KR100694044B1 - A cartridge retention apparatus for disk drive - Google Patents

Abstract

The cartridge lock device of the disclosed disc drive is a mechanism for guiding and locking a cartridge into a main body, the locking unit being coupled to one side of the cartridge and locked to a predetermined position as the cartridge enters, and the other side of the cartridge to one side by the locking unit. It includes a support unit that supports the entry and symmetrically supported by the force applied. According to such a configuration, since the opposite sides of the cartridge entering the disk drive are supported together to maintain a balance during the entry and withdrawal operations, it is possible to prevent an operation error due to the torsion of the cartridge.

Description

A cartridge retention apparatus for disk drive

1 is a view schematically showing a disk drive equipped with a conventional cartridge lock;

2 and 3 are views for explaining the operation of the cartridge locking device shown in FIG.

4 is a view showing a disk drive provided with a cartridge locking device according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

5 to 8 is a view showing a locking unit in the cartridge lock shown in FIG.

9 is a view showing a support unit in the cartridge locking device shown in FIG.

10 to 12 are views for explaining the operation of the cartridge lock shown in Figure 4,

13 and 14 illustrate a disk drive provided with a cartridge locking device according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

15A to 17B show a deformable example of the slider lever portion.                 

<Description of Symbols for Major Parts of Drawings>

10 ... disc cartridge 100 ... disc drive

110 ... locking unit 120 ... support unit

112,122 ... Slider 113,123 ... Spring

114.Rail member 115 ... Lace

P1 ... Initial position P2 ... Locking groove

The present invention relates to a locking device that securely locks a cartridge inserted into a disc drive and then unlocks again when taken out.

Recently, a cartridge for accommodating a disc, which is an information recording / reproducing medium, to be used in a disc drive has been widely used. Such a cartridge is locked so as not to be moved by a predetermined locking device in the disk drive so that the recording / reproducing unit of the disk drive can stably access the disk. For this purpose, a locking device as shown in FIG. 1 has been conventionally applied. . This apparatus has a structure disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 5,943,186, and as shown, a sliding lever 22 and a sliding lever 22, which are pushed to one side of the cartridge 10 and slid into the drive 50 when inserted. The race 31 is formed at the front end of the elastic piece 21 of the raceway 31 to be elastically fitted in the cutting groove (10a) of the cartridge 10 and the movement path of the post (22a) provided in the sliding lever 22 ) And a gear member 30 formed with a catch 32 for receiving and locking the post 22a when the cartridge 10 is inserted, and a spring 23 elastically biasing the sliding lever 22 to its original position. It is configured to include.

In the above configuration, when the cartridge 10 is inserted into the drive 50, the projection 21a of the elastic piece 21 is first fitted into the cutting groove 10a of the cartridge 10, and then the The tip 22b of the sliding lever 22 is pushed into the cartridge 10 and starts to move into the drive 50. Thereafter, as the cartridge 10 continues to enter, the sliding lever 22 also continues to move into the drive 50 while overcoming the elasticity of the spring 23, wherein the post 22a is a gear member (see FIG. 2). Sliding from the point a by riding the race 31 while rotating the counterclockwise 30, and moves slightly opposite by the restoring force of the spring 23 when the cartridge 10 is completed, the point b, that is, the catch ( 32). Accordingly, the cartridge 10 is coupled to the sliding lever 22 by the combination of the protrusion 21a and the ablation groove 10a, and the sliding lever 22 is caught by the catch 32 of the post 22a. Therefore, the locked state is not released.

Conversely, when removing the cartridge 10 again, the user pushes the cartridge 10 further into the drive 50. Accordingly, the sliding lever 22 coupled with the cartridge 10 is also pushed in a little more, where the post 22a is rotated at the point b with the clockwise rotation of the gear member 30 as shown in FIG. 3. It moves to point c. When the user removes the force pushing the cartridge 10 in this state, the sliding lever 22 moves the cartridge 22 together with the operation of returning the post 22a from the c point to the a point by the restoring force of the spring 23. 10) is pushed out of the drive (50). Therefore, the locking and unlocking of the cartridge 10 is performed by the sliding lever 22 and the gear member 30 interlocked.

