JP2001291353A - Cartridge liner structure for improvement of disk cleaning - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a cartridge liner structure for improving dust removal from a medium surface by increasing the contact surface area between a liner a disk medium. SOLUTION: A data storage cartridge has a rotation inner shell, i.e., a shutter and access to the disk medium placed in the shell is enabled selectively. A wedge-shaped opening is provided in the shutter and the access to the disk medium is obtained through the opening. A liner is affixed on the inside surface of the shutter, the disk medium is separated from direct contact with the shutter and the dirt and the dust are removed from the surface of the disk medium. Under the liner, by using one or more liners and lifters for the inside surface of the shutter, when the lifter contacts the liner to the disk medium and the disk medium rotates by an external disk drive, the removal of the dirt and the dust from the surface of the disk medium is improved.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cartridge-based data storage system in which a flexible magnetic disk is accommodated in a cartridge shell.
used data storage system)
About. More specifically, the present invention relates to a disk drive using a pair of liners and one or more liner lifters in a rotatable shutter mechanism to improve cleaning of the disk media surface. Regarding the cartridge.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art 1.4.
4 megabytes of 3.5 inch floppy (registered trademark)
Cartridges, Zip® 100 megabyte cartridges, or Clik® cartridges (US Patent Application Serial No., filed by the assignee of the present application, and incorporated by reference herein). 09 / 183,290 and 09/18
A conventional data cartridge (disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,291,291) includes, among other things, a thin circular plate-like magnetic disk medium mounted on a central metal hub and placed in an outer cartridge shell. To accommodate. Also, these data cartridges use a shutter mechanism that covers the disk medium and protects it from dirt and dust when the cartridge is not inserted into an external disk drive. When inserting a disk cartridge into an external disk drive, the protective shutter slides linearly or rotationally, exposing the surface of the disk medium. The external disk drive can then access information stored on the disk media by engaging and rotating the central metal hub, which information can then be read / written by the external disk drive. Read or stored by the head. Another protective mechanism used by these disk cartridges is a disk liner, which cleans the disk media surface from dirt and debris as the disk media rotates in an external disk drive. Removing surface debris from disk media is important to reduce system errors due to dirt that can enter the interface between the external disk drive head and the disk media.

In a preferred embodiment, the present invention for an improved liner system is believed to be most effective for data cartridges utilizing a rotating shutter mechanism. Flexible media data cartridge with shutter
storage cartridges) have been proposed several times. For example, a cartridge having a rotating shutter is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. Re32,876 issued to Wakabayashi et al.
o. Re, 32, 876). This is incorporated herein by reference. The Wakabayashi patent discloses a cartridge containing a flexible magnetic disk for storing information. The disk is connected to the hub and the disk and hub assembly is sandwiched between the upper and lower covers or shells. Openings are formed in the upper and lower covers to gain access to the disk by the read / write head of the disk drive.

The Wakabayashi shutter rotates inside the cartridge, ie, inside the outer cover of the cartridge. The shutter has a disk access opening in the cover.
, And selectively covers or exposes the opening. This design is an alternative to the more common linearly moving shutter found on 1.44 and 100 megabyte floppy disks and may be suitable for cartridges with relatively small disk access openings. For some other types of outer drive access openings, a different rotating shutter mechanism may be desirable.

[0005] Many data storage cartridges, whether including linear or rotating shutters, include a pair of liners disposed within an outer cartridge shell. The disk liner is adjacent to both sides of the disk media within the data storage cartridge.
As the external disk drive mechanism rotates the disk medium in the cartridge to access or store information, the disk liner contacts the surface of the disk medium. The disk liner acts to remove dust, dirt, and other unwanted particles that can adversely affect the performance of the disk cartridge. The liner further protects the internal mechanisms of the external disk drive by preventing unwanted particles from entering through the external disk drive's head-disk media interface.

The prior art uses a liner system to:
Many methods are disclosed for removing dust, dirt, or other debris. Some of these methods include ribs, liners,
Lifter tab,
Or use other means to enhance the contact of the liner with the disk media and improve the removal of dust, dirt, and other debris. These methods are neither suitable nor effective for the data storage cartridge of the present invention because they can interfere with the rotary shutter mechanism.

It is an object of the present invention to have a liner contact a disk medium as the disk medium rotates in a disk drive. In addition, another object is to increase the contact surface area between the liner and the disk media, thereby improving the removal of dust and other debris from the media surface. Finally, yet another object is to improve stability by reducing rocking in the magnetic medium as it rotates.

