Abstract: A disk cartridge according to the present invention includes first and second disk storage portions, each of which has a space to partially store a disk with at least one data storage side. When closed up, the first and second disk storage portions enclose the disk entirely. The disk cartridge further includes a supporting base member with a disk storage portion rotation supporting portion that supports rotatably the first and second disk storage portions so as to make or cover an opening with respect to the disk. The opening is used to get the disk chucked externally and to allow a head to access the data storage side of the disk and read and/or write data from/on that side. At least a portion of the supporting base member overlaps with the first and second disk storage portions so as to prevent the first and second disk storage portions from moving perpendicularly to the disk.

Abstract: A motor (2) for rotating a disk; a head (3) for recording/reproducing information of the disk; a tray (1) on which a first cartridge and a second cartridge that accommodate the disk respectively and have different outside shapes can be mounted selectively; a transferer (7, 1k) for transferring the tray (1); a detector (4) for detecting an outside shape difference between the respective cartridges; a disk cartridge guide (1d) for positioning the respective cartridges such that, when mounting the respective cartridges on the tray (1), centers of the respective disks accommodated in the respective cartridges do not coincide with each other; and a transferring distance changer (5, 10a, 1g, 1h, 1i) that can change a transferring distance of the tray (1) of the transferer (7, 1k) based on a result of the detector (4), and can transfer the tray (1) to a position where the centers of the respective disks accommodated in the respective cartridges coincide with a substantial center of the motor (2) are provided.

Abstract: A disk apparatus includes: an apparatus body including a disk drive portion for housing a disk medium having an information recording surface and for recording and/or reproducing information; and a lid body including a display for displaying information, and closed and opened with respect to the apparatus body in such a way that the display is postured face down and up. The apparatus body further includes: a drive-portion cover which is movable in a bottom direction of the apparatus body and inserts and ejects the disk medium into and from the disk drive portion; and a lock hook and a cover hook locking the disk medium housed in the apparatus body. A locking state of the lock hook and the cover hook is kept when the lid body is in the open state with respect to the apparatus body.

Abstract: A disk drive includes: a cartridge holder that holds a disk cartridge including a disk, and has a holder opening, through which the cartridge is inserted and ejected; two guide walls arranged near the holder opening to define a direction in which the cartridge is inserted; a disk motor for rotating the disk mounted; a head for reading and/or writing information from/on the disk; a base for supporting the head and motor; first and second guide grooves cut through the holder; and first and second guide members movable along the first and second grooves, respectively, and engaging with respective portions of the cartridge.

Abstract: A disk apparatus compatible with a disk cartridge having a large head window even with a small external size. A disk apparatus includes a cartridge holder, a pair of guide walls, a disk motor, a head, a base, first and second slider guides, first and second open/close sliders respectively having first and second engageable portions. The slider guides are provided in the cartridge holder for supporting the disk cartridge, and the sliders are slidably engaged with the slider guides. The sliders slide to allow the engageable portions to be engaged with the disk cartridge such that a distance between the engageable portions is smaller than a distance between the guide walls while the disk cartridge is inserted, and such that the distance between the engageable portions is larger than the distance between the guide walls when the disk cartridge is mounted, and thus form a window in the disk cartridge so as to allow the head to access the disk and allow the disk to be mounted on the disk motor.

Abstract: A disk drive is adapted to a disk cartridge having a rotational member and a shutter interlocked with the rotational member. The drive includes a transporting portion for transporting the cartridge and a shutter driving mechanism, which includes a rack portion engaging with a gear portion of the rotational member, and first and second driving levers supported to fit into, and turn with, first and second notched portions of the rotational member, respectively. The transporting portion includes a first cam structure for driving the first and second driving levers of the shutter driving mechanism such that the levers swing as the transporting portion moves. As the transporting portion moves, the first and second notched portions and the gear portion of the disk cartridge held on the transporting portion get engaged with the shutter driving mechanism, which then rotates the rotational member to open or close the shutter.

Abstract: An optical disc drive includes: a tray to mount a cartridge including a disc and having a positioning hole; a chassis for supporting the tray to move in a first direction; a spindle motor; an optical head; a traverse base, which is supported on the chassis so as to rotate around an axis defined in a second direction near one end of the chassis in the first direction and which mounts the spindle motor and the optical head thereon, the second direction being parallel to the disc and perpendicular to the first direction; a traverse holder coupled to the traverse base; a positioning pin provided for the traverse holder and fitting in with the positioning hole, thereby positioning the cartridge; and an elevating portion for moving a portion of the traverse holder in a third direction perpendicularly to the disc.

Abstract: A disk drive includes a plurality of optical heads corresponding to a plurality kind of disks, and a disk distinction device for distinguishing whether a set disk is a first disk or a second disk when a disk is set on a disk tray, a first disk tray conveying mechanism for the first disk and/or the second disk tray conveying mechanism for the second disk conveys the disk tray to a first tray position in which recording and/or reproducing is performed on the first tray or the second tray position in which recording and/or reproducing is performed on the second tray, according to a result distinguished by the disk distinction device, thereby, an optical head corresponding to a disk set to the disk tray is selected correctly and a recording or reproducing operation is performed on the disk.

Abstract: A disc drive according to the present invention is adapted to a disk cartridge including: a disk; a body to contain the disk; a window provided for the body to allow a data reading and/or writing head to access the disk; a shutter for opening or closing the window; and a rotational member including a gear as a part of its outer periphery and rotating to open or close the shutter. The drive includes a shutter driving mechanism for opening and closing the shutter by rotating the rotational member of the disk cartridge, and the shutter driving mechanism includes a driving gear, which engages with the gear of the rotational member and which turns around a first rotation shaft. The first rotation shaft swings around the center of rotation of the rotational member of the disk cartridge that is held on the holding portion.

