External load port magazine and storage system and method of using same
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorSeth Pickett
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An external load port magazine for use with a storage unit includes a casing detachably mountable on an exterior of the storage unit and defining therein a space for holding at least one item to be loaded into the storage unit. An opening is formed in the casing for enabling automatic withdrawal or insertion of the at least one item from or into the space when the casing is mounted on the exterior of the storage unit. A mechanism is provided for moving the at least one stored item towards the opening.
Claims25
An external load port magazine for use with an automated library, said external load port magazine comprising:
- a casing detachably mountable on an exterior of the library and defining therein a single space for holding plural cartridges to be loaded into the library;
- an opening in said casing for enabling automatic transfer of at least one of the plural cartridges from said single space directly into said library while said casing is mounted on the exterior of the library;
- and
- a mechanism for moving the plural cartridges towards said opening.
A storage system, comprising:
- an automated library for storing a plurality of data storage devices;
- and
- at least an external load port magazine to be mounted on an exterior of said library while transferring at least one data storage device between said library and said load port magazine;
- wherein said library comprises
- a housing having therein a plurality of locations each capable of receiving and storing one of the data storage devices, and
- at least a receiving slot extending through a wall of said housing;
- wherein said external load port magazine comprises
- a casing detachably mountable on the exterior of said housing and defining therein a single space for holding plural data storage devices;
- and
- an opening in said casing to be aligned with said receiving slot when said casing is mounted on the exterior of said housing for enabling automatic and direct transfer of the plural data storage devices, one at a time, from said single space, which is external to the housing during transfer of the plural data storage devices, into said housing and vice versa through the aligned opening and receiving slot.
A method of bulk loading and unloading of digital data storage devices to and from a digital data storage device library having therein a plurality of storage locations each being capable of receiving and storing one of the digital data storage devices, the method comprising:
- detachably mounting an external load port magazine to an exterior of said library so that an opening of said external load port magazine is aligned with a corresponding receiving slot of said library to define a passage between an interior space of said external load port magazine and the storage locations within said library;
- and
- while the external load port magazine is mounted to the exterior of said library, automatically transferring one or more of the digital data storage devices, one at a time, through said passage.
A library for storing a plurality of cartridges, said library comprising:
- a housing having an internal space in which a plurality of locations each capable of receiving and storing one of the cartridges are arranged, said housing being configured for allowing at least an external load port magazine to be detachably mounted on an exterior thereof while said housing receives said cartridges from the externally-mounted load port magazine,
- at least a receiving slot extending through a wall of said housing and alignable with an opening of the external load port magazine when the external load port magazine is mounted on the exterior of the housing, the receiving slot to enable transfer of at least one cartridge between the externally mounted, external load port magazine and the internal space of the library, and
- a robotic picker for gripping and moving said at least one cartridge through said receiving slot for transferring said at least one cartridge between the internal space of the storage unit and the external load port magazine while the external load port magazine is mounted on the exterior of the library.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.