However, in the cartridge locking device having such a configuration, since the sliding lever 22 performs locking and unlocking operations while moving together while being coupled to only one side of the cartridge 10, the force is biased only to the coupled side. There is a risk of twisting when the cartridge 10 is inserted or taken out. In this case, the insertion and withdrawal of the cartridge 10 may not be performed smoothly, and a problem of an operation error that the cartridge 10 frequently takes may occur.

In addition, in the above-described locking device, since the gear member 30 having the race 31 is formed to rotate on the deck 51 plane of the drive 50, the device occupies a lot of installation space on the deck 51. There is also a disadvantage in miniaturization of the.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a cartridge lock device for a disk drive, which can more stably guide the insertion and withdrawal of a cartridge and is advantageous for miniaturization.

The present invention for achieving the above object, in the cartridge lock of the disc drive for locking the cartridge inserted into the main body of the disc drive, the balance locking to support and lock the opposite sides of the cartridge together into the main body and locking It is characterized by including a mechanism.

The balance locking mechanism may include: a locking unit coupled to one side of the cartridge and locked to a predetermined position according to entry of the cartridge; And a support unit for supporting the other side of the cartridge symmetrically with a force applied to one side by the locking unit and guiding the entry thereof.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

4 to 9 show a disk drive employing a cartridge lock according to the invention.

First, as shown in FIG. 4, the cartridge locking device of the present invention includes a balance locking mechanism that prevents twisting by supporting and guiding both sides of the cartridge 10 inserted into the disc drive body 100. The balance locking mechanism supports a locking unit 110 that supports one side of the cartridge 10 to implement locking and unlocking operations, and a force applied to the cartridge 10 by supporting the other side of the cartridge 10 to be biased only on one side. It includes a support unit 120 for balancing so as not to.

First, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the locking unit 110 includes a rail member 114 installed on one side of the main body 100, a cartridge 10 entering the main body 100, and A slider 112 slidably installed on the guide rails 111 so as to slide together, and a spring 113 for providing an elastic force to the slider 112 in a direction opposite to an entrance direction of the cartridge 10. It is configured by. A race 115 constituting a circulation loop is vertically disposed on the rail member 114, and a lever portion (1) having one end of the protrusion 112c 'is slidably coupled to the race 115 at the slider 112. 112c). The race 115 is composed of first and second races 115a and 115b circulating between the initial position P1 and the locking groove P2. Therefore, when the slider 112 is moved inside the main body 100 together with the cartridge 10, the protrusion 112c 'of the lever portion 112c rides through the first race 115a and locks from the initial position P1. And the projection 112c 'moves from the locking groove P2 along the second race 115b to the initial position when the slider 112 is moved out of the main body 100 together with the cartridge 10. You are returned to (P1). In addition, the lever portion 112c is made of an elastic body such as a leaf spring, so that the protrusion 112c 'is elastically deformed when driving the first and second races 115a and 115b disposed vertically. In addition, although the sliding surface of the first race 115a is continuously connected from the initial position P1, the second race 115b has a sliding surface of the first race 115a and the initial position P1 as shown in FIG. This step is inclined from the locking groove P2 side by a predetermined inclination θ to form the step d. According to this configuration, the projection 112c 'starting from the initial position P1 does not enter the second race 115b but only enters the first race 115a, and conversely, the projection 112c' protrudes from the locking groove P2 side. When 112c 'returns, it exits to the surface where the step d is formed by the inclination of the second race 115b as shown by the arrow in the figure, and then returns to the initial position P1 at the end of the step. . As shown in FIG. 8, a path of one cycle in which the lever part 112c and the protrusion 112c ′ travels is illustrated. Reference numeral 112a denotes a pressing part which contacts the tip of the cartridge 10 when entering the cartridge 10, and reference numeral 112b denotes a coupling protrusion provided on the slider 112 to be coupled to the coupling hole 11 formed on the lower surface of the cartridge 10. .

