Dynamic optical information storage or retrieval – Particular cabinet structure for optical media – Capable of only accepting protected insertable single...
Reexamination Certificate
2002-06-26
2004-08-10
Letscher, George J. (Department: 2653)
Dynamic optical information storage or retrieval
Particular cabinet structure for optical media
Capable of only accepting protected insertable single...
C206S001500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06775836
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical disk player, and more particularly to a device for opening and closing a lid of an optical disk player, which is adapted to easily open a lid by using a pickup disposed in a player body.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, an optical disk player serves to write or read data to or from a disk, and can be currently divided into three types of a tray disk type, a caddy type and a lid type.
As shown in
FIG. 1
, the lid type of optical disk player is constructed in such a way that a lid
20
is hingedly coupled to a player body
10
provided therein with a pickup
30
so that the lid
20
can be opened and closed with respect to the player body
10
.
FIGS. 2 and 3
show a conventional device for opening and closing a lid of an optical disk player.
As depicted in
FIGS. 1
to
3
, the lid
20
, which is hingedly coupled to the player body
10
at its rear end, is provided at a side of its front end with a hook
22
extended downwardly, and the player body
10
is provided with a locking hole
12
at a position corresponding to the hook
22
. The player body
10
is also provided with a catcher
40
at the inside of the locking hole
12
, which is selectively engaged with the hook
22
.
In the conventional optical disk player, the lid
20
is biased to the opened position by a spring (not shown).
The catcher
40
is formed at one end with a connecting hole
42
which is fitted on a center pin
43
such that the catcher
40
can be rotated about the center pin
43
. The other end of the catcher
40
is provided with a catching protrusion
44
having a slanted surface inclined downwardly.
A solenoid
50
is formed at rear end of the catcher
40
and a rod of solenoid
52
is coupled to rear end of the catcher
40
so that the catcher
40
can be selectively rotated.
In other words, when the solenoid
50
is supplied with electric current, the rod
52
is retracted rearwardly, thus pulling the catcher
40
rearwardly. On the other hand, when the supply of the current to the solenoid
50
is stopped, the rod
52
is extended forwardly by restoring force of a spring
54
surrounding the rod
52
, thereby allowing the catcher
40
to be restored to the normal position.
In this connection, the player body
10
is provided at its front portion with a button
14
. Upon pressing the button
14
, the solenoid
50
is supplied with electric current. Releasing of the button
14
stops the supply of current to the solenoid
50
.
The catcher
40
is provided at its lower surface with a support shaft
46
extended downwardly. A lower end of the support shaft
46
comes into close contact with a bottom surface of the player body
10
, thereby preventing the catcher
40
from drooping down.
Furthermore, A limit plate
48
is disposed below the catcher
40
in order to prevent the catcher
40
from being rotated beyond a certain rotating range as the catcher
40
is rotated about the center pin
43
.
The limit plate
48
is disposed in the player body
10
with a spacing therebetween, and is provided with a curved side surface
48
a
along which the support shaft
46
is guided.
In an operation of the conventional device, when the lid
20
is closed, the hook
22
of the lid
20
is inserted into the locking hole
12
of the player body
10
, and presses the catching protrusion
44
of the catcher
40
while sliding on the slant surface of the catching protrusion
44
.
Therefore, the catching protrusion
44
of the catcher
40
is moved rearwardly and thus rotated about the center pin
43
by the pressure. When the lid
20
is completely closed, the catching protrusion
44
is moved forwardly by the restoring force of the spring
54
and then engages with the hook
22
, thereby enabling the lid
20
to be maintained in the closed position.
In order to open the lid
20
, the button
14
provided on the player body
10
is pressed. Upon pressing the button
14
, the solenoid
50
is supplied with electric current to retract the rod
52
, thereby pulling and rotating the catcher
40
rearwardly. As the catcher
40
is rotated, the catching protrusion
44
is released from the engagement with hook
22
, so that the lid
20
is opened upwardly by restoring force of a spring.
When a user's finger releases the button
14
, the electric current being supplied to the solenoid
50
is interrupted, so that the catcher
40
is rotated and restored to the normal position by restoring force of the spring
54
.
However, since a conventional device for opening and closing a lid requires a number of electric and mechanical components, manufacturing cost of products is increased, and considerable attention must be paid to selection of the various components in the design of products.
Furthermore, since a number of components are required in manufacturing the device, assembling efficiency and productivity are decreased. In addition, rejection rate of products is increased due to tolerances of components, and thus quality of products is deteriorated.
Moreover, since a conventional device for opening and closing a lid includes a catcher disposed in a player body, a space required for operation of the catcher must be added to the player body, thereby increasing dimensions of the player body.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a device for opening and closing a lid of an optical disk player, which is intended to decrease manufacturing cost of products and to improve assembling efficiency and productivity by reduction of components, and which is intended to minimize rejection rate of products by improvement of product quality.
In order to accomplish the above object, the present invention provides a device for opening and closing a lid of an optical disk player, comprising: a player body provided at its side portion with a button and provided at its upper surface with a locking hole; a lid which is hingedly coupled to an end of the player body to selectively cover the player body, and is biased upwardly by a spring, the lid being provided with a hook projected downwardly therefrom at a location corresponding to the locking hole of the player body; a pickup disposed in the player body to be moved back and forth, which is provided at its side with a pusher extended laterally; a catcher disposed in the player body to be moved back and forth, which is provided at its front end with a catching protrusion to be engaged with the hook and provided at its rear end with a contact plate to be in contact with the pusher, and which includes a connecting rod connected between the catching protrusion and the contact plate; and a spring disposed in the player body to bias the catcher forwardly.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4694362 (1987-09-01), Oosaka et al.
patent: 58158073 (1983-09-01), None
patent: 09091937 (1997-04-01), None
Letscher George J.
Morgan & Lewis & Bockius, LLP
Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co. Ltd.
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