JP2553547B2 - Cassette automatic changer - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention is mainly applied to a video tape cassette automatic changing device used in a TV broadcasting station. However, the present invention can also be used in an automatic exchange device such as an audio tape cassette.

2. Description of the Related Art A cassette automatic exchange device equipped with a robot that automatically supplies a cassette selected from a large number of cassettes stored in a cassette storage case to an information recording / reproducing device such as a VTR set is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 61-61646. USP3,831,197, USP3,93
It is known as 8,190.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, since the conventional cassette automatic exchange device performs automatic cassette exchange work by one robot, if the cassette accommodation amount increases and the robot travels a long distance, it will be quick. There is a problem that automatic cassette replacement becomes difficult.
If the robot breaks down, automatic cassette replacement will not be carried out, and the damage caused thereby will be enormous at TV broadcasting stations and the like.

Means for Solving the Problems The first invention according to the first aspect of the present invention ensures that automatic cassette replacement work is continued even if an emergency situation such as a failure of the main robot occurs and the device is not stopped. Has the purpose of. In order to achieve this object, the first aspect of the invention is such that the front space serves as a robot movement space, and the cassette automatic exchange in which the information recording / reproducing device and the cassette housing case are arranged side by side facing the robot movement space. In the apparatus, a main robot and a sub robot each having a chucking function and a cassette data detecting function are arranged in the robot moving space, and a diagnostic means for determining whether or not the main robot has a normal function is provided. When it is determined by the diagnostic means that the main robot is performing the normal function, the cassette is exchanged between the information recording / reproducing device and the main cassette accommodating portion of the cassette accommodating case near the information recording / reproducing device. While controlling the main robot, the sub-cassette housing part on the side far from the information recording / reproducing device of the cassette housing case While controlling the sub robot so as to exchange the cassette with a predetermined part of the main cassette housing part, when the main robot is judged not to perform a normal function by the diagnosis means, the main robot is moved to the retracted position. And a control means for controlling the sub robot so that the cassette is exchanged between the entire area of the cassette housing case and the information recording / reproducing apparatus.

A second invention according to the third aspect of the invention has an object to prevent the apparatus from being stopped by continuing the cassette automatic replacement work even if an emergency situation such as a failure of the sub robot occurs. In order to achieve this object, the second aspect of the invention is such that the front space is a robot movement space, and the cassette automatic exchange in which the information recording / reproducing device and the cassette housing case are arranged side by side facing the robot movement space. In the apparatus, a main robot and a sub robot each having a chuck function and a cassette data detection function are arranged in the robot moving space, and a diagnostic means for determining whether or not the sub robot has a normal function is provided. When it is determined by the diagnostic means that the sub robot is performing a normal function, the cassette is exchanged between the information recording / reproducing device and the main cassette accommodating portion of the cassette accommodating case near the information recording / reproducing device. The main robot is controlled and the sub-cassette accommodating portion on the side far from the information recording / reproducing device of the cassette accommodating case and the aforesaid While controlling the sub-robot so as to exchange the cassette with a predetermined part of the in-cassette accommodating part, when the sub-robot is judged not to perform a normal function by the diagnosis means, the sub-robot is moved to the retracted position. A control means is provided for controlling the main robot so as to move the cassette and exchange the cassette between the entire area of the cassette housing case and the information recording / reproducing apparatus.

According to the first aspect of the invention, the sub-robot has the same chucking function and cassette data detection function as the main robot and can perform the same function, and when the main robot is diagnosed as having no normal function, the sub-robot can be operated. Since the cassette is controlled so as to be able to automatically perform the cassette automatic exchange over the entire range, it is possible to prevent the apparatus from stopping even when the main robot fails, and to continue the cassette automatic exchange.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the main robot has the same chucking function and cassette data detection function as the sub robot, and can perform the same function. Further, when it is diagnosed that the sub robot does not have the normal function, the main robot alone Since it is controlled so that the automatic cassette exchange over the entire range can be performed, even when the sub-robot fails, the device stop can be avoided and the automatic cassette exchange can be continued.

Embodiment The illustrated embodiment relates to a device for automatically changing a video tape cassette.

FIGS. 1 to 3 show an overall view of an automatic cassette changer in which a basic unit 1, a first expansion unit 2 and a second expansion unit 3 are connected. The basic unit 1 alone has all the functions necessary for automatic cassette exchange, but has a problem in that the number of cassettes that can be accommodated is limited. The first expansion unit 2 and the second expansion unit 3 are connected to increase the number of cassettes accommodated, but only the first expansion unit 2 is connected to the basic unit 1 according to the size of the number of cassettes accommodated. In some cases,
In addition, there are cases where third, fourth, etc. extension units are additionally connected.

The basic unit 1 includes a fixed unit cassette housing case 6, a VTR set (information recording / reproducing device) 7, a control box 8 and a cassette exchange robot (main robot) in a basic unit box 5 having a protective glass 4 that can be opened and closed on the front surface. ) 9 is arranged.

The basic unit box 5 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape,
Its front space is the robot movement space 10. In the robot moving space 10, the main robot 9 is arranged so as to be movable in the X direction (horizontal direction) and the Y direction (vertical direction).

On the right side of the basic unit box 5, a VTR set 7 consisting of a plurality of decks 7a, 7b ... 7e stacked vertically
However, each of the cassette entrances and exits 11 has the robot moving space 10
Is disposed so as to face the. 5 is shown
It consists of four decks, and normally four decks 7a ...
7d is used and the bottom deck 7e is provided as a backup.

From the left side portion to the central portion of the basic unit box 5, a stationary cassette housing case 6 is arranged so as to face the robot moving space 10. The stationary cassette housing case 6 is provided with a large number of cassette housing parts (main cassette housing parts on the side closer to the information recording / reproducing apparatus) 13 partitioned in a matrix in the XY direction, and each cassette housing part 13 has a video. A cassette 12 containing a tape is accommodated. In the illustrated case, three rack cases 21 each having a plurality of shelves formed in the vertical direction are arranged in parallel to form a stationary cassette housing case 6. The opening (cassette entrance / exit) 14 of each cassette housing 13 is open to the robot movement space 10.

The depth of the stationary cassette housing case 6 may be set so that the cassette 12 can be housed therein.
It is much smaller than the depth of. Therefore, a large empty space is formed at the back of the stationary cassette housing case 6, and the control box 8 is arranged by utilizing this empty space.

Both the first expansion unit 2 and the second expansion unit 3 are provided in the expansion unit boxes 15a and 15b provided with protective glasses 4a and 4b that can be opened and closed on the front surface, and a rotatable cassette housing case 16 is provided.
It is configured by arranging a and 16b.

