Apparatus and method for handling information storage media

An informational media item handling apparatus said apparatus comprising:

• gripping means for frictionally gripping portions of said media item to engage said item and for releasing said frictional gripping to release said media item;
• means for longitudinally moving said gripping means in a longitudinal direction toward a media item holding location and for moving said gripping means away from said location;
• means for passively transverse moving said gripping means in a direction transverse to said longitudinal direction, said means for passively moving being coupled to said means for longitudinally moving;
• and
• control means for directing said means for passively transverse moving in response to a combination of longitudinal movements performed by said means for longitudinally moving and in response to the presence or absence of said media item between said gripping means;
• said control means including:
• a three-dimensional cam structure;
• and
• plunger means mounted to said means for gripping for following one of a plurality of travel tracks within said cam structure.

In a media handling apparatus, a device for frictionally engaging a parallelepiped shaped media item including a parallelepiped shaped media item having no surface notches or protrusions to latch to, said device comprising:

• gripping means for frictionally gripping portions of said media item to engage and support said item and for releasing said frictional gripping to release said item;
• means for longitudinally moving said gripping means in a longitudinal direction toward a media item holding location and for moving said gripping means away from said location;
• means for passively transversely moving said gripping means in a direction transverse to said longitudinal direction;
• and
• control means for directing said means for passively transverse moving in response to a combination of longitudinal movements by said means for longitudinally moving and the presence or absence of said media item engaged with said gripping means;
• said means for passively moving being coupled to said means for longitudinally moving.

A media handling apparatus for picking and flipping an informational media item including a parallelepiped shaped media item having no surface notches or protrusions to latch to, said apparatus comprising:

• means for cradling and frictionally gripping and supporting said media item including said parallelepiped shaped media item having no surface notches or protrusions;
• means for transporting said media item from a first location into a recessed region of said media handling apparatus;
• said means for cradling and frictionally supporting being operable to cradle and support said media item even when said media item is positioned outside of said recessed region;
• means for transporting said media item from said recessed region into a second location;
• and
• means for flipping said media item retained within said recessed region of said apparatus.

A method for manipulating an informational media item including a media item having no surface notches or protrusions to latch to, said method comprising the steps of:

• retrieving said media item from a first media item receptacle at a first location, including frictionally gripping said media item with a pair of frictional gripping surfaces and withdrawing said media item longitudinally rearward;
• partially inserting said media item into a second media item receptacle at a second location by advancing said media item longitudinally forward, wherein said second media item receptacle may be the same or a different media item receptacle from said first receptacle;
• releasing said frictional grip from said media item;
• withdrawing said gripping means longitudinally rearward from and out of contact with said media item;
• advancing said gripping means longitudinally forward toward and into abutting contact with said media item;
• and
• pushing said media item an additional predetermined distance longitudinally forward into said second media item receptacle at said second location without gripping said media item to completely insert said media item into said second media item receptacle at said second location.

In an informational media handling system for handling an informational media item including a media item having no surface notches or protrusions to latch onto, said system including a handling apparatus having a nonrotating frame and a rotatable media item gripper assembly coupled to said frame, and having only one active motional means coupled to a leadscrew mounted coaxially to a spindle shaft having a spindle shaft axis of rotation about which said gripper assembly is rotatable;

• a method for controlling manipulation of said media item including retrieving said media item from a media item location and inserting said media item into the same or a different location and optionally flipping said media item 180 degrees about said spindle shaft to present alternative sides of said media item to a media player/recorder at one of said locations, said method comprising the steps of:
• applying a holding force to hold said gripper assembly from rotating about said spindle shaft when a torque smaller than a predetermined threshold torque is applied about said spindle shaft axis;
• driving said motional means to cause said leadscrew to rotate in a first direction to move said gripping assembly longitudinally forward toward said media item location;
• driving said motional means to cause said leadscrew to rotate in a second direction opposite to said first direction to move said gripping assembly longitudinally rearward away from said media item location;
• driving said motional means to rotate said leadscrew further in said second direction to move said gripping assembly to a position where relative movement between said gripper assembly and a frame member is prevented so that sufficient torque greater than said threshold torque is created by said further rotation to overcome said holding force and to initiate a rotation of said gripper assembly about said spindle shaft from a first rotational orientation;
• applying a counter force to stop said gripper assembly rotation at a predetermined rotational orientation about 180 degrees from said first rotational orientation;
• and
• applying a holding force to maintain said rotational orientation while permitting moving said gripper assembly longitudinally;
• whereby said media item longitudinal forward movement, said media item rearward movement, and said media item rotation are all generated by said one active motional means.

