Patents by Inventor Akira Kurozuka

Akira Kurozuka 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).

  • Patent number: 6272093
    Abstract: The disk loading device of this invention includes: a holder for removably holding a cartridge; a conveying member for conveying the holder; a shutter opening/closing member for opening a shutter of the cartridge when the cartridge is inserted into the holder; and a rotational driving member having a holding portion for holding a center portion of a disk in the cartridge which has been conveyed to a predetermined position by the conveying member, the rotational driving member rotating the disk held by the holding portion, wherein, when the holder is conveyed by the conveying member, the shutter of the cartridge has been opened by the shutter opening/closing member and an opening of the cartridge which has been exposed by the opening of the shutter passes a position where the holding portion of the rotational driving member is located.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2001
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Kurozuka, Eiichi Hanakawa, Shinichi Maeda, Kohzoh Ezawa
  • Patent number: 6262961
    Abstract: To present a disk loading device reduced in the thickness of the entire device, capable of loading plural types of cartridge and bare disk commonly, easy to handle in horizontal or vertical position, and particularly excellent in dust-proof performance or manual insertion and discharge performance of tray in power off state, a holder 100 moved back and forth by transfer means provided inside includes a detecting switch 114 of a shutter opener 103 and a detecting switch 115 of a disk holder 104, and these two detecting switches are combined, while a dust-proof member such as dust-proof cover 42 is provided in a passage to the disk and optical head 7 in an external air stream in the device, and therefore, immediately after putting the media into the holder 100, the type and state of the media can be detected, and breakage of device due to insertion of plural types of cartridge in wrong direction or wrong side can be prevented, and also contamination of the disk or optical head 7 by suction of dust or smoke can
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2001
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinichi Maeda, Akira Kurozuka, Yasuhisa Fukushima, Kozo Ezawa, Makoto Fujita, Yoshiaki Nakatsuka, Yoshiyuki Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 6215760
    Abstract: A disk drive is provided which uses a disk cartridge having an inner case for holding an optical disk; an outer case for accommodating the inner case, having an opening allowing the inner case to come in and out; a locking mechanism for locking the inner case in the outer case, provided in a vicinity of the opening; and a coupling mechanism for coupling the disk cartridge with another disk cartridge. The disk drive includes a mechanism for pulling out the inner case to a pulled-out position from the outer case by more than a half of the inner case but not by entirety thereof; a mechanism for holding the inner case at the pulled-out position and rotating the optical disk; and a mechanism for reading/writing data on the optical disk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2001
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Eiichi Hanakawa, Akira Kurozuka, Hiroyuki Takeuchi, Hironori Okazawa, Yoshikazu Goto
  • Patent number: 6118751
    Abstract: A disk cartridge comprising: an inner case for holing an optical disk; an outer case for accommodating the inner case, having an opening for allowing the inner case to come in and out; lock means for locking the inner case in the outer case, provided in a vicinity of the opening; and coupling means for coupling the disk cartridge with another disk cartridge. A disk drive using the disk cartridge comprising: a mechanism for pulling out the inner case from the outer case by more than a half of the inner case but not by entirety thereof; a mechanism for holding the inner case at a position of being pulled out and rotating the optical disk; and a mechanism for reading/writing data on the optical disk. A disk changer apparatus comprising: a disk stacker for containing a plurality of the disk cartridges; the disk drive; and a mechanism for moving the disk drive device to a selected disk cartridge among the plurality of the disk cartridges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2000
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Eiichi Hanakawa, Akira Kurozuka, Hiroyuki Takeuchi, Hironori Okazawa, Yoshikazu Goto
  • Patent number: 5936935
    Abstract: A disk cartridge which includes an inner case for holding an optical disk, and an outer case for accommodating the inner case which has an opening for allowing the inner case to come in and out. The disk cartridge also includes lock means for locking the inner case in the outer case, provided in a vicinity of the opening; and coupling means for coupling the disk cartridge with another disk cartridge. A disk cartridge using the disk cartridge includes a mechanism for pulling out the inner case from the outer case by more than a half of the inner case but not by entirety thereof. The disk drive further includes a mechanism for holding the inner case at a position of being pulled out and rotating the optical disk. A disk changer apparatus includes a disk stacker for containing a plurality of the disk cartridges; the disk drive; and a mechanism for moving the disk drive device to a selected cartridge among the plurality of the disk cartridges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 10, 1999
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Eiichi Hanakawa, Akira Kurozuka, Hiroyuki Takeuchi, Hironori Okazawa, Yoshikazu Goto
  • Patent number: 5025474
    Abstract: A speaker system has an acoustic diaphragm and an image projection screen provided on a surface of the diaphragm integrally therewith so as to enable the user to enjoy both realistic image on the screen and powerful sound reproduced through the diaphragm. The rear surface of the diaphragm is closed at a peripheral portion thereof while the central portion of the rear surface of the diaphragm is opened to the exterior, so that the speaker system can provide a high level of reproduced sound pressure in low-pitched region, while the thickness of the speaker is reduced remarkably. The diaphgram can be driven by a plurality of driving units so that the speaker system can operate only with an ordinary stereophonic amplifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 1988
    Date of Patent: June 18, 1991
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsuneo Tanaka, Kazue Sato, Hiroyuki Takewa, Akira Kurozuka, Tadashi Tamura, Katsuji Hattori, Satoshi Takayama, Kosaku Murata, Katsuaki Satoh, Mituhiko Serikawa, Youichi Kimura, Shuichi Obata