A disc drawer and an optical disc library having the same

Abstract

The present invention provides a tray drawer 1 and an optical disc library having the tray drawer 1. The tray drawer 1 comprises: a shell, each of which has a accommodating space at both ends, and each accommodating space passes through from one side of the shell to the other side, so as to form two openings on both sides of the shell; two hooks, respectively arranged in the two accommodating spaces in the shell, each hook having two arms at a preset angle; two driving mechanisms for driving the two hooks respectively, each driving mechanism being configured to drive the corresponding hook to rotate, so as to allow any arm of the hook to switch between a protruding state protruding from the corresponding opening and a retracted state retracted in the accommodating space; wherein the two arms of the two hooks on the same side of the shell move simultaneously to the protruding state or the retracted state. The solution of the present invention solves the technical problem in the prior art that the tray drawer 1 has a complex structure and is prone to collision with the unlocking hole of the optical disc cartridge.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of data storage, and in particular to a disc ejector and an optical disc library having the disc ejector. Background Art

[0002] A magazine is the fundamental unit of a modern optical library. It typically holds multiple discs and is normally closed and locked. When a disc in a magazine needs to be manipulated, the drawer on the library's robotic arm unlocks the magazine and pulls it out to a position where the robotic arm's gripper can vertically grasp and lift a disc. When the manipulation is complete, the drawer pushes the magazine back into its locked, closed position. To increase the density of magazines within a library, they are typically placed in horizontally facing magazine bays. The library's robotic arm moves back and forth horizontally and vertically within these horizontally facing bays, allowing the drawer and gripper on the arm to manipulate each magazine. Due to the width limitations of a standard 19-inch cabinet, the space left for the robotic arm to position itself between the two magazine bays is very limited.

[0003] like Figure 1 As shown, the manipulator is located in the space between two disc magazines 21 arranged face to face. Since the disc magazines 21 are to be operated face to face, the disc ejector 1 needs to complete the two-way unlocking and ejecting action. The existing disc ejector 1 is provided with claws 20 on both sides. Figure 2 As shown, its function is to unlock and simultaneously withdraw or push the inner disc tray of magazine 21. Due to the limited space of the robot, the claw 20 of the drawer 1 must penetrate deep into the unlocking hole of the opposite disc tray 21 to create the necessary space to fully withdraw the inner disc tray of magazine 21. However, the obvious disadvantage of this structure is that it increases the difficulty of drawer calibration, making automatic calibration difficult and requiring manual calibration based on experience in most cases. At the same time, this mechanical limitation also reduces the overall reliability of the robot.

[0004] In order to solve this technical problem, the prior art has proposed a new structure of a tray drawer 1, such as Figure 3As shown, a hook 12 is provided on each of the left and right ends of the drawer 1. Each hook 12 can extend from either side of the drawer 1 to engage the unlocking hole of the opposite disc tray 21. When one end of the hook 12 extends from one side of the drawer 1, the other end retracts into the housing. However, because the hook 12 moves in a curved pattern to enter the unlocking hole of the disc tray 21, this structure requires the unlocking hole to be as large as possible. If the unlocking hole is fixed in size, the size of the unlocking hole may not meet the range of motion of the hook 12, causing the hook 12 to collide with the opening, reducing the service life of the hook 12 and the disc tray 21. Furthermore, this structure requires a drive motor 14, a drive gear plate 18, and two intermediate gears 19, making it extremely complex and prone to failure. Consequently, when one end of the hook 12 extends from one side of the drawer 1, the other end cannot fully retract into the housing and may still partially protrude from the other side of the drawer 1. Summary of the Invention

[0005] One purpose of the present invention is to solve the technical problem in the prior art that the disc ejector has a complicated structure and is easily collided with the unlocking hole of the optical disc cartridge.

[0006] A further object of the present invention is to further reduce the complexity of the tray puller structure, thereby improving the working stability of the tray puller's claws.

[0007] In particular, the present invention provides a tray extractor, comprising:

[0008] A housing having a receiving space at each end, and each receiving space is connected from one side of the housing to the other side, so as to form two openings on both sides of the housing;

[0009] Two hooks are respectively disposed in the two accommodation spaces in the housing, and each hook has two arms at a preset angle;

[0010] Two drive mechanisms for driving the two hooks, respectively, each of the drive mechanisms being configured to drive the corresponding hook to rotate, so as to allow any of the arms of the hook to switch between an extended state protruding from the corresponding aperture and a retracted state retracted into the accommodating space;

[0011] Wherein, the two arms of the two hooks located on the same side of the shell move toward the protruding state or the retracted state simultaneously.

