Abstract:
Provided is a magnetic disk loading apparatus making it easy to perform the work of replacing a magnetic disk unit or any other component with a new one or the work of maintaining or inspecting it, and accommodating a larger number of magnetic disk units. A magnetic disk loading apparatus comprises magnetic disk units stored in a disk enclosure, and a cable container located in a place within the disk enclosure other than the place where the magnetic disk unit is located. The magnetic disk loading apparatus is designed so that the disk enclosure can be inserted into or pulled out of the magnetic disk loading apparatus from the front side of the magnetic disk loading apparatus. Cables contained in the cable container are coupled to the magnetic disk unit, and encased in a cable guide that can be bent or stretched along with the insertion or the pulling-out of the disk enclosure.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to a magnetic disk loading apparatus and, more particularly, to a magnetic disk loading apparatus including a cable container mechanism that makes it easy to maintain magnetic disk units or other components. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   A magnetic disk loading apparatus for loading numerous magnetic disk units is known. 
     FIG. 5  is a perspective view showing the appearance of a conventional magnetic disk loading apparatus. In the drawing, there are shown a magnetic disk loading apparatus  51 , disk enclosures  52 , and magnetic disk units  53 . As illustrated, the magnetic disk units  53  are stored in the disk enclosures  52  so that the face of the magnetic disk loading apparatus will be flush with the faces of the magnetic disk units  53 . The disk enclosure  52  may have a multistory structure or a single-story structure. 
   Referring to  FIG. 5 , the magnetic disk units  53  are mounted on the face of the magnetic disk loading apparatus  51 . Some magnetic disk loading apparatuses have magnetic disk units mounted on both the fronts and the backs thereof. 
   In general, magnetic disk units are susceptible to vibration. Even for maintenance, for inspection or for replacement, moving the magnetic disk units  53  within the magnetic disk loading apparatus  51  is seldom considered. 
   As a prior art, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication (Kokai) No. 4-333003 is known. 
   Conventionally, magnetic disk units are mounted in a magnetic disk loading apparatus so that the faces of the magnetic disk units will be flush with the face or back of the magnetic disk loading apparatus. Therefore, a vacant area in the magnetic disk loading apparatus cannot be utilized effectively. The number of magnetic disk units that can be mounted in the magnetic disk loading apparatus is limited to a value not causing the sum total of the areas of the faces of the magnetic disk unit to exceed the area of the face or back of the magnetic disk loading apparatus. This poses a problem in that the maximum number of magnetic disk units mounted in the magnetic disk loading apparatus is small. 
   In order to solve the above problem, a disk enclosure is structured so that the disk enclosure having magnetic disk units stored therein can be pulled out of a magnetic disk loading apparatus. In this case, the magnetic disk units are moved, along with the movement of the disk enclosure, even though various cables coupled to the magnetic disk units are not straightened. Consequently, the work of maintaining the magnetic disk units or inspecting the cables becomes difficult. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a magnetic disk loading apparatus accommodating a larger number of magnetic disk units. 
   Another object of the present invention is to provide a magnetic disk loading apparatus making it easy to carry out the work of maintaining or inspecting the magnetic disk units. 
   In order to accomplish the above objects, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a magnetic disk loading apparatus comprising magnetic disk units stored in a disk enclosure, and a cable container located in a place within the disk enclosure other than a place where the magnetic disk units are disposed. The disk enclosure included in the magnetic disk loading apparatus can be inserted into or pulled out of the magnetic disk loading apparatus from the front side of the magnetic disk loading apparatus. Cables contained in the cable container are coupled to the magnetic disk units and encased in a cable guide that can be bent or stretched along with the insertion or pulling out of the disk enclosure. 
   According to the second aspect of the present invention, the magnetic disk units are stored in the disk enclosure so that their faces will be oriented in a direction orthogonal to the face of the disk enclosure. 
   According to the third aspect of the present invention, the cable guide has partition panels that differentiate places where different kinds of cables are encased. 
   According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the cable guide has buffer cushions placed on the partition panels. 
   According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the cable container is disposed in a place within the disk enclosure other than the place where components are arranged. The cables contained in the cable container are coupled to the magnetic disk units. One end of each cable is fixed at one point in the disk enclosure so that the cables can be turned, and the other end of each cable is attached to any place within the disk enclosure other than the place where the components are arranged so that the other end of the cable can be detached and the cable can be turned. When the components are dismounted from the disk enclosure for the purpose of maintenance, if the cables interrupt the work of dismounting, the cables are turned to lie outside the disk enclosure or the positions at which the other ends of the cables are fixed are changed from one position to another so that the components can be dismounted from the disk enclosure. 
   According to the first to fourth aspects of the present invention, the disk enclosure can be inserted into or pulled out of the magnetic disk loading apparatus from the front side of the magnetic disk loading apparatus. For the work of maintaining or inspecting the magnetic disk units, the disk enclosure should merely be pulled out of the magnetic disk loading apparatus. The cables are moved within the cable container while being straightened up. Consequently, annoyance caused by the work of maintenance or inspection will be markedly alleviated. 
