Tray guide mechanism for an optical disc drive

Abstract

A tray guide mechanism for an optical disc drive guides a backward and forward movement of a tray installed to slide into and out of a housing made of a lower case and an upper case. The tray guide mechanism includes guide rails installed to slide into and out of both sides of the upper case, a guide rail supporting unit installed at both sides of the lower case, to prevent the guide rails from deviating from a backward and forward moving path, and rail combiners formed at both sides of the tray in a moving path of the tray, and combined with the guide rails to slide into the guide rails. The tray guide mechanism also includes a forward moving distance limiting unit to limit a moving distance of the tray and the guide rails in a direction to which the tray and the guide rails project to prevent the tray from detaching from the housing. The tray guide mechanism also includes vertical and horizontal restrainers to prevent vertical and horizontal movement of the tray. The guide rails are shaped such that the rail combiners are inserted thereinto, and includes rails which slide into and out of the rail combiners while remaining in contact with the rail combiners. The guide rails also include rail covers which are fixed to outer sides of the rails and slide into and out of the lower case while being in contact with the lower case. The tray guide mechanism is configured such that a guide rail is installed in contact with a rail and a rail cover, and thus is strengthened to firmly support the tray and is installed in a narrow space of the compact optical disc drive. Also, the tray guide mechanism includes the vertical and horizontal restrainers that prevent vertical and horizontal vibration or swaying of the tray.