Meanwhile, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 9, the support unit 120 includes a slider 122 slidably installed on a guide rail 121 provided on the other side of the main body 100, and the slider ( 122 is configured to include a spring 123 to provide an elastic force in a direction opposite to the entry direction of the cartridge 10. The slider 122 is disposed symmetrically with the slider 112 of the locking unit 110, so that when the cartridge 10 enters, the pressing portions 112a and 122a of the two sliders 112 and 122 are cartridges. Both ends of (10) are contacted and pushed together. That is, the slider 122 of the support unit 120 supports the symmetrical force on the left and right sides together with the slider 112 of the locking unit 110 when the cartridge 10 enters and takes out.

In the above configuration, when the cartridge 10 containing the disc enters the disc drive main body 100, that is, the user pushes the cartridge 10 into the main body 100, the coupling hole as shown in FIG. 10. As the engaging projection 112b is fitted to the 11, the pressing portions 112a and 122a of the two left and right sliders 112 and 122 are pushed together at the tip of the cartridge 10 and start to move inward. At this time, since the cartridge 10 is entered by the two sliders 112 and 122 in a balanced state, there is almost no risk of twisting to either side. As the slider 112 of the locking unit 110 moves, the protrusion 112c ′ of the lever part 112c slides along the first race 115a and moves toward the locking groove P2. . Subsequently, when the projection 112c 'reaches the point A, the rear wall 115a' of the race 115 is hit. When the cartridge 10 enters a little more in this state, the lever portion 112c is broken in FIG. As it is elastically deformed, it is bent down slightly. The entry of the cartridge 10 is completed at this position. When the user removes the force pushing the cartridge 10 in this state, the sliders 112 and 122 are reversed by the restoring force of the springs 113 and 123. Direction is slightly moved, and as shown in FIG. 11, the protrusion 112c 'is locked by the locking groove P2. Therefore, after this, the recording and reproducing operation of the disc accommodated in the cartridge 10 can be performed in the locked state.

On the other hand, when the cartridge 10 is taken out on the contrary, the user presses the locked cartridge 10 further in the entry direction. Accordingly, the sliders 112 and 122 are also slightly moved inward, and at the same time, the protrusion 112c 'of the lever part 112c is pushed and moved from the locking groove P2 to the point B as shown in FIG. In this state, when the user removes the pressing force on the cartridge 10, the sliders 112 and 122 are moved by the restoring force of the springs 113 and 123 to push the cartridge 10 out of the main body 100. . That is, when the protrusion 112c 'is positioned at the point B, the locking by the locking groove P2 is already released, and thus, when the force used to press the cartridge 10 is removed in this state, the springs 113 and 123 are removed. The protrusion 112c 'quickly returns to the initial position P1 by the second race 115b by the restoring force. Of course, even at this time, the slider 112 of the locking unit 110 as well as the slider 122 of the support unit 120 push the other side of the cartridge 10 together, so that the cartridge 10 is left and right balanced. You can exit the state. Therefore, the possibility that the cartridge 10 is distorted is almost eliminated, so that smooth entry and withdrawal operations are possible.

13 and 14 show a cartridge locking device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In the drawings, the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment denote the same members performing the same functions.

