JPH0786997B2 - Recording medium pushing device in auto changer - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention moves a recording / reproducing head in a radial direction of a rotating recording medium to record a signal on an arbitrary track, reproduce a signal from an arbitrary track, or record. In a recording / reproducing apparatus that performs both read and write, a pushing device for completely pushing a recording medium to a predetermined position in its holding mechanism to ensure its mounting, and particularly for holding a large number of recording media and automatically The present invention relates to a recording medium pushing device suitably provided in an auto changer capable of exchanging a recording medium to be recorded / reproduced by moving it to a recording / reproducing position.

The applicant has already proposed an auto changer capable of automatically and quickly exchanging a plurality of recording media (Japanese Patent Application No. 62-110484). This auto changer includes a rotating body having a plurality of mechanisms for detachably holding a recording medium on the circumference at equal angular intervals. This rotator rotates at a high speed to quickly move a predetermined recording medium to a recording / reproducing position or a recording medium attaching / detaching position.

The recording medium holding mechanism is provided with a mechanism for locking the inserted recording medium. This locking mechanism works when the recording medium is inserted to a predetermined position. When the recording medium is not completely inserted, the lock mechanism does not work, and the recording medium is ejected due to the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the rotating body. Even if such a problem does not occur, the recording / reproducing operation is impossible unless the recording medium is mounted at a predetermined position.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a pushing device capable of forcibly pushing a recording medium that has not been inserted to a predetermined position to ensure the loading of the recording medium.

A device for pushing a recording medium in an auto changer according to the present invention is provided with a holding mechanism having a recording medium insertion / removal opening at one end, detachably holding the recording medium, and having a lock mechanism for locking the held recording medium. A moving body, a moving body drive device for moving the moving body so that all of the holding mechanisms on the moving body sequentially pass through a recording medium attaching / detaching position and a recording / reproducing position, and with the movement of the moving body. On a path through which the holding mechanism passes, a pushing member provided between the detaching position and the recording / reproducing position and the recording medium held by the holding mechanism by the locking mechanism are pushed to a lockable position. So that
A pushing member driving device for driving the pushing member is provided. The moving body includes not only a rotating body but also a linear moving body.

According to the present invention, the plurality of holding mechanisms are attached to or detached from the recording medium one by one with the movement of the moving body or the recording and
Go to the playback position. The pushing member is provided on the path of the holding mechanism along with the movement of the moving body, and between the detaching position and the recording / reproducing position. As the moving body moves, the holding mechanism moves to the position where the pushing member is provided, and the recording medium is pushed into the holding mechanism. By providing only one pushing member, the recording medium held by all the holding mechanisms on the moving body can be surely pushed.

Since the recording medium is pushed to a position where it can be locked by the lock mechanism formed in the holding mechanism, it is securely held by the holding mechanism. Therefore, since the recording medium is securely held by the holding mechanism, recording / reproducing can be surely performed. Since the holding mechanism on the moving body moves with the movement of the moving body,
Since the pushing member can be provided at a position different from the mounting / removing position of the recording medium, it does not interfere with the insertion / removal operation of the recording medium at the mounting / demounting position, and the degree of freedom in design is increased.

A recording medium is a magnetic recording medium such as a floppy disk,
The concept includes an optical recording medium such as an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, and the like. Optical recording media also include those that represent information by combining the portions that transmit and block (or reflect) light.

Description of Embodiments An embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a magnetic recording medium pushing device will be described below with reference to the drawings.

1 and 2 are schematic diagrams showing the entire mechanical structure of an auto changer in a magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus. FIG. 1 is a plan view thereof, and FIG. 2 is a line II-II of FIG. The cross sections are shown in each. Also in FIG.
The bucket 22 shown by arrow A is shown in phantom to show the video floppy F contained therein, and at the location shown by arrow B, the bucket has been removed to show the configuration of the disc 20 at that location. , Video Floppy F only is shown in dashed lines.

