Technique for eliminating end-of-travel dead space in media autochangers

摘要

A magazine assembly (102) containing numerous media units is disposed adjacent to a picker assembly (300). One of the two assemblies is normally stationary, while the other assembly is a traveling assembly. In either case, the two assemblies cooperate with one another to selectively provide the picker assembly with access to the media units that are stored in the magazine assembly (102). A motion reversal assembly (110) is coupled to the normally stationary assembly (102) and is engageable by the traveling assembly (300) when it enters an end portion (304) of its excursion path (302). When the motion reversal assembly (110) is so engaged, it moves the normally stationary assembly (102) in the direction opposite to that of the traveling assembly's movement. The effect is an apparent increase in the traveling assembly's available excursion length, which makes it possible for the picker assembly to access media slots that would otherwise be disposed in the dead spaces located on either end of the traveling assembly's excursion path. <IMAGE>