JP2005116117A - Disk cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a disk cartridge surely closing an opening for accessing the disk media of a case housing the disk media by a pair of shutter members. <P>SOLUTION: This disk cartridge 10 is provided with an opening 16 for accessing disk media 12 in the bottom plate 42 of a case 14 for rotatably housing the disk media 12. The opening 16 is opened/closed by the contact/separation of a pair of shutter members 18 with/from the bottom plate 42, the shutter members 18 being arranged between the disk media 12 and the bottom plate 42. Butting parts 60 and 62 butted to each other in the closed state of the opening 16 by the pair of shutter members 18 are formed into slopes inclined in a plate thickness direction substantially over the total plate thickness of the shutter member 18. The opening operation of the opening 16 is accompanied by introducing of each other through the slopes, thereby the butting parts are surely overlapped. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a disk cartridge in which a disk-shaped disk medium used as a recording / reproducing medium for information or video is rotatably accommodated in a case.

  For example, disk-shaped disk media such as optical disks and magneto-optical disks are used as portable computer recording / reproducing media and video recording / reproducing media. When such disc media are recorded or reproduced, the laser head irradiates the recording surface with laser light while being rotated by the spindle shaft while being loaded in the disc drive device. As a result, on disk media, information is recorded by pit formation, phase change, magnetization, etc. due to decomposition of the dye layer on the recording surface, or reproduction of information recorded based on differences in the reflectance and polarization angle of laser light Is to be done.

  In order to prevent dust from adhering to the recording surface of the disk media (the cover layer that covers the recording surface) along with the increase in the recording capacity of such disk media, a disk cartridge that houses the disk media inside the case Known (for example, see Patent Documents 1 to 4). Such a disk cartridge will be described with reference to FIG.

  The disc cartridge 200 shown in an exploded perspective view in FIG. 13 is provided with an opening 206 for accessing the axial center portion and recording surface of the disc medium 202 on the bottom plate 204A of the case 204 that rotatably accommodates the disc media 202. The opening 206 is opened and closed by a pair of shutter members 208 slidably disposed between the disk medium 202 and the bottom plate 204A. The pair of shutter members 208 are formed in a substantially semicircular shape having substantially the same shape.

  Further, an inner rotor 210 is disposed between the disk medium 202 and the bottom plate 204 </ b> A so as to be rotatable independently of the disk medium 202. In the inner rotor 210, shaft holes 208A provided at one end of each shutter member 208 are fitted into a pair of support protrusions 210A positioned symmetrically with respect to the rotation axis thereof, and each shutter member 208 is supported by the support protrusion 210A. It is pivotally supported around it. When the inner rotor 210 is rotated by the drive device, each shutter member 208 is rotated around each supporting protrusion 210A by a cam mechanism provided between the bottom plate 204A and a closed position and an opening for closing the opening 206. It moves between an open position where 206 is opened. The inner rotor 210 is prevented from rotating by a lock member (not shown) when the disk medium 202 is not used, and holds the pair of shutter members 208 in the closed position.

  The pair of shutter members 208 positioned at the closed position are configured to reliably prevent the intrusion of dust into the case 204 by overlapping the ends of the shutter members 208 one above the other. Specifically, a step portion 212 is formed at a chord portion (end portion) that is a portion where each shutter member 208 is abutted with the counterpart, and the upper portion is formed on one side in the longitudinal direction with the step portion 212 as a boundary. A flange portion 214 that is a thin portion along the bottom is formed, and a flange portion 216 that is a thin portion along the bottom surface is formed on the other side.

As shown in FIG. 14 with the inner rotor 210 and the like removed, when the pair of shutter members 208 are located at the closed position, the flanges of the other shutter member 208 are below the flanges 214 of the one shutter member 208. The portion 216 is overlapped, and the flange portion 214 of the other shutter member 208 is overlapped on the upper side of the flange portion 216 of the one shutter member 208. The overlapping surface of each of the flange portions 214 and 216 with the counterpart is a gently inclined surface so as to invite the counterpart.
JP 2003-115184 A JP 2003-115181 A JP 2003-115182 A JP 2003-115183 A

  However, in the conventional disc cartridge 200 as described above, since the flange portions 214 and 216 are formed as thin portions, as shown in FIG. 15 (A), the lower end edge of the flange portion 214 and the distal end of the flange portion 216 are formed. The height difference H from the upper edge portion is small, and there is a possibility that the opening 206 may not be closed properly. That is, due to warpage or deformation of the shutter member 208, the ends of the flanges 214 and 216 abut against each other and the opening 206 is not completely closed, or the flange 214 is not sunk into the lower side of the flange 216. There is a concern that it will fall back.

  Further, since a step portion 212 that is a boundary between the flange portions 214 and 216 is formed in the chord portion of each shutter member 208, the overlap amount X () of the flange portions 214 and 216 with the opposite flange portions 216 and 214 is formed. The overlap width) could not be increased. That is, in order to abut the step portions 212 (near each other) of the pair of shutter members 208, as shown in FIG. 14 and FIG. It must be formed on the opposite side to the imaginary straight line L connecting the support protrusions 210A. If the amount X of overlap is to be increased, the shutter member 208 is enlarged and the area of the opening 206 that can be opened and closed is reduced. End up. If the overlapping amount X is small, the opening 206 is partially opened only by a slight movement of the shutter member 208 due to, for example, a drop impact, etc., causing dust to enter the case 204.

  In view of the above fact, an object of the present invention is to obtain a disk cartridge that can reliably close an opening for accessing a disk medium of a case containing the disk medium by a pair of shutter members.

  In order to achieve the above object, a disk cartridge according to the first aspect of the present invention includes a case in which a disk-shaped disk medium is rotatably accommodated and an opening for accessing the disk medium is provided. A pair of shutter members each formed in a substantially flat plate shape and disposed between the opening forming surface and the disk medium in the case and opening and closing the opening by contacting and separating from each other along the opening forming surface. The end surfaces of the pair of shutter members are inclined surfaces that are inclined with respect to the plate thickness direction over substantially the entire plate thickness and overlap each other when the opening is closed.