[0012] Optionally, each of the hooks is configured such that when one of the arms of the hook is in the protruding state, the other arm is in the retracted state;

[0013] The two arms of each hook are configured to protrude from the corresponding openings on both sides of the same end of the shell.

[0014] Optionally, both ends of each hook are bent toward the center of the shell to form a claw hook, and the claw hook is used to cooperate with the optical disc tray to unlock the optical disc tray.

[0015] Optionally, the protruding state of the arm portion of the hook includes an initial protruding state and an unlocked protruding state;

[0016] The arm portion is configured to be able to extend into the unlocking hole of the optical disc tray to be pulled out by the disc drawer in the initial protruding state, and be in a decoupled state with the hook portion of the optical disc tray that can be engaged with the arm portion;

[0017] The arm portion is configured to be in a hooked state with the hook portion of the optical disc tray in the unlocking protrusion state;

[0018] The two arms of the two hooks located on the same side of the housing are simultaneously in the initial protruding state or the unlocked protruding state.

[0019] Optionally, the tray extractor further comprises two sets of sensor components, each set of sensor components comprising:

[0020] A through-beam sensor has a transmitting end and a receiving end;

[0021] a sensing baffle, disposed between the transmitting end and the receiving end and connected to the hook so as to rotate synchronously with the hook, the sensing baffle being provided with a notch so that the sensing baffle, when rotating, has a shielding state for shielding the transmission signal transmitted from the transmitting end to the receiving end and an exposing state for exposing the transmission signal;

[0022] The driving mechanism is configured to determine whether to stop driving the corresponding hook according to the blocking state and the exposure state of the two sensor baffles in the two groups of sensor components, so that the hook remains in one of the initial protruding state, the unlocked protruding state and the stored state.

[0023] Optionally, the two hooks are arranged in mirror symmetry in the two accommodating spaces, the two hooks are respectively a first hook and a second hook, the sensing baffle in the two sets of sensing assemblies that rotates synchronously with the first hook is a first sensing baffle, and the sensing baffle that rotates synchronously with the second hook is a second sensing baffle;

[0024] The first hook drives the first sensing baffle to rotate, so that the first sensing baffle switches between the shielding state and the exposing state, and when the first sensing baffle is in one of the shielding state and the exposing state, the first hook can be controlled to stop rotating;

[0025] The second hook drives the second sensing baffle to rotate so that the second sensing baffle switches between the shielding state and the exposing state, and the second hook can be controlled to stop rotating when the second sensing baffle is in one of the shielding state and the exposing state.

[0026] Optionally, each arm is correspondingly provided with at least one limit stop pin, and the at least one limit stop pin is used to limit the corresponding arm from continuing to rotate from the unlocked protruding state or the stored state to the initial protruding state.

[0027] Optionally, the driving mechanism is configured to drive the two hooks to rotate to an initial protruding state on the same side of the shell when the two hooks fail to rotate synchronously to a specified state, until both hooks are blocked by the corresponding limit pins, thereby allowing the two hooks to reach a synchronous state.

[0028] In particular, the present invention also provides an optical disc library having a disc ejector as described above, further comprising two groups of optical disc magazines that are arranged opposite to each other and spaced apart, wherein optical disc trays are provided in the optical disc magazines, and the disc ejector is movably arranged between the two groups of optical disc magazines.

[0029] Optionally, the two arms of the two hooks of the drawer located on the same side of the shell are simultaneously rotated to an initial protruding state to extend into the unlocking holes of the optical disc tray in one group of the optical disc magazines, and the two hooks are simultaneously rotated to an unlocked protruding state to completely pull out the optical disc tray. At the same time, the two arms of the two hooks located on the other side of the shell are in the retracted state, and the two arms do not interfere with the other group of optical disc magazines when in the retracted state.

[0030] According to the present invention, by configuring the hook with two arms at a predetermined angle, the hook can be inserted into the unlocking hole of the optical disc cartridge in a straight, perpendicular direction, direction, thereby avoiding collision with the unlocking hole. Furthermore, the two hooks are driven by two separate drive mechanisms, each independently controlled by a single drive mechanism. Compared to prior art structures that utilize a single drive mechanism and transmission assembly to achieve opposite rotation of the two hooks, this provides a simpler structure and more precise control, avoiding the malfunction that can occur due to overly complex mechanical structures.