The expansion unit boxes 15a and 15b are formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape having the same height and the same depth as the basic unit box 5, but the lateral width thereof is slightly smaller than that of the basic unit box 5. And box for expansion unit 15
Front spaces of a and 15b are robot moving spaces 10a and 10b, and a cassette exchange robot (sub robot) 17 is also arranged in the robot moving spaces 10a and 10b so as to be movable in the XY directions. .

The rotatable cassette housing cases 16a and 16b are arranged so as to occupy most of the internal space of the expansion unit boxes 15a and 15b excluding the robot movement space, and are configured to horizontally rotate about a vertical axis. There is. As shown in FIG. 3, the rotatable cassette housing cases 16a and 16b are provided with eight rack cases 19 each having a plurality of shelves formed in the vertical direction on the side peripheral surface of a drum-shaped base 18. And is formed into an octagonal column as a whole. The first expansion unit 2 is installed in a large number of cassette housing units 20 that are thus partitioned by shelves.
Each of the second expansion unit 3 and the second expansion unit 3 can accommodate about 8/3 times as many cassettes 12 as the number of cassettes 12 accommodated in the cassette accommodation portion 13 of the basic unit 1, and only the basic unit 1 can be accommodated. Compared with the case, the number of cassettes accommodated can be dramatically increased.

The base 18 is rotatably supported at its upper and lower ends by bearings 22 and 23. The rotatable cassette housing cases 16a, 1
A case drive motor 27 that drives 6b is connected to a large gear 26 of the base 18 via a transmission belt 24 and a reduction gear 25. The case drive motor 27 is the control box 8 described above.
Rotating under the control of a rotating cassette storage case
One selected rack case 19 of 16a and 16b is configured to face the robot moving spaces 10a and 10b. Then, only the opening portion (cassette entrance / exit) 28 of the cassette housing portion (sub-cassette housing portion on the side far from the information recording / reproducing apparatus) 20 in the rack case 19 selected as described above is opened to the robot moving spaces 10b and 10c. .

The basic unit 1, the first expansion unit 2 and the second expansion unit 3 are connected in the left-right direction as shown in the figure, and the respective robot movement spaces 10, 10a, 10b are in communication with each other. When the basic unit 1 is used alone, the left side plate covers the entire left side surface of the basic unit 1, but when connecting as described above, the part covering the left side surface of the robot moving space 10 is removed. Be seen.

Two cassette exchange robots, that is, a main robot 9 and a sub robot 17 are disposed in the connected robot movement spaces 10, 10a, 10b so as to be movable in the XY directions. As shown in FIG. 3, these robots 9 and 17 have a columnar body portion 29 that moves in the X direction, a body portion 29 that moves in the Y direction along the body portion 29, and have a chuck function and a cassette data detection function. Manipulators 31a, 31b, 31c are mounted. The main robot 9 includes a pair of manipulators 31a and 31b that are stacked one above the other, and the sub robot 17
Has a single manipulator 31c, and there is a difference between the two robots 9 and 17, but the other configurations are basically the same.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the columnar body portion 29 has an upper guide rail 3 at its upper end 29t and lower end 29d.
2, 32a, 32b and the lower guide rails 33, 33a, 33b move in the X direction. The upper guide rails 32, 32a, and 32b are separately attached to the box top surfaces 34 of the units 1, 2, and 3, respectively.
When is connected, they are connected in a straight line. The lower guide rails 33, 33a, 33b are also for each unit 1, 2,
3 are provided separately on the bottom surfaces 35 of the respective boxes 3, and are connected in a straight line when these units 1, 2 and 3 are connected. The upper guide rails 32, 32a, 32b have only the function of restricting the movement of the body portion 29 in the front-rear direction, but the lower guide rails 33,
33a and 33b have the function of restricting the movement of the body portion 29 in the front-rear direction and supporting the load thereof. The main robot 9 and the sub robot 17 share the upper and lower guide rails.

The main robot drive motor 36 is arranged on the bottom surface 35 of the box of the basic unit 1, and the rotation of the main robot is stretched in parallel with the lower guide rails 33, 33a, 33b via a pulley 37 or the like.
When transmitted to the timing belt 38, the pulley 3
7. It is transmitted to the second timing belt 40 stretched in parallel with the upper guide rails 32, 32a, 32b via the transmission timing belt 39 stretched in the vertical direction. Both the first timing belt 38 and the second timing belt 40 are stretched from the right end of the basic unit 1 to the left end of the second expansion unit 3. Then, the lower end 29d of the body portion 29 of the main robot 9 is fixed to the first timing belt 38 by using the fitting 41, and the upper end 29t of the body portion 29 is fixed to the second timing belt 40 by using the fitting 42. The body part 29 of the main robot 9 is configured to move in the X direction by the rotation of the main robot drive motor 36.

A sub-robot driving motor 43 is arranged on the bottom surface 35 of the box of the second expansion unit 3, and its rotation is parallel to the lower guide rails 33, 33a, 33b via the pulley 44 and is adjacent to the first timing belt 38. Is transmitted to the third timing belt 45 stretched over the second timing belt and is parallel to the upper guide rails 32, 32a, 32b via the pulley 44, the transmission timing belt 46 stretched in the vertical direction, and the like. It is transmitted to the fourth timing belt 47 stretched so as to be adjacent to 40. Both the third timing belt 45 and the fourth timing belt 47 are stretched from the left end of the second expansion unit 3 to the right end of the basic unit 1. Then, the lower end 29d of the body portion 29 of the sub robot 17 is fixed to the third timing belt 45 by using the fitting 48, and the upper end 29t of the body portion 29 is fixed to the fourth timing belt 47 by using the fitting 49. , The sub robot drive motor 4
The body portion 29 of the sub robot 17 is configured to move in the X direction by the rotation of 3.

Both the manipulators 31a and 31b of the main robot 9 and the manipulator 31c of the sub robot 17 are driven in the Y direction by the lifting timing belts 50 and 50c. The lifting timing belts 50 and 50c are the upper end portion 2 of the body portion 29.
It is stretched between 9t and the lower end 29d, and is rotationally driven by the lifting drive motors 51, 51c arranged at the lower end 29d.
A pair of upper and lower manipulators 31a, 31b of the main robot 9
Is configured to move in the Y direction while maintaining an integral relationship,
It is attached to the timing belt 50 using an attachment (not shown). Similarly, the manipulator 31c of the sub robot 17 is also attached to the timing belt 50c by using an attachment (not shown). In addition, in FIG.
Reference numerals 2 and 52c denote flexible cords that send electric power to the main robot 9 and the sub robot 17 and send and receive signals.

FIG. 5 shows manipulators 31a and 31b of the main robot 9.
The concrete structure of is shown. Lower manipulator 31b
Has the same structure as the upper manipulator 31b, and since the manipulator 31c of the sub robot 17 also has the same structure as the upper manipulator 31a,
Only the upper manipulator 31a will be described, and other description will be omitted.

