Dynamic information storage or retrieval – Storage medium structure – Adjuncts or adapters
Reexamination Certificate
1996-12-23
2002-04-02
Ometz, David L. (Department: 2652)
Dynamic information storage or retrieval
Storage medium structure
Adjuncts or adapters
C360S133000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06366553
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a disk cartridge for accommodating in a cartridge body an optical disk, magneto-optic disk, or other disk on which data signals are recorded. More particularly, the present invention relates to a disk cartridge for protecting the disk accommodated in the cartridge body.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the past, optical disks, magneto-optic disks, and other disks on which data signals have been recorded have been accommodated in disk cartridges so as to prevent dust etc. from adhering to the disks or scratches being made on the main surfaces of the disks where the data signal recording portions are formed during storage, or fingerprints etc. being made on the surface of the disks by direct; contact of the fingers on the disks when loading them into the recording and/or reproduction apparatuses, and further to facilitate loading of the disks in the recording and/or reproduction apparatuses. That is, the disks have been rotatably accommodated in the disk cartridges and have been handled while accommodated in the disk cartridges.
This type of disk cartridge
101
, as shown in FIG.
1
and
FIG. 2
, is provided with a cartridge body
104
formed by mating an upper and lower half
102
and
103
formed by molding a plastic material into substantially square shapes and connecting them near their corners by screws
131
. This cartridge body
104
accommodates an optical disk, magneto-optic disk, or other disk
105
serving as the recording media for the data signals. The screws
131
for connecting the upper and lower halves
102
and
103
are screwed through the screwing portions
136
and
137
provided at the upper half
103
. At the peripheries of the mateable upper and lower halves
102
and
103
are integrally formed walls
132
and
133
which may be mated to constitute the circumferential walls of the cartridge body
104
.
In the cartridge body
104
is formed a disk accommodating space
106
of a circular shape of a diameter larger than the outer diameter of the disk
105
and a thickness greater than the thickness of the disk
105
. The disk
105
is rotatably accommodated a disk
106
. The disk accommodating space
106
is comprised by mating the arc-shaped ribs
134
and
135
projecting from the facing inner surfaces of the upper and lower halves
102
and
103
so as to be inscribed by the walls
132
and
133
formed at the peripheries of the upper and lower halves
102
and
103
.
At the top and bottom surfaces of the cartridge body
104
from the center to the front are openings
107
and
108
for allowing the approach of a disk table
121
of a disk rotating mechanism arranged inside the recording and/or reproduction apparatus in which the disk cartridge
101
is loaded and a pickup apparatus constituting the recording and reproduction means for recording and/or reproducing predetermined data signals to and/or from the disk
105
being rotated by the disk table rotation mechanism. These openings
107
and
108
are closed by the shutter member
109
provided slidably on the cartridge body
104
and are opened only during use when the disk cartridge
101
is loaded in the recording and/or reproduction apparatus. Entry of dust etc. into the cartridge body
104
is prevented during non-use, contact of the fingers with the signal recording region
105
a
of the disk
105
is prevented, and recording and reproduction error of the data signals caused by deposition of dust or fingerprints on the signal recording region
105
a
are prevented.
Further, at the centers of the two main surfaces of the disk substrate
115
on which the signal recording region
105
a
of the disk
105
is formed and made of mainly a plastic substrate are provided hubs
111
having center holes
110
for engagement with a center spindle
122
provided at the center of the disk table as shown in FIG.
1
. These hubs
111
are comprised of ring members
112
comprised of plastic and metal plates
113
having magnetic characteristics attached integrally to the ring members
112
.
The disk cartridge
101
configured in this way is positioned for loading by engaging a positioning hole (not shown) formed in the main surface at the bottom side of the cartridge body
104
with a positioning pin provided in the recording and/or reproduction apparatus and then is loaded in the cartridge loader in the recording and/or reproduction apparatus. The disk
105
accommodated in the disk cartridge
101
loaded in the cartridge loader, as shown in
FIG. 2
, is loaded on the disk table
121
. The disk table
121
has at its center a center spindle
122
for engaging with a center hole provided in a hub
111
of the disk
105
and uses the top surface of its outer circumference as the disk receiving surface
123
supporting the non-signal recording region
105
b
of the disk
5
positioned at the outer periphery of the hub
111
. Further, at the inner circumference of the disk table
121
, a ring-shaped magnet
124
for magnetically attracting the metal plate
113
attached to the hub
111
is provided around the center spindle
122
. By bringing the center into register with the center spindle
122
and providing the ring-shaped magnet
124
, a uniform magnetic field is applied to the hub
111
of the disk
105
loaded on the disk table
121
.
Note that the disk table
121
is designed so that when supporting the disk
105
, the signal recording region
105
a
faces the pickup device, so is made smaller in diameter than the non-signal recording region
105
b
provided at the inner circumference of the disk substrate
115
.
Further, the disk cartridge
101
that rotatably accommodates the disk
105
is provided with a disk support
116
projecting out from the inner surface of the cartridge body
104
so as to prevent the disk
105
and the cartridge body
104
from coming into sliding contact, and to prevent the signal recording region
105
a
of the disk
105
from being scratched during transport etc. This disk support
116
is formed so as to surround the periphery of the disk table entry openings
107
b
,
108
b
formed at the center of the cartridge body
104
connected to the recording and reproduction openings
107
a
and
108
a
of the openings
107
and
108
which the pickup device approaches. The disk support
116
formed at this position supports the non-signal recording region
105
b
at the inner circumference portion of the disk
105
at the top surface and keeps the signal recording region
105
a
of the disk
105
and the inner surface of the cartridge body
104
from coming into contact.
A disk cartridge
101
configured in this way may be handled alone and used loaded into a recording and/or reproduction apparatus one at a time. Sometimes, however disks are used and stored in a recording and/or reproduction apparatus that has a disk exchange mechanism which is provided with a storage unit having with a plurality of cartridge storage portions that selectively takes out the plurality of disk cartridges
101
stored in the storage unit for recording and/or reproduction of the data signals. The recording and/or reproduction apparatus provided with such a disk exchange mechanism is able to exchange disk cartridges
101
for recording and/or reproduction of data signals by selectively taking out a plurality of disk cartridges
101
stored in the storage unit and recording and/or reproducing the data signals, which enables a large volume of data signals to be easily and continuously recorded and/or reproduced.
With a recording and/or reproduction apparatus provided with a disk exchange mechanism, however, to make it possible to record and/or reproduce data signals continuously with respect to a plurality of disk cartridges
101
without large time intervals, it is necessary to transport the cartridges between the storage unit and the cartridge loader at a high speed. That is, it is necessary to exchange the disk cartridges
101
at an extremely high speed. If the disk cartridges are transported at a high speed, a large shock will end up being given
Ometz David L.
Sony Corporation
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