Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to an automatic disc
handling system and method for retrieving and
positioning information carrying discs between a
storage position to a position of use, and wherein the
system includes a robot which is controlled by a
computer and a robot controller operated by demand
si~nals fed to the computer from a remote station
occupied by a user person.
BACKGROUND ART
Various information carrying disc handling
systems are known, such as disclosed in U.S. Patent
4,286,790 which relates to an optical disc changer
apparatus. This apparatus is capable of moving
information carrying discs from storage positions to
playback apparatus. The apparatus can also contain a
plurality of these optical discs having a very large
capacity of data stored thereon. The system utilizes a
carriage having at least two positioning an retracting
carriers. Gripping means is coupled to the carriers to
grip a protective cartridge having an optical disc
enclosed therein. The apparatus accordingly handles
cartridges and not discs. The cartridges are also
stored along a vertical storage position within the
housin~, such as a playback device, and therefore has
limited storage capacity.
Various laser disc players are also known, and
employ magazines for storing a plurality of discs for
listening to audio information stored on these discs in
a selected order. Usually these players can handle
anywhere from two to five discs which are loaded
therein by hand. Examples of such devices are
disclosed, for example, in U.S. Patents 4,797,865 and
5,103,437. However, in these patents it can be seen
that the discs are stacked in a horizontal manner
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immediately adjacent a disc reading device, and all
located within a small compact housing.
Optical disc handling systems wherein discs are
stored in horizontal fashion in cabinets are disclosed
in U.S. patents 4,040,159 and 4,989,191 as examples
thereof. A plurality of horizontal cases are
superposed one on top of the other, and a robotic means
is used to transfer these discs towards a playback
device that may be integrated with the system.
~lowever, such devices have various drawbacks and the
storage of discs is not easily expandable.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
The present invention relates to an improved
automatic disc handling system capable of storing
thousands of discs and transferring them to various
locations while keeping data on their location.
It is a feature of the present invention to
provide an automatic disc handling system and method
for retrieving and positioning information carrying
discs, such as video discs, between a storage position
where several discs are stacked closely spaced in
horizontal stacks and positioned in drawers which are
retractable by robot means, and wherein a disc is
picked up and transferred to a position of use where it
is placed in a playback device.
Another feature of the present invention is to
provide an automatic disc handling system and method
wherein a disc may be retrieved from a playback device
and positioned in any of a plurality of storage drawers
for storage.
Another feature of the present invention is to
provide an automatic disc handling system and method
for retrieving a disc from a playback device and
wherein the disc is automatically inverted and
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repositioned in the playback device or a storage
drawer.
Another feature of the present invention is to
provide an automatic disc handling system and method
for retrieving and positioning information carrying
discs between a storage position to a position of use,
and wherein the storage position is easily expandable.
Another feature of the present invention is to
provide an automatic disc handling system and method
for retrieving and positioning information carrying
discs between a storage position to a position of use
wherein a plurality of playback units are provided, and
wherein said system utilizes a single robot having a
pair of robotic arms and capable of handling two
information carrying discs simultaneously for playback
and/or storage.
Another feature of the present invention is to
provide an automatic disc handling system and method
for retrieving and positioning information carrying
discs between a storage position to a position of use
wherein the storage position is comprised of a
plurality of horizontally disposed trays superposed in
a dense compact position in frames disposed vertically
along an arc of a circle and to each side of a
plurality of playback unit stations which is also
positioned on the arc with a robot being disposed at
the center of the arc and acts as a server.
Another feature of the present invention is to
provide an automatic disc handling system and method
for retrieving and positioning video information
carrying discs between a storage position to a seIected
one of a plurality of playback units at a position of
use, and wherein said discs are selected by a user
person, at a remote station, and sending demand signals
to a computer connected to a robot controller who
controls a robot which is instructed to retrieve a
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requested video information carrying disc for playback
to the remote station occupied by the user person.
According to the above features, from a broad
aspect, the present invention provides an automatic
disc handling system for retrieving and positioning
information carrying discs between a storage position
to a position of use. The system comprises
displaceable robot means having a pair of robotic arms.
Each of the robotic arms has actuable engaging means
for engaging, transporting and disengaging one of the
discs. Storage means having a plurality of superposed
sliding trays containing one or more disc retaining
cavities on a top surface thereof are also provided.