  In the disk cartridge according to claim 1, the opening for accessing the disk medium provided in the case and accommodated in the case has a pair of shutter members moving between the opening forming surface of the case and the disk medium. Opened and closed by contacting and separating from each other. The pair of shutter members are in contact with each other in an overlapped state with the opening closed. It is sufficient that the end surfaces of the pair of shutter members that are in contact with each other when the opening is closed include at least the end surfaces of the shutter member that are exposed from the opening to the outside of the case when the opening is closed and substantially close the opening. Sometimes it is not necessary to consider the part that is not exposed outside the case.

  Here, since the end surfaces that contact each other when the opening of the pair of shutter members is closed are inclined surfaces that are substantially inclined with respect to the plate thickness direction and overlap each other over the entire plate thickness, the edge portions of the end surfaces are the plate thicknesses. They are spaced apart in the direction, and when they come into contact with each other in a superposed state as the opening is closed, the inclined surfaces are reliably guided. For this reason, for example, even when the warping or deformation of the shutter member occurs, the inclined surfaces are reliably applied while correcting the warpage and deformation with each other in accordance with the closing operation of the opening (the proximity operation of the inclined end surfaces of the shutter member). Touch. Accordingly, the opening is reliably closed by the pair of shutter members.

  Thus, in the disk cartridge according to the first aspect, the opening for accessing the disk medium of the case accommodating the disk medium can be reliably closed by the pair of shutter members. In addition, it is desirable to provide a stopper that prevents the pair of shutter members from moving beyond the position where the opening is blocked to the side opposite to the opening side, in the shutter member or the mechanism that drives the shutter member.

  In order to achieve the above object, a disk cartridge according to a second aspect of the present invention is a case in which a disk-shaped disk medium is rotatably accommodated and an opening for accessing the disk medium is provided. Each of which is formed in a substantially flat plate shape, and is rotated around a support point located symmetrically with respect to a predetermined point between the opening forming surface in the case and the disk medium, thereby overlapping each other's ends. And a pair of shutter members that can take a closed position that closes the openings and an open position that opens the openings by separating the ends of the openings, and the ends of the pair of shutter members are It is characterized in that when it is located at the closed position, at least a part is formed so as to overlap each other across an imaginary straight line connecting the support points.

  3. The disk cartridge according to claim 2, wherein the opening for accessing the disk medium provided in the case and accommodated in the case is supported by a pair of shutter members between the opening forming surface of the case and the disk medium. When the pair of shutter members are located at the open position, they are closed when rotated around the point and located at the closed position. The pair of shutter members overlap each other when positioned at the closed position. Note that the ends of the pair of shutter members that are overlapped with each other at the closed position include at least the ends of the portions that are exposed from the opening to the outside of the case when the shutter member is positioned at the closed position. If it is, it is not necessary to consider the part which is not exposed outside the case during the closing.

  Here, since the pair of shutter members overlap each other across the virtual straight line connecting the support points when the pair of shutter members are located at the closed position, it is possible to suppress an increase in the size of the shutter member (or the pair of shutter members). The overlapping amount between the end portions can be set large without increasing the size of the members together. Thus, if the amount of overlap between the ends of the shutter members at the closed position is set large, the closed state of the opening is maintained even if the shutter member is displaced due to, for example, a drop impact, etc. Protected against dust etc.

  Thus, in the disk cartridge according to the second aspect, the opening for accessing the disk medium of the case accommodating the disk medium can be reliably closed by the pair of shutter members.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a disc cartridge according to the second aspect, wherein the end portions of the pair of shutter members are inclined with respect to the plate thickness direction over substantially the entire plate thickness. It is characterized by that.

  In the disk cartridge according to claim 3, since the end portions that overlap each other when the openings of the pair of shutter members are closed are inclined surfaces, the edge portions of the inclined surfaces are separated from each other in the plate thickness direction. When these come into contact with the blockage, the inclined surfaces of each other are surely guided. For this reason, for example, even when the shutter member is warped or deformed, the inclined surfaces correct each other with respect to the warping or deformation of the shutter member along with the closing operation of the opening (the proximity operation of the inclined end surfaces of the shutter member). Abut securely. Accordingly, the opening is more reliably closed by the pair of shutter members. In addition, it is desirable to provide a stopper that prevents the pair of shutter members from moving beyond the position where the opening is blocked to the side opposite to the opening side, in the shutter member or the mechanism that drives the shutter member.

  A disc cartridge according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the disc cartridge according to the second or third aspect, wherein the disc medium in the opening is located when the ends of the pair of shutter members are positioned at the closed position. A shape in which one edge in the plate thickness direction is inclined with respect to the imaginary straight line so that the overlapping width is larger in the portion corresponding to the recording surface of the disc medium than in the portion corresponding to the axial center portion It is characterized by that.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the ends of the pair of shutter members overlap with each other at a portion corresponding to the recording surface of the disk medium in the opening and wider than a portion corresponding to the axial center of the disk medium in the opening. . For this reason, even if the shutter member is displaced due to, for example, a drop impact, the closed state of the opening corresponding to the recording surface is easily maintained, and the disk media in the case is protected against dust and the like.

  Moreover, since the edge part of a pair of shutter member has the edge part of the plate | board thickness direction incline with respect to the said virtual straight line (and the other), the overlapping width | variety mutually changes continuously along a longitudinal direction. When the opening is closed, it gradually overlaps from the wide part. For this reason, the edge portions of the pair of shutter members are unlikely to interfere with each other due to warpage or deformation of the shutter member, and the other shutter member is reliably (while correcting warpage and deformation). ) Can invite. That is, the opening can be more reliably closed by the pair of shutter members.

  As described above, the disk cartridge according to the present invention has an excellent effect that the opening for accessing the disk medium of the case accommodating the disk medium can be reliably closed by the pair of shutter members.

  A disk cartridge 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. An arrow A appropriately shown in each drawing indicates the loading direction of the disk cartridge 10 into the drive device, and for convenience, the side indicated by the arrow A that is the loading direction into the drive device will be described as the front side. The direction indicated by arrow B is the upper side, and the direction indicated by arrow C is the right side.