Referring to these drawings, in the video floppy F (magnetic recording medium) mounted on the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus,
A magnetic disk 18 is rotatably housed in the jacket 11. The disk in the center of the magnetic disk 18
The hub (core) 19 is looking into the center hole 12 of the jacket 11. A window 14 for exposing the recording / reproducing area of the magnetic disk 18 to the outside is opened on a part of both sides of the jacket 11. The window 14 is normally closed by a shutter 15, but the shutter 11 is automatically opened by an opening / closing mechanism (not shown) provided in the bucket 22 when it is inserted into the bucket 22 described later. In addition, holes 13 are formed in several positions of the jacket 11 for receiving positioning pins 74, which will be described later, for positioning and fixing the video floppy F in the bucket 22.

A disk for holding such a video floppy F
The wheel 20 is fixed to a belt wheel 31 fixed to a rotating shaft 30. The rotary shaft 30 is rotatably supported by a bearing stand 35 mounted and fixed on the bottom plate 1.

On the other hand, a step motor 40 for rotationally driving the disc 20 is arranged at a position slightly apart from the rotary shaft 30. The fixed position of the step motor 40 is preferably inside the outer peripheral edge of the disc 20 in order to use the space below the disc 20 as effectively as possible.

The horizontal member 41 is passed and fixed between the support member 42 fixed to the bottom plate 1 and the bearing stand 35. Step
The motor 40 is attached to the horizontal member 41 via a mounting member 43 with screws. The horizontal member 41 has a plurality of elongated holes 49 for passing the screws, and the output shaft 40a of the step motor 40.
And a large elongated hole 48 is formed to project the above. Since the elongated hole 49 is formed, the mounting position of the step motor 40 can be adjusted.

A belt wheel 44 having teeth is fixed to an output shaft 40a of the step motor 40. Further, teeth are formed on the belt wheel 31 to which the disc 20 is fixed. These belt cars
A timing belt 45 is hung between 44 and 31, so that the disc 20 is rotationally driven by the step motor 40. In this way, the rotational power of the step motor 40
Since the timing belt 45 is used as a means for transmitting to the 20, the timing belt 45 acts as a cushioning material, and noise and vibration can be suppressed.

On the disk 20, a plurality (10 in the embodiment) of buckets 22 for housing the video floppy F are fixed by screws. These buckets 22 are radially arranged on the same circumference at equal angular intervals (36 °). The outer end surface of the bucket 22 is opened at the whole surface for inserting or taking out the video floppy F and is cut out in an arc shape (this opening is referred to as an insertion / removal port, and the insertion / removal port and the notch are indicated by reference numeral 23). Moreover, the upper surface of the bucket 22 is greatly cut out and opened.
24 are formed. Video installed from opening 24
The window 14 and the central hole 12 of the floppy F are exposed.

An opening 25 is also formed in the disc 20 at a position corresponding to the opening 24 of the bucket 22. The opening 25 is the opening 24 of the bucket 22.
Has been opened longer than. When the bucket 22 reaches the recording / reproducing unit 50 described later and the recording / reproducing operation is started, the regulation plate 63 enters from above from the opening 24 and the window 14 and comes into contact with the upper surface of the magnetic disk 18. Open from below
The magnetic head enters through the window 25 and the window 14 and contacts the lower surface (recording / reproducing surface) of the magnetic disk 18. Further, a spindle 75 of a motor 76, which will be described later, which drives the magnetic disk 18 to rotate, also advances into the opening 25 of the disk 20.

At the position where the bucket 22 is provided on the outer peripheral edge of the disk 20, a similar arcuate notch 21 is formed corresponding to the arcuate notch 23 of the bucket 22. These notches
Reference numerals 21 and 23 are for facilitating the attachment / detachment of the video floppy F to / from the bucket 22 at the attachment / detachment position of the video floppy F (for example, a position symmetrical about the recording / reproducing section 50 and the rotation axis 30). is there. Since a part of the video floppy F attached to the bucket 22 is exposed to the outside through these notches 21 and 23, the video floppy F can be attached or detached by hand or by the attaching / detaching mechanism. The operation of the pushing device 80 described later becomes easy.

