Disk drive with slider pressure plate

Details Disk drive with slider pressure plate Disk drive with slider pressure plate

2000-06-19

2004-08-24

Chen, Tianjie (Department: 2652)

Dynamic optical information storage or retrieval

Dynamic mechanism optical subsystem

Transducer carriage or actuator

Reexamination Certificate

active

06782547

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a disk apparatus using a disk as a recording medium, and more particularly to a disk apparatus having an arrangement for loading a disk cartridge securely into the disk apparatus.
BACKGROUND ART
Conventionally, a disk cartridge has been proposed in which a cartridge accommodates a recording disk such as an optical disk or a magneto-optic disk in such a manner that the disk can rotate in the cartridge. The disk cartridge has an opening through which an optical pickup or a magnetic head can access the recording disk so as to write or read an information signal onto or from the disk.
A shutter arrangement whose shutter member can slide is attached to the disk cartridge so that the opening of the cartridge can be opened or closed with the shutter member. When the disk cartridge is not used, the shutter arrangement closes the opening for protection against intrusion by dust or fingers. When the cartridge is used, the shutter member slides away from the opening which is then opened.
A shutter opening/closing arrangement is provided for the disk apparatus, which allows the shutter member to be opened or closed in loading or removing the disk cartridge onto or from the disk apparatus.
The shutter opening/closing arrangement typically includes a shutter opening hook for allowing the shutter member to slide away from the opening which is in turn opened, and a shutter closing hook for allowing the shutter member to slide onto the opening which is in turn closed. In recent years, a small and light-weight disk apparatus is demanded. This demand currently requires a shutter opening/closing arrangement which has simple configuration but securely works while maintaining high performance.
Products using such a disk cartridge is much required to be small in size and in weight in accordance with the trend of the present times. When such a disk apparatus is used in a car, since a space for accommodating the disk apparatus is limited, the outer dimensions of the apparatus need to be minimized.
The above-described cartridge has an advantage of providing ease of use because the recording side of the disk is enclosed so as not to be typically exposed. This ease of use is a reason that the use of such a disk cartridge has been widespread. PCT Japanese National Phase Laid-Open Publication No. 7-7554 discloses a disk apparatus having an emphasis on operability in loading and removing the disk cartridge into and from the disk apparatus.
The invention disclosed the above-described publication will be explained in more detail. The publication describes an auto-loading function in which a disk cartridge is inserted halfway into the apparatus and is then automatically drawn within to a predetermined position. The operation of this auto-loading function will be explained with reference to drawings.
FIG. 25
is a plan view illustrating a disk cartridge
3
for use in a disk apparatus described in the publication. As shown in
FIG. 25
, an opening
535
is formed, through which an optical pickup or a magnetic head can access and can write or read information.
FIG. 26
is a perspective view illustrating an overview of a disk apparatus
500
into which the disk cartridge
503
is to be inserted. To load the disk cartridge
503
in the disk apparatus
500
, the disk cartridge
503
is inserted into an insert slot
546
on the front side of the disk apparatus
500
; the disk cartridge
503
pushes a door
547
and enters into a holder
504
; when inserted halfway, the disk cartridge
503
and the holder
504
are integrally driven to translate in a horizontal direction and a vertical direction along guide grooves
519
and
520
formed in a frame member
501
.
A small and light-weighted disk apparatus for the disk cartridge is required particularly for cars where the accommodation space limits the outer dimensions of the disk apparatus. Furthermore, the disk recording and reproduction should be stable against vibration. A disk apparatus which is carried in a car needs to maintain its quality under rigorous conditions such as user's rough handling.
The above-described disk cartridge which accommodates a recording disk is easy for a user to handle since the recording surface of the disk is enclosed and thus not exposed. The outer surface of the cartridge provides an area for a label which allows consumers to use it in their own way.
Japanese Laid-Open Utility Model Publication No. 5-1006 discloses a downsized disk apparatus.
The object of the invention described in the publication is to facilitate control of movement of a movable support and to reduce the cost. In the disk apparatus, the direction, in which a case accommodating a disk moves in loading or removing, is limited to one direction, and an optical pickup, a spindle motor and the like are also movable, thereby downsizing the disk apparatus.
Hereinafter, the invention described in the above-described publication will be described.
In
FIG. 27
, a case
610
accommodating a disk is moved in a Y
1
or Y
2
direction. A movable base
603
carrying an optical pickup can be swung with respect to a fixed base
602
by a base pin
642
a
provided at an end of the base
603
.
FIGS. 28 and 29
show a side view of the disk apparatus shown in
FIG. 27
from the left side thereof. An elevator member
644
is moved in the right or left direction of
FIGS. 28 and 29
. This movement allows cam grooves formed in the resin plates
651
a
and
651
b
to move the base pins
642
a
and
642
b
upward or downward, so that the optical pickup is moved from a standby position to a play position or vice versa.
Japanese Laid-Open Publication No. 8-45159 discloses a conventional shutter opening/closing arrangement having a simple configuration which will be explained below.
FIG. 30
illustrates a cartridge
705
accommodating a disk in such a manner that the disk can rotate in the cartridge. The cartridge
705
includes an opening
723
for a magnetic head on the upper side of the cartridge. A portion of the signal recording surface of a disk is exposed through the opening
723
. The cartridge
705
also includes an opening
722
for an optical pickup on the lower side of the cartridge at a position corresponding to the opening
723
. The opening
723
for a magnetic head and the opening
722
for an optical pickup can be opened and closed by a shutter member
706
. The shutter member
706
includes an upper cover plate and a lower cover plate corresponding to the openings
723
and
722
, respectively, and facing each other in parallel; and a supported plate for linking one end of the upper cover plate and one end of the lower cover plate. These three plates are integrally made of a thin metal plate. The supported plate can slide along a guide groove
707
formed on a side of the cartridge
705
.
In
FIGS. 31 and 32
, a rotating member
710
made of synthesized resin or the like is biased in the counterclockwise direction around a support hole
757
. The rotating member
710
has a shutter hook
760
at the front end thereof used in closing the openings, the hook extending toward the cartridge
705
; and a rotation controlling portion
761
extending toward the cartridge
705
at the rear end thereof. The hook
760
and the portion
761
are integrally combined.
Then, the operation of the shutter opening/closing arrangement will be explained below.
When the cartridge
705
is being inserted in a direction shown by arrow B
1
in
FIG. 31
, the shutter closing hook
760
is initially positioned apart from the shutter member
706
on the right side of the cartridge
705
. When the cartridge
705
is inserted, the cartridge
705
strikes the rotation controlling portion
761
so that the rotating member
710
rotates in a direction shown in
FIG. 31
by an arrow D, allowing the shutter closing hook
760
to snap and engage into a shutter closing hole
708
. Then the cartridge
705
further goes inside the disk apparatus when a shutter opening hook
759
strikes the front end of the supported plate and then prevents the shutter member

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