JP2000030397A - Disk cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To cause two shutter members disposed on the same plane to perform opening/closing by efficiently using the internal space of a cartridge main body. SOLUTION: A first shutter member 23 (shutter part 27) for opening/closing a recording/reproducing aperture part 21 and a second shutter member 24 (shutter part 31) for opening/closing a driving aperture part 20 are housed in a shutter sliding recess 17e formed on the lower surface side of a lower half 17. A shutter mechanism 13 is disposed such that the first shutter member 23 is rotated around the driving aperture part 20 to open/close the recording/reproducing aperture part 21.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a disk cartridge provided with a shutter means for rotatably storing a disk-shaped recording medium used in an information processing apparatus or the like and for preventing entry of dust and the like. The present invention relates to a disk cartridge provided with shutter means.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A disk cartridge has a disk-shaped recording medium (hereinafter, referred to as a disk) such as a magnetic disk or a magneto-optical disk in which information signals and the like are recorded and / or reproduced (hereinafter, referred to as recording / reproduction) in an internal space. ) Is rotatably housed, and is used detachably with respect to a disk drive device provided as an external storage device in an information processing device such as a computer. By making the disk cartridge detachable from the disk drive, the portability of information signals and the like recorded on the disk is improved, and the capacity of information signals and the like that can be recorded and reproduced by the disk drive is increased. Aim.

A disk cartridge usually has a shutter means because a disk housed in its internal space is vulnerable to dust or the like. In the disk cartridge, when the information signal is not recorded / reproduced, that is, in a standby state, the shutter means closes the opening through which the means for recording / reproducing the information signal enters the disk, thereby protecting the disk from dust and the like. I do.

As shown in FIG. 8, a conventional disk cartridge 100 includes a disk 101 and a disk 10.
1 comprises a cartridge body 102 rotatably housed therein and a shutter 103. Disk 101
This is a disk-shaped recording / reproducing medium, in which a disk drive device is driven to rotate in the circumferential direction to record / reproduce information signals. The cartridge body 102 is configured by combining an upper half and a lower half of a substantially rectangular shallow dish shape, and the disk 101 is rotatably housed in its internal space. The cartridge body 102 has a disc 1 on its main surface 102a.
An opening 102b is provided to allow a recording / reproducing mechanism (not shown) for recording / reproducing an information signal to enter the 01.

[0005] The shutter 103 is formed in a substantially thin plate shape or a substantially U shape by a metal material or the like. The shutter 103 is
As shown by an arrow I in FIG.
02 so as to be able to move in parallel along the main surface 102a.

The disk cartridge 100 constructed as described above has at least the opening 102b in order for the shutter 103 to move in parallel to open and close the opening 102b.
The retracting portion 102c having the same width as the width of the cartridge body 10
2 is required. Therefore, the disk cartridge 1
00 is the opening 1 relative to the diameter of the disk 101 to be stored.
When the width of 02b is relatively large, there is a problem that miniaturization becomes difficult.

In order to solve the above-described problem, a two-shutter disk cartridge has been proposed in which an opening is opened and closed by opening and closing two shutter members on the same plane. Such a disc cartridge is miniaturized by closing the opening with two shutter members and moving the two shutter members in different directions to open the lid.

[0008]

The two-shutter disk cartridge as described above has a high degree of freedom in the method of opening and closing the two shutter members, and has been proposed which has various opening and closing methods. However, in such a disc cartridge, depending on the method of opening and closing the two shutter members, the amount of movement of the shutter member required for opening and closing operations increases, the shutter mechanism becomes complicated, and the internal space of the cartridge body is efficiently used. There is a problem that it is difficult to open and close the shutter mechanism. In such a disk cartridge, particularly when the width of the opening is relatively large with respect to the diameter of the disk, a shutter member large enough to close the opening can efficiently utilize the internal space of the cartridge body. It is important to open the lid.

Therefore, according to the present invention, of the two shutter members that open and close on the same plane, the shutter member that opens and closes the recording / reproducing opening is rotated to open and close, so that this shutter member moves with a small amount of movement. An object of the present invention is to provide a disk cartridge in which a shutter mechanism is opened and closed by efficiently using an internal space of a cartridge body by providing a shutter mechanism so as to efficiently open and close a recording / reproducing opening.

[0010]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a disk cartridge according to the present invention comprises a cartridge body in which a disk-shaped recording medium is rotatably housed and which is constituted by an upper half and a lower half. A recording / reproducing opening which is provided in the cartridge body and exposes the disc-shaped recording medium to the recording / reproducing means, and a driving means for driving means for rotatingly driving the disc-shaped recording medium accommodated in the cartridge body. An opening and a shutter mechanism provided with the recording / reproducing opening and the driving opening so as to be openable and closable. In this disk cartridge, the shutter mechanism opens and closes the recording / reproducing opening by opening / closing the shutter opening / closing center of the center of the driving opening, and the second shutter member opens / closes the driving opening. And In such a disc cartridge, the first shutter member and the second shutter member are arranged on the same plane in a shutter sliding recess provided on the main surface of the cartridge body, and the recording / reproducing opening and the drive The opening and closing operation with the opening. In such a disc cartridge, the first shutter member and the second shutter member of the shutter mechanism are abutted on one side. When the recording / reproducing opening and the driving opening are opened, such a disc cartridge has one end in the width direction of the recording / reproducing opening.
It has a shape where the contact edges of the first shutter member and the second shutter member coincide.

According to the disk cartridge of the present invention constructed as described above, since the first shutter member opens and closes the recording / reproducing opening with a minimum moving amount, the internal space of the cartridge body can be efficiently used. The shutter mechanism is opened and closed by utilizing the shutter mechanism.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. First, as shown in FIG. 1, a disc cartridge 1 schematically showing a principle of operation of the present invention includes a disc 2 as a recording medium.
, A cartridge body 3 rotatably storing the disk 2, and a shutter mechanism 4.

