JP2006294087A - Disk cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a changer disk cartridge having a high recording capacity and high easy handling of a disk tray. <P>SOLUTION: Arm engaging parts 32 and 42 and arm relief parts 33 and 43 are formed at required intervals in the front ends of disk trays 3 and 4 received in a cartridge main body 1 through an opening 1a so as to be freely loaded and unloaded. The first and second disk trays 3 and 4 are alternately arranged so that the arm engaging part 32 of the first disk tray 3 faces the arm relief part 43 of the second disk tray 4 and the arm relief part 33 of the first disk tray 3 faces the arm engaging part 42 of the second disk tray 4, and the first and second disk trays 3 and 4 are received in the cartridge main body 1. In the inner surface of the cartridge main body 1, arm relief parts 14 and 15 are formed in parts corresponding to the arm engaging part of the disk tray arranged to face the inner surface. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a disk cartridge for a changer in which a plurality of disk trays and a plurality of information recording disks placed on the disk tray are housed in a cartridge body, and in particular, it is thin and flexible. The present invention relates to a means for improving handling of a disc tray in a disc cartridge for storing an information recording disc.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a changer disc cartridge has been proposed in which a plurality of disc trays and an information recording disc are accommodated in a cartridge main body, and is used by being detachably attached to a disc drive device (for example, Patent Documents). 1).

  9 is a perspective view of the disk cartridge disclosed in Patent Document 1, and FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the disk cartridge disclosed in Patent Document 1. As is apparent from these drawings, the disk cartridge of this example is housed in the cartridge body 101 so as to be freely inserted and removed through the box-like cartridge body 101 having the opening 101a and the disk housing recess 102a. A plurality of disc trays 102 and a plurality of information recording discs 103 placed one by one on each disc tray 102. A thick standing wall 102b is formed at the front end of the disc tray 102, and a bowl-shaped arm engaging portion 102c is formed at a symmetrical position of the standing wall 102b.

The disk tray 102 and the information recording disk 103 are removed from the cartridge main body 101 and the disk tray 102 and the information recording disk 103 are stored in the cartridge main body 101, as shown in FIG. The arm A is engaged with an arm engaging portion 102 c formed at the front end of the disc tray 102, and a force in the take-out direction or storage direction is transmitted from the arm A to the disc tray 102.
JP 2000-40324 A

  By the way, in recent years, a flexible substrate having a substrate thickness of about 0.1 mm is provided in order to increase the number of information recording discs that can be stored in the cartridge body and realize a disc cartridge having a terabyte class recording capacity. Research and development of information recording disks is underway.

  In order to realize this type of disk cartridge, it is not enough to simply reduce the thickness of the information recording disk. It is also possible to reduce the thickness of the disk tray on which the information recording disk is mounted and to improve the storage density of the disk tray in the cartridge body. It is necessary to plan at the same time. From this point of view, the conventional disc tray 102 having the thick wall 102b at the front end cannot be applied to such a high recording capacity disc cartridge, and the development of a new thin disc tray is desired. ing.

  However, when the disk tray is thinned and the storage density of the disk tray in the cartridge main body is increased, the drive margin of the arm A provided in the disk drive device is reduced accordingly, and the arm A is arranged in the cartridge main body with a desired disk. It becomes difficult to reliably engage only the tray. For this reason, inconvenience that the desired disc tray cannot be surely taken out and inconvenience that not only the desired disc tray but also the undesired disc trays arranged adjacent to the front and rear thereof are taken out at the same time.

  The present invention has been made to solve such deficiencies in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a disk cartridge for a changer having a high recording capacity and excellent disk tray handling ease.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides a box-shaped cartridge body having an opening, a plurality of disk trays that are removably accommodated in the cartridge body through the openings, and the plurality of disk trays. Each of the plurality of information recording discs, and each of the plurality of disc trays is individually held by guide ribs formed in parallel at a predetermined pitch on the inner surface of the cartridge body. In the disc cartridge, the disc tray has an arm engaging portion and an arm escape portion formed at a front end with a predetermined interval, and the plurality of disc trays are arranged adjacent to each other. The disk tray arm engagement part, the other disk tray arm escape part, and the other disk tray arm escape part and others Is arranged so as to face the arm engaging portion of the disc tray, and is housed in the cartridge main body so as to freely enter and exit. The inner surface of the cartridge main body has an arm of one disc tray arranged opposite thereto. An arm escape portion is formed at a portion corresponding to the engaging portion.

