Abstract:
A cartridge handling apparatus includes cartridge storage magazines which define cartridge storage slots therein. A projecting element positioned on a back inside wall of each of the storage slots of the storage magazines fits into a recess in the cartridge when the cartridge is oriented in a proper orientation so as to permit the cartridge to be fully inserted into the storage slot in the proper orientation. The projection prevents full insertion of the cartridge in the cartridge storage slot when the cartridge is not in the proper orientation. By changing the orientation of the projection, the storage slot accepts cartridges in a different orientation as the proper orientation. A snap lock is provided on each of the storage slots to engage the cartridge when fully inserted therein.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
   This application claims the benefit of Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/341,418, filed Dec. 13, 2001. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present application relates generally to storage magazines for storing cartridges, and in particular to an apparatus for assuring a predetermined orientation of a cartridge in the storage magazine, for example, in an automated cartridge handling apparatus, as well as to a method. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   It is desirable to provide automated handling of cartridges, such as data storage cartridges, for loading and unloading of the cartridges at tape cartridge drives and for storage of the cartridges in cartridge storage facilities. Proper orientation of the cartridges in the automated handling apparatus must be guaranteed for loading of the cartridge into the drive. An improperly oriented cartridge will cause problems if loaded into the drive. For example, if the cartridge is positioned back-for-front, the automated loading apparatus may not detect the mis-orientation prior to attempting loading of the cartridge into the drive, resulting in a failure of the loading operation and possibly damage to the drive. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   An apparatus and method is provided for assuring a predetermined orientation of a cartridge in a cartridge storage magazine. For example, a projection is provided within a cartridge storage space for preventing full insertion of a mis-oriented cartridge. Embodiments of the invention find utility in automated cartridge handling devices, such as for loading and unloading of cartridges into cartridge drives. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a plan view of an automated cartridge handling apparatus; 
       FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram of the automated cartridge handling apparatus of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of two storage magazine slots having positioned therein a cartridge in a proper orientation and a cartridge in an incorrect orientation, respectively; 
       FIG. 4  is a rear perspective view of the two magazine storage slots of  FIG. 3 ; 
       FIG. 5  is an enlarged perspective view showing in phantom the cartridge alignment structure in a first orientation; 
       FIG. 6  is a front perspective view of two storage slots of a second storage magazine having positioned therein a cartridge in a correct orientation and a cartridge in an incorrect orientation, respectively; 
       FIG. 7  is a rear perspective view of the storage magazine of  FIG. 6  showing the alignment structure in a second orientation; and 
       FIG. 8  is an enlarged view in perspective showing the alignment structure in the second orientation. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   The following detailed description sets forth exemplary embodiments without limitation to the scope of the invention as defined in the claims. 
   With reference first to  FIG. 1 , an automated cartridge handling apparatus  10  is shown, including a housing  12  which encloses a tape drive  14  for recording and playback of magnetic tape cartridges  22 . Transfer of the magnetic tape cartridges  22  into and out of the recording drive  14  is accomplished by a cartridge handling shuttle  16 . The cartridge handling shuttle  16  is positioned between two cartridge storage magazines  18  and  20  and is capable of movement to access the drive  14  and the storage slots in the magazines  18  and  20 . The cartridge handling shuttle  16  selectively removes a cartridge  22  from a storage slot in the storage magazine  18  or  20  and transfers it into a load opening in the drive  14 . Data or other information is either recorded onto a tape in the cartridge  22  or is read from the tape in the cartridge  22  by the drive, or both, and the cartridge  22  is then removed from the drive  14  and moved by the cartridge handling shuttle  16  into a storage slot in the storage magazine  18  or  20 . 
   Instead of storing the cartridge  22  in the magazine  18  or  20 , the cartridge  22  may be carried to the end  24  by the shuttle  16  where it may be removed via a mail slot  26  opening at the end  24 . A cartridge  22  may also be inserted via the mail slot  26  for receipt by the shuttle  16 . The mail slot  26  is sized to accommodate a single cartridge  22  and preferably has a hinged door which keeps the opening closed when not in use. This permits single cartridges  22  to be inserted or transferred out. 
