Fujitsu Corporation

Hideo Nasu

Kazuhiko Kageyama

Takao Shinoda

Yoshiaki Hosokawa

Hideki Yamaguchi

Kazuhiro Kakuguchi

Kenji Umehara

A compact inexpensive optical disk drive adaptable to high-density optical disks is provided by improving a loading mechanism for an optical disk. A mechanism for loading an optical disk, in or from which information is optically recorded or reproduced, into the body of an optical disk drive is mounted on a chassis. The loading mechanism consists of a spindle motor, a lift plate, and a sheet loader. The spindle motor rotates an optical disk. The spindle motor is placed on the lift plate. The sheet loader moves the lift plate vertically to the chassis so as to attach or detach the spindle motor to or from the optical disk. In the storage device, the tilt of the lift plate relative to the chassis is adjusted at three points on the lift plate. Blade springs for constraining the lift plate to move towards the optical disk are interposed between the chassis and lift plate. The points to which spring forces exerted by the blade springs are applied are located on a surface of the lift plate opposite to the optical disk.

Storage device adjusting tilt angle of spindle motor against replaceable storage medium

Disclosed herein is an optical storage device including an optical head having an objective lens for focusing a light beam from a light source onto an optical recording medium accommodated in a cartridge shell, and a photodetector for detecting a regenerative signal from reflected light from the optical recording medium. The optical storage device further includes a cartridge holder having a main surface for holding a cartridge inserted in the optical storage device. First and second cartridge holding assemblies are mounted on the main surface of the cartridge holder in the vicinity of a first side thereof in such a manner as to be spaced from each other and to partially project into the cartridge holder. A third cartridge holding assembly is mounted on the main surface of the cartridge holder in the vicinity of a second side thereof opposite to the first side so as to partially project into the cartridge holder. Each cartridge holding assembly includes a cartridge holding member having a flat surface for holding the cartridge shell.

Cartridge holding mechanism for optical storage device

Disclosed herein is a storage device including a turntable assembly movable between a raised position and a lowered position, a load plate adapted to move from a first position to a second position in concert with insertion of a carrier into the storage device, and a spring for biasing the load plate to the second position. When the load plate is moved to the second position, the turntable assembly is moved to the raised position. The storage device further includes a base and a timing arm mounted on the base so as to be pivotally movable between a third position for maintaining the load plate in the first position and a fourth position for disengaging the load plate in concert with the insertion of the carrier to allow movement of the load plate to the second position. The distance L between a pivotal center of the timing arm and a point of engagement of the timing arm and the load plate and the distance L between the pivotal center and a point of engagement of the timing arm and the carrier are related to satisfy L &gE;L

Cartridge loading mechanism for optical storage device

A loading mechanism by which a disk cartridge can be loaded into a disk drive apparatus includes a mechanism for opening and closing a shutter of the disk cartridge; an elevating plate on which a spindle motor and an alignment pin for positioning the cartridge are mounted; and an oblique surface for moving the elevating plate onto the cartridge side for cartridge insertion. In one case, a front end portion of a first alignment pin is elliptically cylindrical, and only a front end portion of a second alignment pin is curved. The second alignment pin is offset onto the rear side of the apparatus. In another embodiment, a shutter sliding member includes: first and second sliding pieces which slide in a guide groove of a guide frame forming an insertion passage of the cartridge; and a torsion spring. In the first and the second sliding pieces, a shaft portion engages one end of the torsion spring, and a flange interposes the guide groove. In a third embodiment, the elevating plate has two sets of guide pins arranged perpendicularly to the cartridge inserting direction, symmetrically with each other, and the load plate of the elevator has two oblique surfaces on the right and two oblique surfaces on the left which receive the guide pins and pull up the guide pins when the load plate is moved, and starting positions of these oblique surfaces are shifted in the longitudinal direction.

Mechanism for loading disk into disk drive apparatus with shifted oblique guiding surfaces

An optical storage device including a light source mounted on a base, an optical head having an objective lens for focusing light from the light source onto an optical recording medium, a spindle motor, and a spindle motor assembly having the spindle motor and movable between a raised position where the spindle motor engages the optical recording medium inserted in the optical storage device and a lowered position where the spindle motor disengages the optical recording medium. The optical storage device further includes a link mechanism for moving the spindle motor assembly between the raised position and the lowered position according to insertion and ejection of the optical recording medium with respect to the optical storage device, and a stopper for engaging the link mechanism to prevent movement of the link mechanism when the optical recording medium is not inserted in the optical storage device, thereby preventing movement of the spindle motor assembly to the raised position.

Optical storage device and cartridge loading mechanism

A cartridge holding mechanism for a storage device, including a pair of cartridge pressure springs each extending in a longitudinal direction of a cartridge holder corresponding to a direction of insertion of a cartridge into the storage device. The cartridge pressure springs are pivotably mounted to opposite side portions of the cartridge holder in the vicinity of the opposite sides of the cartridge holder. A pair of projections are formed at opposite end portions of each cartridge pressure spring to make pressure contact with the cartridge inserted in the storage device. Each cartridge pressure spring has a weight balance such that a front portion thereof corresponding to a front end of the storage device from which the cartridge is inserted is lighter in weight than a rear portion thereof with respect to the corresponding pivotal axis.

Optical storage device including a stable cartridge holding mechanism

A loading mechanism by which a disk cartridge can be loaded into a disk drive apparatus includes a mechanism for opening and closing a shutter of the disk cartridge; an elevating plate on which a spindle motor and an alignment pin for positioning the cartridge are mounted; and an oblique surface for moving the elevating plate onto the cartridge side for cartridge insertion. In one case, a front end portion of the first alignment pin is elliptically cylindrical, and only a front end portion of a second alignment pin is curved. The second alignment pin is offset onto the rear side of the apparatus. In another embodiment, a shutter sliding member includes: first and second sliding pieces which slide in a guide groove of a guide frame forming an insertion passage of the cartridge; and a torsion spring. In the first and the second sliding pieces, a shaft portion engages one end of the torsion spring, and a flange interposes the guide groove. In a third embodiment, the elevating plate has two sets of guide pins arranged perpendicularly to the cartridge inserting direction, symmetrically with each other, and on the load plate of the elevator has two oblique surfaces on the right and two oblique surfaces on the left which receive the guide pins and pull up the guide pins when the load plate is moved, and starting positions of these oblique surfaces are shifted in the longitudinal direction.

Mechanism for loading disk into disk drive apparatus

An optically transparent dustproof plate provided to a reflex type optical sheet sensor being for detecting passage of a sheet, transferred in front of the sheet sensor, by irradiating light from a light source provided in the sheet sensor to the sheet and receiving light reflected from the sheet at a light sensor provided in the sheet sensor, the sheet sensor being for protecting the light source and the light sensor from dust and having an outer surface, which faces outside of the dustproof plate, roughed for dispersing the irradiating light so as to decrease light reflected at the outer surface and received to the light sensor and an inner surface, which faces inside of the sheet sensor, inclined against the irradiating light so as to prevent light reflected at the inner surface from directing to the light sensor.

Growing community of inventors

Kawasaki, Japan

Hideo Nasu