Patent US5088604A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5088604A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Revolving storage facility
Assignee: Grau Storage Systems GmbH and Co KG
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Filing: 1989-12-28
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Granted: 1992-02-18
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Expires: 2009-12-28
Abstract
Abstract In order to improve a revolving storage facility for tape cassettes comprising a base and a rotary frame rotatable thereon about an axis of rotation and carrying shelf units with cassette compartments for tape cassettes such that the number of cassette compartments is increased while the space requirements is kept as small as possible, it is proposed that the rotary frame comprises a supporting frame which is rotatable about the axis of rotation relative to the base and on which subframes carrying the shelf units are mounted for rotation about subframe axes of rotation arranged sidewardly of the axis of rotation.
Inventors
- 👤 Rolf Baur, deceased
- 👤 Joerg Linser
- 👤 Herbert Grau
- 👤 Manfred Bareis
- 👤 Wolfgang Bastek
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 20:06
CPC Classifications
G; G11; G11B; G11B23/00; G11B23/02; G11B23/023; G11B23/0236; G11B15/00; G11B15/675; G11B15/68; G11B15/6845; G11B15/687; G11B15/688
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 39
Claim 1
Independent Claim
132 words
Revolving storage facility for data storage cassettes comprising: a base; a rotary unit including a supporting frame; said supporting frame being rotatable about an axis of rotation relative to said base; said rotary unit further including rotatable subframes mounted on said supporting frame for rotation about a subframe axis of rotation extending parallel to said axis of rotation; said rotatable subframes being arranged on said supporting frame around said axis of rotation and forming intermediate zones between each other; said rotatable subframes carrying shelf units with cassette compartments for said data storage cassettes at their outer periphery; said rotary unit further including stationary shelf units with cassette compartments for said data storage cassettes arranged at a peripheral area of said supporting frame and in said intermediate zones formed between said rotatable subframes.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
132 words
Revolving storage facility for data storage cassettes comprising: a base; a rotary unit including a supporting frame; said supporting frame being rotatable about an axis of rotation relative to said base; said rotary unit further including rotatable subframes mounted on said supporting frame for rotation about a subframe axis of rotation extending parallel to said axis of rotation; said rotatable subframes being arranged on said supporting frame around said axis of rotation and forming intermediate zones between each other; said rotatable subframes carrying shelf units with cassette compartments for said data storage cassettes at their outer periphery; said rotary unit further including stationary shelf units with cassette compartments for said data storage cassettes arranged at a peripheral area of said supporting frame and in said intermediate zones formed between said rotatable subframes.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
48 words
Revolving storage facility as defined in claim 1, wherein each shelf unit has a front side and that said front sides of said shelf units facing an outer side of said revolving storage facility exhibit a substantially constant spacing from said axis of rotation of said supporting frame.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
28 words
Revolving storage facility according to claim 1, wherein said shelf units mounted on said subframes and on said supporting frame have a front side which forms one plane.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
36 words
Revolving storage facility according to claim 2, wherein said front sides which are facing an outer side of said revolving storage facility exhibit a substantially constant spacing from said axis of rotation of said supporting frame.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
34 words
Revolving storage facility according to claim 1, wherein said shelf units comprise several horizontally extending rows of cassette compartments stacked on top of each other and being designed to accommodate cassettes standing on edge.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
19 words
Revolving storage facility as defined in claim 1, wherein said axis of rotation extends vertically upwardly from said base.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
17 words
Revolving storage facility as defined in claim 1, wherein subframe axes of rotation are arranged substantially vertically.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
26 words
Revolving storage facility as defined in claim 1, wherein said subframes axes of rotation are arranged equidistantly from said axis of rotation of said supporting frame.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
30 words
Revolving storage facility as defined in claim 1, wherein said subframe axes of rotation are arranged at the same angular spacing around said axis of rotation of said supporting frame.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
22 words
Revolving storage facility as defined in claim 1, wherein each subframe carries several rectangular shelf units arranged at an outer circumference thereof.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
20 words
Revolving storage facility as defined in claim 10, wherein said subframes with said shelf units mounted thereon form cylindrical configurations.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
26 words
Revolving storage facility as defined in claim 10, wherein said subframes with said shelf units mounted thereon have an outer circumferential surface comprising many flat sides.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
185 words
Revolving storage facility for data storage cassettes comprising: a base; a rotary unit including a supporting frame, said supporting frame being rotatable about an axis of rotation relative to said base; said rotary unit further including rotatable subframes mounted on said supporting frame for rotation about a subframe axis of rotation; said rotatable subframes carrying shelf units at their outer periphery; a supporting frame drive means having a supporting frame drive motor arranged non-rotatingly relative to said base; a subframe drive means; a control system detecting the rotary positions of the supporting frame and the subframes and for controlling said supporting frame drive means and said subframe drive means for determining the position of one selected individual shelf unit relative to an externally located fixed point and for controlling rotation of said supporting frame and said subframe in order to place a selected cassette compartment in a position in which a robot has access to it; said control system being designed for rotating said subframe with said selected individual shelf unit during rotation of said supporting frame in order to position said selected cassette compartment.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
185 words
