GB2272990A

GB2272990A - Disk cartridge

Info

Publication number: GB2272990A
Application number: GB9324578A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Tadahiro Kuwa; Makoto Miura; Tamotsu Iida; Yoshitane Tsuburaya; Masanori Uematsu; Masayuki Yukawa; Junji Takamoto; Masahiko Ota
Original assignee: Nintendo Co Ltd; Hitachi Maxell Ltd
Current assignee: Nintendo Co Ltd; Maxell Ltd
Priority date: 1992-11-30
Filing date: 1993-11-29
Publication date: 1994-06-01
Anticipated expiration: 2013-11-29
Also published as: ES2077521A2; ES2077521R; CA2110203A1; SE9303980L; MX9307434A; FR2698709B1; NL193095B; CN1090423A; KR940012322A; GB9324578D0; ITMI932510A1; ITMI932510A0; SE9303980D0; FR2698709A1; NL193095C; AU5187593A; NL9302078A; DE4340601A1; JPH06168566A; ES2077521B1

Abstract

A disk cartridge 100 which carries a disk medium 160 comprising a flat case 101, a tray 130 having a concave portion 131 for accommodating the disk 160 and which is inserted into the case 101 along the direction Y'. A locking means 134 - 136 is provided on the upper surface of the tray which engages with the tray locking holes 112, locking the tray 130 in position in the case 101. The tray 130 is inserted into the case 101 in a direction Y' perpendicular to the direction X' along which the cartridge 100 is inserted into a disk drive. <IMAGE>

Description

2272990

TITLE OF THE INVENTION

Disk Cartridge BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to disk cartridges, and particularly to a disk cartridge which is installed in a disk reproducing apparatus with a disk-like recording medium accommodated therein and the record is read and written in that state such as the optical disk cartridge, the photomagnetic disk cartridge and the magnetic disk cartridge.

Description of the Background Art

Such kind of conventional disk cartridge has a cover which can be opened and closed or a tray which can be inserted and extracted for accommodating the disk-like recording medium therein. As such disk cartridges, Japanese Utility Model Publication No.3-48780 and Japanese Patent Laying-Open No.2123583 are known, for example. Note that the reference numerals enclosed in parentheses in the description of the background art below are those used in the gazettes cited above.

The disk cartridge disclosed in the Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 3-48780 includes the quadrilateral magazine frame (2) and the lid (1) axially supported on one side thereof. The nail-like lock portion (7) provided on the lid cooperates with the lock release operation portion (15) provided on the magazine 1 frame (2) to hold the lid (1) in a closed state with respect to the magazine frame (2). When the disk cartridge is inserted in the reproducing apparatus, the shutter (3) is opened by the operation member provided in the reproducing apparatus and the information is read.

The disk cartridge disclosed in the Japanese Patent LayingOpen No.2123583 includes the thin box-like outer case (11) having the tray insert hole (13) provided on one side thereof and the tray (12) having the disk provision portion (17) to be accommodated therein. The tray (12) is pulled out of the outer case (11) to a partially overlapping state and then the information is recorded and reproduced.

The disk cartridge of Japanese Utility Model Publication No.3-48780 enables installation of the disk being accommodated in the case in the reproducing apparatus, but it has a disadvantage that a user (especially, a user who is unaccustomed to handling it such as a little child) may accidentally open the lid to make dirt or damage the disk accommodated therein since the lid can be easily opened and closed.

The disk cartridge of Japanese Patent Laying-Open No.2123583 dose not includes a shutter, so that its structure is simple to enable down-sizing of the cartridge itself. However, the tray is extracted from the outer case in use to require a space in the drive apparatus correspondingly, so that the entire apparatus becomes large against its original object ofmaking 2 the apparatus smaller and thinner. Besides, the tray and the case must slide smoothly so that the tray can be easily pulled out in the drive apparatus, and the spring (16) which is energized in the direction of discharging the tray is provided. Therefore, it can not certainly prevent the tray from f lying out when the locked state is undesirably released to cause the disk to fall down or to be damaged.

