Dynamic information storage or retrieval – Dynamic mechanism subsystem – Access of multiple storage elements
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-30
2001-02-13
Letscher, George J. (Department: 2754)
Dynamic information storage or retrieval
Dynamic mechanism subsystem
Access of multiple storage elements
Reexamination Certificate
active
06188664
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disk operating apparatus capable of taking out a selected disk from a disk package containing a plurality of disks for writing information to or reading information from the selected disk and, more specifically, to a disk operating apparatus capable of preventing disks contained in a disk package from projecting from the disk package when the disk package is loaded therein and capable of reducing time between the loading of the disk package and the start of an operation for writing information to or reading information from the disk.
2. Description of the Related Art
Some known disk operating apparatus loaded with a disk package containing a plurality of disks and capable of selecting one of the disks contained in the disk package to write information to or read information from the selected disk is provided with a plurality of trays for supporting disks, contained in the disk package.
When the disk package is inserted into the loading region of the disk operating apparatus, the drawing means draws out a selected disk from the disk package, the selected disk is loaded into the disk drive, and the disk is driven for rotation for a writing or a reading operation.
In an automobile disk operating apparatus, the disk package is loaded into the disk package drive apparatus with an opening through which a tray is drawn out directed in a lateral direction and a side wall not provided with the opening directed forward. In some automobile disk operating apparatus or some disk operating apparatus employed in a computer to operate disks, the disk package is inserted into the loading region of the disk operating apparatus with the opening thereof directed forward.
When a disk package is inserted with great force into the disk operating apparatus in which the disk package is inserted into the loading region with the opening directed forward, the trays contained in the disk package are liable to project accidentally from the disk package into the disk operating apparatus by shocks or inertia and the trays accidentally projected from the disk package are liable to obstruct a tray selecting operation. If the disk package is inserted into the disk operating apparatus with some trays partly projecting from the opening of the disk package, the trays projecting through the opening may possibly obstruct the tray selecting operation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made to solve such problems in the conventional disk operating apparatus and it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a disk operating apparatus capable of preventing trays from accidentally projecting from a disk package.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a disk operating apparatus capable of preventing trays from projecting from a disk package when the disk package is inserted therein and of immediately taking out the tray and the disk from the disk package without being obstructed by a mechanism for preventing the trays from projecting from the disk package.
The present invention provides a disk operating apparatus comprising: a disk package capable of storing, in layers, a plurality of trays carrying disks, and provided with an opening through which the trays are put into and taken out; a loading region into which the disk package is inserted with the opening thereof directed in a direction in which the disk package is inserted into the loading region; disk driving means for driving the disk for a writing and/or a reading operation; a movable base capable of moving in a direction along which the disks are arranged to select the disk; and a drawing means mounted on the movable base to draw out a selected tray from the disk package so that the disk can be loaded into the disk driving means; characterized by a restraining member disposed so as to be opposite to the opening of the disk package and so as to face the trays contained in the disk package to restrain the trays from projecting from the disk package when the disk package is inserted into the loading region, and restraint removing means for shifting the restraining member into a releasing region where the restraining member allows the trays to be put in and taken out of the disk package.
Since the restraining member is positioned in front of the trays contained in the disk package when the disk package is inserted into the disk operating apparatus with the opening thereof directed forward, the trays are restrained from projecting from the disk package when the disk package is inserted into the disk operating apparatus. Even if the disk package is loaded into the disk operating apparatus with the trays contained therein projected therefrom, the trays are returned into the disk package by the restraining member when the disk package is loaded completely into the disk operating apparatus.
A disk drawn out from the disk package by the drawing means may be driven by the disk driving means on the movable base by mounting both the disk driving means and the drawing means on the movable base, or a disk drawn out from the disk package by the drawing means may be driven by the disk driving means by mounting only the drawing means on the movable base, drawing out a tray from the disk package, mounting a disk on the movable base, moving the movable base to a position where the disk driving means is positioned.
In this disk operating apparatus, there is a tray to which the restraining member does not correspond when the disk package is inserted into the loading region, a part of the drawing means stopped at a predetermined position may correspond to the tray to which the restraining member does not correspond to restrain the tray from projecting from the disk package.
A part of the movable base stopping at a predetermined position together with the drawing means may correspond to the tray adjacent to the tray to which the part of the drawing means corresponds to restrain the same tray from projecting from the disk package.
It is preferable that the tray restrained from projecting from the disk package by the drawing means can be drawn out of the disk package while the rest of the trays are restrained from projecting from the disk package by the restraining means.
In this disk operating apparatus, the restraining member is disposed opposite to the front side of the disk package loaded into the disk operating apparatus and restrains one or some of the plurality of trays from projecting from the disk package, and the movable base and the drawing means are opposite to the rest of the trays. In this state, the drawing means is able to draw out the tray from the disk package. Since the tray can immediately be drawn out from the disk package by operating the drawing means in a state where the rest of the trays are restrained by the restraining member, the tray can be drawn out before the restraining member is operated to reduce time between the insertion of the disk package into the disk operating apparatus and the start of driving the disk.
The restraint removing means may be included in a driving mechanism for moving the drawing means and the movable base, and the restraint removing means may shift the restraining member to an inoperative position when the drawing means and the movable base are moved from the predetermined position to a position opposite the other tray by the driving mechanism.
When the restraint removing means is included in the driving mechanism, the restraining member is shifted to the releasing position when the movable base and the drawing means are moved to a position to select a tray which has been restrained by the restraining member. Thus, the restraining member can be moved to the inoperative position simply by moving the movable base for tray selection without using any additional mechanism for moving the restraining member to the inoperative position. Furthermore, the a disk selecting operation can be started immediately after the movable base has been moved to the tray selecting position, which reduces time necessar
Alps Electric Co. ,Ltd.
Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione
Letscher George J.
Watko Julie Anne
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