Dynamic information storage or retrieval – Storage medium structure – Adjuncts or adapters
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-25
2003-06-10
Nguyen, Hoa T. (Department: 2652)
Dynamic information storage or retrieval
Storage medium structure
Adjuncts or adapters
C360S133000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06577592
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an optical disc housing a disc-shaped recording medium, such as an optical disc or a magneto-optical disc. More particularly, it relates to a disc cartridge having a shutter member adapted for opening/closing an aperture provided in the main cartridge body unit in which is housed a disc-shaped recording medium.
2. Description of Related Art
Up to now, a disc cartridge, having housed therein a disc-shaped recording medium, such as an optical disc or a magneto-optical disc, used as a recording medium for a recording and/or reproducing apparatus, has been in widespread use. As this sort of the disc cartridge, such a one constructed as shown in
FIG. 1
has been in use. The disc cartridge
1
, shown in
FIG. 1
, has rotatably housed therein an optical disc
5
in a disc housing unit provided in a main cartridge body unit
4
obtained on abutting and interconnecting upper and lower cartridge halves. In the upper and lower sides of the main cartridge body unit
4
, housing the optical disc
5
therein, there is formed a recording and/or reproducing aperture
6
for exposing at least a portion of the signal recording surface of the optical disc housed in the disc housing unit to outside across the inner and outer rims of the disc and for allowing the recording and/or reproducing means, such as an objective lens or a magnetic head of the optical pickup device, to face the optical disc
5
.
The disc cartridge
1
is loaded on the disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus, and is stored, as the optical disc
5
is housed therein. The disc cartridge
1
is fitted with a shutter member
7
for closing the aperture
6
during storage of the disc cartridge a and for opening the aperture
6
when loading the disc cartridge on the disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus, in order to prevent intrusion of dust and dirt or the like foreign matter through the aperture
6
during the storage of the disc cartridge and resulting contamination of the optical disc
5
.
The shutter member
7
is formed from a thin metal sheet and fabricated by punching, bending and severing a metal sheet material. The shutter member
7
is made up of first and second shutter portions
7
a
,
7
b
, extending parallel to each other for closing the apertures
6
formed in the upper and lower sides of the main cartridge body unit
4
, and a connecting piece
7
c
interconnecting the proximal ends of the shutter portions
7
a
,
7
b
, to an overall U-shaped profile. On one side of the connecting piece
7
c
is formed a movement guide portion
7
d
engaged with the front side of the lower cartridge half
3
and which is adapted for guiding the direction of movement of the shutter member
7
. In the connecting piece
7
c
is bored an engagement opening
8
engaged by a movement controlling member provided on the recording and/or reproducing apparatus.
The shutter member
7
, constructed as described above, is fitted from the front side of the main cartridge body unit
4
, so that the first and second shutter portions
7
a
,
7
b
will extend over the aperture
6
. At this time, the movement guide portion
7
d
is fitted on the front side of the lower cartridge half
3
and engagement pieces on the proximal side of the second shutter portion
7
b
and on the movement guide portion
7
d
are engaged in a movement guide groove formed in the outer surface of the lower cartridge half
3
, whereby the shutter member
7
is prevented from being incidentally detached from the main cartridge body unit
4
and is mounted for movement along the front side of the main cartridge body unit
4
.
On one corner of the front surface of the main cartridge body unit
4
, there is arranged a shutter lock member
9
for controlling the movement of the shutter member
7
moved to the position of closing the aperture
6
provided in the main cartridge body unit
4
to maintain the closed state of the aperture
6
. This shutter lock member
9
, formed of synthetic resin, has a mounting portion
9
a
for the lower cartridge half
3
on its proximal end. From the mounting portion
9
a
, there is extended a resiliently flexible lock arm section
9
b
having a substantially U-shaped cross-section. The distal end of the lock arm section
9
b
is provided with an engagement recess
9
c
engaged by a lock piece
7
e
formed by bending a portion of the movement guide portion
7
d
of the shutter member
7
. When the shutter member
7
is moved to a position of closing the aperture
6
provided in the main cartridge body unit
4
, the lock piece
7
e
is engaged in the engagement recess
9
c
, so that the shutter lock member
9
controls the movement of the shutter member
7
to hold the aperture
6
in the closed state.
In the front surface of the main cartridge body unit
4
is formed an opening actuating member engagement groove
10
into which is intruded a shutter opening actuating member provided on the disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus for resiliently displacing the shutter lock member
9
to disengage the lock piece
7
e
from the engagement recess
9
c
. This engagement groove
10
is formed in the front surface of the main cartridge body unit
4
by into the lateral side perpendicular to the front surface of the main cartridge body unit
4
.
When the above-described disc cartridge
1
is progressively introduced into the disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus, with one of the lateral sides perpendicular to the front side carrying the shutter member
7
as the inserting end, with the direction indicated by arrow X in
FIG. 1
as an inserting direction, the movement controlling member
11
for the shutter member
7
, provided on the disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus, rides on the movement guide portion
7
d
of the shutter member
7
and subsequently on the connecting piece
7
c
from the front side of the main cartridge body unit
4
. Subsequently to riding of the movement controlling member
11
on the front surface of the main cartridge body unit
4
, a shutter opening actuating member
12
provided on the disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus is intruded into the opening actuating member engagement groove
10
to cause resilient flexure of a lock arm section
9
b
of the shutter lock member
9
towards the inside of the main cartridge body unit
4
. When the disc cartridge is further introduced into the disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus, the movement controlling member
11
is engaged in an engagement opening bored in the connecting piece
7
c
to control the movement of the shutter member
7
. The shutter opening actuating member
12
also causes the lock arm section
9
b
towards the inside of the main cartridge body unit
4
to disengage the lock piece
7
e
from the lock recess
9
c.
When the shutter member
7
is unlocked to control the movement of the shutter member
7
and the disc cartridge
1
is subsequently introduced further into the interior of the recording and/or reproducing apparatus, the main cartridge body unit
4
is moved relative to the movement-controlled shutter member
7
, in the direction indicated by arrow X in
FIG. 1
, to open the aperture
6
. Since the shutter member
7
is maintained in its movement-controlled state by the movement controlling member
11
, the shutter member
7
is maintained in its state of having opened the aperture
6
. The optical pickup device and/or the magnetic head is allowed to face the optical disc
5
through this aperture
6
to permit recording and/or reproduction of information signals.
When the recording or reproduction of information signals recorded on or reproduced from the optical disc
5
comes to a close, and the disc is to be ejected, the disc cartridge
1
is moved to outside of the disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus in a direction opposite to the arrow X direction in FIG.
1
. Since the shutter member
7
is maintained by the movement controlling member
11
in the movement-controlled state, only the main cartridge body unit
4
is moved rel
Nguyen Dzung C.
Nguyen Hoa T.
LandOfFree
Disc cartridge does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Disc cartridge, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Disc cartridge will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3116719