Dynamic information storage or retrieval – Storage medium structure – Adjuncts or adapters
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-06
2003-02-18
Letscher, George J. (Department: 2653)
Dynamic information storage or retrieval
Storage medium structure
Adjuncts or adapters
Reexamination Certificate
active
06522623
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND RELATED ART STATEMENT
The present invention relates to a recording disk cartridge for containing therein a recording disk, for example, an optical recording disk.
A prior art recording disk cartridge as disclosed by JP-A-11-213596 comprises a disk holder for holding thereon a recording disk, and a cartridge case for receiving therein the disk holder with the recording disk so that the recording disk is inserted into the cartridge case while the recording disk is held on the disk holder.
OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a recording disk cartridge for containing therein a recording disk, into which recording disk cartridge, the recording disk is inserted while an attitudinal relationship between the recording disk and the recording disk cartridge is surely kept errorlessly or correctly, and is prevented from being inserted when the attitudinal relationship between the recording disk and the recording disk cartridge is in error or reversed from the correct attitudinal relationship therebetween.
A recording disk cartridge for containing therein a recording disk, comprising,
a disk holder adapted to hold therein the recording disk, and
a cartridge case for containing therein the disk holder, having a cavity into which the disk holder is capable of being inserted in an inserting direction,
wherein the cartridge case includes a case engagement portion, the disk holder includes a holder engagement portion, the case engagement portion and the holder engagement portion engage each other to determine a positional relationship between the cartridge case and the disk holder as seen in the inserting direction when the disk holder is inserted into the cavity, the case engagement portion includes a case interference portion, the disk holder includes a holder interference portion, the case interference portion and the holder interference portion are arranged to be prevented from being aligned with each other in the inserting direction and interfering with each other when both positional relationship and attitudinal (angular) relationship between the disk holder and the cartridge case as seen in the inserting direction are maintained at their respective desirable situations for enabling the disk holder to be inserted into the cavity in the inserting direction, and the case interference portion and the holder interference portion are arranged to be aligned with each other to interfere with each other so that the disk holder is prevented from being inserted into the cavity in the inserting direction when the attitudinal (angular) relationship between the disk holder and the cartridge case is substantially reversed from the desirable situation thereof as seen in the inserting direction and the positional relationship between the disk holder and the cartridge case is maintained at the desirable situation thereof as seen in the inserting direction. That is, the interference between the case interference portion and the holder interference portion performs a prevention of undesirable reversed insertion of the disk holder into the cartridge case while desirable insertion of correct attitude of the disk holder into the cartridge case is kept possible.
Since the case interference portion and the holder interference portion are arranged on the cartridge case and the disk holder to be prevented from being aligned with each other in the inserting direction and from interfering with each other when both positional relationship and attitudinal (angular) relationship between the disk holder and the cartridge case as seen in the inserting direction are maintained at their respective desirable situations for enabling the disk holder to be inserted into the cavity in the inserting direction, and the case interference portion and the holder interference portion are arranged on the cartridge case and the disk holder to be aligned with each other to interfere with each other so that the disk holder is prevented from being inserted into the cavity in the inserting direction when the attitudinal relationship between the disk holder and the cartridge case is substantially reversed from the desirable situation thereof as seen in the inserting direction and the positional relationship between the disk holder and the cartridge case is maintained at the desirable situation thereof as seen in the inserting direction, the disk holder is prevented from being inserted into the cartridge case when the attitudinal relationship between the disk holder and the cartridge case is substantially reversed from the desirable situation thereof as seen in the inserting direction for enabling the disk holder to be inserted into the cavity in the inserting direction.
If the case engagement portion includes side walls extending in a thickness direction of the recording disk as seen in the inserting direction, and bridge walls bridging the side walls in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction as seen in the inserting direction to form the cavity, and the case interference portion is formed on at least one of the side walls, a rigidity of the case interference portion is maintained high because a rigidity of the side walls is significantly higher than that of the bridge walls. A length of the bridge walls in the direction perpendicular to the thickness direction as seen in the inserting direction is significantly larger than that of the side walls in the thickness direction of the recording disk as seen in the inserting direction.
The holder engagement portion includes side surfaces at which the holder engagement portion terminates in a direction perpendicular to a thickness direction of the recording disk as seen in the inserting direction. The side surfaces extend parallel to the inserting direction. Furthermore, the holder interference portion is formed on at least one of the side surfaces. In addition, the rigidity of the case interference portion can be maintained high because the rigidity of the side walls is significantly higher than that of the bridge walls.
It is preferable for increasing further the rigidity of the case interference portion that a thickness of each of the side walls in a direction perpendicular to the recording disk thickness direction is larger than that of each of the bridge walls in the direction as seen in the inserting direction. The case interference portion may be a protrusion protruding into the cavity as seen in the inserting direction. The holder interference portion is a protrusion protruding on the disk holder in a direction perpendicular to a thickness direction of the recording disk as seen in the inserting direction. The protrusion may be stair-shaped.
When the cartridge case includes first and second sides juxtaposed with each other along an imaginary plane (preferably passing a substantially center position of the cartridge case in the recording disk thickness direction) perpendicular to a thickness direction of the recording disk as seen in the inserting direction, the case interference portion may be formed on one of the first and second sides. When the disk holder includes first and second sides juxtaposed with each other along an imaginary plane (preferably passing a substantially center position of the disk holder in the recording disk thickness direction) perpendicular to a thickness direction of the recording disk as seen in the inserting direction, the holder interference portion may be formed on one of the first and second sides.
It is preferable for maintaining in a long term correctly a force for supporting the recording disk on the disk holder that the disk holder includes at least three contact points for contacting a radially outer periphery of the recording disk to hold the recording disk, at least one of the contact points urges radially inward the radially outer periphery, and the disk holder further includes a metallic spring for generating a radially inward urging force applied to the radially outer periphery through at least one of the contact points. The metallic spring may be plate
Birch & Stewart Kolasch & Birch, LLP
Hitachi Maxell Ltd.
Letscher George J.
LandOfFree
Recording disk cartridge does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Recording disk cartridge, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Recording disk cartridge will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3147231