Patent ID: 6466396
Filing Date: 2002-10-15
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
An automated cartridge library comprising:an essentially rectangular library frame having a frame front wall and a frame back wall, a library door being provided on the frame front wall; a cartridge transport assembly which has picker fingers for selectively engaging and disengaging a media cartridge; a transport actuator and guide region provided within the frame, the transport actuator and guide region including a guideway along which the cartridge transport assembly reciprocates and an actuator which causes the cartridge transport assembly to rotate from a first transport position to a second transport position, in the first transport position the picker fingers being oriented toward the frame front wall and in the second transport position the picker fingers being oriented toward the frame back wall; a cartridge magazine cavity defined in the library frame between the frame front wall and the transport actuator and guide region, the cartridge magazine cavity adapted to receive a cartridge magazine, the cartridge magazine accommodating plural media cartridges therein, the cartridge magazine being insertable into the cartridge magazine cavity when the library door is opened so that a selected surface of the cartridges face the transport actuator and guide region; a drive region situated in the library frame between the frame back wall and the transport actuator and guide region, the drive region including at least one drive for performing at least one of recording and reproducing operations with respect to media in a media cartridge loaded into the drive.