Dynamic information storage or retrieval – Storage medium structure – Adjuncts or adapters
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-09
2001-03-20
Ometz, David L. (Department: 2652)
Dynamic information storage or retrieval
Storage medium structure
Adjuncts or adapters
Reexamination Certificate
active
06205115
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a disc cartridge, and more particularly to a disc cartridge having a disc-shaped medium such as an optical disc, a magneto-optical disc or the like received in a casing in a manner to be rotatable therein and removable therefrom for replacement.
In general, an information medium including, for example, a disc-shaped medium such as a magnetic disc, an optical disc, a magneto-optical disc or the like is used in the form of a disc cartridge while being received in a casing formed by joining upper and lower casing members to each other. The disc cartridge includes a shutter for selectively closing openings such as head insertion holes, drive shaft insertion holes and the like formed through the upper and lower casing members of the casing. In general, such a conventional disc cartridge is not provided with any means for taking out the disc-shaped medium from the casing for replacement. However, a disc cartridge called a CD caddie which is used for a CD-ROM or the like is constructed so as to permit a CD to be drawn out of a casing. Such a CD caddie is adapted to be used in a CD-ROM reproducing unit of the type of using the CD caddie. Thus, the disc-shaped medium is used either in the form as taken out from the disc cartridge or in the form as received in the disc cartridge depending on the type of a recording/reproducing unit, so that it is needed to take out the disc-shaped medium from the disc cartridge as required.
However, the conventional disc cartridge equipped with the disc-shaped medium takeout mechanism is not constructed so as to permit a shutter mechanism to be arranged on a side of the disc cartridge on which a disc-shaped medium takeout cover is arranged. Thus, the disc-shaped medium takeout mechanism fails to be applied to a disc cartridge of the type that openings such as head insertion holes, drive shaft insertion holes and the like are formed through an upper casing member and/or a lower casing member. (See Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 266669/1988.)
Another disc-shaped medium takeout mechanism is also proposed which is constructed so as to open only a side surface of the casing opposite to the shutter to take out the disc-shaped medium from the disc cartridge. The proposed disc-shaped medium takeout mechanism causes a disc-shaped medium takeout cover to be operated either detachably or pivotally. Detachable operation of the disc-shaped medium takeout cover leads to separation or removal of the cover from the casing, resulting in the cover being possibly lost. Pivotal operation of the cover causes it to be engaged with the casing through only pivot shafts, so that the cover, casing or pivot shafts may be broken due to application of shock or external force to the disc cartridge. Also, it fails to fully close the cover due to inclination thereof with respect to the casing, leading to a deterioration in reliability. (See Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 87677/1988.)
Further, the conventional disc cartridge of the type that the disc-shaped medium is taken out from the casing for replacement is constructed so as to take out the disc-shaped medium from the casing by gravity while keeping a disc-shaped medium takeout port of the casing downwardly directed or oriented. Thus, the disc cartridge encounters a common problem that careless or inadvertent disc taking-out operation by a user often causes accidental falling out or detachment of the disc from the casing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in view of the foregoing disadvantages of the prior art.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a disc cartridge which includes a shutter arranged on a casing so as to selectively close openings such as drive shaft insertion holes, head insertion holes and the like and which is constructed into such a structure that both upper and lower sides of the disc cartridge are formed to have substantially the same configuration, resulting in ensuring double-sided operation thereof while facilitating takeout and insertion of a disc-shaped medium with respect to the disc cartridge for replacement of the disc-shaped medium.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a disc cartridge which is capable of effectively preventing inadvertent falling out or detachment of a disc-shaped medium from a casing during handling thereof, to thereby ensure safety of the disc cartridge.
In accordance with the present invention, a disc cartridge is provided. The disc cartridge includes a casing constituted of an upper casing member and a lower casing member and a disc-shaped medium rotatably received in the casing. The casing is formed with openings including drive shaft insertion holes and head insertion holes. The disc cartridge also includes a shutter arranged on the casing so as to selectively close the openings and an elastic member arranged on the casing so as to urge the shutter in a direction in which the shutter is closed, wherein the casing is formed with a disc takeout opening through which the disc-shaped medium is taken out from the casing. The disc cartridge further includes a cover arranged in the casing so as to open and close the disc takeout opening. The disc cartridge thus generally constructed is featured in that the cover includes a disc receiving section and is slidably arranged between the upper casing member and the lower casing member, to thereby be drawn out through the disc takeout opening from the casing, resulting in the disc-shaped medium being taken out from the casing. Thus, when the cover is slidably moved in a direction opposite to the shutter, the disc receiving section of the cover in which the disc-shaped medium is received is drawn outwardly from the casing for loading or unloading the disc-shaped medium with respect to the casing, to thereby facilitate replacement of the disc-shaped medium. Further, the shutter is constantly urged in a direction of closing thereof by means of the elastic member, resulting in smooth and safe movement of the shutter being ensured.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cover is slidably drawn out from the casing in a direction opposite to the shutter by a distance equal to or more than a radius of the disc-shaped medium.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cover is provided with a bendable section so that it may be bent about the bendable section in relation to a direction in which the cover is slidably drawn out. The cover may be bent through the bendable section in the course of being drawn out from the casing, to thereby ensure smooth loading and unloading of the disc-shaped medium with respect to the casing, resulting in replacement of the disc-shaped medium being highly facilitated.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the casing includes opposite side walls which form a part of a side wall of the cartridge. The cover includes an outer wall portion which constitutes a part of the side wall of the cartridge for closing the disc takeout opening, a pair of side wall portions provided on opposite ends of the outer wall portion in a manner to extend therefrom, and a disc support section arranged so as to support a lower surface of the disc-shaped medium while being defined between the outer wall portion and side wall portions. The outer wall portion, side wall portions and disc support section cooperate with each other to provide the disc receiving section and the cover is slidably fitted in the casing while permitting the side wall portions to be slidable along the opposite side walls of the casing. Such construction ensures safe loading and unloading of the disc-shaped medium with respect to the casing by operation of the cover while preventing the disc-shaped medium from being inadvertently detached from the casing.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cover includes a stopper mechanism constituted by elastic elements adapted to be engaged with the casing. The elastic elements are engaged with respecti
Hashizume Kenji
Ikebe Masaru
Okamura Masatoshi
Chen Tianjie
Lerner David Littenberg Krumholz & Mentlik LLP
Ometz David L.
TDK Corporation
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