JP2003085924A - Disk cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a disk cartridge provided with shutter members, in which a large aperture can be secured. SOLUTION: The disk cartridge is provided with a case 30 rotatably housing a disk medium 20, apertures 40 and 50 for accessing the disk medium formed in at least one surface of the case 30, a plurality of shutter members 60 sliding and moving in the direction orthogonal to the loading direction of the cartridge to a drive while being superposed on each other to open and close the apertures 40 and 50 and a shutter housing part 14 housing the shutter members 60 when the apertures 40 and 50 are opened.

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a disc-shaped disk medium used as a recording / reproducing medium for an information processing apparatus or the like, and rotatably accommodates dust and the like. The present invention relates to a disc cartridge. [0002] For example, disk-shaped disk media such as optical disks and magneto-optical disks are used as portable recording / reproducing media for computers. Such disc media can be used for recording or playback.
By irradiating the recording surface with laser light while rotating in a drive device, information is recorded by pit formation, phase change, magnetization, etc. due to decomposition of the dye layer on the recording surface, or reflection of laser light The recorded information is reproduced based on the difference in rate and polarization angle. In such a disk medium,
In order to increase the recording capacity, it has been proposed to shorten the wavelength of the laser light applied to the recording surface. When recording or reproducing information using this short wavelength laser beam (for example, a blue-violet laser), in order to suppress the attenuation of the laser beam by the cover layer protecting the recording surface of the disk media, It is necessary to reduce the thickness. If the thickness of the cover layer is reduced in this way, the aperture of the laser beam on the surface of the cover layer (exposed surface) becomes small, and the influence of dust and the like adhering to the cover layer surface cannot be ignored. For this reason, a disk cartridge has been adopted in which the disk medium is housed in a case to prevent dust and the like from adhering to the disk medium. As shown in FIG. 6, the disc cartridge 100 has a center hole portion 102 provided at the center of the disc medium 110 and an opening 108 for exposing a part of the recording surface (cover layer) 104 to the outside. A shutter member 106 that opens and closes the opening 108 is provided. As a result, the disk cartridge 100
In general, the opening 108 is closed by the shutter member 106 to prevent dust and the like from entering the disk cartridge 100, that is, the dust and the like from adhering to the disk medium 110.
By opening the, the center hole portion 102 can be held by the rotating spindle shaft and the optical pickup can be brought close to the recording surface 104 (irradiation with laser light). In such disk cartridges, in recent years, a reduction in the diameter of disk media has been studied. However, since the optical pickup is composed of many optical system parts such as a laser light source, a lens, a mirror, a wave plate, and a photodetector, it is difficult to reduce the size of the optical pickup. The problem of becoming relatively large has arisen. That is, the conventional disk cartridge 1
In 00, since one shutter member 106 slides in a direction orthogonal to the loading direction to the drive device, the substantially rectangular opening 108 formed at the front center of the disk cartridge 100 is opened and closed. , Opening 1
08 is only about 1/3 of the width of the disk cartridge, and when the disk media is reduced in diameter,
There may be a case where the opening 108 is too small to allow the optical pickup to approach. Therefore, in order to reduce the diameter of the disk medium, it is necessary to provide as large an opening as possible. However, even if the opening is enlarged, there is a problem that the conventional shutter member 106 cannot sufficiently open the opening. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a disk cartridge provided with a shutter member capable of ensuring a large opening so as to cope with a reduction in the diameter of a disk medium. In order to achieve the above object, a disk cartridge according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises a case for rotatably accommodating a disk-shaped disk medium; A plurality of shutter members that open and close the opening by sliding in a direction orthogonal to the loading direction to the drive device while overlapping each other and an opening for accessing the disk medium formed on at least one side of the case; And a shutter accommodating portion in which the shutter member is accommodated when the opening is opened. If the shutter member is composed of a plurality of sheets and is moved so that they are overlapped with each other, the space for retracting the shutter member can be reduced, so that a large opening is provided in the disk cartridge. Can be secured. Therefore, it is possible to cope with a reduction in the diameter of the disk medium. In addition, dust or the like adhering to the shutter member is collected in the shutter storage portion when the shutter member is stored in the shutter storage portion.
