hat is Claimed;
1. An optical disk cartridge handling apparatus for storing, handling, reading and writing of optical discs stored in cartridges which store data, comprising:
(a) a cartridge magazine removable from the apparatus for loading and unloading the cartridges in the apparatus, the magazine having slots therein for storing the cartridges;
(b) a flipper mechanism adapted to receive one of the cartridges from either of the magazine or an optical disk drive with a cartridge slot;
(c) a picker mechanism comprised of a cartridge pusher and picker mounted along and adjacent the flipper mechanism for moving the cartridge into and out of the flipper mechanism from either the magazine or the optical disk drive cartridge slot; and
(d) a traverse mechanism for supporting and moving the flipper mechanism along an axis of motion to locate the flipper mechanism adjacent either the magazine or the optical disk drive.
2. The optical disc cartridge handling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the flipper mechanism comprises:
(a) a pair of opposing plates for receiving and holding one of the cartridges in a sandwich-like manner to permit inversion and location of the cartridge;
(b) a driven pulley connected to the plates for rotating the plates about a common center line for inverting the cartridge; and
(c) a flipper alignment and stopping mechanism for stopping and aligning the flipper in front of the appropriate slot of the magazine or the optical disc drive slot.
3. The optical disc cartridge handling apparatus of claim 2, wherein the flipper alignment and stopping mechanism comprises:
(a) diametrically opposed detents on the pulley; and
(b) a pivotally mounted and biased alignment breaking bar with a roller indexable within the detents.
4. The optical disc cartridge handling apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a flipper cartridge retainer mechanism to releasably hold the cartridge within the flipper, comprising a biased knob supportably mounted on one of the plates adapted to be releasably indexable within an index hole in the cartridge to hold the cartridge in the flipper mechanism.
5. The optical disc cartridge handling apparatus of claim 4, wherein the flipper cartridge retainer mechanism further comprises a flat spring bar mounted on one of the plates having the knob affixed thereto.
6. The optical disc cartridge handling apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a cartridge magazine alignment means to index and guide the magazine into and out of the apparatus.
7. The optical disc cartridge handling apparatus of claim 6, wherein the cartridge magazine alignment means comprises a tongue slidably indexable and interlockable in a groove between the magazine and the apparatus.
8. The optical disc cartridge handling apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a magazine cartridge retainer means to releasably hold the cartridges in the magazine.
9. The optical disc cartridge handling apparatus of claim 8, wherein the magazine cartridge retainer means comprises biased fingers within the magazine which are indexable in detents on the cartridges.
10. An optical disk cartridge handling apparatus for storing, handling, reading and writing of optical discs stored in cartridges which store data, comprising:
(a) a cartridge magazine removable from the apparatus for loading and unloading the cartridges in the apparatus, the magazine having slots therein for storing the cartridges, cartridge magazine alignment means to index and guide the magazine into and out of the apparatus and magazine cartridge retainer means to releasably hold the cartridges in the magazine;
(b) a flipper mechanism adapted to receive one of the cartridges from either of the magazine or an optical disk drive with a cartridge slot;
(c) a picker mechanism comprised of a cartridge pusher and picker mounted along and adjacent the flipper mechanism for moving the cartridge into and out of the flipper mechanism from either the magazine or the optical disk drive cartridge slot; and
(d) a traverse mechanism for supporting and moving the flipper mechanism along an axis of motion to locate the flipper mechanism adjacent either the magazine or the optical disk drive.
ll. The optical disc cartridge handling apparatus of claim 10, wherein the flipper mechanism comprises:
(a) a pair of opposing plates for receiving and holding one of the cartridges in a sandwich-like manner to permit inversion and location of the cartridge;
(b) a driven pulley connected to the plates for rotating the plates about a common center line for inverting the cartridge; and
(c) a flipper alignment and stopping mechanism for stopping and aligning the flipper in front of the appropriate slot of the magazine or the optical disc drive slot.
12. The optical disc cartridge handling apparatus of claim 11, wherein the flipper alignment and stopping mechanism comprises:
(a) diametrically opposed detents on the pulley; and
(b) a pivotally mounted and biased alignment breaking bar with a roller indexable within the detents.
