JP2010003327A - Media cartridge and its driving device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a media cartridge which can perform open/close operation of a shutter quickly and is suitable for miniaturization. <P>SOLUTION: When a media cartridge 1A is loaded to a loading section, the small diameter gear 5b of a pinion gear 5 meshes a second rack 11. Next, when a case 3 is pushed in the Y2 direction, the small diameter gear 5b rolls the second rack 11. A large diameter gear 5a rolls a first rack 7 provided in a shutter 6 but the shutter 6 is moved at a speed of Ra/Rb times, where the Ra/Rb is the ratio of radial dimension between the large diameter gear 5a and the small diameter gear 5b. Consequently, the shutter 6 can be moved ahead of the case 3 and open/close operation of the shutter 6 can be performed quickly. Since a region for making the shutter 6 retreat is not required to be secured previously on the media cartridge 1A side, the media cartridge 1A can be miniaturized. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a media cartridge for storing an optical recording medium and the like and a driving device thereof, and more particularly, to a media cartridge having a shutter and a driving device thereof.

  In Patent Documents 1 and 2, a disk-shaped medium (recording medium) is stored in a cartridge.

The cartridge is slidably provided with a shutter. When the cartridge is inserted into the loading unit of the playback apparatus, the shutter is held by the shutter holding member provided on the loading unit side, so that the shutter is relatively moved to the retreat area as the cartridge is inserted. At this time, the medium is exposed from an opening provided in the cartridge.
JP-A-9-213053 JP 2003-242739 A

  As described above, when the medium is a disk type, the medium can be reproduced by only partially opening only the opening hidden by the shutter.

  On the other hand, when the medium is not a disk type, but is a non-disk type in which, for example, the entire planar square area is an optical recording medium, the shutter covers the entire surface of the medium. For this reason, in such a media cartridge, it is necessary to expose the entire surface of the media, that is, to fully open the shutter. However, when the shutter is fully opened, since the moving distance of the shutter is extended, there are problems that it is difficult to reduce the burden on the operator and the speed of the opening / closing operation is lost.

  Further, as disclosed in Patent Document 2, conventionally, an opening / closing mechanism for opening / closing a shutter elastically presses a part of the shutter from the loading unit side and moves the cartridge while the cartridge is moving. The shutter is held between the cartridge and the cartridge. For this reason, in order to stabilize the opening / closing operation of the shutter, it is necessary to secure a retreat area for the shutter on the cartridge side. In the case of a non-disk type, the retraction area requires an area substantially equal to the area occupied by the medium, and thus there is a problem that it is difficult to reduce the outer dimensions of the media cartridge.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described conventional problems, and an object thereof is to provide a media cartridge that can quickly open and close a shutter.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide a media cartridge suitable for miniaturization.

  It is another object of the present invention to provide a drive device for a media cartridge that can rapidly expose almost the entire medium accommodated when the media cartridge is loaded.

The present invention includes a case in which a recording medium is stored and a shutter that moves relative to the case, and the case and the shutter are inserted into a loading portion of the driving device in a closed state. Media cartridge
A moving mechanism is provided between the case and the shutter to move the other of the case and the shutter in advance when the one is pushed into the loading portion. To do.

  In the present invention, when the case is pushed in, the shutter can be moved ahead of the case. Alternatively, when the shutter is pushed in, the case can be moved in advance of the shutter. For this reason, the operator can quickly expose the recording medium (medium) stored in the media cartridge only by manually pushing one in. For this reason, the burden on the operator can be reduced.

  In the above, the moving mechanism meshes with the first rack and the second rack provided along the moving direction, the large-diameter gear that meshes with the first rack, and the second rack. And a pinion gear on which a small-diameter gear that rolls is formed.

In the above means, the moving mechanism can be configured with a simple configuration.
For example, the first rack may be provided on the shutter, the second rack may be provided on the loading unit, and the pinion gear may be rotatably provided on the case.

  In the above means, when the case is pushed in, the shutter can be moved in advance of the case.

  Alternatively, the first rack may be provided in the case, the second rack may be provided in the loading unit, and the pinion gear may be rotatably provided in the shutter.

