GRIPPER-POSITIONING COMPONENT FOR STORAGE LIBRARY SYSTEM

摘要

Some storage library systems use servo motors to control positioning of the hand assembly for removal of an ejected cartridge from a tape drive. This and other methods of positioning the hand assembly may be inaccurate or time consuming, and may inadvertently result in pushing the cartridge too far into the tape drive (10). The present invention provides a storage library system including a tape drive (10) for receiving, reading and ejecting cartridges (12), wherein the tape drive has a front face (14). A locator plate (16) is attached to the front face. The locator plate (16) has a stall limit surface (18). A robotically-movable hand assembly (22) is operative to retrieve ejected cartridges from the tape drive. The robotically-movable hand assembly includes a stall limit feature (36) protruding therefrom from abutting against the stall limit surface to limit movement of the hand assembly toward the tape drive to properly space the hand assembly with respect to the tape drive for removing cartridges from the tape drive. Additionally, the hand assembly includes a z-limit feature (26) and the locator plate includes a z-locator feature (20) which is engageable with the z-limit feature to properly locate the hand assembly vertically with respect to the tape drive.