[0031] Furthermore, the sensor baffle of the present invention is connected to the hook and rotates synchronously with the hook, so that the rotation angle of the hook can be detected to determine whether it is necessary to stop driving the hook, so that the hook can be maintained in one of the initial protruding state, unlocked protruding state and storage state. In addition, there is a gap on the sensor baffle. When the sensor baffle blocks the transmission signal transmitted from the transmitter to the receiver, the sensor baffle is in a blocked state. When the gap of the sensor baffle rotates between the transmitter and the receiver, it cannot block the transmission signal, and the sensor baffle is in an exposed state. The two sensor baffles have two states, namely, a blocked state and an exposed state. The states of the two sensor baffles are combined to form four states. If the blocked state is represented by 1 and the exposed state is represented by 0, the four states are (1,1), (0,0), (1,0) and (0,1), respectively. Among them, (1,1) indicates that both sensor baffles are in the blocked state, (0,0) indicates that both sensor baffles are in the exposed state, (1,0) indicates that the first sensor baffle is in the blocked state and the second sensor baffle is in the exposed state, and (0,1) indicates that the first sensor baffle is in the exposed state and the second sensor baffle is in the blocked state. Here, the "first sensor baffle" and "second sensor baffle" simply distinguish one of the two sensor baffles; their positions are different. These four states can be used to determine which of the two hook arms is in the extended or retracted position. Because the hook drives the sensor baffle's rotation, the sensor baffle can immediately detect the hook's rotation angle. Furthermore, by providing a specially designed notch in the sensor baffle, the sensor baffle can detect the different positions of the two hook arms in each of the four states. This design further reduces the structural complexity of the tray extractor and improves the operational stability of the claw.

[0032] Based on the following detailed description of specific embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art will become more aware of the above and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] Hereinafter, some specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail in an exemplary and non-limiting manner with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals in the accompanying drawings indicate the same or similar components or parts. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that these drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. In the accompanying drawings:

[0034] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of an optical disc library in the prior art is shown;

[0035] Figure 2 A schematic top view of a tray drawer in the prior art is shown;

[0036] Figure 3A schematic top view of a tray drawer in the second prior art is shown;

[0037] Figure 4 A schematic perspective view of a tray drawer according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0038] Figure 5 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a tray drawer according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 6 FIG2 shows a schematic side view of a tray drawer according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 7 A schematic structural diagram showing the same side arm portions of two hooks of the disc ejector according to the first embodiment of the present invention protruding into the disc tray and the arms of the hooks being in an initially protruding state;

[0041] Figure 8 A schematic structural diagram showing the same side arm portions of two hooks of the disc ejector according to the first embodiment of the present invention protruding into the disc tray and the arms of the hooks being in an unlocked and protruding state;

[0042] Figure 9 A schematic structural diagram showing the second same side arm portions of the two hooks of the disc ejector according to the first embodiment of the present invention protruding into the disc tray and the arms of the hooks being in an initially protruding state;

[0043] Figure 10 A schematic structural diagram showing the other same side arm portions of the two hooks of the disc ejector according to the first embodiment of the present invention protruding into the disc tray and the arms of the hooks being in an unlocked and protruding state;

[0044] Figure 11 Shown Figure 10 A schematic enlarged view of point A shown;

[0045] Figure 12 Shown Figure 10 A schematic enlarged view of point B is shown;

[0046] 1-Plate puller, 11-Housing, 111-Accommodation space, 1111-First accommodation space, 1112-Second accommodation space, 112-Opening, 1121-First opening, 1122-Second opening, 12-Hook, 121-First hook, 122-Second hook, 123-Arm, 1231-First arm, 1232-Second arm, 1233-Third arm, 1234-Fourth arm, 124-Claw hook, 13-Drive mechanism, 131 -driving shaft, 132-first driving mechanism, 133-second driving mechanism, 14-driving motor, 15-radio sensor, 151-transmitting end, 16-sensing baffle, 161-first sensing baffle, 1611-large notch, 162-second sensing baffle, 1621-small notch, 17-limiting pin, 18-driving gear plate, 19-transfer gear, 20-claw, 2-CD magazine, 21-CD magazine, 211-CD tray, 2111-hook. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0047] The following describes the embodiments of the present application through specific examples, and those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present application from the contents disclosed in this specification. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. The present application can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and the details in this specification can also be modified or changed in various ways based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of the present application. It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the features in the following embodiments and embodiments can be combined with each other. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without making creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0048] It should also be noted that the illustrations provided in the following embodiments are only schematic illustrations of the basic concept of the present application. The illustrations only show the structures related to the present application and are not drawn according to the number, shape and size of the structures in actual implementation. In actual implementation, the type, quantity and proportion of each structure may be changed at will, and its structural layout may also be more complicated.