   It may be necessary to load multiple cartridges into or out of the device, which is accomplished according to one embodiment by removal and replacement of the storage magazines  18  and  20 . Further openings  28  are provided in the end  24  through which the storage magazines  18  and  20  are removed. The openings  28  permit each of the magazines  18  and  20  to be removed for filling without removing the device from its mounting rack. A door is provided over each of the openings  28  which is normally closed. The openings  28  are of a size so that the magazine  18  or  20  may fit therethrough when empty or when the magazine contains fully inserted cartridges  22 , but the magazine will not fit through the opening  28  if a cartridge  22  is not fully inserted into the magazine  18  or  20 . This prevents improperly loaded magazines  18  or  20  from being put into the device, as will become apparent hereinafter. 
   In the illustrated example, the storage magazines  18  and  20  each include eight storage slots, arranged two high by four wide. A single drive  14  is provided in the housing  12 . It is, of course, possible that the storage magazines  18  and  20  may be wider or narrower, taller or shorter, having more or less storage slots. It is also contemplated that a storage magazine may be provided on only one side of the cartridge handling shuttle  16 . It is further contemplated to provide additional tape drive units  14 , for example, stacked one above another. 
   With reference to  FIG. 2 , the cartridges  22  are shown in the relative positions where they are stored in the storage magazines  18  and  20 . For proper loading of the cartridges into the drive  14 , the cartridges  22  must have a pre-defined orientation as indicated by the arrow on the cartridges  22 . The cartridge handling shuttle  16  of the present embodiment is unable to determine the orientation of the cartridge and so may attempt to load the improperly oriented cartridge into the drive. An improperly oriented cartridge  22  will not work if loaded into the drive  14 , and may even cause problems. For example, if the cartridge  22  is positioned back-for-front when loaded into the drive, the drive may jam or fail. The present invention helps to prevent this, by ensuring proper orientation of the cartridges  22 . 
   In  FIG. 3  is shown two of the storage slots of the storage magazine  18  of FIG.  1 . Each of the two storage slots  30  and  34  has contained therein a cartridge  22 . In the first storage slot  30 , the cartridge  22   a  is oriented in the proper orientation for later insertion into the tape drive  14 . According to the invention, the cartridge  22   a  is fully inserted into the slot  30  and a snap  32  engages a top corner edge of the cartridge  22   a  to lock the cartridge  22   a  in place. 
   On the other hand, the storage slot  34  has the cartridge  22   b  inserted in an opposite orientation, i.e. back for front. An attempt by the shuttle  16  to load this cartridge  22   b  into the drive  14  would result in failure of the device and possibly damage. According to an embodiment of the invention, the cartridge  22   b  is prevented from being fully inserted into the storage slot  34 . The snap lock  32  for the slot  34  is prevented from engagement with the top corner edge of the cartridge  22   b.    
   For example, when the magazine  18  is removed from the housing  12  through the opening  28  and is being loaded with cartridges  22 , the cartridges are prevented from being improperly loaded in a fully inserted position into the storage slots. Only properly oriented cartridges  22  can be fully inserted into the slots. Thus, during the manual cartridge loading of the magazine, the cartridges may not be fully inserted in the wrong orientation. The disclosed embodiment prevents human error during the manual loading of the magazine from resulting in a subsequent failure of the device due to an improperly oriented cartridge. 
   The dimensions of the opening  28  in the front panel  24  of the housing  12  is such that it can only accept magazines into which the cartridges are fully inserted, and thus properly oriented. Any cartridge which has an improper orientation and so projects from the magazine would cause the magazine to not fit into the magazine loading opening  28 . 
   The front loading of the magazines  18  and  20  enables the magazines to be removed, emptied of cartridges, refilled, and re-inserted into the apparatus without un-mounting of the present apparatus, such as from a mounting rack. 
   In  FIG. 4  is shown a rear view of the two storage slots  30  and  34  of  FIG. 3  with the cartridges  22   a  and  22   b  positioned therein. A back wall of the storage magazine  18  is indicated in phantom so that an alignment projection  36  which extends into each of the slots  30  and  34  is visible. The projections  36  are positioned with an extension  38  directed upwardly. In this position, the projection  36  extends into a recess  40  in a side of the cartridge  22   a . This permits the cartridge  22   a  to be inserted fully into the slot  30  so that the snap lock  32  engages. The cartridge  22   b , on other hand, is inserted into the slot  34  in an incorrect orientation and the side face of the cartridge  22   b  strikes the extension  38  of the projection  36  to prevent the cartridge  22   b  from being fully inserted into the slot  34 . The cartridge  22   b  has a recess  42  on the side face in the vicinity of the projection  36 ; however, since the projection  36  is oriented with the part  38  extending upwardly, that the projection  36  does not fit into the recess  42 . This prevents the cartridge  22   b  from being engaged by the snap lock  32 . 
