into the notch 110 formed on the side of the data cartridge 100. As a result, it is not necessary that the picker mechanism 500 is provided with a mechanism to open and close the picker arm 521 and it is possible to miniaturize the picker mechanism 500 itself. Also, it is not necessary that the drive device 600 is provided with space for rotating the picker arm 521 in a portion surrounding the drive device 600, which enables the drive device 600 to be arranged in high density, thus achieving the miniaturization of the library device.
Moreover, operations of unloading the data cartridge 100 from the cell 300 can be performed in the same way as described above.
(4) Operations of Loading Data Cartridge into Drive Device
Before operations of loading the data cartridge 100 into the drive device 600 are started, as shown in
When operations of loading the data cartridge 100 into the drive device 600 are started, as shown in
Next, as shown in
Next, as shown in
Then, as shown in
After that, as shown in
Then, as shown in
Finally, as shown in
Thus, according to the embodiment, with the data cartridge 100 being held by the picker arm 521, after the data cartridge 100 has been loaded into the drive device 600 in a provisional manner, the state in which the picker arm 521 is held in a fixed manner is cancelled and the picker mechanism 500 is totally moved so that the data cartridge 100 is loaded into the drive device 600, by the cartridge pushing-in section 510a, to a position where the automatic loading is started. As a result, it is made possible to smoothly load the data cartridge 100 into the drive device 600 having the automatic loading mechanism. On the other hand, with the data cartridge 100 being held by the picker arm 521, if the data cartridge 100 is loaded into a position where the automatic loading is started in the drive device 600, the data cartridge 100 to be drawn in the drive device 600 by the automatic loading mechanism that has started its operation is pulled by the picker arm 521. As a result, there is a fear of occurrence of a failure in the picker arm 521 or the automatic loading mechanism.
As described above, according to the picker mechanism 500 and the library device of the embodiment, it is not necessary that the picker mechanism 500 is provided with a mechanism to open and close the picker arm 521 and, therefore, the picker mechanism 500 itself can be made smaller in size. Moreover, it is not necessary that space for rotating the picker arm 521 is provided among cells 300 adjacent to one another in the magazine 200 or in areas surrounding the drive device 600 and, therefore, it is made possible for the magazine 200 to arrange cells 300 in a manner in which intervals among the cells 300 are made narrow and, as a result, to house data cartridges 100 in high density and also to arrange the drive device 600 in high density, which enables the library device having the picker mechanism 500 to be miniaturized.
Also, the picker mechanism 500 of the embodiment is so configured that the data cartridge 100 is positioned to the notch 110 by moving the picker arm 521 mounted on a side of the feeding section 520 using the driving section 411, 451 in the accessor mechanisms 400 and 451 each being made up of pulse motors and the picker driving motor 530 and swivel driving motor 550 in the picker mechanism 500. As a result, a displacement of the picker arm 521 from the position of the notch 110 can be corrected based on out-of-step pulses of these pulse motors, it is not necessary that a special mechanism including a photosensor, CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a like used to detect a position of the picker arm 521 for correcting the displacement is provided, which also enables the library device to be miniaturized.
Furthermore, the picker mechanism 500 of the embodiment is so configured that the data cartridge 100 is loaded and unloaded using the picker arm 521 mounted on a side of the feeding section 520 and, therefore, even when cells 300 in the magazines 200 are provided in multi-stages, unlike the conventional picker mechanism having the picker arm, which is provided on the side of the picker mechanism and moves in a vertical direction, it is not necessary that space for loading the picker arm 521 among data cartridges 100 placed up and down in multi-stages is provided, thus enabling the picker mechanism 500 to be applied even if the cells 300 in the magazine 200 are provided in multi-stages.
It is apparent that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments but may be changed and modified without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2004-014389 | Jan 2004 | JP | national |
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5255251 | Fitzgerald et al. | Oct 1993 | A |
5793563 | Katsuyama et al. | Aug 1998 | A |
6327113 | Mueller et al. | Dec 2001 | B1 |
Number | Date | Country |
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60-243864 | Dec 1985 | JP |
03-20059 | Feb 1991 | JP |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20050162775 A1 | Jul 2005 | US |