Patents by Inventor Manabu Obata

Manabu Obata has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20060184959
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a disk cartridge in which a disk-like recording medium such as an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk and a magnetic disk is accommodated within a disk compartment of a cartridge housing, a disk recording medium device in which the disk-like recording medium is accommodated in advance within the disk compartment so as to become freely rotatable and a disk recording and/or reproducing apparatus for recording and/or reproducing information by using this disk recording medium device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2006
    Publication date: August 17, 2006
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Manabu Obata, Naoki Inoue
  • Patent number: 7057854
    Abstract: A disk cartridge housing in which a disk compartment is formed by combining an upper shell and a lower shell. The cartridge has an opening portion which overlaps with a shutter member to expose a part of the disk compartment. A convex rib and a concave groove arrangement is used between the opening portion and shutter member to form a dust-proof housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2006
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Manabu Obata, Yuji Iwaki, Naoki Inoue, Mitsuyoshi Kawaguchi
  • Patent number: 7051349
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a disk cartridge in which a disk-like recording medium such as an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk and a magnetic disk is accommodated within a disk compartment of a cartridge housing, a disk recording medium device in which the disk-like recording medium is accommodated in advance within the disk compartment so as to become freely rotatable and a disk recording and/or reproducing apparatus for recording and/or reproducing information by using this disk recording medium device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2006
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Manabu Obata, Naoki Inoue
  • Patent number: 7017170
    Abstract: The present invention is relative to a disc cartridge in which an optical disc (3), an inner shell (4) and shutter members (5a), (5b) are housed in a main cartridge body unit (2), formed by abutting and combining upper and lower shells (6), (7), and in which the inner shell is run in rotation to cause the shutter members (5a), (5b) to open or close an aperture (24) provided in the main cartridge body unit (2). 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 (21A) 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2006
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yuji Iwaki, Shuichi Kikuchi, Teiko Hoshi, Naoki Inoue, Manabu Obata, Mitsuyoshi Kawaguchi
  • Patent number: 6973660
    Abstract: An object is to drive a plurality of types of disc cartridges, in different formats but with similar external dimensions. A disc drive apparatus is configured to use a single spindle motor 32 to drive a first disc cartridge 1, having a first cartridge 1a housing a first disc 10 and a first pair of positioning holes 1c, 1d in the first cartridge 1a, as well as a second disc cartridge 2 having a second cartridge 2a housing a second disc 13 with the same outer diameter as the first disc 10 and a second pair of positioning holes 2c, 2d in the second cartridge 2a; positioning shaft location means 40, 41 are provided; when the first disc cartridge 1 is driven, these positioning shaft location means 40, 41 position the positioning shafts 40a, 41a in positions corresponding to the first pair of holes 1c, 1d, and when the second disc cartridge 2 is driven, the positioning shaft means 40, 41 position the positioning shafts 40b, 41b in positions corresponding to the second pair of holes 2c, 2d.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2005
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Manabu Obata
  • Patent number: 6964056
    Abstract: Disclosed is a disk recording and reproduction apparatus for recording and/or reproduction of optical disks of multiple different formats impossible to record or reproduce with a single pickup. A disk recording and reproduction apparatus containing a base unit (25) with two separate optical pickups (31) and (32) corresponding to two different format types and installed around the center of a turntable (27) for rotating a disk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2005
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Manabu Obata, Mitsunori Matsumura, Yoichiro Mitsumoto, Hideaki Tsutsumi
  • Patent number: 6944875
    Abstract: Disclosed is a disk cartridge capable of preventing the permeation of dust in the disk cartridge. A labyrinth shape portion having a recessed dust deposition portion formed in a gap at a portion between tilt planes for overlap of shutters are vertically overlapped to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2005
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Mitsuyoshi Kawaguchi, Manabu Obata, Yuji Iwaki
  • Publication number: 20050160447
    Abstract: The present invention is relative to a disc cartridge in which an optical disc (3), an inner shell (4) and shutter members (5a), (5b) are housed in a main cartridge body unit (2), formed by abutting and combining upper and lower shells (6), (7), and in which the inner shell is run in rotation to cause the shutter members (5a), (5b) to open or close an aperture (24) provided in the main cartridge body unit (2). 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 (21A) 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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2005
    Publication date: July 21, 2005