The trays have engageable means for displacing the
trays from their storage position to a retracted
loading or unloading position. The robot means has
tray engaging means for engaging the engageable means
of a selected one of the trays to displace same from
its storage position to the loading and unloading
position and back to the storage position. Control
means is provided to cause the displaceable robot means
to move to a selected position, where the robotic arms
engage the selected one of the disc at the selected
storage position or position of use to effect a
specific work function.
According to a further broad aspect of the
present invention there is provided a method of ~f~-
automatically retrieving and positioning information
carrying discs between a storage position where the
discs are stored on a plurality of horizontally -
disposed sliding trays stacked in vertical columns, and
a position of use in a disc playback unit. The method
comprises identi~ying a disc to be retrieved and to be
positioned in the playback unit. A robot having a pair
of pivoting robotic arms is displaced to a position
where the disc identified is located. The disc is
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caused to be positioned to a retrievable position. One
of the robotic arms of the robot is displaced to a disc
engaging position to align a picker mechanism above an
engaging aperture of the disc. Disc aperture engaging
fingers are then positioned through the engaging
aperture and are actuated to move from a retracted
position to an expanded disc engaging position. The
engaging fingers are retracted to displace the disc in
clamping engagement between the fingers and abutment
means on a top surface of the disc adjacent the
aperture. The disc is then moved to the playback unit
where it is released on a support base of the playback
unit. ~ `
According to a still further broad aspect of the
present invention the method comprises identifying the
location of a disc to be retrieved and to be positioned
in a playback unit. A robot having a pair of robotic
arms is displaced to a position where the disc
identified is located. A storage tray containing the
disc identified is engaged and pulled from a storage
position to a disc retrieval position. One of the
robotic arms of the robot is displaced above the disc
at the retrieval position and engages the disc with a
picker means. The disc and the robotic arm are then
displaced from the retrieval position and the tray is
pushed back to its storage position. The robot is then
displaced to a disc playback unit to position the disc
therein.
Accordinq to a still further broad aspect of the -~
present invention the robot may be maintained at a
stand~by position at the position of use to await
instructions from a computer control means. The robot
also has a disc in one of its robotic arms which is to
be stored once the robot is given instructions by a
computer connected to a robot controller to retrieve
another disc for placement in another playback unit.
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When the robot is given those instructions the further
disc to be retrieved is removed from a storage tray,
and the disc being held for storage is then placed in
that tray. The location of that stored disc is then
maintained in memory by the computer, and the robot
moves to another playback unit to position the
retrieved disc therein.
According to another broad aspect of the present
invention the method also comprises retracting a disc
from a playback unit after the unit has terminated its
playback function, and a new disc held by one of the
robotic arms of the pair of robotic arms of the robot
is then placed in the playback unit.
Another feature of the present invention
comprises a robot having a pair of robotic arms capable
of transferring an information carrying disc from one
arm to the other to invert the disc to provide access
to information recorded on the opposed side of the
disc.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
A preferred embodiment of the present invention
will now be described with reference to the
accompanying drawings in which~
FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the automatic
disc handling system for retrieving and positioning
information carrying discs by robot between storage
positions to a position of use;
FIGURE 2 is a block diagram showing the system
of the present invention;
FIGURE 3 is a front view showing the
construction of the pair of robotic arms secured to the
head of the robot, and wherein an information carrying
disc is held by each of the arms;
FIGURE 4 is a side view of Figure 3;
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FIGURE 5A iS a perspective view showing the
construction of a vertical storage frame in which
sliding trays are secured;
FIGURE 5B is an enlarged fragmented front view
showing the construction of the sliding trays;
FIGURE 6A is a fragmented top view showing the
engageable aperture formed in the front edge of the
sliding tray, and the finger element of the robot which
engages with the aperture;
FIGURE 6B iS a view similar to Figure 6A, but
showing the engaging finger element moved to an
engaging position;
FIGURE 6C is a top view showing a sliding tray
having a single disc stored thereon, and illustrating
the position of the engageable aperture of a tray
positioned thereunder;
FIGURE 7 is a top view of the robot with a
robotic arm disposed over a disc loading and unloading
position of the tray and adjacent a plurality of
vertical storage frames;
FIGURES 8A to 8D are simplified side views
showing the operation of a gripper mechanism for
engaging in the disc engaging aperture of an
information carrying disc to remove same from its
sliding tray;
FIGURE 9A is a front view showing a pair of
robotic arms with one arm having a disc before
transferring the disc to the other one of the arms;
FIGURES 9B and 9C are sectional end views
respectively along lines 9B-9B and 9C-9C showing the
relationship of the abutment members and the engaging
fingers of each of the two picker mechanisms;
FIGURE lOA is a front view of the robotic arms
shown in an aligned disc transfer positioni
FIGURE lOB is a sectional end view along line
lOB-lOB of Figure lOA showing the relationship of the
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abutment members and the engaging fingers of both
picker mechanisms when in their position at Figure 10A;
FIGURES llA, 12A, 13A and 14A are front views of
the picker mechanisms showing their sequence of
operation in transferring a disc from one picker
mechanism to the other;
FI~URES llB, 12B, 13B and 14B are sectional end
views respectively along lines llB-llB to 14B-14B of
Figures llA to 14A showing the relationship of the
abutment members and the engaging fingers of both
picker mechanisms; ~
FIGURE 15A is a front view showing the robotic ::
arms back to their horizontal positions after the disc
has been transferred from one picker mechanism to the
other; and -~
FIGURES 15B and 15C are sectional end views ;
respectively along lines 15B-15B and 15C-15C of Figure
15A showing the relationship of the abutment members ~
and engaging fingers of both picker mechanisms of ~:
Figure 15A.