  FIG. 1 shows an external appearance of the disk cartridge 10 in a perspective view, and FIG. 2 shows the disk cartridge 10 in an exploded perspective view. As shown in these drawings, the disk cartridge 10 includes a disk medium 12 as an information recording / reproducing medium formed in a disk shape, a case 14 that rotatably accommodates the disk medium 12, and a case 14 that opens downward. A pair of shutter members 18 that can open and close an opening 16 for accessing the disk medium 12, an inner rotor 20 that is rotated by a drive device to drive the shutter member 18 to open and close the opening 16, and the disk medium 12 The lock member 22 for preventing the rotation of the inner rotor 20 and maintaining the closed state of the opening 16 when not used is configured as a main component. Hereinafter, the schematic overall configuration of the disk cartridge 10 will be described in this order, and then the detailed structure of the shutter member 18 which is the main part of the present invention will be described.

(Overall configuration of disk cartridge)
The disk medium 12 has a center hole 12A engaged with and held by the rotating spindle shaft of the disk drive device at the axial center thereof, and a recording surface 12B formed on the lower surface thereof by a cover layer (not shown). The coating is protected. The recording surface 12B is formed in an annular shape in the vicinity of the outer periphery of the lower surface of the disk medium 12 and in a portion excluding a predetermined range around the center hole 12A. An area between the center hole 12A and the recording surface 12B on the lower surface of the disk medium 12 is a chucking area 12C for the rotating spindle shaft of the drive device to hold the disk medium 12. In the present embodiment, the diameter (outer diameter) of the disk medium 12 is approximately 120 mm.

  The case 14 is configured in a substantially rectangular flat container shape by joining the upper shell 24 and the lower shell 26. Specifically, the case 14 is formed in such a manner that the front edge portion is formed in a substantially symmetrical arc shape in plan view, and the rear end corners are obliquely cut out, and this shape causes the drive device to be formed. It is designed to prevent erroneous loading. Hereinafter, the case 14 will be specifically described.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the upper shell 24 includes a top plate 28 having a shape corresponding to the shape of the case 14 in plan view, and a peripheral wall 30 erected downward substantially along the outer edge of the top plate 28. Yes. At the right end portion of the top plate 28, an upper groove wall 32 projecting rightward from the right peripheral wall 30 is extended over substantially the entire length in the front-rear direction. The upper groove wall 32 constitutes a guide groove 50 that is long in the front-rear direction and opens forward and right in the right side portion of the case 14 together with a lower groove wall 48 described later of the lower shell 26.

  Further, an inner wall 34 formed in an annular shape in a bottom view is erected from the inner side of the peripheral wall 30 on the lower surface of the top plate 28. The upper shell 24 accommodates the disk medium 12 inside the inner wall 34. The outer peripheral surface of the inner wall 34 is a guide surface on which an annular wall 72 (described later) of the inner rotor 20 is slidably fitted in the circumferential direction. The top plate 28 of the upper shell 24 bulges upward from the center to the rear end where the edge is formed in a substantially U shape.

  The peripheral wall 30 is provided with a cutout portion 30 </ b> A by cutting out the central portion in the front-rear direction of the right side portion of the upper shell 24. This notch portion 30A, together with a notch portion 44A described later of the lower shell 26, constitutes a shutter operation window 52 that exposes the inner rotor 20 to the outside (guide groove 50).

  Further, a lock support shaft 36 that pivotally supports the lock member 22 so as to swing is projected from the right front corner of the bottom surface of the top plate 28. The lock support shaft 36 is located between the peripheral wall 30 and the inner wall 34, and a cutout portion 30B is formed by cutting out the peripheral wall 30 behind the lock support shaft 36 and in front of the cutout portion 30A. Yes. The notch 30 </ b> B and the notch 44 </ b> B, which will be described later, of the lower shell 26 constitute a lock release window 54 for projecting the release operation part 88 of the lock member 22 into the guide groove 50.

  Further, a first stopper 38 is erected continuously from the front peripheral wall 30 on the left side of the lock support shaft 36 on the lower surface of the top plate 28, and is used for restricting the rotation of the inner rotor 20 on the closing side. Yes. On the other hand, a second stopper 40 is provided continuously from the rear peripheral wall 30 at a position slightly to the right of the center in the left-right direction in the vicinity of the rear end of the bottom surface of the top plate 28, and the opening of the inner rotor 20 on the open side is rotated. It is for regulatory purposes.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4, the lower shell 26 includes a bottom plate 42 having a shape substantially corresponding to the top plate 28 and a peripheral wall 44 having a shape substantially corresponding to the peripheral wall 30. The opening 16 is provided in the bottom plate 42. The opening 16 has a substantially circular hub hole 16A having a diameter larger than the outer diameter of the center hole 12A of the disk medium 12 and slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the chucking area 12C (the inner diameter of the recording surface 12B), and a hub. It is composed of a substantially rectangular recording / reproducing head window portion 16B continuously provided in front of the center line along the left-right direction of the hole 16A, and is formed in a substantially U-shape opening forward as a whole.

  The hub hole 16A is disposed so as to be substantially coaxial with the inner wall 34 (the disk medium 12 accommodated therein) in a state where the upper shell 24 and the lower shell 26 are joined. The hub hole 16A is configured to have the above dimensions, so that only the center hole 12A and the chucking area 12C are exposed to the outside, and the recording surface 12B is not exposed to the outside. Further, the recording / reproducing head window 16B for exposing the recording surface 12B is widened so that the left edge thereof is located to the left of the tangent along the front-rear direction of the hub hole 16A, and the front portion thereof is The peripheral wall 44 is also cut out and opened to the front of the lower shell 26.

  The rotating spindle shaft of the drive device enters the hub hole 16A to rotate the disk medium 12 while engaging and holding the center hole 12A of the disk medium 12, and the recording / reproducing head window 16B. In this case, a recording / reproducing head of the drive device enters to record or reproduce information on the recording surface 12B of the disk medium 12. Since the recording / reproducing head window 16B is also opened forward, the recording / reproducing head can easily access the outer peripheral portion of the recording surface 12B. The hub hole 16A and the recording / reproducing head window 16B may be provided independently of each other.

