Dynamic information storage or retrieval – With particular cabinet structure – Slotted for edgewise insertion of storage disc
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-16
2002-06-11
Cao, Allen (Department: 2652)
Dynamic information storage or retrieval
With particular cabinet structure
Slotted for edgewise insertion of storage disc
Reexamination Certificate
active
06404720
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a disk drive for loading a disk cartridge accommodating a recording medium such as an optical disk and a magneto-optical disk to record or reproduce data such as video data and audio data onto or from the recording medium.
A disk cartridge
1
as shown in
FIGS. 1
,
42
, and
43
has conventionally been developed. The disk cartridge
1
is a substantially rectangular flat case in which a double-sided disk
2
is rotatably accommodated. The double-sided disk
2
is a recording medium such as an optical disk and a magneto-optical disk having opposite recording surfaces which data can be recorded on and reproduced from. The disk cartridge
1
has a front end surface
1
a
as an insertion end surface from which the disk cartridge
1
is inserted into a disk drive
11
to be hereinafter described. The disk cartridge
1
has upper and lower surfaces
1
b
symmetrical with each other. The upper and lower surfaces
1
b
are formed with a pair of upper and lower recesses
3
in a longitudinal region offset to the front end surface
1
a
over the substantially entire width. The upper and lower recesses
3
are formed with a pair of upper and lower elongated windows
4
each extending from a central position corresponding to a center hole
2
a
of the double-sided disk
2
to a front position near the center of the front end surface
1
a
. A dustproof shutter
5
formed from a plastic or metallic thin plate into a U-shaped structure as viewed in side elevation is mounted on the disk cartridge
1
so as to be inserted from the front end surface
1
a
in the upper and lower recesses
3
. The shutter
5
is slidable along the front end surface
1
a
from its central position in one direction or opposite directions, thereby simultaneously opening the upper and lower windows
4
. The shutter
5
is normally biased by a return spring (not shown) incorporated inside of the front end surface
1
a
of the disk cartridge
1
from a shutter open position shown in
FIG. 43
to a shutter closed position shown in FIG.
42
. The shutter
5
has a front end surface
5
a
projecting frontward by an amount slightly greater than the amount of projection of right and left corner portions
1
c
of the front end surface
1
a
of the disk cartridge
1
. The central portion of the front end surface
1
a
of the disk cartridge
1
inclusive of the front end surface
5
a
of the shutter
5
is a portion weakest in strength. Each of the upper and lower surfaces
1
b
of the disk cartridge
1
is formed with a pair of right and left positioning holes
6
at a longitudinal position offset to a rear end surface
1
d
of the disk cartridge
1
. Further, the disk cartridge
1
has right and left side surfaces
1
e
each formed with a notch
7
for a cartridge loading mechanism and a notch
8
for a disk changer respectively near the front and rear ends of each side surfaces
1
e.
As shown in
FIGS. 44
to
46
B, the disk drive
11
for recording and reproducing data such as video data and audio data onto and from the double-sided disk
2
of the disk cartridge
1
has a front panel
12
formed with a laterally elongated cartridge insertion opening
13
. The cartridge insertion opening
13
is normally closed by a dustproof front door
14
. The front door
14
has a pair of right and left arms pivotably supported at their upper ends through horizontal shafts
15
to the inside of the front panel
12
, so that the front door
14
is rotatable about the horizontal shafts
15
in the opposite directions of arrows c and d. The front door
14
is of an inward opening type such that it is opened inward of the front panel
12
in the direction of the arrow c about the horizontal shafts
15
against a biasing force of return springs (not shown). As shown in
FIG. 45A
, the disk cartridge
1
is inserted from its front end surface
1
a
into the cartridge insertion opening
13
in the direction of an arrow a. As shown in
FIGS. 45B and 45C
, the disk. cartridge
1
is further inserted horizontally through the cartridge insertion opening
13
into the disk drive
11
in such a manner that the front end surface
1
a
of the disk cartridge
1
pushes to open the front door
14
in the direction of the arrow c against the return springs. Thereafter, the disk cartridge
1
is drawn into the disk drive
11
by a cartridge loading mechanism (not shown) provided in the disk drive
11
. During this operation, the shutter
5
of the disk cartridge
1
is slid laterally to the shutter open position to open the upper and lower windows
4
. Subsequently, the disk cartridge
1
is loaded to a loading end position and the double-sided disk
2
is then rotated at a high speed by a spindle motor (not shown) provided in the disk drive
11
. Further, a pair of upper and lower optical pickups (both not shown) each functioning as a data record/playback head are vertically inserted into the upper and lower windows
4
, respectively, to record or reproduce data such as video data and audio data onto or from the opposite surfaces of the double-sided disk
2
simultaneously or selectively. After recording or reproducing the data, the disk cartridge
1
is ejected to be pulled out of the cartridge insertion opening
13
of the disk drive
11
in the direction of an arrow b as shown in FIG.
45
A. As a result, the front door
14
is rotated in the direction of the arrow d by the return springs to close the cartridge insertion opening
13
.
The conventional disk drive
11
has a door opening/closing mechanism intended to close the cartridge insertion opening
13
with the front door
14
also during recording or reproducing data onto or from the double-sided disk
2
of the disk cartridge
1
drawn into the disk drive
11
, thereby preventing foreign matter, dust, etc. from entering the disk drive
11
from the cartridge insertion opening
13
during recording or reproducing data to ensure high dustproof performance. This kind of door opening/closing mechanism is so configured as to mechanically link the cartridge loading mechanism and the front door
14
by using a link, cam, etc. In ejecting the disk cartridge
1
, the cartridge loading mechanism is driven to raise the disk cartridge
1
from the loading end position to the loading start position. In concert with the rising motion of the disk cartridge
1
, the door opening/closing mechanism operates to open the front door
14
and allow the disk cartridge
1
to be pulled out of the cartridge insertion opening
13
. After the disk cartridge
1
is ejected, the door opening/closing mechanism operates to close the front door
14
to thereby close the cartridge insertion opening
13
. Further, in loading the disk cartridge
1
, the cartridge loading mechanism is driven to lower the disk cartridge
1
from the loading start position to the loading end position. After the disk cartridge
1
reaches the loading end position, the door opening/closing mechanism operates to close the front door
14
.
However, such a structure that the front door is opened and closed by the cartridge loading mechanism mechanically linked to the front door through a link, cam, etc. is remarkably complicated in mechanism to increase the number of parts and the number of man-hours for assembly, causing an increase in cost. Furthermore, since the front door is always linked to be opened and closed by the cartridge loading mechanism, the cartridge insertion opening is needlessly opened by operating the cartridge loading mechanism irrespective of whether the disk cartridge is present or absent in the disk drive, causing a reduction in dustproof effect. Furthermore, it is necessary to additionally provide an improper insertion prevention mechanism for preventing improper insertion (double insertion) such that although a disk cartridge has already been loaded to the loading end position by the cartridge loading mechanism, another disk cartridge may be inserted into the disk drive by mistake, thus making the structure more complicated.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is according
Cao Allen
Frommer William S.
Frommer & Lawrence & Haug LLP
Ryan Matthew K.
Sony Corporation
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