JP2001351349A - Disk cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a disk cartridge in which a disk can safely be taken in and out, without touching. SOLUTION: The disk cartridge has a disk holder 10 which can freely be extracted from and inserted to a main body case 1. A pair of right and left elastic arms 12 and 12 which are freely expandable/contractible and deformable are integrally formed in the disk holder 10. Two points P1 and P2 on the outer periphery of the main body case inner back side from the center of the disk 2 are held between the elastic arm 12 and 12. The disk 2 is taken in and out accompanying extraction and insertion of the disk holder from/to to the main body case 1 in the state where it is held between the elastic arms 12 and 12.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a disk cartridge in which a disk as a storage medium such as an optical disk or a magneto-optical disk is housed in a hard case so as to be able to be taken in and out.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A disk cartridge of this kind is known, for example, from Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 5-242626, and has an opening at the rear end of a main body case so that a disk can be taken in and out for replacement. The opening can be opened and closed by a lid that rotates around a pivot.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned disc cartridge, when the disc is taken out, if the cover is opened at the maximum opening angle (180 degrees) and the opening is inadvertently turned downward, the disc will come out from the opening. It may fall down and be damaged. Further, there is a possibility that a hand may inadvertently touch the recording / reproducing area of the disk when removing the disk.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a disk cartridge which allows a disk to be safely inserted into and removed from a main body case without touching the disk.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a main body case 1 in which a disk 2 as a storage medium is rotatably housed.
Further, a disc cartridge having a window 3 for signal reading and a drive shaft insertion hole 4 is provided, and the window 3 and the drive shaft insertion hole 4 are closed and opened by a shutter 5.

According to the present invention, there is provided a disk cartridge having the above-described structure, comprising a disk holder 10 detachably mounted inside the main body case 1, and the disk holders 10 are provided on the left and right sides of the holder main body 10a.
A pair of right and left expandable and contractible deformable arms 12 projecting forward along the inner surfaces of the left and right side walls 15, 15 and radially outside the inner side of the body case from the center of the disk 2. · Disc holder 1 with 12
No. 0 is characterized in that the disk 2 can be removed from the main body case 1 in a state where the disk 2 is held between the pair of arms 12 so as to prevent the disk 2 from falling off from the disk holder 10.

[0007]

In the disk holder 10, the holder body 10
left and right arms 12.1 protruding forward from a
Numeral 2 embraces the outer periphery of the inner side of the main body case from the center of the disk 2. In addition, when the disk holder 10 is taken in and out of the main body case 1, the left and right arms 1
Reference numerals 2 and 12 extend along the inner surfaces of the left and right side walls 15 and 15 of the main body case 1. Therefore, when the disk holder 10 is pulled out from the main body case 1, the left and right side walls 15, 15 of the main body case 1 are restricted from expanding and deforming the left and right arms 12.
The disk 2 can be reliably taken out together with the disk holder 10 from the main body case 1 without getting out and left behind in the front between 2 and 12. Now, when the disk holder 10 is pulled out from the main body case 1 in a horizontal posture, the disk 2 does not fall off the disk holder 10 in the vertical direction, that is, downward. When replacing the disk 2, when the disk 2 is pulled forward between the arms 12 with the other hand while holding the holder body 10a, the arms 12 are expanded and deformed. The disk 2 can be easily detached. To accommodate the disk 2 in the main body case 1,
The disk 2 is connected to a pair of arms 12 of the disk holder 10.
Then, the disc holder 10 is inserted into the main body case 1 from the side of the arms 12 and 12 from the outside in the radial direction.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As shown in FIG. 1, a disk cartridge according to the present invention has a thin rectangular main body case 1.
A disk 2 such as an optical disk in which signals such as video, audio, and information are stored on both upper and lower surfaces is rotatably accommodated. As shown in FIG. 3, the body case 1 is formed by integrally joining plastic upper and lower cases 1a and 1b with each other. In the upper case 1a and the lower case 1b, a signal reading window 3 is opened rearward from the left-right central portion of the front side, and substantially the center of the upper surface of the upper case 1a and the lower surface of the lower case 1b. A drive shaft insertion hole 4 is opened at the center. When not in use, the window 3 and the drive shaft insertion hole 4 are closed by a shutter 5 that slides in the left and right direction on the front side of the main body case 1. Upper case 1a
A boss 6 is provided on each inner surface of the lower case 1b so as to surround the drive shaft insertion hole 4, as shown in FIG.

In FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, an opening 9 for inserting and removing the disc 2 is provided in the rear side surface 7 of the main body case 1.
Are provided over the entire length in the left-right direction. The opening 9 is opened and closed by a plastic disk holder 10. The disk holder 10 includes a flat holder body 10a.
At the rear end, there is provided a lid portion 11 that completely closes the opening 9, and is provided on the left and right sides of the holder main body 10 a so as to protrude forward along the inner surfaces of the left and right side walls 15, 15 of the main body case 1. And a pair of elastic arms 12 that can be expanded and contracted.

The pair of left and right resilient arms 12 has a distance between the front ends thereof smaller than the outer diameter of the disk 2 and, as shown in FIG. Conjugate the two points P ₁ and P ₂ on the outer circumference of. As shown in FIG. 5, a groove 13 is formed in the distal end or the entire length of each elastic arm 12 on the disk engaging surface side, and the groove 13 is formed in a trapezoidal cross section, and has a slope gradually expanding outward from the groove. The upper and lower slopes 14 are provided, and the outer periphery of the disk 2 is held between the upper and lower slopes 14. The groove 13 may be formed in a V-shaped cross section instead of a trapezoidal cross section.

In FIG. 2, a release member 16 for expanding the elastic arms 12 of the disk holder 10 is provided inside the main body case 1 near the front end of each of the inner surfaces of the left and right side walls 15. . The release member 16 has a slope 17 formed on a surface facing the opening 9, and
A sharp angled depression 19 is formed between the inner surface of 5 and the slope 17. The distal end of the elastic arm 12 has the release member 1
6 is provided with a slope 20 that abuts and engages with the slope 17.

Thus, when the elastic arms 12 are inserted along the inner surfaces of the left and right side walls 15 along with the insertion of the disk holder 10 into the main body case 1 through the opening 9, the elastic arms 12 The tip is the release member 16.
16 (the two-dot chain line in FIG. 2). Further, as the elastic arms 12 are inserted deeper into the body case 1, two points on the outer periphery of the disk 2 while the distal ends of the elastic arms 12 slide on the slopes 17 of the release members 16. It expands and deforms away from P ₁ and P ₂ . As shown in FIG. 1, at the same time when the disk holder 10 is completely inserted, the slopes 20 at the distal ends of the elastic arms 12 are adjusted to the slopes 17 of the release members 16.
17 comes into surface contact with the recesses 19, 19, whereby the distal ends of the elastic arms 12, 12 are held in the expanded state.
As a result, the disk 2 becomes free to rotate. The elastic arms 12 are connected to each other by a concave arc-shaped surface 22 provided on the front surface of the holder main body 10a. With this surface 22, the disk 2 is positioned at the center in the main body case 1 and the disk 2 is opened. 9 can be restricted.

When taking out the disk 2 for replacement, the disk holder 10 is pulled out of the main body case 1. With the removal of the disk holder 10, a pair of elastic arms 1
The distal end portions of the discs 2 and 12 are separated from the release members 16 and 16 and are reduced and deformed by the elastic restoring force. P ₁ and P ₂ are conjugated and held. Therefore,
As the disk holder 10 is pulled out, the disk 2 is taken out while being held and held between the pair of elastic arms 12. At this time, as shown in FIG. 5, when the disc 2 is conjugated between the pair of elastic arms 12, the disc 2 is lifted from the inner bottom surface of the main body case 1 by the slope 14 below the groove 13. 2 is taken out without interfering with the boss 6 on the inner bottom surface of the main body case 1. After the disk holder 10 is completely extracted from the main body case 1, the disk 2 can be detached from the disk holder 10 by expanding and deforming the pair of elastic arms 12 by hand. As shown in FIG. 6, a groove 21 is provided at a central portion between the elastic arms 12 on the inside of the front surface of the holder body 10 a, and three points on the outer periphery of the disc 2 are sandwiched between the groove 21 and the two grooves 13. The disc 2 can be held more reliably and can be safely taken in and out.