The inventors of the present invention devised the disk cartridge shown in Fig. 10 to solve such disadvantages. The disk cartridge 1 includes the case 2, the tray 3 and the recording disk (not shown). More specif ically, the case 2 has its sectional shape selected to be almost U-shaped and has a head access hole and a spindle insert hole on its under surf ace. It also has a tray insert hole 4 formed on its one side. The tray 3 has a circular accommodating concave portion for accommodating the recording disk therein, and a head access hole and a spindle insert hole formed in positions which correspond to the head access hole and the spindle insert hole of the case 2, and which is extractably inserted in the case 2. The recording disk is a medium in and from which the information can be recorded and reproduced such as an optical disk and a magnetic disk, and which is accommodated in the accommodating concave portion in the tray 3.

In the disk cartridge 1, the recording disk (not shown) is accommodated in the tray 3, and which is installed in the drive 3 apparatus with the tray 3 inserted in the case 2 to write or read the information. Or, the recording disk may be taken out of the tray 3 to be attached in the drive apparatus by itself.

Elastic members 5 for locking are provided on the right and left sides of the tray 3 being exposed from the case 2. The tray 3 is locked in the case 2 by means of the locking means inside when the tray 3 is inserted in the case 2 to prevent the tray 3 from accidentally getting out of the case 2. The tray dose not have to be extracted in the drive apparatus since the recording surface is exposed by opening the shutter in the drive apparatus. Accordingly, the tray and the case are in close contact with each other so that some force is required to extract it. As a result, the tray can not be easily extracted when the locked state is released accidentally.

Now, in the disk cartridge 1 of the background art which has been previously devised by the inventors of the present invention (refer to Fig. 10), the direction X for extracting the disk cartridge 1 from the drive apparatus is the same as the direction Y for extracting the tray 3 from the case 2. Therefore, when the disk cartridge 1 is extracted from the drive apparatus, if it is pinched on both sides as shown by the arrow Z in Fig.9, the locked state of the case 2 and the tray 3 is released to result in a problem that only the case 2 is left in the drive apparatus against the frictional force working between the case 2 and the tray 3.

4 i It also has a disadvantage that, when the tray 3 is taken away from the case 2, the tray 3 is extracted with the recording disk provided thereon being exposed to possibly cause the disk to f all of f to be damaged, resulting in a problem in writing and reading of the information. Such disadvantage also exists in the conventional art (Japanese Patent Laying- Open No. 2-123583) described above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a disk cartridge which is compact and has the high operational reliability in which only a tray is not extracted with a case left in a drive apparatus to prevent a disk from falling down to be damaged as described above.

The present invention is directed to a disk cartridge which accommodates a disk-like recording medium therein and is attached to a disk drive apparatus to be used, including: a flat case having a plane shape being quadrilateral which includes a tray accommodating space provided therein, and a tray insert hole provided on one side along a direction of insertion into a disk drive apparatus; a tray having an accommodation concave portion for accommodating the disk-like recording medium formed on one surface thereof and which is insertably and extractably inserted in the tray accommodating space in the case; first engaging means formed in the case for releasably locking the tray 5 being accommodated in the tray accommodating space; and second engaging means formed in the tray in a position which corresponds to the first engaging means. The direction of insertion or extraction of the tray into and from the case is selected to be perpendicular to the direction of insertion or extraction of the disk cartridge into and from the disk drive apparatus.

In the present invention, as described above, the insertion and extraction direction of the tray into and out of the case is perpendicular to the direction of insertion and extraction of the disk cartridge into and out of the drive apparatus, therefore such a disadvantage that the lock is accidentally released when extracting the disk cartridge from the drive apparatus to allow the case to be left in the drive apparatus, or to allow the disk to be extracted in an exposed state to be damaged on its recording surf ace can be solved, and the operational reliability can be improved.

