Disc storage cassettes comprising a movable bale

• US 10,242,705 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2018
• Issued: 03/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Altknecht, David J., Bethune, Donald S., Dyer, William M., Erpelding, A. David, Hetzler, Steven R., Lawson, Drew B., Smith, Daniel F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, Brian E
• Application Number:
  US15/925,994
• Publication Number:
  US 20180211691A1
• Time in Patent Office: 371 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 17/038 Centering or locking of a plurality of discs in a single cartridge
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 17/08 from consecutive-access magazine of disc records
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 17/22 from random access magazine of disc records
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 17/225 wherein the disks are transferred from a fixed magazine to a fixed playing unit using a moving carriage
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 17/28 the magazine having a cylindrical shape with horizontal axis
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 23/0323 for disc-packs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 23/0325 comprising latching or movable handling devices G11B17/038 takes precedence

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.

Claims

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.