JPH07262766A - Drive system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To efficiently cool a drive system and to prevent dust from entering thereinto by properly informing a user of the time of exchanging or cleaning a filter. CONSTITUTION:A current is supplied from a power source 3 to an optical disk drive 2 and a cooling fan 4, and the power source 3 and the optical disk drive 2 generating heat are cooled by applying air taken in through a filter 5 by the cooling fan 4. In the optical disk device 1, a total time in which the optical drive 2 is driven by the power source 3 is measured by a timer 6 cumulatively, and when the total time exceeds a preset prescribed time, a host computer 9 connected to the optical disk device 1 is informed of the message thereof.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a stand-alone drive system such as an optical disc device, a magneto-optical disc device and a magnetic disc device, a library system incorporating an optical disc drive, and a drive system incorporated in a computer. In various drive systems, the present invention relates to a means for appropriately exchanging a power supply of these drive systems and a filter required when air-cooling a drive body by the air cooling means.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a drive system such as an optical disk device, a considerable amount of heat is generated by a drive body and a power source, and a cooling fan or the like is often used to suppress the heat generation. The cooling fan takes in air from the outside and air-cools it by applying it to a heat source, but the outside air probably contains dust, and when this dust enters the drive system, information of Misreading may occur.

Therefore, it is necessary to suppress the invasion of these dusts by some method, and a simple method for this purpose is to provide a filter at the intake of outside air (see Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 3-56960). ). When using the filter, note that dust adheres to the filter itself, which causes the cooling efficiency in the drive system to decrease over time, and the effectiveness of dust intrusion prevention will disappear. There is a need. For this reason, after the user has used the drive system for a certain period of time, the user must appropriately replace the filter and clean the dust adhering to the filter.

[0004]

However, since these replacements and cleanings are not necessary to be performed so frequently, it is often forgotten by the user that the replacements or the like will not be carried out for a considerably long period of time, or the reverse will occur. In addition, there are cases where replacements are performed many times over a short period of time.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and it is an object of the present invention to promptly replace or clean the filter so as to improve the efficiency of cooling and the effectiveness of preventing dust from entering.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a power source, a drive body driven by the power source, air cooling means driven by the power source, and air-cooling the power source and the drive body. In a drive system having a filter for purifying air taken in from the outside during air cooling by the air cooling means, and performing any one or more of recording, reproduction, and erasing of information in a storage medium, the drive body is driven by a power supply. The timer includes a timer for accumulating and counting different times, and a message notifying means for notifying a message when a predetermined time is counted by the timer.

Further, the timer may accumulate and count the time when the air cooling means is driven by the power supply.

[0008]

According to the present invention, the time when the drive body is driven by the power source is accumulated and counted by the timer, and when the preset predetermined time is counted, the message is notified by the message notifying means.

Further, the time when the air-cooling means is driven by the power source is accumulated and counted by the timer, and when the predetermined time is counted, the message is similarly notified by the message notifying means.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. First, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an optical disk device which is a drive system common to each embodiment of the present invention.

Optical disk device 1 which is a drive system
When an optical disk 8 which is a storage medium is mounted in the housing 7, an optical disk drive 2 which is a drive main body for recording, reproducing or erasing information on the optical disk 8 and the optical disk drive 2 A power supply 3 for supplying a current to the drive 2, a cooling fan 4 which is an air-cooling means for receiving an electric current from the power supply 3 and cooling the optical disk drive 2 and the power supply 3 from the outside, and an external cooling fan 4 during air cooling. It is provided with a filter 5 for purifying the air taken in, and a timer 6 for measuring the time when the optical disk drive 2 and the cooling fan 4 are driven by the power supply 3, and the host computer 9 via the I / F cable 10.
It is connected to the.

Here, the filter 5 is provided on the front surface of the housing into which the optical disk 8 is inserted and ejected, and the cooling fan 4 is provided on the rear surface of the housing. Air is taken in through the filter 5 by the rotation of the cooling fan 4, and the arrow The air is flown in the direction to cool the inside of the optical disk device 1, especially the optical disk drive 2 and the power source 3. The filter 5 is, for example,
It is arranged between an opening for inserting and ejecting the optical disk 8 and a shutter (not shown) for closing the opening.

The air cooling means is not limited to the cooling fan,
Anything that can take in air from the outside may be used.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the circuit configuration of the timer 6 in this embodiment. Here, the timer in the first embodiment will be referred to as the timer 6a, and the timer in the second embodiment described later will be referred to as the timer 6b.

The timer 6a cumulatively measures the total time when the optical disk drive 2 is driven by the power supply 3, more strictly, the time when the power supply voltage is equal to or higher than a predetermined value. The timer 6a stores a voltage detector 61 that detects the voltage of the power supply 3 that drives the optical disk drive 2, a counter 62 that can count when the output of the voltage detector 61 is at or above a predetermined level, and the output of the counter 62. A register 63, a write strobe signal generator 64 that outputs a write strobe signal to the register 63, and a counter 6
2, register 63 and write strobe signal generator 64
Battery 65 for supplying a current to the first switch (SW
1) 66. Then, using the controller 21 provided in the optical disc drive 2, data is read from the register 63 as necessary,
Data is loaded into the counter 62.