  In the above means, when the shutter is pushed in, the case can be moved in advance of the shutter.

  Alternatively, the first rack may be provided on the shutter, the second rack may be provided on the case, and the pinion gear may be rotatably provided on the loading unit.

Even in the above-described means, when the case is pushed in, the shutter can be moved in advance of the case.
For example, the recording medium can be configured as an optical recording medium.

Further, the present invention is a drive device for a media cartridge having at least a loading section in which the media cartridge is loaded and a reproduction mechanism for reproducing a recording medium stored in the media cartridge,
The media cartridge has a case for storing the recording medium, and a shutter that moves relative to the case,
The loading unit is provided with a moving mechanism that moves one of the case and the shutter ahead of the other when the media cartridge is pushed into the loading unit.

  In the present invention, it is possible to provide a drive device that can quickly open the media cartridge and expose the media inside by only slightly pushing the media cartridge loaded in the loading section.

  For example, the moving mechanism can be constituted by a pinion gear having a large-diameter gear that meshes with a first rack formed in the case and a small-diameter gear that meshes with a second rack formed in the shutter.

  In this case, it is preferable that the pinion gear is rotatably provided in the loading portion.

  In the media cartridge of the present invention, when the cartridge is loaded in the loading section, one of the shutter and the case can be moved in advance, so that the opening / closing operation can be performed quickly.

  Moreover, since the pushing amount at the time of loading can be shortened, the burden on the operator can be reduced.

  Further, since a retracting area for retracting the shutter is not required, a small media cartridge can be obtained.

  In the drive device for a media cartridge according to the present invention, when the media cartridge is loaded, almost the entire recording medium accommodated therein can be quickly exposed.

  FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of a media cartridge as a first embodiment of the present invention when viewed from the front, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. It is sectional drawing, A is the state immediately after insertion to a loading part, B is the state in the middle of insertion, C has shown the state at the time of completion | finish of insertion.

  As shown in FIG. 1, in this media cartridge 1A, a medium (recording medium) 2 is held in a case 3 having a bottom.

  The medium 2 is an optical recording medium (hologram) capable of recording / reproducing information by utilizing a light interference phenomenon, and is made of, for example, silver salt, dichromated gelatin, a photopolymer, a photoresist, or the like. It is made of a photosensitive material.

  A through hole 3a is formed in the side surface 3A of the case 3, and a support shaft 4 extending horizontally along the X direction is inserted through the through hole 3a. A pinion gear 5 is rotatably supported on the support shaft 4. The pinion gear 5 is a two-stage gear in which a large diameter gear 5a and a small diameter gear 5b are integrally formed.

  A shutter 6 is provided above the case 3. The shutter 6 is slidably supported by the case 3 via a mechanism (not shown). The moving direction of the shutter 6 is a direction orthogonal to the paper surface. A first rack 7A is formed on the lower surface of the shutter 6 so as to extend in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the pinion gear 5 is provided in a space S between one side surface 6 </ b> A of the shutter 6 and the side surface 3 </ b> A of the case 3. The large-diameter gear 5a of the pinion gear 5 is meshed with the first rack 7A. For this reason, when the pinion gear 5 rotates, the shutter 6 can slide in the moving direction (Y direction) orthogonal to the paper surface.

  Normally, the media cartridge 1A is set in a closed state in which the shutter 6 is closed. In this state, the media 2 is held between the case 3 and the shutter 6 without being exposed. Yes. For this reason, it is possible to prevent intrusion of dust and the like and damage to the surface of the media 2.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the media cartridge 1 </ b> A is loaded into a loading unit 10 of a driving device for reproducing the media 2. The loading unit 10 is formed with a second rack 11A extending in the movement direction (Y direction). As shown in FIG. 2A, when the media cartridge 1A is loaded into the loading unit 10, the small-diameter gear 5b of the pinion gear 5 meshes with the second rack 11A.