As shown in FIGS. 5, 6, 7, and 8, a chuck base 54 is guided and supported on the base 53 of the manipulator 31a so as to be movable back and forth. The chuck base 54 is a chuck base drive motor. It is driven in the front-rear direction by a timing belt 56 that rotates by 55. Reference numeral 57 is a fixture for connecting the chuck base 54 to the timing belt 56.

On the chuck base 54, a pair of upper and lower chuck arms 58 and 59 for detachably holding the cassette 12 are arranged.
A chuck claw 58a is provided substantially at the center in the left-right direction of the tip of the upper chuck arm 58, and a pair of chuck claws 59a, 59a are provided on the left and right of the tip of the lower chuck arm 59.
The end portion of the cassette 12 is configured to be held at three points. A pair of upper and lower chuck arms 58 and 59 are pivotally supported by a pivot shaft 60 at their base ends, and can be opened and closed in the vertical direction by rotation of a cam 62 with which cam followers 63 and 64 provided on the respective arms abut. Has become. The rotation of the chuck opening / closing drive motor 61 that drives the cam 62 is controlled by the speed reducer 65,
It is transmitted to the cam 62 via the gear train 66.

A bar code reader 67 is attached to the chuck base 54 so as to move back and forth integrally with the chuck base 54. The bar code reader 67 has a built-in CCD line sensor 70 that reads the bar code 69 displayed on the front surface 68 of the cassette 12 without scanning.

Information such as a classification number registered in the database is displayed on the barcode 69. Bar code reader
67 has an LED 71 for illuminating the barcode 69.

A certain section of the stationary cassette housing case 6 of the basic unit 1 is a cassette change section 72 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 9. In the illustrated example, the upper left side of the stationary cassette housing case 6 is used as a cassette change portion 72,
The cassette 12 can be exchanged between the outside and the stationary cassette housing case 6 at any time. When the cassette 12 is exchanged with the outside, the cassette change portion 72 is automatically advanced as shown in FIG. 9 and a glass slide door separately provided on the protective glass 4 is provided. The 73 is configured to open automatically.

FIG. 10 shows in detail the movable rack case 74 and the cassette change section 72 including a mechanism for driving the movable rack case forward and backward. A spacer 75 is interposed between the cassette accommodating portions 13 of the movable rack case 74 so that a finger can be easily inserted to insert and remove the cassette 12. As described above, in the movable rack case 74, the vertical pitch of the cassette accommodating portions 13 is set to be large so that the cassette 12 can be manually inserted and removed.
3, 21, since the cassette 12 is inserted into and removed from the manipulator exclusively by the manipulators 31a, 31b, 31c, the vertical pitch can be minimized, and the number of cassettes accommodated can be maximized. it can.

-Shaped rack case support 76 is a pair of upper and lower guide rails
The movable rack case 74 is attached to the front end of the movable rack case 74 by being guided by 77 and 78. The rotation of the rack case drive motor 79 is transmitted through the speed reducer 80 to the timing belt 81.
Is transmitted to the rack case supporter 76, and thereby the movable rack case 74 is moved back and forth. 82 is a timing belt 81 and a rack case support
It is a fixture that connects with 76.

As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the sliding door 73 is guided by a pair of upper and lower guide rails 85 and 86, both ends of which are supported by a frame portion 83 of the protective glass 4 via swinging fittings 84. To open and close. Drive sprocket 8 on upper guide rail 85
7, a driven sprocket 88 and a timing belt 89 suspended by these are arranged, and the timing belt 89 and the slide door 73 are connected by a fixture 90. The door drive motor 91 that drives the timing belt 89,
It is provided on a motor bracket 93 pivotally attached to the body of the basic unit box 5 through a pivot pin 92, and its output gear 94 and the input sprocket 87 coaxial with the drive sprocket 87 mesh with each other. There is.

The guide rails 8 are provided on the upper and lower edges of the sliding door 73.
A guide roller 96 that is guided by 5 and 86 to roll is provided, and a cam follower 97 is provided at the right edge portion of the upper edge. The cam follower 97 rolls while contacting a cam plate 98 fixed to the back surface of the protective glass 4. This cam plate 98 is
When the slide door 73 is closed, the surface of the slide door 73 and the surface of the protective glass 4 are flush with each other, and when the slide door 73 is opened,
The sliding door 73 is housed on the back surface of the protective glass 4. That is, when the slide door 73 is opened to the right, the action of the cam plate 98 causes the slide door 73 to move.
Is guided to the rear side, and the upper and lower guide rails 85,
86 also moves backward, and the motor bracket 93 also rotates backward.

The entire protective glass 4 can be opened forward with the axis indicated by P in FIG. 12 as the center of rotation, at which time the output gear 94 and the input gear 95 disengage. By disposing the door drive motor 91 on the main body side of the basic unit box 5, the opening / closing movement of the protective glass 4 becomes light.

The rack unitary body 99 of each of the cassette accommodating portions 13 and 20 of the stationary cassette accommodating case 6 and the rotary cassette accommodating cases 16a and 16b is basically constructed as shown in FIG. This rack unit 99 has a bottom plate 100, both side plates 101,
A synthetic resin product in which a back plate 102 and a back plate 102 are integrally formed, and the front surface and the top surface are open. As shown in FIG. 14, the rack single bodies 99 are stacked to form the rack cases 21 and 19, and the bottom plate 100 serves as a partition plate for the cassette housing portions 13 and 20. The open front opening of the single rack unit 99 serves as the cassette inlet / outlet ports 14 and 28 of the cassette housing units 13 and 20, respectively.

A notch 103 is provided at the front end of the bottom plate 100 so that the manipulators 31a, 31b, 31c and fingers can hold the cassette 12 without trouble. Both side plates
Positioning leaf springs 104, 104 are provided on the inner surface side front portions of 101, 101. Further, a ridge 105 extending in the front-rear direction is integrally formed at a portion slightly left of the center of the bottom plate 100.

Internal space of single rack 99, that is, cassette housing
The spaces 13 and 20 are formed to have a size suitable for accommodating the regular size cassette 12R (12) as shown in FIGS. As shown in FIGS. 15 and 17, this cassette 12R has the bar code 69 displayed on the front surface 68, and has notches 106 and 106 on both side surfaces for engaging with the positioning leaf springs 104 and 104. Further, the bottom surface is provided with a guide groove 107 that fits into the protrusion 105. Thus, as shown in FIG. 17, the regular-sized cassette 12R is constrained from lateral movement by the side plates 101, 101 and the ridge 105, and is positioned in the front-rear direction by the positioning leaf springs 104, 104. Are accommodated in the cassette accommodating portions 13 and 20. At this time, the front surface 68 of the regular-sized cassette 12R is substantially at the same position as the front end surface of the rack single body 99, and this position is the cassette accommodation reference position. The positioning leaf springs 104, 104 are the cassette 12
The protrusion 105 also functions to prevent the R from falling off, and also to prevent the cassette 12R from being housed in the cassette housing portions 13 and 20 by being combined with the guide groove 107. Operate (Small size cassette 12S described below)
Also has the same effect on. ).

