Disc drive apparatus

Details Disc drive apparatus Disc drive apparatus

2002-03-21

2004-08-10

Castro, Angel (Department: 2653)

Dynamic information storage or retrieval

Dynamic mechanism subsystem

Specific detail of storage medium support or motion production

Reexamination Certificate

active

06775225

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disc drive apparatus for driving an optical disc, and more particularly to a disc drive apparatus equipped with a disc holding mechanism for detachably holding the optical disc thereon.
2. Description of the Related Art
Up until now, there have been proposed a wide variety of conventional disc drive apparatuses each designed to drive an optical disc, such as a compact disc (CD) and a digital versatile disc (DVD), having a central portion formed with a circular hole. The conventional disc drive apparatuses of this kind have so far been available for various information recording and/or reproducing apparatuses. The conventional disc drive apparatuses thus proposed are disclosed in the Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-134462 and the Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-269722.
One typical example of the conventional disc drive apparatuses is raised as a forcible mount type of conventional disc drive apparatus. The conventional disc drive apparatus of this type comprises a disc retaining member formed with a peripheral ledge, a plurality of disc holding members each movably supported by the disc retaining member, and a plurality of spring members each intervening between the disc retaining member and each of the disc holding members to have each of the disc holding members resiliently urged radially outwardly of the disc retaining member. The disc retaining member, the disc holding members and the spring members are collectively constitute a disc holding mechanism for detachably holding the optical disc thereon.
In the conventional disc drive apparatus thus constructed, the optical disc is mounted on the disc retaining member under the state that the central portion of the optical disc is received in the peripheral ledge of the disc retaining member with each of the disc holding members being resiliently urged by each of the spring members radially outwardly of the disc retaining member to have each of the disc holding members held in contact with the central portion of the optical disc to hold the optical disc to the disc retaining member. In this example, the optical disc is forcibly mounted on and dismounted from the disc retaining member against the resilient force of each of the spring members.
Another typical example of the conventional disc drive apparatuses is raised as a mechanical mount type of conventional disc drive apparatus and shown in
FIGS. 13
to
16
. The conventional disc drive apparatus
900
of this type comprises a frame member
910
, a disc retaining member
920
supported by the frame member
910
and rotatable around its rotation axis, a cam member
930
rockably supported by the disc retaining member
920
, a plurality of disc holding members
940
each supported by the disc retaining member
920
and operatively coupled with the cam member
930
, and a plurality of spring members
950
each intervening between the disc retaining member
920
and each of the disc holding members
940
to have each of the disc holding members
940
resiliently urged radially outwardly of the disc retaining member
920
.
The disc retaining member
920
is formed with a peripheral ledge
921
and operative to assume two different operation states including a disc retaining state in which the optical disc, not shown, is mounted on the disc retaining member
920
under the state that the central portion of the optical disc is received in the peripheral ledge
921
of the disc retaining member
920
, and a non-retaining state in which the optical disc is dismounted from the disc retaining member
920
.
The cam member
930
is rockable with respect to the disc retaining member
920
to assume two different operation positions including a first rocking position shown in
FIGS. 16A and 16B
, and a second rocking position shown in
FIGS. 14A and 14B
. The cam member
930
is formed with a plurality of grooves
931
each having opposing side surfaces
931
a
and
931
b
opposing and spaced apart from each other at a constant space distance.
Each of the disc holding members
940
has a holding end
941
and is movable with respect to the disc retaining member
920
to assume two different operation positions including a disc holding position in which the holding end
941
of each of the disc holding members
940
is held in contact with the central portion of the optical disc to hold the optical disc to the disc retaining member
920
under the state that the cam member
930
is rocked to assume the first rocking position as shown in
FIGS. 16A and 16B
, and a disc releasing position in which the holding end
941
of each of the disc holding members
940
is held out of contact with the central portion of the optical disc to release the optical disc from the disc retaining member
920
under the state that the cam member
930
is rocked to assume the second rocking position as shown in
FIGS. 14A and 14B
.
Each of the disc holding members
940
has a projection
942
received in each of the grooves
931
of the cam member
930
and slidably movable along the opposing side surfaces
931
a
and
931
b
of each of the grooves
931
of the cam member
930
to have each of the disc holding members
940
moved between the disc holding position and the disc releasing position. The opposing side surfaces
931
a
and
931
b
of each of the grooves
931
of the cam member
930
are spaced apart from each other at the constant space distance approximately equal to the diameter of the projection
942
of each of the disc holding members
940
.
Each of the spring members
950
intervenes between the disc retaining member
920
and each of the disc holding members
940
to have each of the disc holding members
940
resiliently urged to assume the disc holding position as shown in
FIGS. 16A and 16B
.
The disc retaining member
920
, the cam member
930
, the disc holding members
940
and the spring members
950
are collectively constitute a disc holding mechanism
960
designed to detachably hold the optical disc thereon.
The conventional disc drive apparatus
900
further comprises a cam rocking member
970
movably supported by the frame member
910
, an optical pickup unit
980
for recording information to and reproducing information from the optical disc, and a changeover lever
990
operatively connected to the cam rocking member
970
.
The cam rocking member
970
is movable with respect to the frame member
910
to assume two different operation positions including an engaging position in which the cam rocking member
970
is held in engagement with the cam member
930
to have the cam member
930
rocked to assume the second rocking position as shown in
FIGS. 13A and 13B
, and a disengaging position in which the cam rocking member
970
is held out of engagement with the cam member
930
to have the cam member
930
rocked to assume the first rocking position as shown in
FIGS. 15A and 15B
.
The optical pickup unit
980
is supported by the frame member
910
and movable toward and away from the rotation axis of the disc retaining member
920
. The optical pickup unit
980
includes a pushing end
981
and a protrusion
982
and is operative to assume three different operation states including a cam releasing state in which the optical pickup unit
980
is moved toward the rotation axis of the disc retaining member
920
with the pushing end
981
of the optical pickup unit
980
being held in contact with the cam rocking member
970
to have the cam rocking member
970
moved to assume the disengaging position as shown in
FIGS. 15A and 15B
, a cam holding state in which the optical pickup unit
980
is moved away from the rotation axis of the disc retaining member
920
with the protrusion
982
of the optical pickup unit
980
being held in contact with the changeover lever
990
to have the cam rocking member
970
moved to assume the engaging position through the changeover lever
990
as shown in
FIGS. 13A and 13B
, and a recording and reproducing state in which the op

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