The disc 20 is further provided with a hole 26 through which the positioning pin 74 passes and a positioning hole 27 through which the positioning pin 73 passes. The positioning holes 27 are provided at equal angular intervals corresponding to the positions where the buckets 22 are provided, and this is for correctly positioning the predetermined buckets 22 in the recording / reproducing unit 50.

The lower peripheral edge of the belt wheel 31 extends outward in a brim shape (indicated by 32), and radial slits 33 are formed at equal angular intervals (θ = 36 °) at each angular position where the bucket 22 is provided. Has been formed. The place where the slit 33 is formed is called a set position SP. Two radial auxiliary slits 34 are formed on the collar 32 on both sides of one of the slits 33 and adjacent thereto. Slits sandwiched between these auxiliary slits 34
The 33 position is called the home position (reference angle position) HP. The home position is also the set position. These slits 33, 34 are for recording / reproducing section 50, which will be described later.
It is detected by an angular position sensor (photoelectric switch) 36 provided at the position, and is used for controlling the step motor 40 and positioning the disc 20.

A recording / reproducing unit 50 is provided at a predetermined angular position on the disc 20. In addition, at another predetermined angular position, for example, as described above, the recording / reproducing unit
The position on the opposite side of 50 is the detachable position of Video Floppy F. The video floppy F is inserted from the insertion / removal opening 23 into the bucket 22 which has reached this attachment / detachment position by the rotation of the disc 20. The video floppy F inserted into a predetermined position in the bucket 22 is locked in the predetermined position by a lock mechanism (not shown, a known one) provided in the bucket 22.

A centrifugal force acts on the video floppy F inserted into the bucket 22 when the disc 20 rotates. If the video floppy F is inserted to a predetermined position in the bucket 22 and locked by the lock mechanism, the video floppy F will not fly out of the bucket 22 even if centrifugal force acts. However, since the video floppy F is not fully inserted and is not locked when it is not inserted to the predetermined position of the bucket 22, the video when the disc 20 rotates
The floppy F will fly out of the bucket 22. Even if it is sent to the recording / playback unit 50 without jumping,
If the floppy F is not set at a predetermined position in the bucket 22, chucking of the magnetic disk 18 by the spindle 75, touching of the magnetic head and the regulation plate 63 on the magnetic disk 18 are impossible or not performed properly,
Recording / playback operation cannot be realized.

A device 80 for forcibly pushing the video floppy F, which has not been inserted to the predetermined position in the bucket 22 at the video floppy attachment / detachment position, is provided at the angular position where the motor 40 is provided. The disk 20 rotates clockwise in FIG. 1 in the floppy exchange mode or when the power is turned on (when a predetermined video floppy F is brought to the recording / reproducing unit 50 for recording / reproducing, it rotates in any direction). The position where the pushing device 80 is provided is the position next to the detaching position of the video floppy in the clockwise rotation of the disc 20 (a position separated by about 36 °).

In addition to FIGS. 1 and 2, enlarged views of the pushing device 80 of the video floppy are shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5. FIG. 3 is a plan view, and FIGS. 4 and 5 are sectional views taken along lines IV-IV and VV of FIG. 3, respectively.

Referring to these drawings, the pushing device 80 has two levers 8
Contains 2,92. One lever 82 is rotatably supported by a shaft 83 provided upright on the horizontal member 41, and a shaft 87 is provided at one end thereof. A push roller 81 is rotatably provided on the shaft 87. The pressing roller 81 has a V groove 81a, and the upper and lower peripheral edges thereof extend in the radial direction. These peripheral portions will be referred to as flanges 81b and 81c. The height position of the pressing roller 81 is determined so that the V groove 81a is at the same height as the peripheral edge of the disc 20. The lever 82 is pushed by a pinch spring 84.
81 is biased away from the periphery of the disc 20. The pinch spring 84 has a coil portion wound around a shaft 83, one end of which is a part of the lever 82 and the other end of which is erected on the horizontal member 41.
Have been received by each.