  In the bottom plate 42, dust-proof ribs 46 each having a front end continuous to the peripheral wall 44 are provided in the vicinity of the front ends of the left and right edges of the recording / reproducing head window 16B. Each dust-proof rib 46 has a height equal to the thickness of the shutter member 18, and the inner rotor 20 slides on the upper surface thereof. Further, the positions of the rear end portions of the respective dustproof ribs 46 are determined so as to come into contact with the shutter member 18 closing the opening 16.

  Further, a lower groove wall 48 projecting to the right from the right peripheral wall 44 is extended at the right end of the bottom plate 42 over substantially the entire length in the front-rear direction. The lower groove wall 48 is opposed to the upper groove wall 32 of the upper shell 24 so that a guide groove 50 is formed on the right side of the case 14. The guide groove 50 has peripheral walls 30 and 44 whose upper and lower ends are abutted against each other by joining the upper shell 24 and the lower shell 26, and are long in the front-rear direction of the case 14 as described above. In addition to opening to the right, this embodiment also opens to the rear.

  Further, the peripheral wall 44 on the right side of the lower shell 26 has a notch 44A formed corresponding to the notch 30A of the peripheral wall 30 and a notch 44B formed corresponding to the notch 30B. Is provided. Thus, in the case 14 where the upper shell 24 and the lower shell 26 are joined, the shutter operation window 52 that opens at the center in the longitudinal direction at the groove bottom of the guide groove 50 and the guide groove 50 in front of the shutter operation window 52 are formed. A lock release window 54 that opens to the groove bottom is formed.

  Further, cam projections 56 project from the left and right sides of the bottom plate 42 across the opening 16. The pair of cam protrusions 56 are disposed at positions symmetrical to each other with respect to the axis of the hub hole 16A, more precisely, the rotation center of the inner rotor 20. These cam protrusions 56 enter cam grooves 66 (described later) of different shutter members 18 to form positive cams together with the cam grooves 66, and the shutter member 18 is opened 16 by relative rotation between the case 14 and the inner rotor 20. It is made to move between the closed position and the open position.

  The lower shell 26 described above is joined to the upper shell 24 by screws to form the case 14 with the upper end surface of the peripheral wall 44 abutted against the lower end surface of the peripheral wall 30. Note that the upper shell 24 and the lower shell 26 may be joined by, for example, ultrasonic welding or the like, instead of the screws.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the pair of shutter members 18 are each formed in a substantially semicircular plate shape, and abutment portions 60 and 62 that are the chord portions are abutted to form a part of the opening 16. It can be blocked. Specifically, the pair of shutter members 18 abuts each other abutment portions 60 and 62 to close the hub hole 16A and a portion other than a portion near the front end of the recording / reproducing head window portion 16B (see FIG. 10) and an open position (see FIG. 12) where the respective abutting portions 60 and 62 are substantially aligned with the left and right edges of the opening 16 to open the opening 16 (see FIG. 12). In the present embodiment, the butting portion 60 of one shutter member 18 and the butting portion 62 of the other shutter member 18 have different shapes, which will be described later.

  A shaft hole 64 is provided in the vicinity of one end in the longitudinal direction of the chord portion of each shutter member 18, and each shaft hole 64 is used for supporting the shutter member 18 to the inner rotor 20. Each shutter member 18 is provided with a cam groove 66 into which a different cam projection 56 of the case 14 enters. Each cam groove 66 is formed in a linear slit shape that is long in a linear direction passing through the axis of the shaft hole 64 in each shutter member 18 and is provided so as to be parallel to each other in the assembled state. That is, each cam groove 66 is provided so as to be symmetrical with respect to the rotation center of the inner rotor 20, as with each cam protrusion 56. Each cam groove 66 penetrates the shutter member 18 in the plate thickness direction, and ensures the engagement depth with the cam projection 56.

  Further, at least one shutter member 18 (shutter member 18A described later) is provided with a dustproof portion 68 protruding from the arc portion. When the one shutter member 18 is located at the closed position, the dust-proof portion 68 abuts against the rear end surface of the dust-proof rib 46 located on the right edge side of the opening 16 and contacts the upper surface of the bottom plate 42 and the disc portion 70 ( The gap with the lower surface of the later-described one is filled (see FIG. 10). Further, the end portion of the one shutter member 18 near the shaft hole 64 abuts the rear end surface of the other dust-proof rib 46 when positioned at the closed position, and a gap between the upper surface of the bottom plate 42 and the lower surface of the disc portion 70 is formed. It is supposed to fill. In addition, you may provide the dust-proof part 68 in each shutter member 18, respectively.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the inner rotor 20 includes a disc portion 70 formed in a disc shape and an annular wall 72 erected upward along the outer periphery of the disc portion 70. Further, the disk portion 70 is provided with an opening 74 having substantially the same shape as the opening 16. The opening 74 opens to the outer side in the radial direction of the inner rotor 20 by notching the lower part of the annular wall 72 by an amount corresponding to the height of the peripheral wall 44 of the lower shell 26 at the outer peripheral end of the disk part 70. ing.

  As described above, the inner rotor 20 is externally fitted to the inner wall 34 of the upper shell 24 so as to be slidable in the circumferential direction, and is supported rotatably on the case 14 independently of the disk medium 12. The inner rotor 20 rotates between the closed position and the open position while sliding the pair of shutter members 18 disposed between the inner rotor 20 and the bottom plate 42 of the case 14 between them. It is designed to move.

  In addition, support protrusions 76 project from two locations on the lower surface of the disk portion 70 that are symmetrical with respect to the center of rotation of the inner rotor 20, and shaft holes 64 of different shutter members rotate on the support protrusions 76. Fits freely. That is, each shutter member 18 is pivotally supported by the inner rotor 20 so as to be rotatable around each support protrusion 76, and can be rotated around each support protrusion 76 to take a closed position and an open position. It has become. One support protrusion 76 is disposed in the vicinity of the edge corresponding to the right edge of the opening 16 in the opening 74 (the edge that is not widened) and in the vicinity of the outer periphery of the disc part 70. Each support protrusion 76 corresponds to a support point in the present invention.