[0008] The present invention is directed to a data storage device having a disk drive and a removable cartridge. The cartridge has a spindle access opening (sp
An outer shell with in-access opening, a substantially circular magnetic medium, and a hub connected to the magnetic medium near the center of the medium. Also, the cartridge has a spindle access opening and a head-access opening.
ing). The spindle access openings of the inner shell and the outer shell are substantially aligned.
The inner shell is rotatably connected to the outer shell between a first position and a second position. In the first position, the head access openings of the inner shell and the outer shell are substantially aligned, and in the second position, the access openings are substantially unaligned. The magnetic medium and the liner are rotatably arranged in the shutter.

The inner shell preferably has upper and lower halves with raised outer edges.
rhalves). The two shell halves are joined such that their edges overlap to form a single inner shell. The inner shell is substantially disk-shaped and has a hollow interior in which the disk medium is rotatably disposed. The inner shell and outer shell disk access openings are generally wedge shaped,
It has an angle of less than about 90 degrees, preferably about 80 degrees. The disk access opening exposes the surface area of the media in a range of about 15 to 25 percent of the total surface area of the media. Preferably, this percentage is 22 percent. The shutter rotates over an arc of less than about 90 degrees, and preferably about 80 degrees. The shutter rotates about a center point of the outer shell.

[0010] Liners are applied to the inner surfaces of the upper and lower shutter shells. Preferably, the liner is comprised of 40 percent rayon and 60 percent polyester and has a thickness of about 3.5 mils.

One or both of the inner surfaces of the upper and lower shutter shells can be provided with a liner lifter. The liner lifter can be a rib or shim, a lifter tab, a combination of ribs and lifter tabs, or other similar designs. One or more liner lifters can be used. Liner lifters can be stationary or flexible (fl).
exible). Some of the features that Liner Lifter can provide are listed below. In other words, the liner is flapped to cause the fibers to rise on the surface of the liner and catch dust from the disk medium surface. Suppresses the media disk "sway" and applies pressure to the liner to enhance contact between the liner and the disk media surface. Create a new path followed by the disk media that improves the removal of dirt and debris from the disk media surface. The liner lifter or lifter can be mounted, machined, or stamped on the inner surface of either the upper or lower shutter shell, or both. If both the upper and lower shutter shells provide a liner lifter, the position of the liner lifter is preferably shifted to a non-facing arrangement so that when the disk medium is rotated by an external disk drive, At the position of the lifter, a narrow meandering path (serpen
(thin path).

[0012]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The foregoing summary, together with the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the invention, the drawings show a presently preferred embodiment. However, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular methods and means disclosed.

The present invention provides a data storage cartridge for use with a disk drive of the type that uses removable media. Throughout this description, the preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to cartridges of a particular size and shape. However, many features of the cartridge configuration are presented for illustrative purposes only. Thus, the mechanism is not limited to the particular cartridge embodiment shown, and the present invention contemplates application to other types of cartridges and disk drives.

FIG. 1 is a top view of the disk drive 50, with its top cover removed for clarity. The drive 50 houses a removable data storage cartridge 10 (shown in phantom) for reading and storing digital information. Drive 50 includes a chassis 57, an actuator 56 including opposing load beam pairs 44 having a read / write head 54 located at the end of each beam, a load ramp 47, and a spindle motor 53. And a spindle 40. The data storage cartridge 10 can be inserted into the front of the drive in the direction indicated by the arrow. During insertion, the cartridge 10 includes the chassis 57 and the spindle motor 5
3 slides linearly along the upper surface.

FIGS. 2-5 illustrate the external mechanisms of the data storage cartridge 10 in more detail. As shown, the cartridge 10 has a slightly angular main body 10b, an arc-shaped front portion 10a, and an arc-shaped rear portion 10c. The cartridge 10 includes an outer shell 18 and an inner shell or shutter 16. The cartridge 10 includes a flexible magnetic disk 14 (shown in a perspective view in FIG. 3) and a disk hub 12 attached to the magnetic disk medium 14. Disk hub 12
And the magnetic disk medium 14 includes a shutter shell 16
It is arranged to be rotatable within. The shell 16 rotates within the outer shell 18 to provide a large wedge disk access opening 418 located at the front of the cartridge 10 and a similarly shaped access opening 416 incorporated within the shutter 16. (Shown in FIG. 6), the disk medium 14 is selectively exposed.

