The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 20, 1999
Filed:
Apr. 03, 1997
Hikaru Mizutani, Mino, JP;
Kenji Ohta, Otokuni-gun, JP;
Hitachi Maxell, Ltd., Osaka-fu, JP;
Abstract
A disc cartridge for freely rotatably accommodating a disc-shaped recording medium has a slide shutter assembly for selectively opening and closing the access window through which a recording and/or reproducing head is accessible to the optical disc accommodated within the cartridge. The slide shutter assembly is of a generally U-shaped configuration including top and bottom shutter plates and a bridge plate connecting the top and bottom shutter plates. While the slide shutter assembly is slidably mounted on a front open portion of the cartridge casing, the bridge plate has an inner surface formed integrally with a plurality of catch pieces. At least one guide plate extends along the front open portion of the cartridge casing between side walls and has a slot defined therein so as to extend lengthwise of the guide plate. With the slide shutter assembly mounted on the front portion of the cartridge casing, the catch pieces are slidably engaged in said slot to avoid an accidental separation of the slide shutter assembly from the cartridge casing.