   In  FIG. 5 , a close-up view of the projection  36  shows the upwardly directed extension  38 . The projection  36  fits into the recess  40  in the cartridge  22   a . The cartridge is able to be fully inserted into the slot  30  in the storage magazine  18 . 
     FIG. 6  shows the storage magazine  20  on the other side of the automated cassette handling shuttle  16 . The storage magazine  20  requires that the cartridges  22  be oriented in the opposite direction from the storage magazine  18  shown in the preceding  FIGS. 4 and 5 . In this magazine, a cartridge  22   c  is properly oriented and fits fully into a slot  46  in the storage magazine  20  so that it is fully engaged by the snap lock  48 . By contrast, the cartridge  22   d  is oriented in the opposite direction and is prevented from being fully inserted into the slot  50  of the storage magazine  20  so that the snap lock  52  is not engaged on the edge of the cartridge  22   d.    
   In  FIG. 7  is shown the back side of the magazine storage slots  46  and  50  in which the projection  36  is shown extending into the slots from the back wall. The projection  36  is oriented with the extension  38  extending downwardly. This permits the projection  36  to fit into the recess  42  on the cartridge  22   c . This permits the cartridge  22   c  to be fully inserted into the slot so that the snap lock  48  engages the cartridge  22   c . On the other hand, the cartridge  22   d  has a lower edge portion  54  adjacent the recess  40  which strikes the extension  38  and prevents the cartridge  22   d  from being fully inserted into the slot  50 . Thus, the snap lock  52  is prevented from engagement with the cartridge  22   d.    
   In  FIG. 8 , the projection  36  with the extension  38  is shown extending into the recess  42  in the cartridge  22   c  to permit the cartridge  22   c  to be fully inserted into the storage slot  46 . 
   The projection  36  is a separate part that may be inserted into the storage magazines in the appropriate orientation during assembly of the magazines. Alternately, the projections  36  may be inserted in the appropriate orientation at a later time. A further embodiment provides that the projections  36  may be removable for repositioning depending on whether the storage magazine is to be used to the right or the left of the shuttle. In an alternative embodiment, rotation of the projection element  36  between the two illustrated positions. The use of the projection  36  which is mounted in either position permits the same structural element can be used to provide either the left or the right storage magazine  18  or  20 , so that no additional parts are required nor any special manufacturing process other than positioning the projection  36  in either a downwardly directed or upwardly directed orientation. 
   According to the illustrated embodiment, a cartridge  22  which is loaded into the apparatus  10  facing in the wrong direction or with an improper orientation to be loaded into the tape drive  14  will not successfully load into the storage slots of the magazines  18  and  20  and will be detected so that the cartridge  22  can be removed and re-oriented. 
   Although the disclosed embodiment is particularly useful for manually loaded magazines, it is also contemplated that the automated apparatus may determine the presence of an improperly oriented cartridge and may either avoid using the improperly oriented cartridge or may eject it from the device, such as through the mail slot. Such a mis-oriented cartridge may result from an improperly positioned cartridge being positioned into the mail slot, or from slippage of the handling apparatus within the device. 
   It is contemplated that the present invention be used in storage magazines not associated with automated handling apparatus. It is further contemplated that fewer than all storage slots may be provided with the projection, so that orientation of a cartridge may be checked by inserting the cartridge into the storage slot having the projection of the invention. It is further contemplated that the projection need not be mounted in a storage slot, but may be provided at an orientation testing location, such as at the cartridge introduction slot of the cartridge handling apparatus. 
   Thus, there is described and shown an apparatus and method that insures correct orientation of cartridges for proper loading and handling of the cartridges, such as in an automated cartridge handling apparatus. 
   Although other modifications and changes may be suggested by those skilled in the art, it is the intention of the inventors to embody within the patent warranted hereon all changes and modifications as reasonably and properly come within the scope of their contribution to the art.