The cartridge body 3 is composed of an upper half and a lower half, has a rectangular thin box shape, and stores the disk 2 in its internal space in a rotatable manner. An opening 5 is formed in the cartridge body 3 so that the drive mechanism and the recording / reproducing mechanism of the disk drive device can enter. The opening 5 includes a driving opening 6 and a recording / reproducing opening 7. The drive opening 6 is formed in a circular shape substantially at the center of the cartridge body 3 so that the disk 2 faces the drive mechanism of the disk drive. The recording / reproducing opening 7 is connected to the driving opening 6 so that the disk 2 faces the recording / reproducing mechanism of the disk drive, and the side where the disk cartridge 1 starts to be mounted on the disk drive, that is, It is formed to extend in the radial direction of the disk 2 toward the distal end side.

The shutter mechanism 4 is mainly composed of a first shutter member 8 for opening and closing the recording and reproducing opening 7 and a second shutter member 9 for mainly opening and closing the driving opening 6. The first shutter member 8 and the second shutter member 9 open and close on the same plane.
a, 9a are closed with each other.

In the disc cartridge 1, the projected area of the cartridge body 3 having a rectangular thin box shape can be minimized by storing the disc 2 in the center of the cartridge body 3. Therefore, in the disk cartridge 1, the drive opening 6 formed in a circular shape for rotationally driving the disk 2 is located at the center of the cartridge body 3.

When the disk cartridge 1 is mounted on the disk drive, the recording / reproduction mechanism 7 of the disk drive is operated in the radial direction of the disk 2. And is formed so as to extend in the radial direction of the disk 2.

For this reason, the disk cartridge 1 has a main surface on which the drive opening 6 is formed, as shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, the front end corner 3a, the rear end corner 3b, the front end side end 3c, the rear end side end 3d of the cartridge main body 3 and the left and right end sides of the cartridge main body 3 are provided. Among the end portions 3e, there is the largest space margin around the rear corner portion 3b.

Therefore, the disk cartridge 1 is
As shown by an arrow A in FIG. 1 (A), the second shutter member 9 is moved obliquely toward the rear end side corner portion 3b to open the cover, and in the opened state, the rear end side corner is opened. Part 3b
In order to make the best use of, as shown in FIG.
The inner space of the cartridge body 3 is efficiently used by forming the one side 9 a of the second shutter member 9, which is in contact with the first shutter member 8, in contact with the side end surface of the drive opening 6 and obliquely. Thus, the second shutter member 9 can be disposed.

Further, since the one side 9a of the second shutter member 9 is formed obliquely as described above, the disc cartridge 1 has one side of the first shutter member 8 which abuts and closes on the same plane. The side 8a is also formed obliquely following the second shutter member 9, as shown in FIG.

The disk cartridge 1 rotates counterclockwise as shown by an arrow B in FIG. 1A by arranging the first shutter member 8 about the center of the drive opening as the center of rotation. To open. That is, as shown in FIG. 1B, the disk cartridge 1 is rotated to a position where one side 8a formed obliquely coincides with one end in the width direction of the recording / reproducing opening 7 for recording / reproducing. By opening the opening 7 for recording, the amount of movement of the first shutter member 8 required to open the opening 7 for recording and reproduction can be minimized.

In the disk cartridge 1, since the second shutter member 9 moves toward the rear corner 3b, the moving direction of the second shutter member 9 is set at the center of the drive opening 6. When the direction of the front end is 0 degree and the direction is approximately 135 degrees clockwise, the rear end side corner portion 3b
Can be used most effectively. Therefore, in the disk cartridge 1, the one side 9a of the second shutter member 9 is a tangent to the drive opening 6 inclined at an angle of approximately 45 degrees which is the normal direction of the movement direction of the second shutter member 9. Is preferred. That is, the disk cartridge 1
Preferably, the inclination of one side 8a of the first shutter member 8 is also approximately 45 degrees.

If the side 8a of the first shutter member 8 is inclined at an angle larger than 45 degrees, the rotation angle for opening the recording / reproducing opening 7 becomes large. And the shutter mechanism 5 becomes complicated.

When the one side 8a of the first shutter member 8 is formed to be inclined at an angle smaller than 45 degrees, the projected area of the second shutter member 9 becomes smaller than that of the first shutter member 8. There is a problem that the projection area becomes larger than the projection area, and it is necessary to increase the projection area of the cartridge body 3 in order to open the drive opening 6.

Therefore, the disk cartridge 1
As described above, since the amount of movement of the first shutter member 8 required for the opening and closing operation is minimized, the shutter mechanism 5 is efficiently used by utilizing the internal space of the cartridge body.
Is configured.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a disk cartridge 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.
The disk 11 includes a disk 11, a cartridge main body 12 rotatably storing the disk 11, and a shutter mechanism 13. The disk 11 is detachably used in a disk drive. In the following description of the disk cartridge 10, the side that is first inserted when the disk cartridge 10 is mounted on the disk drive device is referred to as the front end side, and the side into which the rotation drive mechanism of the disk drive device enters is referred to as the lower surface side. I do.

The disk 11 is composed of a disk substrate 14 and a metal center hub 15 attached to the disk substrate 14 with an adhesive or the like so as to have a central axis. The disk substrate 14 is a disk-shaped recording / reproducing medium. When the disk cartridge 10 is mounted on the disk drive and a recording / reproducing operation of an information signal is performed, the center hub 15 is rotated by a magnet of a rotary drive mechanism of the disk drive. Is suction holding (chucking)
The disk drive is driven to rotate in the circumferential direction, and the information signal is recorded and reproduced by the recording and reproducing mechanism of the disk drive device.

The cartridge body 12 is composed of an upper half 16, a lower half 17, and a lower half cover 18 formed of a resin material such as ABS resin.
These members are combined to form a generally thin box shape. The disk 14 is rotatably housed in the cartridge body 12 in an internal space formed by combining the upper half 16 and the lower half 17. Further, a shutter mechanism 13 is housed in the cartridge body 12 in an internal space formed by combining a lower half 17 and a lower half cover 18.

