Dynamic information storage or retrieval – With particular cabinet structure – Slotted for edgewise insertion of storage disc
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-14
2001-01-30
Cao, Allen T. (Department: 2754)
Dynamic information storage or retrieval
With particular cabinet structure
Slotted for edgewise insertion of storage disc
Reexamination Certificate
active
06181664
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to a disk cartridge, a disk cassette, a disk caddy, a disk half or a disk case for housing a disk-shaped recording medium such as an optical disk, and a disk device using the same.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A compact disk (hereinafter, referred to as “CD”) system, which has been standardized in the so-called “red book”, the so-called “yellow book” or the like and in which information is recorded in a disk having a diameter of 120 mm, and which is used mainly for music information has been widely adopted. This system has an almost sufficient capacity for handling music in formation, but when recording video information as in a CD-ROM, its capacity becomes insufficient for an increased amount of information, thus resulting in insufficient recording time or degraded image quality. Attempts to deal with this problem includes, for example, a digital video disk (hereinafter referred to as “DVD”) system and the like.
In the aforementioned CD system, the disk is mainly used on only one side or face for exclusive reproduction. Also, the disk is often handled in a bare state, and a tray loading system, in which the disk is mounted on a drawer-shaped tray coming out from a disk device, is mainly used because of its good operability. On the other hand, however, a disk cartridge, which is called a CD caddy, as described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 63-153376 and in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 63-47472, capable of taking a disk out and in, is used, and a front loading system for inserting this disk cartridge into the device is also utilized.
In addition, in the aforementioned DVD system, the disk is used on both sides or faces for recording and/or reproduction. The disk tends to be housed in an exclusive cartridge primarily for protection from the standpoint of securing the reliability resulting from higher density recording.
Further, in contrast to the CD system, which is mainly used for exclusive reproduction, there has also been announced a PD (Phase-change Disk) system capable of rewriting, as described in Optical Disk System for Multimedia National Technical Report, Vol. 4, No. 6, December 1994, pgs. 129-136. In this PD system, the disk is used on one side for recording and/or reproduction. Also, the disk is housed in an exclusive cartridge from the standpoint of securing the reliability resulting from rewriting.
Disks for use with each system of the aforementioned CD, DVD and PD all have a diameter of 120 mm, and cartridges for each system described above are of nearly the same shape, having the same dimensions.
The problem to be solved by the present invention is to increase the capacity of the CD system or a disk system having nearly the same dimensions as the CD system, and the concept and technical problems for the disk cartridge and disk device using the same to deal with the problem are described below.
1) In order to take measures against scratching, dust and dirt resulting from higher density recording, a state in which a disk has been placed in a cartridge is supposed to be a standard. Even in the CD system, there is present a case called a “CD caddy” which is about 135 mm long, about 125 mm wide and about 8 mm thick, but this CD caddy is not used currently. Rather, the so-called tray loading system is mainly used.
2) Allowing both faces of the disk to be recorded. The CD is for one side recording and the capacity can be doubled by simple calculation.
3) Making a disk which is CD compatible and reproducible In a disk device using a new disk cartridge, its sales point is to make the existing CD compatible and reproducible. Accordingly, it is an indispensable condition to enable taking a disk in and out and having a disk for CD system within. However, the CD caddy is for one-side recording, and a clamper of the disk is attached on the side of the caddy case. The clamper is constructed to be on the side of the disk device because the new disk cartridge is of a both-face recording system. Thus, if the CD caddy is mounted to a disk device for the new disk cartridge, two clampers will interfere with each other. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent the CD caddy from being mounted to the disk device of the new disk cartridge.
4) Supply of the disk and disk cartridge at a low price. In order to reduce the price for general family usage, the disk cartridge including the disk device is required to be constructed at low cost.
Further, when increasing the capacity as described above, the mixed existence of three similar disk cartridges poses the following problems.
5) Discrimination of disk cartridges for each system
6) Prevention of erroneous insertion
7) The system of mounting the cartridge to the device is made applicable to both the front loading system and the tray loading system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to solve the above-described problems, and to provide a disk cartridge with increased capacity and capable of discrimination from similar and different disk cartridges, and a disk device using the same.
In order to solve the aforementioned problems, a disk cartridge and a disk device using the same according to the present invention including the following features.
1) A shutter for the disk cartridge is utilizable for both faces of the disk and is slidable in opposite directions with the structure of the disk cartridge being arranged so that the disk can be taken in and out. Also, the case of the disk cartridge is provided with a structure to prevent a cartridge of a different kind such as the CD caddy from being erroneously inserted.
2) A biasing arrangement for the shutter is provided at a position of the cartridge where the window of the case is closed.
3) When the disk is taken in and out, the structure of the disk cartridge is arranged to open at least a part thereof which is in a plane parallel to a plane of the disk.
4) When the disk is taken in and out, the structure of the disk cartridge is arranged to open a portion of the case at a position other than within a shutter moving range.
5) A disk conforming to the compact disk standards is enabled to be incorporated within the disk cartridge.
6) For biasing the shutter, one each of a torsion spring whose both arm portions directly engage with the case and the shutter is arranged in the corner areas on both sides of the disk cartridge across the shutter in a state in which the window of the case is closed.
7) A disk plane discrimination arrangement is provided which is capable of discriminating whether the plane of the disk on which recording and/or reproduction is performable on one side or both sides of the disk.
8) A disk plane specifying arrangement is provided which is capable of specifying which is the plane of the disk on which recording and/or reproduction is performable.
9) A discrimination arrangement for discriminating different kinds of disk cartridges is provided.
10) For discrimination or improper insertion prevention, a first cutout portion formed by cutting out at least a part of an outer plane of the disk cartridge which extends parallel to the disk plane of the disk for the disk cartridge of a different type, and a second cutout portion formed by cutting out at least a part of the outer plane of the disk cartridge which extends in a direction orthogonal to the disk plane for the disk cartridge of a different type.
11) The first cutout portion is arranged laterally symmetrically with respect to the inserting direction into a disk device.
Each of the aforementioned items 1) to 11) acts in the following manner as described in 1) to 11), respectively.
1) Even when the disk cartridge, which is applicable to both faces of the disk, is turned over for insertion to apply it to both faces or sides of the disk, it is made applicable by using one shutter open-and-close mechanism, thus making the disk within the cartridge replaceable.
2) Even if the shutter is intentionally opened, releasing the opening force automatically closes the shutter.
3) During opening, the disk plane can be easily seen, and the handle ability
Inoue Masayuki
Kano Kiyoshi
Miura Michio
Nakamura Masafumi
Ohtsuka Yasuo
Antonelli Terry Stout & Kraus LLP
Cao Allen T.
Hitachi , Ltd.
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