Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval – Record medium – In container
Reexamination Certificate
1998-10-30
2001-07-03
Renner, Craig A. (Department: 2652)
Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval
Record medium
In container
Reexamination Certificate
active
06256168
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a cartridge-based data storage system in which a flexible magnetic disk is disposed within a cartridge shell. More particularly, the invention relates to a shutter for a disk cartridge.
Flexible-media disk cartridges with rotary shutters have been suggested for a decade or more. For example, a cartridge having a rotary shutter is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. Re. 32,876 (Wakabayashi et al.). The Wakabayashi patent discloses a disk cassette that contains a flexible magnetic disk for storing information. The disk cassette comprises a flexible disk attached to a hub. The disk and hub assembly are sandwiched between upper and lower covers. Disk-access openings are formed in the upper and lower covers to provide access by the read/write heads of a disk drive. The Wakabayashi shutter rotates on the interior of the cartridge and comprises a metal sheet that slides over and thereby selectively covers the disk-access openings. This design represents an alternative to the more common sliding shutter found in 1.44 megabyte floppy disks, and may be preferable for a flexible-media disk cartridge in which the disk-access opening is relatively small.
A rotary shutter for a disk-access opening that is large relative to the cartridge size has more recently been disclosed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,636,095 (McGrath et al.) describes a rotary shutter that covers a significant percentage of the medium within the cartridge. The McGrath cartridge comprises a hard-disk medium that is rotatably disposed within an outer shell, and a shutter that rotates within the outer shell to selectively expose and cover the medium.
Typically, the shutter and the outer shell of disk cartridges are manufactured from metal or plastic materials, and are placed in direct contact with each other. This contact maintains proper alignment between the two components while the shutter is in the open or closed positions, and while the shutter moves between these positions. Proper alignment is necessary to prevent the shutter from jamming, and to prevent the shutter and the magnetic medium from coming into contact. Such contact can lead to damage of the medium and loss of data stored on the medium.
Direct contact between the outer shell and the shutter causes wear on the contact surfaces both components. This wear eventually produces misalignment and jamming of the shutter, which can damage the magnetic medium and preclude further use of the disk cartridge. Such contact and wear also generates contaminants which can harm the disk cartridge as well as the disk drive in which the cartridge is installed.
Thus, a need exists for an improved disk cartridge in which the sliding friction between the contact surfaces of the shell and the shutter is reduced, while sufficient contact is maintained to keep the shell and the shutter in proper alignment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a data storage device that comprises a disk drive and a removable cartridge. The cartridge comprises an outer shell having a spindle-access opening, a substantially circular medium rotatably disposed within the outer shell, and a hub connected to the magnetic medium proximate the center of the medium. The cartridge also comprises an inner shell having a spindle-access opening and a head-access opening. The spindle-access openings of the inner and outer shells are substantially aligned. The inner shell is rotatably coupled to the outer shell between a first and a second position. In the first position, the head-access openings of the inner and outer shells substantially align, while in the second position the access openings are substantially misaligned. The magnetic medium is rotatably disposed within the inner shell.
The inner shell preferably comprises upper and lower halves having raised outer edges. The two shell halves are brought together so that their edges overlap to form a single inner shell. The inner shell is substantially disc shaped and has a hollow interior wherein the disk media is rotatably disposed. The disk-access openings in the inner and outer shells are substantially wedge shaped and comprise an angle of less than about 90 degrees, and preferably about 80 degrees. The disk-access openings expose a surface area of the medium in a range of about 15 to 25 percent of the medium's total surface area; preferably, this percentage is about 22 percent. The shutter rotates over an arc of less than about 90 degrees, and preferably about 80 degrees.
Because the shutter shell is rotatably disposed within the outer shell, it rotates about a center point of the outer shell. A post projects downward from the interior of the upper outer shell and rotatably captures the upper shutter shell. The lower shutter shell has an annular projection that projects into the spindle-access opening of the outer shell to provide further rotational stability to the shutter shell.
A liner is disposed between the shutter and the outer shell. Although the liner is preferably attached to the outer shell, the liner may alternatively be attached to the shutter shell. Preferably, the liner comprises 100% polyester and has a thickness of less than about 3.5 mils.
REFERENCES:
patent: Re. 32876 (1989-02-01), Wakabayashi et al.
patent: 4445157 (1984-04-01), Takahashi
patent: 4471397 (1984-09-01), Cloutier
patent: 4553175 (1985-11-01), Baumeister
patent: 4586102 (1986-04-01), Bresson
patent: 4608617 (1986-08-01), Oishi et al.
patent: 4630728 (1986-12-01), Matsumoto et al.
patent: 4644434 (1987-02-01), Oishi et al.
patent: 4652961 (1987-03-01), Dieffenbach
patent: 4694448 (1987-09-01), Tamaru et al.
patent: 4695911 (1987-09-01), Loosen
patent: 4750075 (1988-06-01), Oishi
patent: 4812938 (1989-03-01), Rogers et al.
patent: 4864452 (1989-09-01), Thompson et al.
patent: 5006948 (1991-04-01), Fukunaga et al.
patent: 5060105 (1991-10-01), Howey
patent: 5083231 (1992-01-01), Veenstra et al.
patent: 5216566 (1993-06-01), Obara et al.
patent: 5247416 (1993-09-01), Shiba et al.
patent: 5381402 (1995-01-01), Lee et al.
patent: 5469314 (1995-11-01), Morehouse et al.
patent: 5481420 (1996-01-01), Cardona et al.
patent: 5619391 (1997-04-01), Getzoyan et al.
patent: 5636095 (1997-06-01), McGrath et al.
patent: 5708547 (1998-01-01), Oishi
patent: 5710687 (1998-01-01), Drebenstedt
patent: 6005755 (1999-12-01), Muse et al.
U.S. application No. 08/968,233, Hales et al., filed Nov. 12, 1997.
U.S. application No. 08/968,561, Larsen et al., filed Nov. 12, 1997.
U.S. application No. 09/096,953, Muse et al., filed Jun. 12, 1998.
Brown Richard Tolan
Hales Ronald F.
Schick Brian
Iomega Corporation
Renner Craig A.
Woodcock Washburn Kurtz Mackiewicz & Norris LLP
LandOfFree
Shutter liner for a 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 Shutter liner for a disk cartridge, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Shutter liner for a disk cartridge will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2526648