Patent Abstract:
A disc caddy and associated method for handling is characterized by a disc cassette having opposing longitudinal side walls joined to opposing lateral end walls forming a substantially rectangular structure defining open first and second ends. A first removable cover is provided for closing the first end, and a second removable cover is provided for closing the second end. The second removable cover defines barb members that latchingly engage respective strikes defined by the first removable cover that extend substantially parallel to the end walls. The disc cassette has protuberant features defining reference hold-down surfaces, and the first removable cover defines clearance apertures through which the hold-down surfaces extend.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Manufacturing operations have significantly evolved in complexity through the integration of sophisticated automation devices and associated methods. Gains have been realized both in productivity and reliability as past reliance on human judgment and manipulation has been replaced by processor-based systems. 
     An example of this is manifested in the production equipment used in processing thin disc substrates that are made into storage media for data storage devices like disc drives. During storage and transit these discs are preferably stored for safekeeping in plastic caddies that individually support and spatially separate a plurality of the discs. The caddy also preferably longitudinally aligns the discs along their centroid axes to facilitate the use of automated end effectors to pick and place the discs from and to the caddy during processing steps. 
     The caddy preferably has a top cover that engages a cassette body to form a sealed enclosure that protects the discs inside from contamination during storage and transit. What is lacking is a top cover that is conceived to be optimal for using automated processing equipment to remove and replace it. It is to that needed improvement in the art that the claimed embodiments are directed. 
     SUMMARY 
     Claimed embodiments are generally directed to an apparatus and associated method for handling a disc caddy. 
     In some embodiments the disc caddy is characterized by a disc cassette having opposing longitudinal side walls joined to opposing lateral end walls forming a substantially rectangular structure defining open first and second ends. A first removable cover is provided for closing the first end, and a second removable cover is provided for closing the second end. The second removable cover defines barb members that latchingly engage respective strikes defined by the first removable cover that extend substantially parallel to the end walls. The disc cassette also has protuberant features defining reference hold-down surfaces, and the first removable cover defines clearance apertures through which the hold-down surfaces extend. 
     These and various other features and advantages which characterize the claimed embodiments will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reviewing the associated drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric depiction of a disc caddy that is constructed in accordance with related art solutions. 
         FIG. 2  is an isometric depiction of a disc cassette constructed in accordance with the claimed embodiments. 
         FIG. 3  is an isometric depiction of a caddy constructed in accordance with the claimed embodiments. 
         FIG. 4  is an end elevational depiction of the caddy of  FIG. 3  showing retractable end effectors engaging the protuberant hold-down surfaces that are defined by the disc cassette. 
         FIG. 5  depicts one end of the top cover and the bottom cover in the manner that they are operably latched together as in  FIG. 3 , but with the disc cassette not shown for clarity sake. 
         FIG. 6  is a cross sectional view taken along the line  6 - 6  in  FIG. 5  depicting the top cover and bottom cover latched together. 
         FIG. 7  is a view similar to  FIG. 6  but depicting an end effector having displaced the top cover flaps relative to the bottom cover to unlatch the covers. 
         FIG. 8  is a view similar to  FIG. 7  but depicting the end effector having lifted the top cover away from the disc cassette. 
         FIG. 9  is an end elevational depiction of the lower end of the flap in  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 10  is a view similar to  FIG. 9  but depicting an alternative equivalent construction of the claimed embodiments. 
         FIG. 11  is a flowchart depicting steps in practicing a method for CADDY HANDLING in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Turning to the FIGS. generally, and for now particularly to  FIG. 1  which depicts a caddy  100  that is constructed in accordance with attempted solutions in the related art. The caddy  100  has a disc cassette  102  into which the discs are longitudinally stacked, and a top cover  104  that seals a top opening in the disc cassette  102  for protecting the discs from contamination and/or debris during storage and transit. 
     Although not shown, typically the caddy  100  also includes a bottom cover to seal a bottom opening in the disc cassette  102 . The bottom opening is sometimes used to access the discs inside the disc cassette  102  during picking and placing them, and sometimes used as a drain when the discs are subjected to a chemical bath. However, even when a bottom opening is not needed, the bottom opening with bottom cover combination is preferable to a solid bottom because removing the bottom cover facilitates cleaning the disc cassette  102  during normal use. 
       FIG. 1  shows that to remove the top cover  104  the opposing flaps  106  are pulled away from the disc cassette  102  so that they are outwardly-angled with respect to the medial portion of the top cover  104 . Likewise, when attaching the top cover  104  the medial portion must be matingly engaged with the top opening while holding the tabs  106  outwardly angled from the ends of the disc cassette  102 . While this construction might be adequate for manually removing and replacing the top cover  104 , as depicted, it is not suited for use with automated processing equipment. That is, grasping the outwardly-angled flaps  106  does not reliably position the medial portion of the top cover  104  for placement. Even if that shortcoming were resolved, the motions necessary to remove and attach the top cover  104  are generally not optimal for automating the process. 
