Recording Medium Changer Rail Extension for Slot Capacity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional recording medium changers face limitations in accommodating a large number of slots due to fixed slot sizes, restricting the expansion of storage capacity.
Innovation Solution
A recording medium changer with an extendable and retractable rail mechanism that allows the conveying mechanism to move the recording medium delivery mechanism to desired slots, including expansion areas, enabling efficient storage and use of additional slots and drives by determining the presence of slots in the expansion area and controlling the rail's extension and retraction based on this information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a slot of size equal to one medium is used as the medium insertion portion of the drive block, then the drive block can be fixedly mounted to the housing, but the place for adding slots is limited in front of the drive block and many slots cannot be provided in the housing
Solution Approach 1:
The rail portion is designed to be extendable and retractable, allowing the conveying mechanism to dynamically adjust its reach. When the rail is extended, the recording medium delivery block can access slots in the expansion area that would otherwise be unreachable, thereby increasing the number of accessible slots without permanently expanding the fixed structure
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces an expansion area beyond the original slot arrangement, effectively adding a new dimension to the storage capacity. By extending the rail portion into this expansion area, the system accesses additional slots without increasing the footprint of the main housing structure
2Quantity of substance
If the rail portion is extended to reach slots in the expansion area, then more recording mediums can be stored, but the conveying mechanism may collide with drives arranged in the expansion area
Solution Approach 1:
The conveying mechanism control portion receives information about the arrangement state of slots and drives in the expansion area, and uses this feedback to intelligently control the rail portion extension. The system determines whether to extend the rail based on whether the path is clear of drives, preventing collisions while maximizing access to additional slots
Solution Approach 2:
The system预先 determines the arrangement state of drives in the expansion area before attempting to convey recording mediums. This preliminary information allows the control portion to plan the rail extension path in advance, avoiding drives and ensuring safe operation before the actual conveying action takes place
Data Source
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AI summary
A conveying block 20 for conveying recording mediums between slots 15 and a drive block 16 is provided with a recording medium delivery block 50 for delivering the recording mediums to and from the slots 15 or the drive block 16, an extendable and retractable rail portion for moving the recording medium delivery block to a desired slot, and a control block 17 for controlling extension and retraction operation of the rail portion 31. The control block 17 determines whether the slots 15 are provided in an expansion area provided in an extending direction of the rail portion 31, and when the slots 15 are provided in the expansion area, the rail portion 31 is extended so that the recording medium delivery block 50 is moved to the desired slot in the expansion area. The recording mediums are efficiently stored for changer operation.