  In this way, using the disk tray in which the arm engagement portion and the arm escape portion are formed at the front end portion with a required interval, the arm engagement portion of one disk tray and the other disk arranged adjacent to each other are used. When a plurality of disc trays are stored in the cartridge main body so that the arm escape portion of the tray and the arm escape portion of one disc tray and the arm engagement portion of the other disc tray face each other so as to be able to enter and leave the cartridge body, one disc Since the arm escape portions formed in the adjacent disk trays are disposed before and after the arm engaging portion formed in the tray, the drive margin of the arm provided in the disk drive device can be increased. In addition, when an arm escape portion is formed on the inner surface of the cartridge main body and is disposed opposite to the arm engaging portion of the disk tray disposed opposite to the inner surface of the cartridge main body, the cartridge is disposed in front of and behind the disk tray opposite to the inner surface of the cartridge main body. Since an arm escape portion formed on the inner surface of the main body and an arm escape portion formed on another disc tray adjacent to the disc tray are arranged, the disc tray disposed on the opposite side to the inner surface of the cartridge main body is also a disc. The drive margin of the arm provided in the drive device can be increased.

  Further, the present invention is a disk cartridge having the above-described structure, wherein the disk cartridge having the above-described structure includes unique erroneous insertion preventing means between the one disk tray and the cartridge body and between the other disk tray and the cartridge body. I made it.

  As described above, when each of the two disc trays arranged adjacent to each other in the cartridge main body is provided with a proper erroneous insertion preventing means between the inner surface of the cartridge main body and the arm engaging portion into the cartridge main body, Since the storage of the disc tray with an inappropriate direction of the arm escape portion is prevented, the reliability of the disc cartridge can be improved.

  The disc cartridge of the present invention is formed on the inner surface of the adjacent disc tray or cartridge body before and after the arm engaging portion formed on one disc tray for each of a plurality of disc trays accommodated in the cartridge body. Since the arm relief portion is arranged, the drive margin of the arm provided in the disk drive device can be increased, and even in a disk cartridge in which thin disk trays are stored at a high density, a desired value can be obtained. Only the disc tray can be reliably removed.

  Embodiments of a disk cartridge according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 is a perspective view showing a state of the disk cartridge according to the embodiment when the disk drive is not mounted, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state of the disk cartridge according to the embodiment when the disk drive is mounted, and FIG. 3 is according to the embodiment. 4 is a perspective view showing a state where the shutter of the disk cartridge is removed, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the main part showing the configuration of the right inner wall and the left inner wall of the cartridge body according to the embodiment, and FIG. 5 is the upper surface of the first disk tray according to the embodiment. FIG. 6, FIG. 6 is a top view of the second disk tray according to the embodiment, FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the arrangement of the first disk tray and the second disk tray in the cartridge body, and FIG. 8 is a cross section showing the effect of the present invention. FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the disk cartridge of this example includes a box-shaped cartridge body 1 having an opening 1a on one side surface, and a shutter 2 that is pivotally attached to the cartridge body 1 and opens and closes the opening 1a. And first and second disk trays 3 and 4 which are stored in the cartridge body 1 through the opening 1a so as to be freely inserted and removed, and a plurality of sheets placed on each of the disk trays 3 and 4 one by one. Information recording disc 5.

  The cartridge body 1 is formed of a plastic injection molded product or an assembly thereof in a box shape of a required size, and the required number of cartridges 1 are formed on the inner surface of the side wall as shown in FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b). The guide ribs 11 are formed in parallel with each other at a predetermined pitch, and half-cylindrical engagement protrusions 16 and 17 are formed on the back side of the guide rib 11. The disk trays 3 and 4 are slidably inserted into a space between two adjacent guide ribs 11. As shown in FIG. 4A, guide ribs 11 are formed in parallel with each other at a predetermined pitch on the right inner wall of the cartridge main body 1 and the second disc tray 4 has an error at the end of the odd-numbered space from the top. A stopper 12 for preventing insertion is formed, and an engagement projection 16 is formed on the back side thereof. On the other hand, on the left inner wall, as shown in FIG. 4 (b), guide ribs 11 are formed in parallel with each other at a predetermined pitch, and the first disc tray 3 has an error at the end of the even-numbered space from above. A stopper 13 for preventing insertion is formed, and an engagement protrusion 17 is formed on the back side thereof. Further, on the inner surfaces of the upper plate and the lower plate constituting the cartridge main body 1, as shown in FIG. 3, recessed groove-like arm escape portions 14 and 15 are formed at required positions, respectively.

