JP3336818B2 - Information recording medium cartridge - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cartridge for a disk medium represented by a read-only or recordable / reproducible optical disk medium such as a CD-ROM, a magneto-optical disk, and a phase change optical disk. The present invention relates to an information recording medium cartridge capable of easily removing and inserting a disc medium from a cartridge.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Recently, a disk medium represented by an optical disk has attracted much attention as a medium for image processing, not to mention as an external memory for a computer due to an increase in capacity and an increase in data recording / reproducing speed. I'm taking a bath. In particular, in the case of a recordable / reproducible medium, a cartridge capable of protecting the medium in order to maintain the recording / reproducing characteristics and rotatably storing therein a medium for preventing dust and dirt has been proposed.

On the other hand, an automatic medium changer (hereinafter referred to as an autochanger) capable of managing and operating a large amount of data by utilizing the characteristics of these large-capacity media has been commercialized. The autochanger stores a large number of cartridges inside, transports and mounts the specified cartridge from the cartridge storage to the recording / reproducing device, and records / reproduces data. Return to. Such an autochanger is often provided with a mail slot for a user to easily insert a new cartridge into a storage portion inside the autochanger, or to remove and replace a cartridge inside the autochanger. The user sets the cartridge in the mail slot and gives a predetermined command by a switch or a command from the host computer, so that a new insertion or replacement can be performed.

[0004]

However, in recent years, there has been a demand for a small autochanger due to its installation space. By using a magazine in which a plurality of discs directly mounted on a tray are stored, the storage efficiency is improved and the handling is improved. An autochanger with improved performance has been proposed. In the case of such an autochanger, humans do not directly handle the trays and discs, and the inside of the autochanger does not necessarily require the above-mentioned cartridge from the viewpoint of dirt and protection of the recording surface by taking measures against dust. Absent. However, when these discs are taken out of the autochanger by mail slot, dust, dirt,
It is desirable to house the cartridge in a cartridge from the viewpoint of handling. However, in the conventional cartridge, a center hole for disk rotation for setting a disk in a recording / reproducing device and a head insertion hole for a head for recording / reproducing disk information to enter are opened, and the opening for the drive is moved. It is structured so that it can be opened and closed with a possible shutter, but cannot take out the disk inside. Therefore, since the user cannot take out the disk stored in the cartridge, the above-mentioned small and space-saving tray type autochanger has a problem that the cartridge or the disk therein cannot be taken in / out through the mail slot. I was

In addition to the items described above, when a conventional cartridge is used, there is also a problem that the disk cannot be taken out, for example, for cleaning the internal disk.

On the other hand, in recent years, a cartridge having a configuration in which an opening is formed in a part of the cartridge so that a disk can be taken out has been proposed. However, even in this case, when a user inserts or removes a disc from or into the cartridge, it is necessary to remove and attach a movable member such as the shutter, which is troublesome.
At that time, there is a problem that the disc is easily dropped or the fingerprint or the like is easily stained or damaged.

The present invention solves this problem and provides a cartridge in which a user can easily take a disk in and out of the cartridge, and at the same time, does not attach scratches or dirt or the disk falls and is damaged. It is.

[0008]

To achieve the above object, according to the solution to ## in the present invention rotatably accommodating a disk medium, header
Window for disk insertion and disk rotation, and auto change
Cartridge having a notch for a cartridge and an opening forming means capable of forming an opening through which a disk medium can be inserted and removed
The cartridge housing in the direction of the opening forming means.
Tilt and remove the disk media from the cartridge housing
When the disc medium slides toward the opening due to gravity,
Use a fall prevention device that contacts and supports the outer edge of the media.
Insert the disc media into the cartridge
It is provided on the side to be taken out from the housing .

[0009]

[0010]

[0011]

According to the present invention, with the above-described structure, the disk is easily attached to and detached from the cartridge without causing any damage or dirt on the disk and without dropping the disk.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 1 shows the structure of a cartridge according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 1 and 2, reference numeral 1 denotes a cartridge housing composed of an upper half 1a, a lower half 1b, and an upper half divided portion 1c; and 2, a drive opening 1 provided in the upper half 1a and the lower half 1b.
A U-shaped shutter for opening and closing the shutter 1 is engaged with a slider 3 movable with respect to the cartridge housing 1 and slides on a slide recess 12 formed in the upper half 1a and the lower half 1b. . Here, upper half 1a and lower half 1b
Is an injection molded product such as an ABS resin containing an antistatic agent, and the respective outer peripheral portions are welded to each other.
As shown in FIG. 1, a detachable upper half portion 1c is provided outside the movable range of the shutter 2 and the slider 3.
The upper half split portion 1c engages the projection 8 and the fixing claw 10 with the engaging portion 7 formed on the upper half 1a and the concave portion 9 formed on the lower half 1b, respectively.
It is integrated with the lower half 1b, and can be easily removed by removing the fixing claw 10 on the contrary. Disc 4
Is provided with a center hole 14, a data surface 15 on which data is recorded, and an outer edge portion 16. 6 is a cutout for an autochanger that can be stored and processed as a cartridge,
Reference numeral 13 denotes a notch for determining the direction of the front and back of the cartridge. Numeral 5 is a drop prevention unit configured as a part of the notch 6 for the autochanger.

The operation and functions of the cartridge constructed as described above will be described.

The cartridge is mounted in a drive (not shown), which is a recording / reproducing device, by a notch 13 in a normal direction on the front and back. At this time, the slider 3 is simultaneously moved by the shutter opening / closing means of the drive, and the shutter 2 fixed to the slider 3 moves through the slide concave portion 12, so that the drive opening 11 is exposed. This drive opening 11
Are provided in both the upper half 1a and the lower half 1b in this embodiment, but either one may be used depending on the type of drive or disk used. Then, the turntable and the optical pickup in the drive enter the drive opening 11 to rotate the disk, respectively.
Performs data read / write processing. When the cartridge is removed from the drive, the shutter 2 closes the drive opening 11 to prevent dust from entering the inside. Each of the upper half 1a, the lower half 1b, and the upper half dividing portion 1c is slightly smaller than the center hole diameter at the position of the center hole 14 in order to prevent the data surface 15 of the disk from being damaged due to the movement of the disk inside the cartridge. A pedestal portion (not shown) formed of a cylinder having a large inner diameter, and a movement restricting portion 17 provided outside the outer edge portion 16. As a result, the disk 4 is always supported near the center hole 14 and the outer edge inside the cartridge, thereby preventing the data surface 15 from being damaged.

Next, how to take out the disk 4 housed inside will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

First, when the fixing claw 10 is removed and the projection 8 is pulled out while tilting upward about the engaging portion 7 and the upper half divided portion 1c is removed from the cartridge housing 1, the disk 4 as shown in FIG. The disk insertion opening 20 from which the disk can be taken out is formed. In this state, when the cartridge housing 1 is tilted and the internal disk 4 is slid in the direction of the arrow a in FIG. 2 by gravity, the disk 4 is positioned so that the distance between the disks 4 is smaller than the diameter of the disk 4. It is locked by 5 and stops. During this time, the data surface 15 (the data surface on the back side in this embodiment) is not damaged because the disk 4 slides while the outer edge of the disk 4 is in contact with and supported by the inner diameter side edge of the movement restricting portion 17. The disc is provided with a center hole 14 for fixing and rotating to the turntable of the drive as described above, but as shown in FIG. The position, shape, and dimensions of the fall prevention unit 5 are set at positions where at least a portion of the fall prevention unit 5 is exposed. Therefore, by holding the center hole 14 and the outer edge 16 of the disk 4 in this state, the user can easily remove the disk 4 from the cartridge without dropping it.
When the disc 4 is inserted into the cartridge housing 1, the disc 4 is inserted while holding the center hole 14 and the outer edge 16 of the disc 4 in a manner reverse to the removal, and the disc 4 is engaged with the drop prevention portion 5. What is necessary is just to incline the cartridge housing 1 in the opposite direction and slide the disk 4 in the direction of the arrow b. Finally, the upper half divided portion 1c is mounted. As described above, according to the configuration of the present embodiment, the fall prevention unit 5 does not cause breakage or damage due to dropping when the disc is attached or detached, and can hold the center hole 14 and the outer edge 16 of the disc. As a result, the disk can be taken out without touching the data surface 15 on which data is recorded and reproduced, so that dirt such as fingerprints does not adhere. Then, it is possible to insert and remove the disk by a simple operation without disassembling a movable portion such as a shutter.

Next, FIG. 3 shows a schematic configuration diagram of a cartridge according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The configuration shown in FIG. 1 is exactly the same except that the shape of the fall prevention portion 5b and the shape of the movement restricting portion 17 are different. In the present embodiment, the fall prevention portion 5b is not formed as a part of the notch 6, but is formed as an independent columnar projection. As a result, the position of the notch 6 and the position of the fall prevention portion 5b can be freely set, so that the degree of freedom of design is improved and the disk 4 can be locked more securely. In addition, lower half 1
FIG. 3B shows the shape of the movement restricting portion 17 in FIG. 3B when viewed from the direction parallel to the disk surface (the direction of c in FIG. 3). By forming the movement restricting portion 17 in a shape, when the disk 4 moves while sliding in the cartridge housing 1 when the disk is taken out or mounted, the outer edge 16 of the disk is moved to the inner edge of the movement restricting portion 17. Since the contact is reliably held at two points, the data surface can be more reliably prevented from being damaged than in the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a schematic structural view of a cartridge according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The configuration shown in FIG. 3 is exactly the same except that the shape near the opening end of the upper half 1a is different. That is, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the shape of the lower edge 18 of the opening of the upper half 1a is concave when viewed from the disk surface side by forming the concave portion 19 inside the upper half 1a. It is formed in a shape. Thus, when the disk 4 is taken out while holding the center hole 14 and the outer edge 15 of the disk 4, the edge 18 of the upper half 1a is removed.
Even if the upper surface of the disk 4 makes contact, the edge shape is concave as shown in FIG. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the data surface 15 from being damaged when the disc is attached or detached.

FIG. 5 is a schematic structural view of a cartridge according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. The configuration shown in FIG. 3 is exactly the same except that the shape near the end of the disk insertion opening 20 of the upper half 1a is different. That is, the shape of the lower edge 18 of the opening of the upper half 1a is formed in a concave shape when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the disk surface as shown in FIG. As a result, even if the upper surface of the disk 4 comes into contact with the disk 4 when the disk 4 is attached or detached as in the third embodiment, the edge 4 is in contact with the outer edge 16 at two points because the edge is concave as shown in the figure. The data surface 15 does not touch. Therefore, even in this configuration, it is possible to prevent the data surface 15 from being damaged when the disc is attached or detached.

Although the fall prevention portions 5 and 5b have been described as resin molding portions, it is not necessary to integrally mold them with the halves, and it is also effective to attach another member with fixing means.
Also, a cushioning or elastic material such as rubber or resin may be attached to the surface of the fall prevention unit, or a material having a lower hardness than the material of the disk or cartridge housing made of such a material and having a buffering effect. It is also effective to attach a separately prepared component by fixing means such as bonding. By adding such a process, the effect of preventing the side surface of the disk from being damaged and protecting the disk when the cartridge is dropped can be further enhanced.

[0022]

According to the present invention as described above, according to the present invention, housing the disk, the insertion and the window portion of the disk rotation of the head,
Ca having a cutout for autochanger, and capable of forming an opening portion forming means opening capable of inserting and removing the disk medium
In the cartridge housing, the cartridge housing is shaped like an opening
The disk medium in the cartridge housing
When ejecting from the disk media, the disk media
Fall prevention means for contacting and supporting the outer edge of a sliding disk medium
The disc changer than the notch for the autochanger
The disc is provided on the side where the disc is removed from the cartridge housing. <br/> The disc can be easily inserted and removed from the cartridge, and the disc is not damaged or stained when the disc is inserted and removed. This has the effect that no occurrence occurs.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cartridge according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram when a cartridge is inserted into and removed from a cartridge in the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a cartridge according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a cartridge according to a third embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a cartridge according to a fourth embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Cartridge housing 1a Upper half 1b Lower half 1c Upper half division part 2 Shutter 3 Slider 4 Disk 5 Fall prevention part 5b Fall prevention part 11 Drive opening 12 Sliding recess 14 Center hole 20 Disk insertion opening

──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continuing on the front page (72) Yoshio Umeda, Inventor 1006 Kazuma Kadoma, Osaka Prefecture Inside Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. In-company (56) References JP-A-6-223530 (JP, A) JP-A-3-25774 (JP, A) JP-A 61-170178 (JP, U) JP-A 60-74255 (JP, U) (58) Fields surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G11B 23/03 604 G11B 17/26

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A rotatably accommodating a disk medium, header
Window for disk insertion and disk rotation, and auto change
Cartridge having a notch for a disk medium and an opening forming means capable of forming an opening through which the disk medium can be inserted and removed.
In the housing, the cartridge housing is formed with the opening.
Means for moving the disc medium into the cartridge.
When the disk medium is removed from the housing,
Sliding toward the opening, the outer edge of the disk medium is
The fall prevention means held by the automatic changer
Insert the disk medium more than the chip
A cartridge for an information recording medium, the cartridge being provided on the side of the recording medium.