The other lever 92 is provided below the horizontal member 41 and is rotatably supported by a shaft 93 which is similarly fixed to the horizontal member 41. On the other hand, a mounting member 96 is fixed to the support member 42,
The solenoid 91 is provided on the mounting member 96 at its base end so as to be rotatable in the horizontal direction. Solenoid 91 rod
91a is rotatably connected to one end of a lever 92 by a pin 95.

A long hole 94 is formed in the other end of the lever 92 in the longitudinal direction thereof, and a pin 86 fixed to the other end of the lever 82 and extending downward passes through the long hole 94. Therefore, the lever
82 and 92 are connected at this other end.

When the solenoid 91 is not operating, the force of the spring 84 causes the pushing roller 81 to be at the outermost position (the position farthest from the peripheral edge of the disc, which is called the retracted position). The push-in roller in the retracted position is shown at 81 (A) using the symbol A.

When the solenoid 91 operates, the one end of the lever 92 is pulled by the solenoid 91, so that the lever 92 swings about the shaft 93, and the lever 82 also swings about the shaft 83 via the pin 86. As a result, the pushing roller 81 is displaced in the direction of the disc 20. The pushing roller 81 can be displaced up to the position shown at 81 (C) in FIG. 3, but the disc shown in FIGS.
At the angular position of 20, the V-shaped groove 81a of the pushing roller 81 comes into contact with a portion other than the arcuate notch 21 on the peripheral edge of the disk 20 (see in particular FIG. 5), so that it is held at the position indicated by 81 (B). .

FIGS. 6 and 7 show a state in which the disc 20 is further rotated clockwise by an appropriate angle and the arcuate notch 21 reaches the position desired by the pushing roller 81. As can be seen from these figures, in the operating state of the solenoid 91, the V-groove 81a of the pushing roller 81 rolls relatively along the peripheral edge of the disc 20 as the disc 20 rotates. When reaching the position of the notch 21, if the video floppy F exists in the bucket 22 provided at the position of the notch 21, the pushing roller 81 has its upper flange 81b on one side of the video floppy F (8
1 (D) roller).

If the insertion of the video floppy into the bucket 22 is incomplete, as indicated by the chain line F ₁ in FIG.
When the 81 comes to the position of the notch 21, its upper flange 81b
There results pressing one side of the video floppy F ₁ by the pulling force of the solenoid 91, the video floppy F ₁ bucket 22
It is pushed further in and inserted into the lockable position, so it is locked in that position. In this way,
Even if there is a video floppy that has not been inserted to the predetermined position of the bucket 22, when the video floppy is sent from the detaching position to the position of the pushing device 80 by the rotation of the disc 20, the pushing device 80 makes it It is securely inserted to the position.

A switch 98 for detecting whether or not the video floppy F is present in the bucket 22 coming to the position of the pushing device 80.
Is provided. The switch 98 is realized by, for example, a limit switch, and is fixed to a mounting member 99 provided on the horizontal member 41. The height position of the actuator of this switch 98 is the lower flange 81 of the pushing roller 81.
It is set to the same height as c. Further, the switch 98 is located at the center of the pressing roller 81 (more strictly, see FIG.
The pushing roller 81 (which is the sixth pushing roller 81) located on the line connecting the center of the pushing roller at the position 81 (E) and the center of the rotary shaft 30 and further displaced to the maximum when the solenoid 91 is in the operating state.
This is the position shown by the dashed line 81 (E) in the figure, which is shown in FIG.
The actuator is actuated by the same position as 81 (C)), and the actuator is not actuated by the pushing roller 81 (for example, 81 (D)) located at a position further outward than this. .