  The shutter 2 is also formed of a plastic injection-molded product, and is attached to the cartridge body 1 via a support shaft 2a so as to be able to turn. Before the cartridge main body 1 is mounted on the disk drive device, the shutter 2 completely closes the opening 1a as shown in FIG. 1 to prevent intrusion of dust or the like into the cartridge main body 1. When 1 is mounted in the disk drive device, the opening 1a is completely opened as shown in FIG. 2, and the necessary disk tray 3 or 4 and information recording disk 5 can be carried out or carried in.

  The first and second disk trays 3 and 4 are formed in a substantially rectangular shape whose outer shape can be accommodated in the cartridge body 1 with a plastic injection molded product. As shown in FIG. 5, the first disk tray 3 has a circular disk storage recess 31 capable of storing the information recording disk 5 at the center, and a hook-shaped arm engagement part 32 formed at the left side of the front end. A concave arm escape portion 33 is formed on the right side of the front end portion, a notch 34 for preventing erroneous insertion is formed on the right side of the rear end portion, and an elastic piece 35 engaged with the engagement protrusion 17 is formed on the right side of the rear end portion. Is formed. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6, the second disk tray 4 has a circular disk storage recess 41 capable of storing the information recording disk 5 at the center, and a hook-shaped arm engagement section 42 on the right side of the front end. An elastic piece that is formed, has a concave arm escape portion 43 on the left side of the front end portion, has a notch 44 for preventing erroneous insertion on the left side of the rear end portion, and is engaged with the engagement protrusion 16 on the right side of the rear end portion. 45 is formed. V-shaped or arc-shaped cutouts 35a, 45a are formed on the side surface portions of the elastic pieces 35, 45, and the elastic pieces 35, 45 are formed into a half-columnar engagement formed in the cartridge body 1. The mating protrusions 16 and 17 can be stably engaged.

  As is clear from the comparison between FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the first disk tray 3 and the second disk tray 4 have the arm engaging portion 32 and the arm engaging portion 42 formed, the arm escape portion 33 and the arm escape portion. The formation position of the portion 43, the formation position of the notches 34 and 44, and the formation position of the elastic pieces 35 and 45 are different from each other in the left-right symmetrical position, and are common in other points. Therefore, the first and second disk trays 3 and 4 do not necessarily need to be individually manufactured, and one type of disk tray in which the upper surface side and the lower surface side are configured in the same shape is manufactured. The disk tray can be used as the first disk tray 3 or the second disk tray 4 by turning the disk tray upside down.

  The first disk tray 3 is inserted into an odd-numbered space (see FIG. 4A) from the top of the guide rib 11 formed in the cartridge body 1, and the second disk tray 4 is formed in the cartridge body 1. It is inserted into the even-numbered space from above the guide rib 11 (see FIG. 4B). When the first disc tray 3 and the second disc tray 4 are correctly inserted in each space, the tip of the elastic piece 35 formed on the first disc tray 3 is formed on the left inner wall of the cartridge body 1. The notch 35a formed in the side surface portion of the elastic piece 35 without being brought into contact with the erroneous insertion prevention stopper 13 is engaged with the engagement protrusion 17 formed on the left inner wall of the cartridge body 1, and the second disc tray. 4, the front end of the elastic piece 45 formed on the cartridge body 4 is not in contact with the erroneous insertion preventing stopper 12 formed on the right inner wall of the cartridge body 1, and a notch 45 a formed on the side surface portion of the elastic piece 45 1 is engaged with the engagement protrusion 16 formed on the right inner wall of the cartridge 1, so that the disk storage recesses 31 and 41 are concentrically arranged in the cartridge body 1 as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 8, adjacent to the upper and lower sides of the arm engaging portion 42 formed on one disk tray, for example, the disk tray 4, as shown in FIG. An arm escape portion 33 is disposed.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the uppermost part of the disk tray group accommodated in the cartridge main body 1 has an arm engaging portion 32 at a portion facing the arm escape portion 14 formed on the upper plate of the cartridge main body 1. Is formed, and an arm engaging portion 42 is formed at a lower portion of the disc tray group at a portion facing the arm escape portion 15 formed on the lower plate of the cartridge body 1. A second disk tray 4 is arranged.

  On the other hand, when the first disk tray 3 is inserted into the even-numbered space from the top of the guide rib 11 formed in the cartridge main body 1, the elasticity formed on the left side of the rear end of the first disk tray 3. Since the tip of the piece 35 is brought into contact with a stopper 13 for preventing erroneous insertion formed on the left inner wall of the cartridge main body 1, no further insertion is possible, so the first disc tray 3 into the cartridge main body 1 is not possible. Incorrect insertion is prevented. When the second disk tray 4 is inserted into an odd-numbered space from above the guide rib 11 formed on the cartridge body 1, the elastic piece 45 formed on the right side of the rear end of the second disk tray 4 Since the leading end abuts against a stopper 12 for preventing erroneous insertion formed on the right inner wall of the cartridge body 1 and further insertion becomes impossible, the erroneous insertion of the second disk tray 4 into the cartridge body 1 is impossible. Is prevented.

