Dynamic information storage or retrieval – Storage or retrieval by simultaneous application of diverse... – Magnetic field and light beam
Reexamination Certificate
2002-11-29
2004-05-25
Letscher, George J. (Department: 2653)
Dynamic information storage or retrieval
Storage or retrieval by simultaneous application of diverse...
Magnetic field and light beam
C369S077210
Reexamination Certificate
active
06741525
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a recording and/or reproducing apparatus employing a disc housed in a disc cartridge and a disc cartridge ejection device.
BACKGROUND ART
There has hitherto been employed a disc recording and/or reproducing which has a disc cartridge accommodating therein a disc-shaped recording medium, as an information recording medium, such as an optical disc or a magneto-optical disc, and which is miniaturized to a portable size.
In this sort of the disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus, such an apparatus is now in use in which the disc cartridge is loaded in position for recording and/or reproduction on a main body portion of the recording and/or reproducing apparatus, using a holder supported for rotation by the main body portion of the apparatus having arranged therein a disc rotating and driving mechanism, an optical pickup and a magnetic head representing recording and/or reproducing means.
In this disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus, a cartridge loading unit for loading a disc cartridge is mounted on an upper surface of the main body portion of the apparatus. The holder accommodating and holding the disc cartridge is mounted on the main body portion of the apparatus for rotation between a lowered position towards the cartridge loading unit and an elevated position spaced apart from the cartridge loading unit. When the holder is moved towards the cartridge loading unit, the disc cartridge accommodated and held therein is loaded on the cartridge loading unit. When the disc cartridge, held by the holder, is moved to the elevated position spaced apart from the cartridge loading unit, the disc cartridge is spaced apart from the cartridge loading unit, while being protruded outwardly of the holder.
As an ejection device for protruding the cartridge holder, accommodated and held in the holder, to outside the holder, such a one has hitherto been used which is provided with an ejection lever rotationally operated by the disc cartridge held by the holder. This ejection lever is rotationally supported on a base member arranged in the main body portion of the apparatus and is rotationally biased by a biasing member, provided independently of the ejection lever, in a direction of protruding the disc cartridge held by the holder in a direction protruding from the holder. When the disc cartridge is inserted and held in the pre-set intruded position in the holder, the ejection lever is engaged by a portion of the ejection releasing mechanism provided on the main body portion of the apparatus, so that the ejection lever is held in a state of not thrusting the disc cartridge held by the holder.
If the ejection releasing mechanism is actuated, as the disc cartridge is held by the holder, such that the ejection releasing mechanism is unlocked, the ejection lever is rotated, under the bias of the biasing member, so that the disc cartridge held by the holder is projected outside of the holder.
In the conventional ejection mechanism, at least the ejection lever and the biasing member rotationally biasing this ejection lever are provided independently of each other, whilst there is provided a mechanism for locking the ejection lever when the disc cartridge is inserted and held in the holder, resulting in an increased number of component parts and a complicated structure.
As this sort of the disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus, there is such an apparatus in which a lid is mounted for rotation on the main body portion of the apparatus for overlying the holder. The lid, provided on this apparatus, is rotated in unison with the holder rotation, such that, when the holder has been moved towards the cartridge loading unit, the lid is locked by a lock mechanism provided between the lid and the main body portion to maintain the closed state of the cartridge loading unit. When rotated to a position closing the cartridge loading unit, the lid closes a cartridge entrance/exit aperture provided in the front surface opposite to the proximal end provided with the rotary pivot of the holder. When rotated to a raised position spaced from the main body portion for opening the cartridge loading unit, the lid opens the cartridge entrance/exit aperture provided in the holder.
The lid which is rotated in unison with holder rotation and which when rotated to the lower position closing the cartridge loading unit or to the raised position opening the cartridge loading unit closes and opens the cartridge entrance/exit aperture in the holder, respectively, is rotated in a direction away from the holder to open the cartridge entrance/exit aperture when the lock by the lock mechanism is released to permit the lid to be rotated in a direction away from the holder.
Thus, there is provided a spring member between the lid and the holder for rotating the lid in a direction away from the holder when the lid is released from the locked state by the lock mechanism and is rotated in the upward direction away from the main body portion.
The holder is also provided with a spring member for thrusting and supporting the disc cartridge held by the holder against the cartridge loading unit when the holder is rotated towards the cartridge loading unit. This spring member thrusts and supports the disc cartridge loaded on the cartridge loading unit to prevent the disc cartridge from being floated from the cartridge loading unit to load the disc cartridge in position on the cartridge loading unit. The holder is also provided with a shutter opening/closing member constituted by a spring plate adapted for controlling the movement of a shutter member provided on the disc cartridge held by the holder, permitting relative movement between the main cartridge body portion housing the disc-shaped recording medium and the shutter member and for opening/closing a recording and/or reproducing aperture provided on the main cartridge body portion.
Meanwhile, a spring member, adapted to rotate the lid away from the holder, is formed independently of the lid or the holder, and is mounted on the lid or the holder. Also, the spring member for thrusting and supporting the disc cartridge loaded on the cartridge loading unit and the shutter opening/closing member are formed independently of the lid or the holder and are mounted on the holder using a caulking pin or a set screw.
Thus, in the disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus, in which each spring member is formed independently of the lid or the holder, not only the number of component parts increased and the assembling complicated, but it becomes difficult to reduce the thickness and the size of the apparatus itself more significantly.
If, in a disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus, which has enabled the recording of information signals employing an optical disc, information signals are recorded on an optical disc, the magnetic head is caused to approach to the major surface of the optical disc provided with the signal recording area. In reproducing information signals recorded on the optical disc, there is no necessity for applying an external magnetic field from the magnetic head, so that the magnetic head is moved to a position spaced apart from the major surface of the optical disc. By separating the magnetic head from the optical disc in this manner in case there is no necessity of using the magnetic head, the magnetic head and the optical disc are prevented from being worn out due to relative sliding contact between the magnetic head and the optical disc to improve the durability of the magnetic head and the optical disc.
In a disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus employing, as a recording medium, an optical disc enabling the recording of information signals, a holder rotatably supported by a main body portion of the apparatus, provided with a disc rotating driving unit and an optical pickup constituting recording and/or reproducing means, is used for loading the disc cartridge in position for recording and/or reproduction on the main body portion of the apparatus. This disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus is configured so th
Habara Yasuhiro
Kurita Kazuhito
Nakamura Tadami
Saito Makoto
Letscher George J.
Sony Corporation
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