13. The optical disc cartridge handling apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a flipper cartridge retainer mechanism to releasably hold the cartridge within the flipper, comprising a biased knob supportably mounted on one of the plates adapted to be releasably indexable within an index hole in the cartridge to hold the cartridge in the flipper mechanism.
14. The optical disc cartridge handling apparatus of claim 13, wherein the flipper cartridge retainer mechanism further comprises a flat spring bar mounted on one of the plates having the knob affixed thereto.
15. The optical disc cartridge handling apparatus of claim 11, wherein the cartridge magazine alignment means comprises a tongue slidably indexable and interlockable in a groove between the magazine and the apparatus.
16. The optical disc cartridge handling apparatus of claim 10, further comprising magazine cartridge retainer means comprised of biased fingers within the magazine which are indexable in detents on the cartridges.
17. An optical disk cartridge handling apparatus for storing, handling, reading and writing of optical discs stored in cartridges which store data, comprising:
(a) a cartridge magazine removable from the apparatus for loading and unloading the cartridges in the apparatus, the magazine having slots therein for storing the cartridges;
(b) a flipper mechanism adapted to receive one of the cartridges from either of the magazine or an optical disk drive with a cartridge slot with means for rotating the flipper mechanism about a common center line for inverting the cartridge;
(c) a flipper alignment and stopping mechanism;
(d) a picker mechanism comprised of a cartridge pusher and picker mounted along and adjacent the flipper mechanism for moving the cartridge into and out of the flipper mechanism from either the magazine or the optical disk drive cartridge slot;
(e) a flipper cartridge retainer mechanism to releasably hold the cartridge within the flipper; and
(f) a traverse mechanism for supporting and moving the flipper mechanism along an axis of motion to locate the flipper mechanism adjacent either the magazine or the optical disk drive.
AMENDED CLAIMS
[received by the International Bureau on 8 February 1993 (08.02.93); original claims 1-17 replaced by amended claims 1-13 (5 pages)]
1. An optical disk cartridge handling apparatus for storing, handling, reading and writing of optical disks stored in cartridges which store data, comprising:
(a) a cartridge magazine [70] removable from the apparatus for loading and unloading the cartridges
[10] in the apparatus, the magazine having slots [87] therein for storing the cartridges;
(b) a flipper mechanism [122] adapted to receive one of the cartridges from either of the magazine or an optical disk drive [20] with a cartridge slot [26], the flipper mechanism comprising a pair of opposing plates [124, 128] for receiving and holding one of the cartridges in a sandwich-like manner to permit ~ inversion and location of the cartridge, a driven pulley [147] connected to the plates for rotating the plates about a common center line for inverting the cartridge, and a flipper alignment and stopping mechanism [145] for stopping and aligning the flipper mechanism in front of the appropriate slot of the cartridge magazine or the optical disk drive slot, the flipper alignment and stopping mechanism comprising diametrically-opposed detents [149, 150] on the pulley, and a pivotally- ounted and biased alignment breaking bar [151] with a roller [153] indexable within the dents;
(c) a picker mechanism [191] comprised of a cartridge pusher [197] and picker [199] mounted along and adjacent the flipper mechanism for moving the cartridge into and out of the flipper mechanism from either the magazine or the optical disk drive cartridge slot; and
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(d) a traverse mechanism [300] for supporting and moving the flipper mechanism along an axis of motion to locate the flipper mechanism adjacent either the magazine or the optical disk drive.
2. The optical disk cartridge handling apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a flipper cartridge retainer mechanism [161] to releasably hold the cartridge within the flipper, comprising a biased knob [165] supportably mounted on one of the plates [124, 128] adapted to be releasably indexable within an index hole [14] in the cartridge to hold the cartridge in the flipper mechanism.
3. The optical disk cartridge handling apparatus of claim 2, wherein the flipper cartridge retainer mechanism further comprises a flat spring bar [169] mounted on one of the plates having the knob affixed thereto.
4. The optical disk cartridge handling apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a cartridge magazine alignment means [81] to index and guide the magazine into and out of the apparatus.
