Patent ID: 7360982

Claim:
A combination of a structure for holding tape cartridges in a same library, a grasping device, and at least a first recording tape cartridge and a second recording tape cartridge, the combination comprising: a plurality of accommodation chambers in said structure which are configured to accommodate both the first recording tape cartridge and the second recording tape cartridge separately, the first recording tape cartridge being structurally different than the second recording tape cartridge, the grasping device being disposed in proximity to the structure for holding the tape cartridges so as to grasp the tape cartridges, the first recording tape cartridge and the second tape cartridge each comprise, a case rotatably accommodating a reel around which a recording tape is wound; and grasped portions which include concave portions provided at side walls of the case, and which the grasping device grasps from both sides, wherein a height from a floor surface of the accommodating chamber to the grasped portions of the first recording tape cartridge at a time when the first recording tape cartridge is accommodated in the accommodating chamber is the same as a height from the floor surface of the accommodating chamber to grasped portions of the second recording tape cartridge when the second recording tape cartridge is separately accommodated in the same accommodating chamber, and an interval between corner portions of the grasped portions of the first recording tape cartridge is the same as an interval between corner portions of the grasped portions of the second recording tape cartridge, and corner portions of the grasped portions of the first recording tape cartridge at an accommodating side of the library are chamfered, and wherein portions of the side walls of the case of the first recording tape cartridge extend from the concave portions of the first recording tape cartridge, and the case of the first recording tape cartridge has overhang portions which hang over further outwardly than the portions of the side walls that extend from the concave portions of the first recording tape cartridge, and which can be supported from beneath by the grasping device.