JPH0917141A - Disc cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To improve slipperiness of a member, prevent the generation of friction dust and reduce errors at the recording/reproducing time, by coating surfaces of a shutter, a half and a slider with a silicone resin or a fluororesin. CONSTITUTION: A silicone resin paint or a fluororesin paint is applied onto surfaces of a shutter, a half and a slider by a general application method, e.g. spray coating, dipping, brush painting, etc., which are left at room temperature. As the result, the shutter, half and slider with the resin-set film thereon are obtained. The disc cartridge is formed by using the parts. Although thickness of the film formed on the surfaces of the parts it not particularly limited, 0.1-50μm is preferable.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an improvement of a disk cartridge containing a disk-shaped recording medium such as a magnetic disk, a magneto-optical disk and an optical disk.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, magnetic disks, magneto-optical disks,
A disc-shaped recording medium such as an optical disc (hereinafter, abbreviated as “disc”) has a hard case formed of synthetic resin or the like in order to prevent damage to the recorded content due to scratches on the recording surface. It is used as a disk cartridge stored in.

The case for accommodating the disk of the disk cartridge is generally composed of a pair of halves made of a thermoplastic resin, and at least one of the halves of the pair is a drive for rotating the accommodated disk. At least one of an opening for inserting a shaft and an opening for inserting a head for recording, reproducing or erasing information is formed.

This disk cartridge is equipped with a shutter that opens and closes at least one of these openings in association with insertion into or removal from a recording / reproducing apparatus. When not in use, this shutter closes these openings. The entry of dust and the like through the openings is prevented. Further, when the disc cartridge is inserted into the recording / reproducing apparatus, the opening is opened in conjunction with this, so that the information signal can be recorded while the disc is housed in the cartridge.
It can be played or erased. The shutter may be directly slidably attached to the end of the case, but in many cases the shutter is attached to the case via a slider in order to stabilize the movement of the shutter.

[0005]

A metal shutter made of stainless steel or the like is often used for such a disk cartridge, but when the metal shutter is attached to a case made of a resin such as polycarbonate or ABS. Since the surface hardness of the case and the shutter is very different, if the shutter is repeatedly opened and closed, the surface of the case is scraped by the shutter, which induces dust generation from the cartridge and the generated dust adheres to the recording surface of the disc. However, there is a problem that an error occurs during the recording and reproducing of.

For the purpose of protecting the surface of the metallic shutter, it is preferable to coat the surface of the shutter with an ultraviolet curable resin or a thermosetting polyester resin, a thermosetting epoxy resin or a thermosetting polyacrylic resin. −
Although disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 10379 or Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 4-67255, a coating film made of these resins is mainly used for protection such as printing on the surface of a metallic shutter, and therefore polycarbonate, ABS, etc. constituting a case. Compared with the thermoplastic resin of No. 1, the surface hardness is hard and the slipperiness of the surface is small, so that it is insufficient as a means for preventing dust generation due to rubbing with the case.

An object of the present invention is to provide a disk cartridge in which dust is not generated due to friction between the shutter and the case by reducing the surface hardness of the shutter and improving the sliding property.

On the other hand, the pair of halves constituting the case of the above-mentioned disc cartridge are usually made of polycarbonate,
It is manufactured by precision molding a thermoplastic resin such as ABS by a molding method such as injection molding. However, since these resins have a large coefficient of friction and small slipperiness, opening / closing of shutters, movement of sliders or light protectors are performed. If a malfunction such as squeaking occurs when the disc is moved, dust is generated due to friction when the shutter is opened or closed, or when the disc cartridge is attached to or removed from the recording / reproducing device, and the generated dust adheres to the recording surface of the disc. However, there is a problem that an error occurs when recording / reproducing information.

