Abstract: A disk drive has a frame for receiving and retaining a disk cartridge which includes a disk therein, such disk being rotatable about a first axis perpendicular to the frame and cartridge. An actuator is mounted to the frame and is movable a first lesser amount from a first position to a second position and a second greater amount from the first position to a third position. A retract/eject lever is also mounted to the frame, is rotatable on an axis parallel to the first axis by the actuator, and is biased to a resting position. The actuator upon being moved to the second position rotates the retract/eject lever into a head-retracting position. The actuator upon being moved to the third position rotates the retract/eject lever to the head-retracting position and then to a cartridge-ejecting position. A head assembly is mounted to the frame and is movable toward and away from the retained disk cartridge and the disk therein for reading data from/writing data to such disk.

Abstract: A disk drive has a frame for receiving and retaining a disk cartridge which includes a disk therein, such disk being rotatable about a first axis perpendicular to the frame and cartridge. An actuator is mounted to the frame and is movable a first lesser amount from a first position to a second position and a second greater amount from the first position to a third position. A retract/eject lever is also mounted to the frame, is rotatable on an axis parallel to the first axis by the actuator, and is biased to a resting position. The actuator upon being moved to the second position rotates the retract/eject lever into a head-retracting position. The actuator upon being moved to the third position rotates the retract/eject lever to the head-retracting position and then to a cartridge-ejecting position. A head assembly is mounted to the frame and is movable toward and away from the retained disk cartridge and the disk therein for reading data from/writing data to such disk.

Abstract: A front-loading optical disk drive is disclosed that registers an optical disk about the spindle precisely relative to the optical head. First, the spindle and the corresponding clamping assembly have means to accurately register the disk onto the spindle. Second, the critical components of the optical disk drive such as the spindle, the clamping assembly, the optical head, and the guides and stops for the optical disk, are all positioned relative to a single point in the disk drive. This eliminates the build up of manufacturing tolerances between the critical components. By precisely registering the optical disk onto the spindle, and precisely positioning all the critical components relative to a single point, the optical disk will be precisely registered to the optical head.

Abstract: In continuous flow ink jet printers, over 95% of the ink in the ink reservior is recirculated each time the volume of ink in the reservoir is cycled through the printer. The apparatus herein provides a very low evaporation rate for the recirculating ink. With a low evaporation rate, the ink may be replenished with ink alone rather than having to supply ink concentrate and solvent to readjust the ink composition. The low evaporation rate is achieved by keeping the temperature of the ink in the reservoir and at the print head near ambient temperature of the printer's environment and by minimizing the air flow through the reservoir. In addition, the ink in the reservoir is replenished as it is consumed.