    Inventors: Yuji Iwaki, Shuichi Kikuchi, Teiko Hoshi, Naoki Inoue, Manabu Obata, Mitsuyoshi Kawaguchi
  • Publication number: 20050149963
    Abstract: The present invention is relative to a disc cartridge in which an optical disc (3), an inner shell (4) and shutter members (5a), (5b) are housed in a main cartridge body unit (2), formed by abutting and combining upper and lower shells (6), (7), and in which the inner shell is run in rotation to cause the shutter members (5a), (5b) to open or close an aperture (24) provided in the main cartridge body unit (2). 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 (21A) 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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2005
    Publication date: July 7, 2005
    Inventors: Yuji Iwaki, Shuichi Kikuchi, Teiko Hoshi, Naoki Inoue, Manabu Obata, Mitsuyoshi Kawaguchi
  • Publication number: 20050132396
    Abstract: The present invention is relative to a disc cartridge in which an optical disc (3), an inner shell (4) and shutter members (5a), (5b) are housed in a main cartridge body unit (2), formed by abutting and combining upper and lower shells (6), (7), and in which the inner shell is run in rotation to cause the shutter members (5a), (5b) to open or close an aperture (24) provided in the main cartridge body unit (2). 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 (21A) 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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2005
    Publication date: June 16, 2005
    Inventors: Yuji Iwaki, Shuichi Kikuchi, Teiko Hoshi, Naoki Inoue, Manabu Obata, Mitsuyoshi Kawaguchi
  • Patent number: 6900965
    Abstract: A disk cartridge in which a pair of shutter members can be opened and closed smoothly and reliably, and a dust-proof property and an airtightness of a large opening portion can be increased by reducing a space between a pair of shutter members and a cartridge housing as much as possible. The disk cartridge comprises a cartridge housing in which a disk compartment is formed-between an upper shell and a middle shell by overlapping the upper shell, the middle shell and the lower shell and the middle shell is supported by the upper shell and the lower shell so as to become freely rotatable, an optical disk rotatably stored within the disk compartment and a pair of shutter members attached to the middle shell in such a manner that they can be moved in the plane direction on the same plane. A shutter opening and closing mechanism for opening and closing opening portions by moving the pair of shutter members based rotation of the middle shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2005
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Naoki Inoue, Manabu Obata
  • Publication number: 20050018333
    Abstract: A disc cartridge includes a cartridge body, a first shutter, a second shutter, and a rotational member. The cartridge body includes a disc storage portion, a chucking opening and a head opening. The disc storage portion has a disc window and a bottom and stores a disc, having first and second sides, therein so that the disc is rotatable in the disc storage portion and that the disc exposes the first side inside the disc window. The first and second shutters are provided on the bottom of the disc storage portion to expose or cover the head opening. The rotational member is provided over the first and second shutters inside the disc storage portion and is engaged with the first and second shutters in such a manner as to open or close the first and second shutters when rotates inside the disc storage portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2003
    Publication date: January 27, 2005
    Inventors: Hironori Okazawa, Teruyuki Takizawa, Yoshito Saji, Kuniko Nakata, Manabu Obata, Naoki Inoue, Mitsunori Matsumura
  • Patent number: 6839900
    Abstract: A disk cartridge which allows for the user to know what contents are recorded in which disk cartridge without the need of reproducing the disk cartridge, a method of manufacturing the same and a recording/reproducing system using the same have been provided, in which the disk cartridge is accomplished by incorporating the optical disk in a case, a recording surface of the optical disk is comprised of an annular inner area, a clamping area, a transition area, an information recording area and a rim area, which are arranged from inside to outside in radial directions of the optical disk, and disk cartridge identification information is recorded in the transition area of the optical disk, and also the disk cartridge identification information recorded in the optical disk is provided discernibly from outside the case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2005
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Manabu Obata, Mitsunori Matsumura
  • Publication number: 20040255310
    Abstract: A disk drive apparatus includes a casing having an upper plate; and a tray. The upper plate includes an arm having an attracted member fixed thereto. When the tray moves from a protruding position to a recording-and-playback position, since engagements of the arm and the tray are engaged with each other, the main body of the arm swings, and the attracted member serves as a chucking position facing a chucked portion of the disk-shaped recording medium placed on the tray. When the tray moves from the recording-and-playback position to the protruding position, since the engagement of the arm is detached from the engagement of the tray, the main body of the arm swings, and the attracted member serves as a retracting position retracting above the chucked portion of the disk-shaped recording medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2004