   Moreover, the magnetic disk units are stored in the disk enclosure so that their faces will be oriented in a direction orthogonal to the face of the disk enclosure. Compared with the conventional apparatus, a larger number of magnetic disk units can be mounted in the disk enclosure. 
   Furthermore, according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, when components are replaced with new ones or maintained or inspected, even if the cables interrupt the work, the position of the cables can be shifted easily. Consequently, maintenance or inspection of the components or replacement thereof can be easily achieved. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a side view showing the appearance of a magnetic disk loading apparatus in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a back view of the magnetic disk loading apparatus shown in  FIG. 1  and seen in a direction of A; 
       FIG. 3  is a sectional view showing the structure of a cable guide employed in another embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 4  is a back view of a magnetic disk loading apparatus in accordance with still another embodiment of the present invention; and 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view showing the appearance of a conventional magnetic disk loading apparatus. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Referring to the drawings, embodiments of the present invention will be described below. The same reference numerals will denote the same components throughout the drawings. 
     FIG. 1  is a side view showing the appearance of a magnetic disk loading apparatus in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention. In the drawing, there are shown a magnetic disk loading apparatus  11 , a disk enclosure  12 , magnetic disk units  13 - 1 ,  13 - 2 ,  13 - 3 , etc., a cable container  14 , a pull  15  with which the disk enclosure is pulled out of the magnetic disk loading apparatus, and a flexible cable guide  16  realized with, for example, a locally procurable chain guide whose section has a oblong rectangular shape and to which a chain is attached. 
   The cable guide  16  accommodates signal lines, ac and dc power cables, and optical fibers that are coupled to the magnetic disk units  13 - 1 ,  13 - 2 , etc.  FIG. 1  shows only the cables coupled to the magnetic disk unit  13 - 1  among all the cables encased in the cable guide. The cable guide in which the cables coupled to the other magnetic disk units  13 - 2 ,  13 - 3 , etc. are also encased is contained in the cable container. Reference numeral  17  denotes a fixing point in the magnetic disk loading apparatus  11  at which the cable guide  16  is fixed. Reference numeral  18  denotes the face of the magnetic disk loading apparatus. Reference numeral  19  denotes a printed-circuit board coupled to back panels of the magnetic disk units. Reference numeral  20  denotes a group of cables routed to terminals formed on the printed-circuit board  19 . Reference numeral  21  denotes a routing space for the group of cables  20 . 
   The magnetic disk units  13 - 1 ,  13 - 2 ,  13 - 3 , etc. are inserted from the flank of the magnetic disk loading apparatus  11  into the back panel. (not shown). In the illustrated state, the faces of the magnetic disk units  13 - 1 ,  13 - 2 ,  13 - 3 , etc. are flush with the flank of the magnetic disk loading apparatus  11 . The back panels are coupled to the printed-circuit board  19 . The group of cables  20  to be coupled to the magnetic disk units  13 - 1 ,  13 - 2 ,  13 - 3 , etc. are spliced to terminals or connectors formed on the printed-circuit board  19 . 
     FIG. 2  is a back view showing the magnetic disk loading apparatus  11  shown in  FIG. 1  in a direction of A. In the drawing, four disk enclosures  14  are juxtaposed. The number of disk enclosures is not limited to four but may be larger or smaller. The cable guides  16  are contained in the respective cable containers  14 . As mentioned above, the group of cables  20  coupled to the magnetic disk units is encased in each of the cable guides  16 . 
   As mentioned above, as the magnetic disk units  13 - 1 ,  13 - 2 ,  13 - 3 , etc. are inserted into the magnetic disk loading apparatus  11  from the flank of the magnetic disk loading apparatus, a larger number of magnetic disk units can be mounted in the magnetic disk loading apparatus than in the conventional magnetic disk loading apparatus shown in  FIG. 5 . For example, assuming that fifteen magnetic disk units  53  can be mounted on the front face of the lowest stack of the disk enclosure  52  of the conventional apparatus shown in  FIG. 5 , and that the magnetic disk loading apparatus  11  shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  has the same size as the magnetic disk loading apparatus  51  shown in  FIG. 5 , when sixty magnetic disk units can be mounted in the magnetic disk loading apparatus  11  shown in  FIG. 1  from the flank of the apparatus, a number of magnetic disk units that is four times larger than 15 magnetic disk units can be mounted in the magnetic disk loading apparatus  11 . In the example shown in  FIG. 2 , the four disk enclosures  12  are mounted in the magnetic disk loading apparatus  11  from the rear side of magnetic disk loading apparatus  11 . Therefore, 240 magnetic disk units, that is a number of magnetic disk units four times larger than 60 magnetic disk units, can be mounted in the magnetic disk loading apparatus  11 . Conventionally, magnetic disk units are mounted on the face and back of the magnetic disk loading apparatus  51  on a fixed basis. A large area in the magnetic disk loading apparatus  51  is unused and left vacant. In the embodiment of the present invention shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , the magnetic disk units  13 - 1 ,  13 - 2 ,  13 - 3 , etc. are inserted into the magnetic disk loading apparatus  11  from the flank of the magnetic disk loading apparatus. The unused vacant area can be minimized. 
