US 7,499,241 B2
Media cartridge autoloader
Masakazu Kawano, Tama (Japan); Tomoaki Sakaguchi, Tama (Japan); and David Ray Berry, Colorado Springs, Colo. (US)
Assigned to Mitsumi Electric Co., Ltd., Tokyo (Japan); and Quantum Corporation, San Jose, Calif. (US)
Filed on Nov. 16, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/280,872.
Claims priority of application No. 2005-185492 (JP), filed on Jun. 24, 2005; and application No. 2005-264078 (JP), filed on Sep. 12, 2005.
Prior Publication US 2006/0291091 A1, Dec. 28, 2006
Int. Cl. G11B 15/68 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 360—92 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A media cartridge autoloader comprising:
a media cartridge picker including
a turntable capable of supporting a media cartridge and rotating to change the orientation of the media cartridge supported thereby;
a turntable rotating mechanism configured to rotate the turntable; and
a media cartridge transport mechanism provided on the turntable and configured to transport the media cartridge onto and off of the turntable;
a mail slot through which the media cartridge is inserted or ejected;
at least one media drive into which the media cartridge is loaded; and
at least one media cartridge storage section configured to store the media cartridge therein;
wherein the mail slot, the read/write media drive, and the media cartridge storage section are arranged near the media cartridge picker;
the media cartridge transport mechanism includes
a rotary arm configured to rotate bilaterally;
a drive mechanism configured to rotate the rotary arm;
an arm position detector configured to detect a position of the rotated rotary arm; and
a media cartridge pin configured to move between a position within the turntable and a position outside the turntable in conjunction with the rotation of the rotary arm, so as to transport the media cartridge;
the rotary arm has a reference position such that the media cartridge pin is located outside the turntable, and a home position such that the media cartridge pin is located within the turntable, and is configured to be positioned at the home position as a result of rotating in one direction to the reference position and then rotating in the opposite direction through a predetermined angle, the rotary arm including
a special shape section that opposes the arm position detector when the rotary arm is rotated to the reference position and has a different shape from a normal section of the rotary arm; and
the arm position detector detects an arrival of the rotary arm at the reference position in response to a detection of the special shape section.