Disk cartridge and disk player

Details Disk cartridge and disk player Disk cartridge and disk player

2000-05-11

2003-05-27

Korzuch, William (Department: 2653)

Dynamic information storage or retrieval

Storage medium structure

Adjuncts or adapters

Reexamination Certificate

active

06570841

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to disk cartridges containing a signal recording disklike medium such as an optical disk, magnetic disk or optomagnetic disk, and to disk players for recording and/or reproducing signals with use of the disk cartridge.
BACKGROUND ART
Disk cartridges comprising a flat rectangular parallelepipedal cartridge body
90
wherein a disk
91
is encased are used for optical disk players which are adapted to optically record signals on optical disks or optomagnetic disks or similarly reproduce signals from such disks (JP, 05-198121, A) as shown in
FIGS. 22
, (a) and (b).
The cartridge body
90
is formed with a window
100
for exposing the signal bearing surface of the disk
91
, and has a shutter
92
slidably mounted thereon for opening or closing the window
100
. Disposed inside the cartridge body
90
is a lock member
93
along an end face
9
a
extending along the direction of sliding of the shutter
92
for locking the shutter
92
in its closed position. The lock member
93
is elastically shiftable about a base end thereof and has a forward end formed with an engaging recessed portion
95
. The forward end of the lock member
93
further has a slope
99
which functions for unlocking as will be described later.
On the other hand, the portion of the shutter
92
slidable along the end face
9
a
of the cartridge body
90
is provided with a lug
96
engageable with the recessed portion
95
of the lock member
93
. The shutter
92
also has a spring retainer
98
, with a torsion spring
94
provided between the retainer
98
and the cartridge body
90
for biasing the shutter
92
in the closing direction. Usually with the disk cartridge
9
, the recessed portion
95
of the lock member
93
and the lug
96
of the shutter
92
engage with each other to lock the shutter
92
in the closed position.
The disk cartridge
9
is inserted into an optical disk player toward an inner portion thereof from a cartridge inlet formed in its cabinet. With the advance of the cartridge
9
as indicated by an arrow A in
FIG. 22
, (a), an unlocking piece
97
provided in the inner portion of the device moves in a direction opposite to the arrow A relative to the cartridge and enters the cartridge body
90
to come into sliding contact with the lock member
93
, elastically shifting the lock member
93
. As a result, the recessed portion
95
of the lock member
93
is released from the lug
96
of the shutter
95
to unlock the shutter
92
.
In the course of a further advance of the cartridge
9
toward a recording-reproduction position in an inward portion of the device, the unlocking piece
97
pushes the shutter
92
open against the elasticity of the torsion spring
94
as shown in the drawing, (b). Signals are recorded or reproduced in this state through window
100
of the cartridge body
90
.
The unlocking piece
97
thereafter moves in the direction of arrow A relative to the cartridge
9
which is moved backward upon ejection, permitting the movement of the shutter
92
in the closing direction. The shutter
92
is therefore closed as shown in
FIG. 22
, (a) by being biased by the torsion spring
94
. In the course of closing of the shutter
92
, the unlocking piece
87
moves in sliding contact with the slope
99
of the lock member
93
, elastically shifting the lock member
93
in an unlocking direction. Consequently in the closed position of the shutter
92
shown in
FIG. 22
, (a), the recessed portion
95
of the lock member
93
and the lug
96
of the shutter
92
are opposed to each other in an unengaged state.
When the cartridge
9
is drawn out from the cartridge inlet with a further backward movement, this movement releases the locking member
93
from the unlocking piece
97
, with the result that the lock member
93
elastically restores itself, engaging the recessed portion of the lock member
93
with the lug
96
of the shutter
92
to lock the shutter
92
in its closed position.
With disk cartridges such as the one described above, the density with which signals are recorded on the disk becomes ever higher, and disk cartridges according to new standards will be developed one after another with this trend for use with signal recording systems which are different from the conventional system. When two kinds of disk cartridges of different standards are to be provided commercially, it is economically and functionally desirable that the cartridges be in common in external dimensions to permit the use of a common disk player for signal recording or reproduction. It is also likely that a disk player will be made commercially available for exclusive use with disk cartridges of each standard. The disk player thus adapted for exclusive use needs to be so designed as to prevent insertion of disk cartridges of different standard.
However, problems are encountered in modifying a disk cartridge of conventional standard for additional use as a disk cartridge according to a new standard, since the conventional disk cartridge thus modified can not be used on the conventional disk player for recording or playback. Problems are also encountered in designing a disk cartridge of new standard as greatly altered from the conventional standard not only because there arises a need to re-design the die and production equipment necessary for the fabrication of the new disk cartridge and also because the cartridge of new design makes the disk player complex in construction.
An object of the present invention is to provide disk cartridge of two standards, i.e., a cartridge of conventional standard which is not modified in any way, and a disk cartridge of new standard which is available by making a minimized modification in the design of the disk cartridge of conventional standard.
Another object of the present invention is to provide disk players for exclusive use with the respective disk cartridges of two standards, and a disk player which is usable for the disk cartridges of two standards in common for recording or playback.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
While a first disk cartridge
2
has a conventional standard, the present invention provides a second disk cartridge
7
having a new standard and different from the cartridge
2
in signal recording system.
The second disk cartridge
7
comprises a cartridge body
70
which is identical with the body
20
of the first disk cartridge
2
in external dimensions. The body
20
of the first disk cartridge
2
has an erroneous insertion preventing groove
25
formed in a front end face
2
a
thereof orthogonal to the direction A of insertion into a disk player and having a predetermined depth along the insertion direction, while the cartridge body
70
of the second disk cartridge
7
has an erroneous insertion preventing groove
71
opened at the same position as the preventing groove
25
of the first disk cartridge
2
and smaller than the preventing groove
25
in depth along the cartridge insertion direction A. The cartridge body
70
further has a cartridge identification groove
72
of predetermined depth not existing in the cartridge body
20
of the first disk cartridge
2
.
While a conventional disk player (first disk player) is used exclusively for recording on or playing back of the first disk cartridge
2
, the invention provides a new disk player (second disk player) for exclusive use with the second disk cartridge
7
for recording or playback.
While a cartridge holder
4
of the first disk player is formed with a lug
46
projecting from a side wall
48
thereof toward a cartridge accommodating chamber, a cartridge holder
8
of the second disk player is formed with a lug
81
projecting from a side wall
48
thereof toward a cartridge accommodating chamber and positioned at the same level as the lug
46
of the first disk player and rearwardly of the lug
46
along the direction A of insertion of the cartridge. The cartridge holder
8
of the second disk player is formed on a bottom wall
40
thereof with a protrusion
82
not existing in the cartridge holder
4
of the first disk p

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