Automatic mount installation for magnetic tapes

Claim 2

An automatic mount installation for a data exchanging medium comprising: a data exchanging medium being a magnetic tape or the like, for example, a magnetic disk, an optical disk and a microfiche; a tray for containing a plurality of data exchanging mediums arranged therein; a unit for recording and replaying data of a data exchanging medium; a tray station for temporarily loading a plurality of trays; a mount robot disposed between the tray station and magnetic tape drives recording and replaying the tape data for picking the selected data exchanging medium from the tray to mount it on magnetic tape drives and for demounting it from drives to restore it in the tray; a tray storage rack for storing empty trays and outstanding trays which contain data exchanging mediums; a load/unload station for loading/unloading and transferring data exchanging mediums in a tray unit to and from the outside of the installation; during the tray being transferred, a unit for automatically reading respective recognition codes adhered to the side of the tray and of the tape, thereby the unit confirming and programming newly a map of tape information; a tray robot disposed between the tray station and the tray storage rack for transferring the tray from the tray station and to the tray storage rack and vice versa; and an information control unit for moving the mount robot toward the picking position of tapes, for controlling picking actuation of the robot and for controlling an actuation of transferring the determined tray from the tray storage rack to the tray robot and vice versa.

Claim 3

An automatic mount installation for magnetic tapes and data exchanging mediums as set forth in claims 1 or 2, wherein during the mount robot actuating in accordance with the command of the information control unit, between a tape container and the tray storage rack, the tray robot is adapted to load and unload a plurality of tapes and data exchanging mediums in a tray unit to and from the outside of the installation and also can supply a required tray to the determined tray station at random in accordance with the requirement of mounting tapes.

Claim 4

An automatic mount installation for magnetic tapes and data exchanging mediums as set forth in claims 1 and 2, wherein the tray robot includes a travelling carriage moving along the front of the tray storage rack, a post disposed at the center of the travelling carriage, a elevational load base attached to the post and a unit for pulling and pushing trays which are contained in the elevational load base to the tray storage rack and the tray station, respectively.

Claim 5

An automatic mount installation for magnetic tapes and data exchanging mediums as set forth in claims 1 and 2, wherein the tray storage rack is connected to the container of the tray and the magnetic tape through the intermediary of a tray delivering counter provided with a shutter.

Claim 6

An automatic mount installation for magnetic tapes and data exchanging mediums as set forth in claims 1 and 2, wherein magnetic tape drives are divided into a plurality of groups between which respective tape delivering unit are disposed.

Claim 7

An automatic mount installation for magnetic tapes and data exchanging mediums as set forth in claims 1 and 2, wherein the mount robot comprises an articulated robot in which two robots travel on the same rail and has the degenerate operational function capable of continuing the work of mounting tapes by one robot in the case of the other robot being out of order.

Claim 8

An automatic mount installation for magnetic tapes and data exchanging mediums as set forth in claims 1 and 2, wherein the mount robot comprises an articulated robot, a carriage to which the robot is secured and a unit provided on the carriage for pulling and pushing the tray to and from the tray station, whereby the robot together with the carriage travels thus holding the tray, mounts the magnetic tape on magnetic tape drives from the tray and demounts the tape from the units to restore it in the tray.

Claim 9

An automatic mount installation for magnetic tapes and data exchanging mediums as set forth in claims 7 and 8, wherein the mount robot comprises a turret hand robot in which up to four hand chucks can be attached to the hand portion thereof as a tool.

Claim 10

An automatic mount installation for magnetic tapes and data exchanging mediums as set forth in claim 6, wherein a tray delivering unit comprises a base, a recirculating ball gear disposed in the base, a slider moving on the base by a rotation of the ball screw and a magnetic tape container loaded on the slider.

Claim 11

An automatic mount installation for magnetic tapes and data exchanging mediums as set forth in claim 10, wherein the tray delivering unit has two parallel bases and sliders which are actuated towards opposite directions on respective bases.

Claim 12

An automatic mount installation for magnetic tapes and data exchanging mediums as set forth in claim 6, wherein the tray delivering unit comprises a stand on which the magnetic tape container is rotatably attached.

Claim 13

An automatic mount installation for magnetic tapes and data exchanging mediums as set forth in claim 1, wherein magnetic tape drives have an I/O (input/output) station for mounting the magnetic tape from the outside of the installation.

Claim 14

An automatic mount installation for magnetic tapes and data exchanging mediums as set forth in claim 13, wherein the I/O station comprises an opening formed at a part of the wall surrounding the installation, a base straddling over the opening, a recirculation ball gear disposed in the base, a slider moving on the base by a rotation of the ball gear and a magnetic tape container loaded on the slider.

Claim 15

An automatic mount installation for magnetic tapes and data exchanging mediums as set forth in claim 13, wherein the I/O station comprises an opening formed at a part of the wall surrounding the installation, a stand disposed at the inside of the opening, a slide rail disposed at the upper of the stand and a magnetic tape container attached to the slide rail.