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US 5,206,845 AGranted
Modular data storage and retrieval system
AssigneeDocument Imaging Systems Corp.
InventorsC. Graham Baxter, John W. Meadows
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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AssigneeDocument Imaging Systems Corp.
InventorsC. Graham Baxter, John W. Meadows
Estimating the term…
Modular data storage and retrieval system having data cells for holding a plurality of optical storage cartridges, drive cells for holding devices such as drives for transcribing data on the cartridges, and a back plate on which the cells can be mounted in any desired combination. Two types of mounting positions are provided, one for either data cells or drive cells, the other for data cells. Two or more sections of the system can be placed side-by-side, stacked and/or placed back-to-back to provide a larger system. Each section is provided with at least one picker for moving the cartridges between the cells in the section. In some embodiments, a single picker is provided for each section, and in other embodiments a separate picker is provided for each row of cells. The back plates have registration pins which engage sockets on the cells to assure accurate alignment of the cells on the plates. The cells are symmetrical with regard to the way they mount, and they can be oriented in two different positions, e.g. with the cartridges turned horizontally or vertically.
A modular system for the storage and retrieval of data recorded on cartridges, comprising a first type of cell for holding a plurality of cartridges, a second type of cell for holding a device for transcribing data on the cartridges, a generally planar back plate having a front surface with a plurality of mounting positions for receiving at least one cell of the first type and one cell of the second type, said first and second types of cells being of similar size and shape and being interchangeable between different ones of the mounting positions, registration means carried by the back plate and rear portions of the cells for aligning either type of cell in a predetermined fixed position in each of the mounting positions, and fasteners arranged in a similar pattern on each of the cells for securing the cells to the back plate with the rear portions of the cells adjacent to the front surface of the back plate and the cells projecting in a forward direction from the back plate and being supported solely by the back plate and the fasteners.
A modular system for the storage and retrieval of data recorded on cartridge in an optically readable form, comprising a plurality of data cells having slots for holding a plurality of cartridge, at least one drive cell having an optical drive mounted therein for transcribing data on the cartridges, said data cells and said drive cell all being of generally the same size and shape, a generally planar back plate having a plurality of mounting positions in which data cells can be mounted and at least one mounting position in which either a data cell or a drive cell can be mounted, a pair of registration pins projecting from the front surface of the back plate at each of the mounting positions, sockets in the rear portions of the cells for receiving the registration pins to align the cells in a predetermined position on the back plate at each of the mounting positions, fasteners arranged in a similar pattern on each of the cells for mounting the cells on the back plate in respective ones of the mounting positions with rear portions of the cells adjacent to the front surface of the back plate and the cells projecting in a forward direction from the back plate and being supported solely by the back plate and the fasteners, and means for transporting cartridges between selected ones of the cells.
A modular system for the storage and retrieval of data recorded on cartridges in an optically readable form, comprising a plurality of data cells for holding a plurality of the cartridges, at least two drive cells having optical drives mounted therein for transcribing data on the cartridges, said data cells and said drive cells all being of generally the same size and shape, a pair of generally planar back plates positioned back-to-back in parallel spaced relationship, each of said back plates having a front surface with a plurality of first mounting positions in which either data cells or drive cells can be mounted and a plurality of second mounting positions in which drive cells can be mounted with rear portions of the cells in both of said mounting positions adjacent to the front surfaces of the plates and the cells on the two plates projecting in opposite directions from the front surfaces of the two plates, the first mounting positions including openings through which drives carried by cells mounted in those positions can extend, the first mounting positions in the two back plates being displaced laterally from the each other, means mounting at least one of the data cells and one of the drive cells on each of the back plates, with the drives mounted on the two plates extending through the openings and being interleaved with each other between the plates, and means for transporting cartridges between selected ones of the cells mounted on each of the back plates.
A modular system for the storage and retrieval of data recorded on cartridges in an optically readable form, comprising a plurality of data cells for holding a plurality of the cartridges, at least two drive cells having optical drives mounted therein for transcribing data on the cartridges, said data cells and said drive cells all being of generally the same size and shape, a pair of generally planar back plates positioned back-to-back in parallel spaced relationship and having front surfaces with a plurality of first and second mounting positions arranged in a checker-board pattern, with the first mounting positions on one of the plates being aligned with the second mounting positions on the other plate, each of said first mounting positions being adapted to receive either a data cell or a drive cell and including a hole in the plate through which a drive can extend, each of second mounting a plurality of the data cells and a plurality of the drive cells on each of the back plates, with the cells projecting in a forward direction from each of the plates and the drives mounted on the two plates extending through the openings and being interleaved with each other between the plates, and means for transporting cartridges between selected ones of the cells on each of the back plates.
A modular system for the storage and retrieval of data recorded on cartridges, comprising a generally planar back plate having a front surface with pairs of registration pins projecting therefrom in a predetermined pattern at each of a plurality of predetermined mounting positions, a plurality of cells each having a rear wall with a plurality of sockets arranged in the predetermined pattern from receiving the registration pins to align the cells in the predetermined mounting positions, a plurality of data cartridges in one of the cells, a device for transcribing data on the cartridge in another one of the cells, and means for mounting the cells on the back plate with the rear walls of the cells in engagement with the front surface of the back plate and the cells projecting in a forward direction from the plate, the cells being fully interchangeable between different ones of the mounting positions on the back plate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.