JPH01189085A - Cartridge for optical information storage medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To recognize a storage quantity or a residual quantity from the outside of a cartridge by forming the cartridge to accommodate an optical information storage medium with members to transmit light. CONSTITUTION:Cartridge disk 1 is formed by accommodating an optical disk 3 inside a cartridge 5. The disk 3 is formed into a disk-shape with resins such as polycarbonate and polyolefin excellent for heat resistance and optical characteristics, and an one surface of the disk body, for example, a tellurium type storage layer is formed. The cartridge 5 is formed into a flat box body by the resin, and an opening part 7a and a metallic shutter 7 are provided at the upper side center part in a radial direction. Further, at the specific position of the cartridge 5, a window 9 is provided at the position facing the storage area of the disk 3, and the window 9 is formed with the members to transmit the light. Thus, the storage quantity or the residual quantity can be recognized from the outside of the cartridge.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Object of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to a cartridge for accommodating an optical information storage medium such as an optical disk in which information is optically stored.
In particular, the present invention relates to a cartridge for an optical information storage medium in which the memory 4 stored in the optical information storage medium or the remaining capacity can be recognized from the outside of the cartridge.

(Prior Art) In recent years, optical information storage media that store information using optical means have been used as storage media for devices that handle huge amounts of information, such as image information storage and retrieval devices, music or video playback devices, etc. Optical discs are widely used.

This optical disc is usually used in a form housed in a resin cartridge (hereinafter referred to as a cartridge disc) in order to protect the optical disc from dust and external forces.

In addition, when using a cartridge disk containing such an optical disk in the cartridge, a shutter configured to open and close the cartridge is mechanically activated within the optical disk device when it is inserted into an optical disk device as a storage/reproducing device. is moved to expose a portion of the optical disc so that information can be stored or reproduced optically.

Furthermore, in recent years, as such optical information storage media, not only so-called read-only type optical discs, which are used exclusively for reproducing information, but also so-called write-once type optical discs, which can perform additional storage as needed, have been used. Alternatively, optical information storage media such as so-called rewritable optical disks are being researched and developed, in which previously stored portions can be erased and new information can be stored overlappingly.

With such optical discs and optical disc devices that can be added or rewritten, when new information is to be stored on the optical disc again using this optical disc device, the storage layer or remaining information that has already been stored on this optical disc must be replaced. The capacity and the like are read from a management information area provided in advance on an optical disk or the like, and the read information is displayed on a display device such as a CRT display.

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) However, as described above, when a conventional cartridge disk is loaded into a disk device and is not operated, the amount of memory already stored on the optical disk or the amount that can be further stored, that is, the remaining capacity, etc. unable to recognize,
Therefore, even if one simply wants to check the remaining capacity, the cartridge disk must be reset into the disk device to display the remaining capacity, etc., making this operation extremely troublesome.

The present invention has been made in view of the above, and it is possible to easily and reliably check the amount of storage or remaining capacity stored in an optical information storage medium such as an optical disk without using a disk device or the like for storage and playback. An object of the present invention is to provide a cartridge for an optical information storage medium that can be used to store information.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a cartridge that houses an optical information storage medium in which information is optically stored, and is formed of a member that transmits light. , the optical information storage medium can be recognized from the outside.

(Function) According to the present invention, an optical information storage medium in which information is optically stored is housed in a cartridge in which part or all of the cartridge is formed of a member that transmits light so that it can be recognized from the outside. Optical information storage media has different light reflectance between areas where information is stored and areas where no information is stored. can be easily recognized from the outside of the cartridge.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, a cartridge disk 1 is formed by housing an optical disk 3 inside a cartridge 5. As shown in FIG.

The optical disk 3 is formed into a disk shape using a resin such as polycarbonate or polyolefin that has excellent heat resistance and optical properties, and a memory layer made of, for example, tellurium is formed on one side of the disk. Ru.

The cartridge 5 is made of resin with excellent moldability and mechanical strength, and is formed into a flat box large enough to rotatably accommodate the optical disc 3. Opening 7 for exposing the optical disc 3
A is provided in front of the opening, and a metal shutter 7 is provided on the front surface of the opening to cover the opening so as to be openable and closable.

That is, when the cartridge 1-ridge disk 1 is inserted into the optical disk device, the shutter 7 slides in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. I try to make them face each other.