Disk access hole 218b defines an opening in cartridge 10 for drive spindle 40 and engages hub 12 to move disk media 14 over read / write head 54 (hub 12 in FIG. 3). Shown). The hub 12 is smaller than the hole 218b and protrudes downward from the cartridge 10. The cartridge 10 has a projection 17 connected to the shutter shell 16. As shown in FIG. 3, the protrusion 17 moves along the protrusion track 35 on the cartridge 10, thereby opening and closing the shutter shell 16. Latch mechanism 37 is accessible via a latch window 48 and holds shutter 16 in a closed position when cartridge 10 is not inserted into drive 50.

As best shown in FIG. 2, a disk access opening 418 is provided in the front of the cartridge 10.
Formed near that one corner (points A, B
And C approximately). Opening 418
Extends over the arc α between the vectors AB and BC. The arc α is preferably less than about 90 degrees, and most preferably about 80 degrees. Therefore,
The shutter shell 16 rotates within the outer shell 18 starting at approximately point C and extending to approximately point A over an arc of approximately 80 degrees. The point A defines a part of the wedge-shaped opening after passing through the bisector 5. The shutter rotates over an arc of about 80 degrees,
When the shutter is open, about 15 to 25 percent, and preferably about 22 percent, of the edge of the magnetic disk 14 is exposed. At the same time, about 15 to 25 percent of the total surface area of the disk 14 is exposed. The exposure provided by the disk access aperture 418 allows the read / write head 54 to have sufficient access to the surface of the disk 14 and the rotary actuator design (des)
Ign) can be used.

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of one embodiment of the present invention, showing the internal components of the disk cartridge 10 more clearly. The cartridge 10 comprises an upper shell half 18a and a lower shell half 18b, an upper half 1
A rotary shutter shell having a 6a and a lower half portion 16b, an upper shutter shell liner 15a and a lower shutter shell liner 15b, a shutter pivot post 20, a shutter spring mechanism 22, and a spacer 24. ing.
A projection 17 is connected to the lower shutter shell half part 16b. The upper and lower shell halves include liner lifters 516a and 516b disposed on inner shutter surfaces 216a and 216b of shutter halves 16a and 16b. Yet another embodiment of the present invention relates to 21
516 attached to either 6a or 216b
It is also possible to include only one liner lifter, either a or 516b. In either embodiment, the shutter shell liners 15a and 15b are each on liner lifters 516a and 516b, or both are on 516a or 516b. When using both the liner lifters 516a and 516b, the drive spindle 40 is used to access or store information on the disk medium 14.
Engages and rotates the hub 12, the liner lifter pair causes the magnetic disk media 14 and the surrounding liners 15a and 15b to move in a serpentine path.
fine path), which removes any dirt and debris from the surface.

As described above, the magnetic disk medium 14
Instead of rotating directly in the outer cartridge shell 18, it rotates in the shutter shell 16. Accordingly, the liners 15a and 15b are mounted on the inner surface of the shutter shell 16, rather than inside the cartridge shell as in other known designs. Specifically, the liner 15a is provided on the inner surface 216 of the shutter shell half 16a.
a, and the liner 15b is attached to the inner surface 216b of the shutter shell half 16b. Inner surface 2
16a and / or 216b further include liner lifters 516a and / or 516b (depending on whether only one or both liner lifters are used).
Liners 15a and 15b are attached to surfaces 216a and 21
6b and substantially covers liner lifter 516a and / or liner lifter 516b.

As is apparent from FIG.
a and 15b are sized to fit surfaces 216a and 216b and are affixed to them. Further, it allows the liner lifters 516a and / or 516b to exert sufficient force on the liners 15a and / or 15b (when using a lifter / liner pair) to allow the liner 15a and / or 15b to Liners 15a and 15b are sized and affixed to inner surfaces 216a and 216b to enhance contact with the surface.

FIG. 6A shows the inner surface of shutter half 16b, showing the position of liner lifter 516b. Raina
Lifter 516b is shown near shutter overhang 115b, but if one liner lifter is used, it is not essential that the liner lifter be in that position. FIG. 6B shows the bottom surface of the shutter half 16b, with the liner lifter 516b in perspective.
m).

