Dynamic information storage or retrieval – With particular cabinet structure – Slotted for edgewise insertion of storage disc
Reissue Patent
1997-05-30
2001-03-13
Cao, Allen T. (Department: 2754)
Dynamic information storage or retrieval
With particular cabinet structure
Slotted for edgewise insertion of storage disc
Reissue Patent
active
RE037093
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical disk drive unit having a mechanism for loading a disk cartridge which houses a disk-shaped recording medium on the device at a predetermined position thereof and ejecting the loaded disk cartridge from the device as well.
2. Description of the Related Art
An optical disk device uses an optical disk or a magneto-optic disk as a recording medium. The device uses the optical disk or magneto-optic disk (which is simply referred to as optical disk hereinafter) in a state wherein the optical disk is housed in a disk cartridge so that the optical disk can be conveniently exchanged.
Such a medium interchangeable optical disk device comprises a loading mechanism and an ejection mechanism for exchanging the disk cartridge, which forms many opening portions through which the inside of the device communicates with the outside of the device on the housing or chassis of the device so that the outer air is freely introduced into the device.
Accordingly, dusts or other particles included in the air stick to the optical parts assembled in the pickup device, which disturbs the wave-form of the optical signal, which lowers the reliability of the signal and causes the data error.
In order to prevent the outer air from entering into the optical disk device, it may be ideal to completely enclose the optical disk device.
However, in accordance with the ejection mechanism of the related art, to set the ejection mechanism as the initial state thereof, before the operation of the optical disk device, an eject pin has to be moved to a predetermined initial position by manually pressing an eject button, for instance. For this purpose, the chassis of the optical disk drive unit of the related art has a longitudinal opening formed therein corresponding to the moving range of the eject pin, which involves in the problem of entrance of outer air into the device through the opening.
Also, the movement of the eject pin along the longitudinal opening causes to generate dusts which are introduced into the device and attached to parts installed in the device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention was made considering the above mentioned problems of the related art. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an optical disk drive unit which is able to prevent the entrance of dusts into the optical disk device through the opening around the eject pin and avoid generation of dusts due to the movement of the eject pin.
The above mentioned object of the present invention can be achieved by
an optical disk drive unit for loading a disk cartridge which houses a disk-shaped recording medium at a predetermined position in the unit and ejecting the loaded disk cartridge from the unit as well, the optical disk drive unit comprising:
a sealing enclosure which sealingly encloses the recording medium and an access mechanism for writing/reading data on and from the recording medium from exterior in a state where the disk cartridge is installed in the unit;
an input device for inputting a command signal to eject the loaded disk cartridge from the unit;
an eject device for ejecting the disk cartridge from the unit;
a pin for moving and arranging the eject device to a state for starting its ejecting function;
a cam member which is arranged in such a way that the cam member is in a state of being disengaged from the pin when the disk cartridge is being unloaded from the unit and that the cam member is in a state of being contacted from the pin to start the ejecting function by the eject device when the disk cartridge is being loaded in the unit so that by rotating the cam member, the ejecting function can be conducted;
a cam drive device for driving the cam member to rotate which drive device is disposed outside of the sealing enclosure;
a linkage device for connecting a rotational shaft of the cam drive device to the cam member which linkage device is disposed penetrating through a hole formed in the sealing enclosure; and
a control device for controlling the cam member in such a way that upon receipt of the command signal to eject the disk cartridge transmitted from the input device, the cam drive device is driven to rotate the cam member until the disk cartridge is ejected.
An advantage of the present invention is that, due to the arrangement wherein the drive unit for driving the eject pin is disposed in the outside of the enclosure body, it becomes possible to prevent dusts from entering into the enclosure which dusts are generated from the drive mechanism.
Also, it is another advantage of the present invention that, due to the arrangement wherein the opening around the linkage member which links the cam member and the drive unit together is closed, it becomes possible to avoid entrance of dusts through the opening.
Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4636781 (1987-01-01), Wills et al.
patent: 4829393 (1989-05-01), Shimizu et al.
patent: 5060101 (1991-10-01), Isomura
patent: 5172362 (1992-12-01), Hattori et al.
patent: 5187621 (1993-02-01), Tacklind
patent: 5214549 (1993-05-01), Baker et al.
patent: 5477401 (1995-12-01), Squires et al.
patent: 3113792 (1991-05-01), None
Cao Allen T.
Cooper & Dunham LLP
Ricoh & Company, Ltd.
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