  Since the cam projections 56 of the case 14 enter the cam grooves 66 of the shutter members 18 to form positive cams, as described above, the pair of shutter members 18 are moved by the relative rotation of the inner rotor 20 with respect to the case 14. It is driven between a closed position and an open position. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 10, when the pair of shutter members 18 are located at the closed position, the inner rotor 20 has its opening 74 shifted to the left by a predetermined angle (approximately 50 ° to 60 °) with respect to the opening 16. The disk portion 70 and the annular wall 72 close the front portion of the opening 16 (the portion not closed by the shutter member 18) from the inside. At this time, each cam projection 56 enters the end of the cam groove 66 far from the shaft hole 64.

  When the inner rotor 20 is rotated in the direction of arrow D with respect to the case 14 from this state as shown in FIG. 11, each shutter member 18 has a groove wall of each cam groove 66 facing the direction substantially opposite to arrow D by the cam projection 56. And are rotated in directions away from each other around the supporting projections 76. Then, as shown in FIG. 12, when the inner rotor 20 is rotated to a position where the opening 74 is aligned with the opening 16 of the case 14, the butted portions 60 and 62 of the shutter members 18 are the left and right edges of the opening 16 (74). The opening 16 is completely opened (each shutter member 18 reaches the open position). In this state, each cam projection 56 enters the end portion of the cam groove 66 closer to the shaft hole 64.

  On the other hand, when the inner rotor 20 is rotated in the direction of the arrow F opposite to the arrow D from the open state of the opening 16, the pair of shutter members 18 are moved to the closed position (shown in FIG. 10) by the operation opposite to the above operation. (Status).

  As can be seen from FIGS. 10 to 12, the pair of shutter members 18 overlaps the case 14 with the rotation associated with the rotation of the inner rotor 20 and the rotation around the support protrusion 76 with respect to the inner rotor 20. However, when viewed with the shutter members 18, the abutting portions 60 and 62 (mutual cam grooves 66) are kept in contact with each other while being kept parallel to each other.

  Returning to FIG. 5, a driven gear portion 78 is provided projecting radially outward from a part of the outer peripheral portion of the annular wall 72 of the inner rotor 20 in the circumferential direction. A part of the driven gear portion 78 protrudes from the shutter operation window 52 into the guide groove 50. The driven gear portion 78 is an opening / closing member on the drive device side that moves in the guide groove 50 in the longitudinal direction in the rotation range of the inner rotor 20 that moves the shutter member 18 between the closed position and the opened position. A certain drive rack 100 is provided in a range that can always be engaged. In the present embodiment, when the shutter member 18 is positioned at the closed position, the driven gear portion 78 is provided to the extent that an engagement portion 86 (described later) of the lock member 22 can be engaged (engaged). Yes.

  As a result, when the drive rack 100 moves backward in the guide groove 50 with respect to the case 14, the inner rotor 20 rotates in the direction of arrow D to open the opening 16, and the drive rack 100 moves into the guide groove 50 in the case 14. On the other hand, when it moves forward, the inner rotor 20 rotates in the direction of arrow F and the opening 16 is closed.

  Further, an end portion on the arrow F side of the driven gear portion 78 protruding outward from the annular wall 72 is a closing side stopper portion 80. The closing side stopper 80 abuts against the first stopper 38 of the case 14 when the shutter member 18 is located at the closing position, and prevents the inner rotor 20 from rotating in the direction of arrow F beyond the closing position. (See FIG. 10). On the other hand, an open-side stopper portion 82 projects from a position separated from the driven gear portion 78 on the outer surface of the annular wall 72 by a predetermined distance (angle) on the arrow D side. The opening-side stopper portion 82 abuts against the second stopper 40 of the case 14 when the shutter member 18 is located at the opening position, and prevents the inner rotor 20 from rotating in the direction of arrow D beyond the opening position. (See FIG. 12).

  The lock member 22 includes a main body portion 84 formed in a substantially “h” shape or a substantially “k” shape in plan view. The main body 84 is fitted to the lock support shaft 36 of the case 14 in the vicinity of the bent portion, and is supported by the case 14 so as to be swingable around the lock support shaft 36. One end of the main body 84 is an engaging portion 86 that can be engaged with the driven gear portion 78 of the inner rotor 20, and the lock member 22 is an inner rotor in a state where the engaging portion 86 is engaged with the driven gear portion 78. In this configuration, the rotation of the 20 cases 14 is prevented.

  The other end portion of the main body portion 84 is a release operation portion 88 that advances and retreats from the lock release window 54 to the guide groove 50 as the main body portion 84 rotates about the lock support shaft 36. The lock member 22 is configured to project the release operation portion 88 into the guide groove 50 in a state where the engaging portion 86 is engaged with the driven gear portion 78, and the drive rack 100 moves backward in the guide groove 50. When the release operation part 88 is pressed rearward by this, the main body part 84 swings in the direction of arrow G (see FIG. 11) to release the engagement with the driven gear part 78 of the engaging part 86.

  Further, a leaf spring portion 90 extends from the vicinity of the bent portion of the main body portion 84 so as to be parallel to the front side of the engaging portion 86 side portion. The leaf spring portion 90 is in contact with the peripheral wall 30 on the front side of the case 14 in a state of being elastically deformed in the direction approaching the main body portion 84, and always urges the main body portion 84 in the direction opposite to the arrow G. ing. Due to the urging force of the leaf spring portion 90, the lock member 22 maintains the engagement between the engaging portion 86 and the driven gear portion 78. Thereby, when not in use, the rotation of the inner rotor 20 is prevented, and the closed state of the opening 16 by the pair of shutter members 18 is maintained. Further, when the engagement between the release operation unit 88 and the drive rack 100 is released from the unlocked state by the drive rack 100 as described above, the lock member 22 receives the engagement portion 86 by the urging force of the leaf spring portion 90. The locked state is engaged with the drive gear portion 78.

(Configuration of butting portion of a pair of shutter members)
Next, the abutting portions 60 and 62 as the end portions or end surfaces that are abutted with each other when positioned at the closing position that closes the opening 16 in the pair of shutter members 18 will be described.

