Sony Corporation

Teiko Hoshi

Shuichi Kikuchi

Naoki Inoue

Manabu Obata

Yuji Iwaki

Mitsuyoshi Kawaguchi

The present invention is related to a disc cartridge in which an optical disc, an inner shell and shutter members are housed in a main cartridge body unit, formed by abutting and combining upper and lower shells and in which the inner shell is run in rotation to cause the shutter members to open or close an aperture provided in the main cartridge body unit. The inner shell is formed by a resin molding portion comprised of a first molded portion for forming the inner shell and a second molded portion connected to the first molded portion. The second molded portion is provided at a position forming the aperture in the inner shell and is connected to the first molded portion through a flanged thin-walled section. The inner shell is formed by severing the second molded portion and the flanged thin-walled section.

Disc cartridge including an inner shell formed by severing a molded portion and a flanged thin-walled section

The present invention is relative to a disc cartridge in which an optical disc (), an inner shell () and shutter members (), () are housed in a main cartridge body unit (), formed by abutting and combining upper and lower shells (), (), and in which the inner shell is run in rotation to cause the shutter members (), () to open or close an aperture () provided in the main cartridge body unit (). On an inner side of the peripheral wall sections of the upper and lower shells, abutted to each other, a crank-shaped dust intrusion prohibiting unit (A) is provided for prohibiting intrusion of dust and dirt from the abutting surfaces of the peripheral wall sections of the upper and lower shells towards the optical disc housed in the main cartridge body unit to protect the optical disc housed in the main cartridge body unit. The inner shell provided in the main cartridge body unit includes an aperture () in register with an aperture in the main cartridge body unit, and includes a connecting portion () bridging an open end side of the aperture. This connecting portion has a height not protruding towards the lower shell.

Disc cartridge with crank-shaped dust intrusion prohibiting unit

A method for producing an inner shell used for a disc cartridge in which an optical disc, an inner shell and shutter members are housed in a main cartridge body unit. The inner shell provided in the main cartridge body unit includes a first molded portion, provided with an aperture, a second molded portion having a resin injection port and molded at a position where the aperture is formed, and a flanged thin-walled section connecting the first and second molded portions to each other. The method includes the steps of injecting molten resin into a cavity defined by a fixed metal die and a movable metal die for molding the first molded portion, the second molded portion, and the flanged thin-walled section, and severing the flanged thin-walled section by a punch provided to the movable metal die before the molten resin injected into the cavity is cooled and solidified.

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Miyagi, Japan

Teiko Hoshi