Dynamic information storage or retrieval – Storage medium structure
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-22
2003-02-25
Miller, Brian E. (Department: 2652)
Dynamic information storage or retrieval
Storage medium structure
Reexamination Certificate
active
06526018
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disk cartridge and disk drive unit for recording/reproducing information on/from a disk, using light or magnetism.
2. Description of the Related Art
Optical disk devices have been used widely for driving optical disks used as audio disks, videodisks, and data storage units in computers. In accordance with the improvement in memory density of the disks, demand has been increased for compact optical disk devices capable of recording and/or reproducing information with high density. As well as audio or video (AV) apparatuses, personal computers are getting smaller and more portable and hence, the optical disk devices also are desired to be smaller and thinner.
An optical disk capable of recording generally is accommodated in a disk cartridge to avoid adhesion of dust and fingerprints thereon. In a disk drive unit for recording/reproducing information by loading such a disk cartridge, a shutter is opened to expose part of the disk during the loading of the disk cartridge. In a state where the disk cartridge is located at a predetermined position, the disk is subject to chucking to be rotatably driven. An optical head for recording/reproducing information opposes the disk through an opening opened by the shutter and radiates light via an objective lens.
In the case of a magneto-optical disk, while an optical head radiates light forming a light spot to heat a magnetic recording film of the disk, a magnetic head applies a magnetic field to the magnetic recording film to record information. To reproduce the information, the optical head reads the changes in magnetizing directions on the magnetic recording film.
In a drive unit for such a magneto-optical disk, a magnetic head is supported so as to face the disk from the opposite side of the optical head. A supporting member of the magnetic head is connected to the optical head, and the supporting member and the optical head are integrally fed in the radial direction of the disk to scan an area between the inner periphery and the outer periphery of the disk.
Now, the structure of a conventional disk cartridge and its drive unit will be explained.
FIGS. 9A and 9B
are perspective views showing the appearance of a conventional disk cartridge.
FIG. 9A
shows a state where a shutter
32
is closed, and
FIG. 9B
shows a state where a shutter
32
is opened to expose a disk
33
.
FIG. 10
is an exploded perspective view showing the structure of a conventional disk cartridge.
In
FIGS. 9A
,
9
B, and
10
, an upper half
35
and a lower half
36
both having a substantially square shape in plan view are connected to each other to form a disk cartridge
31
, which rotatably accommodates the disk
33
. Openings
35
a
and
36
a
are respectively provided in the upper half
35
and the lower half
36
so that part of the disk
33
is exposed. The opening
36
a
of the lower half
36
is so largely opened as to extend to the center of the disk
33
in order that a spindle motor for rotatably driving the disk
33
can be inserted thereinto.
When the upper half
35
and the lower half
36
are connected to each other, a shutter lock
34
is incorporated. The shutter lock
34
includes a pivot
34
a
, a spring
34
b
, and an engagement portion
34
c
. The pivot
34
a
is inserted into holes in the upper half
35
and lower half
36
. The spring
34
b
is in contact with internal walls of concave portions formed in the upper half
35
and lower half
36
so as to limit the rotation of the shutter lock
34
. The engagement portion
34
c
is supported so as to be rotatable over a predetermined angle around the pivot
34
a
as a center of rotation. The engagement portion
34
c
is exposed in a side slot
31
a
formed on a side face, which is on the side where the shutter
32
slides, of the disk cartridge
31
. The engagement portion
34
c
is rotated inwardly to be retracted when an external force is applied from the outside. At this time, the spring
34
b
is deformed elastically to generate a reaction force. The engagement portion
34
c
is returned to the initial position when the force is released.
FIG. 11
is a perspective view showing the shape of a shutter. The shutter
32
is formed of a sheet having a cross section of a substantially angular U-shape. The shutter
32
has a sufficient size to cover the openings
35
a
and
36
a
of the disk cartridge
31
, and is provided with protrusions
32
a
and
32
b
, a hook
32
c
, and a tip hole
32
d
, which are formed by bending the sheet.
FIG. 12
is a perspective view showing a lower face (the face on the side of the lower half
36
) of the conventional disk cartridge. After the upper half
35
and lower half
36
are connected to each other, the shutter
32
is inserted in the direction indicated by the arrow X and the protrusions
32
a
and
32
b
are inserted into a guide slot
36
b
provided in the lower face of the lower half
36
, thereby slidably holding the shutter
32
in the direction indicated by the arrow Y When the shutter
32
slides to a position where the openings
35
a
and
36
a
are covered, a hook
32
c
is engaged with a notch in the engagement portion
34
c
of the shutter lock
34
. A locked condition of the shutter
32
is established so that the shutter
32
is not opened.
The disk cartridge
31
is inserted into the drive unit in the direction indicated by the arrow Y. During insertion, a projection formed in a cartridge holder in the drive unit passes inside the side slot
31
a
. The projection pushes the engagement portion
34
c
, which is exposed in the side slot
31
a
, of the shutter lock
34
, thereby releasing the engagement between the engagement portion
34
c
and the hook
32
c
of the shutter
32
, and limits the movement of the shutter
32
in the insertion direction at the same time. As a result, when the disk cartridge
31
is more deeply inserted, the shutter
32
stays, thereby exposing the openings
35
a
and
36
a
On the lower face of the disk cartridge
31
, a location hole
36
c
is formed for maintaining the disk cartridge
31
at a predetermined position in the drive unit.
Next, the structure of a disk drive unit employing the above-mentioned disk cartridge
31
will be explained.
FIG. 13
is a plan view showing the structure of a conventional disk drive unit. Further,
FIG. 14
is a side cross-sectional view showing a state where the conventional disk cartridge
31
is being inserted into the conventional disk drive unit.
In
FIG. 13
, an upper face of a chassis
41
and a cartridge holder
51
are removed so that the internal structure of the disk drive unit can be more easily understood. Further, in
FIG. 14
, the cartridge holder
51
is shown by the two-dot chain line, and an illustration of the specific structure thereof is omitted.
In
FIG. 13
, a spindle motor
42
is mounted in the vicinity of the center of the chassis
41
. Further, the chassis
41
has two guide shafts
44
and a driving shaft
46
, each extending in the direction indicated by the arrow X. A feed motor
45
is connected to one end of the driving shaft
46
. An optical head
43
is held by the two guide shafts
44
and spirally interconnected with a screw formed on the outer face of the driving shaft
46
. Therefore, the optical head
43
is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow X by rotation of the driving shaft
46
.
As shown in
FIG. 14
, a connecting angle member
47
protrudes from the bottom face of the optical head
43
toward the outside of the side face of the chassis
41
so as to extend above the cartridge holder
51
. On the upper end of the connecting angle member
47
, a magnetic head arm
48
is mounted so as to be rotatable around a pivot shaft
49
as a center of rotation. The magnetic head arm
48
is a member like a plate spring, and has a magnetic head
50
mounted to its free end. The magnetic head
50
is moved up and down by a magnetic head lifting mechanism (not shown) mounted in the upper part of the cartridge holder
51
. During recording, the magnetic
Hanakawa Eiichi
Kurozuka Akira
Minabe Hitoshi
Yamamoto Tomio
Merchant & Gould P.C.
Miller Brian E.
Watko Julie Anne
LandOfFree
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