Abstract: In a disc cartridge, when a shutter fitting portion disposed at the outside of a case is pressed, a shutter drawing portion is drawn to rotate an arcuate guide wall portion together with a shutter main body. The shutter drawing portion is swingable in the width direction of the arcuate guide wall portion, and thus occurrence of component force for inclining the shutter main body due to the pulling of the shutter drawing portion can be suppressed. Therefore, a first shutter member is smoothly rotated, and an aperture for access to a disc medium is opened. According to the present invention, there is provided a disc cartridge in which a shutter member for opening/closing an aperture for access to a disc medium housed therein can operate smoothly.

Abstract: A disk device 1 comprising a disk cartridge 3 and a disk 2 accommodated therein. The disk cartridge 3 includes a body case 1 with a window for exposing a recording surface 5 of the disk 2; and provided with a shutter body 25 to be moved in a manner capable of opening/closing the window. The body case 11 is provided with a rotating body 30 in a gear shape. Provided in a disk driving apparatus for recording a piece of information into or reproducing the information from the disk 2 are: a guiding rib; and an operation rack along the disk inserting direction. Upon insertion of the disk device 1 into the disk driving apparatus, the guiding rib causes rotation regulator 40 to rotate so that the rotation regulator 40 is disengaged from the rotating body 30 and the operation rack engages with the rotating body 30 to thereby rotate the rotating body 30, thereby opening/closing the shutter body 25 via shutter opening/closing mechanism 35.

Abstract: A disk cartridge in which a pair of shutter members can be opened and closed smoothly and reliably, and a dust-proof property and an airtightness of a large opening portion can be increased by reducing a space between a pair of shutter members and a cartridge housing as much as possible. The disk cartridge comprises a cartridge housing in which a disk compartment is formed-between an upper shell and a middle shell by overlapping the upper shell, the middle shell and the lower shell and the middle shell is supported by the upper shell and the lower shell so as to become freely rotatable, an optical disk rotatably stored within the disk compartment and a pair of shutter members attached to the middle shell in such a manner that they can be moved in the plane direction on the same plane. A shutter opening and closing mechanism for opening and closing opening portions by moving the pair of shutter members based rotation of the middle shell.

Abstract: A disk cartridge includes a data storage disk and a casing for accommodating the disk. The disk includes a recoding portion and a non-recording portion. The casing has an inner surface facing the disk. An anti-static layer is provided on the inner surface of the casing for eliminating the static electricity generated on the disk. An elastic member or cushion is provided on the inner surface of the casing. The recording portion of the disk is brought into contact with the anti-static layer only when the disk is not rotating.

Abstract: A shutter opening/closing member of a drive device, which slides a shutter and opens and closes a window portion, does not interfere with a recording/playback head. A shutter operation portion extends, in a sliding direction of the shutter, from a main body portion of the shutter which moves at a region of the window portion. When a disk cartridge is inserted into the drive device, a shutter opening/closing pin member of the drive device operates the shutter operation portion and makes the shutter slide. Both when the shutter has closed the window portion and when the shutter has opened the window portion, the shutter operation portion is positioned outside of the region of the window portion. Thus, the shutter opening/closing pin does not encroach on the region of the window portion, and does not interfere with the recording/playback head.

Abstract: A metal shutter for use with a disc cartridge, has a following structure. A screen portion of the shutter is formed on an outside surface thereof with an indication area. The indication area includes a stamped rough surface part which is configured to constitute a given pattern. The screen portion is formed, on an inside surface thereof at a portion corresponding to the indication area, with another stamped rough surface area.

Abstract: A magnetic disk cartridge comprising a housing with space, and a magnetic disk rotatably held in the space of the housing. The magnetic disk includes a flexible magnetic recording medium, and at least one rigid ring mounted on the circumferential edge portion of the magnetic recording medium.

Abstract: A disk case in which the downsizing of a disk is enabled, maintaining the ease of handling in the same manner as the current 8-cm disk cartridge, and that can be mounted on the current 12-cm drive by using a simplified adapter is provided. The shape of the disk case that involves an 8-cm disk is not a square but almost a circle. Further, the opening width of the disk case is 39 mm or more. An arm for ejecting the disk is arranged at the disk case opening side.