Revolving storage facility for data storage cassettes comprising: a base; a rotary unit including a supporting frame, said supporting frame being rotatable about an axis of rotation relative to said base; said rotary unit further including rotatable subframes mounted on said supporting frame for rotation about a subframe axis of rotation; said rotatable subframes carrying shelf units at their outer periphery; a supporting frame drive means having a supporting frame drive motor arranged non-rotatingly relative to said base; a subframe drive means; a control system detecting the rotary positions of the supporting frame and the subframes and for controlling said supporting frame drive means and said subframe drive means for determining the position of one selected individual shelf unit relative to an externally located fixed point and for controlling rotation of said supporting frame and said subframe in order to place a selected cassette compartment in a position in which a robot has access to it; said control system being designed for rotating said subframe with said selected individual shelf unit during rotation of said supporting frame in order to position said selected cassette compartment.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
19 words
Revolving storage facility as defined in claim 13, wherein several subframes are drivable by a common subframe drive means.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
19 words
Revolving storage facility as defined in claim 14, wherein all subframes are drivable by a common subframe drive means.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
26 words
Revolving storage facility as defined in claim 13, wherein said subframe drive means comprises a subframe drive motor which is arranged non-rotatingly relative to said base.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
18 words
Revolving storage facility as defined in claim 16, wherein said subframe drive motor is arranged on said base.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
30 words
Revolving storage facility as defined in claim 13, wherein said subframe drive means comprises a central shaft which is arranged coaxially with said axis of rotation of said supporting frame.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
21 words
Revolving storage facility as defined in claim 18, wherein said subframe drive motor drives said central shaft via a belt drive.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
17 words
Revolving storage facility as defined in claim 18, wherein said subframes are driven from said central shaft.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
30 words
Revolving storage facility as defined in claim 20, wherein each subframe comprises a subframe drive shaft which is coaxial with said subframe axis and is driven by said central shaft.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
21 words
Revolving storage facility as defined in claim 21, wherein said central shaft drives each subframe drive shaft via a belt drive.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
27 words
Revolving storage facility as defined in claim 22, wherein each belt drive is arranged in a plane perpendicular to said axis of rotation of said supporting frame.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
33 words
Revolving storage facility as defined in claim 22, wherein said belt drives are arranged between said central shaft and said subframe drive shaft on the side of said supporting frame opposite said base.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
22 words
Revolving storage facility as defined in claim 18, wherein said supporting frame comprises a hollow shaft through which said central shaft extends.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
19 words
Revolving storage facility as defined in claim 25, wherein said hollow shaft is mounted for rotation on said base.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
25 words
Revolving storage facility as defined in claim 26, wherein said hollow shaft is drive via a belt drive included in said supporting frame drive means.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
15 words
Revolving storage facility as defined in claim 13, wherein said base comprises a self-supporting housing.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
26 words
Revolving storage facility as defined in claim 13, wherein a rough positioning of said supporting frame and said subframes is carried out with said control system.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
39 words
Revolving storage facility as defined in claim 29, wherein means comprising first positioning elements on said supporting frame and on said base are provided for precise positioning of said supporting frame in specified angular positions relative to said base.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
37 words
Revolving storage facility as defined in claim 29, wherein means comprising second positioning elements on a subframe and on said base are provided for precise positioning of said subframe in specified angular positions relative to said base.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
16 words
Revolving storage facility as defined in claim 30, wherein said means for precise positioning operate mechanically.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
20 words
Revolving storage facility as defined in claim 32, wherein said positioning elements comprise a locking bar which engages a recess.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
20 words
Revolving storage facility as defined in claim 33, wherein said locking bar or said recess is provided with drive-in inclines.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
17 words
Revolving storage facility as defined in claim 33, wherein said locking bar and said recess fit together.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
161 words
Revolving storage facility for data storage cassettes comprising: a base; a rotary unit including a supporting frame; said supporting frame being rotatable about an axis of rotation relative to said base; said rotary unit further including rotatable subframes mounted on said supporting frame for rotation about a subframe axis of rotation extending parallel to said axis of rotation; said rotatable subframes being arranged on said supporting frame around said axis of rotation and forming intermediate zones between each other; said rotatable subframes carrying shelf units with cassette compartments for said data storage cassettes at their outer periphery; said rotary unit further including stationary shelf units with cassette compartments for said data storage cassettes arranged at a peripheral area of said supporting frame and in said intermediate zones formed between said rotatable subframes; and control means for positioning each cassette compartment by rotating said rotary unit and/or said rotatable subframes in a defined position in which a robot has access to it.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
161 words
Revolving storage facility for data storage cassettes comprising: a base; a rotary unit including a supporting frame; said supporting frame being rotatable about an axis of rotation relative to said base; said rotary unit further including rotatable subframes mounted on said supporting frame for rotation about a subframe axis of rotation extending parallel to said axis of rotation; said rotatable subframes being arranged on said supporting frame around said axis of rotation and forming intermediate zones between each other; said rotatable subframes carrying shelf units with cassette compartments for said data storage cassettes at their outer periphery; said rotary unit further including stationary shelf units with cassette compartments for said data storage cassettes arranged at a peripheral area of said supporting frame and in said intermediate zones formed between said rotatable subframes; and control means for positioning each cassette compartment by rotating said rotary unit and/or said rotatable subframes in a defined position in which a robot has access to it.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1995-02-17 | 1995-08-19 | 1996-02-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1999-02-17 | 1999-08-19 | 2000-02-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2003-02-17 | 2003-08-19 | 2004-02-18 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |