JP3927926B2 - Disc cartridge - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
[Industrial application fields]
The present invention relates to a disk cartridge for storing a disk-shaped information recording medium such as a DVD or MO, and more particularly to a small-sized disk cartridge that can be easily inserted and removed.
[0002]
[Prior art]
As shown in FIG. 7, a disk cartridge 200 that has been used for an information recording medium such as a conventional DVD is composed of a disk holder 101 for holding a disk 102 and a cartridge case 100 for housing the disk holder 101. The cartridge case 100 is a case having a substantially square surface and a thin thickness, and mainly includes an upper case and a lower case. The upper case and the lower case are synthetic resin moldings, and a space is formed inside by overlapping the upper case and the lower case. One of the side surfaces of the cartridge case 100 is provided with an opening 106. The disc 102 is accommodated in the disc cartridge 200 by inserting the disc holder 101 holding the disc 102 through the opening 106 in the direction of the arrow AR7. Further, an opening 103 is provided on the surface of one (for example, the upper case) of the cartridge case 100, and a slidable shutter 104 is provided so as to cover the opening 103. When a disc cartridge containing the disc 102 is inserted into the information recording / reproducing apparatus, a predetermined portion of the information recording / reproducing apparatus slides the shutter 104 in a direction orthogonal to the AR 7 to open the opening 103, and the disc cartridge The information recording / reproducing surface of the disc 102 in the 200 is exposed. As a result, the recording / reproducing head of the information recording / reproducing apparatus can access the information recording surface of the disk 102.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, the disk cartridge having the structure shown in FIG. 7 has an area about 1.6 times the area of the disk-shaped disk, and is wasted in the information recording / reproducing apparatus to accommodate the disk cartridge. Space was used. This wasted space is one of the factors that reduce the degree of freedom in designing the information recording / reproducing apparatus itself and hinder downsizing. Also, the conventional disk cartridge has a problem that the structure is complicated because the disk is held by a disk holder, and the number of parts is large. This problem increases the manufacturing cost of the disk cartridge and makes the storage or removal of the disk inconvenient.
[0004]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a disc cartridge that is small in size and easy to assemble with a small number of parts.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
According to an aspect of the present invention, a disc cartridge for accommodating an information recording disc,
An upper case having a first engagement portion;
A lower case that has a second engaging portion that can be engaged with the first engaging portion and that overlaps the upper case to partition the disc housing portion;
A movable part that is provided in the upper case and / or the lower case and relatively rotates the upper case and the lower case;
The upper case and the lower case are each formed in a substantially circular shape, and have two sets of parallel flat portions at opposing positions on the outer periphery,
There is provided a disk cartridge having an opening on at least one surface of an upper case or a lower case.
[0006]
The disc cartridge of the present invention is composed of an upper case and a lower case. Since the upper case and the lower case are each formed in a substantially circular shape, the surface area of the disk cartridge is reduced, and the disk cartridge can be downsized. Thereby, the dead space of the recording / reproducing apparatus of an information recording disc can be reduced. Also, two sets of parallel flat portions are formed at opposing positions on the outer periphery of the disk cartridge. This flat portion can be used as a guide when the disc cartridge is inserted into the information recording / reproducing apparatus. Further, the upper case and the lower case are overlapped with each other to partition the disc storage portion. The disc cartridge is opened and closed by the relative rotation of the upper case and the lower case starting from the movable part provided in the upper case and / or the lower case, and the disc cartridge is opened, Storage and removal of information recording discs. In addition, the present disk cartridge is provided with first and second engaging portions (for example, a locking portion and an elastic piece engaged with the engaging portion) for engaging the upper case and the lower case with each other. Thereby, the closed state of the disk cartridge is maintained. Further, at least one surface of the upper case and the lower case is provided with a central portion of the information recording disk provided with the spindle hole and an opening for exposing the information recording surface. A spindle for rotating the disk is inserted through the opening, and the recording / reproducing head accesses the information recording surface of the disk.
[0007]
At least one of the upper case and the lower case has a plurality of ribs formed by substantially concentric cylindrical surfaces surrounding the disk, and the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion are formed outside the ribs. Is desirable. Thereby, for example, when an engaging portion made of an elastic member is used, the influence of the elastic deformation on the disk stored in the disk cartridge can be avoided. Further, the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion may be provided on the same surface as the outer peripheral surface of the disk cartridge or on the inner side of the outer peripheral surface. As a result, the disk cartridge can be prevented from being caught in the information recording / reproducing apparatus, and the disk cartridge can be smoothly inserted and removed.
[0008]
In the disc cartridge of the present invention, it is desirable that the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion are provided on the opposite side of the movable portion with respect to the center of the disc cartridge. Moreover, it is desirable that two sets of the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion are provided. Further, it is desirable that the two sets of the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion are provided substantially symmetrically with respect to a plane passing through the center of the disk cartridge and orthogonal to the movable portion. As a result, the disk cartridge can be maintained in a more closed state.
[0009]
In the disc cartridge according to the present invention, it is desirable that the opening portion is opened so as to communicate the central portion of the information recording disc with the information recording surface. Moreover, it is desirable that a bridge is formed at the end of the upper case and the lower case on the side where the opening is formed. Thereby, the rigidity reduction of the case due to the opening provided in each case is reinforced. Further, it is desirable that the bridge be formed thinner than the disc cartridge. As a result, the insertion direction of the disc cartridge into the information recording / reproducing apparatus is uniformly determined, and erroneous insertion of the disc cartridge can be prevented.
[0010]
In the present invention, the upper case, the lower case, and the movable part may be formed by integral molding. By manufacturing the disk cartridge by integral molding, the number of parts can be further reduced, and the manufacturing and assembling process can be simplified.
[0011]
The disc cartridge in the present invention can further accommodate the information recording disc. The disc cartridge of the present invention is provided in the form of a disc cartridge alone or an information recording disc accommodated in the disc cartridge.
[0012]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, but the present invention is not limited thereto.
[0013]
[Disk cartridge structure]
FIG. 1A shows a six-sided view of a disk cartridge 1 in a state in which a disk is accommodated in the present invention. The disk cartridge 1 is a disc-shaped case, and is composed of an upper case 2 and a lower case 3. The disk 5 is stored in a space formed by combining the upper case 2 and the lower case 3 in an overlapping manner. The upper case 2 and the lower case 3 are both made of a synthetic resin, for example, a molded body of polycarbonate, and have a substantially circular shape having a plurality of arcs with a radius of 40 to 55 mm, and are formed in substantially the same shape. In addition, flat portions 61 that face each other and extend in parallel are formed on the outer peripheral portions of the upper case 2 and the lower case 3, respectively. For convenience of description, a surface passing through the center position X of the cartridge 1 and parallel to the flat portion 61 is defined as a center surface AX. The disk 5 is an information recording medium having an outer diameter of 80 mm, an inner diameter (spindle hole diameter) of 15 mm, and a thickness of 1.2 mm, and an information recording surface is formed in an area having a radius of 24 mm to 38 mm.
[0014]
Next, details of the upper case 2 and the lower case 3 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 2A, the upper case 2 is formed with a recess (notch) 25 that is recessed in a rectangle toward the center X of the upper case 2 at one end 22 of the center plane AX. ing. Pins 25 ′ a are respectively formed on the side walls 25 ′ that define the recess 25 and that face each other. Further, as shown in FIG. 2B, the lower case 3 is formed flat over a predetermined length so that one end portion 32 of the center plane AX is orthogonal to the center plane AX. A convex portion 35 is formed on the end portion 32 in the thickness direction of the lower case 3 (perpendicular to the paper surface) and in the direction in which the lower case 3 is assembled. Holes 35 ′ a into which the pins 25 ′ a of the upper case 2 can be inserted are formed in both side walls 35 ′ of the convex portion 35. By fitting the pin 25'a into the hole 35'a, the pin 25'a and the hole 35'a form a hinge (movable part) 7 of the disc cartridge 1 as shown in FIG. When the upper case 2 and the lower case 3 are rotated relative to each other about the rotation axis 7, the disk cartridge 1 is opened and closed.
[0015]
As shown in FIGS. 1A and 2, openings 20 and 30 are provided on the surfaces of the upper case 2 and the lower case 3. The openings 20 and 30 are each composed of a semicircular portion centered on the center X of each case and a rectangular portion extending from the semicircular portion to the other ends 24 and 34 of the center plane AX. Through the openings 20 and 30, the spindle hole 51 and the information recording surface 53 of the disk 5 accommodated in the cartridge 1 are exposed. The other ends 24 and 34 are respectively formed with bridges 21 and 31 extending in the circumferential direction. The bridges 21 and 31 define the openings 20 and 30 and the openings 20 and 30 having a relatively large area. Reinforcing the decrease in rigidity of the disk cartridge having
[0016]
As shown in FIGS. 1B and 1C, the bridges 21 and 31 are formed so as to overlap the bridge 31 when the disc cartridge 1 is closed. That is, the bridge 21 and the bridge 31 are provided in the upper case 2 and the lower case 3 at a position where the outer surface of the bridge 31 overlaps the inner surface of the bridge 21, and the inner surface and the outer surface are formed at the same inclination angle. . Thereby, the disk cartridge 1 can be opened and closed without causing the bridge 21 and the bridge 31 to interfere with each other. As shown in FIG. 2, the bridges 21 and 31 are formed thinner than the thicknesses of the upper case 2 and the lower case 3. Further, as shown in FIG. 1A, a flat portion 63 extending in a direction orthogonal to the center plane AX is formed at the joint portion between the bridge 21 and the upper case 2 and the joint portion between the bridge 31 and the lower case 3. ing.
[0017]
Next, the opening / closing mechanism of the disk cartridge 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 2A, two locking portions 23 are provided on the outer peripheral portion of the upper case 2 in the vicinity of the bridge 21 so as to be symmetric with respect to the plane AX. Further, as shown in FIG. 2B, the lower case 3 is provided with two locking elastic pieces 33 on the outer peripheral portion in the vicinity of the bridge 31 so as to be symmetrical with respect to the plane AX. The lock elastic piece 33 is formed at a position such that the lock elastic piece 33 engages with the locking portion 23 when the upper case 2 and the lower case 3 are overlapped via a hinge. By providing two engaging portions, the upper case 2 and the lower case 3 are securely fixed, and the erroneous opening of the disk cartridge due to external impact is more effectively prevented. The engaging portion may be formed so as to be on the same surface as the outer surface of the disk cartridge 1 or on the inner side of the outer surface.
[0018]
As shown in FIG. 3, the locking portion 23 is an arm such as a cantilever spring extending along the outer periphery of the upper case 2, and a hole 23 ′ is formed in the arm. The locking elastic piece 33 is also an arm such as a cantilever spring extending along the outer periphery of the lower case 3, and a projection 33 'that fits into the hole 23' is formed at the tip of the arm. Yes. When the upper case 2 and the lower case 3 are overlapped via a hinge, that is, when the disc cartridge 1 is closed, as shown in FIGS. The protrusion 33 'of the elastic piece 33 for locking is fitted to'. Thereby, the closed state of the disk cartridge 1 is maintained. On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 3B and 3D, when the disc cartridge 1 is opened, the elastic piece 33 has the base as a fulcrum by pressing the locking elastic piece 33 in the direction of the arrow AR3. Due to elastic deformation, the protrusion 33 ′ is disengaged from the hole 23 ′ of the locking portion 23. Thereby, the engagement between the upper case 2 and the lower case 3 is released. Note that the protrusion 33 ′ and the locking portion 23 are tapered so that the portions that first contact each other spread toward the outer surface of the case. Thus, when the disc cartridge 1 is closed, the protrusion 33 ′ slides on the inner wall of the locking portion 23 and is easily fitted into the hole 23 ′. Once the projection 33 ′ is fitted into the hole 23 ′, the projection 33 ′ cannot be pulled out from the hole 23 ′ unless the elastic piece 33 is urged as shown in FIG. They are locking each other.
[0019]
[Storing / removing discs in the disc cartridge]
Next, storage and removal of the disk 5 from the disk cartridge 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 4A is a diagram showing a state in which the disk 5 is stored with the upper case 2 and the lower case 3 of the disk cartridge 1 being opened. The disk 5 is placed on the lower case 3 using the inner wall portion of the rib 39 where the outer peripheral end of the disk 5 is formed on the lower case 3 and the rib 39 on which the elastic piece 33 for locking is formed as a guide (arrow AR4). . Next, the upper case 2 is superposed on the lower case 3 while rotating in the direction of the arrow AR4 ′ about the hinge 7 as a rotation axis. As described above, the protrusion 33 ′ of the locking elastic piece 33 of the lower case 3 is engaged with the hole 23 ′ of the locking portion 23 of the upper case 2, so that the disk cartridge 1 is closed. As a result, the disk 5 is stored in the disk cartridge 1 as shown in FIG.
[0020]
When the disk 5 is removed from the cartridge 1, as shown in FIG. 5A, the locking elastic piece 33 of the disk cartridge 1 in which the disk 5 is stored is pressed in the direction of the arrow AR 5 that is the inner direction of the disk cartridge 1. To do. As a result, the protrusion 33 ′ of the lower case 3 that has been engaged with the locking portion 23 of the upper case 2 as described above moves toward the center of the disk cartridge, and the protrusion 33 ′ moves from the hole 23 ′ of the locking portion 23. The upper case 2 and the lower case 3 are disengaged from each other. Next, the upper case 2 is rotated around the hinge 7 to be detached from the lower case 3 and the disk cartridge 1 is opened. In this state, the disk 5 stored in the disk cartridge 1 can be easily removed.
[0021]
[Inserting the disc cartridge into the information recording / reproducing device]
Next, the insertion of the disk cartridge 1 into the information recording / reproducing apparatus will be described with reference to FIG. The disc cartridge 1 can be changed in its insertion direction in accordance with the information recording / reproducing apparatus to be used. As shown in FIG. 6, a flat portion 61 parallel to the center plane AX is formed on the outer peripheral portion of the disk cartridge 1. When the disc cartridge 1 is inserted into an information recording / reproducing apparatus (not shown) from the side where the bridges 21 and 31 are formed (in the direction of the arrow AR6), the flat portion 61 functions as a guide when the disc cartridge 1 is inserted. Thereby, the disc cartridge 1 can be reliably inserted into the information recording / reproducing apparatus. Further, flat portions 62 and 63 are formed in the vicinity of the hinge 7 of the disc cartridge 1 and in the vicinity of the joint portion of the bridges 21 and 31, respectively. These flat portions 62 and 63 are formed so as to be orthogonal to the surface AX and parallel to the surface BX passing through the center X of the disk cartridge 1. When the disc cartridge 1 is inserted into the information recording / reproducing apparatus in one direction of the surface BX (the direction of the arrow AR6 ′), these flat portions 62 and 63 can be used as a guide.
[0022]
In the disk cartridge 1 in this embodiment, the total length a of the disk cartridge in the direction along the surface AX is 85.0 mm, and the total length of the disk cartridge in the direction along the surface BX, that is, the width b between the flat portions 61 is 80. The length c in the direction along the surface AX between the hinge 7 and the flat part 63 was 5 mm, and the length c was 78.5 mm. The disc cartridge 1 has a substantially circular shape, and the curvature of the bridge 21 and the vicinity thereof and the vicinity of the flat portion 61 are different in order to provide the above-mentioned locking portion (23) and the locking elastic piece (33). It is formed with a radius. The radius of curvature R ₁ of the outer periphery of the disk cartridge in the vicinity of the bridge 21 and the radius of curvature R ₄ of the outer periphery of the disk cartridge in the vicinity of the hinge 7 are 49.7 mm, the radius of curvature R _{2 of the} outer periphery of the disk cartridge in the vicinity of the flat portion 61 and Each R ₃ was formed to be 41.6 mm. The length d along the surface AX of the flat portion 61 is 29.5 mm, the length e along the surface BX of the flat portion 62 is 19.8 mm, and the direction along the surface BX of the flat portion 63 The length f is 4.9 mm, and the width g in the in-plane direction of the bridge 21 is 6.6 mm. The length d of the flat portion 61 is 34.7% of the length a in the direction along the surface AX of the disk cartridge 1. In the present embodiment, it is desirable that the disk cartridge is formed so that the ratio (d / a) is in the range of 30 to 40%. When this ratio is in the range of 30 to 40%, it is more preferable to reduce the size of the disk cartridge while using the flat portion 61 as a guide.
[0023]
Further, the opening width h in the direction along the surface BX in the opening 30 of the disk cartridge 1 was formed to be 39.2 mm. The bridge 21 (or 31) has a thickness i of 2.4 mm, which is about half as thin as the thickness j of the disk cartridge 1 = 5.2 mm. By forming the bridge portion thinner than the thickness of the disc cartridge, erroneous insertion of the disc cartridge 1 into the information recording / reproducing apparatus can be prevented. Specifically, the depth of the insertion portion of the disk cartridge or the shape of the insertion opening in the information recording / reproducing apparatus is made to have a structure that can accept only the thickness of the bridge 21 (or 31). As a result, even if the disk cartridge 1 is to be inserted in the front-rear direction or the left-right direction, the disk cartridge cannot be installed at the final installation position, or the disk cartridge itself cannot be inserted into the insertion slot. Insertion can be reliably prevented. Considering the purpose of preventing such erroneous insertion and the mechanical strength of the bridge, the thickness of the bridge is preferably adjusted to 30 to 60% with respect to the maximum thickness of the disk cartridge 1. When the disc cartridge 1 in this embodiment is inserted into an information recording / reproducing apparatus (not shown), the recording / reproducing head of the information recording / reproducing apparatus is inserted from the bridge 21 (or 31) side.
[0024]
As shown in FIG. 6, elongated hole-shaped alignment holes 65, 65 ′ and a perfect circular location hole 67 can be provided on the surface near the outer peripheral portion of the disk cartridge 1. The alignment hole 65 is formed such that the long axis is arranged in the plane AX direction. The alignment hole 65 ′ is formed such that the long axis is arranged in the direction of the surface BX. These alignment holes 65, 65 'and location hole 67 are provided for positioning the disk cartridge 1 in the information recording / reproducing apparatus when the disk cartridge 1 is inserted into the information recording / reproducing apparatus. When the disc cartridge 1 is inserted into the information recording / reproducing apparatus, the reference pins provided in the information recording / reproducing apparatus respectively corresponding to the alignment holes 65, 65 ′ and the location hole 67 are aligned with the alignment holes 65, 65 ′ and the location holes. The disc cartridge 1 is positioned by being fitted into the hole 67.
[0025]
In the above embodiment, the disk cartridge has a substantially circular shape. However, it is sufficient that a part of the outer shape of the disk cartridge has a curved surface portion substantially along the outer peripheral shape of the disk. The part may be fan-shaped or semicircular.
[0026]
In the above-described embodiment, the upper case 2 and the lower case 3 that are separately molded are connected via the hinge 7, but the hinge portion may be formed by integral molding together with the upper case and the lower case in advance. As a result, the number of parts becomes 1, and the manufacturing process can be simplified and the assembly process can be omitted.
[0027]
In the above embodiment, both the upper case 2 and the lower case 3 are provided with openings. However, in the case of a medium for recording / reproducing information from only one side of the disk, either the upper case 2 or the lower case 3 is used. You may make it provide an opening part only in a surface.
[0028]
In the above embodiment, the engaging portion for engaging the upper case 2 and the lower case 3 is provided in the vicinity of the bridge at a position facing the hinge. However, the position of the engaging portion is arbitrary if the engaging portion is not easily released. It is. Further, the mechanism of the engaging portion is not limited to the arm type structure described above, and can take various forms such as a pin and a hole. The number of engaging portions is not limited to two, and may be one, or two or more, for example, three or four. When the number of the engaging parts is one, for example, the engaging part may be provided on the bridge, or the rotating shaft may be provided near both ends of the bridge, and the engaging part may be provided on the opposite side of the bridge.
[0029]
【The invention's effect】
The disc cartridge of the present invention is formed in a substantially circular shape and has a simple structure without a shutter and a disc holder. Therefore, the disc cartridge is small in size and has a small number of parts, and the production process can be simplified and the production cost can be reduced. Further, since the disk can be easily stored in the disk cartridge, the risk of handling problems can be eliminated.
[0030]
The disc cartridge of the present invention is assembled with a hinge and two engaging portions, and prevents the cartridge from being opened by an external impact. Moreover, since this cartridge is a thin plate molded product made of a synthetic resin such as polycarbonate, it prevents deformation such as lifting and warping of the end face.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1A is a six-sided view showing a disk cartridge in an embodiment of the present invention. (B) is sectional drawing of the AA line of the disk cartridge of (a). (C) is an enlarged view of the A ′ portion of (b).
2A is a six-sided view of an upper case constituting the disc cartridge of FIG. 1, and FIG. 2B is a diagram showing a lower case constituting the disc cartridge of FIG.
FIGS. 3A and 3B are enlarged views of the vicinity of the engaging portion of the disk cartridge, and FIGS. 3C and 3D are BB lines corresponding to FIGS. FIG.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state in which a disc is stored in a disc cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing how a disk is taken out from the disk cartridge in the embodiment of the present invention. (B) is an enlarged view of a portion A ″ in (a).
FIG. 6 is a diagram used for explaining the insertion of the disk cartridge into the information recording / reproducing apparatus in the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a conventional disk cartridge for an information recording medium.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Disc cartridge 2 Upper case 3 Lower case 5 Disc 7 Hinge 20,30 Opening part 21,31 Bridge 23 Locking part 23 'Hole 25 Concave part 27, 37 Rib 33 Locking elastic piece 35 Convex part 35' Protrusion 65, 65 ' Alignment hole 67 Location hole 100 Cartridge case 101 Disc holder 102 Disc 103 Opening 104 Shutter 108 Disc holding part AX, BX Center plane

Claims (12)

A disc cartridge for receiving an information recording disc and inserting it into an information recording / reproducing apparatus for recording and / or reproducing information,
An upper case having a first engagement portion;
A lower case that has a second engaging portion that can be engaged with the first engaging portion and that overlaps the upper case to partition the disc housing portion;
A movable part provided on the upper case and / or the lower case and relatively rotating the upper case and the lower case;
The upper case and the lower case are each formed in a substantially circular shape, and a pair of first flat portions provided in parallel to each other at opposite positions of the substantially circular outer peripheral portion, and orthogonal to the first flat portion And a pair of second flat portions parallel to each other, and the first flat portion or the second flat portion functions as a guide when the disc cartridge is inserted into the information recording / reproducing apparatus,
An interval between one set of flat portions of the set of first flat portions and the set of second flat portions is shorter than the diameter of the disk,
A disc cartridge comprising an opening on at least one surface of an upper case or a lower case.   At least one of the upper case and the lower case has a plurality of ribs formed by substantially concentric cylindrical surfaces surrounding the disk, and the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion are formed outside the ribs. The disk cartridge according to claim 1.   3. The disc cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion are provided on the same surface as the outer peripheral surface of the disc cartridge or on the inner side of the outer peripheral surface.   The disc cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion are provided on the opposite side of the movable portion with respect to the center of the disc cartridge.   5. The disc cartridge according to claim 4, wherein two sets of first engaging portions and second engaging portions are provided.   6. The two sets of first engagement portions and second engagement portions are provided substantially symmetrically with respect to a plane passing through the center of the disk cartridge and orthogonal to the movable portion. Disc cartridge as described in 1.   The disk cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the opening is opened so as to communicate a central portion of the information recording disk with an information recording surface.   The disk cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein a bridge is provided at an end of the upper case and the lower case where the opening is formed.   9. The disk cartridge according to claim 8, wherein the bridge has a thickness smaller than that of the disk cartridge.   The disk cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the upper case, the lower case, and the movable portion are formed by integral molding. The disc cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein a set of flat portions shorter than a diameter of the disc functions as a guide when the disc cartridge is inserted into an information recording / reproducing apparatus. The disc cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 11, further comprising the information recording disc accommodated therein.

Images