Abstract: A cartridge for encasing optical discs of different diameters and thus permitting to load bare optical discs of different diameters into a disc cartridge-dedicated recorder/player. It includes a cartridge body (2) formed from an upper shell (6) having formed therein an insertion/removal opening (2a) for a first optical disc (3a) and a lower shell (7) having a write/read opening (24) formed therein, the upper and lower shells (6, 7) being butted to each other, a middle shell (4) having formed in the main side thereof an opening (44) corresponding to the opening (24) and which is rotatably received in the cartridge body (2), and a pair of shutter members (5a, 5b) installed on the middle shell (4) at the side of the lower shell (7) and which uncovers the openings (24, 44) when the middle shell (4) rotates until the openings (24, 44) are aligned with each other.

Abstract: A recording medium cartridge which is capable of preventing a drop in aesthetic quality by preventing damage to a printed layer for writing during ultrasonic welding is presented. As a printed layer (20), a writing-enabling filler (21), and resin particles (22) having an average particle diameter equal to or greater than the average particle diameter of the writing-enabling filler (21) mentioned above are included in an ink (23). The resin particles (22) come into contact with a welding horn (9), and prevent the writing-enabling filler (21) from falling out or changing shape due to ultrasonic vibration.

Abstract: A disk cartridge includes a case, substantially rectangular in shape, provided with a disk-shaped rotatable recording medium therein, the case including a plurality of windows through which the recording medium is exposed and a recording or reproducing head is inserted when recording or reproducing, and shutters provided for the plurality of windows respectively, that are capable of opening and closing so as to cover the plurality of windows when recording or reproducing is not performed, a first window and a second window of the plurality of windows being formed on one surface, and a width of the first window in an opening and closing direction of the shutters being wider than that of the second window. With this arrangement, it is possible to provide a disk cartridge capable of adopting for both a driving device for a small-sized disk and a driving device for a large-sized disk.

Abstract: A disk cartridge which allows for the user to know what contents are recorded in which disk cartridge without the need of reproducing the disk cartridge, a method of manufacturing the same and a recording/reproducing system using the same have been provided, in which the disk cartridge is accomplished by incorporating the optical disk in a case, a recording surface of the optical disk is comprised of an annular inner area, a clamping area, a transition area, an information recording area and a rim area, which are arranged from inside to outside in radial directions of the optical disk, and disk cartridge identification information is recorded in the transition area of the optical disk, and also the disk cartridge identification information recorded in the optical disk is provided discernibly from outside the case.

Abstract: A small magnetic disk cartridge for use in a card disk drive to be loaded in electronic equipment. The magnetic disk cartridge comprises a housing, a disk-mounting hub rotatable within the housing by a spindle provided in the disk drive, and a flexible magnetic disk mounted at one point on the disk-mounting hub.

Abstract: The cleaning effect of an information recording medium by liners is improved in a disk cartridge. The liners are constituted by non-woven fabric, formed by divided fibers, which are obtained by subjecting a compound divided fiber to a fiber division process.

Abstract: A recording medium cartridge comprises an information recording medium, an inner rotor, and a pair of shutter members that are piled and accommodated in a cartridge casing. When the inner rotor is rotated, the opening part of the cartridge casing is opened and closed by the shutter members. On the overlapping surface of the shutter and the inner rotor, a plurality of ribs for reducing the contact area of the shutter and the inner rotor are provided. Further, in side parts of the shutter members, first overlapped parts and second overlapped parts are respectively provided through first step parts and second step parts in the moving directions of the shutter members. When the side parts are overlapped on each other, the first overlapped part of one shutter member and the first overlapped part of the other shutter member are continuously connected together through the first step parts on the upper surface side of the shutter members.

Abstract: A disc cartridge according to the present invention includes a cartridge body, a shutter and a disc holding portion. The cartridge body includes a disc storage portion, a chucking opening and a head opening. The disc storage portion stores a disc, having first and second sides, therein so that the disc is rotatable in the disc storage portion. The shutter is supported to, and movable with respect to, the cartridge body between the disc and the bottom of the disc storage portion so as to expose or cover the chucking opening and the head opening. The disc holding portion is provided at a portion of the shutter for fixing the disc onto the shutter or the cartridge body synchronously with a movement of the shutter, by pressing the disc toward the bottom of the disc storage portion when the shutter covers the chucking opening and the head opening.