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DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to the drawings, and more
particularly to Figure 1, there i.s shown generally at
10 the automatic disc handling system of the present
invention for retrieving and positioning information .
carrying discs, such as video discs 11 and 11' shown in
Figure 3, between storage positions 12 positioned to
each side of a plurality of bays of playback units 13.
In the particular instance the discs have a diameter of
about 12 inches. The bay containing the playback units
13 is herein considered as the position of use whereas
the bays 12 contain a plurality of storage positions.
The storage positions are defined by a plurality of
vertical storage frames 14, each containing a plurality
of horizontally superposed sliding trays 15, the
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details of which will be described later. As can be
seen, the storage bays 12 and the bay containing the
playback units 13 are disposed on an arc of a circle.
On the center axis 16 of this arc is disposed a
pivoting robot 17. This robot acts as a server to
manipulate the discs at and from their storage position
in the storage bays to their position of use in the
playback units 13.
Referring now to Figure 2, there is shown a
simplified block diagram of the automatic disc handling
system of the present invention. The robot 17 is
controlled by a robot controller 16 connected to a
programmed computer 18 which is provided with a memory
19 to retain various information therein, such as the
location address of each disc stored in the sliding
drawers 15 or positioned in the playback units 13, or
held by one or both of the picker mechanisms of the
robotic arms 21, as illustrated in Figure 3.
The computer controller 18 is controlled by at
least one personal computer unit 22 which is located
remotely from the robot area, such as in an adjacent
room, and which is operated by a user person. A
console 23 or viewing screen is associated with the PC
unit so that the user has access to the audio and video
information on the disc. The console could be a
speaker system if the discs being handled were audio
discs. In the particular instance, the disc handled by
the system contain video and audio digitized
information signals which are scanned by a laser
scanner (not shown) provided in the playback unit to
provide the user person both audio and video signals of
the information accessed by the user person and stored
on both sides of the disc. The playback units 13 are
interfaced with the computer 18 via an interface
circuit 24 which performs switching and control of a
selected playback unit 13. As herein shown, the user
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person could also be located at a remote station, such
as at 25, far away from the area where the discs are
stored, and these discs can be accessed through a modem
26 connected to the computer 18 through telephone
lines.
Referring now to Figures 5A and 5B, there is
shown the construction of the vertical storage frame
and as herein shown the storage frame consists of a
pair of vertically oriented side walls 27 held by end
walls and each having a plurality of elongated parallel
slots 28 formed in an inner side face 29 thereof. The
slots 28 of each side wall 27 are in horizontal
alignment with one another to receive a plurality of
the sliding trays 15 in closely spaced parallel
relationship. The trays 15 are elongated rectangular
trays which may contain one or more discs ll in disc
retaining cavities 30' formed in the top surface
thereof. As herein shown, these cavities are of
circular contour and have an outwardly sloped conical
side wall 31 to guide a disc ll deposited therein to a
central circular lower support base 32. Therefore, if
the disc is not precisely positioned over the circular
support base, it will be guided automatically thereto
by the conical side wall 31. The conical side wall
provides a tolerance area 33 about the circular support
base 32. The trays 15 are also provided with opposed
guide flanges 33 elevated from the tray bottom wall 30
and engaged by the slots 28 to position the trays in
very close horizontally stacked relationship, as shown
in Figure 5B, with the distance between trays having a
very small clearance. However, to overcome the
disadvantages of being closely spaced, each of the
trays are provided with an engageable aperture 34 which
is constructed so as to make it easy to grasp the tray
to retrieve a disc.
