Dynamic information storage or retrieval – Storage medium structure – Adjuncts or adapters
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-15
2003-08-12
Hudspeth, David (Department: 2652)
Dynamic information storage or retrieval
Storage medium structure
Adjuncts or adapters
Reexamination Certificate
active
06606295
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is based upon and claims priority of Korean Patent Applications Nos. 98-28661 filed Jul. 15, 1998, 98-37103 filed Sep. 9, 1998, 98-41974 filed Oct. 8, 1998, and 98-47822 filed Nov. 9, 1998 the contents being incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an adaptor, such as an adaptor for adapting a disc having an 8-cm diameter to be accommodated by a disc drive intended for a disc having a 12-cm diameter, and more particularly, to an adaptor which includes a sensor hole determining the size of the disc, and to a method and an apparatus for driving the adaptor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, optical discs are categorized roughly as discs having a diameter of 8-cm (hereinafter referred to as 8-cm discs) and discs having a diameter of 12-cm (hereinafter referred to as 12-cm discs). Usually, the discs of different diameters are used in disc drives intended exclusively to accommodate their respective sizes. Recently, however, adaptability of the disc drive has become the important factor which determines its marketability. Accordingly, a strong demand has arisen for using an 8-cm disc as well as a 12-cm disc in the disc drive intended only for use by 12-cm discs.
To meet such a demand, an adaptor has been developed. The adaptor includes a body having the same size as a 12-cm disc cartridge which accommodates the 12-cm disc, and a disc holder to hold the 8-cm disc into the body of the adaptor while supporting the 8-cm disc. Thus, when the 8-cm disc is fixed to the disc holder which is inserted and placed in the adaptor body, the 8-cm disc can be used in the 12-cm disc drive in the adaptor which has the same size and construction as the 12-cm disc cartridge.
One example of a conventional adaptor is shown in FIG.
1
.
FIG. 1
is a plan view showing the construction of a conventional disc adaptor. In
FIG. 1
, element
1
is an adaptor body, element
2
is a disc, element
3
is a disc holder, and element
4
is a cover.
As shown in
FIG. 1
, the adaptor body
1
has the same size as a 12-cm disc cartridge. The disc holder
3
in which the disc
2
is fixed is inserted into the adaptor body
1
. The adaptors have the same size and construction as the 12-cm disc cartridge. The only difference between the adaptors and the 12-cm disc cartridge is that the 8-cm disc is accommodated in the adaptors.
The disc holder
3
is formed with a first, second, and third support sections
3
a,
3
b,
and
3
c,
respectively, for supporting the disc
2
. The first, second, and third support sections
3
a,
3
b,
and
3
c,
respectively, support the disc
2
from three points below the disc
2
. When the disc holder
3
is inserted into the adaptor body
1
and the cover
4
is closed, the disc
2
is accommodated in the adaptor body
1
.
The disc
2
, when accommodated in the adaptor body
1
, needs to be rotatable while the disc
2
is loaded on a turn table (not shown) of the disc drive. Accordingly, a predetermined gap between the disc holder
3
and the disc
2
should be maintained. Thus, the disc
2
, which is supported by the first, second, and third support sections
3
a,
3
b,
and
3
c,
is enabled to move.
Since the movement of the disc
2
is not restricted by the disc holder
3
, however, the disc
2
may be separated from the disc holder
3
and fall while the disc holder
3
is being inserted or detached into/from the adaptor body
1
. As a result, the disc
2
may be broken or damaged. Particulary when the disc
2
is separated from its intended position, i.e., when the disc
2
is in the wrong position while the turn table is driven, the information of the disc
2
may be severely damaged.
Further, since the conventional disc adaptor
5
has no structure or apparatus for determining the sizes or the status of the discs
2
in the disc drive, the information recording and/or reproducing process is occasionally lengthened.
Still further, the conventional disc drive has no apparatus for determining whether the device in the disc drive is an adaptor accommodating an 8-cm disc, or an 12-cm disc cartridge, when such a function is strongly required for rapid information recording and/or reproducing with respect to the respective discs. Accordingly, the time for recording and/or reproducing the information is lengthened.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been developed to overcome the above-mentioned problems of the prior art.
An object of the present invention is to provide a disc accommodating adaptor for securely protecting a disc by restricting the movement of the disc when the disc is fixed in a disc holder, while releasing the disc when the disc holder is inserted into the adaptor body.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a disc accommodating adaptor including sensor holes and a sensor hole opening/closing controller so that the disc drive easily determines status information of the disc accommodated in the adaptor body. The status information includes the size, whether the disc has been verified or not, whether the disc has been certified or not, etc.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a method for driving the disc accommodating adaptor which includes the sensor holes and the sensor hole opening/closing controller.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for driving the disc accommodating adaptor which includes the sensor holes and the sensor hole opening/closing controller according to the method thereof.
To accomplish the above-mentioned objects, the present invention provides a disc accommodating adaptor which includes an adaptor body, and a disc holder inserted into the adaptor body supporting a disc. An elastic press is extended from the disc holder, and elastically supports the disc to prevent a movement of the disc until the disc holder is inserted into the adaptor body. Additionally, a release is provided in the adaptor body to release the disc from the elastic press when the disc holder is inserted into the adaptor body.
The elastic press is formed on opposite sides of the disc holder to press the disc toward a center of the disc.
The release includes a projection integrally formed on an leading edge of the elastic press, and an intervening member which is disposed in the adaptor body. The intervening member pushes the projection outward by slidably contacting with the projection when the disc holder is inserted into the adaptor body, to push the elastic press which is pressing the disc toward opposite sides of the disc.
The disc accommodating adaptor according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes an adaptor body, a disc holder inserted into the adaptor body supporting a disc, an elastic press extended from the disc holder elastically supporting the disc to prevent the movement of the disc until the disc holder is inserted into the adaptor body, a release releasing the elastic press when the disc holder is inserted into the adaptor body, a lock holding the disc holder in a predetermined position with respect to the adaptor body; and an unlocker unlocking the disc holder from the adaptor body.
The lock includes a pair of elastic locking projections disposed on opposite sides of the disc holder to be elastically biased outward, and a pair of locking recesses defined in the adaptor body to correspond with the pair of elastic locking projections, respectively.
The unlocker includes a pair of pressing members having protrusions to contact with the elastic locking projections of the disc holder after passing through the locking recesses, respectively.
The disc accommodating adaptor according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a gripping section formed on the disc holder, and an opening defined on the front side of the adaptor body. As a result, the gripping section is positioned outside of the adaptor body. Accordingly, the user is able to detach the disc holder from the adaptor body easily, by simply
Choi Han-kook
Ko Jung-wan
Lee Kyu-hyeong
Park Hee-deuk
Park In-sik
Castro Angel
Hudspeth David
Samsung Electronics Co,. Ltd.
Staas & Halsey , LLP
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