Clamping device

Details Clamping device Clamping device

2000-04-27

2001-10-02

Klimowicz, William (Department: 2652)

Dynamic information storage or retrieval

Dynamic mechanism subsystem

Specific detail of storage medium support or motion production

C369S271100

Reexamination Certificate

active

06298032

ABSTRACT:

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not Applicable
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH
Not Applicable
REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX
Not Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
A conventional clamping device of this type is shown in FIG.
3
.
FIG. 3
is a partial schematic section of a conventional clamping device S
0
, with a compact disk shown in clamped condition. Denoted
301
in
FIG. 3
is a so-called music reproducing compact disk.
The compact disk
301
is an optical disk with information recorded on one surface thereof, which is basically formed of a resin of good optical transmission such as polycarbonate. The one surface constitutes an information-bearing surface
301
a
, and the other surface constitutes a label surface
301
c
. The information-bearing surface
301
a
has thereon an information-bearing area extending radially from a predetermined inner to outer diameters, in which are recorded information by means of spirally arranged rows of pits.
The label surface
301
c
has thereon an area in which is coated and formed a film of printing paint (ink) of thermoplastic resin and the like, the area extending radially from a predetermined inner and outer diameters.
Denoted
301
b
is a center hole having a predetermined inner diameter. The area at an inner radius side around the center hole
301
b
, on each surface forms a disk clamp area. In the compact disk
301
as shown in this figure, the disk clamp area is located on the inner radius side of the information-bearing area on the information-bearing surface
301
a
and of the film-coated area on the label surface
301
c
. The clamping device S
0
clamps the compact disk
301
at the disk clamp areas.
On a disk table
402
is placed the information-bearing surface
301
a
side of the compact disk
301
. The disk table
402
, in order to level the compact disk
301
, is required to have a high flatness at the placement surface and is normally formed of metal such as iron, aluminum or the like, or rigid resin such as a composite resin of polycarbonate with glass fibers, ABS or the like, or a combination thereof.
The disk table
402
has an outer diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the information-bearing area on the information-bearing surface
301
a
and is provided at its center with a truncated cone projection
402
a
for engaging in the center hole
301
b
and positioning the compact disk
301
. The disk table
402
is secured to and rotates with a rotating shaft
403
of a motor mounted on a not-shown fixed chassis of the disk clamping device S
0
.
Denoted
404
is a clamper for pressing the compact disk
301
against the disk table
402
, which is formed of metal such as iron, aluminum or the like, resin, or a combination thereof. The clamper
404
is applied, on a surface thereof opposed to the label surface
301
c
of the compact disk
301
, with a damper sheet
404
c.
The clamper sheet
404
c
is ring-shaped, is made of non-woven fabric of synthetic fibers, nylon fibers or polyester fibers, prevents the label surface
301
c
of the compact disk
301
from getting directly scratched by the clamper
404
and damaged when the compact disk
301
is moved to a predetermined clamping position, and increases the static friction of
the clamper
404
on the compact disk
301
to prevent accidental slipping of the damper on the compact disk.
In
FIG. 3
, the clamper sheet
404
c
faces the label surface
301
c
in the disk clamp area.
The clamper
404
has a rigid steel ball
405
rotatably held at a center of its upper surface, an inverted truncated cone projection
404
a
on its lower surface which engages in an inverted truncated cone cavity formed at a center of the truncated cone projection
402
a
, and a circumferential flange
404
b.
Denoted
406
is a clamper holder which is rotatably pivoted at one end, via a pin
407
, to the fixed chassis of the clamping device S
0
. The clamper holder
406
is formed at the other end with a hook
406
a
engageable with the flange
404
b.
It is arranged that the clamper holder
406
is rotatable, by means of a not-shown mechanism of the related disk player (not shown), about the pin
407
between the position in
FIG. 3
(clamping position) and a later-described position in
FIG. 4
(clamp-released position). The clamping operation of the compact disk
301
by the clamper
404
is effected through the movement of the clamper holder
406
.
With the clamping device S
0
, to reproduce the compact disk
301
, the clamper holder
406
is rotated by the not-shown mechanism of the disk player to the position in
FIG. 3
to press, via the steel ball
405
, on the clamper
404
with a predetermined stress, so that the clamper
404
cooperates with the disk table
402
to pressingly hold the compact disk
301
therebetween.
At this time, the clamper sheet
404
c
and the disk placement surface of the disk table
402
come into contact with the compact disk
301
at the disk clamp area of the latter. Further, at this time, the hook
406
a
is located spaced from the flange
404
b
. The clamping device S
0
is thus in the position of clamping the compact disk
301
.
In this condition, if the disk table
402
is powered by the motor to rotate at a predetermined linear velocity, the clamper
404
rotates with the compact disk
301
. In this instance, because of its pressing through the clamper sheet
404
c
on the compact disk
301
, the clamper
404
does not slip on the compact disk
301
and integrally rotates with the disk table
402
and the compact disk
301
.
A not-shown pick-up of the disk player may now read recorded information at a predetermined linear velocity from the information-bearing surface
301
a of the compact disk
301
.
FIG. 4
shows the clamping device S
0
in position having released the compact disk
301
. With the clamping device S
0
, to unclamp the compact disk
301
as shown in
FIG. 4
from the clamped condition in
FIG. 3
, the clamper holder
406
is rotated to bring the hook
406
a
into engagement with the flange
404
b
and move the clamper
404
off the compact disk
301
to the position in FIG.
4
. The compact disk
301
is thus released from the pressing by the clamper
404
and unclamped.
In recent years, a compact disk player has been widely used not only at home, but also for portable and in-car purposes, with the result that a clamping device used with the player is also used under various severe conditions. Where used in car, for example, it is possible that the temperature inside a car cabin exceeds 80° C. on a mid summer day, and that a compact disk
301
is left in clamped condition by a clamping device for a long time under such conditions.
In ordinary cases, with consideration given to such a use environment, a printing paint (ink) such as will not soften even at elevated temperatures is used for forming a film of paint on a label surface
301
c
of the compact disk
301
.
It has recently been recognized, however, that there exists a disk which uses a printing paint (ink) such as will soften under the above-mentioned high temperature conditions (hereinafter referred to as special disk).
With a special disk
302
of this type, if it has a film of printing paint formed at its disk clamp area as shown in
FIG. 5
, clamping the special disk
302
will be accompanied with the following problems.
If, for example. the special disk
302
is left clamped by the clamping device S
0
in high temperature conditions, the film on the label surface
302
c
of the special disk
302
will soften, so that the softened film especially at where held by the clamping device S
0
(at where in contact with the clamper sheet
404
c
) penetrates in between fibers of the clamper sheet
404
c
during the clamping.
The above has been ascertained by an experiment in which the special disk
302
is left clamped by the clamping device S
0
for 24 hours in a 50° C. environment.
The thus softened film, with the temperature restoring to room temperature, resolidifies as-is, with the result that porti

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