The upper half 16 has an outer wall 16b integrally formed on the outer peripheral portion of the main surface 16a so as to stand up integrally, and has a substantially shallow dish shape. In the upper half 16, the outer wall 16b on the distal end side has an arc shape with a gentle curvature. That is, in the disk cartridge 10, the distal end side of the upper half 16 is formed in an arc shape, and is characterized by the shape with the other side portions.
The structure is such that the direction of insertion into the disk drive device can be easily recognized in appearance. The upper half 16 is formed with an opening 16c having a width substantially equal to a recording / reproducing opening 21 of the lower half 17 described later, which is located at the center of the outer wall 16b on the distal end side.

The upper half 16 is provided with an arm guide groove 16d which is located at the distal end of the outer wall 16b on the left end side and into which the opening / closing arm of the shutter operating mechanism of the disk drive device fits and slides. This arm guide groove 16
A lock member hole 16e from which a later-described lock release lever 25b of the shutter mechanism 13 projects is drilled at a predetermined position d. In addition, the upper half 16 is provided with a lock member protrusion (not shown) that is rotatably fitted to the rotation portion 25a of the lock member 25, which is located near the lock member hole 16e. ing.

Each of the upper halves 16 has a reference hole 16f protruding from each of the left and right corners on the rear end side. The reference hole 16f is formed in a cylindrical shape whose base end is closed by the upper half 16, and a positioning means (not shown) is inserted when the disk cartridge 10 is mounted on the disk drive. The positioning of the disk cartridge 10 is performed by inserting the positioning means of the disk drive device into the reference hole 16 f and abutting on the main surface of the upper half 16, whereby the disk cartridge 10 is positioned in the front-rear, left-right, and height directions.

The upper half 16 is provided with a boss portion 16g protruding at the right corner on the distal end side. The boss portion 16g is fixed by aligning the positions of the upper half 16, the lower half 17, and the lower half cover 18 by fitting into a boss hole described later of the lower half cover 18.

The lower half 17 is, like the upper half 16,
An outer wall 17b is integrally formed on the outer peripheral portion of the main surface 17a so as to rise integrally, and has a substantially shallow dish shape. The lower half 17 has a circular inner wall 17c formed inside the outer wall 17b,
The disk 11 is rotatably housed inside the inner wall 17c. The lower half 17 has an inner wall 17 as shown in FIG.
The outer wall 17b is not formed in the semicircular portion on the tip side of c. That is, the cartridge body 12 is
Is formed so as to extend to a position on the bottom side of the lower half 17, and the outer wall 16 b of the upper half 16 and the outer wall 17 b of the lower half 17 are combined to form the cartridge body. 12 to form a side surface. The lower half 17 is provided with an arm guide groove 17d which is located on the outer wall 17b on the left end side and is continuous with the arm guide groove 16d of the upper half 16.

The lower half 17 has an opening 1 in the main surface 17a.
9 is open. The opening 19 is located at the center of the main surface 17a, and the driving opening 20 into which the rotation drive mechanism of the disk drive device enters, and the leading end of the lower half 17 connected to the driving opening 2 And a recording / reproducing opening 21 into which an information signal recording / reproducing mechanism for the disk 11 enters.

The lower half 17 has a shutter sliding recess 17e located on the lower surface side of the main surface 17a, in which a first shutter member 23 and a second shutter member 24 of the shutter mechanism 13, which will be described later, slide. Is recessed. In the lower half 17, a cutout portion 17f for guiding a later-described convex portion 30 and an engaging portion 34 of the shutter mechanism 13 is opened near the left side of the drive opening portion 20.

The lower half 17 has holes 1 located at the left and right corners on the rear end side, through which the reference holes 16f of the upper half 7 penetrate.
7 g are each perforated. The lower half 17 is provided with a rotation hole 17h, which is located near the hole 17g at the left corner on the rear end side and in which a later-described support pin 32 of the shutter mechanism 13 is fitted and rotatably supported. ing. A guide hole 17i is formed in the lower half 17 near the rotation hole 17h, and the guide hole 17i is fitted and supported by a pressing pin 33 of the shutter mechanism 13, which will be described later.

The lower half cover 18 is formed in a thin plate shape and has a function of housing the shutter mechanism 13 by covering the lower surface of the lower half 17. An opening 22 having substantially the same shape as the opening 19 of the lower half 17 is formed in the lower half cover 18 at a position corresponding to the opening 19.
The lower half cover 18 is provided with holes 18a, which are located at the left and right corners on the rear end side, and into which the reference holes 16f of the upper half 16 are fitted. A boss hole (not shown) into which the boss portion 16g of the upper half 16 is fitted is drilled. That is, in the lower half cover 18, the reference hole 16 f of the upper half 16 is
7 is fitted into the hole 18a through the hole 17g, and the boss 16g of the upper half 16 is fitted into the boss hole.
The upper half 16 and the lower half 17 are fixed in position.

The shutter mechanism 13 is made of a resin material such as ABS resin or a metal, and is formed in a substantially thin plate shape.
A lock member 25 configured by a first shutter member 23 and a second shutter member 24 for holding the first shutter member 23 in a closed state, and a second shutter member 2
And a coil spring 26 for urging the cover 4 in a direction to close the cover 4.

The first shutter member 23 has a lower half 17
A shutter unit 27 for closing the recording / reproducing opening 21 of
Guide part 2 sliding along inner wall 17c of lower half 17
8 and an operation section 29 formed to extend from the guide section 28 and open and close the first shutter member 23.

The shutter 27 is provided with the recording / reproducing opening 21.
Is formed in a trapezoidal shape large enough to close the lid, and a columnar convex portion 30 is provided at the sharpened tip portion 27a of the trapezoidal shape. The shutter portion 27 is provided so as to slide and rotate on a shutter sliding portion 17e that is recessed on the lower surface side of the lower half 17. The protruding portion 30 is engaged with an engaging portion 34 of the second shutter member 24, which will be described later, and is provided so as to move the cutout portion 17 f of the lower half 17.

When the shutter is closed, the shutter 27
One of the two sides sandwiching the projection 30 is closer to the second shutter member 24 on one side closer to the drive opening 21.
In the following, one side that is brought into contact with the second shutter member 24 is referred to as a butted side surface 27b.