Therefore, when the solenoid 91 is in an operating state and the disc 20 rotates and the notch 21 reaches the position of the roller 81, if the video floppy F is in the bucket 22 corresponding to the notch 21 ( (Same for incomplete insertion) Switch
When the video floppy F is not present, the switch 98 is actuated to output a detection signal indicating that the video floppy is not present.

The pushing operation of the incompletely inserted video floppy by the pushing device 80 and the checking operation of the presence or absence of the video floppy by the switch 98 are performed, for example, when the power of the autochanger is turned on or in the floppy exchange mode. In another mode, for example, the recording / reproducing mode, the solenoid 91 does not operate and the pressing roller 81 is placed in the retracted position described above.

Returning to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, in the recording / reproducing unit 50, shafts 52 and 53 are rotatable in parallel with each other at the rear portions of the left and right side plates 51 constituting the frame fixed to the bottom plate 1. Is crossed over. The shaft 52 has two gears 54
Two gears 55 are fixed to the shaft 53 at regular intervals. These gears 54 and 55 mesh with each other.

Both sides of the support plate 60 holding the upper drive unit are bent downward to form side plates. This side plate forms a rearwardly extending arm 61 and is fixed to the outer surface of the gear 54. The regulation plate mechanism held by the support plate 60 is a regulation plate.
It is provided with 63 and its holder 64. The control plate 63 is a holder 64
The holder 64 is fixed to the support plate 60 by a coil spring 65.
Held in.

The support plate 70 holding the lower drive unit is fixed to the gear 55 by a mounting member 71. A long hole 72 is formed in the arm portion of the mounting member 71, and the shaft 52 is inserted in the long hole 72.
Is passing. As will be described later, the mounting member 71 is driven to swing, but the elongated hole 72 prevents interference with the shaft 52.

On the support plate 70, a rotary drive unit for rotationally driving the magnetic disk 18, and a head transfer unit for transferring a magnetic head (which is hidden by the spindle 75 and not visible in FIG. 2) in the radial direction of the magnetic disk 18 ( (Not shown) is provided. The rotary drive unit is a motor with a spindle 75
76, a frequency generator that outputs a signal of a frequency representing the number of revolutions of the motor 76, a board on which a motor control circuit is assembled, and the like. The spindle 76 of the motor 75 and the magnetic head are
It projects above the support plate 70. The head transfer unit includes a step motor, a mechanism for movably holding the magnetic head, a mechanism for converting the rotation of the step motor into a linear motion of the magnetic head, and the like.

Positioning pins 73 are provided upright at the tip of the support plate 70, and positioning pins 74 are provided upright at other appropriate positions. Locating pin 73
In order to accurately adjust the angular position of the disc 20 to the position of the support plate 70 after the rotation of the disc 20 by the step motor 40 by the pin 73 passing through the above-mentioned positioning hole 27 of the disc 20. belongs to. Positioning pin 74 is video
The floppy F is positioned. The upper portion of each of the pins 73 and 74 is tapered.

The upper support plate 60 is located above the disc 20, and the lower support plate 70 is located below the disc 20. One of the support plates 60, 70, for example, the lower support plate 70 is rockably driven by a rocking drive mechanism (not shown). Gear 54
And 55 are meshed with each other, so that when one support plate is swung, the other support plate is also swung in conjunction with this, and these support plates 60 and 70 move toward or away from each other.

Further, the photoelectric switch 36 described above is fixed to the frame of the recording / reproducing unit 50. The rotation of the step motor 40 is controlled based on the detection signal from the photoelectric switch 36, and the predetermined bucket 22 and the video floppy F inside the bucket 22 are positioned in the recording / reproducing section 50.

In the above recording / reproducing mode (in this case, the pressing roller 81 is in the retracted position), when the recording / reproducing section 50 is performing recording or reproducing processing, the support plate 60 is indicated by the solid line in FIG. , 70 is closed.

