Disc storage cassettes comprising a movable bale

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10242705-B2
Application number	US-201815925994-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 20, 2018
Priority date	Feb 17, 2016
Publication date	Mar 26, 2019
Grant date	Mar 26, 2019

Abstract

A disc cassette includes a curved portion configured to hold multiple discs. A platform portion abuts the curved portion. A movable bale is configured to maintain discs securely in the disc cassette except when rotated off the discs.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A disc cassette comprising:
a curved portion configured to hold a plurality of discs;
a platform portion abutting the curved portion; and
a movable bale configured to maintain the discs securely in the disc cassette except when the bale is moved off the discs to enable a disc to be retrieved from or returned to the disc cassette, wherein the bale is capable of contacting an arm of a disc gripper device to move the bale off the discs.

2. The disc cassette of claim 1 , wherein:
each of the platform portion and the curved portion comprising:
a plurality of rib pairs configured to separate adjacent discs from touching one another, and to form a disc slot between each rib pair; and
disc slots of the platform portion of the disc cassette are configured to provide a guide for disc removal from the disc cassette.

3. The disc cassette of claim 1 , wherein the movable bale comprises:
a first arm coupled to a first side of the disc cassette; and
a second arm coupled to a second side of the disc cassette.

4. The disc cassette of claim 3 , wherein the first arm is recessed into the first side of the disc cassette, and the second arm is recessed into the second side of the disc cassette.

5. The disc cassette of claim 3 , wherein the movable bale includes a semi-circular opening configured: to receive a locking rod through the semi-circular opening and to prevent rotation of the movable bale.

6. The disc cassette of claim 3 , wherein the movable bale includes a circular opening configured: to receive a locking rod through the circular opening and to prevent rotation of the movable bale.

7. The disc cassette of claim 1 , wherein the movable bale is rotatable to prevent disc movement from a shock event.

8. A disc cassette comprising:
a curved portion including a first lip portion, the curved portion configured to hold a plurality of discs;
a platform portion abutting the curved portion, wherein a second lip portion is formed between the curved portion and the platform portion; and
a movable bale configured to maintain the discs securely in the disc cassette except when the bale is moved off the discs to enable a disc to be retrieved from or returned to the disc cassette, wherein the bale is capable of contacting an arm of a disc gripper device to move the bale off the discs.

9. The disc cassette of claim 8 , wherein:
the first lip is positioned at a greater height on the disc cassette than the second lip of the platform portion; and
the curved portion comprising a plurality of rib pairs configured to separate adjacent discs from touching one another, and to form a disc slot between each rib pair.

10. The disc cassette of claim 8 , wherein the movable bale comprises:
a first arm coupled to a first side of the disc cassette; and
a second arm coupled to a second side of the disc cassette.

11. The disc cassette of claim 10 , wherein the first arm is recessed into the first side of the disc cassette, and the second arm is recessed into the second side of the disc cassette.

12. The disc cassette of claim 10 , wherein the movable bale is rotatable to prevent disc movement from a shock event.

13. The disc cassette of claim 10 , wherein the movable bale includes a semi-circular opening configured: to receive a locking rod through the semi-circular opening and to prevent rotation of the movable bale.

14. The disc cassette of claim 10 , wherein the movable bale includes a circular opening configured: to receive a locking rod through the circular opening and to prevent rotation of the movable bale.

15. The disc cassette of claim 10 , further comprising:
a first pair of rail mount connectors coupled to the platform portion; and
a second pair of rail mount connectors coupled to the curved portion;

wherein the second pair of rail mount connectors comprises flat coupling surfaces and rows of flexible wedges on a bottom side of the disc cassette, the rows of flexible wedges are configured so that a coupling surface is configured to press against a top surface of a mounting rail by pressure of the flexible wedge surfaces against mating surfaces in dovetail slots of the mounting rail.

16. A disc cassette comprising:
a curved portion configured to hold a plurality of discs;
a platform portion abutting the curved portion; and
a rotatable bale configured to maintain the discs securely in the disc cassette except when the bale is moved off the discs to enable a disc to be retrieved from or returned to the disc cassette, wherein the bale is capable of contacting an arm of a disc gripper device to move the bale off the discs.

17. The disc cassette of claim 16 , further comprising:
a first arm coupled to a first side of the disc cassette; and
a second arm coupled to a second side of the disc cassette.

18. The disc cassette of claim 17 , wherein:
the first arm is recessed into the first side of the disc cassette;
the second arm is recessed into the second side of the disc cassette;
each of the platform portion and the curved portion comprising:
a plurality of rib pairs configured to separate adjacent discs from touching one another, and to form a disc slot between each rib pair; and
disc slots of the platform portion of the disc cassette are configured to provide a guide for disc removal from the disc cassette.

19. The disc cassette of claim 17 , wherein the rotatable bale includes a semi-circular opening configured: to receive a locking rod through the semi-circular opening and to lock rotation of the rotatable bale.

20. The disc cassette of claim 17 , wherein the rotatable bale includes a circular opening configured: to receive a locking rod through the circular opening and to lock rotation of the rotatable bale.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Altknecht David J
• Bethune Donald S
• Dyer William M
• Erpelding A David
• Hetzler Steven R
• Lawson Drew B
• Smith Daniel F

Classifications

• G11B17/038 Primary

  Centering or locking of a plurality of discs in a single cartridge · CPC title

• G11B17/28

  the magazine having a cylindrical shape with horizontal axis · CPC title

• G11B23/0323

  for disc-packs · CPC title

• G11B17/225

  wherein the disks are transferred from a fixed magazine to a fixed playing unit using a moving carriage · CPC title

• G11B23/0325

  comprising latching or movable handling devices (G11B17/038 takes precedence) · CPC title