Further, the slider used in the above-mentioned disc cartridge is usually manufactured by precision molding a thermoplastic resin such as polycarbonate or polyacetal by a molding method such as injection molding. These resins have a friction coefficient. Is large and the slipperiness is small, malfunctions such as squeaks occur when the slider moves when the shutter is opened or closed, and dust is generated due to rubbing with the half surface that forms the case, and the generated dust is stored. There is a problem that the recording medium adheres to the recording surface of the disc and an error occurs when recording and reproducing information.

According to the present invention, the friction coefficient of the surfaces of the halves and sliders constituting the case of the disk cartridge is made small and the sliding property is improved so that the shutter, the slider, the light protector and the like can be operated smoothly. It is an object of the present invention to provide a disc cartridge in which dust is prevented from being rubbed by a slider or the like.

[0011]

In order to achieve the above object, in the disk cartridge of the present invention, a disk-shaped recording medium is rotatably housed in a case made of a thermoplastic resin and the case is constructed. At least one of the pair of halves is provided with at least one of a drive shaft insertion opening for rotating the recording medium and a head insertion opening for recording, reproducing or erasing information, and these openings are provided. In a disk cartridge having a shutter for opening and closing at least one of the above, the surface of the shutter is coated with silicone resin or fluororesin. Further, in the disc cartridge of the present invention, the surface of the half is covered with a silicone resin or a fluororesin.

Further, in the disc cartridge of the present invention, a disc-shaped recording medium is rotatably accommodated in a case made of a thermoplastic resin, and the recording medium is provided in at least one of a pair of halves constituting the case. Record the opening and information for inserting the drive shaft for rotating,
A disk cartridge having at least one opening for inserting a head for reproducing or erasing, and a shutter for opening and closing at least one of these openings and a slider for slidably holding the shutter. In, the surface of the slider is coated with silicone resin or fluororesin.

The coating of the surface of the shutter, the surface of the half or the surface of the slider with the silicone resin or the fluororesin in the present invention is at least another component of the disk cartridge or the recording / reproducing apparatus among all the surfaces. It suffices that the part that rubs against is covered, but other parts may be similarly covered.

As described above, even when a shutter made of metal such as stainless steel is used by coating the surface of the shutter with a silicone resin or a fluororesin, the space between the shutter and the case of the disc cartridge is reduced. It reduces the coefficient of friction and improves its slipperiness,
Since the surface hardness of the shutter can be reduced, dust generation due to friction between the shutter and the case can be prevented, and the occurrence of errors during recording / reproduction caused by dust adhering to the recording surface of the disc can be reduced.

Further, as described above, by coating the surface of the half forming the case with the silicone resin or the fluororesin, the friction coefficient of the half surface is reduced and the sliding property is improved, so that the shutter is opened and closed. , The movement of the slider or the movement of the light protector is smooth, and it is possible to prevent malfunctions such as squeaks, and to prevent dust generation due to friction when the shutter is opened or closed or when the disc cartridge is attached to or detached from the recording / reproducing device. As a result, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of errors during recording / reproduction caused by dust adhering to the recording surface of the disc.

Further, as described above, by coating the surface of the slider with a silicone resin or a fluororesin, the coefficient of friction of the slider surface is reduced and the sliding property is improved, so that the slider can be opened or closed as the shutter is opened or closed. The movement is smooth, it is possible to prevent malfunctions such as squeaks, and dust is prevented when the shutter is opened and closed.
It is possible to reduce the occurrence of errors at the time of recording / reproduction that is caused by dust adhering to the recording surface of the disc.

In the present invention, the silicone resin forming material used for coating the surface of the shutter, half or slider includes methylphenyl silicone varnish, alkyd modified silicone varnish, polyester modified silicone varnish, methyl silicone varnish, silicone urethane varnish and the like. Examples include silicone coating paints and silicone resin paints containing diorganopolysiloxane as the main component. These paints are applied to the surface of shutters, halves or sliders, and the volatile components such as solvents contained in the paint are dried by heating. And the like, the silicone oligomer component in the coating is polymerized and cured, so that the surface of the shutter, the half or the slider can be coated with the silicone resin.