When the video floppy F to be recorded / reproduced is replaced, the supporting plate 70 is rockably driven by the above-mentioned rocking mechanism in the direction shown by the chain line in FIG. As the support plate 70 swings, the gear 55 of the shaft 53 rotates counterclockwise. Gear 54 is a gear
Since it meshes with 55, it rotates clockwise, which causes the support plate 60 to swing up to the position indicated by the chain line. In this way, both support plates 60 and 70 open, ie move away from each other.

In this state, the recording / reproducing section 50 exchanges the video floppy F. That is, the disk 20 is rotationally driven by the motor 40 until a predetermined (for example, next) video floppy F reaches a predetermined position of the recording / reproducing section 50 (that is, until the photoelectric switch 36 detects the predetermined slit 33). It When the disc 20 stops at a predetermined angular position, the swing mechanism swings the support plate 70 upward. The support plates 60 and 70 approach each other from the front and back of the disc 20. The spindle 75 fixed to the support plate 70 enters from the opening 25 of the disc 20 to chuck the magnetic disk 18 of the video floppy F.
Further, the magnetic head gently contacts the magnetic disk 18 in the video floppy F. The positioning pin 74, which is erected on the support plate 70, passes through the hole 26 of the disc 20 and enters the hole 13 of the video floppy F in the bucket 22.
To position. The positioning pin 73 of the support plate 70 protrudes to the front side through the hole 27 of the disc 20 for more accurate angular positioning of the disc 20 (at this time, the step motor 40 is in a weakly excited state or a non-excited state). Has become).
The regulation plate 63 of the support plate 60 passes through the opening 24 of the bucket 22 and enters the inside of the window 14 of the video floppy F to contact the magnetic disk 18.

In the above embodiment, the video floppy, which was not completely inserted into the bucket 22, is pushed to the lock position by the pushing device 80 as the disc 20 rotates. When the predetermined recording medium holding mechanism (bucket) reaches the position of the pushing device, the rotation of the disc 20 is stopped, and the pushing portion of the pushing device is projected toward the recording medium to bring the recording medium to the predetermined position of the holding mechanism. It may be pushed. At this time, the pushing device is preferably arranged at a position (an integer of 1 is preferable for 36 ° × n: n in the above embodiment) which is an integral multiple of the holding mechanism interval from the mounting / demounting position of the recording medium.
This makes it possible to perform the pushing operation when the disc is stopped for inserting / removing the recording medium or for recording / reproducing, and it is necessary to purposely stop the disc (moving body) for the pushing operation. This saves time and simplifies control.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show an outline of the whole mechanical structure of the auto changer in the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus. FIG. 1 is a plan view thereof, and FIG. 2 is a line II-II of FIG. FIG. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a part of the auto changer, and is a plan view of the pushing device portion, and FIG. 4 is a plan view of FIG.
FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV, and FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a state in which the disc further rotates and the pushing roller reaches the arcuate notch, and FIG. 7 shows VI in FIG.
It is a sectional view taken along line I-VII. 18 ... Magnetic disk (recording medium), 20 ... Disc (moving body), 22 ... Bucket (holding mechanism), 30 ... Rotating shaft, 80 ... Pushing device, 81 ... Pushing roller (pressing unit) , 82, 92 …… Lever, 91 …… Solenoid, F …… Video floppy (recording medium).

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A moving body provided with a recording medium insertion / removal opening at one end thereof and provided with a holding mechanism having a lock mechanism for holding the recording medium detachably and locking the held recording medium, and on the moving body. A moving body driving device for moving the moving body so that all the holding mechanisms sequentially pass through the recording medium attachment / detachment position and the recording / reproducing position, and on the path through which the holding mechanism moves as the moving body moves. The pushing member provided between the detaching position and the recording / reproducing position, and the pushing member for driving the pushing member so as to push the recording medium held by the holding mechanism by the locking mechanism to a lockable position. A recording medium pushing device in an auto changer equipped with a member driving device.