  As shown in FIG. 2B, when a pressing force F is applied only to the case 3 and only the case 3 is pressed in the Y2 direction in the figure, the small-diameter gear 5b of the pinion gear 5 rolls on the second rack 11A. . At this time, the shutter 6 is moved in the insertion direction on the Y2 side in the drawing prior to the case 3 by the large diameter gear 5a.

  This is based on the configuration of the pinion gear 5 that the radius Ra of the pitch circle of the large diameter gear 5a is larger than the radius Rb of the pitch circle of the small diameter gear 5b (Ra> Rb). That is, in the pinion gear 5, the rotational speed of the large-diameter gear 5a is Ra / Rb times (Ra / Rb> 1) the rotational speed of the small-diameter gear 5b. For this reason, the moving speed of the shutter 6 that moves through the large-diameter gear 5a and the first rack 7A meshing with the large-diameter gear 5a can be made faster than the moving speed (push-in speed) of the case 3. Therefore, in the present invention, as shown in FIG. 2C, when the media cartridge 1A is inserted and only the case 3 is pushed in for a certain period of time, the moving distance of the case 3 is L1, and the shutter at this time Assuming that the moving distance 6 moves is L0, the moving distance L0 can be made longer than the moving distance L1.

  Therefore, the shutter 6 can be largely opened by slightly pushing only the case 3 of the media cartridge 1A loaded in the loading unit 10 in the insertion direction on the Y2 side in the drawing. That is, the shutter 6 can be fully opened only by moving the case 3 by the movement distance L1 which is smaller than the movement distance L0 necessary for fully opening the shutter 6.

  Therefore, the media cartridge 1A can be fully opened in a short time. That is, almost the entire surface of the media 2 stored in the media cartridge 1A can be exposed quickly.

  When ejecting the media cartridge 1A, a discharge means (not shown) provided in the loading unit 10 is used. That is, the case 3 is pushed by the discharge means (not shown) and moved in the discharge direction on the Y1 side in the figure.

  Also at this time, the small-diameter gear 5b of the pinion gear 5 rolls on the second rack 11A provided on the loading portion 10 side in the discharging direction, and the large-diameter gear 5a meshes with the first rack 7A. Roll while. Therefore, the shutter 6 can be moved in the closing direction (discharge direction) on the Y1 side prior to the movement of the case 3.

  That is, the shutter 6 can be returned to the original closed state by moving the case 3 slightly in the discharging direction. Therefore, it is possible to return the media cartridge 1A to the original closed state in a short time.

  In other words, in the first embodiment, the pinion gear 5, the first rack 7A, and the second rack 11A constitute a moving mechanism that moves the shutter 6 prior to the movement of the case 3. .

  As shown in FIG. 2C, when the insertion of the media cartridge 1A is completed, the reproducing mechanism 20 provided on the driving device side is moved to the upper position of the case 3. The reproduction mechanism 20 includes a light source, a collimating lens, a mirror actuator, an imaging device, and the like (all not shown). When the reproduction mechanism 20 is set to face the medium 2 in the case 3 and reproduction light is output from the light source and a predetermined reproduction operation is performed, data information recorded on the medium 2 is transmitted via the imaging device. Can be read out. In the first embodiment, since the shutter 6 is moved to the back of the apparatus rather than the case 3, the reproducing mechanism 20 is disposed on the front side (Y1 side) of the apparatus.

  FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the media cartridge according to the second embodiment of the present invention when viewed from the front, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. It is sectional drawing, A is the state immediately after insertion to a loading part, B is the state in the middle of insertion, C has shown the state at the time of completion | finish of insertion. The same members as those of the media cartridge 1A shown in the first embodiment will be described with the same reference numerals.

  The media cartridge 1B shown in FIG. 3 also has a bottomed case 3 that holds the media 2, and a shutter 6 that covers the top surface of the case 3. The media 2 is the same as that in the first embodiment.

  At the upper end of the side surface 3A of the case 3, a rack portion 3B extending horizontally (L-shaped cross section) in the X1 direction is integrally formed. A first rack 7B formed along the moving direction (Y direction) orthogonal to the paper surface is provided on the lower surface (Z2 side surface) of the rack portion 3B.