In the present invention, the fluororesin used for coating the surface of the shutter, the half or the slider is vinyl fluoride resin, vinylidene fluoride resin, tetrafluoroethylene resin, tetrafluoroethylene-hexafluoride. Fluorine resins such as propylene copolymer resin, ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene copolymer resin, ethylene-trifluorochloroethylene copolymer resin, and tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer resin are exemplified. The surface of shutters, halves or sliders is coated with a fluororesin by applying paint as a component to the surfaces of shutters, halves or sliders and removing volatile components such as solvents contained in the paints by heating and drying. can do.

The method for applying the silicone resin coating material or the fluororesin coating material in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is a coating method used in ordinary coating materials such as spray coating, dipping and brush coating. .

The thickness of the silicone resin coating or the fluororesin coating in the present invention is not particularly limited, but in order to sufficiently obtain the effect of reducing the friction coefficient, the thickness of these coatings should be 0.1 μm or more. In addition, in order to facilitate uniform application of the coating material and prevent adverse effects such as uneven film thickness, which deteriorates appearance quality and lowers product value, the film thickness of these coatings is 50 μm. The following is preferable.

Further, the coating with the silicone resin or fluororesin in the present invention is more preferably performed on all three surfaces of the shutter surface, the half surface or the slider surface, but any one of these three surfaces is preferable. Alternatively, it may be performed on only two surfaces. Further, when the above-mentioned two or three surfaces are coated with the silicone resin or the fluororesin, it is more preferable to coat with the same kind of resin, but they may be coated with different kinds of resins.

[0022]

The present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the following examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

(Example 1) A silicone resin coating containing diorganopolysiloxane as a main component on a stainless steel shutter for a 3.5-inch magneto-optical disk cartridge (trade name "Silicone Resin SR2411" manufactured by Toray Dow Corning Silicone Co., Ltd.) ]) Was spray-coated and left standing at room temperature for 1 hour to cure, thereby forming a silicone resin film with a film thickness of 3 μm on the surface of the shutter.
A disk cartridge was prepared using the shutter thus obtained, a polycarbonate case housing a 3.5-inch magneto-optical disk, and a polycarbonate slider, and a load / unload test using a drive was performed on this disk cartridge. Repeated 300,000 times.

Table 1 shows the results of measurement of the byte error rate using the drive before and after the load / unload test. No significant increase in the byte error rate was observed by the load / unload test. It was In addition,
The measurement results in Table 1 are average values for five disk cartridges. Further, after the load / unload test was completed, the contact surface between the shutter and the case was visually observed, and no dust generation due to rubbing was observed.

(Embodiment 2) A silicone resin coating containing a diorganopolysiloxane as a main component for a stainless steel shutter is carried out in exactly the same manner as in Embodiment 1 except that an ABS case is used as the case of the disk cartridge. (Toray Dow Corning Silicone Co., Ltd., trade name "Silicone resin SR2411") was applied and a disc cartridge was prepared, and the same test as in Example 1 was conducted.

Table 1 shows the average of the measured values of the byte error rate for the five disk cartridges. No significant increase in the byte error rate was observed by the load / unload test. Further, after the load / unload test was completed, the contact surface between the shutter and the case was visually observed, and no dust generation due to rubbing was observed.

(Example 3) A vinylidene fluoride resin coating material was applied by dipping to a stainless steel shutter for a 3.5-inch magneto-optical disk cartridge, and then dried at room temperature, and a fluorine film having a film thickness of 45 μm was formed on the surface of the shutter. A resin film was formed. After this, exactly as in Example 1,
A disk cartridge was manufactured by using the shutter obtained as described above, a case made of polycarbonate containing a 3.5-inch magneto-optical disk and a slider made of polycarbonate, and the same test as in Example 1 was performed.

The average value of the measured byte error rates for the five disk cartridges is shown in Table 1, but no significant increase in the byte error rate was observed by the load / unload test. Further, after the load / unload test was completed, the contact surface between the shutter and the case was visually observed, and no dust generation due to rubbing was observed.