It can be prevented from dropping on the disc media. Therefore, the occurrence of errors due to this can be reduced. Further, by providing such a shutter storage portion, the design of the disk cartridge can be improved, and the appearance can be made favorable. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a disk cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail based on an embodiment shown in the drawings. For convenience of explanation, the loading (insertion) direction of the disk cartridge into the drive device is the forward direction (FR).
Based on that, backward (RE), upward (UP),
The description will be made with the downward direction (LO), the left direction (LE), and the right direction (RI). As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the disk cartridge 10 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole and includes a disk medium 20 as an information recording / reproducing medium. The disk medium 20 is formed in a disk shape having a center hole 22 in the center, and the recording surface formed on the lower surface and the upper surface thereof is covered and protected by a cover layer. An annular center core portion 24 is attached to the center hole 22 by adhesion or the like, and this center core portion 24 is engaged with or held at the tip of the rotary spindle shaft of the drive device when the disk medium 20 is used. It is supposed to be retained. Such a disk medium 20 is accommodated in a case 30 formed by joining an upper shell 34 and a lower shell 32 formed substantially symmetrically in the vertical direction. The lower shell 32 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape substantially corresponding to the outer shape of the disk cartridge 10, and an outer wall 42 is erected on the peripheral edge thereof. Further, the outer wall 4 is provided on the inner surface of the lower shell 32.
A substantially short cylindrical inner wall 44 having a height equivalent to 2 is erected, and the inner diameter thereof is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the disk medium 20. Further, the outer wall on the front side of the lower shell 32 (hereinafter referred to as “the outer wall”).
An inner wall 46 is erected in parallel with the front wall 42A at a predetermined interval on the inner side of the front wall 42A). A coil spring 6 described later is interposed between the front wall 42A and the inner wall 46.
8, 78, 88 and block pieces 70, 80 are accommodated. The height of the inner wall 46 is also equal to the height of the outer wall 42 and the inner wall 44, and a stepped portion 48 for forming a slit 90 described later is provided on the front wall 42A. An opening 40 is formed in the lower shell 32. The opening 40 has a circular hub hole 40A having a diameter larger than the outer diameter of the center core portion 24 of the disk medium 20, and a substantially rectangular window portion that reaches the inner wall 46 symmetrically along the radial direction of the inner wall 44. 40B is continuously provided. In addition, on both sides of the opening 40 on the lower surface of the lower shell 32, a shutter storage portion 12 in which a shutter member 60 described later is stored is formed. The shutter storage portion 12 has a lower shell 3
2, an outer surface plate 28 provided in parallel therewith at a predetermined interval, and a peripheral wall 26 erected on the front end portion of the outer surface plate 28 and integrally provided with the outer wall 42. The rear end of the face plate 28 is integrated with the lower surface of the lower shell 32 and is flat as a whole. Thus, the rear portion of the lower shell 32 is thicker than the opening 40.
As described above, it is preferable that the shutter housing portion 12 has a thick rear portion of the lower shell 32 and is integrally formed in a flat shape as shown in the drawing, but the outer plate 28 and the like are projected downward. You may integrally mold in such a bulging shape. Further, the outer plate 28 and the peripheral wall 26 may be separately attached to the lower shell 32 as separate members.
A gap is formed between the peripheral wall 26 and the front wall 42 </ b> A so that the connection plates 72 and 74 of the shutter member 60 can enter in a state where they overlap each other. On the other hand, since the upper shell 34 is also substantially symmetrical with the lower shell 32, the opening 50 corresponding to the opening 40, the outer wall 52 corresponding to the outer wall 42, and the inner wall 44 are provided.