The cassette housing portions 13 and 20 can also house a small-sized cassette 12S (12). As shown in FIGS. 16 and 18, this cassette 12S has a bar code 69 displayed on the front surface 68 and has a notch 108 for engaging with the positioning leaf spring 104 on the left side surface. A guide groove 109 that engages with the protrusion 105 is provided on the bottom surface.
Thus, as shown in FIG. 18, the small size cassette 12S includes the left side plate 101 of the rack unitary body 99 and the ridge 105.
Left and right movements are restrained by the
Positioning in the front-rear direction is performed by 104, and the cassettes are accommodated in the cassette accommodating portions 13 and 20 leaving an extra space.
The notch 108 is formed at the same position as that of the regular size cassette 12R, and as a result, the front surface of the small size cassette 12S is also set at the same position as the cassette accommodation reference position.

As described above, the cassettes 12R and 12S of both sizes are set to the reference positions L and F on the left side and the front side with respect to the cassette accommodating portions 13 and 20, as shown in FIG.
Since it is accommodated in 20, the barcodes 69 of the cassettes 12R and 12S of both sizes are located at the same position. On the other hand, VT
In the cassette insertion portion 109 of the R set 7, as shown in FIG. 19, the cassettes 12R and 12S of both sizes are set and stored at the reference positions l and r on the left side and the rear side.

FIG. 20 is a control block diagram of the automatic video tape cassette changing system.

Database at Operation Station 110,
A program program, an editing program, a staggered broadcast program, etc. are input, and these are displayed on the display section. In addition, data is printed on the printer 111 and the bar code label is printed on the label printer 112.
Created by. Also operation station 11
0 is another operation station 110 in a remote area
It is connected to a, 110b ... through a network.

The operation station 110 transmits / receives signals to / from the sequence controller 113. The sequence controller 113 outputs an operation command signal to various devices in accordance with the program and in synchronization with the time information of the time code regulator 114.

The sequence controller 113 includes a video switching device (switcher) 115, a character generator 116, and the VTR.
7e of the set 7 and the robot controller 8a housed in the controller box 8 are connected to each other, and these are sequentially controlled.

As shown in FIG. 21, the robot controller 8a includes a memory board 125, a motor control board 117, an I / O board 118, a communication board 119, a key control board 120, and a CP connected to these through a bus 121.
It has a U board 122. The key control board
An operation panel 123 is connected to 120, and the barcode reader 67 is connected to the communication board 119.

Robot controller 8a is a motor control board
Various motor drivers 1 via 117 and I / O board 118
24, VTR status display 126, operation panel 127, and manual operation box 128 are connected to control these and input signals from them.

The various motor drivers 124 control the rotations of various motors shown below.

○ Main robot drive motor 36 …… Main robot 9
Move and position in the X direction.

○ Main robot up-and-down drive motor 51: Moving and positioning the main robot 9 in the Y direction.

○ Sub robot drive motor 43 …… X of the sub robot 17
Directional movement and positioning.

○ Sub robot up / down drive motor 51c …… Moves and positions the sub robot 17 in the Y direction.

○ Case drive motor I 27a: Rotation of the rotary cassette housing case 16a of the first extension unit 2 and positioning of the rotation angle θ.

○ Case drive motor II 27b: Rotation of the rotatable cassette housing case 16b of the second expansion unit 3 and positioning of the rotation angle θ.

○ Chuck base drive motor 55 ... Each manipulator
Forward movement and positioning of 31a, 31b, 31c.

○ Chuck opening / closing drive motor 61 …… Each manipulator 31
Opening / closing movement of chucks a, 31b, 31c.

○ Rack case drive motor 79 …… Cassette change part
Forward and backward movement and positioning of (movable rack case 74) at 72.

○ Door drive motor 91 …… Opens and closes the slide door 73 in front of the cassette change section 72.

Of the motors, both robot drive motors 36, 43, both lift drive motors 51, 51c, both case drive motors 27a, 27b are provided with encoders 36e, 43e, 51e, 51f, 27e, 27f, respectively, to determine the rotational position of the motor itself. It can be detected. A position sensor for detecting the position of a driven body driven by a motor other than the door driving motor 91 is arranged at a predetermined position corresponding to the motor. That is, the position in the X direction of the main robot 9 is detected by the position sensors 36p, 36q, 36r, 36s, 36t, 36u, and the position in the Y direction is detected by the position sensors 51p, 51q, 51r. Similarly, the position of the sub robot 17 in the X direction is detected by the position sensors 43p, 43q, 43r, 43s, 43t, 43u, and the position in the Y direction is the position sensor 51.
detected by s, 51t, 51u. The positions of the first expansion unit 2 and the second expansion unit 3 in the θ direction are detected by position sensors 27p, 27q, 27r, 27s, 27t, 27u and position sensors 27v, 27w, 27x, 27y, 27z, 27n, respectively. . The positions of the manipulators 31a, 31b, 31c in the back-and-forth movement are detected by the position sensors 55p, 55q, and the positions of the opening / closing movements thereof are detected by the position sensors 61p, 61q, respectively. Further, the back-and-forth position of the movable rack case 74 is detected by position sensors 79p, 79q, 79r, 79s. The opening / closing operation of the slide door 73 is under the control of the robot controller 8a, and the opening / closing operation is performed by manually pressing the open switch 91p or the close switch 91q.

Next, the normal cassette automatic exchange operation of the main robot 9 and the sub robot 17 controlled by the control means having the above-mentioned configuration will be described.

The main robot 9 normally reciprocates between the stationary cassette housing case 6 and the VTR set 7, and performs cassette exchange work while the pair of upper and lower manipulators 31a and 31b share the work. As shown in FIG. 22, in the first step, the main robot 9 moves in the XY directions in order to take out the cassette 12 to be used next from the selected cassette housing portion 13 of the stationary cassette housing case 6. The lower manipulator 31b is positioned so as to face the cassette housing portion 13. And the lower manipulator
The chuck arms 58 and 59 of 31b grip and take out the cassette 12 to be used next arranged in the cassette housing portion 13 by a series of operations. In the next second stage, the main robot 9 moves in the X-Y directions to load the cassette 12
Transport to VTR set 7.

At the next third stage, as shown in FIG. 23 (1), the main robot 9 is moved to the upper manipulator 31a.
VCRs containing used cassettes 12 (eg
The position in the XY direction is determined so as to face the cassette insertion portion 109 of 7a). Then the upper manipulator 31a
The chuck arms 58 and 59 move forward and backward to open and close to grip the cassette 12 and retract in that state to take out the cassette 12 from the cassette insertion portion 109 (FIGS. 23 (2) (3)). .

