Dynamic information storage or retrieval – Storage medium structure – Adjuncts or adapters
Reexamination Certificate
2002-03-28
2004-12-14
Klimowicz, William (Department: 2653)
Dynamic information storage or retrieval
Storage medium structure
Adjuncts or adapters
Reexamination Certificate
active
06831888
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the invention relate to a cartridge assembly for a data storage disk, and methods of making a cartridge assembly for a data storage disk. More particularly, embodiments of the invention relate to such cartridge assemblies having a housing and a movable shutter for uncovering an opening in the housing to expose at least a portion of the data storage disk.
Removable storage media have become universally accepted for storing data. Desktop, laptop and handheld computing devices, digital cameras, digital music players, and other electronic devices commonly use such media to read, store and/or transfer data. Advances in technology are greatly reducing the size of such media while at the same time increasing their storage capacity.
One known type of digital storage media holds up to 500 MB of data, with higher capacities contemplated, but is merely the size of a small coin. Universal media format promulgated by DataPlay, Inc. of Boulder, Colo. is designed to play and record multiple types of content on a single disk: music, images, books, games, computer files, and cellular phone numbers, to name a few examples. Such media enables access to all forms of digital content across all digital devices and platforms, including music, images, documents, software, games, video, and more. One 500 MB digital media can hold more than 11 hours of music downloads or five complete pre-recorded albums of CD-quality music, hundreds of high-resolution photographs, or dozens of games, for example. Any properly-enabled computer or other device can read and play back such content.
FIG. 1
is an inside plan view of conventional data cartridge housing member
10
. Housing member
10
supports shutter
20
(shown in dashed lines because it is on the outside of housing member
10
) for side-to-side movement. Shutter
20
alternately covers and uncovers opening
30
in housing member
10
for exposure of an optical disk (not shown) to the head of an optical drive (not shown). Spring
40
slides in spring guide slot
50
to accommodate opening movement of shutter
20
and to urge shutter
20
toward a closed position upon removal of the data cartridge from the drive. Locking arm
60
includes spring member
70
, a locking nub to be aligned with a corresponding slot in shutter
20
, concave cam surface
80
to aid shutter
20
in sliding over the locking nub, and stop edges
90
,
95
. Two housing members
10
and associated components must be assembled together with an optical disk to create an operational disk cartridge. Although providing certain advantages, this known data storage disk cartridge also provides a number of operational and manufacturing complexities.
FIG. 2
is an exploded view of conventional data cartridge assembly
100
. Cartridge assembly
100
includes housing members
110
,
120
for enclosing optical disk
130
. Cartridge assembly
100
also includes a unitary, metal cover
135
that also encloses optical disk
130
within housing members
110
,
120
. Internal shutter
140
includes two arms
150
,
160
that are sprung outwardly and that include respective outwardly facing dimples
165
,
170
. Dimples
165
,
170
contact an adjacent interior wall of cover
135
. As internal shutter
140
moves laterally inside cartridge assembly
100
, dimples
165
,
170
contact and slide against the interior walls of cover
135
. Elastic locking member
180
is secured by housing member
110
. Locking member
180
is biased outwardly to cause locking projection
190
to engage rotary arm opening
200
in shutter
140
when shutter
140
is in a closed position. When cartridge assembly
100
is placed within an optical drive (not shown), shutter arm opening
200
is engaged by a rotary arm (not shown) to push locking projection
190
inwardly to release shutter
140
for lateral movement. When shutter
140
is in an open position, the optical head can access both sides of optical disk
130
through windows
210
,
220
in cover
135
. When cartridge assembly
100
is removed from the optical drive, the rotary arm of the drive returns shutter
140
to its closed position. Locking projection
190
returns into opening
200
to lock shutter
140
in a closed position.
Attention is directed to, e.g., World Intellectual Property Organization International Publication Nos. WO 01/80243 A2, published Oct. 25, 2001, WO 01/80244 A2, published Oct. 25, 2001, and WO 00/2312 A2, published Nov. 30, 2000, for example, for additional detail.
Although providing certain advantages, data cartridge assembly
100
creates very small internal clearances for optical disk
130
. Shutter
140
is compressed within cover
135
, which itself is disposed within housing members
110
,
120
. Contact with shutter
140
, e.g., through windows
210
,
220
when shutter
140
is in a closed position, can easily cause contact with optical disk
130
and result in potential damage. During use, frictional contact between dimples
165
,
170
and cover
135
creates internal debris generation issues, as does the assembly process of inserting shutter
140
within cover
135
. The overall shell structure of data cartridge assembly
100
also provides a number of operational and manufacturing complexities.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One aspect of the present invention relates to a cartridge assembly for a data storage disk, the cartridge assembly including a housing for containing the data storage disk. The housing defines a plurality of openings for exposing a portion of the data storage disk. The cartridge assembly further includes an external shutter supported by the housing outside the housing, the shutter being movable between a closed position for covering the openings defined by the housing, a first open position for uncovering the openings defined by the housing to expose the data storage disk, and a second open position for uncovering the openings defined by the housing to expose the data storage disk. The first open position and the second open position are disposed on opposite sides of the closed position. The housing includes a protrusion, according to an aspect of the invention, the protrusion being adapted to engage the external shutter and hold the external shutter in the closed position. The protrusion is further adapted to hold the external shutter in one of the first and second open positions. The housing defines a central aperture and defines a groove, according to one aspect, the groove being disposed on a side of the central aperture opposite the protrusion. The shutter includes a tab at least partially exposed to the outside of the assembly, the tab being disposed for movement within the groove. The protrusion is one of a plurality of protrusions disposed on opposite sides of the external shutter when the external shutter is in the closed position, the plurality of protrusions being adapted to contact opposite edges of the external shutter. The assembly is constructed such that the shutter is unbiased toward the closed position, according to one aspect, when the shutter is in either the first open position or the second open position. The shutter is self-biased inwardly into contact with the housing. According to another aspect, the housing defines a groove and the shutter includes a tab at least partially exposed to the outside of the assembly, the tab being disposed for movement within the groove. A keeper is disposed over the groove and over the tab for holding the tab within the groove. The keeper is generally centered on the housing.
According to another aspect of the invention, a cartridge assembly for a data storage disk includes a casing for holding the data storage disk, the casing defining a plurality of openings for exposing the data storage disk. The cartridge assembly also includes a movable member disposed to slide on a side of the casing opposite the data storage disk to cover and uncover the openings. At least one of the casing and the moveable member includes means for holding the moveable member, the means for holding being adapted to contact an edge of th
Blouin Mark
Imation Corp.
Klimowicz William
Levinson Eric D.
LandOfFree
Disk cartridge with single shutter held in multiple open... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Disk cartridge with single shutter held in multiple open..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Disk cartridge with single shutter held in multiple open... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3293028