Abstract: A disk drive includes base with a spindle motor, first and second rockers and first and second sliders. The spindle motor has a turntable to mount a disk. The first and second rockers rock so as to pivot about fulcrums substantially parallel to the turntable. The first rocker pulls in the disk, inserted externally, to a position where the disk and motor have their centers aligned. The second rocker unloads the disk from the position to a point where the disk is exposed partially. The first and second sliders are engaged with the first and second rockers to make them pull in and unload the disk, respectively, and reciprocate substantially parallel to the turntable. The rockers and sliders are located under the turntable. The slider(s) support(s), raise(s) and lower(s) a side face of the base through the reciprocation.

Abstract: The disk drive of this invention is adapted to a disk cartridge including a window allowing a head to access a disk, a shutter for opening or shutting the window, and a rotational member including a gear portion and first and second notched portions to sandwich the gear portion and interlocking with the shutter. The drive includes a transporting portion for transporting the cartridge, the read/write head, and a shutter driving mechanism, which includes a rack portion engaging with the gear portion, and first and second driving levers supported to fit into, and turn with, the first and second notched portions, respectively. The transporting portion includes a first cam structure for driving the first and second driving levers of the shutter driving mechanism such that the levers swing as the transporting portion moves.

Abstract: First and second optical heads (3A, 3B) are disposed on the same side with respect to a plane including a disk surface. Then, a media tray (19) on which a disk is mounted is moved within a plane substantially parallel with the disk surface. Using two optical heads (3A, 3B) selectively, recording and/or reproducing is performed with respect to the optical disk. The height of a disk apparatus does not increase, and signal lines connected to the optical heads (3A, 3B) are not forced to bend.

Abstract: A disc drive according to the present invention is adapted to a disk cartridge including: a disk; a body to contain the disk; a window provided for the body to allow a data reading and/or writing head to access the disk; a shutter for opening or closing the window; and a rotational member including a gear as a part of its outer periphery and rotating to open or close the shutter. The drive includes a shutter driving mechanism for opening and closing the shutter by rotating the rotational member of the disk cartridge, and the shutter driving mechanism includes a driving gear, which engages with the gear of the rotational member and which turns around a first rotation shaft. The first rotation shaft swings around the center of rotation of the rotational member of the disk cartridge that is held on the holding portion.

Abstract: A disk drive includes base with a spindle motor, first and second rockers and first and second sliders. The spindle motor has a turntable to mount a disk. The first and second rockers rock so as to pivot about fulcrums substantially parallel to the turntable. The first rocker pulls in the disk, inserted externally, to a position where the disk and motor have their centers aligned. The second rocker unloads the disk from the position to a point where the disk is exposed partially. The first and second sliders are engaged with the first and second rockers to make them pull in and unload the disk, respectively, and reciprocate substantially parallelly to the turntable. The rockers and sliders are located under the turntable. The slider(s) support(s), raise(s) and lower(s) a side face of the base through the reciprocation.

Abstract: A disk drive, selectively accommodating a cartridge with a disk and at least one positioning hole on the bottom or the disk only, includes: a drive mechanism; a read/write head; a tray for putting the cartridge or the disk thereon, inserting it to a first position, in which the drive mechanism can mount the disk, and ejecting it to a second position, in which the cartridge or the disk is removable; and at least one positioning pin, which has a top portion inserted into the positioning hole to position the cartridge within a plane parallel to the disk. The tray has at least one clearance hole, into which the positioning pin is inserted such that the top portion thereof is fitted with the positioning hole of the cartridge in the first position, and the center of the clearance hole is offset to the center of axis of the top portion.

Abstract: An optical disc drive includes: a tray to mount a cartridge including a disc and having a positioning hole; a chassis for supporting the tray to move in a first direction; a spindle motor; an optical head; a traverse base, which is supported on the chassis so as to rotate around an axis defined in a second direction near one end of the chassis in the first direction and which mounts the spindle motor and the optical head thereon, the second direction being parallel to the disc and perpendicular to the first direction; a traverse holder coupled to the traverse base; a positioning pin provided for the traverse holder and fitting in with the positioning hole, thereby positioning the cartridge; and an elevating portion for moving a portion of the traverse holder in a third direction perpendicularly to the disc.

Abstract: A disk drive includes base with a spindle motor, first and second rockers and first and second sliders. The spindle motor has a turntable to mount a disk. The first and second rockers rock substantially parallelly to the turntable. The first rocker pulls in the disk, inserted externally, to a position where the disk and motor have their centers aligned. The second rocker unloads the disk from the position to a point where the disk is exposed partially. The first and second sliders are engaged with the first and second rockers to make them pull in and unload the disk, respectively, and reciprocate substantially parallelly to the turntable. The rockers and sliders are located under the turntable. The slider(s) support(s), raise(s) and lower(s) a side face of the base through the reciprocation.

Abstract: A disk drive including a motor that rotates a disk, an auto-balancer connected to a rotating portion of the motor, a base secured to the motor and connected to an external member via a first elastic member, and a dynamic vibration absorber connected to the base via a second elastic member. When the disk makes a whirling motion while being rotated by the motor, a phase angle of 120 degrees to 180 degrees is formed between a direction that is pointed from a whirling center axis toward a center of mass of the disk and a direction that is pointed from the whirling center axis toward the center of mass of the auto-balancer.