Cartridge transferring robot for library apparatus

A cartridge transferring robot for a library apparatus including at least one storage unit for storing a multiplicity of cartridges and accommodating each of different storage media, a cartridge entry/exit station for conducting entry/exit of the cartridges one at a time, and a drive unit for carrying out access to the storage medium accommodated in a selected one of the stored cartridges, said cartridge transferring robot comprising:

• a picker section including a hand mechanism for gripping the selected cartridge for insertion and drawing of the cartridge;
• a moving mechanism for moving said picker section to a given position, to transfer the cartridge within said library apparatus;
• and
• a pair of left- and right-hand guide members for guiding the cartridge into said picker section in a state such that the cartridge is gripped by said hand mechanism and is disposed between said guide members while said guide members are opened slightly larger than the largest of various sizes and types of cartridges;
• wherein said picker section is equipped with a type identifying mechanism for identifying the type of the cartridge held in said picker section and gripped by said hand mechanism, said type identifying mechanism including
• a detection section for discriminating undulation of one side surface of the cartridge held in said picker section, and
• an identifying section for identifying the type of the cartridge based on the result of discrimination by said detection section.