[0049] Additionally, in the following description, specific details are provided to provide a thorough understanding of the examples. However, one skilled in the art will appreciate that the aspects described can be practiced without these specific details.

[0050] The embodiment of the present invention provides a tray extractor 1, which is used for Figure 1 in the CD library shown. Figure 4 FIG1 shows a schematic perspective view of a tray drawer 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5FIG. 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a tray drawer 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the tray drawer 11 includes a housing 11, two hooks 12, and two driving mechanisms 13. The housing 11 has a receiving space 111 at each end, and each receiving space 111 extends from one side of the housing 11 to the other, forming two openings 112 on either side of the housing 11. The two hooks 12 are respectively disposed in the two receiving spaces 111 within the housing 11, and each hook 12 has two arms 123 at a predetermined angle. The two driving mechanisms 13 are respectively used to drive the two hooks 12. Each driving mechanism 13 is configured to drive the corresponding hook 12 to rotate, allowing any arm 123 of the hook 12 to switch between an extended state protruding from the corresponding opening 112 and a retracted state retracted within the receiving space 111. The two arms 123 of the two hooks 12 on the same side of the housing 11 move simultaneously to the extended state or the retracted state.

[0051] In particular, the present invention also provides an optical disc library having the aforementioned disc ejector 11, further comprising two groups of optical disc magazines 21 that are arranged opposite to each other and spaced apart, wherein optical disc trays 21 are provided in the optical disc magazines 21, and the disc ejector 11 is movably arranged between the two groups of optical disc magazines 21.

[0052] The two arms 123 of the two hooks 12 of the disc drawer 11, which are located on the same side of the shell 11, are simultaneously rotated to an initial protruding state to extend into the unlocking holes of the disc tray 211 in one of the groups of disc magazines 21, and the two hooks 12 are simultaneously rotated to an unlocked protruding state to completely draw out the disc tray 211. At the same time, the two arms 123 of the two hooks 12, which are located on the other side of the shell 11, are in a retracted state, and the two arms 123 do not interfere with the other group of disc magazines 21 when in the retracted state.

[0053] According to the present invention, by configuring the hook 12 with two arms 123 at a predetermined angle, the hook 12 can be inserted into the unlocking hole of the optical disc cartridge 21 in a straight, perpendicular direction, direction, thereby avoiding collision with the unlocking hole. Furthermore, the two hooks 12 are driven by two drive mechanisms 13, respectively. Each hook 12 can be independently controlled by a single drive mechanism 13. Compared to the prior art structure that uses a single drive mechanism 13 and transmission assembly to achieve opposite rotation of the two hooks 12, this provides a simpler structure and more precise control, avoiding the problem of malfunctions that may arise from overly complex mechanical structures.

[0054] The following is a detailed description with specific embodiments:

[0055] Example 1:

[0056] like Figure 5 As shown, the housing 11 of the tray drawer 11 has two side portions, namely a first side portion and a second side portion. The two ends of the first side portion respectively have a first orifice 1121 and a second orifice 1122, and the two ends of the second side portion respectively have a third orifice 112 (not shown in the figure, arranged opposite to the first orifice 1121) and a fourth orifice 112 (not shown in the figure, arranged opposite to the second orifice 1122). The housing 11 has two accommodating spaces 111, which are formed at the two ends of the housing 11 respectively. The two accommodating spaces 111 are respectively a first accommodating space 1111 and a second accommodating space 1112. The first accommodating space 1111 is connected to the first orifice 1121 and the third orifice 112 of the first side portion, and the second accommodating space 1112 is connected to the second orifice 1122 and the fourth orifice 112 of the second side portion.

