JP2003007021A - Disk cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Problem] To provide a disk cartridge excellent in reliability. SOLUTION: In a disk cartridge provided with a disk-shaped recording medium 2 capable of optically recording or reproducing information and a cartridge case 1 accommodating the disk-shaped recording medium 2, a cartridge case facing the disk-shaped recording medium 2 is provided. A wear-resistant coating 6 is formed on the inner surface of the cartridge case 1 and / or the outer surface of the cartridge case 1.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a disk cartridge containing a disk-shaped recording medium such as an optical disk or an optical-magnetic disk, and more particularly to a large capacity disk cartridge.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, developments have been made to increase the recording density of DVDs (Digital Versatile Discs), magneto-optical discs, etc., and these have increased in capacity.

A large-capacity optical disc of this type includes a cartridge case made of a hard resin molded product such as polycarbonate, a disc-shaped recording medium housed in the cartridge case, and a head insertion hole provided in the cartridge case. A shutter that is slidably attached to the cartridge case so as to open and close, and a spring that elastically biases the shutter to a position where the head insertion hole is closed.

On the inner surface of the cartridge case, a contact rib is provided near the center for holding the disc in a non-recording area inside the recording area of the disc-shaped recording medium. The recording area is protected by contacting the non-recording area of the disk-shaped recording medium with the contact ribs when the disk cartridge is ejected from the drive device, or during transportation or storage.

Further, the disk surface is coated with an ultraviolet curable resin or the like to improve the scratch resistance of the disk surface.

[0006]

A large-capacity disk cartridge writes / reads a large amount of data, but in order to write / read data without stress, it is necessary to increase the data transfer rate. is there. In order to increase the data transfer rate, it is necessary to increase the linear recording density or rotate the disk faster.

To increase the linear recording density to increase the recording density, for example, there is a method of shortening the wavelength of the laser used for recording / reproducing. However, since the refractive index of the laser increases, the distance between the recording layer and the optical lens is increased. I had to make it narrow.

When the number of rotations of the disk is increased, it is considered that when the disk cartridge is taken out from the drive device, the disk is taken out in a rotated state by the inertial force when the disk is rotating in the drive device. There is a problem in that the disc and the inner surface of the disc cartridge come into contact with each other inside the taken-out disc cartridge, and the disc surface or the inner surface of the cartridge case is scraped off to generate dust.

Since the rotation speed of the disk becomes fast and the distance between the recording layer of the disk and the optical lens becomes narrow, it is considered that even minute dust on the disk may affect the recording / reproduction. There is also a possibility that the recording / reproducing head may be destroyed.

Therefore, it is necessary to suppress dust generated by friction between the drive device and the outer surface of the cartridge case at the time of mounting / discharging to / from the drive device, and dust generated by a movable part such as sliding of the shutter.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a disk cartridge having excellent reliability by solving the drawbacks such as error of recording / reproducing information due to dust or deterioration of reliability, and at the worst, destruction of head of a driving device.

[0012]

To achieve the above object, the first means of the present invention is a disk-shaped recording medium capable of optically recording or reproducing information, and a cartridge containing the disk-shaped recording medium. In a disk cartridge provided with a case, an abrasion resistant coating is formed on an inner surface of the cartridge case and / or an outer surface of the cartridge case facing the disk-shaped recording medium.

A second means of the present invention is characterized in that, in the first means, an abrasion resistant coating is formed on at least a surface of the disk-shaped recording medium which is in contact with an inner surface of the cartridge case. .

A third means of the present invention is characterized in that, in the first means or the second means, the abrasion resistant coating is diamond-like carbon.

[0015]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION A disk cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. The disk cartridge is mainly composed of a cartridge case 1 composed of half cases 1a and 1b having substantially the same shape as the upper and lower sides, and a disk-shaped recording medium 2 housed in the cartridge case 1.

The cartridge case 1 (upper and lower half cases 1a and 1b) is made of, for example, an injection molded body of AS resin, ABS resin, polycarbonate, polystyrene or an alloy material containing these materials, and the upper and lower half cases are formed. 1a and 1b are joined by ultrasonic welding, screwing, or the like to form the cartridge case 1.

A spindle insertion hole 3 is formed substantially in the center of the lower half case 1b, and an annular contact rib 4a is provided upright on the inner surface of the outer periphery of the spindle insertion hole 3 so as to stand upright. A contact rib 4b is also vertically provided at a position corresponding to the contact rib 4a. This contact rib 4
a and 4b are the disc-shaped recording medium 2 with a slight gap.
The recording area of the disk-shaped recording medium 2 does not come into contact with the inner surface of the cartridge case 1 when the disk cartridge is transported or stored.

Although not shown, the cartridge case 1 is provided with a head insertion hole communicating with the spindle insertion hole 3 or separately, and the head insertion hole is opened and closed by a shutter. Further, the shutter is elastically biased by the spring in the direction in which the head insertion hole is closed.

The disk-shaped recording medium 2 is manufactured by laminating one or two polycarbonate molded substrates. The recording layer is a phase change film or a magneto-optical film and is provided on the outer side or the bonding surface side of the disk molding substrate. An abrasion resistant coating 5 such as a diamond-like carbon film is formed on the entire outermost surface of the disc-shaped recording medium 2. To form a diamond-like carbon film, CV
D method or sputtering is used. The abrasion resistant coating 5 on the disc-shaped recording medium 2 needs to be formed on at least the inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface of the disc-shaped recording medium 2 and the portions corresponding to the contact ribs 4a and 4b and the peripheral portions thereof.

A wear resistant coating 6 is provided on almost the entire inner and outer surfaces of the cartridge case 1. As the abrasion resistant coating 6, a diamond-like carbon film or an ultraviolet curable hard resin coating is used.
It is also possible to apply or mix an appropriate amount of lubricant to the abrasion resistant coating 6. The CVD method or sputtering is used to form the diamond-like carbon film.

The wear-resistant coating 6 is formed on the cartridge case 1 at least on the peripheral surface of the spindle insertion hole 3, the contact ribs 4a and 4b, and the inner surface of the peripheral wall facing the outer peripheral surface of the disk-shaped recording medium 2. It is necessary to form it on the outer surface portion which comes into contact with the raw disk mechanism of the disk drive device.

[0022]

As described above, the present invention is a disk cartridge provided with a disk-shaped recording medium capable of optically recording or reproducing information and a cartridge case accommodating the disk-shaped recording medium. A wear-resistant coating such as a diamond-like carbon film is formed on the inner surface of the cartridge case and / or the outer surface of the cartridge case that faces the cartridge case.

Therefore, it is possible to provide a disk cartridge with excellent reliability, by eliminating the error of recording / reproducing information due to dust or deterioration of reliability, and in the worst case, the head damage of the drive device.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a disc cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 cartridge case 1a Upper half case 1b lower half case 2 Disc-shaped recording medium 3 Spindle insertion hole 4a, 4b abutment rib 5,6 Abrasion resistant coating

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A disc cartridge provided with a disc-shaped recording medium capable of optically recording or reproducing information and a cartridge case accommodating the disc-shaped recording medium, the inside of the cartridge case facing the disc-shaped recording medium. A disc cartridge characterized in that a wear-resistant coating is formed on the surface and / or the outer surface of the cartridge case. 2. The disc cartridge according to claim 1, wherein a wear-resistant coating is formed on at least a surface of the disc-shaped recording medium that contacts the inner surface of the cartridge case. 3. The disk cartridge according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the abrasion resistant coating is diamond-like carbon.