, An inner wall (not shown) corresponding to the inner wall 46, and a stepped portion 58 corresponding to the stepped portion 48.
A peripheral wall 36 corresponding to the peripheral wall 26, an outer surface plate 38 corresponding to the outer surface plate 28, a shutter storage portion 14 corresponding to the shutter storage portion 12, and the like. The lower shell 32 and the upper shell 34 are
The disc media 20 are joined in a space formed by joining the inner wall 44 and the inner wall (not shown) by bonding, welding, screwing or the like in a state where the outer wall and the inner wall and the peripheral wall 26 and the peripheral wall 36 are brought into contact with each other. The coil springs 68, 78, 88 and the block pieces 70, 80 are slidable in a space formed by joining the front wall 42A and the front wall 52A and the inner wall 46 and the inner wall (not shown). Is housed in. Further, step portions 48 and 58 are formed almost entirely in the center of the front wall 42A and the front wall 52A.
When the front wall 42A and the front wall 52A are joined, slits 90 with a predetermined interval are formed. The slit 90 is formed at the tips 70A, 80 of the block pieces 70, 80.
A for projecting A, block pieces 70, 8
0 is formed in a substantially convex shape in a side view, and three coil springs 6
Two are provided so as to be arranged between 8, 78 and 88, respectively. And the front-end | tips 70A and 80A of the block pieces 70 and 80 which protruded from the slit 90 engage with the 1st shutter member 62 and the 2nd shutter member 64 which are mentioned later. One end of the coil spring 68 is fixed to the left side surface of the block piece 70 so as to urge the block piece 70 in the left direction, and the coil spring 88 is provided with the block piece 8.
One end is fixed to the right side surface of 0, and the block piece 80 is urged rightward. The middle coil spring 78 further urges the left and right block pieces 70 and 80 leftward and rightward, respectively. In addition,
The ends of the coil spring 78 do not have to be fixed to the right side surface of the block piece 70 and the left side surface of the block piece 80, respectively, but are preferably fixed. Further, a plurality of shutter members 60 (two in the drawing) that slide in the left-right direction and open and close the openings 40 and 50 are provided at the front portion of the case 30. The shutter member 60 includes, for example, a first shutter member 62 provided on the left side and a second shutter member 64 provided on the right side as illustrated. The first shutter member 62 and the second shutter member 64 are respectively provided with connecting plates 72 and 74 at their front end portions.
74 is a shutter bottom plate 82, 8 that covers the opening 40.
4 and shutter top plates 92 and 94 covering the opening 50
Are connected in a state of being opposed to each other, and are formed in a substantially U shape in a sectional view. Further, the connecting plates 72 and 74 have a width in the vertical direction that is smaller in order of the thickness of the shutter lower surface plate and the shutter upper surface plate so that the second shutter member 64 can be accommodated inside the first shutter member 62. It is comprised so that it may become. The widths of the shutter lower surface plates 82 and 84 and the shutter upper surface plates 92 and 94 in the left and right direction are formed to be about 1/4 of the left and right length of the case 30, respectively. Opening 40, 5 opened to about 4
The first shutter member 62 and the second shutter member 64 are closed in a state where a part (side end portion) thereof is overlapped with each other. When the disc cartridge 10 is used, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the second shutter member 64 is accommodated in the first shutter member 62 regardless of the sliding direction in either the left or right direction, and the outer plate 28 is further moved. , 38 and the peripheral walls 26, 36 are housed in either the left or right of the shutter housing parts 12, 14, so that the openings 40, 50 are opened. That is, the inner surface of the shutter upper plate 92 of the first shutter member 62 is near the left end of the connecting plate 72, and the inner surface of the shutter upper plate 94 of the second shutter member 64 is near the right end of the connecting plate 74. Are substantially rectangular plate-shaped engaging portions 16 and 18 that are suspended.