These and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a disk cartridge 100 according. to an embodiment of the preset invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view seen from the bottom surface of 6 Q the embodiment of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the embodiment of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a partial section view showing a recording disk 106 before clamping in the embodiment of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a partial section view showing the recording disk 106 being clamped in the embodiment of Fig. 1:

Fig. 6 is a partial section view showing the second shutter 141 being supported in the embodiment of Fig. 1; Fig. 7 is an enlarged plan view in the vicinity of the locking projection 135 in the embodiment of Fig. 1:

Fig.8 is an enlarged section view in the vicinity of the locking projection 135 in the embodiment of Fig. 1; Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a disk cartridge 200 of another embodiment of the present invention; and Fig.10 is a plan view of a disk cartridge 1 which is the background art of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Fig.1 and Fig.2 are diagrams illustrating the outline of a disk cartridge 100 of an embodiment of the present invention, where Fig. 1 is a perspective view seen from above and Fig. 2 is a perspective view seem from below.

Next, referring to Fig.1 and Fig.2, the outline of the disk cartridge 100 will be described. In Fig.1, the disk cartridge 7 of the present invention includes a case 101. The case 101 has an upper half 110 and a lower half 120 made of synthetic resin. An inset direction display portion 111 for displaying the direction of the insertion of the disk cartridge into the drive apparatus is formed on the upper surf ace of the upper half 110. A tray insert hole 102 is formed on one side of the case 101, so that the sectional shape of the case 101 is almost U- shaped. Tray locking holes 112 for locking are provided in two separated positions on the right and left along a side in the vicinity of the tray insert hole 102.

A tray 130 which is inserted in and extracted from the case 101 is made of a synthetic resin material, for example, which has a circular accommodation concave portion 131 for accommodating the recording disk formed nearly at the center on the upper surface, and a tray side head access hole 132 (refer to Fig.3) and a tray side spindle insert hole 133 continuously formed in positions corresponding to a case side head access hole 121 and a case side spindle insert hole 122 (refer to Fig.2). It also has elastic members 134 which correspond to the tray locking holes 112 and are formed in separated two positions on the right and left in this side on the upper surface of the tray 130. The elastic member 134 has a slit 136 to be displaced when pressed in the direction of the arrow Z to have the elastic force. Locking projections 135 are formed on the upper surfaces of the elastic members 134, respectively. When the tray 130 is inserted in the 8 1 case 101, the locking projections 135 fit in the tray locking holes 112 to lock the tray 130 in the case 101 to prevent the tray from getting out of it.

In the lower half 120, the case side head access hole 121 and the case side spindle insert hole 122 are continuously formed as shown in Fig. 2. Furthermore, a printed board 150 having external memory elements (not shown) and the like is provided in the lower half 120, and a contact terminal 151 is provided in a predetermined position on the lower surf ace of the printed board 150.

The disk-like recording medium (referred to as "a recording disk", hereinafter) 160 such as an optical disk is insertably and extractably accommodated in the accommodation concave portion 131 of the tray 130. The disk cartridge 100 is formed so that the pressed direction Z of the elastic members 134 for the locking is the same as the direction of the thickness of the disk cartridge 100, and the direction Y' of the insertion and the extraction of the tray 130 into and from the case 101 is perpendicular to the direction X' of the insertion and the extraction of the disk cartridge 100 into and from the drive apparats.

The disk cartridge 100 can be installed in the drive apparatus with the recording disk 160 being accommodated in the tray 130 and which tray 130 being inserted and locked in the case 101. Or, depending on the structure of the drive apparatus, the 9 recording disk 160 can be installed in the drive apparatus by itself after extracting the tray 130 from the case 101 after releasing the lock to the case 101 by pressing the elastic embers 134 in the pressed direction Z and then taking out the recording disk 160 from the tray 130.

Fig.3 through Fig.8 are diagrams illustrating the disk cartridge 100 in detail, where Fig.3 is an exploded perspective view of the disk cartridge, Fig.4 is a partial sectional view showing the information recording disk before clamping, Fig. 5 is a partial section view showing the information recording disk being clamped, Fig. 6 is a partial sectional view showing a second shutter being supported, Fig. 7 is an enlarged plan view in the vicinity of the locking projection, and Fig.8 is an enlarged sectional view in the vicinity of the locking projection.

Next, referring to Fig.3 through Fig.8, the disk cartridge 100 will be described in detail. In Fig.3, a circular opening 113 which is larger than the spindle insert hole of the recording disk 160 is formed nearly at the center on the upper half 110. A step portion 116 is formed in the opening 113, which rotatably supports a clamper 115 (refer to fig.4). A cover plate 114 is fixed to the opening 113 by means of appropriate means such as welding so that the clamper 115 dose not fall off.

