Disc washing system
AssigneeSeagate Technology LLC
InventorsQuy C. Nguyen, Sushil Shah, William Jacobs, Steven A. Shifman, William Kuhns
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An automated disc washing machine having, in sequence, a loading station for loading a disc into the disc washing machine, at least one cleaning station for cleaning a disc, and an unloading station for unloading a cleaned disc from the disc washing machine. The disc washing machine also has a pivoted transfer arm connected adjacent the sequence of loading, cleaning and unloading stations for sequentially transferring a disc from the loading station to the cleaning station in one complete transfer cycle of the arm and from the cleaning station to the unloading station in another complete transfer cycle of the arm.
Claims43
An automated disc washing apparatus, comprising:
- in sequence, loading means including a loading station for loading a disc into said disc washing machine;
- at least one cleaning station for cleaning a disc;
- and
- unloading means including an unloading station for unloading said cleaned from said disc washing machine;
- said disc washing apparatus further comprising:
- disc transfer means, including transfer arm means capable of pivoting between a first position for receiving said disc and a second position for unloading said disc, and being located adjacent said sequence of said loading station, said cleaning station and unloading station, for sequentially transferring a first disc from said loading station to said cleaning station and simultaneously transferring a second disc from said cleaning station to said unloading station in a first transfer cycle and for transferring said first disc from said cleaning station to said unloading station and simultaneously transferring a third disc from said loading station to said cleaning station in a second transfer cycle, each full cycle of said disc transfer means accomplishing one of each of said station to station transfer cycles, for sequentially and linearly transferring said discs from said loading means through said cleaning station and to said unloading means.
An automated disc washing machine of the type having a plurality of cleaning stations, comprising:
- loading means for loading a disc into said disc washing machine;
- a plurality of cleaning stations for cleaning a disc;
- unloading means for unloading said cleaned disc from said automated disc washing machine, said loading means, plurality of cleaning stations and unloading means being positioned substantially in a linear sequence;
- and
- disc transfer means, including transfer arm means capable of pivoting between a first position for receiving said disc and a second position for unloading said disc, and being located adjacent said sequence of said loading station, plurality of cleaning stations and unloading station, for simultaneously transferring discs from each of said loading station and plurality of cleaning stations to their next respective cleaning or unloading station along said sequence, each full cycle of said disc transfer means capable of accomplishing one of each of said station to station transfer cycles, for sequentially and linearly transferring said discs from said loading means through each of said plurality of cleaning stations and to said unloading means.
A computer controlled automated disc washing machine, comprising:
- a sequence of stations including at least a loading station having loading means, a cleaning station having cleaning means and an unloading station having unloading means;
- pivoted transfer arm means capable of pivoting between a first position and a second position, located adjacent said sequence of said loading station, cleaning station and unloading station, for sequentially, linearly and simultaneously transferring a first disc from said loading station to said cleaning station and a second disc from said cleaning station to said unloading station;
- said transfer arm means further comprising a plurality of disc gripping means mounted thereon for securely and releasable holding a disc, said gripping means receiving and securing a disc at said loading station and said cleaning stations when said transfer arm is in said first position and releasing a disc at said cleaning station and said unloading station when said transfer arm is in said second position;
- motor means for driving said transfer arm, gripping means and said loading, cleaning and unloading means;
- and
- computer means for coordinating movement of said transfer arm means, gripping means and said loading, cleaning and unloading stations.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.