  The shutter 6 can be slid relative to the case 3 by a mechanism (not shown). The slide direction is a moving direction (Y direction) orthogonal to the paper surface.

  The width dimension of the shutter 6 in the X direction is wider than that of the case 3. A side surface 6A of the shutter 6 is bent in the Z2 direction shown in the figure, and a space S is provided at a portion where the side surface 6A and the side surface 3A of the case 3 face each other.

  A support shaft 4 that extends horizontally in the space S along the X2 direction is fixed to the side surface 6A of the shutter 6. A pinion gear 5 is rotatably supported on the support shaft 4 and in the space S. The pinion gear 5 is a two-stage gear in which a large diameter gear 5a and a small diameter gear 5b are integrally formed. As in the first embodiment, the radius Ra of the pitch circle of the large diameter gear 5a constituting the pinion gear 5 is larger than the radius Rb of the pitch circle of the small diameter gear 5b (Ra> Rb).

  As shown in FIG. 3, the large-diameter gear 5a is meshed with the first rack 7B. For this reason, when the pinion gear 5 rotates, the large-diameter gear 5a rolls on the first rack 7B. At this time, the case 3 and the shutter 6 are relatively moved in the moving direction (Y direction) orthogonal to the paper surface.

  As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4A, the media cartridge 1B is loaded at a predetermined position on the loading unit 10 of the driving device. At this time, the small-diameter gear 5b of the pinion gear 5 meshes with the second rack 11A provided in the loading portion 10 as in the first embodiment.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 4B, when the pushing force F is applied only to the shutter 6 and the shutter 6 is pushed in the insertion direction (Y2 direction), the pinion gear 5 is rotated by the second gear 5b. It is moved in the insertion direction while rolling on the rack 11A. At this time, the rotational speed of the large-diameter gear 5a of the pinion gear 5 is Ra / Rb times (Ra / Rb> 1) as compared with the small-diameter gear 5b.

  Therefore, the first rack 7B formed on the rack portion 3B of the case 3 can be moved in the insertion direction (Y2 direction) at a movement speed faster than the movement speed at the time of pushing. Therefore, the case 3 is moved in the insertion direction on the Y2 side in the drawing prior to the movement of the shutter 6 by the large diameter gear 5a.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 4C, the case 3 can be moved greatly only by moving the shutter 6 of the media cartridge 1B loaded in the loading unit 10 by a predetermined distance in the insertion direction on the Y2 side in the figure. It is possible to expose almost the entire surface of the medium 2 provided inside the case 3.

  In other words, in the second embodiment, the pinion gear 5, the first rack 7B, and the second rack 11A constitute a moving mechanism that moves the case 3 prior to the movement of the shutter 6. .

  Further, in the media cartridge 1B, when ejecting in the same manner as described above, the case 3 can be moved in the closing direction (discharging direction) prior to the movement of the shutter 6 in the discharging direction (Y1 direction). For this reason, it is possible to return the media cartridge 1B to the original closed state in a short time even at the time of ejection.

  As shown in FIG. 4C, when the insertion of the media cartridge 1B is completed, the reproducing mechanism 20 provided on the driving device side is moved to the upper position of the case 3. Then, the reproduction mechanism 20 is set to face the medium 2 in the case 3 and a predetermined reproduction operation such as emission of reproduction light is performed, whereby data information recorded on the medium 2 is read. In the second embodiment, since the case 3 is moved to the back of the apparatus rather than the shutter 6, the reproduction mechanism 20 is provided on the back side (Y2 side) of the apparatus.

  FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of a media cartridge according to a third embodiment of the present invention when viewed from the front, and FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VI-VI in FIG. Yes, A is the state immediately after insertion into the loading section, B is in the middle of insertion, and C is the state at the end of insertion. The same members as those in the media cartridges 1A and 1B shown in the first and second embodiments will be described with the same reference numerals.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the media cartridge 1 </ b> C shown in the third embodiment also has a bottomed case 3 that holds the media 2 and a shutter 6 that covers the top surface portion of the case 3. The medium 2 is the same as in the first and second embodiments.

