Dynamic information storage or retrieval – Dynamic mechanism subsystem – Access of multiple storage elements
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-23
2001-02-13
Ometz, David L. (Department: 2754)
Dynamic information storage or retrieval
Dynamic mechanism subsystem
Access of multiple storage elements
Reexamination Certificate
active
06188663
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording medium loading device for loading into the body of the device a package which contains a single or plural disks such as a CD, a CD-ROM, a DVD, and/or a PD, or a package which contains recording means other than disks.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recently there has been proposed a disk unit which permits disks of different types to be loaded therein at a time. According to such a disk unit, both a disk for reproduction only and a recordable disk, such as a combination of CD or CD-ROM and DVD-RAM, or a combination of DVD-ROM and DVD-RAM, are housed within a single disk package and the package is loaded into the disk unit.
In such a disk unit, when the disk package has been loaded therein, it is necessary to recognize the type of each disk contained in the disk package, especially whether the disk is of a RAM type or a ROM type, as well as the contents recorded in each disk.
In such a case, TOC data, for example, of each of the loaded disks is read out using an optical head and determination is made as to the type of the disk and the contents of recorded information. Alternatively, the difference in thickness from the cover surface to the recording surface of the disk is detected or the track density is detected to determine the type of the disk. In this case, however, a long time is required from the time when the disk is loaded up to the time when its type is determined and a shift is made to a reproducing operation.
In this connection, if a memory board is attached to the disk package and the type of each disk and TOC data are stored beforehand in the memory board for each disk package, then when the disk package has been loaded into the disk unit, it is possible, by making access to the memory board, to grasp the types of all the disks contained in the disk package as well as the contents such as index information. In such a device, however, it is necessary that a connection terminal of the memory board attached to the disk package and a contact provided on the device body side be brought into contact with each other upon loading of the disk package into the device body.
Heretofore, as a concrete example of connecting a connection terminal of the memory board mounted on the recording medium side with a contact provided on the device body side, there has been known such an example as shown in
FIG. 9
in which a cassette tape of DVC is loaded onto the body of a digital video device.
FIG. 9
is a schematic sectional view showing a cassette holder of a digital video device body.
As shown in
FIG. 9
, a connection terminal
32
of a memory board is attached to a side end face
31
a
of a cassette tape
31
of DVC. On the other hand, on a side face
33
a
of the cassette holder is provided a contact
34
formed by a metallic plate spring or the like. In this example, the cassette tape
31
is inserted into the device body while the connection terminal
32
of the memory board slides on the contact
34
provided on the cassette holder side.
In the cassette holder shown in
FIG. 9
, however, the elastic force of the contact
34
acts as a resistance force during loading of the cassette tape
31
, thus giving rise to the drawback that the cassette tape inserting load is large and so is the cassette tape ejecting load.
Moreover, if such a connection mechanism as shown in
FIG. 9
is applied to a disk package loading structure in which the foregoing disk package containing plural disks is inserted longitudinally into the device body, the distance of the sliding motion between the wall surface of the inserted disk package and the contact becomes long, so that not only a load is imposed always on the disk package but also the contact slides a long distance on any other portion than the connection terminal of the cassette pack, for example the surface of a plastic wall. As a result, the plastic wall surface is scraped by the contact and hence not only the cassette pack is flawed but also the contact is stained, thus easily causing a defective connection between the contact and the connection terminal on the package side.
The problems involved in such a connection mechanism arise not only in a disk-containing package but also in a tape-containing package or a package containing a single or plural memory elements.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems of the prior art and it is an object of the invention to provide a recording medium loading device wherein a contact provided on the device body side is prevented from sliding long on any other portion than a connection terminal of the package when a package containing recording mediums such as disks is loaded into the body of the device, thereby diminishing the package insertion load and preventing the contact from being stained.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a recording medium loading device wherein, upon complete loading of the package, a connection terminal on the package side and a contact on the device body side come into sliding contact with each other, thereby permitting self-cleaning of the contact portions.
According to the present invention there is provided a recording medium loading device in which a connection terminal for connection with the exterior is provided in a package within which a recording medium is housed is provided, and the package is capable of being loaded into or unloaded from a body of the device, wherein in the device body are provided a contact support member having a contact and a moving member adapted to move in interlock with loading of the package, the contact support member being supported movably between a retracted position in which the contact is spaced apart from the package and a connecting position in which the contact is brought into contact with the connection terminal, the contact support member being the retracted position when the package is loaded into the device body and being moved to the connecting position by the moving member when the moving member moves after loading of the package.
In the present invention, during the package loading operation, the contact provided on the device body side is prevented from coming into sliding contact with the package surface, whereby the package inserting load can be diminished and there is no fear of the contact being stained by its sliding contact with the package surface. Thus, the connection between the contact and the package-side connection terminal can be ensured.
For example, a disk as a recording medium is housed within the package, and the package is provided with a discriminating means having the foregoing connection terminal to detect at least either the type of the disk or recorded contents of the disk.
Alternatively, a plurality of disks as recording mediums are accommodated within a package and the package is provided with a discriminating means having the foregoing connection terminal to detect at least either the type of each disk or recorded contents of each disk.
For example, the discriminating means is a memory board having a memory element. Alternatively, it may be of the type capable of expressing information of plural bits according to the number of connection terminals which are conductive with the contact.
The contact and the contact support member are opposed to the position where one side of the package to be loaded passes. Preferably, the contact support member moves to the connecting position immediately before the loading of the package into the device body is completed, and the contact and the connection terminal slide with respect to each other with the final loading motion of the package after contact of both contact and connection terminal.
Preferably, as will be described in the following paragraph of an embodiment, the package is inserted in parallel with a longitudinal direction (e.g. the disk surface direction), and the package is provided with a connection terminal on a side face thereof which extends in the package inserting direction. In th
Alps Electric Co. ,Ltd.
Altman Franklin D.
Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione
Ometz David L.
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