FIGS. 6C and 6D show the position of liner lifters 516a and 516b when using a liner lifter pair. As shown in FIG. 6C, the liner lifter 51
6a is located on the inner surface 216a of the shell half 16a. When the shell halves 16a and 16b are mated, the liner lifters 516a and 516b are opposed to each other, ie, project inward toward each other. 516a on 216a and 516b on 216b
Can be freely changed. The position of the lifters 516a and 516b relative to each other depends on the air resistance (dra
g) is optimized to improve media cleaning while minimizing. Preferably, the locations of 516a and 516b are further away from the location of read / write head 54. It is important to ensure that the lifters 516a and / or 516b are positioned so that they effectively clean the media before entering the head assembly while further reducing disk wobble and air resistance. In FIG. 6D, the liner lifter 51
The position of 6b is determined by the position of 516a. 16
a and 16b are connected, the liner lifter 5
16b must be close to or slightly offset from 516a, but not directly above each other. Liner lifters 516a and 516b should be as close as possible and oblique to one another.
As FIG. 6E shows, this allows 16a and 16a
b, the disk medium 14 and its surrounding liners 15a and 15b
A meandering path is formed in the area 6b. In addition, liner
Lifters 516a and 516b must not be directly opposite each other. In this case, the force applied by the liner to the disc due to the reduced gap increases, adversely affecting cartridge performance.

The liners 15a and 15b are cut from a piece of liner material into a shape that matches the shape of the surfaces 216a and 216b. Liners 15a and 15b
The liner lifters 516a and / or 516b are preferably adhered to the shell 16 by an adhesive, and more preferably by a pressure sensitive adhesive along the perimeter of the surfaces 216a and 216b to apply pressure on the liner. And thereby enhance the contact between the surface of the disk media 14 and the liner.

The liner material is preferably a blend of 40 percent rayon and 60 percent polyester, more preferably (International PA, Walpole, Mass.).
per Corp. Veratec Divisi
n) (VERATEC 1184.).
2 ". Preferably, the liner is about 0.089 mm
(3.5 mils).

As described above, the liner lifters 516a and 516b are connected to the inner shutter surfaces 216a and 216b.
b is stamped, glued, molded, or otherwise applied. In some embodiments, the liner lifter or tab is a Kapton®, Mylar®, or any other material that can have inherent elasticity, flexibility, or stability. , Made of plastic or polymer. In a preferred embodiment, the liner lifters 516a and / or 516b can be a half-fold Mylar® sheet and fastened, glued, or taped to the inner shutter surface. Yet another embodiment uses a constant thickness shim or rib as the liner lifter. This constant thickness shim or rib is applied to the inner shutter surface by ancillary means such as pressure sensitive adhesive, tape, or other means, or by intrinsic means such as formed or molded. Can be glued. In addition, the surface of the shim or rib can be ridged, grooved, recessed, or uneven to enhance contact between the liner and the media. Shims or ribs are also available from Kapton®, Mylar
Tabs, such as ® or other flexible materials, can be used to improve the contact between the media and the liner.

The spacer 24 is substantially U-shaped and includes upper and lower cartridge shell halves 18a and 1a.
8b, it is located at the rear of the cartridge 10. Cartridge shell tabs 318a and 318b
Extending rearwardly from the upper and lower shell halves 18 a and 18 b wraps around the spacer 24. Thus, when assembling the cartridge 10, a portion of the spacer 24 enters and extends between the shell halves 18a and 18b, and a portion of the spacer 24 projects from the combined upper and lower shell halves 18a and 18b. I do. The protruding portion of the spacer 24 is
To form an outer shape. Specifically, spacer 24 forms rear corners 24a and 24b of cartridge 10 and rear portion 24c.

The spacer 24 is formed of a lightweight and rigid material such as plastic. Preferably, the material is high impact polystyrene. Spacer 24 can be manufactured by any of the well-known plastic forming processes such as injection molding. The spacers 24 provide dimensional stability and rigidity to the cartridge 10, thereby minimizing deformation of the cartridge when mishandled or twisted.

The shutter spring mechanism 22 includes a guide wire 23 and a rounded helical compression spring 21 that slides on the guide wire 23. The spring mechanism 22
An end of the guide wire 23 is fixed to the spacer 24. The end of the guide wire 23 is
Channels 124a and 124b at the end of 4
Installed inside.

The magnetic disk medium 14 is formed of a thin polymer film such as MYLAR, and a thin magnetic layer is uniformly dispersed on the top and bottom surfaces. This magnetic layer renders the disk medium 14 sensitive to magnetic flux and allows for the storage of digital data when the disk surface is in magnetic communication with a magnetic transducer of the type commonly found in disk drives. The disk medium 14 is circular and has a circular hole near its center. The radius of the disk medium 14 preferably ranges between about 20 and 25 mm, and more preferably between about 23 and 25 mm.
Disk medium 14 has concentric tracks that facilitate formatting of the disk.