(Example 4) A half and slider for a 3.5-inch magneto-optical disk cartridge were prepared by injection molding of a polycarbonate resin, and a silicone resin paint containing diorganopolysiloxane as a main component (Toray -A Dow Corning Silicone Co., Ltd. product name "Silicone resin SR2411") was spray-coated and left standing at room temperature for 1 hour to cure, thereby forming a silicone resin film having a thickness of 3 μm on the surface of the half. A 3.5-inch magneto-optical disk was housed in a case composed of this half and the slider, a stainless steel shutter was attached to manufacture a disk cartridge, and the same test as in Example 1 was performed on this disk cartridge. went.

The average value of the measured byte error rates for the five disk cartridges is shown in Table 1. No significant increase in the byte error rate due to the load / unload test was observed. Further, after the load / unload test was completed, the state of dust generation on the contact surface between the case and drive, the case and shutter, and the contact surface between the case and slider was visually observed, and dust generation due to rubbing was not recognized.

(Embodiment 5) A half and slider for a 3.5-inch magneto-optical disc cartridge were prepared by injection molding of a polycarbonate resin, and a vinylidene fluoride resin paint was applied to the surface of this half by dipping, and then at room temperature. It was dried to form a fluororesin film having a film thickness of 45 μm on the surface of the half. After that, a disk cartridge was manufactured in exactly the same manner as in Example 4, and the same test as in Example 1 was performed on this disk cartridge.

The average value of the measured byte error rates for the five disk cartridges is shown in Table 1. No significant increase in the byte error rate due to the load / unload test was observed. Further, after the load / unload test was completed, the state of dust generation on the contact surface between the case and drive, the case and shutter, and the contact surface between the case and slider was visually observed, and dust generation due to rubbing was not recognized.

Example 6 A half and slider for a 3.5-inch magneto-optical disc cartridge were prepared by injection molding of a polycarbonate resin, and a silicone resin paint containing diorganopolysiloxane as a main component (Toray -A silicone resin film having a thickness of 3 µm was formed on the surface of the slider by spray-coating Dow Corning Silicone, trade name "Silicone resin SR2411") and leaving it to stand at room temperature for 1 hour for curing. A 3.5-inch magneto-optical disk is stored in the case composed of this slider and the half,
Attach a stainless steel shutter to make a disc cartridge, and for this disc cartridge,
The same test as in Example 1 was performed.

The average value of the measured byte error rates for the five disk cartridges is shown in Table 1. No significant increase in the byte error rate due to the load / unload test was observed. After the load / unload test was completed, the state of dust generation on the contact surface between the case and the slider was visually observed, and dust generation due to rubbing was not recognized.

(Example 7) A half and slider for a 3.5-inch magneto-optical disk cartridge were prepared by injection molding of a polycarbonate resin, and a vinylidene fluoride resin paint was applied to the surface of this slider by dipping and then at room temperature. After drying, the film thickness on the slider surface is 45
A fluororesin coating of μm was formed. After that, a disc cartridge was produced in exactly the same manner as in Example 6, and the same test as in Example 1 was conducted on this disc cartridge.

Table 1 shows the average of the measured values of the byte error rate for five disk cartridges, but no significant increase in the byte error rate was observed by the load / unload test. After the load / unload test was completed, the state of dust generation on the contact surface between the case and the slider was visually observed, and dust generation due to rubbing was not recognized.

Comparative Example A half and a slider for a 3.5-inch magneto-optical disk cartridge were prepared by injection molding of a polycarbonate resin, and the 3.5-inch magneto-optical disk was housed in a case composed of these half and slider. A disc cartridge was manufactured by attaching a stainless steel shutter. The same test as in Example 1 was conducted on this disc cartridge.

The average value of the measured byte error rates for the five disk cartridges is shown in Table 1. An increase in the byte error rate due to the load / unload test was recognized. After the load / unload test, the contact surfaces of the case and drive, the case and shutter, and the case and slider were visually observed.
Dust was observed on these contact surfaces and the slipperiness was poor. Furthermore, dust adhesion was observed on the surface of the stored magneto-optical disk.

