Cartridge positioning mechanism for robotic magnetic tape cartridge handling system
US5277540A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 13, 1992 |
| Grant date | Jan 11, 1994 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 13, 2012 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG11B15/6835
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
The gripper mechanism includes two fingers hingeably attached to a support and operable by means of a spring to grasp an object with a predetermined amount of force and a solenoid to open the fingers and release the object The gripper mechanism is enclosed by a substantially rectangular box-like enclosure which includes a plurality of compliant guides to align and support an object retrieved from an object storage location by the finger gripper mechanism. Each of these four guides consist of an elongated L-shaped guide finger that is attached to the enclosure by a spring mechanism to enable the guide finger to translate in directions that are normal to the opening in the enclosure. The end of the guide fingers adjacent the opening in the enclosure support the object as it is being retrieved and are tapered in order to provide a funneling capability to account for misalignments between the object that is retrieved and the precise center lines of the enclosure. The spring mechanism also functions to automatically reposition the object once it clears the object storage location to a position that is substantially centered within the enclosure.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.