  The shutter 6 can be slid relative to the case 3 by a mechanism (not shown). The slide direction is a moving direction (Y direction) orthogonal to the plane of the paper.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the width dimension of the shutter 6 in the X direction is wider than that of the case 3. A first rack 7C extending in the moving direction (Y direction) orthogonal to the paper surface is formed on the lower surface of the shutter 6 and at a position protruding from the case 3 in the X1 direction.

  At the upper end of the side surface 3A of the case 3, a rack portion 3B extending horizontally (L-shaped cross section) in the X1 direction is integrally formed. A second rack 11C extending in the moving direction (Y direction) orthogonal to the paper surface is formed on the lower surface (Z2 side surface) of the rack portion 3B.

  On the other hand, the loading unit 10 on the driving device side for reproducing the media 2 is provided with a support unit 10a. A holding hole 10b is formed in the support portion 10a, and a pinion gear 5 is provided in the holding hole 10b. The pinion gear 5 is a two-stage gear in which a large-diameter gear 5a and a small-diameter gear 5b are integrally formed. In the third embodiment, a support shaft 4 is integrally formed at the center of the pinion gear 5. . The pinion gear is rotatably supported by inserting the support shaft 4 into the holding hole 10b. As in the first and second embodiments, the radius Ra of the pitch circle of the large diameter gear 5a constituting the pinion gear 5 is larger than the radius Rb of the pitch circle of the small diameter gear 5b (Ra> Rb).

Next, the operation of the media cartridge 1C will be described.
As shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6A, the media cartridge 1C is loaded at a predetermined position on the loading unit 10 of the driving device. At this time, the large-diameter gear 5a of the pinion gear 5 meshes with the first rack 7C, and the small-diameter gear 5b meshes with the second rack 11C.

  As shown in FIG. 6B, when the pushing force F is applied only to the case 3 and the shutter 6 is pushed in the insertion direction (Y2 direction), the small-diameter gear 5ba meshes with the second rack 11C and the first rack 11C. Roll on the second rack 11C. At the same time, the large-diameter gear 5a meshes with the first rack 7C and rolls on the first rack 7C. Thereby, the case 3 and the shutter 6 are moved in the moving direction (Y2 direction) orthogonal to the paper surface.

  However, a speed difference based on the dimensional difference between the radii Ra and Rb occurs between the rotational speed of the large-diameter gear 5a and the rotational speed of the small-diameter gear 5b. That is, the rotational speed of the large-diameter gear 5a is Ra / Rb times that of the small-diameter gear 5b (Ra / Rb> 1). Therefore, the shutter 6 can be moved in the insertion direction (Y2 direction) at a movement speed faster than the movement speed at the time of pushing, that is, at a speed faster than the case 3. Therefore, the shutter 6 can be moved in the insertion direction on the Y2 side in the drawing prior to the movement of the case 3.

  Moreover, as shown in FIG. 6C, the shutter 3 can be moved a long distance simply by moving the case 3 of the media cartridge 1C loaded in the loading unit 10 in the insertion direction on the Y2 side in the drawing. The almost entire surface of the medium 2 provided inside the case 3 can be exposed.

  That is, in the third embodiment, the pinion gear 5 having the large diameter gear 5a and the small diameter gear 5b, the first rack 7C, and the second rack 11C move the shutter 6 to move the case 3. The moving mechanism is configured to move in advance.

  Further, in the media cartridge 1C, when the ejection is performed in the same manner as described above, the shutter 6 can be moved in the closing direction (discharge direction) prior to the movement of the case 3 in the discharge direction (Y1 direction). For this reason, it is possible to return the media cartridge 1B to the original closed state in a short time, and it is possible to take out the media cartridge 1C with the shutter 6 closed at the time of ejection.

  As shown in FIG. 6C, in the third embodiment, as in the first embodiment, when the insertion of the media cartridge 1C is completed, the reproduction mechanism 20 provided on the front side of the loading unit 10 is completed. Is moved to the upper position of the case 3. Then, the reproduction mechanism 20 is installed in a state facing the medium 2 in the case 3 and a predetermined reproduction operation such as emission of reproduction light is performed, whereby the data information recorded on the medium 2 is read.

