Patent ID: 6549358
Filing Date: 2003-04-15
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
In a mass data storage and retrieval system including:a plurality of cartridges for storing data information located on media within each of said plurality of cartridges with each cartridge having a top, bottom, front, rear and two sides, a centrally located cavity adjacent to its bottom and rear side, and a lip of the cavity at the back side of the cartridge; a plurality of data recorder modules for receiving and reading information from and writing information to a selected cartridge for information storage; at least one storage module each having a plurality of cells for retaining the cartridges; a data directory for maintaining a directory of the information stored in the mass storage library and for generating, in response to a request, a cartridge location output signal identifying the cell containing the required cartridge within the mass storage library of information; an accessor, including a picker mechanism, associated with the storage module and for retrieving cartridges from its cell and for transporting cartridges between its cell and one of the plurality of data recorders for use by the one of the data recorder modules during a reading and/or writing operation and for returning the cartridge to its cell after the operation; and a gripper means mounted on said picker mechanism of said accessor for grasping the cartridge to retrieve the cartridge from its cell, for holding the cartridge during its transport to the data recording module and for retrieving the cartridge from the data recording module after the operation for transport back to the cell; the improvement wherein the gripper means includes a positive retention finger for grasping the bottom rear face of the cartridge at the centrally located cavity and hooking against the lip of the cavity and at least one opposing finger for capturing the top of the cartridge to hold the cartridge between said positive retention finger and said opposing finger.