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: Disclosed herein is a recording medium drive apparatus adapted to use a recording medium cartridge. The recording medium drive apparatus includes a holder for holding the recording medium cartridge inserted, an eject lever supported to one of a pair of side plate portions of the holder so as to be movable in an inserting direction and ejecting direction of the recording medium cartridge with respect to the holder, and a biasing spring for biasing the eject lever in the ejecting direction. The eject lever has a supported portion supported to the one side plate portion of the holder and an engaging projection projecting from the supported portion toward the other side plate portion of the holder. When the recording medium cartridge is inserted into the holder, the engaging projection is inserted into an engagement groove of the recording medium cartridge and engaged with an engaging portion formed in the engagement groove.

Abstract: A spindle motor includes a rotor made of metal including a substantially circular top surface section and a tubular skirt section arranged at a predetermined space from an outer periphery of the top surface section and a disk table of synthetic resin outsert-molded in the rotor and including a table main body section located on an outer surface side of the rotor and a rotor-inner-surface superimposing section located on an inner surface side of the rotor. First resin lead-in holes are provided in the tubular skirt section and an inner surface of the table main body section located on the outer surface side of the rotor is connected to the rotor-inner-surface superimposing section located on the inner surface side of the rotor through the first resin lead-in holes.

Abstract: There is provided a reproducing device in which a recording medium cartridge is directly inserted into a mechanical deck and placed on a chassis of the mechanical deck for reproduction. The mechanical deck includes an erroneous insertion-preventing portion which conforms to the curved shape of a front surface of the recording medium cartridge in the insertion direction thereof at the time of the insertion in a normal posture.

Abstract: A thread motor is disclosed. The thread motor includes: a cylindrical rotor; a ring-shaped gear provided at an outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical rotor; and a flange portion provided at the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical rotor, opposed to the gear with a predetermined clearance.

Abstract: A disc cartridge is provided. The disc cartridge includes an optical disc and a main cartridge body unit rotatably housing the optical disc. A lateral surface of the main cartridge body unit as an inserting end of the main cartridge body unit into the recording and/or reproducing apparatus is a semicircular arcuate section having the center of the optical disc accommodated in the main cartridge body unit as center. The direction of insertion of the main cartridge body unit into the recording and/or reproducing apparatus may be discriminated readily to achieve smooth loading.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a disk recording and/or reproduction apparatus including, a chassis, a recording and/or reproduction means provided on the chassis so as to perform recording and/or reproduction on a disk cartridge, a cartridge holder movably provided on the chassis to be movable between an insertion/draw-out position for inserting and drawing out the disk cartridge and a recording/reproduction position for recording and/or reproduction on the disk cartridge, an eject lever movably provided on the chassis to be moved between a loading operation finish position for making contact with the disk cartridge when a loading operation for loading the disk cartridge into the cartridge holder is finished and an ejecting operation finish position for making contact with the disk cartridge when an ejecting operation for ejecting the disk cartridge is finished, and a biasing means for biasing the eject lever toward the ejecting operation finish position; wherein the eject lever has a contact portion for contact with th

Abstract: A recording medium is provided wherein type determination and writing possibility determination is enabled for various types of disks. Opening and closing structure functions to open and close a detection hole of a cartridge. The structure forms a plane substantially horizontal level with a reference plane of the cartridge at a position of a detection hole when the detection hole is in a closed state. The cartridge has at least a first detection hole and a second detection hole formed therein. The second detection hole (H1) is opened and closed by the opening and closing structure, and the first detection hole (H0) is in an open state at all times.

Abstract: A disc drive apparatus is provided which determines a recording medium enabling type and recordability for various types of discs. The discs are housed in a cartridge and each cartridge has at least a first and second detection hole formed therein. The second detection hole (H1) is variably opened and closed by an opening/closing device, and the first detection hole (H0) is in an open state at all times. The disc drive apparatus determines the disc type using a light signal reflected from the loaded recording medium. The disc drive apparatus also determines disc determining parameters (for example, recordability of a disc) based on information received about the disc type and the open/closed state of one or more detection holes formed in the cartridge.

Abstract: A disc cartridge includes a cartridge body unit having an optical disc (2) rotatably housed in it and provided with a recording and/or reproducing aperture (13) for exposing a part of the disc to outside, and a shutter member (15) slidably carried by the cartridge body member (5). A shutter opening/closing member (63) provided to a disc drive device (50) slides on the shutter member. The shutter member also includes an engagement opening (17a) engaged by the shutter opening/closing member. The shutter member operates for opening/closing the recording and/or reproducing aperture. The shutter member includes a collision buffering part (20) for absorbing the shock of collision against the shutter opening/closing member.

Abstract: The present invention provides a disc cartridge protecting member capable of closing a write and/or read aperture larger relative to the size of the disc cartridge and protecting a disc housed in the disc cartridge, such as optical disc used as an information recording medium. The disc cartridge protecting member includes an aperture closing plate which is to be fitted in, and to close, an aperture formed at one side of a disc cartridge having a disc housed rotatably therein and through which part of the disc is exposed to outside in a range between inner and outer radii thereof, an entry limiting portion supported on supports provided in the aperture formed in the disc cartridge to prevent the aperture closing plate from entering the disc cartridge, a cover plate extending on the other side of the disc cartridge opposite to the one side at which the aperture is formed, and a connecting plate to connect the base end of the aperture closing plate and that of the cover plate to each other.

