Dynamic information storage or retrieval – With particular cabinet structure – Slotted for edgewise insertion of storage disc
Reexamination Certificate
1998-07-06
2001-07-17
Ometz, David L. (Department: 2754)
Dynamic information storage or retrieval
With particular cabinet structure
Slotted for edgewise insertion of storage disc
C369S291100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06262959
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a disc cartridge adapted for exchangeably accommodating discs such as optical disc or magneto-optical disc, etc. which serves as a recording medium of information signals, and more particularly to a disc cartridge for permitting loading with respect to a disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus to which disc cartridge having shutter for opening or closing an opening portion which allows the disc to be faced toward the external of the disc in place of the disc cartridge.
BACKGROUND ART
Hitherto, there are used discs such as optical disc or magneto-optical disc, etc. as recording medium of information signals.
In the disc of this kind, there are discs in which loading with respect to disc recording and/or reproducing unit is carried out by the disc alone and there are discs in which disc is accommodated within the disc cartridge and loading with respect to the disc recording and/or reproducing unit is carried out in the state where the disc is accommodated within this disc cartridge.
As disc recording and/or reproducing unit adapted for carrying out loading by the disc alone without being accommodated into the disc cartridge, there are used disc recording and/or reproducing unit of the tray loading system using disc tray.
The disc recording and/or reproducing unit of the tray loading system comprises, as shown in
FIG. 1
, a disc tray
203
for carrying out loading of disc
202
handled by the disc alone with respect to the unit body
201
. The disc tray
203
is adapted so that a recess shaped disc mounting portion
204
on which the disc
202
is mounted is provided at one surface side, and is provided so that it can be moved within the range between a first position at which the disc mounting portion
204
is projected toward the external of the unit body
201
through an opening portion
205
provided at the unit body
201
and a second position in which the disc mounting portion is accommodated within the unit body
201
.
In order to carry out loading of the disc
202
, the disc tray
203
is moved from the unit body
201
to the first position of the external of the unit body
201
to mount the disc
202
on the disc mounting portion
204
. Then, the disc tray
203
is moved to the second position within the unit body
201
, whereby the disc
202
mounted on the disc mounting portion
204
is caused to undergo loading with respect to the recording and/or reproducing unit provided within the unit body
201
.
In this way, in the disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus adapted so that disc
202
is caused to undergo loading by the disc alone, there is the possibility that disc
202
may be damaged during loading. When the disc
202
is damaged, missing in recording/reproduction of information signals is caused to take place.
In order to realize protection of the disc
202
, a disc cartridge
211
adapted for accommodating this disc
202
is used. This disc cartridge
211
serves to exchangeably accommodate the disc
202
, and comprises, as shown in
FIG. 2
, a cartridge body
212
for accommodating the disc
202
, and a cover body
214
for opening/closing the opened side for carrying out insertion/withdrawal of disc
202
provided at the cartridge body
212
. At a bottom surface portion
212
a
of the cartridge body
212
, a disc mounting portion
215
on which disc
202
is mounted is provided, and the disc
202
is accommodated in the state mounted on the disc mounting portion
215
. At the bottom surface portion
212
a
of the cartridge body
212
, there is provided an opening portion
216
for allowing the portion extending from the central portion of the disc
202
toward the outer circumferential side to be faced to the external. The disc
202
accommodated within this disc cartridge
211
can be desirably exchanged by opening the cover body
214
.
As the disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus using the disc cartridge
211
which has accommodated the disc
202
in this way, there is used an apparatus of the slot-in system which can directly carry out loading of the disc cartridge
211
into the unit body without using the disc tray. As shown in
FIG. 3
, this disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus of the slot-in system serves to carry out loading of the disc cartridge
211
through a cartridge insertion/withdrawal hole
222
provided at the front side of the unit body
221
.
Meanwhile, there are instances where user desires to carry out loading by the disc alone in order to realize promptly or easiness of loading operation in discs of a certain kind such as optical disc of the reproduction only type, etc. In view of the above, there has been proposed a disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus which permits disc
202
to undergo loading by disc alone along with disc cartridge
211
which has accommodated the disc
202
therewithin. This disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus is the apparatus employing the tray loading system. As shown in
FIG. 4
, this disc recording/reproducing apparatus includes a disc tray
232
provided with a cartridge mounting portion
231
on which disc
202
or disc cartridge
211
can be mounted. This disc tray
232
is movably disposed within the range between first position at which cartridge mounting portion
231
provided at one surface side is projected toward the external of the unit body
234
and second position at which the cartridge loading portion
231
is accommodated within the unit body
234
.
In this disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus, in order to allow disc cartridge
211
which has accommodated the disc
202
to undergo loading, disc cartridge
211
is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion
231
to move the disc tray
232
to second position within the unit body
233
, whereby the disc cartridge
211
mounted on the cartridge mounting portion
231
is loaded with respect to the cartridge loading portion within the unit body
234
so that disc
202
accommodated within the disc cartridge
211
is loaded with respect to the recording and/or reproducing unit.
Moreover, in the case where the disc
202
is loaded by disc alone, disc
202
is mounted on the disc mounting portion provided within the cartridge loading portion
231
to move the disc tray
232
to the second position within the unit body
233
, whereby the disc
202
mounted on the disc mounting portion is loaded with respect to the recording and/or reproducing section provided within the unit body
234
.
Both the disc alone and the cartridge are permitted to undergo loading, whereby loading corresponding to kind of disc can be selected. Thus, improvement in the operability can be realized. However, in the case of carrying out loading of disc without accommodating it into the disc cartridge, it is difficult to prevent attachment of dust onto the disc thus to securely prevent so that the disc is damaged.
In order to realize reliable protection of the disc, it is desirable to accommodate it within the disc cartridge.
Meanwhile, in the disc cartridge
211
which has exchangeably accommodated the above-described disc
202
, in order to carry out exchange of the disc
202
, it is necessary to once eject the disc from the disc recording and/or reproducing unit to carry out opening/closing operation of the cover body
214
to carry out exchange with other disc
202
. As a result, the exchange work becomes complicated.
In order to reduce the exchange work of the disc
202
or to eliminate such exchange work, it is necessary to prepare disc cartridges
211
corresponding to the number of discs
202
. As a result, a large space is required for storage of the disc
202
.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
An object of this invention is to provide a disc cartridge capable of exchanging the disc in the state where it is loaded with respect to a recording and/or reproducing unit for the purpose of easily exchanging the disc.
Another object of this invention is to provide a disc cartridge capable of carrying out loading in place of this disc cartridge with respect to a disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus
Castro Angel
Maioli Jay H.
Ometz David L.
Sony Corporation
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