Automatic disc exchange apparatus

摘要

PCT No. PCT/JP90/01689 Sec. 371 Date Aug. 19, 1992 Sec. 102(e) Date Aug. 19, 1992 PCT Filed Dec. 25, 1990.An automatic disk exchange apparatus including a drum-type disk gripper arranged vertically movably and capable of horizontally holding a disk cartridge containing for example an optical disk and selectively introducing and removing the disk cartridge through either of access openings at both sides thereof, a pair of disk storage devices each arrranged at one of the sides of the disk gripper and horizontally storing a plurality of disk cartridges, and a pair of drive units arranged in a lower part of one of the disk storage devices for effecting the recording and reproduction of information whereby the disk cartridges are transported and exchanged between the disk storage devices and the drive units and between the disk storage devices and the outside with the disk cartridges being always held horizontally.