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Referring now additionally to Figures 6A and 6B,
it can be seen that an engageable aperture 34 is formed
in the front edge 35 of the trays 15, and is provided
with an undercut groove 36 to one side thereof to
define an engageable lip 37 on the right or the left
side of the aperture 34. The trays are then stacked
with their lips 37 of adjacent trays in an alternating
sequence, as can be seen in Figure 5A. Accordingly,
the lips of adjacent trays are spaced a distance of two
trays and will not interfere with one another when
being engaged.
As shown in Figure 3, the head 38 of the robot
is provided with a tray engaging finger element 39
which is a T-shape finger element having opposed
engaging arms 40. A tray is retracted from the storage
frame 14 by the robot which places its finger element
39 with its T-shape fingers 40 directly within the
aperture 34 and centrally thereof, as shown in Figure
6A. An optical sensor 41, herein the end of a fiber
optic cable, is located centrally of the end of the
finger element between the arms 40 to check the
alignment of the engaging arms 40 with the front edge
35 of the tray to be retracted. The finger engaging
element is then moved to one side of the aperture 34
where the lip 37 is located, as shown in Figure 6B, and
then retracted, as shown in Figure 6C, so that one of
the engaging arms 40 engages the lip and retracts the
drawer, as therein shown. This movement of the finger
element 39 is effectuated by command signals from the
robot controller 16.
The robot controller 16 has in a memory 20 the
precise position of a selected tray to be retracted, as
well as the position of the lip on that tray. The tray
engaging finger is therefore automatically guided
precisely to that position as stored in the memory 20
of the robot control~er 16. The tray is then pulled to
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a loading and unloading position, as shown at 42 in
Figure 6C, where the disc 11 is then ready to be
unloaded. As shown in Figure 6C, the tray 15 is a
rectangular tray carrying, in the particular instance,
a single disc 11. The tray 15' positioned thereunder
is also illustrated with its lip 37' positioned on the
opposite side as the lip 37 of the uppermost tray 15.
The selected disc 11 is thus in a position to be
removed from its storage sliding tray 15. As can be
seen in Figure 5A, should the other disc 11" on a given
tray be selected, the robot controller 16 also has in
its memory the precise location of this other disc 11",
and therefore pulls the tray accordingly.
As shown in Figure 3, a pair robotic arms 21 are
pivoted at pivot connections 43 to braces 44 of the
head 38. A displaceable mechanism 69 causes the arms
to simultaneously move along individual arcs about
their pivot connections, as will be described later.
The displacement of the arms 21 is commanded by the
robot controller 16. As also shown in Figure 1, the
head 38 is secured to an articulation 46 at the end of
a boom 47 which is also articulated to a robotic frame
48 where by the picker mechanisms 20 at the end of the
arms 21 can be displaced to any angle in horizontal and
vertical planes. The mechanism 69 consists in a pair
of blocks 76 and 76' on which are respectively mounted
pulleys 45 and 45' on which elongated metal spring
bands 79 and 79' are wound. Such spring bands are
provided to retain robotic arms in position in case of
cylinder air supply failure. Connecting rods 84 and
84' secured to respective blocks 76 and 76' are
pivotally connected to robotic arm 21 by pivots 85 and
85'. A bridge member 80 connects the blocks 76 and 76'
and is secured to a piston rod 81 having a plunger 82
displaceable within an air-operated bi-directional
cylinder 83.