This embodiment also has a locking unit 110 and a support unit 120, similar to the configuration of the first embodiment described above, except that the locking groove 110 of the first race (115a) and the entrance of the locking groove (P2) The point where the elastic pieces 116a and 116b are provided in the initial position P1 entrance side of the 2nd race 115b differs, respectively. Each of the elastic pieces 116a and 116b is elastically curved as it is pressed by the lever part 112c and the protrusion 112c ', and opens the course thereof. Block retreat Therefore, by the elastic piece 116b at the inlet side of the locking groove P2, the projection 112c 'is caught in the locking groove P2 and then moved in the opposite direction by an external impact or the like, thereby essentially blocking the unlocking. . And, the elastic piece 116a at the entrance of the initial position P1 guides the projection 112c 'to enter into the first race 115a when the protrusion 112c' first starts at the initial position P1, and is unlocked. When returning by riding the two races 115b, as described above, the course of the protrusion 112c 'is elastically curved to open the course. Therefore, in the first embodiment, the driving path of the protrusion 112c 'is guided by giving a step d to the first and second races 115a and 115b, but in the present embodiment, the elastic piece 116a ( 116b), there is no need to give this step d. Therefore, the present embodiment has a structure in which both sides of the cartridge 10 are locked and locked and unlocked like the first embodiment described above, and the locking and unlocking operation is performed without giving a step to the race 115. It illustrates an example of a locking unit that can be implemented more stably.

As described above, the cartridge locking device of the present invention illustrated in the above embodiments provides a configuration capable of stably supporting the left and right sides of the cartridge and stably implementing locking and unlocking.

On the other hand, the lever unit 112c of the slider unit 112 of the locking unit 110 may also be modified in various ways. First, there may be a plate-shaped lever portion 112c1 as shown in Figs. 15A and 15B, or wire-shaped lever portions 112c2 and 112c3 as shown in Figs. 16A and 16B, or Fig. 17A. And the twisted plate-shaped lever portion 112c4 as shown in FIG. 17B may be employed. That is, as long as the protrusion provided at one end thereof is elastically deformed when moving along the race 115 and can follow the displacement, various other modifications may also be sufficiently employed as the lever portion 112c.

As described above, the cartridge lock of the disk drive according to the present invention, by supporting the opposite sides of the cartridge entering the disk drive together to maintain the balance during the entry and withdrawal operation to prevent the operation error due to the cartridge twist In addition, since both the locking unit and the support unit are provided on the inner wall of the main body, interference with other devices can be minimized, which is advantageous in miniaturizing the device.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to that described above and illustrated in the drawings and that many more modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the following claims.

Claims (8)

In the cartridge lock of the disk drive for locking the cartridge inserted into the body of the disk drive, And a balance locking mechanism which supports and opposes opposite sides of the cartridge together, guides and locks them into the main body. The method of claim 1, The balance locking mechanism, A locking unit coupled to one side of the cartridge and locked to a predetermined position according to entry of the cartridge; And a support unit for supporting the other side of the cartridge symmetrically with a force applied to one side by the locking unit and guiding the entry thereof. The method of claim 2, The locking unit, A rail member provided with a predetermined race including a locking groove and installed adjacent to one side of the main body; A slider having a lever part coupled to the cartridge entering the main body and moving together, one side of which slides in the race and is caught by the locking groove upon completion of the entry of the cartridge; And a resilient member providing an elastic force to the slider in a direction opposite to the entry of the cartridge. The method of claim 3, The race, A first race from an initial position to the locking groove, A second race from the first race to an initial position, And the first and second races are arranged to form a closed loop in a vertical direction. The method of claim 4, wherein At the entrance of the locking groove of the first race and the initial position of the initial position of the second race, an elastic piece is installed which is pushed by the lever part and is elastically opened, restored after passing through the lever part, and closed to prevent the reverse movement. Cartridge lock on disk drive. The method of claim 3, The lever unit cartridge lock device of the disc drive, characterized in that made of an elastic body capable of elastic deformation. The method of claim 6, And the lever portion has one of a plate shape, a wire shape, and a twisted plate shape having protrusions slidably inserted into the race at one end thereof. The method of claim 2, The support unit, A slider which is slidably installed on the other side of the main body and is pushed and moved by the cartridge entering the main body; And a resilient member providing an elastic force to the slider in a direction opposite to the entry of the cartridge.

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