Dynamic information storage or retrieval – Storage medium structure – Adjuncts or adapters
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-29
2003-01-28
Tupper, Robert S. (Department: 2652)
Dynamic information storage or retrieval
Storage medium structure
Adjuncts or adapters
Reexamination Certificate
active
06512736
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a disk cartridge containing a disk-shaped recording medium such as an optical disk or a magneto-optical disk.
2. Related Background Art
Disk cartridges containing a disk-shaped recording medium such as a magneto-optical disk are known.
Referring to
FIG. 1
of the accompanying drawings, disk cartridge
101
of the type under consideration comprises a cartridge main body
106
having an upper shell
111
and a lower shell
112
, which upper and lower shells
111
,
112
are typically made of a resin material. The cartridge main body
106
is provided with substantially rectangular openings
115
,
115
that are arranged oppositely and across the inner and outer peripheries of the magneto-optical disk
105
so as to expose part of the recording area of the magneto-optical disk
105
to the outside for the purpose of signal recording/reproduction.
The cartridge main body
106
is additionally provided at the bottom side thereof with another opening
117
for allowing the disk table of the disk drive mechanism (not shown) for driving and rotating the magneto-optical disk
105
to move into the cartridge main body
106
, said opening
117
for driving the magneto-optical disk (to be referred to as drive opening
117
hereinafter) being located adjacent to the bottom side opening
115
for recording/reproduction (to be referred to as recording/reproduction opening
115
hereinafter) with a frame section (not shown) arranged between them.
Referring also to
FIG. 1
, the cartridge main body
106
is provided with a movable shutter member
120
adapted to openably close the recording/reproduction openings
115
,
115
and the drive opening
117
. Referring now to
FIG. 2
of the accompanying drawings, the shutter member
120
comprises an upper shutter section
121
for openably closing the recording/reproduction opening
115
of the upper shell
111
, a lower shutter section
122
for openably closing the recording/reproduction opening
115
of the lower shell
112
and a link section
123
coupling the upper shutter section
121
and the lower shutter section
122
at an edge thereof. The lower shutter section
122
of the shutter member
120
is movably supported at the free end thereof by a guide section arranged on the main surface of the lower shell
112
.
As the disk cartridge
101
having the above described configuration is mounted on a corresponding recording/reproduction apparatus, the shutter member
120
is moved to expose the recording/reproduction openings
115
,
115
and the drive opening
117
by the shutter opening/closing member of the recording/reproduction apparatus. Then, the disk table of the disk drive mechanism (not shown) of the recording/reproduction apparatus is made to move into the disk cartridge
101
through the drive opening
117
in order to drive the magneto-optical disk
105
to rotate, while the recording/reproduction means of the recording/reproduction apparatus is made to move into the disk cartridge
101
through the recording/reproduction openings
115
,
115
in order to record information onto or reproduce information from the magneto-optical disk
105
.
In recent years, as a result of the remarkable increase in the amount of information to be handled on a magneto-optical disk cartridge, there is a large demand for magneto-optical disks having a large recording capacity. To meet the demand, efforts have been made to raise the recording density of the recording area of the recording medium and, at the same time, extend the recording area toward the outer and inner peripheries thereof. As an attempt for extending the recording area, there have been proposed disk cartridges
101
wherein the lower recording/reproduction opening and the drive opening are not separated from but held in continuation to each other in order to allow the recording/reproduction means of the recording/reproduction apparatus to move inwardly beyond the inner boundary of the recording area of the magneto-optical disk.
However, such disk cartridges have the following drawbacks. Firstly, since the disk cartridge
101
has the lower recording/reproduction opening
115
and the drive opening
117
in continuation to each other and the lower shell
112
of the cartridge main body
106
does not have a frame section located at the middle of the lower shutter section
122
for openably closing the lower recording/reproduction opening
115
and the drive opening
117
in order to separate the openings
115
,
117
and hold them in position, the relatively elongated recording/reproduction openings
117
,
117
can easily become deformed.
Secondly, since the lower shell of the cartridge main body is normally prepared by injection molding a thermoplastic synthetic resin material, the bottom surface of the cartridge main body can be warped downwardly or upwardly as shown in
FIG. 3A
or
FIG. 3B
, whichever appropriate.
As a result of the warp of the lower shutter section
122
and the deformation of the lower shell caused by the molding process, a gap can arise between the lower shutter section and the lower shell if the lower shutter section is at the position for closing the lower recording/reproduction opening and the drive opening to allow dirt particles to enter the cartridge main body.
In the case of a disk cartridge containing a magneto-optical disk adapted to high density recording, the dirt particles that have entered the cartridge main body can adhere to the recording area of the magneto-optical disk or move further into the recording/reproduction apparatus to hinder the normal recording/reproduction process on the magneto-optical disk.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above identified problems and other problems, it is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a disk cartridge that can effectively prevent dirt particles from entering the cartridge main body and improve the reliability of the operation of signal recording/reproduction on the disk-shaped recording medium.
According to the invention, the above object is achieved by providing a disk cartridge comprising:
a disk-shaped recording medium;
a cartridge main body containing said disk-shaped recording medium;
recording/reproduction openings formed in said cartridge main body to partly expose said disk-shaped recording medium to the outside across the inner and outer peripheries thereof;
a drive opening adapted to allow the disk drive means for driving and rotating said disk-shaped recording medium to move into said cartridge main body;
a shutter member having shutter sections and arranged outside said cartridge main body to openably close said recording/reproduction openings and said drive opening; and
a shutter cover arranged at least on one of the main surfaces of said cartridge main body to cover the moving areas of said shutter sections and having an opening slightly smaller than either of the shutter sections of said shutter member, said opening being arranged at a position corresponding to said recording/reproduction openings and said drive opening.
With a disk cartridge according to the invention and having a configuration as described above, the moving areas of the shutter sections of the shutter member are covered by the shutter cover so that any possible warp of the shutter sections along the main surfaces is suppressed by the shutter cover and dirt particles are prevented from entering the cartridge main body through the gap between the outer peripheral areas of the shutter sections and the cartridge main body when the recording/reproduction openings and the drive opening are closed by the shutter sections. When the shutter members are removed from the recording/reproduction openings and the drive opening to expose the openings, the recording/reproduction means of the recording/reproduction apparatus can enter the cartridge main body through the opening of the shutter cover.
Thus, with a disk cartridge having a shutter cover according to the invention, dirt particles are prevented from en
Izu Rie
Kikuchi Shuichi
Frommer William S.
Frommer & Lawrence & Haug LLP
Sony Corporation
Tupper Robert S.
Watko Julie Anne
LandOfFree
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