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Referring again to Figure 3 / it can be seen that
the picker mechanism 20 is provided with three
vertically disposed parallel abutment posts 49
equidistantly spaced from one another along a
5 circumferential axis 50 of a circle, as shown in Figure
9B. Disposed on an inner circle arc of the abutment
member are three articulated disc aperture engaging
fingers 51 which are displaceabl~ from a retracted
position, as shown at 52 in Figure 9A, to a disc
engaging expanded position, as shown at 53 also in
Figure 9A. These fingers are secured on pivot
connections 54 to an axially displaceable support air-
actuating mechanism 55. Although there are three disc
abutment posts 49 being shown and three aperture
15 engaging fingers 51, it is conceivable that the picker
mechanism could operate with only two of each of these,
if they are properly shaped to carry on centering of a
picked disc. It is also conceivable that the picker
mechanism could be comprised solely by air-operated
20 suction cups or a single cup attached to the free end
of the robotic arms 21 ~ and having sensors provided in
close relationship thereof to locate the suction cups
at desired locations on the disc. Various other
sensors, such as sensor 68, as shown in Figure 3 ~ are
25 located at different strategic positions with respect
to the displaceable mechanisms, such as the air-
actuating mechanism 55~ for precise alignment and
displacement, or for locating reference marks to
provide precise operation of the robot in a manner well
30 known in the robotic design art. More specifically,
sensor 68 is provided to check over one of the tray
apertures 61, if a selected disc is effectively in the
positio~ as stored in the computer memory 19. As also
shown in Figure 9A, the axial displacement actuating
mechanism 55 is secured to a piston rod 57 having a
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plunger 58 displaceable within an air-operated cylinder
59.
As shown in Figure 9A, the disc engaging fingers
51 at their retracted position 52 are closely spaced in
alignment with one another. The fingers are also
provided with a hook end 51' for engaging the disc 11,
in a manner as will now be described.
As shown in Figure 7, after the sliding tray 15
has been retracted to a disc loading and unloading
position 42, the head 38 of the robot is then
articulated to a disc engaging position so that one of
the arms 21 has its picker mechanism 20 aligned
directly above the disc engaging aperture 60 (see
Figure 6C) provided at the center of the disc 11. As
also shown in Figure 6C, the support wall 30 of the
tray is provided with a plurality of apertures 61 to
reduce the weight of the tray and for ventilation.
With the robotic arms 21 in their position, as
shown in Figure 7, the picker mechanism is then
actuated to perform a disc engaging function, as
illustrated by Figures 8A to 8D. As shown in Figure
8A, the picker mechanism has been moved laterally in
the direction of arrow 62 to position itself directly
centered with the disc engaging aperture 60. The
picker mechanism is then lowered to an engaging
position by the displaceable mechanism 69 so that the
aperture engaging fingers 51 move downwardly in the
direction of arrow 63 to position itself within the
aperture 60 with the hook ends 51' extending above the
back side 64 of the disc 11.
As shown in Figure 6C, the tray support wall 30
is provided with a large central aperture 65 to provide
a clearance about the disc engaging aperture 60 to
permit engagement of these hook ends 51 with the back
side 64 of the disc about the aperture 60. Once in
this position the engaging fingers are pivoted by the
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actuating mechanism 55 to move to a disc engaging
position with the hook ends 51' moving outwardly in the
direction of arrows 66. After the fingers and the hook
ends are in an engageable position, as shown in Figure
8C, the piston rod 57 is then retracted within its air-
operated cylinder 59 to retract the disc and urge it in
clamping position between the hook ends 51' and the
cushion bumpers 67 secured at the free ends of the
abutment posts 49, as shown in Figure 8D.
With the disc thus engaged, the head of the
robot then realigns itself with the tray having been
pulled to its loading and unloading position 42, as
shown in Figure 7, and the tray engaging finger element
39 relocates itself within the engaging aperture 34,
and pushes the tray back to its storage position, as
shown by tray 15" in Figure 5A. The articulated arm 46
of the robot then swings the head 38 to locate it
adjacent a selected one of the plurality of playback
units 13. Each of the playback units 13 is associated
with a specific one of a plurality of PC units 22
located in a viewing room or a remote unit 25 located
at a far end. The computer 18 now gives a command
signal to the selected playback unit 13 to
automatically place its drawer or disc receiving
platform (not shown) to a disc loading or unloading
position, as is obvious to a person sXilled in the art
and as provided with many of these units currently on
the marketplace. The computer 18 contains in its
memory various information about the selected playback
unit. If there is an optical disc in that unit, the
free robotic arm 21 of the robotic head will first pick
up the disc in that playback unit by its picker
mechanism, as previously described with reference to
Figures 8A to 8D. The head will then articulate again
to position the disc removed from the storage tray to a
position above the loading platform of the playback
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unit and deposit the disc thereon at a precise location
by retracting its aperture engaging fingers 51 to
position them to their retracted position, as shown in
Figure 9A.