In the fourth stage, the main robot 9 inserts the cassette 12 held by the manipulator 31b on the lower side thereof into the video deck 7a, so that the main robot 9 moves slightly upward so that the manipulator 31b faces the cassette insertion portion 109. (Fig. 23 (4)). And the lower manipulator 31b
Chuck arms 58 and 59 move forward to insert the cassette 12 into the cassette insertion portion 109 at a predetermined position and then open, and then only the chuck arms 58 and 59 move backward (FIG. 23 (5)).
(6)).

In the fifth stage after the cassette exchange in the VTR set 7 is completed as described above, the main robot 9 moves in the XY direction.
Moving in the direction, the used cassette 12 is conveyed to the selected cassette housing portion 13 of the stationary cassette housing case 6.

In the sixth stage, the main robot 9 has the manipulator 31a on the upper side thereof in the selected cassette housing portion 13
The position in the X-Y direction is determined so as to face. Then, the chuck arms 58, 59 of the upper manipulator 31a
Returns the cassette 12 to the cassette housing portion 13 by a series of operations, and then retracts to the original position. Next, the main robot 9 moves in the XY directions and returns to the first stage. Since it is advantageous to make the moving distance of the main robot 9 at the time of shifting from the sixth stage to the first stage as short as possible, the cassette accommodating portion 13 having the empty space in which the cassette 12 is returned in the sixth stage is The one that is located as close as possible to the cassette housing 13 from which the cassette 12 is taken out in the first stage is selected.

As described above, the manipulator 31a on the upper side of the main robot 9 takes out the cassette 12 from the VTR set 7,
The manipulator 31b on the lower side plays a role of returning the cassette 12 to the stationary cassette housing case 6, and the role of inserting the cassette 12 from the stationary cassette housing case 6 and inserting it into the VTR set 7. As a result, the cassette exchange work in each of the stationary cassette housing case 6 of the main robot 9 and the VTR set 7 can be continuously performed, and the cassette exchange time can be shortened. The upper manipulator 31a and the lower manipulator 3
It is also possible to reverse the role division of 1b.

The sub-robot 17 is a normally rotatable cassette storage case.
16a, 16b and a specific cassette housing portion of the stationary cassette housing case 6 (hereinafter referred to as an intermediate station) 13m, 13n
Reciprocate between and to perform cassette replacement work. As shown in FIG. 9, the intermediate station is located at the left end of the stationary cassette housing case 6, that is, the rotatable cassette housing case 16.
It is provided on a side closest to a and 16b, and is composed of an out intermediate station 13m and an in intermediate station 13n.

The sub robot 17 has a structure having a single manipulator 31c, and operates as shown on the left side in FIG.
In the first stage ', the cassette 12 to be used next is taken out from the selected cassette housing portion 20 of the rotatable cassette housing cases 16a and 16b. At this time, by the time the sub-robot 17 reaches a predetermined position in the XY direction, the rotary cassette accommodating cases 16a, 16b are rotated to a predetermined rotary position and the θ position thereof is determined. In the first stage ', as described above,
Cassette storage unit 20 specified by three coordinates of X, Y, and θ
Then, the cassette 12 is taken out. Second then
In stage ', the cassette 12 is conveyed toward the out intermediate station 13m.

In the third stage ', the cassette 12 is inserted into the OUT intermediate station 13m, then in the fourth stage', the cassette 12 of the IN intermediate station 13n is taken out, and in the fifth stage ', the cassette 12 is a rotatable cassette housing case. 16
The sheet is conveyed to the selected cassette housing portion 20 of a or 16b. In the next sixth step ', the cassette 12 is placed in the specific cassette housing portion 20 in which the X, Y, and θ positioning has been performed.
Will be inserted and returned.

The operation of the sub robot 17 as described above is performed only when it is necessary to insert the cassette 12 housed in the rotary cassette housing cases 16a and 16b into the VTR set 7. In this case, as shown in the right side of FIG. 24, the main robot 9
Is the sub-robot 17 out for the intermediate station 13
Take out the cassette 12 carried to m and insert it into the VTR set 7 (Fig. 24 →), as well as the used cassette 12
Is taken out from the VTR set 7 and returned to the IN intermediate station 13n (Fig. 24 →). Then, the cassette 12 returned to the IN intermediate station 13n is taken out by the sub-robot 17 as described above, and then returned to the rotatable cassette housing cases 16a and 16b.

As described above, the cassette exchange between the rotatable cassette housing cases 16a and 16b and the VTR set 7 in the normal state is performed by the second
As shown in Fig. 4, ′ → ′ → ′ →→→→
, And →→→→ '→' → '.

Next, a description will be given of the compensation function of one robot provided in the cassette automatic exchange device of the present embodiment for the other robot when the main robot 9 or the sub robot 17 does not function normally.

When the main robot 9 does not have a normal function, for example, the main robot 9 has a poor movement in the XY directions.
There are positioning errors in the X and Y directions of the main robot 9, a chuck function failure, a bar code reader 67 failure, and the like.
These are various encoders 36e, 57e, various position sensors 36p, 51p, 55p, 61p, ... and various motors 36, 51, 5
The presence or absence of abnormality is detected by the robot controller 8a, which is detected by the overcurrent detectors 5 and 61. Even if the sub-robot 17 does not have a normal function, the same case is conceivable, and the robot controller 8a similarly determines it.

When the control means determines that the main robot 9 does not have a normal function (see FIG. 26 for details), the main robot 9 is retracted to the right end of the robot moving space 10 and the operation range of the sub robot 17 is reduced. The robot movement space 10, 10a, 10b is expanded, and as shown in FIG. 25, the sub-robot 17 alone is allowed to automatically perform cassette exchange in all areas.

That is, first, in the first stage, the sub-robot 17 takes out the used cassette 12 from the selected cassette insertion portion 109 of the VTR set 7, and in the second stage, it selects all the cassette storage portions 16, 16a, 16b. The cassette is conveyed to the cassette housing units 13 and 20 with empty space, and the cassette is transferred in the third stage.
12 is inserted into the cassette housing portions 13 and 20 and returned. Next, in the fourth step, the sub-robot 17 moves to the cassette housing portions 13 and 20 in which the cassette 12 to be used next is housed, takes out the cassette 12, and then moves to the cassette insertion portion 109 in the fifth step. To do. In the next sixth step, the cassette 12 is inserted into the cassette insertion portion 109 to complete a series of operations.

As described above, when the main robot 9 has an abnormality, all the cassettes are automatically replaced by only the sub robot 17 having only a single manipulator 31c. Therefore, after removing the used cassette 12 from the VTR set 7, Cassette
It takes a relatively long time for the sub robot 17 to make one round trip between the VTR set 7 and the cassette housing case 6, 16a, 16b before the insertion of the 12, and the main robot has a problem. Even in the case of an emergency situation in which an abnormality occurs in 9, the automatic cassette exchange can be continued without stopping the device.

