Abstract: A cartridge transferring robot for use in a library apparatus includes a pair of upper and lower hand members made to vertically come into contact with a cartridge to grip the cartridge, a pair of left and right direct-acting beatings for fitting the hand members to a hand base so that they are vertically slidable, and an opening and closing mechanism for making the hand members take opening and closing actions. The hand members are independently guided by the direct-acting bearings, and the fitting portions of the hand members to the direct-acting bearings are made not to interfere with each other in a state where the hand members are in a closed condition. This invention is applicable to a library apparatus storing a large number of cartridges such as magnetic tape cartridges and optical disk cartridges.

Abstract: A cartridge transferring robot for use in a library apparatus which is capable of improving the accuracy of the cartridge inserting/extracting angle of a hand mechanism and further of ensuring the positional accuracy of the tip portion of the hand mechanism sufficient for direct insertion and extraction of a cartridge into/from a drive unit. In the present invention, for these purposes, a tilt mechanism for adjusting the angle of the cartridge inserting/extracting direction with respect to a horizontal plane is composed of a tilt base for supporting a picker section so that the picker section is swingable around a supporting shaft located on a picker section front surface side facing a place for insertion or extraction of the cartridge, and a swinging drive mechanism disposed on the rear side of the picker section for making the picker section swing around the supporting shaft with respect to the tilt base.

Abstract: An accessor includes a drive mechanism having a direct drive swivel mechanism which does not utilize a timing belt, and reduces the required installation space while maintaining a high degree of positioning accuracy. The direct drive swivel mechanism preferably includes an external gear mounted coaxially to the swivel axis of the picker section and integrated into the picker section, an internal gear meshing with the external gear, and a drive mechanism for directly driving the internal gear to swivel the picker section.

Abstract: A cartridge transferring robot for use in a library apparatus which is capable of certainly transferring a plurality of types of cartridges (media) to meet various needs from the users. In the present invention, for this purpose, in case where a plurality of types of cartridges are handled within the library apparatus, a picker section includes a type identifying mechanism to identify the type of the cartridge held in the picker section in a state of being gripped by a hand mechanism. Further, this invention is for transferring cartridges among a storage unit, a cartridge entry/exit station and a drive unit within a library apparatus storing a large number of cartridges such as magnetic tape cartridges and optical disk cartridges.

Abstract: A cartridge transferring robot which is capable of providing multiple functions to a hand mechanism to allow the direct insertion/extraction of a cartridge between a deck and the hand mechanism. The cartridge transferring robot according to the present invention has a hand mechanism comprising a pair of upper and lower hand members attached to a hand base to be slidable vertically, a spring for biasing the hand members in a direction of closing directions of gripping the cartridge, a pair of upper and lower cam followers attached to the hand members, a cam disposed between the cam followers for adjusting the separation between the cam followers to cause the hand members to take opening and closing actions against the biasing force of the spring, and a motor for rotationally driving the cam. This invention is applicable to a library apparatus storing a large number of cartridges such as magnetic tape cartridges and optical disk cartridges.