The disk hub 12 is essentially annular and is formed from a material containing iron, such as steel, preferably stainless steel. The hub 12 includes a hole or hole 12a near the center, an outer peripheral edge 12b, and an inner annular surface 12c. The inner annular surface 12c has an outer diagonal edge and a substantially flat bottom surface. Further, the outer peripheral edge 12b is also oblique. The hub 12 is firmly fixed to the disk medium 14 such that the center of the hub is aligned with the vicinity of the center of the disk. Hub 12 is preferably attached to disk media 14 by an adhesive material.

As described above, the assembly of disk media 14 and hub 12 is rotatably disposed between upper and lower shutter shell halves 16a and 16b. The hub 12 is provided with a lower shutter shell 16.
B is disposed in the spindle access hole 316b of the spindle access opening 316c formed in the hole b. The hub 12 is disposed in a spindle access hole 218b formed in the lower cartridge shell 18b. The hub 1 from the shutter shell 16 and cartridge shell 18, as described in more detail below.
The two protrusions enhance coupling to a source of rotational force, such as provided by a drive spindle, when the cartridge 10 is located in the drive 50.
In addition, the protrusion acts to suppress the lateral movement of the disk medium 14 when the cartridge 10 is removed from the drive 50.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the shutter shell halves 16a and 16b fit together so that the edge 116a of the upper shell half 16a fits within the edge 116b of the lower shell half 16b. Has become. The shutter assembly 16 includes an upper cartridge shell 18a.
And is pivotally disposed within the lower cartridge shell 18b. The hub 12
It is attached to the disk medium 14 and protrudes through the drive access hole 316b of the lower shutter shell 16b. Therefore, when the cartridge 10 is inserted into the drive 50 and is operating, the disk medium 14 is operated by the shutter
It rotates within the shell 16.

The shutter assembly 16 includes the shutter pivot 2
0 is connected to the upper cartridge shell 18a. The pivot column 20 is fixedly attached to the upper cartridge shell 18a via a pivot hole 218b. The shutter 16 is rotatably connected to the column 20 via a rotation hole 316.

The magnetic disk medium 14 is exposed through the disk access opening 416 of the shutter 16 (FIG. 7).
And 7B). However, when the shutter opening 416 is aligned with the disk access opening 418 of the cartridge shell 18, the disk medium 14 is accessible only from outside the cartridge 10. To achieve such alignment, the shutter shell 16 has been moved to a first position so as to open the cartridge 10 with the access openings 416 and 418 completely overlapping. The shutter shell 16 moves to the second position and the openings 416 and 418
Is shifted, the cartridge 10 is "closed" and the disk medium 14 is shut off from the surrounding environment.

As shown in FIG. 6, a liner 117a is arranged between the upper cartridge shell 18a and the upper shutter shell 16a. Similarly, a liner 117b is disposed between the lower cartridge shell 18b and the lower shutter shell 16b. Preferably, the liner is mounted on the inner surface of the cartridge shell.

The cartridge 10 uses the projections 17 to open the shutter 16 while the cartridge 10 is being inserted into the drive 50. These projections act when the cartridge 10 is inserted into the drive 50 by hitting the cartridge insertion opening of the drive 50. Since the protrusion 17 extends beyond the entire thickness of the cartridge 10, the protrusion 17 cannot be fitted into a relatively narrow drive opening. Therefore, when the cartridge 10 is inserted into the drive, the projection 17 hits the frame of the drive 50 and pulls the shutter 16 to the open position.

As described above, the projection 17 is connected to the shutter shell 16. The protrusion 17 can be formed integrally with the shutter 16, but by welding or the like.
Preferably, it is attached to the shutter shell as a separate part. Preferably, the projections 17 have a substantially circular cross section and are made of a wear-resistant material such as metal. The projection 17 is a projection track cut into the lower cartridge shell 18b.
ck) extending downwardly from the shutter shell 16 via 35.

Data storage cartridge 10 is "closed"
When in position, the compression spring 21 urges the shutter 16 to its first or closed position, thereby moving the projection 17 to the foremost position of the projecting track 35 (as shown in FIG. 2). To open the cartridge 10, a counterclockwise rotational force (as seen from the perspective view of FIG. 2) is exerted on the shutter shell 16 via the projection 17, whereby the rearmost projection track 35 The projection is moved to a portion, compressing spring 21 and moving shutter 16 to its second or "open" position.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the data storage cartridge 10 taken along line AA of FIG. FIG. 8 also shows an alternative to the means shown in FIG. 6 for attaching the post 20 to the upper cartridge shell 18a. In the embodiment of FIG. 8, the shell 18a has a raised rim 42 that extends into the interior of the cartridge 10. The post 20 is attached to the end of the edge 42,
This provides a space 49 in which the upper shutter shell 16a is rotatably arranged. As shown in FIG. 6, the space 49 forms a small diameter portion 20a in the column 20, and the portion 20a is formed in the upper cartridge shell 18a.
Can be produced by mounting directly inside the

As described above, the lower shutter shell 16
b is rotatably arranged in the lower cartridge shell 18b. Rotational alignment of the shutter shell 16 is further provided by a raised lip 45 on the shell 16b. The lip 45 projects into the spindle access opening 218 and is radially limited by an annular recess 518 formed in the lower cartridge shell 18.

