Dynamic optical information storage or retrieval – Particular cabinet structure for optical media – Capable of only accepting protected insertable single...
Reexamination Certificate
2002-01-07
2004-11-30
Cao, Allen (Department: 2652)
Dynamic optical information storage or retrieval
Particular cabinet structure for optical media
Capable of only accepting protected insertable single...
C369S077210
Reexamination Certificate
active
06826767
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to cartridges containing disks and signal recording or reproduction devices for the disk.
BACKGROUND ART
FIG. 10
is a perspective view of a conventional cartridge
6
[see JP-B No. 7-36261(1995)]. The cartridge
6
comprises a flat shell
9
containing a disk
60
. The shell
6
has a side face provided with a slit
5
. In the vicinity of the slit
5
, the shell
9
has an aperture
63
formed in the upper wall thereof for exposing the disk
60
. A shutter
61
is provided over the aperture
63
and the slit
5
. A fitting hole
62
is formed in a side wall of the shutter
61
. The shutter
61
is held closed by a lock claw (not shown) within the shell
9
.
The cartridge
6
is inserted into a holder
2
pivoted to a chassis
1
. Provided inside the holder
2
is a tooth
31
movable into the slit
5
and a spring piece
37
fittable into the fitting hole
62
in the shutter
61
. The tooth
31
has an inner end positioned inwardly of the spring piece
37
. When the cartridge
6
is inserted into the holder
2
, the shutter
61
moves past the spring piece
37
and comes into contact with one end of the tooth
31
. The tooth
31
releases the lock claw from the shutter and pushes the shutter
61
open. When the holder
2
is lowered toward the chassis
1
in this state, signals can be recorded or reproduced. In the following description, the direction in which the cartridge
6
is inserted into the holder
2
will be referred to as the “front,” and the opposite direction as the “rear.”
FIG. 11
is a view in section of the holder
2
with the cartridge
6
inserted therein as the holder is seen from the direction of arrow A in FIG.
10
. When the cartridge
6
is to be unloaded from the state shown in
FIG. 11
, the cartridge
6
is manually pulled out of the holder
2
in a raised state. Since the spring piece
37
is fitting to the shutter
61
, the shutter
61
is closed when the cartridge
6
is pulled out. When the cartridge
6
is further pulled out with the shutter
61
closed, the shutter
61
is released from the spring piece
37
fitting thereto, and the cartridge
6
is unloaded from the holder.
FIG. 12
is a side elevation showing the levels of the slit
5
of the cartridge
6
, the spring piece
37
and the tooth
31
. For convenience of description, the tooth
31
is shown as brought closer to the spring piece
37
. The fitting hole
62
of the shutter
61
is positioned at the approximate midportion of thickness of the cartridge
6
, and the spring piece
37
is positioned at a level corresponding to the hole
62
. The slit
5
is positioned slightly upwardly of the approximate midportion of thickness of the cartridge
6
, while the tooth
31
is positioned at a level corresponding to the slit
5
. The slit
5
is positioned as shifted from the approximate midportion of thickness of the cartridge
6
, so that when the cartridge
6
is inserted as turned upside down in error, the tooth
31
fails to fit into the slit
5
. This obviates the likelihood that the cartridge
6
will be erroneously inserted as turned upside down.
The slit
5
comprises a horizontal groove
51
extending forward, and a guide groove
50
continuously extending from the front end of the horizontal groove
51
and enlarging toward the front. The provision of the guide groove
50
renders the tooth
31
fittable into the slit
5
easily. The lower end of the spring piece
37
is positioned downwardly of the lower edge of the horizontal grooved portion
51
, such that when the cartridge
6
is inserted toward the spring piece
37
, the spring piece
37
moves as opposed to the lower side edge of the horizontal grooved portion
51
.
However, the construction described above has the following problem to be solved.
It is likely that the cartridge
6
will be inserted into the holder
2
while backlashing upward and downward. The spring piece
37
is then likely to move into the slit
5
through the guide groove
50
as if wedging into the guide groove
50
of the slit
5
, possibly making the cartridge
6
unable to further move into the holder.
This problem may be solved by decreasing the size of the front opening of the guide groove
50
, whereas this conversely makes it difficult for the tooth
31
to enter the slit
5
.
While conducting studies on countermeasures against this problem, the present applicant directed attention to the fact that when the cartridge
6
is inserted into the holder
2
while allowing the cartridge to backlash up and down, both the spring piece
37
and the tooth
31
enter the slit
5
through the front opening of the guide groove
50
. In other words, the applicant noticed that if the spring piece
37
comes into contact with the upper or lower end of the horizontal grooved portion
51
at the side portion of the cartridge
6
without fitting into the guide groove
50
even if the cartridge
6
backlashes up and down, the spring piece
37
encounters difficulty in entering the slit
5
since the horizontal groove
51
has a smaller width than the front opening of the guide groove
50
.
An object of the present invention is to make it difficult for the spring piece to enter the slit by a simple construction.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
A shell
9
has a corner in the vicinity of a slit
5
and providing a contact face
90
. The slit
5
is provided at a front end portion thereof with a guide groove
50
positioned in the contact face
90
and enlarging toward the front.
The contact face
90
is in the form of a circular arc or slope and so shaped that the path of movement thereof intersects a spring piece
37
at a location A which is positioned rearwardly of a position B where the path of movement intersects the inner end of a tooth
31
.
REFERENCES:
patent: 63-229659 (1988-09-01), None
patent: 7-226000 (1995-08-01), None
patent: 9-282766 (1997-10-01), None
patent: 10-228705 (1998-08-01), None
patent: 02001176163 (2001-06-01), None
patent: 02001351355 (2001-12-01), None
patent: 02002157802 (2002-05-01), None
Cao Allen
Sanyo Electric Co,. Ltd.
Westerman Hattori Daniels & Adrian LLP
LandOfFree
Cartridge containing disk and device for recording or... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Cartridge containing disk and device for recording or..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Cartridge containing disk and device for recording or... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3344961