Data storage device including a transport mechanism for moving disk storage media between a plurality of removable magazines and a disk drive
US5940355A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 29, 1996 |
| Grant date | Aug 17, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 29, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG11B17/26
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A CD-ROM tower holds 100 CD-ROM disks or like media in five removable magazines. The magazines are identifiable by a robotics control system in the tower. The tower further includes four drives which receive the disks and transfer data from the disks to a SCSI bus. A transport mechanism controlled by the robotics control system raises and lowers an elevator with respect to the magazines and the drives. A tray picker mechanism on the elevator pulls a tray out of a magazine, and a disk lifter mechanism on the elevator lifts a disk from the tray. After the tray is returned to the magazine, the elevator is moved a drive and the disk is lowered onto the drive drawer. In similar manner, a disk is removed from a drive drawer and returned to a magazine tray. The tower is configured to use commercially available CD-ROM drives or other media drives so that the drives are available at commodity prices and are easily replaceable and upgradeable.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.