  In the third embodiment, since the case 3 is moved to the back of the apparatus rather than the shutter 6, the reproduction mechanism 20 is located on the front side (Y1) of the apparatus as in the first embodiment. Side).

  As described above, in the media cartridges 1A, 1B, and 1C of the present invention, when the operator manually pushes the media cartridges 1A, 1B, and 1C into the loading unit 10, one of the case 3 and the shutter 6 is switched to the other. It is possible to move in advance. For this reason, only one of the case 3 or the shutter 6 is pushed slightly, and the other can be moved greatly. Therefore, the opening / closing operation between the case 3 and the shutter 6 can be performed quickly. For this reason, it is possible to reduce the burden given to the operator.

  Further, since the present invention is not configured to hold the shutter by the opening / closing mechanism during the movement of the cartridge as in the prior art, it is not necessary to secure a retreat area for retreating the shutter in advance on the media cartridge side. Therefore, the media cartridges 1A, 1B, and 1C can be reduced in size.

  The case 3 or the shutter can be changed by changing the setting of the radial dimension ratio Ra / Rb between the radius Ra of the pitch circle of the large-diameter gear 5a and the radius Rb of the pitch circle of the small-diameter gear 5b. 6 can be changed to a desired speed.

The fragmentary sectional view when the media cartridge as a 1st embodiment of the present invention is seen from the front, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. 1, showing the operation of the media cartridge step by step; The fragmentary sectional view when the media cartridge as a 2nd embodiment of the present invention is seen from the front, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IV-IV in FIG. 3, showing the operation of the media cartridge step by step; The fragmentary sectional view when the media cartridge as a 3rd embodiment of the present invention is seen from the front, FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VI-VI in FIG. 5 showing the operation of the media cartridge step by step;

Explanation of symbols

1A, 1B Media cartridge 2 Media (recording medium)
3 Case 4 Support shaft 5 Pinion gear 5a Large diameter gear 5b Small diameter gear 6 Shutter 6A Side surfaces 7A, 7B, 7C of the first rack 10 Loading portions 11A, 11C of the driving device Second rack 20 Regeneration mechanism Ra of the large diameter gear Pitch circle radius Rb Pitch circle radius Ra / Rb of small gear

Claims (9)

A media cartridge that includes a case in which a recording medium is stored and a shutter that moves relative to the case, and is inserted into a loading portion of the driving device in a state where the case and the shutter are closed. There,
A moving mechanism is provided between the case and the shutter to move the other of the case and the shutter in advance when the one is pushed into the loading portion. Media cartridge to be used.   The moving mechanism meshes with the first rack and the second rack provided along the moving direction, the large-diameter gear that meshes with the first rack and rolls, and rolls with the second rack. The media cartridge according to claim 1, further comprising a pinion gear formed with a small-diameter gear.   The media cartridge according to claim 2, wherein the first rack is provided on the shutter, the second rack is provided on the loading unit, and the pinion gear is rotatably provided on the case.   The media cartridge according to claim 2, wherein the first rack is provided in the case, the second rack is provided in the loading unit, and the pinion gear is rotatably provided in the shutter.   The media cartridge according to claim 2, wherein the first rack is provided on the shutter, the second rack is provided on the case, and the pinion gear is rotatably provided on the loading portion.   The media cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the recording medium is an optical recording medium. A drive device for a media cartridge having at least a loading section in which the media cartridge is loaded, and a playback mechanism for playing back a recording medium stored in the media cartridge,
The media cartridge has a case for storing the recording medium, and a shutter that moves relative to the case,
The loading unit is provided with a moving mechanism that moves one of the case and the shutter in advance of the other when the media cartridge is pushed into the loading unit. Drive device.   8. The media cartridge according to claim 7, wherein the moving mechanism is a pinion gear having a large-diameter gear that meshes with a first rack formed on the case and a small-diameter gear that meshes with a second rack formed on the shutter. Drive device.   9. The drive device for a media cartridge according to claim 8, wherein the pinion gear is rotatably provided in the loading portion.

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