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US 10,510,372 B1Granted
Mechanical retention and retrieval for tape storage cartridge
AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.
InventorsKevin Bailey, Christopher Strickland Beall
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tape library rack includes partitions defining a slot for receiving a tape cartridge. A hook is coupled with the rack to engage a notch in the cartridge and retain the cartridge within the rack slot. A gripper for retrieving the cartridge includes a ramped surface to engage the hook and laterally displace the hook from the cartridge notch as the hook travels along the ramped surface. The gripper engages the notch from which the hook has been displaced and pulls the cartridge from the slot.
Claims15
A system, comprising:
- a tape cartridge comprising a rectangular body defined by a first lateral side wall and a second lateral side wall, the tape cartridge further comprising a first notch in the first lateral side wall and a second notch in the second lateral side wall;
- a tape library rack comprising a plurality of partitions including a first lateral partition and a second lateral partition spaced apart from one another to define there between a slot sized for receiving the tape cartridge;
- a first hook coupled with the first lateral partition and comprising a first sloped extension releasably engaged in the first notch of the tape cartridge;
- a second hook coupled with the second lateral partition and comprising a second sloped extension releasably engaged in the second notch of the tape cartridge;
- a gripper comprising a first arm, a second arm, a driver, and a pincher, wherein the first arm and the second arm are spaced to engage the first notch and the second notch of the tape cartridge and the first hook and the second hook of the tape library rack, the first arm comprising a first ramped surface and the second arm comprising a second ramped surface, the gripper selectively movable by the driver toward the slot to cause the first ramped surface of the first arm to engage and travel along the first sloped extension of the first hook so as to displace the first hook out of engagement from the first notch of the tape cartridge and to cause the second ramped surface of the second arm to engage and travel along the second sloped extension of the second hook so as to displace the second hook out of engagement from the second notch of the tape cartridge, wherein the first arm and the second arm are selectively engageable respectively in the first notch and the second notch of the tape cartridge by the pincher for gripping the tape cartridge for moving the tape cartridge relative to the slot by movement of the gripper.
2 more elements
A system, comprising:
- a tape library rack comprising:
- a plurality of partitions comprising:
- a first lateral partition;
- a second lateral partition;
- a first slot between the first and second partitions and sized for receiving a tape cartridge, the first slot comprising:
- a width defined in a lateral direction between the first lateral partition and the second lateral partition;
- and
- a depth defined in an axial direction along a forward direction and rearward direction of the slot;
- and
- a front edge defined by forward edges of the first lateral partition and the second lateral partition;
- a second slot laterally adjacent the first slot such that the first partition is positioned laterally between the first slot and the second slot, wherein the second slot is sized for receiving a tape cartridge;
- a first hook coupled with the first lateral partition and comprising a first sloped extension biased into a first position extending into a space for receiving the cartridge, the first hook being aligned and comprising a resiliently flexible material such that the resilience of the material biases the hook into the space;
- and
- a second hook coupled with the first lateral partition and extending into a space of the second slot, the second hook offset in a height direction from the first hook so that each of the first hook and the second hook do not interfere with an ability of the other to displace out of the respective space associated therewith.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.