In the timer 6a thus configured, when the power source 3 is turned on, the controller 21 first sends a read strobe signal to the register 63, and the register 6
Read the value stored in 3. Then, after that, a load signal is sent to the counter 62, and the read value is loaded into the counter 62. When the power supply voltage becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined value, the output signal level of the voltage detector 61 changes and the counter 62 becomes countable. Therefore, the counter 62 counts the clock signal with the value loaded from the controller 21 as the initial value. To do.

On the other hand, when the power supply 3 is turned off and the power supply voltage falls below a predetermined value, the output signal level of the voltage detector 61 changes, and in response to this, the write strobe signal generator 6 is changed.
A write strobe signal from 4 is sent to the register 63. As a result, the current count value of the counter 62 is stored in the register 63.

Here, the first switch 66 is the voltage detector 6
When the power supply 3 is turned on and the power supply voltage is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, the power supply 3 is turned off, and when the power supply 3 is turned off and the power supply voltage is equal to or lower than the predetermined value, the power supply 3 is closed.
The register 63 has a battery 6 even if the power is off.
It is possible to receive a constant current supply from 5, and hold the value of the register. In this embodiment, the count value is held in the register 63 when the power supply 3 is turned off. However, a non-volatile memory can be used instead of the register 63. The count value may be held without receiving the current supply.

By the above series of operations, the time when the optical disk drive 2 is driven can be cumulatively measured, but when the power supply 3 is turned on, the value stored in the register 63 by the controller 21 is checked, If the value is equal to or larger than the predetermined value, the host computer 9 is notified of the message via the I / F cable 10.

As described above, every time the power source 3 is turned on, it is checked whether the total time the optical disk drive 2 has been driven up to the present time exceeds a predetermined value set in advance, and the total time is set to the predetermined value. When it exceeds the limit, the fact is notified to the host computer 9, so that the computer 9
The user can easily know the replacement or cleaning timing of the filter 5 by displaying a message prompting the user to check the filter on the display.

When the user properly replaces or cleans the filter 5, it is necessary to reset the cumulative count number. This can be done by a command from the host computer 9 or by the optical disc apparatus 1. This is performed by operating a reset switch (not shown) provided on a part of the housing 7. Here, the reset switch may be one that is automatically turned on and off when the filter 5 is replaced.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The schematic structure of the optical disk device used in this embodiment is as shown in FIG. 1 similarly to the first embodiment described above. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the circuit configuration of the timer 6b in this embodiment. Timer 6b in this embodiment
Is the total time that the cooling fan 4 is driven by the power supply 3,
Similar to the timer 6a according to the first embodiment, the time during which the power supply voltage is equal to or higher than a predetermined value is cumulatively measured.

This embodiment is applied to an optical disk device in which the cooling fan 4 is intermittently driven under the control of the controller 21, and specifically, as shown in FIG. The second switch (SW2) 67 is opened / closed by the control signal sent to the power source 3
It is intended for an optical disk device in which the current supplied to the cooling fan 4 from ON to OFF is turned on and off.

The timer 6b in this embodiment enables the counter 62 to count according to the level change of the control signal sent from the controller 21 to the second switch 67, and the power supply voltage supplied to the cooling fan 4 is equal to or more than a predetermined value. I try to count the time that has become.
Note that the operation itself is the same as that of the first embodiment described above, except for the signals that can be counted.

Since the total time during which the cooling fan 4 is driven is measured in this way, even if the cooling fan 4 is controlled by the controller 21 to be driven intermittently, dust is not attached to the filter 5. It is possible to inform the user of a more appropriate timing of replacement or cleaning of the filter 5 based on the driving time of the cooling fan 4 having a direct relationship.

Although the embodiment in which the present invention is applied to the optical disk device has been described, the invention can be applied to a computer as well as a stand-alone drive system such as a magneto-optical disk device, a magnetic disk device, and a library system having an optical disk drive and the like built therein. The present invention can be similarly applied to a built-in drive system.

[0027]

As described above, according to the present invention, the cumulative time in which the drive main body is driven by the power source is counted, and when it reaches a predetermined time, a message to that effect is sent to the host computer. Therefore, it is possible to notify the user of the proper time to replace or clean the filter. Then, if the user appropriately replaces or cleans the filter according to this instruction, it is possible to improve the efficiency of cooling and improve the effectiveness of preventing dust from entering.

Further, when counting the cumulative time in which the air cooling means is driven, not the time in which the drive body is driven, even if the air cooling means is controlled to be driven intermittently, Since the drive time of the air-cooling means, which has a direct relationship with dust adhesion, is counted, it is possible to inform the user of a more suitable time to replace or clean the filter.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an optical disk device which is a drive system common to each embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a circuit configuration of a timer 6a in the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is also a diagram showing a circuit configuration of a timer 6b in the second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Optical Disk Device 2 Optical Disk Drive 3 Power Supply 4 Cooling Fan 5 Filter 6 Timer 7 Housing 8 Optical Disk 9 Host Computer 10 I / F Cable

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A power source, a drive body driven by the power source, air cooling means driven by the power source to air cool the power source and the drive body, and air taken from outside during air cooling by the air cooling means. In a drive system having a filter for performing one or more of recording, reproducing, and erasing of information on a storage medium, a timer for accumulating and counting the time when the drive body is driven by the power source, And a message notification means for notifying a message when a predetermined time is counted by the timer. 2. The drive system according to claim 1, wherein the timer is a timer that accumulates and counts the time when the air cooling unit is driven by the power supply.