When the control means determines that the sub robot 17 does not have a normal function, the sub robot 17 is retracted to the left end of the robot movement space 10b and the main robot 9
Expand the movement range of all robot movement spaces 10, 10a, 10b,
The main robot 9 alone is allowed to perform automatic robot exchange in all areas. The operation of the main robot 9 at this time is basically the same as that shown in FIG. 22, but its movement range is limited to the robot movement spaces 10a and 10b of the first extension unit 2 and the second extension unit 3. The only difference is that it is expanded, as shown in FIG. In this way, even if an abnormality occurs in the sub robot 17, the cassette automatic replacement can be continued without stopping the apparatus.

Next, the compensation function of the automatic cassette changer of this embodiment when one of the pair of upper and lower manipulators 31a and 31b of the main robot 9 does not function normally will be described. The cases where the manipulators 31a and 31b do not function normally include defective chucking functions and defective bar code detection functions. More specifically, defective back-and-forth movement of the chuck base 54 due to a defect of the chuck base drive motor 55 and defective opening / closing motion of the chuck arms 58 and 59 due to a defect of the chuck opening / closing drive motor 61 are exemplified as defective chuck functions. To be done. Further, a defect in the mounting position of the barcode reader 67 or a built-in component is exemplified as a defect in the barcode detection function.

These are detected by various position sensors 55p, 61p, ... and overcurrent detectors of various motors 55, 61.
The robot controller 8a determines whether there is any abnormality.

When the control means determines that one manipulator (for example, the upper manipulator) 31a is not normal, the other manipulator (for example, the lower manipulator) 31b is controlled to perform the cassette automatic exchange independently. Therefore, the main robot 9 is usually controlled to perform the operation shown in FIG. 22, but if it is determined that the upper manipulator 31a is not normal, it is not used and only the lower manipulator 31b is used. While being used, the locus of movement of the main robot 9 should be the same as the locus of movement of the sub robot 17 shown in FIG. 25 (however, the movement range of the main robot 9 is basically within the robot movement space 10 of the basic unit 1). Limited).

The flowchart of FIG. 26 shows in more detail the control procedure relating to the mutual compensation between the main robot 9 and the sub robot 17 and the mutual compensation between the manipulators 31a and 31b in the main robot 9.

In step # 1, it is determined whether or not the main robot 9 is normal, and in step # 2, it is determined whether or not it is necessary to replace the cassette between the expansion units 2 and 3 and the VTR set 7, and then step # 3. Then, it is determined whether the sub robot 17 is normal. If the main robot 9 and the sub robot 17 are normal and it is necessary to replace the cassettes of the extension units 2 and 3, the cooperative operation of both robots 9 and 17 described in step # 4 is performed. Also the main robot 9
Is normal but the cassette replacement of the expansion units 2 and 3 is not necessary or the sub robot 17 is not normal, the independent operation of the main robot 9 already described in step # 5 is performed.

If the main robot 9 is determined not to be normal in step # 1, the cause is further analyzed in steps # 6, # 7 and # 8. Upper manipulator (upper chuck) 31a and lower manipulator (lower chuck) 3
If both 1b are normal and the XY movement of the main robot 9 is not normal, it is judged in step # 9 whether the sub robot 17 is normal or not. If the sub robot 17 is normal, it is step # 10. The independent operation of the sub robot 17 described in 1) is performed. It is determined in step # 9 that the sub robot 17 is not normal, or the main robot 9 is in steps # 6, #
When it is found that the device is out of order due to a cause other than the ones determined in 7 and # 8, the process shifts to step # 11 and the entire apparatus is stopped.

One of the manipulators 31a and 31b in steps # 6 and # 7
Is determined to be abnormal, and it is determined in step # 12 that the cassette replacement of the expansion units 2 and 3 is unnecessary, the main robot 9 is operated independently by the other manipulators 31b and 31a in step # 14. The cassette is replaced. If it is determined in step # 12 that the cassettes of the expansion units 2 and 3 need to be replaced, and if it is determined in step # 13 that the sub robot 17 is normal, only one of the manipulators 31a and 31b is determined in step # 15. The main robot 9 and the sub-robot 17 perform cooperative operation using.

FIG. 27 shows a flowchart of the cooperative operation of both robots in step # 4. The basic robot coordinated operation has already been described with reference to FIG. 24, but a supplementary explanation will be given with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

The main robot 9 performs the operations shown in steps # 20 to # 29, determines whether or not there is a cassette replacement request in step # 20, and if there is no request, moves to the standby position (step # 28) and then replaces the cassette. Wait for the request. When there is a cassette exchange request, in the next step # 21, the sub robot 17 transfers the cassette 12 to the OUT intermediate station 13m.
It is determined whether or not the cassette 12 has been accommodated, and the completion of the accommodation of the cassette 12 is waited for. At the next step # 23, it is determined whether or not the cassette is accommodated in the predetermined cassette insertion portion 109 of the VTR set 7. If the cassette 12 is not accommodated, the process proceeds to step # 29, after the cassette 12 is inserted into the VTR set 7. Return immediately. When the cassette 12 is accommodated in the predetermined cassette insertion portion 109 of the VTR set 7 in step # 23, the cassette 12 is exchanged with the VTR set 7 in steps # 24 and # 25. Then step #
At 26, it is determined whether the sub robot 17 has taken out the cassette 12 from the IN intermediate station 13n, waits for the cassette 12 to be completely taken out, and at step # 27, returns the cassette 12 to the IN intermediate station 13n and returns. To do.

On the other hand, the sub robot 17 has steps # 30 to # 37.
If it is determined in step # 30 that there is no cassette exchange request, the operation jumps to step # 34. When there is a cassette replacement request, the rotary cassette housing cases 16a, 1a are operated in a series of operations from step # 31 to step # 33.
The cassette 12 is taken out from the 6b, conveyed to the out intermediate station 13m and inserted therein. In step # 32, the movement of the main robot 9 is monitored.

In step # 34, it is determined whether or not the main robot 9 has returned the cassette 12 to the IN intermediate station 13n. If not, in step # 37,
The sub robot 17 moves to the standby position and then returns. When the cassette 12 is returned, in steps # 35 and # 36, the cassette 12 is taken out from the in-intermediate station 13n, and the cassette 12 is rotated.
Return to 16a, 16b.

FIG. 28 is a flow chart showing the independent operation of the main robot in step # 5. This has already been explained on the basis of Fig. 22 (Fig. 22 shows only the operation in the basic unit 1, but it may be the whole region operation). A supplementary explanation will be given with reference to the flowchart.

Steps # 40, # 42, # 43, and # 44 are as described with reference to FIG. In step # 41, it is determined whether or not the cassette 12 is accommodated in the predetermined cassette insertion portion 109 of the VTR set 7. If not, the process proceeds to step # 45 to transfer the cassette 12 to the VTR set 7. Return immediately after inserting.