  In the following description, when the pair of shutter members 18 is distinguished, the shutter member 18 having the butting portion 60 supported by the support protrusion 76 near the opening 74 of the inner rotor 20 is used as the shutter member 18A and the other shutter having the butting portion 62. The member is referred to as a shutter member 18B. Further, when each shutter member 18 is described using the front-rear direction, the direction when the shutter member 18 is located at the open position is shown.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, on the lower surface side of the shutter member 18 </ b> A, the vicinity of the shaft hole 64 is an overhanging portion 92 that protrudes toward the shutter member 18 </ b> B, and is behind the overhanging portion 92. A butting portion 60 is formed. The butting portion 60 is an inclined surface (inclined curved surface) that is downward and inclined with respect to the thickness direction of the shutter member 18.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, the butting portion 60 is substantially parallel to a virtual straight line L in which the lower edge 60 </ b> A continuous with the root rear end portion of the overhang portion 92 connects the axes of the pair of support protrusions 76. In addition to a straight line, a base end (rear end) 60B located in the vicinity of the rear end of the shutter member 18A is a straight line extending in the thickness direction over the entire thickness of the shutter member 18A. On the other hand, the abutting edge portion 92A, which is an end surface facing the shutter member 18B side in the overhang portion 92, is formed in parallel with the lower edge 60A substantially parallel to the virtual straight line L, and the plate of the shutter member 18A in the vertical direction. It is the structure along the thickness direction. Further, the rear edge 92B of the overhang portion 92 is formed so that the angle formed with the abutting edge portion 92A in plan view becomes an obtuse angle, and the pair of shutter members 18 moves along with the movement of closing the opening 16. A receiving portion 94 (described later) of the shutter member 18B is invited.

  The butting portion 60 has an upper edge 60C that is flush with the upper surface of the overhang portion 92, and a straight line (imaginary) that connects the base end 60B and the tip of the overhang portion 92 (the rear end of the butting edge portion 92A). Formed as an inclined curved surface (twisted surface) inclined with respect to the thickness direction over substantially the entire thickness of the shutter member 18 except for the base end 60B. Has been. Thereby, the butt | matching part 60 is formed in the obtuse triangle shape which becomes wide continuously from base end 60B to a front-end | tip in bottom view. Further, the rear edge 92B of the overhang portion 92 (that is, the front end of the butting portion 60) is formed in a tapered shape whose height continuously increases toward the abutting edge portion 92A.

  On the other hand, at the front end portion of the shutter member 18B, a receiving portion 94 that receives the overhang portion 92 of the shutter member 18A when it is located at the closed position is formed. The abutting edge portion 94A, which is the end surface of the receiving portion 94, abuts against the abutting edge portion 92A of the overhanging portion 92 (abuts without a gap) when the pair of shutter members 18 are located at the closed position. ing. Further, the rear edge 94B of the receiving portion 94 (the front end of the butting portion 62) is in contact with the rear edge 92B of the protruding portion 92 with almost no gap when the pair of shutter members 18 are located at the closed position.

  As shown in FIGS. 8 and 10, when the pair of shutter members 18 are located at the closed position, the abutting edge portions 92A and 94A are not exposed from the opening 16, and the front end surface 92C of the overhang portion 92 is on the left side. The dust-proof rib 46 is in contact with the rear end portion. 12, when the pair of shutter members 18 are located at the open position, the abutting edge portion 92A of the overhang portion 92 is located substantially along the right edge of the opening 16, and the overhang portion 92 is provided. The dimensions of the respective parts are determined so that the receiving part 94 corresponding to 1 does not interfere with the dustproof rib 46 on the left side.

  A butting portion 62 corresponding to the butting portion 60 is formed on the rear side of the receiving portion 94 in the shutter member 18B. That is, the abutting portion 62 is an inclined curved surface that is upward and inclined with respect to the thickness direction of the shutter member 18. When the pair of shutter members 18 are located at the closed position, the abutting portion 60 that is an inclined curved surface It is set as the structure which contact | abuts (abuts) substantially without gap.

  That is, the abutting portion 62 has its lower edge 62A substantially parallel to the imaginary straight line L and is in contact with the lower edge 60A over the entire length in the closed state, and its base end 62B extends over the entire plate thickness of the shutter member 18B. The straight line along the thickness direction is in contact with the base end 60B over the entire height in the closed state, and the upper edge 62C is a straight line connecting the upper end of the base end 62B and the upper surface rear edge of the receiving portion 94 in the closed state. The upper edge 60C is formed so as to be in contact with substantially the entire length.

  As described above, when the pair of shutter members 18 are positioned at the closed position where the opening 16 is closed, the respective butted portions 60 and 62 are configured to overlap each other in the vertical direction. Only the overlapping portion is exposed from the opening 16 (the butting edges 92A and 94A and the base ends 60B and 62B are not exposed from the opening 16). As shown in FIG. 8, the area corresponding to the recording surface 12B of the disk medium 12 in the opening 16 (the radially outer portion of the chucking area 12C) is abutting portions 60 and 62 of the pair of shutter members 18. Is closed by a portion overlapped over a wide range across the virtual straight line L.

  It is sufficient that the butting portions 60 and 62 are inclined surfaces over substantially the entire thickness of the shutter member 18, and the upper edge 60 </ b> C and the lower edge 62 </ b> A that are the thinnest are the thicknesses of the shutter member 18. May be rounded or chamfered by a sufficiently small radius.

  Next, the operation of the present embodiment will be described.

  In the disk cartridge 10 configured as described above, the pair of shutter members 18 are positioned at the closed position and close the opening 16 when not in use such as during storage or transportation. In this state, the engaging portion 86 of the lock member 22 engages with the driven gear portion 78 of the inner rotor 20 to prevent the inner rotor 20 from rotating in the direction of arrow D, and the pair of shutter members 18 are in the closed position. Is held in. That is, the closed state of the opening 16 is maintained.

  When the disc cartridge 10 is used, that is, when information is recorded on the disc medium 12 or when information recorded on the disc medium 12 is reproduced, the disc cartridge is loaded in the drive device along the direction of arrow A. With this loading operation (relative movement between the disk cartridge 10 and the drive device), the drive rack 100 of the drive device enters the guide groove 50 of the case 14 and relatively moves backward in the guide groove 50.

