Abstract: Disclosed is an image forming device including a carriage including recording heads and sub-tanks; a platen having a conveyance surface; flexible tubes for supplying liquids to the sub-tanks, the flexible tubes being extended along a main scanning direction above the platen, wherein extended portions of the flexible tubes are folded at middle portions of extended portions in the main scanning direction; first and second tube guides that support the folded extended portions of the flexible tubes, wherein the flexible tubes are arranged in a height direction, wherein the first tube guide is disposed at a position higher than that of the second tube guide, and wherein the tubes are supported by a thin plate-like sheet member formed of an elastic material.

Abstract: Disclosed is an image forming device including a carriage including recording heads and sub-tanks; a platen having a conveyance surface; flexible tubes for supplying liquids to the sub-tanks, the flexible tubes being extended along a main scanning direction above the platen, wherein extended portions of the flexible tubes are folded at middle portions of extended portions in the main scanning direction; first and second tube guides that support the folded extended portions of the flexible tubes, wherein the flexible tubes are arranged in a height direction, wherein the first tube guide is disposed at a position higher than that of the second tube guide, and wherein the tubes are supported by a thin plate-like sheet member formed of an elastic material.

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.

Abstract: A library apparatus having components permitting accurate and straightforward assembly. The library apparatus includes respective cell, drive, accessor and passage units, each having box shaped housings including a connection mechanism. A coupling couples the housings of the passage units with the other units. Other features of the library apparatus include a reference mark on the accessor unit which permits a transport mechanism in the passage unit to correct positional errors of the transport mechanism to other components.

Abstract: A magnetic tape library apparatus having mechanisms for reengaging a disengaged leader block of any magnetic tape cartridge entered. The apparatus comprises a cell unit having a plurality of cells each accommodating a magnetic tape cartridge, a magnetic tape drive unit for writing and reading data to and from the magnetic tape in the magnetic tape cartridge, and an accessor for automatically switching magnetic tape cartridges between the cell unit and the magnetic tape drive unit. The magnetic tape library apparatus further comprises a stacker for stacking a plurality of magnetic tape cartridges entered externally, and a delivery mechanism for selecting one of the magnetic tape cartridges stacked in the stacker for delivery to the accessor. Adjacent to the delivery mechanism is a hammer mechanism that hits the leader block for engagement with a latch.

Abstract: A magnetic tape library apparatus having a magnetic tape cartridge entry unit and an automatic cartridge ejection includes a cell unit having a plurality of cells each accommodating a magnetic tape cartridge, a magnetic tape drive unit for writing and reading data to and from any one of the magnetic tape cartridges, and an accessor for automatically switching magnetic tape cartridges between cell unit and magnetic tape drive unit. The magnetic tape cartridge entry unit of the library apparatus includes a stacker for stacking a plurality of magnetic tape cartridges entered externally, and a delivery mechanism for delivering to the accessor each cartridge separated from the stacked cartridges in the stacker. The automatic cartridge ejection unit receives the cartridge from the accessor and transports it to an appropriate position for delivery onto a tray.

Abstract: A magnetic tape library apparatus having a magnetic tape cartridge entry unit and an automatic cartridge ejection includes a cell unit having a plurality of cells each accommodating a magnetic tape cartridge, a magnetic tape drive unit for writing and reading data to and from any one of the magnetic tape cartridges, and an accessor for automatically switching magnetic tape cartridges between cell unit and magnetic tape drive unit. The magnetic tape cartridge entry unit of the library apparatus includes a stacker for stacking a plurality of magnetic tape cartridges entered externally, and a delivery mechanism for delivering to the accessor each cartridge separated from the stacked cartridges in the stacker. The automatic cartridge ejection unit receives the cartridge from the accessor and transports it to an appropriate position for delivery onto a tray.