The guide portion 28 is formed so as to stand up at the front end side of the shutter portion 27, and is formed in an arc shape with the same curvature as the inner wall 17c of the lower half 17. The guide portion 28 slides along the inner wall 17c of the lower half 17 when the shutter mechanism 13 opens and closes, and moves the shutter portion 27 of the first shutter member 23 in the direction indicated by an arrow C in FIG.
And has a function of rotating in the direction indicated by ₁ and C _2. Further, since the guide portion 28 extends to the right outside of the shutter portion 27 and rises, the opening portion 16c formed in the outer wall 16b of the upper half 16 even when the shutter portion 27 is opened. Close the lid.

The connecting portion 29 is made of an elastic material having an appropriate elasticity, such as a metal, and is formed thinner than the guide portion 28 and extends to the left outside of the guide portion 28. A shutter locking hole 29a for locking the lock member 25 is drilled at a predetermined position in the connecting portion 29. Also,
The connecting portion 29 is provided with a protruding moving operation portion 29b at the end thereof. The connecting portion 29 is provided so as to slide along the inner wall 17c of the lower half 17 and the arm guide groove 17d. Connecting portion 29 is engaged with the shutter operating mechanism has moved the operation portion 29b of the disk drive unit during opening and closing operation of the shutter mechanism 13, in the direction indicated by the arrow D ₁ and D ₂ in FIG. 3, the arm guide groove 16d,
The first shutter member 23 is opened and closed by being operated by sliding 17d.

Further, the first shutter member 23 is kept closed by the lock member 25 when the lid is closed. The lock member 25 includes a rotation portion 25 a rotatably fitted to a lock member protrusion (not shown) of the upper half 16, and a lock member hole 16 e of the upper half 16.
, A lock claw 25c locked in the shutter locking hole 29a of the first shutter member 23, and an urging portion 25d for urging the lock member 25 in a predetermined direction. You.

That is, when the first shutter member 23 is closed, the lock member 25 is
Is locked in a shutter locking hole 29a of the first shutter member 23, and the urging portion 25 is held so as to maintain this locked state.
The first shutter member 23 is kept closed by being urged by d. Lock member 2
5, when the first shutter member 23 is opened, the lock release lever 25b is rotated counterclockwise by being pushed into the inside of the cartridge body 12, and the lock claw 2 is rotated.
5c is removed from the shutter locking hole 29a, and the first shutter member 23 is released in a rotatable state.

The second shutter member 24 is connected to the lower half 17.
A shutter portion 31 for closing the drive opening portion 20, a support pin 32 serving as a center of rotation, a pressing pin 33 for locking the coil spring 26, and a convex portion 3 of the first shutter member 23.
0 is engaged with the engaging portion 34. The second shutter member 24 is urged by a coil spring 26 in the closing direction. The coil spring 26 includes the annular portion 2
6a, a short rod portion 26b, and a long rod portion 26c.

The shutter portion 31 is formed in a substantially fan shape large enough to close the drive opening portion 20 of the lower half 17 and has a column-shaped support portion at its sharply shaped tip portion 31a. A pin 32 is provided. The shutter portion 31 is provided with a protruding pressing pin 33 located near the support pin 32. The shutter section 31 is a lower half 1
7 is provided so as to slide and rotate on a shutter sliding portion 17e recessed on the lower surface side of the shutter 7. That is, the first shutter member 23 and the second shutter member 24 open and close on the same plane in the shutter sliding portion 17e.

[0047] Branch pin 32 rotates fitted to the rotation hole 17h provided on the lower surface side of the lower half 17, as indicated by arrows E ₁ and E ₂ in FIG. 3, the second shutter member 2
4 is the center of rotation when rotating. Also, the branch pin 32
, The annular portion 26a of the coil spring 26 is fitted.
In the coil spring 26, the annular portion 26 a is fitted into the support pin 32, the short bar portion 26 b is locked by the pressing pin 33, and the long bar portion 26 c abuts on a predetermined position inside the outer wall 17 b of the lower half 17. Is done. The coil spring 26, as shown by an arrow E ₂ in FIG. 3, the second shutter member 24
In the counterclockwise direction, that is, in the direction to close the lid.

The engaging portion 34 is provided slightly upright from the shutter portion 31 so that the convex portion 30 of the first shutter member 23 is engaged, and slides along the cutout portion 17f of the lower half 17. It is arranged as follows. The engagement portion 34 is
When the shutter member 23 is rotated to open the cover, the arrow E in FIG.
The second shutter member 24 is formed so as to be pressed in the direction indicated by ₁ , that is, in the direction toward the rear end, and guided by engaging with the cutout 17f, thereby opening the second shutter member 24.

When the second shutter member 24 is closed, one side closer to the recording / reproducing opening 21 abuts against the butting side surface 27b of the first shutter member 23. In the following, one side that is abutted against the first shutter member 23 is referred to as a butted side surface 31b.

When the disk cartridge 10 configured as described above is attached to and detached from a disk drive,
As described below, the shutter mechanism 13 opens and closes to open and close the opening 19.

When the disc cartridge 10 is not mounted in the disc drive device, as shown in FIG. 3, the first shutter member 23 closes the recording / reproducing opening 21 and the second Shutter member 2
4 closes the drive opening 20. In the disc cartridge 10, in the direction indicated by the arrow E ₂ in FIG. 3, the second shutter member 24 is biased by the coil spring 26, the locking pawl 25c of the lock member 25
Is in contact with the first shutter member 23 fixed by being fitted into the shutter locking hole 29a, and thus is fixed against the urging force of the coil spring 26.

When the disk cartridge 10 is mounted on the disk drive from the front end side, the opening / closing arm of the shutter operation mechanism of the disk drive is moved to the position shown in FIG.
Direction indicated by arrow D ₁ in, i.e., toward the rear side of the disk cartridge 10, the arm guide groove 16
It slides along d and 17d. Disk cartridge 1
0, the lock release lever 25b of the lock member 25 is pushed into the cartridge main body 12 by the opening / closing arm of the shutter operation mechanism, and the lock claw 25c fixing the first shutter member 23 is released. Is released in a rotatable state. In the disk cartridge 10, the opening / closing arm of the shutter operation mechanism slides further along the arm guide grooves 16d and 17d to the rear end side to engage with the movement operation section 29b provided at the end of the connecting section 29,
The moving operation part 29b is pushed to the rear end side.