Other embodiments of the lip 45 can be used. For example, in the figure, the lip 45 is
Although shown as projecting straight into the access hole 218, the end of the lip 45 is
The bottom shell 18b can be wrapped around, as indicated by an atom portion 45a.
In addition, the lip 45 is not necessarily continuous,
Plural fingers protruding into 18b
It can be formed as Further, the lip 45 can be formed integrally with the shell 16b as shown, or alternatively, can be attached to the shutter shell 16 as a separate component. Another possible embodiment is
It has a lip 45 projecting upward from the lower cartridge shell 18b to the bottom shutter shell 16b.
However, in each of the embodiments described above, the raised lip 45
Gives the rotational position of the shutter 16.

FIGS. 7, 7A and 7B show the shutter 16
2 shows the locking operation. As will be described in more detail below, a shutter latch mechanism is provided.
chanism) 37 is contemplated in two embodiments. In the embodiment of FIG. 7A, the latch 37 extends outwardly from the cartridge 10 and operates by engaging a frame or fixed portion of the drive 50. Or,
In the embodiment of FIG. 7B, the latch 37 is
Retracted into and unlocked by engaging a lever or similar mechanism in drive 50.

FIG. 7 is an exploded view of the cartridge 10 showing the latch mechanism 37. 7A and 7B show detailed views of a portion of the cartridge 10 including the shutter latch 37. FIG. As shown, the latch 37 is connected to the lever body 3.
7f. Operating point 37a, pivot 37c, spring 3
7d and a tab 37e are connected to the main body of the latch 37. The lower shutter shell 16b has a tab 37e.
Has a cut-out portion 37b for accommodating the same. Shutter 16
Is in the closed position, the tab 37e is
b, thereby locking the shutter 16 and preventing its rotation. When the operating point 37a is pressed, for example, by inserting the cartridge 10 into the drive 50, the lever 37f is forcibly rotated about the pivot 37c.
The resulting pivoting of the latch 37 causes the tab 37
e disengages from the cut-out portion 37b, thereby releasing the shutter 16 from the latch 37. When the pressure is removed from the operating point 37a, the spring 37d rotates the lever 37f in the opposite direction. Therefore, the cutout portion 37b is the tab 3
When aligned with 7e, spring 37d pushes tab 37e into cutout 37b.

Referring specifically to FIG. 7A, the shutter
The latch 37 is sized so that the operating point 37a extends outward from the edge of the cartridge 10. Therefore, when the cartridge 10 is inserted into the drive 50, the latch 37
Inevitably hits the frame of the drive and is thereby compressed, causing the latch 37 to pivot and the shutter 16
Is released.

FIGS. 9A and 9B show a mechanism within drive 50 that is preferably configured to engage and release shutter latch 37 when the latch is recessed in accordance with the embodiment of FIG. 7B. FIG. 9A is a top view of the chassis 57 of the drive 50 (the individual components are not shown for clarity). Near the front corner of the chassis 57, a release lever 60 is shown. FIG. 9B is a bottom isometric view of a corner of the chassis 57 in which the opening lever 60 is disposed. The lever 60 has a spring portion 60b, which is attached to the chassis 57 at block 60c.
Furthermore, it is fixed to the engagement portion 60a at the end of the spring 60b. The engagement portion 60a includes a release finger 160 projecting from the upright portion 260 of the chassis 57.
The release fingers 160 have rounded corners.

The release lever 60 operates when a cartridge is inserted into the drive 50. During insertion of the cartridge 10, the release fingers 160 engage the shutter latch 37, which allows the shutter 16 to rotate within the cartridge 10. Insert the cartridge 10 into the drive 5
0, the engagement portion 60a is moved outward (as shown in the perspective view of FIG. 9B) and the release fingers 160
Rises from the latch 37 along the edge of the cartridge 10. At the same time, the spring portion 60b contracts to accommodate the outward movement of the engagement portion 60a. In addition, release finger 1
The 60 rounded corners allow the fingers to easily transition into and out of engagement with the latch 37. When the cartridge 10 is removed from the driver 50, the spring portion 60b returns to its initial state,
Therefore, when the cartridge is inserted into the drive 50, it is in a position to be re-engaged with the cartridge 10.

