Camera and gripper assembly for an automated storage library
US5237468A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 15, 1991 |
| Grant date | Aug 17, 1993 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 15, 2011 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG11B2220/90
- WIPO fieldHandling
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
Reliability of an automated storage library is improved by mounting at least one CCD cameras on a turret plate with two grippers, wherein the CCD camera provides video support for both grippers. The turret plate is rotatably mounted on the end of an anthropomorphic robot arm such that the camera and each gripper is rotated and angled into position as needed for viewing or gripping, respectively. The CCD camera is positioned to view a tape cartridge for capturing an image of the label attached thereto. While the captured image is being processed to verify the VOLSER, the first gripper is rotated into position and moved forward to grip the desired tape cartridge. The robot arm them moves the camera and gripper assembly to a tape drive and rotates the second gripper into position to remove another tape cartridge from the tape drive. The turret plate is again rotated to position the first gripper for inserting the verified tape cartridge into the tape drive. Thus pick-before-place operations may be performed with a single camera and two grippers. A second camera can be added to increase reliability for pick-before-place. Additionally, if either gripper fails, a single camera and a sing…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.