[0053] disc cartridge 10, movement operating portion 29b and the guide portion 28 formed integrally with, in the direction indicated by the arrow C ₁ in FIG. 3, slides along the inner wall 17c of the lower half 17, the guide portion 28 Shutter 27 formed counterclockwise rotates integrally with the recording / reproducing opening 21.
Open the lid. In the disc cartridge 10, the first shutter member 23 rotates, and the projection 30 of the first shutter member 23 is guided by the cutout 17 f of the lower half 17 to engage the engagement portion 34 of the second shutter member 24. Push to the rear end side. In the disk cartridge 10, the second shutter member 24 slides in the shutter sliding recess 17 e in the direction indicated by the arrow E ₁ in FIG. 3 to open the drive opening 20.

In the disk cartridge 10, as described above, the first shutter member 23 and the second shutter member 24 slide on the shutter sliding recess 17e formed in the lower half 17 to be flush with each other. The lid is opened, and the butted side surfaces 27b and 31b are abutted on each other to close the lid on the same plane.

As described above, in the disk cartridge 10, the first shutter member 23 is opened and closed by the guide portion 28 along the outer periphery of the disk 11, as indicated by arrows C1 and C2. That is, the first shutter member 23 rotates about the center of the drive opening 20 as a rotation center, and the disk cartridge 10 opens and closes.

Therefore, the disk cartridge 10
Can minimize the amount of movement of the first shutter member 23 required to open and close the first shutter member 23.

When the shutter mechanism 13 operates, the disk cartridge 10 opens the recording / reproducing opening 21 and the driving opening 20 as shown in FIG.
In this state, the disk cartridge 10 enters the recording / reproducing mechanism and the drive mechanism of the disk drive device, and the recording / reproducing of the information signal to / from the disk 11 is performed. When the disk cartridge 10 is mounted on the disk drive, the positioning means provided in the disk drive is inserted into the reference hole 16f, and is positioned and held.

[0058] Also, the disk cartridge 10, when it is ejected from the disc drive device, opening and closing arm of the shutter operating mechanism of the disc drive device along the arm guide groove 16d, 17d, the direction indicated by the arrow D ₂ in FIG. 3 That is, by sliding toward the distal end side, the shutter operating mechanism is released from the urging force applied to the shutter mechanism 13 in the direction of opening the lid.

The disk cartridge 10 is moved by an arrow E in FIG.
_{In the} direction indicated by ₂ , the second shutter member 24 closes the drive opening 20. The disc cartridge 10 has a second
While closing the shutter member 24, the engaging portion 34 of the second shutter member 24 pushes the protrusion 30 of the first shutter member 23 distally, indicated by arrow C ₂ in FIG. 3 The first shutter member 23 is rotated clockwise in the direction to close the recording / reproducing opening 21.

The disk cartridge 10 rotates the first shutter member 24 and slides the connecting portion 29 of the first shutter member 24 toward the distal end along the arm guide grooves 16d and 17d. Disk cartridge 1
Reference numeral 0 indicates that the lock claw 25c of the lock member 25 is locked in the shutter lock hole 29a of the first shutter member 23, and the lock release lever 25b is locked with the lock member hole 16e.
Project from The disc cartridge 10 is held in a state where the recording / reproducing opening 21 and the driving opening 20 are closed by the lock member 25 being urged in this locked state by the urging portion 25d.

In the disk cartridge 10, as described above, the first shutter member 23 and the second shutter member 24 slide on the shutter sliding recess 17 e formed in the lower half 17 and are flush with each other. The lid is opened, and the butted side surfaces 27b and 31b are abutted on each other to close the lid on the same plane. Therefore, the disk cartridge 1
0, the shutter sliding recess 17e of the lower half 17
Is formed in a concave shape with a thickness of one shutter member, so that the first shutter member 23 and the second shutter member 24 are housed in the shutter sliding recess 17e.

Next, another embodiment of the disk cartridge according to the present invention will be described. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a disk cartridge 50 according to another embodiment includes a disk 51, a cartridge main body 52 rotatably storing the disk 51, and a shutter mechanism 53.
And used detachably in a disk drive device. The following disk cartridge 50
In the description above, the side that is first inserted when mounted on the disk drive is referred to as the distal end, and the side into which the rotary drive mechanism of the disk drive enters is referred to as the lower side.

The disk 51 includes a disk substrate 54 and a metal center hub 55 attached to the disk substrate 54 with an adhesive or the like so as to have a central axis. The disk substrate 54 is a disk-shaped recording / reproducing medium. When the disk cartridge 50 is mounted on the disk drive and an information signal recording / reproducing operation is performed, the center hub 55 is rotated by the magnet of the rotary drive mechanism of the disk drive. Is sucked and held, is driven to rotate in the circumferential direction, and information signals are recorded and reproduced by the recording and reproducing mechanism of the disk drive device.

The cartridge main body 52 is composed of an upper half 56, a lower half 57, and a lower half cover 58 molded of a resin material such as ABS resin.
These members are combined to form a generally thin box shape. The disk 51 is rotatably housed in the cartridge main body 52 in an internal space formed by combining an upper half 56 and a lower half 57. Further, a shutter mechanism 53 is housed in the cartridge body 52 in an internal space formed by combining a lower half 57 and a lower half cover 58.

The upper half 56 has an outer wall 56b integrally formed on the outer peripheral portion of the main surface 56a so as to stand up integrally, and has a substantially rectangular shallow dish shape. In the upper half 56, the outer wall 56b on the distal end side has an arc shape with a gentle curvature. That is, the disk cartridge 50 has a structure in which the distal end side of the upper half 56 is formed in an arc shape, and is characterized by the shape of the other side and the other side, so that the insertion direction into the disk drive device can be easily recognized in appearance. It is said. The upper half 56 is located at the center of the outer wall 56b on the tip side, and
An opening 56c having substantially the same width as a recording / reproducing opening 61 described later is formed.