When it is not used, the recording disk 160 is accommodated and supported in the tray 130 and the clamper 115 is supported on the step portion 116 by means of self -weight as shown in Fig. 4. 10 When the disk cartridge 100 is attached to the drive apparatus, a first shutter 140 automatically slides by means of a shutter open pin (not shown) provided in the drive apparatus to open the case side head access hole 121 and the case side spindle insert hole 122 formed in the lower half 120, and the tray side head access hole 132 and the tray side spindle insert hole 133. Then, a spindle 170 is inserted and the center portion of the recording disk 160 is elastically sandwiched between the spindle 170 and the clamper 115.

The two elastic members 134 are provided at a certain interval in the vicinity of the handle potion 137 of the tray 130, and the locking projections 135 are formed facing upwards on free ends of the elastic members 134. The slits 136 which are almost U-shaped are formed around the elastic members 134, which are displaced when the elastic members 134 are pressed downwards to have the elastic force (refer to Figs. 7 and 8). Tray locking holes 112 are formed in the positions facing to the locking projections 135 in the upper half 110.

Accordingly, when the elastic members 134 are not pressed, as shown in fig.8, the elastic members 134 are in a parallel state with the locking projections 135 being inserted in the tray locking holes 112 in the upper half 110 to engage with the tray locking holes 112, where the tray 130 can not be extracted from the case 101, that is, it is in the locked state.

When extracting the tray 130, a user pulls the tray 130 to 11 this side while pressing the elastic members 134 with right and left thumbs in the direction of the arrow Z (the direction of the thickness of the case 101) to release the engagement between the locking projections 135 and the tray locking holes 112 to extract it from the case 101. Then, the recording disk 160 can be individually taken out. Accordingly, even a child having small hands can insert and extract the tray 130 with ease.

A terminal hole 152 is formed in a position facing to a contact terminal 151 in the lower half 120 (refer to Fig. 2). The terminal hole 152 is opened and closed by a second shutter 141 as shown in Fig. 3. The second shutter 141 and the f irst shutter 140 can slide in the same direction on a guide wall 123 formed inside the case 101 (refer to Fig. 4 and Fig. 6), where both the shutters 140 and 141 are elastically energized in the closing direction by a single spring 142. In the description, the second shutter 141 is shown being slid to open the terminal hole 152 in Fig. 2. That is to say, when the disk cartridge 100 is not used, the terminal hole 152 is closed by the second shutter 141.

A cell holder 154 is inserted together with a cell 155 into a frame 153 provided on the printed board 150 by pushing in from the side of the lower half 120 with the button type cell 155 accommodated therein.

Although the description has been made on the case in which the opened tray locking hole 112 is provided in this embodiment, a concave may be formed in place of the hole. Furthermore, an 12

1 i projection may be formed in the case 101 and a tray locking hole or concave may be formed on the elastic member 134.

Furthermore, although the engaging means including the tray locking holes 112 and the elastic members 134 are provided on the right and left sides in this embodiment, a set of engaging means may be provided at nearly the center in the direction X I of the insertion and the extraction of the disk cartridge into and from the disk drive apparatus with a larger interval between the accommodation concave portion 131 in the tray 130 and the handle portion 137.

In this embodiment, the description has been made on the case in which the engaging means is formed in the vicinity of the tray insert hole 102, but it can be formed anywhere as long as it dose not hinder the rotation of the recording disk 160 and the opening/closing of the first and second shutters.

Fig. 9 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention. A disk cartridge 200 in this embodiment includes an upper half 210, a lower half 220, a recording disk 1601, a tray 230 and the like as in the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. In this embodiment, tray locking holes 212 are formed on both outer sides in the vicinity of a tray insert hole 202 in the case 201. The tray 230 has elastic members 234 provided on the right and left sides in this side, which have slits 236 so that they are displaced when being pressed in the direction of the arrow Z I to have the elastic force. Locking projections 235 are 13 provided on sides of the elastic members 234, respectively, where the tray 230 is inserted into the case 201 so that the locking projections 235 fit in the tray locking holes 212 to cause the tray 230 to be locked in the case 201 to prevent the tray 230 from getting off.