   Referring to  FIG. 1 , when the magnetic disk units  13 - 1 ,  13 - 2 , etc. are maintained or inspected, the pull  15  is held in order to pull the disk enclosure  12  leftward in the drawing. Consequently, the disk enclosure  12  is slid to move within the magnetic disk loading apparatus  11  and is pulled out as indicated with a chain double-dashed line. Along with the pulling out, the cable guide  16  is moved to a position indicated with a chain double-dashed line with the fixing point  17  as a fulcrum. As the cables are moved along with the pulling out of the disk enclosure  12  while being protected by the cable guide  16 , a load on the cables derived from the movement is limited. Moreover, the magnetic disk units  13 - 1 ,  13 - 2 , etc. can be easily maintained or inspected without the necessity of dismounting them from the magnetic disk loading apparatus  11 . Moreover, the work of dismounting the cables and maintaining or inspecting them or replacing them with new ones is simplified. 
     FIG. 3  is a sectional view showing a cable guide  16   a  employed in another embodiment of the present invention. Referring to  FIG. 3 , there are shown a cable container  14   a , a chain guide  16   a , ac cables  31 , signal cables  32 , optical cables  33 , partition panels  34 ,  35 ,  36 , and  37  used to separate different kinds of cables, and buffer cushions  38  and  39  for protecting the optical cables from being compressed. The material of the partition panels may be a plastic or a metal as long as it is strong enough to protect the cables. Moreover, the number of partition panels and the locations of the buffer cushions are arbitrarily determined based on the number of kinds of cables and the nature of the cables. 
   Since the partition panels and buffer cushions are included as shown in  FIG. 3 , the cables are contained in the cable container  14   a  while being straightened, that is, they are grouped into different kinds of cables. This is helpful in proceeding with the work of maintenance or inspection. Moreover, the inclusion of the buffer cushions  38  and  39  is effective in that the optical cables will not be readily damaged even when pressure is applied to the optical cables. 
     FIG. 4  is a back view of a magnetic disk loading apparatus in accordance with still another embodiment of the present invention. 
   Various components  41 - 1 ,  41 - 2 ,  42 - 3 , etc. other than magnetic disk units are mounted on the back of the magnetic disk loading apparatus. Various cables are disposed in an area where the components are not located. According to the present embodiment of the present invention, the cables are disposed below the components  41 - 1 ,  41 - 2 ,  41 - 3 , etc. and encased in a cable guide  16   a . As the cable guide  16   a , the same flexible cable guide as the one shown in  FIG. 1 , for example, a chain guide, is adopted. Reference numeral  42  denotes a fixed end of the cable guide  16   a , and reference numerals  43 - 1 ,  43 - 2 ,  43 - 3 , etc. denote tentative fixing points at which the other end of the cable guide  16   a  is fixed. 
   When maintenance or inspection of components or replacement thereof is not performed, the cable guide  16   a  is stored in a magnetic disk loading apparatus  51   a.    
   The cable guide  16   a  is stored in the magnetic disk loading apparatus  51   a . For example, when the components  41 - 3 ,  41 - 4 , and  41 - 5  are dismounted from the magnetic disk loading apparatus  51   a  for the purpose of maintenance or inspection, or replacement with the other end of the cable guide  41   a  fixed at the tentative fixing point  43 - 1 , the presence of the cable guide  16   a  interrupts the work. With the cable guide  16   a  fixed at the fixing point  42  and tentative fixing point  43 - 1 , the cable guide  16   a  is turned 90° and in the direction of the arrow in the drawing. Thus, the components  41 - 3 ,  41 - 4 , and  41 - 5  are moved as indicated by the arrow to lie below the magnetic disk loading apparatus  51   a . Consequently, the components can be dismounted. 
   In order to maintain or inspect the component  42 - 2 , the tentative fixing point at which the other end of the cable guide  16   a  is fixed is changed from the point  43 - 1  to the point  43 - 2 . Thus, the component  41 - 2  is moved as indicated with the arrow to lie below the magnetic disk loading apparatus  51   a . Consequently, the component  51 - 2  can be dismounted. 
   As mentioned above, as a flexible cable guide is employed, and tentative fixing points at which the other end of the cable guide is fixed are changed, any of the components in the disk enclosure  52   a  can be easily replaced with a new one or maintained or inspected. 
   According to the first aspect of the present invention, a disk enclosure can be moved or slid so that magnetic disk units mounted in a magnetic disk loading apparatus can be easily dismounted. Moreover, the number of magnetic disk units mounted in the magnetic disk loading apparatus is markedly increased. 
   Furthermore, according to another aspect of the present invention, various cables are encased in a flexible cable guide. The cable guide  16   a  is turned 90° in a direction opposite to a direction, in which components are located, with the cable guide fixed at the fixing point and tentative fixing point, whereby the components can be easily maintained or inspected or replaced with new ones.