Further, a window 9 is provided at a specific position of the cartridge 5, for example, at a position in the radial direction of the optical disc 3 and facing the storage area of the optical disc 3. This window 9 forms a part of the cassette 1-5 as shown in FIG. 2, and protects the optical disc 3 by preventing dust from entering from the outside. Further, the window 9 is formed of a material that transmits light, so that the optical disc 3 can be illuminated from the outside.

Further, the optical disk device (not shown) is provided with an optical head for storing information on or reproducing information from the optical disk 3. This optical head includes a semiconductor laser, a collimator lens, an objective lens, a prism, a driving device for driving the objective lens, a photodetector, and the like.

By irradiating the laser on the track of the optical disk 3 with light through the semiconductor laser, collimator lens, prism, and objective lens of this optical head and applying a magnetic field, information can be stored, for example, in the form of a coded signal. ing.

In addition, when reproducing information stored on the optical disc 3, a certain reproduction light is irradiated onto the optical disc 3, and the polarization plane or reflectance of the reflected light from the optical disc 3 of the irradiated light is detected by a photodetector. By detecting the optical disc 3
Replay information stored in .

Next, to explain how to check the remaining capacity of the optical disc, of the storage area of the optical disc 3, the storage area where information is already stored changes its optical characteristics as the information is stored, so the remaining area where no information is stored. Since the reflectance of light on each area surface is different, the brightness visually feels different between the storage area and the remaining capacity. Therefore, window 9
The capacity of the storage area of the optical disc 3, the capacity of the remaining area, etc. can be easily recognized from outside the cartridge 5 through this.

In addition, by providing a plurality of scales M on the window 9, the residual sound
This makes confirmation even easier. The scale M is provided to indicate, for example, the total storage capacity of the optical disc 3 at regular intervals.

Specifically, as mentioned above, the size of the cartridge 5 is formed to be slightly larger than the size of the optical disk 3, and the optical disk 3 has some freedom to move vertically and horizontally within the car 1 to the carriage 5. have a degree.

Therefore, when the cartridge disk 1 is erected in a predetermined direction, for example, when the shutter 7 is erected so that the sliding direction of the shutter 7 is horizontal as shown by arrow A in FIG. It is formed so as to correspond to the interval of the scale M provided on the window 9.

Furthermore, if a marker such as a header is formed on the disc surface of the optical disc 3 for each of a plurality of blocks having a predetermined storage capacity, if a scale M is provided for each predetermined number of headers, this scale By checking the number of headers existing between M, it is possible to more accurately check the storage capacity already stored on the optical disc 3 or the remaining capacity.

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment according to the present invention,
The example shown in FIG. 3 is characterized in that the entire cartridge for accommodating the optical disc 3 is made of a material that transmits light, such as a semitransparent material.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the storage capacity ω and remaining capacity of the optical disc 3 can be easily confirmed from the front and back sides of the cartridge disc 1.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

In the embodiment shown in FIG.
A plurality of scales M are formed at predetermined positions on the shutter 7, for example, in the radial direction of the optical disc 3 and at positions facing the storage area of the optical disc 3, and a window 9a is formed near and parallel to the shutter 7. It is characterized in that it is provided.

That is, as shown in FIG. 4, the scale M provided on the shutter 7 is formed on a radius passing through the center of the optical disc 3. Further, a window 9a formed of a material that transmits light is formed along the straight line of the scale M of the shutter 7.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the scale M is provided on the shutter 7 and the scale M is formed on a radius passing through the center of the optical disc 3. It is possible to more accurately recognize the storage capacity or remaining capacity.

Although each of the above-mentioned embodiments has been described with respect to one side of the cartridge, it goes without saying that when the optical disc is a double-sided type, the same configuration can be applied to the back side as well.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the present invention, since the cartridge for accommodating the optical information storage medium is formed of a member that transmits light, information that has already been stored in the optical information storage medium can be used. It is possible to easily and reliably confirm the memory borrowing or residual sound Buddha from the outside of the car.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a partial sectional view showing the main part of Fig. 1 in detail, and Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention. 4 are explanatory diagrams showing other embodiments of the present invention. 3... Optical disc 5... Cartridge 9...
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Claims (1)

[Claims] Optical information storage, characterized in that a cartridge containing an optical information storage medium in which information is optically stored is formed of a light-transmissive member, so that the optical information storage medium can be recognized from the outside. media cartridge.