Dynamic optical information storage or retrieval – Optical storage medium structure – Disk protection
Reexamination Certificate
2002-11-13
2004-08-24
Cao, Allen (Department: 2652)
Dynamic optical information storage or retrieval
Optical storage medium structure
Disk protection
C369S291100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06782548
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disc cartridge for use to store a disk-shaped signal storage medium such as an optical disc or a magnetic disk therein in a rotatable state.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various disc cartridges have been proposed as protective cases for disk-shaped signal storage media.
For example, Japanese Laid-Open Publication No. 9-153264 discloses a disc cartridge in which a disk-shaped storage medium having a single or double signal recording sides (which will be herein referred to as a “disc” simply) is completely enclosed in a disc storage portion. The disc storage portion is defined inside a cartridge body that is made up of upper and lower halves. The cartridge body includes chucking openings and a head opening. The chucking openings allow the turntable of a spindle motor and a clamper to chuck a disc inserted, while the head opening allows a head to read and/or write a signal from/on the disc. The lower one of the chucking openings is continuous with the head opening. Accordingly, while the operator carries such a cartridge, dust easily enters the inside of the cartridge through these openings and the disc is also easily soiled with finger marks. For that reason, the disc cartridge further includes a shutter for closing these openings up.
A disc cartridge having such a structure, however, has the following drawbacks. Firstly, such a disc cartridge cannot be so thin. This is because the disc storage space, defined between the upper and lower halves, should be thick enough to allow a disc drive to accurately read or write a signal (or information) from/onto the disc stored in such a disc cartridge. The reasons why the disc storage space should be relatively thick include the expected flutter or warp of the disc being rotated and an error that may occur in disposing the disc cartridge at a predetermined position inside the disc drive.
Secondly, the shutter for closing up these chucking and head openings at the same time cannot be formed at a low cost, thus increasing the overall manufacturing cost of such a disc cartridge. The reason is as follows. Specifically, the lower half of the disc cartridge is provided with an opening for the turntable of the spindle motor and a head opening, while the upper half thereof is provided with another opening for the clamper. Thus, to close these three openings up at a time, the shutter needs to be formed in a U-shape, which is not so cheap to make.
Thirdly, the disc stored inside such a disc cartridge is not fixed in many cases, thus possibly causing dust or fine particle deposition and scratching problems. Specifically, although a disc with a metal hub can be attracted and fixed in position via a magnetic force so as not to move inconstantly, an optical disc with no hub, e.g., a CD or a DVD, is normally not fixed, and movable freely, inside the disc cartridge. Accordingly, when the shutter of the disc cartridge is opened inside the disc drive, dust may enter the cartridge through its openings and be deposited on the disc easily. Also, if the disc is shaken so much as to contact with the inner walls of the disc cartridge, the signal recording side of the disc may get scratched or fine particles may be stirred up and deposited on the disc.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to overcome the problems described above, an object of the present invention is to provide a disc cartridge that has a reduced thickness and a simplified, much less expensive shutter for a single-sided disc, in particular. Another object of the present invention is to provide a disc cartridge that can drastically reduce the dust to be deposited on the disc stored therein by getting the disc firmly held inside the disc cartridge and eliminating the inconstant movement of the disc. A third object of the present invention is to provide a disc cartridge of a good design by displaying the label side of the disc stored therein.
A disc cartridge according to the present invention includes a cartridge body, a shutter and a disk holding member. The cartridge body includes: a disc storage portion that stores a disc, having first and second sides, therein so that the disc is rotatable in the disc storage portion and that the first side of the disc is exposed; a chucking opening that is formed on the bottom of the disc storage portion so as to get the disc chucked externally; and a head opening that is also formed on the bottom of the disc storage portion so as to allow a head, which reads and/or writes a signal from/on the second side of the disc, to access the second side of the disc. The shutter is supported to, and movable with respect to, the cartridge body so as to expose or cover at least the head opening. The disc holding member holds or releases the disc onto/from the cartridge body.
The disc holding member preferably holds the disc by pressing the second side of the disc against the bottom of the disc storage portion. Also, the disc holding member preferably brings at least the outer periphery and its surrounding portion of the second side of the disc into contact with the bottom of the disc storage portion.
In one embodiment, the disc cartridge includes a plurality of disc holding members, including the disc holding member. Each of the disc holding members is disposed so that a portion thereof is located on the outer periphery of the disc. At least two of the disc holding members may have the same shape. The disc holding members may be interlocked together to perform an operation of holding or releasing the disc.
In one embodiment, the disc holding member is an ellipsoidal ring made of an elastic material. The ring is deformable so as to have an inside diameter that is greater than the diameter of the disc.
The disc holding member preferably has a slope that contacts with the disc. Preferably, by disposing the disc holding member on the cartridge body so that the slope of the disc holding member overhangs the outer periphery of the disc, the slope is brought into contact with a side surface or edge of the disc, thereby gripping the disc thereon, pressing the disc against the bottom of the disc storage portion, and holding the disc thereon.
In one embodiment of the disc cartridge, the cartridge body includes a pair of positioning holes that engages with positioning pins. The positioning pins are provided for a disc drive to define an insert position when the disc cartridge is loaded into the disk drive.
In another embodiment of the disc cartridge, the disc cartridge body includes a concave portion that engages with a convex portion provided for a disk drive and that is used to prevent the disc cartridge from being inserted erroneously.
In another embodiment of the disc cartridge, the disc cartridge body includes a concave portion that engages with a convex portion provided for a disk drive when the disc cartridge is inserted into the disk drive.
While the disc cartridge is being loaded into, and fixed at the insert position inside, the disk drive, the disc holding member may release the disc that the disc holding member has held thereon.
Alternatively, as the positioning pins of the disk drive engage with the positioning holes of the disc cartridge, the disc holding member may release the disc that the disc holding member has held thereon.
As another alternative, as the convex portion that is provided for the disk drive to prevent the disc cartridge from being inserted erroneously engages with the concave portion provided for the disc cartridge, the disc holding member may release the disc that the disc holding member has held thereon.
As still another alternative, as the convex portion provided for the disk drive engages with the concave portion of the disc cartridge, the disc holding member may release the disc that the disc holding member has held thereon.
The disc cartridge may include a pair of disc holding members, each holding the disc thereon at two points. Each of the pair of disc holding members may engage with one of the pair of positioning pins provided for the disk drive, there
Nakata Kuniko
Okazawa Hironori
Sazi Yoshito
Takizawa Teruyuki
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld & LLP
Cao Allen
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
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