Robotics for a data storage system

A data storage and retrieval device, comprising:

• a housing;
• a tape drive mounted in said housing;
• at least one storage magazine in said housing, said storage magazine having a plurality of storage slots for holding data cartridges;
• a cartridge shuttle mounted in said housing and operable to move the data cartridges from said storage magazine to said tape drive and vise versa, said cartridge shuttle including:
• a chassis;
• a rotation frame on said chassis to rotate the data cartridge;
• a cartridge picker in said rotation frame operable to draw the data cartridge into the rotation frame and to push the data cartridge from said rotation frame;
• and
• a translation apparatus connected to said chassis for translational movement of said chassis in a translation space so that the data cartridge in the rotation frame is carried from a first location to a second location.

A data storage and retrieval device, comprising:

• a housing;
• a tape drive mounted in said housing;
• first and second storage magazines in said housing, each of said storage magazine having a plurality of storage slots for holding data cartridges, said first and second storage magazines being spaced apart by a translation space, said tape drive being at one end of said translation space;
• a cartridge shuttle mounted in said housing in said translation space and operable to move the data cartridge from said storage magazine to said tape drive and vise versa, said cartridge shuttle including:
• a chassis;
• an elevator on said chassis and being operable to move the data cartridge in an elevator movement. said elevator including:
• an elevator frame mounted on said chassis and extending substantially perpendicular to said chassis,
• first and second threaded shafts mounted in said elevator frame and extending substantially perpendicular to said chassis;
• an elevator belt connecting said first and second threaded shafts to one another;
• an elevator drive connected to drive said elevator belt;
• threaded nuts on said threaded shafts;
• an elevator base connected at a first side to said threaded nuts for elevator movement upon operation of said elevator drive;
• spring loaded lifters acting at another side of said elevator base;
• a rotation apparatus on said on said elevator to rotate the data cartridge, said rotation apparatus including:
• a cog gear mounted for rotation on said elevator frame;
• a rotation axis on said elevator frame;
• a rotation housing mounted for rotation on said rotation axis;
• a spur gear ring mounted on said rotation housing and engaged with said cog gear;
• a rotation drive connected to rotate said cog gear;
• a cartridge picker in said rotation apparatus operable to draw the data cartridge into said rotation housing and to push the data cartridge from said rotation housing, said cartridge picker including:
• a gripper guide in said rotation housing;
• a gripper drive in said rotation housing;
• and
• a gripper assembly mounted for movement along said gripper guide, said gripper assembly being selectively moved by said gripper drive;
• and
• a translation apparatus connected to said chassis for translational movement of said chassis in the translation space so that the data cartridge in the rotation housing is carried from a first location to a second location, said translation apparatus including:
• first and second guide rails extending along said translation space in parallel and spaced apart from one another;
• rollers connected to said chassis and in rolling contact with said first and second guide rails;
• a belt extending over pulleys and extending substantially parallel to said first and second guide rails, said chassis being clamped to said belt;
• and
• a belt drive connected to selectively move said belt over said pulleys so as to cause the translational movement of said chassis along said first and second guide rails.