Dynamic information storage or retrieval – With particular cabinet structure – Slotted for edgewise insertion of storage disc
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-17
2001-07-17
Ometz, David L. (Department: 2652)
Dynamic information storage or retrieval
With particular cabinet structure
Slotted for edgewise insertion of storage disc
C369S075210
Reexamination Certificate
active
06262961
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disk loading device and a cartridge of an apparatus for recording and reproducing information in a recording medium such as a disk by using optical means.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, optical disk apparatuses are being widely used for audio discs, video discs and computer data memory devices.
Optical disks are classified into those contained in a cartridge to be recording and reproduced, used mainly in data storage, and disks to be reproduced only, used in a bare state, such as music CD and CD-ROM. Along with the progress of the multimedia, digitization of AV appliances and enhancement of AV functions in computer are advanced simultaneously, and the optical disks are required to function as a digital disk to be used widely in AV appliances and computers alike.
Further, not only the AV appliances but also personal computers are more and more reduced in size, and thus the optical disk apparatus is demanded to be further thinner.
In this background, regarding the optical disk apparatus, a thin type apparatus applicable to multiple formats of media is strongly demanded.
Hitherto, however, between the disk contained in the cartridge and the bare disk, the loading method for loading the disk into the apparatus is different, and various exclusive devices were needed.
Conventional devices are described below while referring to the drawings.
First, the loading mechanism of an optical disk apparatus for a cartridge used mainly as data memory device is explained with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Generally, in such optical disk apparatus, after inserting a cartridge into the apparatus, this cartridge must be moved in the direction of a spindle motor and an optical pickup, and the disk must be put on the turntable to be set in a recording or a reproducing state.
FIG. 49
is a prior art perspective view showing a structure of a disk loading mechanism,
FIG. 50
is a side view showing its operation, and
FIG. 51
is a schematic view showing the dimensional relation in the thickness direction within the device.
In FIG.
49
and
FIG. 50
, a cartridge
201
is inserted into a cartridge holder
202
from the front side of the disk loading device (hereinafter called the device). At this time, a shutter
201
a
of the cartridge
201
slides as being engaged with a shutter opener
210
assembled in the cartridge holder
202
, and the recording and reproducing region of the disk in the cartridge
201
is exposed. At both sides of the cartridge holder
202
, four guide rollers
203
are provided, and they are inserted into guide grooves
205
provided at both sides of a slider
204
, so as to be movable by dimension d only in the vertical direction along a guide pole
207
planted on a chassis
206
.
The slider
204
is provided so as to be slidable by dimension S in the direction of arrow A along a guide pin
208
planted on the chassis
206
in such a shape as to nip the cartridge holder
202
from beneath. The slider
204
is always thrust against the chassis
206
in direction A by means of a slider spring
209
, and it is arrested, in initial state, by a lock arm (not shown) so that the slider spring
209
may be stopped in the maximum extended state (see FIG.
50
(
a
)).
A damper
214
is rotatably held by a support arm
215
, and is disposed at a position of an upper central opening
202
a
of the cartridge holder
202
, so as to confront a turntable
212
on a disk motor
211
. The damper
214
and turntable
212
attract each other by the attracting force of a magnet and a magnetic piece incorporated respectively.
The support arm
215
is rotated by a cam (not shown) provided in the slider
204
depending on its position, and moves up and down the damper
214
. In initial state, the damper
214
is lifted to a position so as not to interfere with the cartridge
201
to be inserted (see FIG.
50
(
a
)).
The lock arm is, when the cartridge
201
is inserted, pushed by a corner of the cartridge and is released. When the lock arm is released, the slider
204
slides in direction A by means of the slider spring
209
, and the guide roller
203
moves along the guide groove
205
, so that the cartridge holder
202
is moved by dimension d only in the direction (arrow B) of the chassis
206
. At the same time, the support arm
215
is rotated by the slider
204
, and the damper
214
is moved in the direction of the turntable
212
. As the cartridge
201
descends, the disk in the cartridge
201
is put on the turntable
212
, and is attracted by the damper
214
from above to be installed in a rotatable state, and is brought closer to the optical pickup
213
within a distance for recording and reproducing (see FIG.
50
(
b
)).
When taking out the cartridge
201
from the device, the slider
204
is pulled back against the pulling force of the slider spring
209
by means of a loading motor
216
, and the clamper
214
and cartridge holder
202
are raised to the position of the initial state. As a result, the disk is separated from the turntable
212
, so that it is ready to take out the cartridge
201
.
As shown in
FIG. 51
, when inserting the cartridge
201
, a distance more than the thickness of the cartridge
201
(dimension D) is required between the turntable
212
and clamper
214
.
Next, a loading mechanism of a prior art optical disk apparatus for bare disks such as music CD or CD-ROM is described while referring to FIG.
52
and FIGS.
53
(
a
)-(
c
).
In FIG.
52
and
FIG. 53
, reference numeral
253
is a main chassis, which comprises a disk motor
256
, a turntable
258
mounted on its shaft, a center cone
258
a
on the turntable
258
engaged with a central hole
245
a
of a disk
245
which is a recording disk, a head
243
mounting a coil
243
a
for linear motor slidably disposed in Y
1
-Y
2
direction by a guide shaft
255
, and a magnetic yoke
254
for linear motor. A hole
253
b
for rotary support point is provided at one end
253
a
of the main chassis
253
, and a rotary support shaft
251
is passed in this hole
253
b.
Similarly, at one end
247
a
of the clamp lever
247
, a hole
247
b
for rotary support point is provided, and the rotary support shaft
251
is also passed in this hole
247
b,
and this rotary support shaft
251
is fixed on a protrusion
252
in a casing
242
.
A tray
241
is provided inside of the casing
242
so as to move parallel in Y
1
-Y
2
direction by motion in engagement between a rack
241
a
formed on the back side and an output gear of a loading motor
257
in which a reduction gear unit is provided. In the tray
241
, moreover, a pan-shaped dent
246
is formed for mounting and holding the disk
245
. When this dent
246
is formed in two steps, a small disk
260
can be also mounted.
Further, a cam
250
is engaged with the rear parts of the main chassis
253
and clamp lever
247
. This cam
250
is driven by a geared motor
249
. Depending on the position of rotation of the cam
250
, the main chassis
253
and clamp lever
247
are designed to rotate about the rotary support shaft
251
to approach or depart each other. Reference numeral
240
is an insert port,
241
b
is an opening, and
248
is a clamper. The operation of the loading motor
257
and geared motor
249
is executed by ordinary microcomputer control. The position of the cam
250
or tray
241
driven by each motor is detected by an ordinary microswitch or the like. Their detail is not illustrated and explanation is omitted.
FIGS.
53
(
a
), (
b
), (
c
) show the operation of the disk loading device of this prior art.
That is, when using the disk
245
in a disk recording and reproducing apparatus, when an eject/load switch
261
is pressed, the tray
241
is moved in Y
2
direction by driving force of the loading motor
257
by microcomputer control, and comes out of the casing
242
to be in a state as shown in
FIG. 53
(
a
). At this time, the clamp lever
247
and main chassis
253
are at mutually departed positions from the rotary support shaf
Ezawa Kozo
Fujita Makoto
Fukushima Yasuhisa
Hashimoto Yoshiyuki
Kurozuka Akira
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
Ometz David L.
Wenderoth , Lind & Ponack, L.L.P.
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