Dynamic information storage or retrieval – With particular cabinet structure
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-03
2001-11-20
Ometz, David L. (Department: 2754)
Dynamic information storage or retrieval
With particular cabinet structure
Reexamination Certificate
active
06320835
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disk drive device, and to a disk drive device in which, by using a flexible cable, the rigidity of which is improved, it is prevented that, when a disk tray is received by a housing, the flexible cable is sandwiched between the disk tray and the housing.
Recently, it is demanded that a notebook-type personal computer in which the disk drive device is incorporated be made to be miniaturized and thinner. As a result, making the disk drive device itself thinner has been attempted. Thereby, a space formed between the disk tray on which a disk is placed and the housing which slideably supports the disk tray becomes narrower.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a disk drive device, there is a device which reads information recorded on a CD-ROM (simply referred to as a ‘disk’, hereinafter) through a laser pickup.
In such a type of disk drive device, the disk tray (simply referred to as a ‘tray’hereinafter) on which the disk is loaded is provided in a manner in which the tray can slide between an ejecting position in which the disk is loaded and unloaded, and a reproducing position in which information stored in the disk is read.
FIGS. 1A
,
1
B shows the disk drive device
102
in the related art. As shown in
FIG. 1A
, in the tray
106
which is included in the disk drive device
102
, a turntable
134
on which the disk is placed and which rotates the disk, a pickup portion (not shown in the figures) which optically detects information recorded on the disk, and so forth are provided.
A flexible cable
110
is provided between the tray
106
and a housing
104
. The flexible cable
110
is curved in accordance with a position relationship between the tray
106
and the housing
104
. Further, the flexible cable
110
electrically connects a substrate
138
provided in the tray
106
with a substrate
140
provided in the housing
104
. When the tray
106
moves, a movable portion
110
a
follows the sliding movement of the tray
106
and moves in the housing
104
.
As shown in
FIG. 1B
, as a result of the disk drive device
102
becoming thinner, the inner space of the housing
104
becomes narrow, and, thereby, the flexible cable cannot bend gently. Accordingly, when the tray
106
is received by the housing
104
, the movable portion
110
a
of the flexible cable
110
may come into contact with the inner surface
104
a
of the housing
104
. In this case, due to the frictional resistance occurring as a result of the contact of the movable portion
110
a
with the inner surface
104
a
of the housing
104
, a portion
110
b
of the flexible cable
110
, which portion
110
b
cannot enter the housing
104
, projects from the gap between the tray
106
and the housing
104
.
Further, when the tray
106
continues to move into the housing
104
, the projecting portion
110
b
of the flexible cable
110
is sandwiched between a rear end portion
106
a
of the tray
106
and a front end portion
104
b
of the housing
104
. When the flexible cable
110
is thus sandwiched therebetween, the tray
106
is not completely received by the housing
104
, and, also, the flexible cable
110
itself may be damaged.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to eliminating the above-mentioned problems. An object of the present invention is to provide a disk drive device in which the flexible cable is prevented from projecting from the gap between the tray and the housing when the tray is received by the housing, and the tray is smoothly received by the housing.
A disk drive device, according to the present invention, comprises:
a tray which is provided movably between a disk ejecting position in which a disk is placed on the tray and a disk reproducing position in which information stored the disk is read;
a housing which movably supports the tray;
disk reproducing components, arranged in the tray, including a pickup and a disk motor which drives and rotates the disk; and
a flexible cable connecting the disk reproducing components arranged in the tray with a substrate provided in the housing, the flexible cable being arranged in a manner in which the flexible cable is curved,
wherein a reinforcement film is formed on a predetermined portion of a movable portion of the flexible cable, the movable portion moving with respect to the housing when the tray moves with respect to the housing.
As a result of forming the reinforcement film on the predetermined portion of the movable portion of the flexible cable, the rigidity of the predetermined portion of the movable portion is increased. As a result, the surfaces of the predetermined portion of the movable portion of the flexible cable are smooth. Thereby, when the tray is received by the housing, the contact frictional resistance between the predetermined portion of the movable portion of the flexible cable and an inner surface of the housing is small. Thereby, it is prevented that the contact frictional resistance between the predetermined portion of the movable portion of the flexible cable and the inner surface of the housing causes the movable portion of the flexible cable to not smoothly move in the housing, and, thereby, causes a portion of the movable portion of the flexible cable to project from the gap between a rear end portion of the tray and a front end portion of the housing, such that the portion of the movable portion of the flexible cable is sandwiched between the rear end portion of the tray and the front end portion of the housing. Thus, the movable portion of the flexible cable smoothly moves in response to the sliding movement of the tray so that the movable portion of the flexible portion is completely received by the housing together with the tray. As a result, it is prevented that the tray is not completely received by the housing, and, also, it is prevented that the flexible cable is damaged.
It is preferable that the reinforcement film be formed as a result of silk-screen printing of a paint. As a result, it is possible to provide the flexible cable, in which the rigidity of the predetermined portion of the movable portion is increased, through an easy manufacturing process at a low price, in comparison to a case where a reinforcement plate or the like is stuck on the predetermined portion of the movable portion of the flexible cable.
Other objects and further features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed descriptions when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4679059 (1987-07-01), Dagna
patent: 4906803 (1990-03-01), Albrechta et al.
patent: 5206118 (1993-04-01), Sidney et al.
patent: 5299944 (1994-04-01), Larabell et al.
patent: 5526208 (1996-06-01), Hatch et al.
patent: 5616418 (1997-04-01), Vasselin et al.
patent: 6058089 (2000-05-01), Youens et al.
patent: 6151284 (2000-11-01), Watanabe et al.
patent: 55-102289 (1980-08-01), None
patent: 5-175618 A (1993-07-01), None
patent: 06338185 A (1994-12-01), None
patent: 07254264 A (1995-10-01), None
patent: 09251769 A (1997-09-01), None
Altman, III Franklin D.
Anderson Kill & Olick P.C.
Ometz David L.
Teac Corporation
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