    Publication date: December 16, 2004
    Inventors: Manabu Obata, Mitsunori Matsumura, Zensaku Mitsuji, Hideaki Tsutsumi, Hisashi Negoro
  • Publication number: 20040255311
    Abstract: A disk drive unit advantageously prevents dust from adhering to a pickup. The disk drive unit has a housing and a tray. The tray reciprocates between a retracted position and a projected position. A first pickup and a second pickup have a spindle motor located therebetween. The tray has a first cutout and a second cutout. A cover is provided to cover the top of the second pickup in its retreated position. The cover has a cover piece, which is disposed in a front portion of the cover that is positioned on the upstream side relative to the rotational direction of a disk-shaped recording medium such that it is movable in a direction parallel to the direction in which the second pickup moves, and urged in the projecting direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2004
    Publication date: December 16, 2004
    Inventors: Manabu Obata, Zensaku Mitsuji, Morihiro Murata, Hisashi Negoro, Yusuke Hirano
  • Publication number: 20040250267
    Abstract: In a disc cartridge, the shutter opening/closing operation is to be performed reliably. To this end, the distal ends of a first engagement member 75 and a second engagement member 79 provided to a base 66 are pivotally movable in a direction along a lateral surface of a housing 51, in addition to being movable in a direction perpendicular to the lateral surface of the housing 51. The state of engagement of the first engagement member 75 and the second engagement member 79, provided to the base, with a first mating engagement section 110 and with a second mating engagement section 108, provided to an inner rotor 101, facing outwards from one lateral surface of the housing 51, when the base 66 performs relative movement along the lateral surface of the housing 51, may be maintained for prolonged time, while the load applied to the distal ends during engagement and disengagement may be reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2004
    Publication date: December 9, 2004
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Hideaki Tsutsumi, Manabu Obata, Zensaku Mitsuji, Mitsunori Matsumura
  • Publication number: 20040233797
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a disk cartridge in which a disk-like recording medium such as an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk and a magnetic disk is accommodated within a disk compartment of a cartridge housing, a disk recording medium device in which the disk-like recording medium is accommodated in advance within the disk compartment so as to become freely rotatable and a disk recording and/or reproducing apparatus for recording and/or reproducing information by using this disk recording medium device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2003
    Publication date: November 25, 2004
    Inventors: Manabu Obata, Yuji Iwaki, Mitsuyoshi Kawaguchi, Mitsunori Matsumura
  • Publication number: 20040163100
    Abstract: Disclosed is a disk cartridge capable of preventing the permeation of dust in the disk cartridge. A labyrinth shape portion having a recessed dust deposition portion formed in a gap at a portion between tilt planes for overlap of shutters are vertically overlapped to each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2003
    Publication date: August 19, 2004
    Inventors: Mitsuyoshi Kawaguchi, Manabu Obata, Yuji Iwaki
  • Publication number: 20040120236
    Abstract: It is a disc in which it is possible to know with ease what contents are recorded on which disc without reproducing the contents of the disc, and a fabrication method as well as a recording reproducing system thereof. A recording surface (110) of an optical disc (100) is formed as an inner area (111A), a clamping area (111B), a transition area (113), an information recording area (114), and a rim area (115), each of an annular shape and aligned from the inner side to the outer side of the radial direction. Disc identification information is recorded in the transition area (113) of the optical disc (100) as a format for recording information in the transition area (113) mentioned above. Further, the disc identification information recorded on the optical disc (100) is provided in a spot on the optical disc (100) so as to be visible from outside.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2004
    Publication date: June 24, 2004
    Inventors: Ippei Suzuki, Kiyoshi Nishitani, Mitsunori Matsumura, Manabu Obata
  • Publication number: 20040114276
    Abstract: A disk cartridge in which a pair of shutter members can be opened and closed smoothly and reliably, and a dust-proof property and an airtightness of a large opening portion can be increased by reducing a space between a pair of shutter members and a cartridge housing as much as possible The disk cartridge comprises a cartridge housing in which a disk compartment is formed-between an upper shell and a middle shell by overlapping the upper shell, the middle shell and the lower shell and the middle shell is supported by the upper shell and the lower shell so as to become freely rotatable, an optical disk rotatably stored within the disk compartment and a pair of shutter members attached to the middle shell in such a manner that they can be moved in the plane direction on the same plane. A shutter opening and closing mechanism for opening and closing opening portions by moving the pair of shutter members based rotation of the middle shell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2003
    Publication date: June 17, 2004
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naoki Inoue, Manabu Obata