Dynamic information storage or retrieval – With particular cabinet structure – Slotted for edgewise insertion of storage disc
Reexamination Certificate
1998-07-16
2001-05-08
Letscher, George J. (Department: 2754)
Dynamic information storage or retrieval
With particular cabinet structure
Slotted for edgewise insertion of storage disc
Reexamination Certificate
active
06229781
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disk apparatus having a disk loading mechanism in which a recording medium is held on a tray and the tray is movably supported such that the tray is movable between a disk-change position and a disk-loaded position.
(2) Description of the Related Art
There is known a CD-ROM drive in which a CD-ROM (compact disk read-only memory) is held on a tray and the tray is movably supported such that the tray is movable between a disk-change position and a disk-loaded position. In the CD-ROM drive, when the tray is moved to the disk-loaded position within the CD-ROM drive, a movable base having a turntable is moved up to clamp the CD-ROM on the tray, so that the CD-ROM is rotated on the turntable to read information from the CD-ROM.
FIG. 25
shows a conventional disk apparatus such as the above CD-ROM drive. As shown in
FIG. 25
, the conventional disk apparatus includes a tray
2
, tray guide members
3
, an optical pickup
4
, a turntable
5
, a movable base
6
, and a chassis
10
. A CD-ROM
1
(hereinafter called the disk
1
) is placed on the tray
2
. The tray
2
is guided by the tray guide members
3
when the tray
2
is inserted into or ejected from the chassis
10
. The pickup
4
and the turntable
5
are supported on the movable base
6
. The tray
2
is moved between a disk-change position and a disk-loaded position in one of an ejecting direction (indicated by the arrow A in
FIG. 25
) and an inserting direction (indicated by the arrow B in
FIG. 25
) by a tray moving mechanism
2
a.
The movable base
6
is supported at its rear end by a leaf spring
7
and connected at its front end to a slider cam
8
. The leaf spring
7
exerts an actuating force on the movable base
6
so as to lift the front end of the movable base
6
. When the slider cam
8
slides in a lateral direction to release the front end of the movable base
6
, the front end of the movable base
6
is lifted by the actuating force of the leaf spring
7
, so that the disk
1
is clamped between the turntable
5
and a damper (not shown) by the movable base
6
. In this condition, the disk
1
is rotated on the turntable
5
to read information from the disk
1
.
In a case in which a disk apparatus is installed in its vertical position on a host computer, it is necessary that a disk holding member is provided to hold the disk
1
in the disk apparatus, installed in its vertical position, while preventing the disk
1
from loosely falling from the tray
2
or being inclined to the tray
2
before the disk
1
is held on the tray
2
at the disk-loaded position. As disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 8-77673, a disk apparatus including a disk holding member for holding a disk in such a case is known.
In the conventional disk apparatus of
FIG. 25
, a disk holding member
9
having a pair of holding parts
9
a
is provided on the tray
2
. A pair of projections
10
a
are provided on the chassis
10
at positions corresponding to positions of the holding parts
9
a
to the chassis
10
when the tray
2
is moved to the disk-loaded position in the inserting direction B. The holding parts
9
a
are rotatably supported on the tray
2
by using an actuating force of a spring (not shown), and movable in a vertical direction perpendicular to the surface of the disk
1
. During the movement of the tray
2
between the disk-change position and the disk-loaded position in one of the ejecting direction A and the inserting direction B, the holding parts
9
a
are placed in horizontal conditions near the tray
2
where the disk
1
is held on the tray
2
by the holding parts
9
a.
When the tray
2
is moved in the inserting direction B and reaches a position immediately preceding the disk-loaded position, the holding parts
9
a
are vertically rotated away from the tray
2
by the contact of the holding parts
9
a
with the projections
10
a on the chassis
10
. In this condition, the disk
1
is released from the disk holding member
9
. As the front end of the movable base
6
on which the turntable
5
is provided is lifted by the actuating force of the leaf spring
7
, the disk
1
is clamped between the turntable
5
and the clamper by the movable base
6
. Therefore, even in the case in which the conventional disk apparatus of
FIG. 25
is installed in its vertical position, the disk
1
is rotated on the turntable
5
to read information from the disk
1
.
As the turntable
5
is lifted by the upward movement of the movable base
6
, the disk
1
which is released from the disk holding member
9
is clamped between the turntable
5
and the damper on the tray
2
. In the case in which the conventional disk apparatus of
FIG. 25
is installed in the vertical position, the disk
1
in its vertical position is loaded in the disk apparatus and clamped in the above-described manner.
In the conventional disk apparatus of
FIG. 25
, the disk
1
is released from the disk holding member
9
when the tray
2
reaches the position immediately preceding the disk-loaded position, and then the disk
1
is clamped between the turntable
5
and the damper when the turntable
5
is lifted with the upward movement of the movable base
6
. That is, the releasing action of the disk holding member
9
to release the disk
1
is started before the tray
2
reaches the disk-loaded position. When the tray
2
reaches the disk-loaded position, the clamping action to clamp the disk
1
between the turntable
5
and the damper is not yet complete. Hence, in the case of the vertical-position installation for the conventional disk apparatus of
FIG. 25
, the disk
1
in the disk apparatus placed in its vertical position may be inclined to the tray
2
before the disk
1
is clamped. If the disk
1
is inclined to the tray
2
before the disk
1
is clamped, it is likely that the disk
1
be improperly clamped between the turntable
5
and the clamper.
Further, in the conventional disk apparatus of
FIG. 25
, the disk holding member
9
holds the disk
1
by using the actuating force of the spring in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the disk
1
. In order to stably hold the disk
1
by the disk holding member
9
, it is necessary that the actuating force of the spring is relatively large. Hence, it is necessary for the conventional disk apparatus of
FIG. 25
to use the disk holding member
9
with a spring having a relatively large actuating force, which makes the disk holding member
9
bulky.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved disk apparatus in which the above-described problems are eliminated.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a disk apparatus which provides a simple construction of a movable base drive unit for actuating a movable base so as to hold and clamp a disk on the movable base, and provides an increased reliability of the disk holding and clamping operations even when the disk apparatus is installed in its vertical position.
The above-mentioned objects of the present invention are achieved by a disk apparatus which comprises: a chassis; a tray which is supported on the chassis and is provided to be movable between a disk-change position and a disk-loaded position; a disk holder which holds a disk on the tray at a given position; a movable base on which a turntable is supported, the turntable provided to support and rotate the disk on the turntable, the movable base provided to be vertically rotatable between a lowered position and a lifted position; a damper which clamps the disk between the turntable and the clamper; and a movable base drive unit which actuates the movable base to the lifted position by a driving force of a motor when the tray is moved to the disk-loaded position, such that the disk is clamped between the damper and the turntable, wherein the movable base drive unit includes a first slider which actuates the movable base to the lifted position and presses the disk holder in a radial direction of the disk to separate the
Anderson Kill & Olick P.C.
Letscher George J.
Teac Corporation
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