[0057] The two hooks 12 are a first hook 121 and a second hook 122. The first hook 121 is disposed within the first accommodating space 1111, and the second hook 122 is disposed within the second accommodating space 1112. Each of the first hook 121 and the second hook 122 has two arms 123. The angle between the two arms 123 can be, for example, 60°, 90°, or 120°, or any other value between 60° and 120°. In a preferred embodiment, the angle is 90°. The two drive mechanisms 13 are a first drive mechanism 132 and a second drive mechanism 133. The first drive mechanism 132 is used to drive the first hook 121 to rotate, and the second drive mechanism 133 is used to drive the second hook 122 to rotate.

[0058] See also Figure 5 The two arms 123 of the first hook 121 are respectively a first arm 1231 and a second arm 1232. The first arm 1231 and the second arm 1232 have a first rotation axis hole (not shown in the figure) at the joint. Figure 6As shown, the drive shaft 131 of the first drive mechanism 132 is inserted into the first rotation axis hole and fixed to the first hook 121, thereby driving the first hook 121 to rotate. The first arm 1231 of the first hook 121 can protrude from the first opening 1121, and the second arm 1232 of the first hook 121 can protrude from the third opening 112. Furthermore, when the first arm 1231 of the first hook 121 protrudes from the first opening 1121, the second arm 1232 of the first hook 121 is received within the housing 11. When the second arm 1232 of the first hook 121 protrudes from the third opening 112, the first arm 1231 of the first hook 121 is received within the housing 11. The ends of the first arm portion 1231 and the second arm portion 1232 each have a hook 124 bent toward the center of the housing 11 . The hook 124 is used to engage with the optical disc tray 211 to unlock the optical disc tray 211 .

[0059] See also Figure 5 The two arms 123 of the second hook 122 are respectively a third arm 1233 and a fourth arm 1234. The joint of the third arm 1233 and the fourth arm 1234 has a second rotation axis hole. Figure 6 As shown, the drive shaft 131 of the second drive mechanism 133 is inserted into the second rotation axis hole and fixed to the second hook 122, thereby driving the second hook 122 to rotate. The third arm 1233 of the second hook 122 can protrude from the second opening 1122, and the fourth arm 1234 of the second hook 122 can protrude from the fourth opening 112. Furthermore, when the third arm 1233 of the second hook 122 protrudes from the second opening 1122, the fourth arm 1234 of the second hook 122 is retracted within the housing 11. When the fourth arm 1234 of the second hook 122 protrudes from the fourth opening 112, the third arm 1233 of the second hook 122 is retracted within the housing 11. The ends of the third arm 1233 and the fourth arm 1234 also have hooks 124 bent toward the center of the housing 11 . The hooks 124 are used to cooperate with the optical disc tray 211 to unlock the optical disc tray 211 .

[0060] The arms 123 corresponding to the first hook 121 and the second hook 122 each have an initial protruding state and an unlocked protruding state when in the protruding state. In the initial protruding state, the arms 123 corresponding to the first hook 121 and the second hook 122 can extend into the unlocking hole of the disc tray 211 to be drawn out of the disc drawer 11, and are in a disengaged state from the hook portion 2111 of the disc tray 211 that is capable of engaging with the arms 123. It is understood that in the initial protruding state, the arms 123 corresponding to the first hook 121 and the second hook 122 can extend straight into the unlocking hole of the disc tray 211. In the unlocked protruding state, the arms 123 corresponding to the first hook 121 and the second hook 122 are in a hooked state with the hook portion 2111 of the disc tray 211. It is understandable that, in the unlocked protruding state, the arms 123 corresponding to the first hook 121 and the second hook 122 rotate from a state of straightly protruding into the unlocking hole of the optical disc tray 211 to a state of hooking with the hook portion 2111 of the optical disc tray 211 .

[0061] Assume that you need to unlock the Figure 5 When the optical disc tray 211 of the optical disc magazine 21 above the optical disc ejector 11 is pulled out, the second arm 1232 of the first hook 121 and the fourth arm 1234 of the second hook 122 simultaneously enter the optical disc tray 211 as shown in FIG. Figure 7 The initial convex state shown in FIG, and at the same time rotate from the initial convex state to the Figure 8 The unlocking protrusion state shown in FIG. 1 is shown, thereby unlocking the optical disc tray 211. When it is necessary to exit the unlocking state, the second arm portion 1232 of the first hook 121 and the fourth arm portion 1234 of the second hook 122 simultaneously rotate from the unlocking protrusion state to the initial protrusion state, thereby disengaging from the hook portion 2111 of the optical disc tray 211. Assuming that it is necessary to unlock the optical disc tray 211 Figure 5 When the optical disc tray 211 of the optical disc magazine 21 below the optical disc ejector 11 is pulled out, the first arm 1231 of the first hook 121 and the third arm 1233 of the second hook 122 simultaneously enter the optical disc tray 211 of the optical disc magazine 21. Figure 9 The initial convex state shown in FIG, and at the same time rotate from the initial convex state to the Figure 10 When the unlocking state is needed to be exited, the first arm portion 1231 of the first hook 121 and the third arm portion 1233 of the second hook 122 rotate from the unlocking protruding state to the initial protruding state, thereby disengaging from the hook portion 2111 of the optical disc tray 211. Figure 1 As shown, in the optical disc library of this embodiment, optical disc cartridges 21 are provided on both sides of the disc ejector 11 , and each optical disc cartridge 21 has an optical disc tray 211 therein.