As an alternative to releasing the latch 37 using the lever 60, the latch 37 can protrude from the cartridge 10 and be released by passive engagement with the drive 50 frame. is there. 10A to 10
F further illustrates the operation of this alternative latch embodiment. Generally, when the cartridge 10 is inserted into the drive 50, the latch operating point 37 a strikes the side rail 51 of the drive 50. The tab of the latch 37 is released from the shutter 16 by this collision, and thereby the shutter is released and rotated. At approximately the same time, the projection 17 hits the opening of the drive 50 near the step 50b. When the cartridge 10 is further inserted into the drive 50, the protrusion 1
7 moves along the surface of the protrusion track 35 of the cartridge and the step 50 b of the drive 50. Therefore, the shutter 16 is opened and the disk medium 1 of the cartridge 10 is opened.
4 can be accessed.

FIGS. 10A and 10B show the cartridge 1
FIG. 2 is a top view and a bottom view of drive 0 and drive 50, with the cartridge shown partially inserted into the drive. The upper shell 18a has been removed to further illustrate the operation of the latch 37. Further, FIGS. 10A and 10B
Then, the cartridge 10 is inserted into the drive 50 until the operating point 37a is near the front of the drive 50.
When the cartridge 10 is further inserted into the drive 50,
The operating point 37a engages the side rail 51 of the drive 50, thereby unlocking the shutter shell 16 and allowing it to rotate freely. Since the front frame 50a of the drive 50 has the stepped portion 50b, the projection 17 has not yet engaged with the front frame at this time.

FIGS. 10C and 10D are a top view and a bottom view further illustrating the operation of the shutter 16 at the further inserted position. In these figures, the protrusion 17 is
It is engaged with the front frame 50a near 0b. When the cartridge 10 is further inserted into the drive 50, the frame front portion 50a pushes the projection 17 to rotate the shutter 16 to the open position. As a result, when the cartridge 10 further enters the drive 50, the protrusion 17
Slide across b.

Finally, when the cartridge 10 is completely inserted into the drive 50, as illustrated in the top view and the bottom view shown in FIGS. 10E and 10F, the projection 17 is moved into the projection track 35 by the front frame 50a. Step 5
Move backward across 0b. As a result, the shutter 16 rotates to the open position, thereby gaining access by the read / write head 54.

The operation of shutter 16 during cartridge removal is essentially in the reverse order as described above with reference to FIGS. 10A-10F. However, removal of cartridge 10 from drive 11 is assisted by spring 21 of cartridge 10. Specifically, when removing the cartridge 10 from the drive 50, the spring 2
A force of one causes the shutter 16 to rotate clockwise. Spring 2
By the force of 1, the projection 17 hits the front frame 50a. This force also causes the cartridge 10 to
From the outside. The force required to move the cartridge 10 decreases as the cartridge 10 moves outward from the drive 50. When the cartridge is substantially removed from drive 50, shutter 16 rotates to the closed position. At this point, the latch 37 is in the shutter 1 position.
With the 6 in the closed position, the operating point 37a passes through the drive rail 51.

The above description of the preferred embodiments is not intended to implicitly limit the scope of protection of the following claims. Thus, for example, except where expressly limited, the claims are not limited to uses involving cartridges for disk drive systems.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a top view of a disk drive according to the present invention.

2 is a top isometric view of a cartridge for use with the drive of FIG.

3 is a bottom isometric view of a cartridge for use with the drive of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a top view of the cartridge of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the cartridge of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the cartridge of FIG. 2;

6A is a top view of the lower shutter shell and liner lifter of the cartridge of FIG.

FIG. 6B is a bottom view of the lower shutter shell and liner lifter (shown in perspective) of the cartridge of FIG. 2;

6C is a top view of the upper shutter shell and liner lifter of the cartridge of FIG.

FIG. 6D is a top view of the lower shutter shell and liner lifter of the cartridge of FIG. 2;

6E is a side view of the upper and lower shutter shells of the cartridge of FIG.

7 is an exploded view of the cartridge 10 showing the latch mechanism 37, and FIGS. 7A and 7B show detailed views of a portion of the cartridge 10 including the latch 37. FIG.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the data storage cartridge 10 taken along line AA of FIG.