8 is inserted into an elongated guide groove 54 formed at the front end of the upper shell 34. In addition, an elongated hole 66 that is elongated in the left-right direction is formed in the center of the connecting plate 72 of the first shutter member 62, and a protrusion 76 is protruded from the left end portion of the connecting plate 74 of the second shutter member 64. Protrusion 7
6 is inserted into the long hole 66 from the inside. The leading ends 70A, 80A of the block pieces 70, 80 projecting from the slit 90 are small holes 8 formed in the left end of the connecting plate 72 of the first shutter member 62.
6 and a small hole portion 96 formed in the right end portion of the connecting plate 74 of the second shutter member 64 so that the first shutter member 62 and the second shutter member 64 are fixed. A state in which the balance is maintained at the approximate center of the case 30, as shown in FIG. It is designed to brake with. Thus, the shutter member 6
The openings 40 and 50 are preferably closed by zero. In the shutter member 60, an engaging member (not shown) provided in the drive device comes into contact with the tip 70A of the block piece 70 protruding from the connecting plate 72 of the first shutter member 62, for example. The shutter accommodating portion 12 is moved rightward or by abutting the tip 80A of the block piece 80 protruding from the connecting plate 74 of the second shutter member 64 and pushing it to the left.
14 is moved along the guide groove 54 to the right or left of the shutter 14 and is stored and held in the shutter storage portions 12 and 14 while being overlapped with each other.
Alternatively, the openings 40 and 50 are opened as shown in FIG. For example, when the block piece 80 is pushed to the left, the first shutter member 62 and the second shutter member 64 move to the left in the state when the openings 40 and 50 are closed, The left end portion of the first shutter member 62 abuts against the inner surfaces of the left side walls of the shutter storage portions 12 and 14 and is held in that position. When further pressed to the left, the second shutter member 64 is slid leftward while the projection 76 moves in the long hole 66, and the second shutter member 64 is moved to the inside of the first shutter member 62. Stored. Thus, as shown in FIG.
50 is opened, but the shutter member 60 is compactly placed in a state where the shutter members 60 overlap each other.
14, the retreat space can be reduced when the openings 40 and 50 are opened. Accordingly, the opening 4 has a width of about 2/4 of the left / right length of the case 30.
0, 50 can be formed, and the opening can be made larger than the conventional opening, and the diameter of the disk medium can be reduced. The coil spring 78
Is not necessarily provided to operate the shutter member 60, but is preferably provided in order to maintain the overall balance of the shutter member 60. Next, the operation of the disk cartridge 10 will be described. The disc cartridge 10
When loaded in the bucket of the drive device, the engaging member provided on the bucket slides the shutter member 60 to the left or right. For example, when the engaging member is configured to slide in the left direction, the following occurs. That is, the engaging member presses the tip 80A of the block piece 80 leftward, and the second shutter member 64 is pressed.
Is moved leftward, the first shutter member 62 and the second shutter member 64 first move leftward with the openings 40 and 50 being closed. Then, the first shutter member 62 is housed on the left side of the shutter housing parts 12, 14, and the left end thereof abuts against the inner surface of the left wall, so that no further movement is possible, and the first shutter member 62 is held in that position. The At this time, since the engaging portions 16 and 18 are inserted into the guide groove 54, the shutter member 60 slides while being suitably guided on the case 30. Thereafter, when pressed further to the left, the second shutter member 64 is moved while the projection 76 moves in the long hole 66.
Is slid leftward and housed inside the first shutter member 64. Thus, the shutter storage unit 1
2 and 14, the first shutter member 62 and the second shutter member 64 are accommodated. At this time, the engaging portion 1
6 is disposed at the left end of the first shutter member 62, so that it does not hinder the storage of the second shutter member 64. In this way, the shutter member 60 is stored and retracted in a compact manner, and as shown in FIG.