[0062] See also Figure 5The tray drawer 11 also includes two sets of sensor assemblies, each of which includes a beamforming sensor 15 and a sensor baffle 16. The beamforming sensor 15 includes a transmitting end 151 and a receiving end (not shown in the figure, but located opposite the transmitting end 151 and above the sensor baffle 16). The sensor baffle 16 of each sensor assembly is located between the transmitting end 151 and the receiving end of the sensor assembly and is connected to the hook 12 for synchronous rotation therewith. A notch is defined in the sensor baffle 16, allowing the sensor baffle 16 to alternate between a blocked state (blocking the transmission signal transmitted from the transmitting end 151 to the receiving end) and an exposed state (exposing the transmission signal) during rotation. The drive mechanism 13 is configured to determine whether to stop driving the corresponding hook 12 based on the blocked and exposed states of the two sensor baffles 16 in the two sensor assemblies, thereby maintaining the hook 12 in one of the following states: an initially protruding state, an unlocked protruding state, or a retracted state. The first hook 121 drives the first sensing shield 161 to rotate, so that the first sensing shield 161 switches between a shielding state and an exposed state, and can controllably stop the first hook 121 from rotating when the first sensing shield 161 is in either the shielding state or the exposed state. The second hook 122 drives the second sensing shield 162 to rotate, so that the second sensing shield 162 switches between a shielding state and an exposed state, and can controllably stop the second hook 122 from rotating when the second sensing shield 162 is in either the shielding state or the exposed state.

[0063] There is a gap on the sensing baffle 16. When the sensing baffle 16 blocks the transmission signal transmitted from the transmitting end 151 to the receiving end, the sensing baffle 16 is in a shielding state. When the gap of the sensing baffle 16 is rotated to between the transmitting end 151 and the receiving end, the transmission signal cannot be blocked, and the sensing baffle 16 is in an exposed state. The two sensing baffles 16 have two states, namely, a shielding state and an exposed state. The states of the two sensing baffles 16 are combined to form four states. If the shielding state is represented by 1, the exposed state is 0. The exposed state is represented by 0, and the four states are (1,1), (0,0), (1,0), and (0,1), respectively. (1,1) indicates that both sensor shields 16 are in the blocked state, (0,0) indicates that both sensor shields 16 are in the exposed state, (1,0) indicates that the first sensor shield 161 is in the blocked state and the second sensor shield 162 is in the exposed state, and (0,1) indicates that the first sensor shield 161 is in the exposed state and the second sensor shield 162 is in the blocked state. The first arm 1231 of the first hook 121 and the third arm 1233 of the second hook 122 are referred to as the first group of arms, and the second arm 1232 of the first hook 121 and the fourth arm 1234 of the second hook 122 are referred to as the second group of arms. The four states respectively indicate which of the first and second groups of arms is in the initial protruding state and the unlocked protruding state.