FIG. 29 is a flowchart showing the independent operation of the sub robot in step # 10. This has already been explained based on FIG. 25, but a supplementary explanation will be given by the flow chart of FIG. 29 (step # 15 above).
The same applies to the independent operation of the main robot using only one of the manipulators 31a and 31b. ) Steps # 51 to # 54 are as described with reference to FIG. At step # 50, it is determined whether or not the cassette 12 is accommodated in the predetermined cassette insertion portion 109 of the VTR set 7. If not, the process jumps to step # 53 to immediately remove the cassette from the cassette accommodation case. Move to the action of taking 12.

Next, based on FIG. 30 and FIG. 31, the manipulator 31
The control of the inserting / removing operation of the cassette 12 with respect to the VTR set 7 by a, 31b, and 31c will be described. As already mentioned,
Both the regular size cassette 12R and the small size cassette 12S are accommodated in the cassette insertion portion 109 of the VTR set 7 so that the rear side reference r is set (Fig. 19). The front position is different as shown in (R3) and (S4) of FIG. 30, and the front wall 129 of the cassette insertion portion 109 and the chuck arm claws 58a and 59a are different.
There are different considerations for preventing interference with.

(R1) to (R3) of FIG. 30 show a procedure for inserting the regular-sized cassette 12R into the cassette insertion portion 109. That is, first, a pair of upper and lower chuck arm claws 58
Insert the cassette 12R between a and 59a to the intermediate position (R1), open the chuck arm claws 58a and 59a slightly at that position to release the grip (R2), and then the chuck arm claw 58.
Press the protrusions 58b and 59b of a and 59a to push the cassette 12R.
To the final position (R3).

On the other hand, FIGS. 30 (S1) to (S4) show a procedure for inserting the small-sized cassette 12S into the cassette insertion portion 109. That is, first, the cassette 12S is grasped by a pair of upper and lower chuck arm claws 58a and 59a, and is inserted to an intermediate position (S1).
9a is completely opened to release the clamp and retract (S2), and then the entire manipulators 31a, 31b, 31c are slightly moved upward so that the lower chuck arm claw 59a faces the front surface of the cassette 12S ( S3), then the lower chuck arm claw
Insert the cassette 12S to the final position by pushing the cassette 12S with the tip of 59a (S4).

31 (R1) and (R2) show a procedure for taking out the regular-sized cassette 12R from the cassette insertion portion 109. FIG. In this case, the cassette 12R pulled out to a predetermined position by the VTR set 7 is used as a pair of upper and lower chuck arm claws 5.
It can be pulled out by being sandwiched between 8a and 59a.

31 (S1) to (S4) show a procedure for taking out the small-sized cassette 12S from the cassette insertion portion 109. First, the cassette 12S pulled out to a predetermined position by the VTR set 7 is set to a pair of upper and lower chuck arm claws 58a and 59a.
However, in the case of the small size cassette 12S, the protrusion amount with respect to the front wall 129 cannot be made large,
Grasping of the cassette 12S by the chuck arm claws 58a and 59a becomes shallow, and it is impossible to convey the cassette 12S to another place as it is (S1). Then, the cassette 12S is slightly pulled out by the chuck arm claws 58a and 59a, then re-grasped and deeply gripped (S2) (S3), and then the cassette 12S is completely removed from the cassette insertion portion 109 (S4).

The insertion / removal operation of the cassette 12 by the manipulators 31a, 31b, 31c with respect to the cassette housing portions 6, 16a, 16b is slightly different between the regular size and the small size (see FIG. 19), but the basic operation thereof Are both 30th
This is similar to the case shown in FIGS. (R1) to (R3) and FIGS. 31 (R1) to (R2).

The cassette changing portion 72 of the stationary cassette housing case 6 can be moved in and out even while the main robot 9 is operating, and the slide door 73 is controlled to open and close in conjunction with this.

The flow chart shown in FIG. 32 shows the control means for the cassette change unit and the slide door during normal operation (when the robots are operating cooperatively). Open switch in step # 60
It is determined whether 91p is ON or not, and step # 61,
In # 62, it is determined whether or not the main robot 9 is in the interference area, or whether or not the main robot 9 is in the interference area within a predetermined time (for example, about 3 minutes), and in step # 63, the sub robot 17 interferes. It is determined whether or not it is within the area.

When the open switch 91p is turned on to take out the unnecessary cassette 12 from the cassette change unit 72 and replenish the new cassette 12, the main robot 9 is not in the interference area and there is no plan to enter it, and If the robot 17 is not in the interference area, a timer is set in step # 65 after the safety time is subtracted from the remaining time until the main robot 9 next enters the interference area. ~ A series of operations shown in step # 68 is performed. That is, the movable rack case 74 of the cassette changing section 72 advances from the retracted position B to the intermediate position M as shown in FIG. 10 (step # 66). At the intermediate position M, the tip of the movable rack case 74 is in a state of approaching the back surface of the slide door 73. Then, the slide door 73 is opened (step # 67). When the sliding door 73 is completely opened, the movable rack case 74 further advances to the forward position F.
And a part of it reaches outside the basic unit box 5 (step # 68). Therefore, the manual replacement of the cassette 12 can be performed safely and easily.

Even if the open switch 91p is turned on, the main robot 9
Is in the interference area, or when it is planned to enter the interference area within a predetermined time, wait for the time until these states are changed (steps # 61, # 62). When the sub-robot 17 is in the interference area, the sub-robot 17 is moved out of the interference area (steps # 63, # 64).

In the next step # 69, it is determined whether or not the close switch 91q is turned on. When it is not turned on, it is judged in step # 70 whether the timer has ended or not. When it is not ended, the process returns to step # 69. Step # 65
If it is determined that the timer has expired and the timer has expired, the process proceeds to steps # 71 and # 72 and the second
A timer is set (this timer can be used as the second timer), and an alarm is issued to catch the ON operation of the close switch 91q. If it is determined in step # 73 that the second timer has not expired, then it is determined in step # 74 whether or not the close switch 91q is turned on again. If not, the process returns to step # 73. A predetermined time (eg 20
If the close switch 91q is not turned on even after the elapse of seconds), it is determined in step # 73 that the second timer has ended, and the robot is emergency stopped in step # 76. On the other hand, if the close switch 91q is turned on by the end of the second timer, step # 7
The alarm is released in step 5, and the process proceeds to step # 77.

In step # 69 or step # 74, close switch
When 91q is turned on, first in step # 77, the movable rack case 74 retracts from the forward position F to the intermediate position M, then in step # 78, the slide door 73 closes, and the slide door 73
When is completely closed, the movable rack case 74 is retracted from the intermediate position M to the retracted position R in step # 79, and is returned to the original state.