  Then, the release operation portion 88 of the lock member 22 is pressed by the drive rack 100, and the main body portion 84 swings in the arrow G direction against the urging force of the leaf spring portion 90. As a result, the engagement state of the engagement portion 86 with the driven gear portion 78 is released, and the inner rotor 20 becomes rotatable. When the drive rack 100 moves further rearward while maintaining the contact state with the release operation portion 88, the drive rack 100 rotates the inner rotor 20 in the direction of arrow D while meshing with the driven gear portion 78.

  As the inner rotor 20 rotates in the direction of arrow D, the pair of shutter members 18 follow the rotation in the direction of arrow D, and the groove wall of the cam groove 66 is pressed by the cam protrusion 56 of the case 14 to support the protrusion 76. The arrow E also turns around. That is, the pair of shutter members 18 moves in the opening direction of the opening 16. When the disk cartridge 10 is loaded into the drive device to a predetermined depth and the relative movement with respect to the drive rack 100 is lost, the pair of shutter members 18 reach the open position, and the opening 16 is completely opened. When the inner rotor 20 is further rotated in the direction of arrow D from this state, the opening-side stopper portion 82 of the inner rotor 20 contacts the second stopper 40 of the case 14 and moves toward the arrow D side beyond the opening position of the inner rotor 20. Is prevented from rotating.

  Next, the disk cartridge 10 is positioned in the drive device, and in this positioning state, the rotary spindle shaft of the drive device enters from the hub hole 16A of the opening 16, and the rotary spindle shaft enters the center hole 12A (and the chuck) of the disk medium 12. The disc medium 12 is held by engaging with the king area 12C). When the rotary spindle shaft rotates, the disk medium 12 is driven to rotate in the case 14 in a non-contact manner. The recording / reproducing head of the drive device enters from the recording / reproducing head window 16B of the opening 16. With this recording / reproducing head, information is recorded on the recording surface 12B of the disk medium 12, or information recorded on the recording surface 12B is reproduced (the disk medium 12 is used).

  After use of the disk medium 12, the disk cartridge 10 is ejected from the drive device. With this discharge operation, the drive rack 100 moves relatively forward in the guide groove 50. As the drive rack 100 moves, the inner rotor 20 rotates in the direction of arrow F, and the pair of shutter members 18 move to the closing side. When the drive rack 100 moves to a position where the meshing with the driven gear portion 78 is released, the pair of shutter members 18 reach the closed position, and the opening 16 is completely closed. If the inner rotor 20 is further rotated in the direction of arrow F from this state, the closing side stopper portion 80 of the inner rotor 20 contacts the first stopper 38 of the case 14 and moves to the arrow F side beyond the closing position of the inner rotor 20. Is prevented from rotating.

  When the drive rack 100 moves further forward and the engagement state with the release operation portion 88 of the lock member 22 is released, the main body portion 84 of the lock member 22 is opposite to the arrow G by the urging force of the leaf spring portion 90. The engaging portion 86 engages with the driven gear portion 78. Thereby, the rotation of the inner rotor 20 is prevented, and the pair of shutter members 18 is returned to the initial state in which they are held at the closed position. In this state, the disk cartridge 10 is completely ejected from the drive device.

  Here, the abutting portions 60 and 62 that abut against each other when the openings of the pair of shutter members 18 are closed are inclined surfaces that incline with respect to the plate thickness direction over substantially the entire plate thickness and overlap each other. ), The height difference H in the thickness direction between the upper edge 60C of the butting portion 60 and the lower edge 62A of the butting portion 62 is large. Therefore, as the opening 16 is closed, the abutting portions 60 and 62 reliably invite the inclined surfaces. For this reason, for example, even when the shutter member 18 is warped or deformed, the abutting portions 60 and 62 are reliably overlapped (contacted) while correcting the warp and deformation of the shutter member 18 in accordance with the closing operation of the opening 16. . Thereby, the opening 16 is reliably closed by the pair of shutter members 18.

  Further, since the base ends 60B and 62B of the butting portions 60 and 62 are straight lines along the plate thickness direction, the shutter member 18A rides on the shutter member 18B along the inclined surfaces of the butting portions 60 and 62 (shutter member). 18B is difficult to slip into the lower side of the shutter member 18A). Moreover, since the pair of shutter members 18 is in the closed position, the projecting portion 92 and the receiving portion 94 abut each other at the abutting edge portions 92A and 94A along the plate thickness direction. Since the abutting portions 60 and 62 are abutted (abutted) on the end surfaces along the plate thickness direction on both sides in the longitudinal direction, the above-described riding or grinding is reliably prevented.

  Further, here, when the pair of shutter members 18 are located at the closed position, the abutting portions 60 and 62 overlap each other across the virtual straight line L as shown in FIGS. Can be set large (or without increasing the size of the pair of shutter members 18A and 18B), the overlapping amount X of the abutting portions 60 and 62 can be set large. In the present embodiment, the overlap amount X of the butting portions 60 and 62 in the area corresponding to the recording surface 12B of the disk medium 12 in the opening 16 is twice the overlap amount X of the conventional flange portions 214 and 216. Thus, a configuration of setting 3 times is realized. For this reason, even if one or both shutter members 18 are displaced due to, for example, a drop impact or the like, the overlapped state of the butted portions 60 and 62, that is, the closed state of the opening 16 is maintained, and the disk media 12 in the case 14 is Protected against etc.

  Thus, in the disk cartridge 10 according to the present embodiment, the opening 16 for accessing the disk medium 12 of the case 14 housing the disk medium 12 can be reliably closed by the pair of shutter members 18.

  Further, in the disc cartridge 10, the abutting portions 60, 62 are formed such that the lower edges 60A, 62A are substantially parallel to the virtual straight line L and the upper edges 60C, 62C are elongated in the direction intersecting the virtual straight line L. Since the overlapping width continuously extends from the ends 60B and 60C toward the shaft hole 64 (supporting protrusion 76) of the shutter member 18A, the pair of shutter members 18 closes the opening 16. Are gradually overlapped from the front end (the rear edge 92B of the overhang portion 92) side. Therefore, the upper edge 60C and the lower edge 62A, which are the front ends of the pair of shutter members 18, are prevented from interfering with each other so as to intersect each other in the vertical direction due to warpage or deformation of the shutter member 18. The portions 60 and 62 overlap more reliably while correcting the warpage and deformation of the shutter member 18. That is, the opening 16 is more reliably closed by the pair of shutter members 18.