0 is released. Then, a rotating spindle shaft and an optical pickup (not shown) are inserted, and information is recorded on or reproduced from the disk medium 20. Thereafter, when the disk cartridge 10 is taken out from the bucket of the drive device, the engaging member releases the pressing of the block piece 80, so that the second shutter member 64 is moved by the coil spring 8.
8 is pulled rightward by the first shutter member 6.
2 is slid in the right direction by the projection 76 inserted into the long hole 66 and is made to appear from the shutter accommodating portions 12 and 14. At this time, the first shutter member 62 is pulled leftward by the coil spring 68 and the block pieces 70 and 80 are pressed in the left and right directions by the coil spring 78.
Brakes substantially at the center of the case 30 and preferably closes the openings 40 and 50. The coil spring 78 may not be provided. However, if the coil spring 78 is provided, the first shutter member 62 and the second shutter member 64 can be regulated with a good balance.
The shutter member 60 can be stabilized more quickly. Further, when the engaging member is configured to slide the shutter member 60 in the right direction, it is needless to say that it is the same as described above. In this case, as shown in FIG. , 50 are opened. The shutter member 60 is configured such that the right end portion of the first shutter member 62 is overlapped with the left end portion of the second shutter member 64 so as to close the openings 40 and 50, so that the shutter member 60 is a thin plate. Even if it is comprised by a shape-like member, the intensity | strength can be ensured and improved. Further, dust or the like adhering to the shutter member 60 is removed when the shutter member 60 is stored in the shutter storage portions 12 and 14.
2 and 14, the dust is collected on the recording surface of the disk medium 20. Therefore, the occurrence of errors due to this can be reduced. Further, such a shutter storage unit 12,
14 is provided, the design of the disk cartridge 10 can be improved, and the appearance thereof can be made more favorable. Further, the shutter member 60
Since the openings 40 and 50 can be opened from either the left or right side, the engagement member provided in the bucket of the drive device can be used even if it moves to the left or right. Further, since the double-sided recording type disk cartridge needs to be loaded upside down, in the case of a drive device corresponding to this, the engaging member is configured to be able to move both left and right. In the case of the disk cartridge 10 according to the present invention, even if it is loaded upside down, it can be opened only by being configured so that it can move in either the left or right direction. Can do. Thus, the disk cartridge 10 according to the present invention can be used particularly suitably as a double-sided recording type. Therefore, in the above-described embodiment, the openings are provided on the upper and lower sides to form the double-sided recording type. And
In this case, the shutter member does not have to be substantially U-shaped in cross section. In addition, although the opening 40 and the opening 50 have the same shape, they may have different shapes. As described above, according to the present invention, the space for retracting the shutter member can be reduced, and accordingly, a large opening can be provided in the disk cartridge. Therefore, it is possible to cope with a reduction in the diameter of the disk medium. Further, by providing the shutter storage portion, dust or the like adhering to the shutter member can be collected in the shutter storage portion, and can be prevented from dropping onto the disk medium. Therefore, the occurrence of errors due to this can be reduced. Further, the design of the disk cartridge can be improved, so that its appearance can be made preferable.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic exploded perspective view of a disk cartridge according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a front portion of the disk cartridge according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing the open state of the disc cartridge according to the present invention. FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view showing the open state of the disc cartridge according to the present invention. (A) Schematic perspective view showing the closed state of the opening of the conventional disk cartridge (B) Schematic perspective view showing the opened state of the conventional disk cartridge [Explanation of symbols] 10 Disk cartridge 12 Shutter storage part 14 Shutter storage part 20 Disc media 30 Case 40 Opening 50 Opening 60 Shutter member

Claims (1)

What is claimed is: 1. A case for rotatably accommodating a disk-shaped disk medium; an opening for accessing the disk medium formed on at least one side of the case; A plurality of shutter members that slide and move in a direction perpendicular to the loading direction to the apparatus to open and close the opening; and a shutter storage portion that stores the shutter member when the opening is opened. Disc cartridge to be used.