Dynamic information storage or retrieval – Dynamic mechanism subsystem – Specific detail of storage medium support or motion production
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-06
2001-03-27
Letscher, George J. (Department: 2754)
Dynamic information storage or retrieval
Dynamic mechanism subsystem
Specific detail of storage medium support or motion production
Reexamination Certificate
active
06208613
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a disk chucking device for chucking a disk placed on a turntable of a disk player such as an optical disk player or a magnetooptical disk player. More particularly, the present invention relates to a disk chucking device suitable for reducing the thickness of the disk player.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hitherto, a disk chucking device illustrated in, for example,
FIGS. 5
,
6
A and
6
B has been used for chucking an optical disk, such as a compact disk (trade name), on a turntable.
As shown in
FIG. 5
, this chucking device
10
has a center boss
12
that is disposed above a turntable
11
in such a manner as to be coaxial therewith. Three pressing pieces
13
and three steel balls
14
are disposed under this center boss
12
. Each of the pressing pieces
13
and the steel balls
14
is partly exposed therefrom. The pressing pieces
13
are arranged at an angular interval of 120°, and the steel balls
14
are arranged at the same angular interval.
Further, the chucking device
10
is connected to a spindle motor
1
mounted on a chassis (not shown), and is driven by the motor
1
to rotate.
As illustrated in
FIGS. 6A and 6B
, an O-shaped ring (hereunder referred to as an O-ring)
16
made of an elastic material is mounted on the outer surface of a sleeve
15
coaxially connected to a central portion in the center boss
12
. This O-ring
16
outwardly pushes the pressing pieces
13
and the steel balls
14
(namely, in the directions of arrows a and b shown in FIGS.
6
A and
6
B).
Further, each of the pressing pieces
13
is connected to the bottom portion of a corresponding sleeve
15
through a corresponding elastic piece
13
s
formed on the bottom portion thereof.
In the case of the aforementioned chucking device
10
, when a disk D, whose central hole has engaged the center boss
12
as shown in
FIG. 6A
, is downwardly moved, the pressing pieces
13
inwardly move (namely, in the direction of an arrow a′). Thus, the inner edge of the central hole of the disk D is pressed outwardly (namely, in the direction of the arrow a) by an elastic restoring force of the O-ring
16
. Consequently, the disk D is centered on the turntable
11
.
Further, when the disk D is downwardly moved, the inner edge of the central hole of the disk D surmounts the steel balls
14
pushed outwardly (namely, in the direction of the arrow b) by the O-ring
16
, as illustrated in FIG.
6
B. The steel balls
14
push down the inner edge portion of the disk D (in the direction of an arrow C), so that the disk D is caught on the balls
14
and held by the turntable
11
.
Namely, the chucking of the disk D is performed by the steel balls
14
.
The steel balls
14
, however, push the inner edge portion of the disk D from an upwardly slanting direction, as illustrated in FIG.
6
B. Thus, the aforementioned conventional chucking device
10
has drawbacks in that the pressing forces of the steel balls
14
against the disk D vary with the shape of the chamfered inner edge thereof and that the adjustment of the pressing forces is difficult.
Moreover, the disk D is installed therein against the pressing forces of the steel balls
14
. Thus, the conventional disk chucking device
10
has another drawback in that, if the pressing forces of the steel balls
14
against the disk D are increased, a large force is needed when the disk D is inserted thereinto or removed therefrom.
To eliminate this drawback, there has been proposed a disk chucking device adapted to optionally set a clamping force by pressing down the edge portion of the central hole of a disk at an end of a clamping lever pushed by a tension spring.
(Configuration of the Proposed Disk Chuck Device)
As shown in
FIG. 7
, this proposed disk chucking device
20
A comprises a turntable
21
A, a center boss
31
C coaxially engaging therewith, and holding members
71
each of which includes a &Ggr;-shaped clamping member
61
for chucking a disk and which accommodates and holds this clamping member
61
.
Three notches (or openings)
22
are disposed at an angular interval of 120° in an intervening portion between the outer and inner edges of the turntable
21
A. A cylinder
23
is disposed in a central portion of the turntable
21
A. Further, three catching bosses
29
are disposed on the bottom side of the turntable
21
A at an angular interval of 120° so that each of the catching bosses
29
is aligned with a corresponding one of the openings
22
.
Three notches (or openings)
32
are arranged at an angular interval of 120° in the center boss
31
C, which engages the cylinder
23
, in such a manner that each of the openings
32
is aligned with a corresponding one of the openings
22
of the turntable
21
A. Each of three projection pieces
33
for centering a disk D is disposed between a corresponding pair of the openings
32
.
In this proposed device, a cam
34
is provided on the inner surface of each of the openings
32
of the center boss
31
C in such a manner as to be in opposed contact with a pin
64
of a corresponding one of the clamping members
61
, as will be described later.
A chuck end portion
62
for chucking a disk is formed at the top portion of each of the clamping members
61
in such a manner as to project in the direction of the outer circumference of the turntable
21
A and as to have upper and lower inclined surfaces. The pin
64
is disposed under this chucking portion
62
. Further, a supporting shaft
63
is disposed at the bottom portion of each of the clamping members
61
.
Each of the clamping members
61
is coupled to a corresponding one of the catching bosses
29
through a tension spring
66
and is inserted into a corresponding one of the holding members
71
provided on the bottom side of the turntable
21
A.
The holding members
71
are mounted on the side surface of the cylinder
23
at an angular interval of 120° so that each of the members
71
is aligned with and partly exposed from a corresponding one of the openings
22
of the turntable
21
A.
Further, each of the clamping members
61
respectively inserted into the holding members
71
is disposed in such a way as to be able to be partly exposed from a corresponding one of the openings
32
of the center boss
31
C.
Incidentally, the chucking device
20
A illustrated in
FIG. 7
is connected to the spindle motor
1
mounted on the chassis (not shown), and is driven by the motor
1
to rotate.
With the aforesaid configuration, the proposed chucking device
20
A is adapted so that, when no disk is installed therein, the chuck end portion
62
of each of the clamping members
61
is exposed from the corresponding opening
32
of the center boss
31
C in the direction of the outer periphery of the turntable
21
A, as illustrated in FIG.
8
A.
Further, each of the clamping members
61
is pushed downwardly (namely, in the direction of an arrow d shown in
FIG. 8A
) by the resilient force of the corresponding tension spring
66
stretched between the corresponding one of the catching bosses
29
provided on the bottom side of the turntable
21
A and a catching hole
65
of a corresponding one of the clamping members
61
. The corresponding supporting shaft
63
abuts against the bottom end of a guide groove
75
of a corresponding one of the holding members
71
. The corresponding one of the clamping members
61
is pushed clockwise (namely, in the direction of an arrow e), so that the corresponding pin
64
abuts against the catching portion
73
of the corresponding holding member
71
.
Incidentally, in
FIGS. 8A
to
8
C and
9
A to
9
C, the supporting shaft
63
of the corresponding clamping member
61
is denoted by a mark “+” indicating the center of rotation. The pin
64
is designated by a mark “×” indicating that the pin
64
is movable.
Further, for simplicity of drawing, only parts needed for describing the displacement of the clamping member
61
are denoted by reference characters in
FIGS. 8B
,
8
C,
9
B and
9
C.
As illustrate
Letscher George J.
Maioli Jay H.
Sony Corporation
Watko Julie Anne
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