  In particular, the front end of the abutting portion 60 that moves so as to substantially cross the opening 16 as the opening 16 is closed is located in the vicinity of the support protrusion 76, and the displacement due to warping and deformation is small. Since the front end of the butting portion 62 slightly protruding into the opening 16 is restricted from warping or deformation between the bottom plate 42 of the case 14 and the disc portion 70 of the inner rotor 20, the pair of shutter members 18 includes the butting portions 60. , 62 are gradually overlapped from the front end portion which is not easily affected by warpage or deformation. As a result, the pair of shutter members 18 can be more reliably overlapped with the closing operation of the opening 16, and the opening 16 can be closed more reliably.

  In the above-described embodiment, the abutting portions 60 and 62 of the pair of shutter members 18 are inclined surfaces extending over the entire plate thickness and are preferably overlapped across the virtual straight line L. It is not limited to this, but the butt | matching parts 60 and 62 should just be set as the structure which makes it the inclined surface which covers substantially the whole board thickness, or overlaps over the virtual straight line L.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the butt portions 60 and 62 are preferably configured to be continuously widened toward the front end side in a plan view, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the butt portions 60, 62 may have a certain width in the longitudinal direction (a flat inclined surface). Therefore, it goes without saying that the base ends 60B and 62B of the butting portions 60 and 62 are not limited to the configuration in which the shutter member 18 is a straight line in the plate thickness direction.

  Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the pair of shutter members 18 are supported by the inner rotor 20 and are configured to open and close the opening 16 while moving in parallel with each other as the inner rotor 20 rotates. A pair of shutter members 18 each formed in a flat plate shape need only close the opening 16 by overlapping and contacting the end portions (end surfaces), and is not limited by the shape of the shutter member 18, the driving mechanism, or the like. . Therefore, for example, a pair of shutter members each formed in a rectangular shape in plan view may move (contact / separate) in the opposite direction of the opening 16 to open / close the opening 16, and the shutter members having different shapes are different from each other. The opening 16 may be opened and closed by moving in the direction.

  Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the opening 16 is formed only below the case 14, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a disk medium provided with recording surfaces 12B on the upper and lower surfaces. In the case 14 that accommodates the opening 18, the top plate 28 may be provided with an opening 16 that is opened and closed by the pair of shutter members 18. On the other hand, in the case 14 that accommodates the disk medium 12 having the recording surface 12 </ b> B provided only on the lower surface, a replacement opening that allows the disk medium 12 to be replaced may be provided in the top plate 28.

  In the above embodiment, the diameter of the disk medium 12 is approximately 120 mm. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention is also applied to the disk cartridge 10 including the disk medium 12 of any size. It goes without saying that it is possible.

1 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of a disk cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a disk cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a bottom view of the upper shell which constitutes the disc cartridge concerning an embodiment of the invention. It is a top view of the lower shell which comprises the disk cartridge which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a bottom view of the inner rotor which comprises the disk cartridge which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is the perspective view which looked at a pair of shutter member which constitutes a disk cartridge concerning an embodiment of the invention from the upper part. It is the perspective view which looked at a pair of shutter member which constitutes a disk cartridge concerning an embodiment of the invention from the lower part. FIG. 5 is a schematic bottom view of a state in which a pair of shutter members constituting the disk cartridge according to the embodiment of the present invention is located at a closed position. 2A and 2B are diagrams showing butted portions of a pair of shutter members constituting the disk cartridge according to the embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view in a separated state, and FIG. FIG. It is the bottom view which removed the lower shell which shows the opening obstruction | occlusion state of the disc cartridge concerning embodiment of this invention, and was seen. FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the disc cartridge according to the embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the bottom shell showing the process of closing or opening the opening. FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the disc cartridge according to the embodiment of the present invention, viewed from a state where the lower shell showing an open state of the disc cartridge is removed. It is a disassembled perspective view of the conventional disc cartridge. It is the schematic top view seen by removing the inner rotor etc. which show the opening obstruction | occlusion state of the conventional disc cartridge. It is a figure which shows the butt | matching part of a pair of shutter member which comprises a conventional disc cartridge, Comprising: (A) is sectional drawing of a mutual separation state, (B) is sectional drawing of a mutual butting state.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Disc cartridge 12 Disc media 14 Case 16 Opening 18 Shutter member 60 Butting part (end surface of shutter member, end part)
62 Abutting part (end face and end part of shutter member)
76 Support protrusion (support point)

Claims (4)

A disk medium formed in a disk shape is rotatably accommodated, and a case provided with an opening for accessing the disk medium;
A pair of shutter members each formed in a substantially flat plate shape and disposed between the opening forming surface and the disk medium in the case, and opening and closing the opening by contacting and separating from each other along the opening forming surface;
The end surfaces of the pair of shutter members are inclined surfaces that are formed to be inclined with respect to the plate thickness direction over substantially the entire plate thickness and overlap each other when the opening is closed,
A disc cartridge characterized by that. A disk medium formed in a disk shape is rotatably accommodated, and a case provided with an opening for accessing the disk medium;
Each is formed in a substantially flat plate shape, and rotates around a support point located symmetrically with respect to a predetermined point between the opening forming surface in the case and the disk medium, thereby overlapping each other's end portions. A pair of shutter members capable of taking a closed position for closing the opening and an open position for opening the opening by separating the end portions of each other;
The end portions of the pair of shutter members are formed so as to overlap each other across an imaginary straight line connecting the support points when positioned at the closed position.
A disc cartridge characterized by that. 3. The disk cartridge according to claim 2, wherein the end portions of the pair of shutter members are inclined surfaces inclined with respect to the plate thickness direction over substantially the entire plate thickness. When the end portions of the pair of shutter members are positioned at the closed position, they overlap each other at a portion corresponding to the recording surface of the disc media rather than a portion corresponding to the axial center portion of the disc media in the opening. 4. The disk cartridge according to claim 2, wherein one edge portion in the plate thickness direction is inclined with respect to the virtual straight line so that the width is increased.

Images