The upper half 56 is provided with an arm guide groove 56d which is located at the distal end of the outer wall 56b on the left end side and into which the opening / closing arm of the shutter operating mechanism of the disk drive device fits and slides. This arm guide groove 56
A lock member hole 56e from which a lock release lever 65b of a lock member 65 of the shutter mechanism 53, which will be described later, projects from a predetermined position d. The upper half 56 is provided with a lock member protrusion (not shown) which is located near the lock member hole 56e and rotatably fits the rotating portion 65a of the lock member 65. ing.

Each of the upper halves 56 has a reference hole 56f protruding from the left or right corner on the rear end side. The reference hole 56f is formed in a cylindrical shape whose base end is closed by the upper half 56, and when the disk cartridge 50 is mounted on the disk drive device, a positioning means (not shown) is inserted. The positioning of the disk cartridge 50 is performed by inserting the positioning means of the disk drive device into the reference hole 56f and abutting on the main surface of the upper half 56, so that the disk cartridge 50 can be positioned in the front-rear, left-right, and height directions.

The lower half 57 is, like the upper half 56,
An outer wall 57b is integrally formed on the outer peripheral portion of the main surface 57a so as to stand up integrally, and has a substantially shallow dish shape. The lower half 57 has a circular inner wall 57c formed inside the outer wall 57b,
The disk 51 is rotatably housed inside the inner wall 57c. The lower half 57 has an inner wall 57 as shown in FIG.
The outer wall 57b is not formed in the semicircular portion on the tip side of c. That is, the cartridge body 52 is
Is formed so as to extend to a position on the bottom side of the lower half 57, and the outer wall 56b of the upper half 56 and the outer wall 57b of the lower half 57 are combined to form the cartridge body. 52 is configured to form a side surface. The lower half 57 is located on the left outer wall 57b, and is provided with the arm guide groove 5 of the upper half 56.
An arm guide groove 57d continuous with 6d is provided.

The lower half 57 has an opening 5 in the main surface 57a.
9 is open. The opening 59 is located at the center of the main surface 57a, and the driving opening 60 into which the rotation drive mechanism of the disk drive device enters, and the leading end of the lower half 57 connected to the driving opening 60 and And a recording / reproducing opening 61 into which an information recording / reproducing mechanism for the disk 51 enters.

The lower half 57 has a shutter sliding recess 57e which is located on the lower surface side of the main surface 57a and in which a first shutter member 63 and a second shutter member 64, which will be described later, of the shutter mechanism 53 slide. Is recessed. In the shutter sliding recess 57e, a long hole recess 57f in which a later-described convex portion 69 of the shutter mechanism 53 slides with the long hole 73 is provided. In the shutter sliding concave portion 57e, a guide groove 57g for guiding a first convex portion 71 and a second convex portion 72 of a second shutter member described later is formed at a predetermined position. The lower half 57 is located at the right corner on the front end side and the left and right corners on the rear end side, and has the reference hole 56 of the upper half 56.
Holes 57h through which f penetrate are respectively formed.

The lower half cover 58 is formed in a thin plate shape and has a function of housing the shutter mechanism 53 by covering the lower surface of the lower half 57. An opening 62 having substantially the same shape as the opening 59 of the lower half 57 is formed in the lower half cover 58 at a position corresponding to the opening 59.
Further, the lower half 57 is provided with a hole 58 which is located at the left and right corner on the rear end side and into which the reference hole 56f of the upper half 56 is fitted.
a is perforated. That is, the lower half cover 58 is configured such that the reference hole 56 f of the upper half 56 is
The lower half 57 and the upper half 56 are aligned and fixed by being fitted into the hole 58a through the hole 57h of the seventh.

The shutter mechanism 53 is made of a resin material such as ABS resin or a metal or the like, and is formed in a substantially thin plate shape.
There is provided a lock member 65 which is constituted by a first shutter member 63 and a second shutter member 64 and holds the first shutter member 63 in a closed state.

The first shutter member 63 has a lower half 57
A shutter section 66 for closing the recording / reproducing opening section 61;
Guide 6 sliding along inner wall 57c of lower half 57
7 and a connecting portion 68 formed to extend from the guide portion 67 and open and close the first shutter member 63.

The shutter 66 is provided with a recording / reproducing opening 61.
Is formed in a substantially fan shape large enough to close the lid, and is located at the sharply pointed tip portion 66a of the substantially fan shape and engages with an elongated hole 73 described later of the second shutter member 64. 69 are provided. That is, the first shutter member 63
The convex portion 69 has a long hole portion 73 of the second shutter member 64 so that the opening and closing operation is performed in cooperation with the second shutter member 64.
And is provided on the lower surface side of the lower half 57. When the shutter is closed, the shutter 66 closes the second side on one of the two sides sandwiching the projection 69 closer to the drive opening 60.
With the shutter member 64. In the description below, one side that abuts against the second shutter member 64 is referred to as an abutting side surface 66b.

The guide portion 67 is formed so as to stand up at the front end side of the shutter portion 66, and is formed in an arc shape with the same curvature as the inner wall 57c of the lower half 57. The guide portion 67 slides along the inner wall 57c of the lower half 57 during the opening and closing operation of the shutter mechanism 53, and moves the shutter portion 66 of the first shutter member 63 in the direction indicated by the arrow F in FIG.
And has a function of rotating in the direction indicated by ₁ and F _2. The guide portion 67 extends to the right outside of the shutter portion 66 and stands up.
7a are formed. Therefore, when the first shutter member 63 is opened, the notch 67 a of the guide portion 67 matches the recording / reproducing opening 61 of the lower half 57 to form a large opening when the lid is opened. The recording / reproducing means can be easily entered.