  The information recording disk 5 is formed by forming a required thin film including an information recording film on one or both sides of a disk substrate made of a plastic sheet having a thickness of about 0.1 mm. As the information recording film, any known information recording film such as a magnetic recording film, an optical recording film, or a magneto-optical recording film can be formed.

  In the disk cartridge of this example, the first and second disk trays 3 and 4 having different formation positions of the arm engaging portions 32 and 42, the arm escape portions 33 and 43, the notches 34 and 44, and the elastic pieces 35 and 45 are alternately arranged. Therefore, the arm escape portions 33 and 43 formed on the other disc tray are arranged above and below the arm engaging portions 32 and 42 formed on one disc tray. Further, the first disk tray in which an arm engaging portion 32 is formed at the uppermost portion of the disk tray group housed in the cartridge body 1 at a portion facing the arm escape portion 14 formed on the upper plate of the cartridge body 1. 3 is disposed above and below the arm engaging portion 32 formed on the uppermost first disc tray 3, the arm escape portion 14 formed on the inner surface of the upper plate of the cartridge body 1 and the uppermost first disc. An arm escape portion 43 of the second disk tray 4 disposed adjacent to the tray 3 is disposed. Further, a second disc tray in which an arm engaging portion 42 is formed at a lower portion of the disc tray group housed in the cartridge main body 1 at a portion facing the arm escape portion 15 formed on the lower plate of the cartridge main body 1. 4 is arranged above and below the arm engagement portion 42 formed on the lowermost second disc tray 4, the arm escape portion 15 formed on the inner surface of the lower plate of the cartridge body 1 and the lowermost second disc. An arm escape portion 33 of the first disk tray 3 disposed adjacent to the tray 4 is disposed. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8, even when the disk trays 3 and 4 are thinned, the drive margin of the arm A provided in the disk drive device can be increased, and a desired disk tray can be taken out and stored. It can be done easily and reliably.

It is a perspective view showing a state when the disk drive is not installed in the disk cartridge according to the embodiment. It is a perspective view showing a state when the disk drive of the disk cartridge according to the embodiment is mounted. It is a perspective view showing a state where the shutter of the disk cartridge according to the embodiment is removed. It is principal part sectional drawing which shows the structure of the right side inner wall and left side inner wall of the cartridge main body which concerns on embodiment. It is a top view of the 1st disc tray concerning an embodiment. It is a top view of the 2nd disc tray concerning an embodiment. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an arrangement of a first disk tray and a second disk tray in the cartridge body. It is sectional drawing which shows the effect of this invention. It is a perspective view of the disc cartridge which concerns on a well-known example. It is sectional drawing of the disc cartridge which concerns on a well-known example.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Cartridge body 1a Opening part 2 Shutter 3, 4 Disc tray 5 Information recording disc 11 Guide rib 12, 13 Stopper 14, 15 Arm escape part 16, 17 Engagement protrusion 31, 41 Disc storage recessed part 32, 42 Arm engagement part 33, 43 Arm relief 34, 44 Notch 35, 45 Elastic piece

Claims (2)

A box-shaped cartridge main body having an opening, a plurality of disk trays that are removably accommodated in the cartridge main body through the opening, and a plurality of sheets placed on each of the plurality of disk trays. A disc cartridge comprising a plurality of information recording discs and individually holding each of the plurality of disc trays by guide ribs formed in parallel at a predetermined pitch on the inner surface of the cartridge body;
The disc tray has an arm engagement portion and an arm escape portion formed at a front end portion at a required interval, and the plurality of disc trays are adjacent to one of the disc tray arms. The engaging portion and the arm escape portion of the other disc tray and the arm relief portion of the one disc tray and the arm engaging portion of the other disc tray are arranged so as to face each other and are stored in the cartridge body so as to be freely inserted and removed. ,
2. A disk cartridge according to claim 1, wherein an inner surface of the cartridge main body is provided with an arm escape portion at a portion corresponding to the arm engaging portion of one disk tray disposed opposite to the inner surface of the cartridge main body.   2. The disk cartridge according to claim 1, further comprising a unique erroneous insertion preventing unit between the one disk tray and the cartridge main body and between the other disk tray and the cartridge main body.

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