Emergency ejection structure for optical disk drive

Details Emergency ejection structure for optical disk drive Emergency ejection structure for optical disk drive

2002-08-26

2004-03-09

Letscher, George J. (Department: 2652)

Dynamic information storage or retrieval

With particular cabinet structure

Reexamination Certificate

active

06704264

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an emergency ejection structure for an optical disk drive, and in particular to an emergency ejection structure for ensuring safety of the optical disk drive and users.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 1
is a perspective view of a conventional external optical disk drive
1
a
. The conventional external optical disk drive
1
a
has a lid
10
a
. When opening the lid
10
a
, disks can be placed on or removed from the optical disk drive. The optical disk drive
1
a
sometimes fails to function properly or the host computer crashes. In order to open the lid
10
a
and remove the disk from the optical disk drive
1
a
, the optical disk drive
1
a
has installed an emergency ejection structure.
Referring to
FIG. 2
, the conventional emergency ejection structure includes a locking element
11
a
for locking the lid
10
a
of the disk drive
1
a
and keeping the lid
10
a
closed. The optical disk drive
1
a
has an emergency ejection hole
12
a
, and the lid
10
a
has an opening
15
a
. The locking element
11
a
has a locking hook
14
a
, and when the lid
10
a
is closed, the locking hook
14
a
is fitted to the opening
15
a
. The locking element
11
a
has an ejection lever
13
a
corresponding to the emergency ejection hole
12
a
. To perform ejection manually, the user can insert a suitable device into the emergency ejection hole
12
a
to push the ejection lever
13
a
downwardly in order to disengage the locking hook
14
a
from the opening
15
a
, as shown in FIG.
3
.
However, when the disk drive
1
a
is in use, the lid
10
a
can be opened if the emergency ejection structure is inadvertently actuated. The disk may be ejected because the spindle motor (not shown) of optical disk drive
1
a
spins at a high speed. It may do damage to the disk and impair the user.
Consequently, the present invention provides an emergency ejection structure for an external optical disk drive. The emergency ejection structure ensures personnel safety and prevents disk or drive from being damaged due to inadvertent emergency ejection of optical disk.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide an emergency ejection structure for an optical disk drive. The optical disk drive has a lid and an emergency ejection hole. The lid has an opening. The emergency ejection structure comprises a locking element having a locking hook and an ejection lever, a safety element movably disposed under the emergency ejection hole, and an electromagnetic unit for generating magnetic field in the optical disk drive. The locking hook is fitted to the opening of the lid and keeps the lid closed. With magnetic force, the electromagnetic unit attracts the safety element.
On the one hand, the locking hook cannot disengage from the opening when the optical disk drive is connected to electric power that enables the electromagnetic unit to attract and hold the safety element.
On the other hand, the locking hook can disengage from the opening when the optical disk drive is disconnected to electric power, enabling the electromagnetic unit to release the safety element.
A detailed description will be given by the following embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4412320 (1983-10-01), Yamakawa
patent: 4439850 (1984-03-01), Takahara et al.
patent: 2002/0131355 (2002-09-01), Lin

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