Abstract: A driving device includes a holder movably carried by a chassis and adapted for transporting a disc cartridge that the holder holds between an insertion/ejection position and a loading position, and an ejection lever for ejecting the disc cartridge from the holder. The driving device also includes a slider movable in a direction of inserting the disc cartridge into the holder and in a direction of ejecting the disc cartridge from the holder. The slider causes the holder to be moved to the loading position when the slider is moved in the disc cartridge inserting direction, while causing the holder to be moved to the insertion/ejection position when the slider is moved in the disc cartridge ejecting direction.

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 holder for holding the cartridge inserted therein is movable between a first position in which the cartridge can be inserted into and removed from the holder and a second position in which an information signal can be recorded on or reproduced from the recording medium by the unit. A chassis has a base on which the unit is mounted and a projection projecting from the base toward the holder for being inserted in the positioning hole. The holder is movably supported on the chassis for movement between the first and second positions.

Abstract: A disc drive device for driving a disc held in a cartridge having a movable shutter includes a readout head radially movable on the disc and mounted on a chassis that also mounts a cartridge holder, a disc table on which the disc is loaded, a shutter mechanism for operating the shutter, and a retainer mechanism for holding the shutter open by the shutter mechanism when the disc is loaded on the disc table.

Abstract: A disc cartridge can be loaded stably in the disc recorder/player, whether it is provided with a shutter member or not.

Abstract: To prevent erroneous insertion of a recording medium cartridge into a holder in a recording medium drive device simply and without causing a sharp rise of price of the recording medium drive device. A shutter opening piece (32c) for sliding a shutter (110) supported upon a case (101) of a recording medium cartridge (100) to open a light transparent hole (101h) is provided in a holder (8) in a recording medium drive device (6), when the recording medium cartridge (100) is normally inserted into the holder (8), the shutter (110) is slid by the shutter opening piece (32c) to open the light transparent hole (101h), and when the recording medium cartridge (100) is inserted into the holder (8) in an erroneous direction, the opening edge of a function expansion groove (104) of the case (101) contacts the shutter opening piece (32c) to prevent erroneous insertion of the recording medium cartridge (100) into the holder (8).

Abstract: A disk recording/reproducing apparatus 101 includes: a chassis 103 rotatably supporting a holder 102 for storing a disk cartridge; an eject lever 105 disposed in the chassis movably in an insertion/removal direction of the disk cartridge and movably in a direction toward or away from the chassis, the eject lever being rotated by being pushed by the disk cartridge 1 inserted into the holder; and cartridge drop preventive means 221 for preventing the disk cartridge 1 ejected by the eject lever 105 from dropping from the cartridge holder 102. The cartridge drop preventive means 221 is formed from a flat spring disposed on one side surface 102b of the holder and makes a sliding contact with one side surface 3b 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: Disclosed herein is a recording medium drive apparatus adapted to use a recording medium cartridge. The recording medium drive apparatus includes a holder for holding the recording medium cartridge inserted, an eject lever supported to one of a pair of side plate portions of the holder so as to be movable in an inserting direction and ejecting direction of the recording medium cartridge with respect to the holder, and a biasing spring for biasing the eject lever in the ejecting direction. The eject lever has a supported portion supported to the one side plate portion of the holder and an engaging projection projecting from the supported portion toward the other side plate portion of the holder. When the recording medium cartridge is inserted into the holder, the engaging projection is inserted into an engagement groove of the recording medium cartridge and engaged with an engaging portion formed in the engagement groove.

Abstract: Disclosed is a disc cartridge in which is housed an optical disc (2). The disc cartridge includes a main cartridge body unit (5), rotatably housing an optical disc, and having an aperture for a head part (13) for exposing a part of the optical disc to outside across the inner and outer rims of the optical disc, and a shutter unit (15) mounted for movement to this main cartridge body unit for opening/closing the aperture for the head part (13). A recess (31) into which is introduced a portion of a head part of the recording and/or reproducing apparatus is formed in continuation to the aperture for the head part in a surface of the main cartridge body unit on which slides a shutter unit in an area opposite to the area of movement of the shutter unit with the aperture for the head part in-between.

Abstract: A disc cartridge includes a cartridge body unit having an optical disc (2) rotatably housed in it and provided with a recording and/or reproducing aperture (13) for exposing a part of the disc to outside, and a shutter member (15) slidably carried by the cartridge body member (5). A shutter opening/closing member (63) provided to a disc drive device (50) slides on the shutter member. The shutter member also includes an engagement opening (17a) engaged by the shutter opening/closing member. The shutter member operates for opening/closing the recording and/or reproducing aperture. The shutter member includes a collision buffering part (20) for absorbing the shock of collision against the shutter opening/closing member.