Abstract: A disk drive includes: a pair of guide walls, which is arranged in the vicinity of the holder opening of a cartridge holder to define a direction in which a disk cartridge is supposed to be inserted; a first opening/closing lever, which has a first engaging portion that engages with a portion of the disk cartridge and which rotates while the disk cartridge is being inserted or ejected; and a second opening/closing lever, which has a second engaging portion that engages with another portion of the disk cartridge and which rotates while the disk cartridge is being inserted or ejected. The first and second opening/closing levers rotate so as to leave a broader gap between the first and second engaging portions than between the guide walls when the drive gets loaded with the disk cartridge, thereby opening a window in the disk cartridge.

Abstract: A disk drive includes: a pair of guide walls, which is arranged in the vicinity of the holder opening of a cartridge holder to define a direction in which a disk cartridge is supposed to be inserted; a first opening/closing lever, which has a first engaging portion that engages with a portion of the disk cartridge and which rotates while the disk cartridge is being inserted or ejected; and a second opening/closing lever, which has a second engaging portion that engages with another portion of the disk cartridge and which rotates while the disk cartridge is being inserted or ejected. The pivots of the first and second opening/closing levers are arranged opposite to the holder opening. The first and second opening/closing levers rotate so as to leave a broader gap between the first and second engaging portions than between the guide walls when the drive gets loaded with the disk cartridge, thereby opening a window in the disk cartridge.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a recording medium drive system including: a casing provided in a front face thereof with a slot through which to insert and discharge a recording medium having a principal surface and an opposite surface; and a sheet-formed member provided so as to close the slot and having a loop-formed deflected part which, while being deformed, is capable of making contact with at least one of the principal surface and the opposite surface of the recording medium at the times of insertion and discharge of the recording medium.

Abstract: A disk device includes a loader chassis, a control board, an optical pickup, a flexible flat cable, and a guide member. The loader chassis has a bottom plate with a through hole. The control board is fixedly attached to a lower face of the bottom plate of the loader chassis. The optical pickup is movable between inner and outer positions with respect to the loader chassis in inward and outward movement directions that are parallel to a radial direction of a disk. The flexible flat cable electrically connects the control board to the optical pickup and is partially disposed through the through hole. The flexible flat cable includes a bent end portion that is connected to the optical pickup. The guide member is formed on an upper face of the bottom plate of the loader chassis and guides the bent end portion upward with respect to the bottom plate.

Abstract: A disk drive includes: a pair of guide walls, which is arranged in the vicinity of the holder opening of a cartridge holder to define a direction in which a disk cartridge is supposed to be inserted; a first opening/closing lever, which has a first engaging portion that engages with a portion of the disk cartridge and which rotates while the disk cartridge is being inserted or ejected; and a second opening/closing lever, which has a second engaging portion that engages with another portion of the disk cartridge and which rotates while the disk cartridge is being inserted or ejected. The pivots of the first and second opening/closing levers are arranged opposite to the holder opening. The first and second opening/closing levers rotate so as to leave a broader gap between the first and second engaging portions than between the guide walls when the drive gets loaded with the disk cartridge, thereby opening a window in the disk cartridge.

Abstract: A cartridge device has a recording and reproducing unit for recording an information signal on and/or reproducing an information signal from a recording medium of a recording medium cartridge, the case having a positioning hole. A chassis of the device has a base and a projection projecting from the base toward a holder for being inserted in the positioning hole. An ejection slider is slidably supported on the chassis for sliding movement selectively in a first sliding direction to move the holder from the first to second position and a second sliding direction, which is opposite to the first sliding direction, to move the holder from the second to first position. The projection has a recess defined therein. The ejection slider has a portion insertable into the recess when the election slider is moved in the first sliding direction.

Abstract: A disk recording/reproducing apparatus includes a chassis rotatably supporting a holder for storing a disk cartridge; an eject lever movably disposed in the chassis in an insertion/removal direction of the disk cartridge and movably in a direction toward or away from the chassis. The eject lever is rotated by being pushed by the disk cartridge 1 inserted into the holder. A cartridge drop preventive mechanism prevents the disk cartridge ejected by the eject lever from dropping from the cartridge holder. The cartridge drop preventive mechanism is formed from a flat spring disposed on one side surface of the holder and makes a sliding contact with one side surface of the disk cartridge during unloading of the cartridge so as to give the disk cartridge a braking force. This arrangement can prevent the disk cartridge from jumping out and dropping off from the cartridge holder during ejection.

Abstract: A cartridge access device in a cartridge storage system is designed to retrieve a cartridge from a storage device and to transfer the cartridge to a particular location within the system. Once the cartridge is no longer needed at the particular location, the cartridge access device retrieves the cartridge from the particular location and returns the data cartridge to the storage device. The data cartridge device preferably includes at least two engaging members that engage a respective surface of a frame assembly. Channels in the surfaces of the frame assembly guide the engaging members and, therefore, the cartridge access device as the cartridge access device moves. The engaging members are engaged with a respective conductive track member that extends through the channels in the frame assembly.

Abstract: A disk cartridge device by which a plurality of kinds of disk cartridges of different sizes can be selectively located at respective desired positions of height and thereby loaded onto a single recording and reproducing device.