When extracting the tray 230, the user can extract the tray 230 out of the case 201 by pulling the tray 230 in this side while pressing the elastic members 234 on the right and left sides in the center (the arrow ZI) direction with a thumb and a forefinger, or a middle finger in one hand to release the engagement between the locking projections 235 and the tray locking holes 212. Then, the recording disk 160 accommodated therein can be taken out individually. Accordingly, a user having large hands can insert and discharge the tray 230 with a single hand.

In this embodiment, the direction Y I of the insertion and the extraction of the tray 230 into and from the case is also perpendicular to the direction X1 of the insertion and the extraction of the disk cartridge 200 into and from the drive apparatus as in the embodiment of Fig. I and Fig. 2. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the pressed direction Z' of the elastic members 234 is the same as the direction X' of the insertion and the extraction into and from the drive apparatus.

In this embodiment, a concave may also be formed in place of the opened tray locking hole 212 as in the embodiment of Fig - 1 14 and Fig.2. Also, projections may be formed on the case 201 and tray locking holes or concaves may be formed on the elastic members 234.

Furthermore, as another embodiment, the structure can be adopted in which a sliding member is provided on the handle of the tray and a part of the sliding member engages with engaging means formed on the case to detachably lock the tray and the case. In this embodiment, as in the two embodiments described above, the direction of the insertion and the extraction of the tray into and from the case is selected to be perpendicular to the direction of the insertion and the extraction of the disk cartridge into and from the drive apparatus.

In the present invention, as described above, the direction of insertion and extraction of the tray into and from the case is perpendicular to the direction of insertion and extraction of the disk cartridge into and from the drive apparatus. Therefore, the problems in which a lock is accidentally released when extracting the disk cartridge from the drive apparatus to cause the case to be left in the drive apparatus, or to cause the recording disk to be extracted being exposed so that the recording surface is damaged can be solved to improve the operational reliability.

Furthermore, the tray can not be extracted unless it is pulled with the engaging members pressed in the direction of releasing the lock, so that the tray is not accidentally 15 extracted. This prevents the user from erroneously taking out the recording disk, or the recording disk from flying out when the disk cartridge falls down. As a result, the recording disk can be prevented from being contaminated or damaged to prevent errors in data reading due to damage of the recording disk.

While the invention has been shown and described in detail, the foregoing description is in all aspects illustrative and not restrictive. It is therefore understood that numerous modifications and variations can be devised without departing from the scope of the invention.

16 A

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A disk cartridge which accommodates a disk-like recording medium therein and is installed in a disk drive apparatus to be used, comprises:

a flat case with a plane shape being quadrilateral having a tray accommodating space formed therein and a tray insertion hole formed on one side along a direction of insertion into the disk drive apparatus; a tray having an accommodating concave portion for accommodating the disk- like recording medium on one surface and which is insertably and extractably inserted in said tray accommodating space in said case; - first engaging means formed in said case for engageably and disengageably locking said tray being accommodated in said tray accommodating space; and second engaging means formed in said tray in a position which corresponds to said first engaging means; wherein a direction of insertion or extraction of said tray into and from said case is selected to be perpendicular to a direction of insertion or extraction of the disk cartridge into and from the disk drive apparatus.

2. The disk cartridge according to claim 1, wherein said second engaging means releases the lock with said f irst engaging means when being pressed along the direction of insertion or 17 extraction of the disk cartridge into and from the disk drive apparatus.

3. The disk cartridge according to claim 1, wherein said second engaging means releases the lock with said f irst engaging means when being pressed in a direction of a thickness of the disk cartridge.

4. The disk cartridge according to claim 1, wherein said first engaging means is provided in the vicinity of said tray insertion hole in said case, and said second engaging means is provided in said tray at a position which corresponds to said first engaging means.

5. The disk cartridge according to claim 1, wherein said first engaging means is provided in separated two positions in said case, and said second engaging means is formed in positions which correspond to said first engaging means.

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