Patent ID: 7349175

Claim:
A cartridge storage device for a data storage and retrieval system, comprising: a housing having a front and a back; a plurality of cells in the housing, each cell adapted for receiving a media cartridge; a drive mechanism for selectively driving the cells towards a front opening in the front of the housing, the front opening allowing insertion and retrieval of the cartridges from the cells; and a rear opening in the back of the housing, wherein a user can insert a cartridge onto one of the cells or retrieve a cartridge from one of the cells through the rear opening while the housing is inserted in the slot; wherein the front opening lies on a line tangent to a path of movement of the cells, wherein the path of movement is a plane defined by any instantaneous movement of any edge or generally planar surface of any of the plurality of cells at any point in time, wherein the housing is adapted for insertion in an unoccupied slot of the data storage and retrieval system.