Because the optical discs 15 as herein utilized
contain digitized recorded information on opposed sides
thereof, it may become necessary to invert the disc
after one side of the disc has been scanned and
transmitted to the user console 23. The computer
controller has the information in memory that such a
disc reversal is necessary at a specific time, and this
will be effectuated automatically by the robotic arms,
in a fashion as illustrated in Figures 9A to 15C. As
shown in Figure 9A, a robotic arm 21' has a disc 11
retained by its picker mechanism 20', and it is now
necessary to transfer that disc to the picker mechanism
21 so that the back side 64 will now face upwardly when
the disc is retained by the picker mechanism 20 of the
robotic arm 21. As shown in Figures 9B and 9C, the
aperture engaging fingers 51 of the picker mechanism
20' are in an engaged position with the disc 11
retained captive between their hook ends 51' and the
abutment post 49 while the aperture engaging fingers 51
of the other picker mechanism 20 are in ~ retracted
position, as shown at 52 in Figure 9A.
As shown in Figures lOA and lOB, the robotic
arms 21' and 21 are then caused to articulate in a
downwardly arcuate direction, as shown by arrows 70, so
that the engaging fingers 51 of the pair of robotic
arms 21 and 21' are aligned about a common axis 71
extending through the center of the disc aperture 60.
The abutment posts 49 of opposed picker mechanisms 20
and 20' are also aligned on opposed sides of the disc
11. Figure lOB illustrates the position of the
aperture engaging fingers with respect to one another,
with one set of fingers being at their retracted
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position 52 and the other set at their disc engaging
position 53 and offset from one another.
The next step in this transfer sequence is
illustrated in Figures llA and llB. As shown by arrow
71, the piston cylinder 59 of the picker mechanism 20
is actuated to move the aperture engaqing fingers 51
thereof through the aperture 60 and the disc 11 and
between the aperture engaging fingers 51 of the picker
mechanism 20' which are in their engaging position.
The relationship of the aperture engaging fingers 51 is
illustrated in Figure llB. ;~
The next step in the operation, as illustrated
in Figure 12A, consists in actuating the aperture
engaging fingers 51 of the picker mechanism 20 to place
them in a disc engaging position, and accordingly these
fingers will move outwardly in the direction of arrows
72. The relationship of the aperture engaging fingers
51 of both picker mechanisms is illustrated in Figure
lZB.
As shown in Figure 13A, the aperture engaging
fingers 51 of the picker mechanism 20' then retract to
their retracted position in the direction of arrows 75,
and the relationship of these aperture engaging fingers
is illustrated in Figure 13B. The cylinder 59 of the
picker mechanism 20 is again operated in the direction
of arrow 76 to withdraw the hook ends 51' of the
fingers against the top face 73 of the disc 11, while
the rear face 64 faces the picker mechanism 20. The
relationship of the aperture engaging fingers 51 is
again illustrated in Figure 14B. The cylinder 83 is
again operated, and articulated robotic arms 21 are
then retracted to their original position, as shown by
arrows 74 in Figure 15A, and the disc has been
transferred to the picker mechanism 20 with the
original back side 64 now facing upwardly. The disc
can then be placed back on the support surface or table
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of the playback unit, or else positioned in a sliding
tray 15 when the robot is given instructions to
retrieve another disc.
It is pointed out that while the robot is at its
position of use in front of the playback units 13, and
has retracted a disc from one of these units, it does
not immediately return the disc to the storage trays.
This is only effectuated once the robot is given
instructions to retract another disc. When another
disc is retracted, the disc held by one of the robotic
arms will be placed back in the same disc retaining
cavity of the same tray where a disc has just been
withdrawn, and the computer controller will maintain
the new location of this stored disc in memory for
future retrieval.
It is also pointed out that the robot can also
interchange discs between storage sliding trays. The
computer can also maintain the time the PC unit was
occupied, and can transmit this information as well as
other information to another computer for purposes of
processing order or invoicing, etc:. Accordingly, with
the system as above described, there can be provided a
fully automated system having a multitude of
capabilities. Also the storage bays and construction
of the storage frames and sliding trays provide for
expandable storage space and a means for storing a
great number of discs in dense compact space with ease
of retrieval of the discs.
It is within the ambit of the present invention
to cover any obvious modifications of the preferred
embodiment described herein, provided such
modifications fall within the scope of the appanded
claims.
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