Cartridge in which disk is stored

Details Cartridge in which disk is stored Cartridge in which disk is stored

2002-04-09

2004-02-03

Klimowicz, William (Department: 2652)

Dynamic information storage or retrieval

Storage medium structure

Adjuncts or adapters

C360S133000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06687216

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to improvements in cartridges containing a disk serving as a recording medium.
BACKGROUND ART
FIG. 11
is a perspective view of a conventional cartridge
6
. The cartridge
6
comprises a pair of upper and lower half segments
2
,
3
butting against each other and contains a disk
60
serving as a recording medium. The upper half segment
3
has an aperture
61
formed in its top wall toward one side thereof for partly exposing the disk
60
. The aperture
61
is opened or closed by a shutter
4
slidable on the cartridge
6
. The cartridge
6
is inserted into a recording-playback device (not shown) in the same direction as the direction of movement of the shutter
4
.
A slit
63
is formed in the side wall of the cartridge
6
over which the shutter
4
is provided. When the cartridge
6
is inserted into the recording-playback device, a tooth
10
fixedly provided in the device advances into the slit
63
. The shutter
4
is held in engagement with the cartridge
6
by a lock mechanism (not shown). The tooth
10
advancing into the slit
63
unlocks the lock mechanism and pushes the shutter
4
open. In the following description, the direction of insertion of the cartridge into the device will be referred to as “front,” and the opposite direction as “rear.”
For recording or playback, the cartridge
6
is supported by prop pins
11
projecting upward from a chassis
1
as seen in FIG.
12
. The chassis
1
has a turntable
12
and a pickup
13
mounted thereon. The cartridge
6
has formed in its bottom wall a window opening
62
for passing therethrough a beam from the pickup
13
and a through hole
26
for the turntable
12
to pass through. With the shutter
4
opened, the turntable
12
passing through the hole
26
rotates the disk
60
, and the beam from the pickup
13
is projected onto the disk
60
through the window opening
62
for the regeneration of signals. For recording signals, a recording head (not shown) is brought into contact with the disk
60
through the aperture
61
.
However, the cartridge described has the following problem.
With the cartridge
6
of
FIG. 11
, the shutter
4
remains open if released from the lock for one cause or another and opened inadvertently, consequently permitting extraneous matter in the air to readily pass through the aperture
61
and adhere to the disk
60
. Accordingly, it appears useful to form an insertion opening
31
in the side wall of the cartridge
6
and insert a torsion spring
5
into the cartridge
6
through the opening
31
to bias the shutter
4
in a closing direction by the spring
5
as indicated in chain lines in FIG.
11
. The expedient comprising a torsion spring
5
is already actually used, for example, for floppy disks, such that the shutter
4
is automatically closed if opened inadvertently.
The insertion opening
31
formed in the side wall of the cartridge
6
is nevertheless likely to permit ingress of extraneous matter through the opening
31
. The extraneous matter will then cause damage to the disk
60
or interfere with the action of the torsion spring
5
.
An object of the present invention is to provide a cartridge which has a torsion spring enclosed therein for biasing the shutter in the closing direction and which is diminished in the likelihood of extraneous matter ingressing into the cartridge through an insertion opening.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
A cartridge
6
comprises half segments
2
,
3
butting against each other. An insertion opening
31
is formed in a side portion of the assembly of the cartridge half segments
2
,
3
for permitting insertion of a torsion spring
5
therethrough from outside.
A protective wall
20
is provided upright at the side portion of the half segments
2
,
3
between the insertion opening
31
and a disk
60
to define a space by the wall and the upper half segment
3
.
The space is so sized as to permit the torsion spring
5
to pass therethrough while leaving a small clearance, with legs
51
thereof directed laterally.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4853925 (1989-08-01), Kaneuchi
patent: 5063558 (1991-11-01), Takahashi
patent: 5638240 (1997-06-01), Akiyama et al.
patent: 5724217 (1998-03-01), Oishi
patent: 6166883 (2000-12-01), Miyata et al.
patent: 63-271782 (1988-11-01), None
patent: 2-292689 (1991-12-01), None
patent: 05189913 (1993-07-01), None
patent: 9-115264 (1997-05-01), None
patent: 9-237479 (1997-09-01), None

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