[0064] like Figure 11 and Figure 12 As shown, the first sensing baffle 161 has a large notch 1611, and the second sensing baffle 162 has two small notches 1621. In a specific example, as shown in FIG. Figure 7 As shown, the first sensor baffle 161 and the second sensor baffle 162 both block the central area of the corresponding through-beam sensor 15, so the signal of the corresponding transmitting end 151 cannot be sent to the corresponding receiving end. At this time, it is in the (1,1) state, indicating that the second set of arms is in the initial protruding state. Figure 8 As shown, the first sensor baffle 161 and the second sensor baffle 162 both expose the central area of the corresponding beam sensor 15, and the signal of the corresponding transmitting end 151 is sent to the corresponding receiving end, which is in the (0,0) state at this time, indicating that the second set of arms is in the unlocked protruding state. Figure 9 As shown, the first sensing baffle 161 blocks the central area of the corresponding through-beam sensor 15, so the signal of the transmitting end 151 cannot be sent to the corresponding receiving end, while the second sensing baffle 162 exposes the central area of the corresponding through-beam sensor 15, so the signal of the corresponding transmitting end 151 is sent to the corresponding receiving end. At this time, it is in the (1,0) state, indicating that the first group of arms is in the initial protruding state. Figure 10 As shown, when the first sensing baffle 161 exposes the center area of the corresponding through-beam sensor 15, the signal from the transmitter 151 is transmitted to the corresponding receiver. However, when the second sensing baffle 162 blocks the center area of the corresponding through-beam sensor 15, the signal from the transmitter 151 cannot be transmitted to the corresponding receiver. At this time, the state is (0, 1), indicating that the first set of arms is in the unlocked and extended state. This allows the drive mechanism 13 to know when to stop rotating, so that it can stop rotating immediately after the first hook 121 rotates into position.

[0065] Furthermore, the sensor baffle 16 of the present invention is connected to the hook 12 and rotates synchronously with the hook 12, thereby detecting the rotation angle of the hook 12 to determine whether it is necessary to stop driving the hook 12, thereby allowing the hook 12 to remain in one of the initial protruding state, the unlocked protruding state, and the retracted state. In addition, there is a notch on the sensor baffle 16. When the sensor baffle 16 blocks the transmission signal transmitted from the transmitting end 151 to the receiving end, the sensor baffle 16 is in a blocked state. When the notch of the sensor baffle 16 rotates to between the transmitting end 151 and the receiving end, it is unable to block the transmission signal, and the sensor baffle 16 is in an exposed state. The two sensor baffles 16 have two states, namely, a blocked state and an exposed state. The states of the two sensor baffles 16 are combined to form four states. If the blocked state is represented by 1, The exposed state is represented by 0, and the four states are (1,1), (0,0), (1,0), and (0,1). (1,1) indicates that both sensor baffles 16 are in the blocked state, (0,0) indicates that both sensor baffles 16 are in the exposed state, (1,0) indicates that the first sensor baffle 161 is in the blocked state and the second sensor baffle 162 is in the exposed state, and (0,1) indicates that the first sensor baffle 161 is in the exposed state and the second sensor baffle 162 is in the blocked state. Here, "first sensor baffle 161" and "second sensor baffle 162" are simply used to distinguish between the two sensor baffles 16; their positional relationships are different. These four states can be used to determine which arm portion 123 of the two hooks 12 is in the extended or retracted state. In this way, since the hook 12 drives the sensor baffle 16 to rotate, the sensor baffle 16 can immediately detect the rotation angle of the hook 12. By providing a specially designed notch on the sensor baffle 16, the sensor baffle 16 can realize different states of the arms 123 of the two hooks 12 in different states of the four states. This design can further reduce the structural complexity of the tray extractor 11 and improve the working stability of the claw.

[0066] Example 2:

[0067] The difference between the second embodiment and the first embodiment is that the shape of the notches of the first and second sensing baffles 161 and 162 can be different from the shape of the corresponding sensing baffles 16 in the first embodiment. In the second embodiment, the positions of the notches of the first and second sensing baffles 161 and 162 in the first embodiment are the positions of the entities (the concept corresponding to the notches, i.e., the parts that are not notches) in the second embodiment, thereby determining which of the first and second sets of arms is in the initial protruding state or the unlocked protruding state.

[0068] Example 3:

[0069] The difference between the third embodiment and the first or second embodiment is that, in the third embodiment, see Figure 4 Each arm 123 is correspondingly provided with at least one limit stop pin 17, and at least one limit stop pin 17 is used to limit the corresponding arm 123 from continuing to rotate when it rotates from the unlocked protruding state or the stored state to the initial protruding state.

[0070] The driving mechanism 13 is configured to drive the two hooks 12 to rotate to the initial protruding state on the same side of the shell 11 when the two hooks 12 fail to rotate synchronously to the specified state, until the two hooks 12 are blocked by the corresponding limit pins 17, thereby making the two hooks 12 reach a synchronous state.

[0071] At this point, it should be recognized by those skilled in the art that although a number of exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described in detail herein, many other variations or modifications that conform to the general principles of the present invention may be directly determined or derived from the disclosure of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should be understood and deemed to cover all such other variations or modifications.

