In its continued bid to resuscitate the use of high capacity Blu-ray discs and give them a second life in data centers, scientists at Sony have devised an innovative new disc storage device.
The patent, which has recently been assigned to Sony, details a new equipment for the long-term storage yet easy retrieval of high capacity optical media, such as Blu-ray.
As per the present patent, Sony had earlier proposed a disc storage apparatus, capable of storing up to 64 discs, in four rows of 16 discs each. There was however one big flaw in the design - while the apparatus made it easier for conveying robots to take out and mount the discs back again, tilting it during use would cause the discs to jump out and scatter.
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Under lock and key
The present patent looks to overcome this flaw with some modifications to the design of the storage mechanism. It now sports a cover that’s configured to slide from the rear end of the case to cover the opening and works in conjunction with a new locking mechanism.
The locking mechanism could include a lever close to the rear end of the case that can be used to engage a locking jaw to hold the discs in place.
The patent argues that this new design will make it possible to handle a larger number of discs more efficiently, making it viable for use by conveying robots in a data center.
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