In a media handling system for handling an informational media item including a media item having no surface notches or protrusions to latch onto, said system including a handling apparatus having a nonrotating frame and a rotatable gripper assembly coupled to said frame, said gripper assembly including a pair of opposed gripping surfaces, and having only one active motional means coupled to a leadscrew mounted coaxially to a spindle shaft;

• a method for controlling manipulation of said media item including retrieving a media item from a media item location and inserting a media item into the same or a different location and optionally flipping said media item 180 degrees to present alternative sides of said media item to a media player/recorder at one of said locations, said method comprising the steps of:
• initializing said gripper assembly without a media item, including the step of moving said pair of opposed gripping surfaces away from each other so that said opposed gripper surfaces are separated by a distance greater than the width dimension of a media item to be manipulated;
• and
• exchanging said media item from one location to the same or to a different location;
• said step of exchanging media item comprising the steps of:
• locating said gripper assembly adjacent to a media item at a media item source location;
• moving said assembly longitudinally forward to a grip position, said gripper surfaces extending longitudinally forward toward said media item and separated by a distance greater than said media item width dimension;
• gripping a media item with said gripping surfaces of said gripper assembly at said grip position by moving said opposed gripping surfaces toward each other in a direction transverse to said longitudinal movement of said assembly so that said surfaces engage and grip side surfaces of said media item, said gripping force provided by said bias force that urges said opposed surfaces to move toward each other;
• supporting said media item against the force of gravity with said opposed gripping surfaces;
• moving said gripper assembly longitudinally rearward to a retracted position with said media item gripped and supported by said gripper assembly so that said media item is physically clear of said source location;
• moving said gripper assembly longitudinally forward to a media item release position with said gripped media item to partially insert said media item into said destination location, said media item being sufficiently inserted into said destination location so that said media item is supported against the force of gravity by said destination location when said grip is subsequently released;
• releasing said grip on said media item by moving said gripping surfaces apart from one another against said bias force to remove said grip and said support so that said media item is deposited and supported at said destination location;
• moving said gripper assembly longitudinally rearward without said media item to a transition position a sufficient distance from said deposited media item so that a subsequent movement of said gripping surfaces toward each other causing a separation of a distance less than the width dimension of said media item will not result in contact with said media item;
• moving said gripper surfaces toward each other so that forward ends of said gripper surfaces are at least partially longitudinally aligned with a front surface of said media item to configure said gripper assembly for subsequent pushing of said media item into said destination location;
• moving said gripper surfaces longitudinally forward a distance sufficient to place said gripper jaw forward ends into abutting contact with said media item front surface and to push said media item completely into said destination location;
• and
• moving said gripper assembly longitudinally rearward to a ready position that is clear of said inserted media item and of said destination location so that said gripper assembly may be subsequently directed either to manipulate said media item at said same destination location or alternatively to move to a different location to manipulate a different media item.

An apparatus for handling an informational media item including a media item having no surface notches or protrusions to latch to, said apparatus comprising:

• a gripper assembly for gripping said media item;
• a spindle shaft having a spindle shaft axis of rotation about which said gripper assembly is controllably rotatably mounted;
• a leadscrew mounted coaxially with said spindle shaft;
• a first holding latch to hold said gripper assembly from rotating about said spindle shaft when a torque smaller than a predetermined threshold force is applied about said spindle shaft axis;
• a motor coupled to said leadscrew to cause said leadscrew to rotate in first and second directions to move said gripping assembly longitudinally forward toward a media location and rearward away from the same or a different media location;
• a motor drive control for applying a controlled velocity profile drive to said motor;
• gripper assembly translation stop means for stopping the rearward movement of said gripping assembly at a position where relative movement between said gripper assembly and a frame member is prevented so that sufficient torque is created to overcome said threshold holding force and to initiate a rotation of said gripper assembly;
• and
• counter force means for applying a counter force to stop said gripper assembly rotation at a predetermined rotational orientation;
• and
• a second holding latch for applying a holding force to maintain said rotational orientation while permitting moving said gripper assembly longitudinally;
• whereby said media item longitudinal forward movement, said media item rearward movement, and said media item rotation are all generated by said one motor.

An informational media item handling apparatus for frictionally engaging an informational media item including a media item having no surface notches or protrusions to latch to, said apparatus comprising:

• gripping means for frictionally gripping portions of said media item to engage and support said item and for releasing said frictional gripping to release said item;
• means for longitudinally moving said gripping means in a longitudinal direction toward a media item holding location and for moving said gripping means away from said location, said means for longitudinally moving includes a motor, and a lead-screw having a lead-screw axis of rotation coupled to said motor;
• means for passively transversely moving said gripping means in a direction transverse to said longitudinal direction, said means for passively moving being coupled to said means for longitudinally moving;
• control means for directing said means for passively transversely moving in response to a combination of longitudinal movements performed by said means for longitudinally moving and in response to the presence or absence of said media item gripped by said gripping means;
• means for flipping said media item about a flip axis coaxial with said lead-screw axis;
• and
• spindle means coupled to said motor for driving both said means for flipping said media item and said lead-screw to drive said gripper means longitudinally.

In an informational media item handling system, a spindle apparatus for controllably transmitting torque generated by a single motor to drive a media item translation operation and a media item flip operation, said spindle apparatus comprising:

• a first hollow shaft mounted for rotation to a non-rotatable frame;
• a second shaft rotatably mounted coaxially to and extending through said first shaft and coupled to a motor;
• means for maintaining said first shaft stationary but allowing said second shaft to rotate within said first shaft when a torque smaller than a predetermined threshold torque is applied to rotate said second shaft;
• means for developing a torque greater than said threshold torque in response to rotation of said second shaft and for rotating said first shaft relative to said frame;
• and
• means for maintaining said second shaft stationary relative to said first shaft but initiating rotation of said first shaft when a torque greater than said threshold torque is applied to said second shaft.