To accommodate the disk 2 in the main body case 1, as shown in FIG.
The disc holder 10 is inserted into the opening 9 from the side of the elastic arms 12. When the disk holder 10 is completely inserted, the pair of elastic arms 12 are expanded and deformed by the release members 16 as shown in FIG. 1, and the disk 2 is free to rotate.

The opening 9 can be provided in one of the left and right side walls 15 in addition to the rear side surface 7 of the main body case 1. The release member 16 is replaced with the plate shape of the illustrated example,
It can be changed to a pin shape. As shown in FIG. 7, pins 23 are provided on the upper and lower surfaces of each end of the elastic arms 12.
On the other hand, a groove 24 for guiding the pin 23 is provided on the upper and lower surfaces of the inside of the main body case 1, and the elastic arm 12 is expanded and deformed by an arc groove 24 a provided on the inner part of the groove 24. You may do so.

[0016]

According to the present invention, the disk holder 10 is provided.
Has a pair of left and right arms 12 that embrace the outer circumference of the disk 2 from the radial outside, so that the disk 2 can be inserted into and removed from the main body case 1 by holding and holding the disk holder 10 without touching the disk 2. Also, it can be safely put in and out of the main body case 1 without dropping. That is, when the disk holder 10 is removed from the main body case 1, the outer periphery of the inner side of the main body case from the center of the disk 2 is held so as not to fall off between the pair of left and right arms 12. The disk 2 can be reliably taken out together with the disk holder 10 from the main body case 1 without being left behind in the front between the twelve.
When the disk 2 is replaced, the left and right arms 12 and 12 are radially outwardly expanded and deformed outside the main body case 1 so that the disk 2
· Pull out the disk holder 1 as it is in front of 12
From zero. When accommodating the disk 2 in the main body case 1, the disk holder 10 is inserted into the main body case 1 in a state where the disk 2 is held between the pair of arms 12 of the disk holder 10. Just plug in from. Body case 1
When the disk holder 10 is inserted into and removed from the main body case 1, the left and right arms 12 are arranged along the inner surfaces of the left and right side walls 15, 15 of the main body case 1. be able to.
Disc holder 1 with disc 2 embraced in body case 1
When the disc 2 is inserted or removed, the recording surface of the disk 2 is hung between the pair of left and right arms 12 so as not to slide on the upper and lower inner wall surfaces of the main body case 1, so that the recording surface of the disk 2 is damaged. Never. Since the disk 2 is not of the type placed on the disk holder 10, the recording surface of the disk 2 is also unlikely to be damaged in this regard.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an internal plan view of a disk cartridge according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an internal plan view showing a state in which a disk is being stored.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state where a disk is taken out.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line AA in FIG.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of a main body case and a lid showing another embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main body case 2 Disk 3 Signal reading window 4 Drive shaft insertion hole 9 Opening 10 Dick holder 10a Holder main body 12 Elastic arm 15 Left and right side walls of main body case

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A main body case in which a disk serving as a storage medium is rotatably accommodated is provided with a signal reading window and a drive shaft insertion hole, and the window and the drive shaft insertion hole are opened and closed by a shutter. A disk cartridge having a structure that can be freely closed, further comprising a disk holder that is detachably mounted inside the main body case, wherein the disk holders extend along left and right side walls of the main body case on left and right sides of the holder main body. And a pair of left and right arms that are expandable and contractible and deformable to embrace the outer periphery of the inner side of the main body case from the center of the disk from the outside in the radial direction. The disc can be pulled out of the main body case in a state where the disc is held between arms so that the disc does not fall out of the disc holder. Disc cartridge, characterized in that the.