The connecting portion 68 is made of an elastic material having appropriate elasticity, such as a metal, and is formed thinner than the guide portion 67 and extends to the left outside of the guide portion 67. A shutter locking hole 68a for locking the lock member 65 is formed in a predetermined position of the connecting portion 68. Also,
The connecting portion 68 is provided with a protruding moving operation portion 68b at the end thereof. The connecting portion 68 is disposed so as to slide along the inner wall 57c of the lower half 57 and the arm guide groove 57d. Connecting portion 68, the shutter operating mechanism of the disc drive device when opening and closing operation of the shutter mechanism 53 is engaged with the moving operation unit 68b, in the direction indicated by the arrow G ₁ and G ₂ in FIG. 6, the arm guide groove 5
6d and 57d, the first operation is performed.
The shutter member 63 is opened and closed.

When the first shutter member 63 is closed, the closed state of the first shutter member 63 is maintained by the lock member 65. The lock member 65 includes a rotation portion 65a rotatably fitted to a lock member protrusion (not shown) of the upper half 56, and a lock member hole 56e of the upper half 56.
A lock release lever 65b protruding from the first shutter member 63, a lock claw 65c locked in the shutter lock hole 68a of the first shutter member 63, and a biasing portion 65d for biasing the lock member 65 in a predetermined direction. You.

That is, when the first shutter member 63 is closed, the lock member 65
Is locked in a shutter locking hole 68a of the first shutter member 63, and the urging portion 65 is held so as to maintain this locked state.
The first shutter member 63 is kept closed by being urged by d. In addition, the lock member 6
When the first shutter member 63 is opened, the lock release lever 65b is rotated counterclockwise by being pushed into the cartridge body 52 when the first shutter member 63 is opened.
5c is released from the shutter locking hole 68a, and the first shutter member 63 is released in a rotatable state.

The second shutter member 64 has a lower half 57
A shutter 70 for closing the drive opening 60 of the first shutter, a first protrusion 71 provided on the shutter 70, a second protrusion 72 similarly provided on the shutter 70, and a first shutter. The long hole 73 is engaged with the member 63.

The shutter 70 is formed in a substantially trapezoidal shape large enough to close the drive opening 60 of the lower half 57. Further, the shutter section 70 is abutted against the abutting side face 66b of the first shutter member 63 on one side closer to the recording / reproducing opening section 61 to close the lid. In the description below, one side that abuts against the first shutter member 63 is referred to as an abutting side surface 70a.

The first convex portion 71 and the second convex portion 72 are closer to the leading end and the rear end of the shutter 70 so that they can slide along the guide groove 57g of the lower half 57, respectively. Are formed in a convex shape.

The long hole portion 73 is provided on the left side of the rear end of the shutter portion 70 and is formed slightly above the shutter portion 70 so as to be located on the upper surface side in a planar shape. It slides while being guided by the concave portion 57f. In addition, the long hole 73
A long hole 74 that engages with the convex portion 69 of the first shutter member 63 is drilled. That is, the second shutter member 63 is installed on the lower surface side of the lower half 57 with the long hole 74 engaged with the convex portion 69 so as to open and close in cooperation with the first shutter member 63.

When the disk cartridge 50 having the above-described structure is attached to and detached from the disk drive device,
The shutter mechanism 53 opens and closes to open and close the opening 59 as described below.

When the disc cartridge 50 is not mounted in the disc drive device, as shown in FIG. 6, the first shutter member 63 closes the recording / reproducing opening 61 and the second Shutter member 6
4 closes the drive opening 60. In the disk cartridge 50, the lock claws 65 of the lock member 65
c is fixed by fitting into the shutter locking hole 68a of the first shutter member 63, and the second shutter member 64 is connected to the first shutter member 63 via the elongated hole 74 and the projection 69. Therefore, the opening 59 is held in a closed state.

When the disk cartridge 50 is mounted on the disk drive from the front end side, the opening / closing arm of the shutter operation mechanism of the disk drive is operated as shown in FIG.
In the direction indicated by the arrow G ₁ , that is, toward the rear end of the disc cartridge 50,
d, and slide along 57d. Disk cartridge 5
0, the lock release lever 65b of the lock member 65 is pushed into the interior of the cartridge body 52 by the opening / closing arm of the shutter operation mechanism, and the lock claw 65c fixing the first shutter member 63 is released. The shutter member 63 is released in a rotatable state. In the disk cartridge 50, the opening / closing arm of the shutter operating mechanism slides further along the arm guide grooves 56d and 57d toward the rear end side to engage with the moving operating section 68b provided at the end of the connecting section 68,
The moving operation section 68b is pushed to the rear end side.

[0086] disc cartridge 50, the guide portion 67 formed on the movement operating portion 68b integrally with, in the direction indicated by the arrow F ₁ in FIG. 6, slides along the inner wall 57c of the lower half 57, the guide portion 67 The shutter portion 66 formed integrally with the shutter 61 rotates counterclockwise to rotate the recording / reproducing opening 61.
Open the lid. In the disk cartridge 50, as the first shutter member 63 rotates, the projection 69 of the first shutter member 63 pushes the elongated hole 73 toward the rear end through the elongated hole 74, and FIG. to open lid driving opening 60 by sliding the shutter sliding recess 57e in the direction indicated by the arrow H ₁ in.

When the shutter mechanism 53 operates as described above, the disc cartridge 50 is moved into the recording / reproducing opening 61 and the driving opening 60 as shown in FIG.
And open the lid. In this state, the disk cartridge 50 enters the recording / reproducing mechanism and the drive mechanism of the disk drive device, and records / reproduces information signals on / from the disk 51. The disk cartridge 50
When mounted on the disk drive device, the positioning means provided in the disk drive device makes the reference hole 56f
And is positioned and held.

[0088] Also, the disk cartridge 50, when it is ejected from the disc drive apparatus, the disk drive apparatus of the opening and closing arm arm guide groove 56d of the shutter operating mechanism, along 57d, as shown by an arrow G ₂ in FIG. 6 Then, by sliding toward the distal end, the connecting portion 68 is pushed toward the distal end. Disc cartridge 50, the shutter portion 66 of the first shutter member 63 provided continuously to the coupling portions 68, the direction indicated by the arrow D ₂ in FIG. 3, i.e., the recording reproducing apertures 61 is rotated clockwise Close the lid. The disc cartridge 50 rotates the first shutter member 63, and the projection 69 of the first shutter member 63
3 toward the distal end, and the second shutter member 64
The, as shown by the arrow H ₂ in FIG. 6, to move distally to closing the driving opening 60.