FIG. 9A shows a lever for releasing the lock of the shutter of the cartridge of the present invention.

FIG. 9B shows a lever for releasing the locking of the shutter of the cartridge of the present invention.

FIG. 9C shows a lever for releasing the locking of the shutter of the cartridge of the present invention.

10A illustrates the operation of the shutter shell 16 in connection with the drive of FIG.

10B illustrates the operation of the shutter shell 16 in connection with the drive of FIG.

FIG. 10C illustrates the operation of the shutter shell 16 in association with the drive of FIG.

10D illustrates the operation of the shutter shell 16 in connection with the drive of FIG.

10E illustrates the operation of the shutter shell 16 in connection with the drive of FIG.

10F illustrates the operation of the shutter shell 16 in connection with the drive of FIG.

Claims (27)

[Claims] 1. A disk cartridge comprising: an outer shell case having a spindle access opening and a head access opening; and an inner shell having an upper case half and a lower case half,
Each case half has an inner surface, the inner surface of the lower case half being an inner shell using at least one liner lifter; a liner radially centered and adhered to the inner surface of the lower case half. A liner for covering the liner lifter of the lower case half; and capable of storing data, radially centered and rotatable about a central axis, the upper half and the lower half. And a flexible disk medium disposed in close contact with the liner. 2. The disk cartridge of claim 1, further comprising at least one liner lifter in said upper case half. 3. The disk cartridge of claim 2, wherein the liner lifters of the upper and lower case halves project inwardly toward each other. 4. The disk cartridge of claim 2, wherein the liners and lifters of the upper and lower case halves are adjacent to each other when the upper and lower case halves are joined. 5. The disk cartridge of claim 2, wherein the liner lifters of the upper and lower case halves are oblique to each other so that the disk media follows a serpentine path. 6. The disk cartridge of claim 1, wherein said liner lifter comprises Mylar®. 7. The disk cartridge of claim 1, wherein said liner lifter comprises Kapton. 8. The disk cartridge of claim 1, wherein said liner lifter comprises a fixed shim. 9. The disk cartridge of claim 8, wherein said liner lifter further comprises a tab. 10. The liner comprises polyester.
The disk cartridge of claim 1. 11. The liner comprises about 40 percent rayon and about 60 percent polyester.
The disk cartridge of claim 1. 12. The liner is about 0.0889 mm
2. The disc cartridge of claim 1 having a thickness of (3.5 mils). 13. The disk of claim 1 wherein said liner is adhered to an inner peripheral surface of said recess by an adhesive material.
cartridge. 14. The disk cartridge according to claim 1, wherein said flexible disk medium is a magnetic medium for storing digital data. 15. A cartridge for use in a removable media disk drive, comprising: an outer shell having a drive access opening and a head access opening; and a generally circular medium rotatably disposed within said outer shell. An inner shutter shell having a rotatable shutter, the shutter including an edge and a rib adjacent the edge, wherein the shutter is between the circular medium and the outer shell. Between a first position where the shutter covers the head access opening of the outer shell and a second position where the medium is exposed at the head access opening. The edge forms the head access opening and at least a plane over the surface area of the media. An inner shutter shell aligned with an inner surface portion of the shutter with a liner lifter; a liner mounted on the inner surface portion of the shutter, the liner projecting over the edge of the shutter; A liner having an end over the liner lifter. 16. The cartridge of claim 15, further comprising an additional liner lifter on said interior surface portion. 17. The cartridge of claim 16, wherein said liner lifters project inwardly toward each other. 18. The disk cartridge of claim 16, wherein said liner lifters are adjacent to each other when said upper and lower case halves are joined. 19. The disk cartridge of claim 16, wherein the liner lifters of the upper and lower case halves are oblique with respect to each other so that the disk media follows a serpentine path. 20. The disk cartridge of claim 15, wherein said liner lifter comprises Mylar®. 21. The method according to claim 21, wherein the liner lifter is a Kapton.
16. The disc cartridge of claim 15, wherein the disc cartridge is comprised of (R). 22. The disk cartridge of claim 15, wherein said liner lifter comprises a fixed shim. 23. The disk cartridge of claim 22, wherein said liner lifter further comprises a tab. 24. The liner comprises polyester.
The cartridge of claim 15. 25. The liner comprises about 40 percent rayon and about 60 percent polyester.
The cartridge of claim 15. 26. The method of claim 26, wherein the liner is about 0.089 mm (3.
16. The cartridge of claim 15, having a thickness of 5 mils). 27. The cartridge of claim 15, wherein said circular medium comprises a magnetic medium for storing digital data.