Dynamic information storage or retrieval – Information location or remote operator actuated control – Selective addressing of storage medium
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-15
2003-07-29
Miller, Brian E. (Department: 2652)
Dynamic information storage or retrieval
Information location or remote operator actuated control
Selective addressing of storage medium
Reexamination Certificate
active
06600702
ABSTRACT:
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
The present document is based on Japanese Priority Document JP 2000-350520, filed in the Japanese Patent Office on Nov. 17, 2000, the entire contents of which being incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to: a disc cartridge provided with a plurality of trays each holding a disc, and a cartridge case assembled so as to enable those trays to be taken in and out, in which an operating unit disposed in the tray is drawn or pressed to thereby take the tray in and out; and a disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus (hereafter, referred to as a disc auto-changer) for recording on and/or reproducing from the disc on the tray by using the disc cartridge.
2. Description of the Related Art
A disc cartridge shown in
FIG. 32
is known as the above-mentioned disc cartridge (also referred to as a disc magazine). The disc cartridge
201
is provided with a plurality of trays
203
each holding a discoid recording medium (hereafter, referred to as a disc)
202
; and a cartridge case
204
assembled so as to enable those trays
203
to be taken in and out, in which an operating unit
205
(hereafter, referred to as a hook) disposed in the tray
203
is drawn or pressed to thereby take the tray
203
in and out of the cartridge case
204
.
The disc cartridge
201
is used in such a way that the respective trays
203
are taken out of the cartridge case
204
, and the respective discs
202
are placed thereon. The disc cartridge
201
is loaded into a disc auto-changer (not shown in
FIG. 23
) in a condition that the trays
203
are returned back to the case
204
.
As shown in
FIG. 33
, the disc auto-changer
301
is provided with: a cartridge loader
302
for loading the disc cartridge
201
; an elevating unit, namely, an elevator
303
arranged opposite to an opening of the cartridge loader
302
; and an elevating control mechanism
304
for vertically elevating the elevator
303
along one side of the disc cartridge
201
.
After the elevating control mechanism
304
moves the elevator
303
to a position corresponding to a tray
203
on which a desired disc
202
is placed, a loading mechanism
305
disposed in the elevator
303
pulls the tray
203
into the elevator
303
. Then, as shown in
FIG. 34B
, the disc
202
on the tray
203
is placed on a turn table
306
, and chucked by a chucking plate
307
. After that, a disc recording and/or reproducing unit composed of an optical pickup and the like mounted on the elevator
303
records on and/or reproduces from the disc.
By the way, in the case of the disc cartridge
201
and the disc auto-changer
301
, as shown in
FIG. 35
, left and right sides
204
a
,
204
b
of the cartridge case
204
and left and right sides
303
a
,
303
b
of the elevator
303
serve as guide planes of the tray
203
. The tray
203
is slid while it is guided by those guide planes. This results in the following problems.
(1) If a moment in a direction indicated by an arrow M (a direction in which the tray is inclined to a direction A where it is taken in and out) is applied in pulling the hook
205
of the tray
203
, the side
203
a
of the tray
203
is pushed against the side
204
a
of the cartridge case
204
. Thus, a smooth slide of the tray
203
is impeded. In the worst case, the tray
203
is caught by the side
204
a
, and it is stopped.
(2) Since a distance L between the guide planes is long, a dimensional tolerance between the guide planes is large. Thus, in order to attain an excellent guide effect, management of components is difficult.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is proposed in view of the above-mentioned circumstances and is to smoothly slide the tray even if a moment in a tray rotation direction is applied to the hook of the tray, and easily carry out the dimensional management of the parts and the like.
According to the present invention, since a slide guide is disposed at a position aligned in substantial series with a hook of a tray with respect to a direction, in which the tray is taken in and out, in a disc cartridge and an elevator, even if a moment in a tray inclination direction is applied to the hook in drawing the hook or in other cases, an inclination of the tray can be minimized to smoothly slide the tray.
In the disc cartridge according to the present invention, the fitting between the guide rail disposed in either of the tray or the case and the fitting unit disposed in the other tray or case enables the tray to be smoothly taken in and out. In addition, the slide guide is disposed in substantial series with the direction, in which the tray is taken in and out, with respect to the operating unit (hook) of the tray. Thus, even if a moment in the tray inclination direction is applied to the operating unit when the tray is taken in and out, the inclination of the tray can be minimized to smoothly slide the tray. Also, as compared with the conventional case in which the slide of the tray is guided between the left and right sides of the cartridge case, the width of the guide plane can be reduced to thereby make a management of a part size and the like easier. Furthermore, in the disc cartridge according to the present invention, the slide guide is composed of the grooved concave portion on the reverse side of the tray and the ligulate convex portion on the cartridge case side. Thus, the structure of the slide guide is simple. Also, when the tray and the cartridge case are molded from plastic, the concave portion and the convex portion can be formed integrally with them. In addition, the divergently tapered concave portion insertion guide (tapered surface) is disposed at the end of the grooved concave portion. Thus, due to the guide, the convex portion can be inserted into the grooved concave portion easily and surely.
In the disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus according to the present invention, the tray can be smoothly slid by guiding the slide of the tray not only in the cartridge case but also in the elevator. When the tray is pulled out of the disc cartridge, the ligulate convex portion serving as the slide guide formed on the elevator side is introduced into the grooved concave portion formed on the reverse side of the tray. Accordingly the convex portion guides the slide of the tray.
Furthermore, the disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus according to the present invention, the divergently tapered convex portion insertion guide formed at the end of the grooved concave portion formed on the reverse side of the tray enables the ligulate convex portion to be inserted into the grooved concave portion easily and surely. In addition, when the trays are pulled into the elevator by the predetermined amount, the ligulate convex portion serving as the slide guide formed on the elevator side is put in the notch hole made in the substantial center of the grooved concave portion. Accordingly, the tray can be lowered correspondingly to it. Thus, after the disc supported on the tray is placed on the disc table, the tray is lowered, which leads to the non-contact state between the disc and the tray. Then, the disc can be rotated.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4980883 (1990-12-01), Mutou et al.
patent: 5123001 (1992-06-01), Nakamichi et al.
patent: 5247500 (1993-09-01), Miyoshi et al.
patent: 5831948 (1998-11-01), Suzuki
patent: 5870358 (1999-02-01), Kim et al.
Nitta Ikuo
Sato Masahiro
Takahashi Yuji
Miller Brian E.
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
Sony Corporation
Watko Julie Anne
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