When the first shutter member 66 is rotated to a position where the recording / reproducing opening 61 is completely closed, the lock claw 65 c of the lock member 65 is moved to the first shutter member 63. Shutter lock hole 6
8a and the lock release lever 65b is projected from the lock member hole 56e. The disk cartridge 50 holds the recording / reproducing opening 61 and the driving opening 60 in a closed state by the lock member 65 being urged by the urging portion 65d in this locked state.

In the disk cartridge 50, the first shutter member 63 and the second shutter member 64
The shutter sliding recess 57e formed in the lower half 57 is slid and opened on the same plane, and the respective abutting side surfaces 66 are opened.
b and 70b are abutted and closed on the same plane.

As described above, in the disk cartridge 50, the first shutter member 63 is opened and closed by the guide portion 67 along the outer periphery of the disk 51 as shown by arrows F1 and F2. That is, the first shutter member 63 rotates about the center of the drive opening 60 as the center of rotation, and the disk cartridge 50 opens and closes.

Therefore, the disk cartridge 50
According to the embodiment, the amount of movement of the first shutter member 63 required to open and close the first shutter member 63 can be minimized.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. In the disk cartridge 10 and the disk cartridge 50, the recording / reproducing openings 21 and 61 and the driving openings 20 and 60 are connected and opened in the lower halves 17 and 57.
The opening 61 and the drive openings 20 and 60 may be opened without being connected.

In the disk cartridge 10 and the disk cartridge 50, the recording / reproducing openings 21 and 61 and the driving openings 20 and 60 are opened in the lower halves 17 and 57, respectively. The openings may be provided, and the shutter mechanisms 13 and 53 may be provided on the upper halves 16 and 56 as well.

The disk cartridge 10 is configured so that the convex portion 30 of the first shutter member 23 and the engaging portion 34 of the second shutter member 24 engage to open and close in cooperation with each other. Similarly to the cartridge 50, the opening and closing operation may be performed in a cam-like manner by the convex portion and the elongated hole, and the coil spring 17 may be omitted.

The disk cartridge 50 is configured so that the projection 69 of the first shutter member 63 and the elongated hole 74 of the second shutter member 64 engage to open and close in cooperation with each other. Similarly to 10, the opening and closing operation may be performed in cooperation with the convex portion and the engaging portion, and an urging means such as a coil spring may be provided.

Note that the above-described disk cartridge 1,
Disk cartridge 10 and disk cartridge 5
0 is the diameter of the circular drive openings 6, 20, and 60 and the width of the recording / reproducing openings 7, 21, and 61 formed to extend to the tip end sides of the cartridge bodies 3, 12, and 52. Although they are configured to match, for example, the width of the recording / reproducing opening may be formed narrower than the diameter of the driving opening. In such a case, in order to minimize the amount of movement required for the opening and closing operation of the first shutter member, one side of the first shutter member that abuts with the second shutter member is positioned at the tip of the recording / reproducing opening. The recording and reproducing opening may be opened and closed by rotating the first shutter member by an angle corresponding to a tangent to the driving opening passing through one of the corners.

[0098]

As described above, according to the disk cartridge of the present invention, since the first shutter member opens and closes the recording / reproducing opening with a minimum amount of movement, the internal space of the cartridge body can be reduced. The shutter mechanism can be operated to open and close efficiently.

Therefore, according to such a disk cartridge, even when the width of the opening is relatively large with respect to the diameter of the disk, it is necessary to increase the projected area of the cartridge body in order to open the shutter mechanism. Disappears.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation principle of a disk cartridge according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the disk cartridge shown as an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective explanatory view showing a closed state of a shutter mechanism of the disk cartridge.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory perspective view showing a state in which a shutter mechanism of the disk cartridge is opened.

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of another disk cartridge according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective explanatory view showing a closed state of a shutter mechanism of the disk cartridge.

FIG. 7 is a perspective explanatory view showing a state in which a shutter mechanism of the disk cartridge is opened.

FIG. 8 is a schematic plan view of a conventional disk cartridge.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 disc cartridges, 11 discs, 12
Cartridge body, 13 shutter mechanism, 16 upper half, 17 lower half, 17e shutter sliding recess, 18
Lower half cover, 19 opening, 20 driving opening, 21 recording / reproducing opening, 23 first shutter member, 24 second shutter member, 25 lock member, 2
6 Coil spring, 27 shutter section (first shutter member), 28 guide section, 29 connecting section, 29b moving operation section, 30 convex section, 31 shutter section (second shutter member), 32 support pin, 33 pressing pin, 34 Engagement part

Continuing from the front page (72) Inventor Mitsunori Matsumura 6-7-35 Kita-Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo Inside Sony Corporation (72) Inventor Shinya Kondo 6-35, Kita-Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo Sony Stock In company

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A cartridge body in which a disc-shaped recording medium is rotatably housed and composed of an upper half and a lower half, and a disc-shaped recording medium provided in the cartridge body and facing the recording and / or reproducing means. A recording and / or reproducing opening; a driving opening into which a driving means for rotationally driving the disk-shaped recording medium housed in the cartridge body enters; a recording and / or reproducing opening; A shutter mechanism provided to be able to open and close the drive opening, wherein the shutter mechanism opens and closes the recording and / or reproduction opening by opening and closing around the center of the drive opening. A first shutter member; and a second shutter member that opens and closes the drive opening, wherein the first shutter member and the second shutter member are connected to the cartridge. A shutter sliding recess provided on the main surface of the main body, disposed on the same plane, and opening and closing the recording and / or reproducing opening and the driving opening; The first shutter member and the second shutter member abut each other on one side, and the first shutter member opens the recording and / or reproducing opening and the driving opening. In this case, the disc cartridge has a shape in which the one side of the first shutter member coincides with the side end face in the width direction of the recording and / or reproducing opening.