Claims

1. A tray extractor, characterized in that: include: A housing having a receiving space at each end, and each receiving space is connected from one side of the housing to the other side, so as to form two openings on both sides of the housing; Two hooks are respectively disposed in the two accommodation spaces in the housing, and each hook has two arms at a preset angle; Two driving mechanisms for driving the two hooks, respectively, each driving mechanism being configured to drive the corresponding hook to rotate so as to allow any one of the arms of the hook to switch between an extended state protruding from the corresponding aperture and a retracted state retracted into the accommodating space; each hook being configured such that when one of the arms of the hook is in the extended state, the other arm is in the retracted state; The two arms of each hook are configured to protrude from the corresponding openings on both sides of the same end of the housing; The two arms of the two hooks on the same side of the housing simultaneously move toward the protruding state or the retracted state; the protruding state of the arms of the hooks includes an initial protruding state and an unlocked protruding state; Each arm portion is correspondingly provided with at least one limit stop pin, and the at least one limit stop pin is used to limit the corresponding arm portion from continuing to rotate from the unlocked protruding state or the stored state to the initial protruding state; The driving mechanism is configured to drive the two hooks to rotate to an initial protruding state on the same side of the shell when the two hooks fail to rotate synchronously to a specified state, until both hooks are blocked by the corresponding limit pins, thereby allowing the two hooks to reach a synchronous state.

2. The tray extractor according to claim 1, wherein: Both ends of each hook are bent toward the center of the shell to form a claw hook, and the claw hook is used to cooperate with the optical disc tray to unlock the optical disc tray.

3. The tray extractor according to claim 2, characterized in that: The arm portion is configured to be able to extend into the unlocking hole of the optical disc tray to be pulled out by the disc drawer in the initial protruding state, and be in a decoupled state with the hook portion of the optical disc tray that can be engaged with the arm portion; The arm portion is configured to be in a hooked state with the hook portion of the optical disc tray in the unlocking protrusion state; The two arms of the two hooks located on the same side of the housing are simultaneously in the initial protruding state or the unlocked protruding state.

4. The tray extractor according to claim 3, characterized in that: It also includes two sets of sensor components, each set of sensor components includes: A through-beam sensor has a transmitting end and a receiving end; a sensing baffle, disposed between the transmitting end and the receiving end and connected to the hook so as to rotate synchronously with the hook, the sensing baffle being provided with a notch so that the sensing baffle, when rotating, has a shielding state for shielding the transmission signal transmitted from the transmitting end to the receiving end and an exposing state for exposing the transmission signal; The driving mechanism is configured to determine whether to stop driving the corresponding hook according to the blocking state and the exposure state of the two sensor baffles in the two groups of sensor components, so that the hook remains in one of the initial protruding state, the unlocked protruding state and the stored state.

5. The tray extractor according to claim 4, characterized in that: The two hooks are arranged in mirror symmetry in the two accommodating spaces, the two hooks are respectively a first hook and a second hook, the sensing baffle in the two sets of sensor components that rotates synchronously with the first hook is a first sensing baffle, and the sensing baffle that rotates synchronously with the second hook is a second sensing baffle; The first hook drives the first sensing baffle to rotate, so that the first sensing baffle switches between the shielding state and the exposing state, and when the first sensing baffle is in one of the shielding state and the exposing state, the first hook can be controlled to stop rotating; The second hook drives the second sensing baffle to rotate so that the second sensing baffle switches between the shielding state and the exposing state, and the second hook can be controlled to stop rotating when the second sensing baffle is in one of the shielding state and the exposing state.

6. An optical disc library having a disc ejector as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The invention also comprises two groups of optical disc cartridges which are arranged opposite to each other and spaced apart. The optical disc cartridges are provided with optical disc trays. The optical disc drawer is movably arranged between the two groups of optical disc cartridges.

7. The optical disc library of the optical disc ejector according to claim 6, characterized in that: The two arms of the two hooks of the drawer located on the same side of the shell are rotated to the initial protruding state at the same time to extend into the unlocking holes of the optical disc tray in one group of the optical disc magazines, and the two hooks are rotated to the unlocking protruding state at the same time to completely pull out the optical disc tray. At the same time, the two arms of the two hooks located on the other side of the shell are in the storage state, and the two arms do not interfere with the other group of optical disc magazines when in the storage state.

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