5. The optical disk cartridge handling apparatus of claim 4, wherein the cartridge magazine alignment means comprises a tongue [82] slidably indexable and interlockable in a groove [64] between the magazine and the apparatus.
6. The optical disk cartridge handling apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a magazine cartridge retainer means [88] to releasably hold the cartridges in the magazine.
7. The optical disk cartridge handling apparatus of claim 6, wherein the magazine cartridge retainer means comprises biased fingers [90] within the magazine which are indexable in detents on the cartridges.
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8. An optical disk cartridge handling apparatus for storing, handling, reading and writing of optical disks stored in cartridges which store data, comprising:
(a) a cartridge magazine [70] removable from the apparatus, for loading and unloading the cartridges [10] in the apparatus, the magazine having slots [87] therein for storing the cartridges, cartridge magazine alignment means [81] to index and guide the magazine into and out of the apparatus and magazine cartridge retainer means [88] to releasably hold the cartridges in the magazine;
(b) a flipper mechanism [122] adapted to receive one of the cartridges from either the magazine or an optical disk drive [20] with a cartridge slot [26], the flipper mechanism further comprising:
(i) a pair of opposing plates [124, 128] for receiving and holding one of the cartridges in a sandwich-like manner to permit inversion and location of the cartridge;
(ii) a driven pulley [147] connected to the plates for rotating the plates about a common center line for inverting the cartridge; and
(iii) a flipper alignment and stopping mechanism [145] for stopping and aligning the flipper mechanism in front of the appropriate slot of the cartridge magazine or the optical disk drive slot.
(iv) diametrically-opposed detents [149, 150] on the pulley; and
(v) a pivotally-mounted and biased alignment breaking bar [151] with a roller [153] indexable within the detents;
(c) a picker mechanism [191] comprised of a cartridge pusher [197] and picker [199] mounted along and adjacent the flipper mechanism for moving the cartridge into and out of the flipper mechanism from either the magazine or the optical disk drive cartridge slot; and
(d) a traverse mechanism [300] for supporting and moving the flipper mechanism along an axis of motion to locate the flipper mechanism adjacent either the magazine or the optical disk drive.
9. The optical disk cartridge handling apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a flipper cartridge retainer mechanism [161] to releasably hold the cartridge within the flipper mechanism, comprising a biased knob [165] supportably mounted on one of the plates [124, 128] adapted to be releasably indexable within an index hole [14] in the cartridge to hold the cartridge in the flipper mechanism.
10. The optical disk cartridge handling apparatus of claim 9, wherein the flipper cartridge retainer mechanism further comprises a flat spring bar [169] mounted on one of the plates having the knob affixed thereto.
11. The optical disk cartridge handling apparatus of claim 8, wherein the cartridge magazine alignment means comprises a tongue [82] slidably indexable and interlockable in a groove [64] between the magazine and the apparatus.
12. The optical disk cartridge handling apparatus of claim 8, further comprising magazine cartridge retainer means [88]
comprised of biased fingers [90] within the magazine which are indexable in detents on the cartridges.
13. An optical disk cartridge handling apparatus for storing, handling, reading and writing of optical disks stored in cartridges which store data, comprising:
(a) a cartridge magazine [70] removable from the apparatus for loading and unloading the cartridges [10] in the apparatus, the magazine having slots [87] therein for storing the cartridges;
(b) a flipper mechanism [122] adapted to receive one of the cartridges from either the magazine or an optical disk drive [20] with a cartridge slot [26] with means for rotating the flipper mechanism about a common center line for inverting the cartridge;
(c) a flipper alignment and stopping mechanism [145];
(d) a picker mechanism [191] comprised of a cartridge pusher [197] and picker [199] mounted along and adjacent the flipper mechanism for moving the cartridge into and out of the flipper mechanism from either the magazine or the optical disk drive cartridge slot;
(e) a flipper cartridge retainer mechanism [161] to releasably hold the cartridge within the flipper mechanism; and
(f) a traverse mechanism [300] for supporting and moving the flipper mechanism along an axis of motion to locate the flipper mechanism adjacent either the magazine or the optical disk drive.