[0039]

[Table 1]

[0040]

According to the present invention, since the surface of the shutter is coated with the silicone resin or the fluororesin as described above, the sliding property of the shutter is improved and the surface hardness of the shutter is reduced, such as polycarbonate, ABS and the like. It is possible to prevent dust generation due to rubbing with the resin case, and it is possible to reduce the occurrence of an error at the time of recording and reproducing caused by the dust adhering to the recording surface of the housed disc.

Further, in the present invention, since the surface of the half constituting the case is coated with the silicone resin or the fluororesin as described above, the coefficient of friction of the half surface is reduced and the sliding property thereof is improved. The opening and closing of the shutter, the movement of the slider or the movement of the light protector becomes smooth, and malfunctions such as squeaks can be prevented, and it is possible to prevent the occurrence of friction when the shutter is opened or closed or when the disc cartridge is attached to or removed from the recording / reproducing device. It is possible to prevent dust and reduce the occurrence of an error at the time of recording / reproduction caused by the dust adhering to the recording surface of the contained disc.

Further, in the present invention, since the surface of the slider is coated with the silicone resin or the fluororesin as described above, the coefficient of friction of the slider surface is reduced and the sliding property is improved, so that the shutter can be opened and closed. As a result, the slider moves smoothly, and malfunctions such as squeaks can be prevented, dust is prevented when the shutter is opened and closed, and dust is attached to the recording surface of the stored disc. It is possible to reduce the occurrence of errors during recording and reproduction.

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A disk-shaped recording medium is rotatably accommodated in a case made of a thermoplastic resin, and a drive shaft for rotating the recording medium is inserted into at least one of a pair of halves constituting the case. Disc opening and a shutter for opening and closing at least one of the head insertion opening for recording, reproducing or erasing information, and the surface of the shutter. A disk cartridge, wherein the disk cartridge is coated with a silicone resin. 2. A disk-shaped recording medium is rotatably accommodated in a case made of a thermoplastic resin, and a drive shaft for rotating the recording medium is inserted into at least one of a pair of halves constituting the case. Disc opening and a shutter for opening and closing at least one of the head insertion opening for recording, reproducing or erasing information, and the surface of the shutter. A disk cartridge, wherein the disk cartridge is coated with a fluororesin. 3. A disk-shaped recording medium is rotatably accommodated in a case made of a thermoplastic resin, and a drive shaft for rotating the recording medium is inserted into at least one of a pair of halves constituting the case. Surface of said half in a disk cartridge comprising at least one opening for recording and reproducing or erasing information, and a shutter for opening and closing at least one of these openings. A disk cartridge, wherein the disk cartridge is coated with a silicone resin. 4. A disk-shaped recording medium is rotatably accommodated in a case made of a thermoplastic resin, and a drive shaft for rotating the recording medium is inserted into at least one of a pair of halves constituting the case. Surface of said half in a disk cartridge comprising at least one opening for recording and reproducing or erasing information, and a shutter for opening and closing at least one of these openings. A disk cartridge, wherein the disk cartridge is coated with a fluororesin. 5. A disk-shaped recording medium is rotatably accommodated in a case made of a thermoplastic resin, and a drive shaft for rotating the recording medium is inserted into at least one of a pair of halves constituting the case. Shutter for opening and closing at least one of these openings and a head insertion opening for recording, reproducing or erasing information, and for slidably holding the shutter And a slider, wherein the surface of the slider is coated with a silicone resin. 6. A disk-shaped recording medium is rotatably accommodated in a case made of a thermoplastic resin, and a drive shaft for rotating the recording medium is inserted into at least one of a pair of halves constituting the case. Shutter for opening and closing at least one of these openings and a head insertion opening for recording, reproducing or erasing information, and for slidably holding the shutter And a slider, wherein the surface of the slider is coated with a fluororesin.