The bar code reader 67 reads the bar codes 69 of the cassettes 12 accommodated in the cassette accommodating portions 13, 20 of all the cassette accommodating cases 6, 16a, 16b at the time of initial setting of the apparatus, and the information is read by the robot controller 8a. It has a function of sending it to the operation station 110 through the memory and storing it there. The bar code reader 67 also has a function of confirming, when the cassette 12 is taken out, whether or not the cassette 12 is the same as the content instructed by the operation station 110.

The bar code reader 67 is attached to the chuck base 54 and is configured to move back and forth integrally with the chuck arms 58 and 59. When the bar code 69 is read, the bar code reader 67 advances by a predetermined distance to move the bar code 69. The reading operation is carried out so that the distance between and becomes constant. Both the regular size cassette 12R and the small size cassette 12S are front side reference F as shown in FIG. 19,
The barcode 69 of the barcode reader 67 can be read accurately and easily.

FIG. 33 shows a state in which the basic unit 1 is used alone to perform the cassette automatic replacement work. In this case, the first timing belt 38 and the second timing belt 40 have a length close to the lateral width of the basic unit 1, and their driven sprockets 130 and 131 are supported by bearing members 132 and 133, respectively.

In the above embodiment, the basic unit 1 is expanded to the expansion units 2 and 3
The present invention can be applied to a device in which a cassette housing case of an integrated device is divided into a main cassette housing portion and a sub-cassette housing portion. It doesn't matter. Also, the main robot 9
Also, if the sub-robot 17 is configured to be moved in the X direction by the self-propelled motor mounted on the body portion 29, the timing belt exchange is not necessary and the connection is further facilitated.

In the above embodiment, the main robot 9 is provided with a pair of upper and lower manipulators 31a and 31b, and the sub robot 17 is provided with a single manipulator 31c, but both robots 9 and 17 are a pair of upper and lower manipulators. May be provided, or a single manipulator may be provided.

Further, in the above embodiment, the sub robot 17 and the main robot 9
The intermediate station (a predetermined portion of the main cassette housing portion) for delivering the cassette 12 between the cassette housing case 6 and the specific cassette housing portions 13m and 13m of the cassette changing portion 72 is not limited to this. The intermediate station may be provided at another specific place of 16a or at an unspecified place.

According to the present invention, when the cassette automatic exchange is performed by the cooperative operation of the main robot and the sub robot, even if one of the robots fails, the other is backed up and the automatic cassette exchange can be continued. As a result, it is possible to provide an automatic cassette changer capable of preventing the apparatus from stopping.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 shows an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view,
2 is a schematic plan view, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a state in which the exterior portion of each unit is removed, FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a cassette exchange robot and its drive system, FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a manipulator, 6 is a plan view thereof, FIG. 7 is a side view thereof, FIG. 8 is a front view thereof, FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a cassette changing portion, FIG. 10 is an enlarged perspective view thereof, and FIG. 11 is a sliding door. FIG. 12 is a plan view of the drive system of FIG. 12, FIG. 12 is a front view thereof, FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a single rack of the cassette housing case, FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the cassette housing case, and FIG. 15 is a regular size cassette. (A) is a plan view thereof, (b) is a front view thereof, and FIG. 16 shows a small size cassette, (a)
Is a plan view thereof, (b) is a front view thereof, FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing a storage state of a regular size cassette, FIG. 18 is a perspective view showing a storage state of a small size cassette,
Fig. 19 is a schematic plan view showing the cassette storage state in principle.
Fig. 20 is a block diagram showing the control system of the entire device, Fig. 21 is a block diagram showing the control system of the robot controller, Fig. 22 is a principle diagram showing the movement trajectory of the main robot, and Fig. 23 is VT.
Fig. 24 is a diagram for explaining the cassette insertion / removal work performed by a pair of upper and lower manipulators for the R set. Principle diagram showing the locus of movement of the robot, Fig. 26 is a flow chart showing the control procedure of the entire device, Fig. 27 is a flow chart showing the control procedure in the cooperative operation of the main robot and the sub robot,
Fig. 28 is a flow chart showing the control procedure of the independent operation of the main robot, Fig. 29 is a flow chart showing the control procedure of the independent operation of the sub robot, and Fig. 30 is a work explanation showing the cassette insertion operation by the manipulator for the VTR set. Fig. 31 is a work explanatory view showing the cassette take-out operation by the manipulator for the VTR set, and Fig. 32 is a flow chart showing the operation procedure of the cassette change section,
FIG. 33 is a perspective view when only the basic unit is used. 6, 16a, 16b …… Cassette storage case 7 …… VTR set (information recording / reproducing device) 9 …… Main robot 10, 10a, 10b …… Robot moving space 13 …… Main cassette storage 13m, 13n …… Main cassette Predetermined part of the housing 17 ... Sub robot 20 ... Sub cassette housing 32, 32a, 32b, 33, 33a, 33b ... Rail.

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A cassette automatic exchange device in which a front space is a robot moving space, and an information recording / reproducing device and a cassette housing case are arranged in parallel to face the robot moving space. A main robot and a sub robot each having a chuck function and a cassette data detection function are arranged, and a diagnostic means for determining whether or not the main robot is performing a normal function is provided. When it is determined that the cassette is being operated, the main robot is controlled so that the cassette is exchanged between the information recording / reproducing device and the main cassette accommodating portion of the cassette accommodating case near the information recording / reproducing device. The sub-cassette housing portion and the main cassette housing portion on the side far from the information recording / reproducing device of the case. While controlling the sub robot so as to exchange the cassette with the part, when the diagnosis means determines that the main robot is not functioning normally, the main robot is moved to the retracted position and the cassette is accommodated. An automatic cassette exchange device, characterized in that control means for controlling a sub robot is provided so as to exchange a cassette between the entire area of the case and the information recording / reproducing device. 2. The automatic cassette changer according to claim 1, wherein the main robot and the sub robot are guided and supported on a common rail to move left and right. 3. A robot automatic movement space in which the front space is a robot movement space, and an information recording / reproducing device and a cassette accommodating case are arranged in parallel to face the robot movement space. A main robot and a sub robot each having a chuck function and a cassette data detection function are arranged, and a diagnostic means for determining whether or not the sub robot is performing a normal function is provided. When it is determined that the cassette is being operated, the main robot is controlled so that the cassette is exchanged between the information recording / reproducing device and the main cassette accommodating portion of the cassette accommodating case near the information recording / reproducing device. A predetermined portion of the main cassette housing portion and the sub-cassette housing portion on the side far from the information recording / reproducing device While controlling the sub-robot to exchange the cassette between the sub-robot and the sub-robot, when it is determined by the diagnostic means that the sub-robot is not functioning normally, the sub-robot is moved to the retracted position and the cassette storage case An automatic cassette changer comprising control means for controlling the main robot so that the cassette can be exchanged between the entire area and the information recording / reproducing apparatus. 4. The automatic cassette changing device according to claim 3, wherein the main robot and the sub robot are guided and supported on a common rail to move left and right.