       FIG. 2  depicts a disc cassette  110  that is constructed in accordance with the claimed embodiments. The disc cassette  110  has opposing longitudinal walls  112 ,  114  defining slots  116  for receiving a plurality of discs (not depicted) in a spaced apart configuration. Opposing end walls  113 ,  115  are connected to the longitudinal walls  112 ,  114  to define a substantially rectangular structure with an open top and an open bottom. 
     In this illustrative embodiment the disc cassette  110  also has two protuberant features  118  extending from a lower end of the longitudinal walls  112 ,  114 . The protuberant features  118  define substantially laterally directed reference hold-down surfaces  120 . 
       FIG. 3  depicts a caddy  123  of the claimed embodiments, which includes the disc cassette  110 , a top cover  122 , and a bottom cover  124  to cover the top and bottom openings thereof, respectively. The top cover  122  has a medial  126  portion sized in relation to the top opening in the disc cassette  110 . Flaps  128  depend from each of proximal and distal ends of the medial portion  126  to cover openings in the end walls  113 ,  115  that are contiguous to the top opening of the disc cassette  110 . 
     The bottom cover  124  defines apertures  127  through which the protuberant features  118  extend.  FIG. 4  is an end view of the caddy  123  depicting how automated retractable fingers  130  contactingly engage the reference hold-down surfaces  120  to assert a hold-down force on the disc cassette  110  against a reference surface  132 , such as at a disc load/unload station. 
     It will be noted that the retention of the covers  122 ,  124  is enhanced by making them latchingly engage each other, sandwiching the disc cassette  110  therebetween.  FIG. 5  depicts the top cover  122  and the bottom cover  124  latched together as they are in  FIG. 3 , but with the disc cassette  110  not shown to more clearly depict the bottom cover  124  defining an aperture  134  that is sized to receivingly engage a distal end of the flap  128 .  FIG. 6  is a cross sectional view along the line  6 - 6  in  FIG. 5 , showing the flap  128  defines a barb  136  at a distal end thereof. The distal end is guided into the aperture  134  by a sharp point and tapered edge of the barb surface  138  that is directed toward the distal end. The tapered edge terminates at an abrupt shoulder that latchingly engages against a strike surface  140  adjoining the edge of the aperture  134 . The flap  128  is aligned with the aperture  134  such that it is biased to the latching engagement position of  FIG. 6  once the barb  136  passes beyond the strike surface  140 . 
     Preferably, the barb surface  138  is directed away from the disc cassette  110  as illustrated, so that as  FIG. 7  shows an end effector  142  affecting an unlatching force F 1  directed toward the disc cassette  110  displaces the lower portion of the flap  128  to clearingly disengage the barb  136  from the strike surface  140 . The flap  128  is provided with a protuberant surface  144 , and the end effector  142  is made to matingly engage the protuberant surface  144 .  FIG. 8  shows that this permits asserting F 1  while also asserting a lifting force F 2  with the end effector  142  to lift the top cover  122  away from the disc cassette  110 . Although in these embodiments the end effector  142  is described as asserting the forces F 1 , F 2  to unlatch and remove the top cover  122 , in equivalent alternative embodiments the disc cassette  110  could be moved relative to a fixed end effector  142  to accomplish removal of the top cover  122 . 
       FIG. 9  is an end elevational depiction of the lower portion of  FIG. 6 , showing that in the illustrative embodiments the strike surface  140  continuously engages the barb surface  138  in the latching engagement of the top and bottom covers  122 ,  124 .  FIG. 10  depicts alternative embodiments wherein the strike surface  140  is segmented, such that it discontinuously engages the barb surface  138  in the same latching engagement.  FIG. 10  permits using an end effector that is configured to matingly engage the barb surface  138  itself in the gap  146  to unlatch and remove the tope cover  122  in the manner described above, but where the end effector engaged the protuberant feature  144 . Engaging the barb surface  138  itself means that the protuberant feature  144  can be eliminated, simplifying construction of the top cover  124 . 
     Given the aforedescribed structure,  FIG. 11  is a flowchart depicting programming steps in an automated method  200  for CADDY HANDLING in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. The method  200  begins in block  202  with positioning the caddy in a desired load/unload position. In block  204  retractable end effectors engage the protuberant features at the lower end of the disc cassette to affix the caddy at the load/unload position. In block  206  another set of end effectors move toward each other and pressingly engage against the downwardly extending flaps of the top cover to unlatch the top cover from the bottom cover. Finally, while maintaining the opposing bias on the flaps from the operation of step  206 , the end effectors are also lifted in unison to carry the top cover away from the disc cassette. 
     It is to be understood that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of various embodiments have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of various embodiments, this description is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of structure and arrangements of parts within the principles of the present embodiments to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed. For example, the particular elements may vary in type or arrangement without departing from the spirit and scope of the present embodiments. 
     In addition, although the embodiments described herein are described in relation to handling data storage discs, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the claimed subject matter is not so limited and various other component handling systems employing a portable component caddy can utilize the present embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimed embodiments.

Technology Classification (CPC): 6