Patent · US Expired

Apparatus for latching and ejecting cartridges from a cartridge tape drive in a storage library system and detection system therefor

US5774301A · kind A · utility

9Cited by
13References
5Claims
0Family size

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 15, 1996
Grant dateJun 30, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 15, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11B15/6835
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An apparatus for latching and ejecting cartridges from a cartridge tape drive in a storage library system includes a robotically actuated hand assembly. The apparatus comprises a pin extending from the hand assembly and a rotatable lever extending from the cartridge tape drive. The rotatable lever is pivotable between a first position in which the cartridge is locked in the tape drive and a second position in which the cartridge is ejected from the tape drive. The pin is operative to engage the rotatable lever for pivoting the lever between the first and second positions when the hand assembly is robotically actuated. A visible pattern is applied to the rotatable rod and offset from the axis of rotation of the rod such that the pattern appears to move into and out of alignment with the camera target as viewed by a line-scan camera when the rod rotates between the first and second positions. Accordingly, the status of the tape drive may be easily attained.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.