Abstract: A manufacturing method achieves excellent magnetic recording characteristics by sequentially sputtering a non-magnetic under-layer, a non-magnetic intermediate layer, and a magnetic layer on a non-magnetic substrate in an atmosphere of H2O partial pressure of 2×10−10 Torr or lower. This process allows beneficial deposition of the magnetic layer and reduces raw materials costs. The magnetic layer includes ferromagnetic grains and non-magnetic grain boundaries. The intermediate layer has a hexagonal close-packed crystal structure. The manufacturing method allows manufacture of a high quality magnetic recording medium without a heating step thereby allowing use of lower cost materials, reduces manufacturing time, and increases savings.

Abstract: A disk cartridge including: a case for storing a disc-like disk medium rotatably, shutter members for opening or closing an opening for access to the disk medium provided in the case, and a covering member for storing the shutter members in a gap with respect to the case. Cleaning members for wiping the shutter members are provided on the outer surface of the case and/or the inner surface of the covering member. Also, a drive device for recording/replaying information on the disk medium. A spindle shaft for holding the disk medium is provided, which can be rotated by a predetermined rotational amount while having the recording surface of the disk medium contacted with a cleaning member provided on the inner surface of the case.

Abstract: A disk cartridge is provided which, with a small number of parts, can reduce manufacturing costs and facilitate assembly. In particular, the disk cartridge can be assembled easily even if a disk medium is small-sized. Case members of a same configuration are superposed together so as to form a case. Shutter members of a same configuration are disposed so as to correspond to openings of the case members. A lock member and a spring member are provided in common for the two shutter members. The case members of the same configuration and the shutter members of the same configuration are used, and only one lock member and only one spring member are provided. Thus, a number of parts can be reduced, manufacturing costs can be reduced, and assembly can be facilitated.

Abstract: A recording element or a reproducing element in a head generates heat that decomposes lubricating agent adhered to a slider surface near the recording/reproducing element of the head. This decomposed lubricating agent leads to corrosion of the magnetic layer and the like of the magnetic disk. The lubricating agent undergoes volume expansion due to this corrosion, creating a protrusion on the magnetic disk surface to which the lubricating agent is adhered. The magnetic disk surface to which the lubricating agent is adhered comes into contact with the magnetic head, leading to friction with the protective layer, the magnetic layer, and the like. In the worst case, this can lead to secondary errors where data recorded on the magnetic layer is erased.

Abstract: A shutter for a disk cartridge, which has good slidability, is light-weight, and in which warping in a plate thickness direction is suppressed, is provided. Also provided is a disk cartridge in which an opening can be opened and closed at an appropriate driving force. A shutter main body and a shutter face plate which are applied to the disk cartridge open and close an opening, which is for access to a disk medium of the disk cartridge, while sliding along a bottom surface plate portion. The shutter main body and the shutter face plate have two-layer structures formed from a resin layer and a metal layer. Slidability is improved, and the shutter is made light-weight. A joining surface of a metal plate which forms the metal layer is subjected to an electrochemical surface treatment such that affinity thereof with resin is improved. The metal plate and the resin layer are joined strongly, and warping of the resin layer is suppressed.

Abstract: A shutter mechanism is provided at an access opening in a portable data storage cartridge. Clamshell shutters meet at a common junction in the access opening. Actuation paddles positioned at the clamshell shutters are arranged to, when engaged by actuation pins, pivot the respective clamshell shutters in opposite directions away from the common junction, to expose the access opening. The clamshell shutters are mounted such that, when pivoted away from the common junction, each clamshell shutter remains within the cartridge housing.

Abstract: A cartridge for an optical data storage disc includes a sheet metal sheath that is folded back on itself and a plastic insert that is inserted into the sheath. An opening is formed in the plastic insert for holding an optical data storage disc. The sheath includes two wall portions that are located on opposite sides of a bend area, where the sheet metal is folded. The two wall portions are attached to each other, preferably by spot-welding, to form a structurally stable sandwich that includes the plastic insert between the wall portions. The opening in the plastic insert becomes a cavity for holding the disc. A shutter opening is formed in one of the wall portions, and spindle openings are formed in both wall portions. A shutter covers the shutter opening when the cartridge is not operational to protect the disc. The disc is rotated by the spindle of an external disc drive which enters a central hole of the disc through the spindle openings.

Abstract: To improve the reliability of an engagement and ejection mechanism of a drive device having an accommodating portion for accommodating therein a magnetic disk.

Abstract: A magnetic disk cartridge which is used with a high density recording magnetic disk and which provides good recording and reproducing properties. The magnetic disk cartridge has a flexible magnetic disk having a disk-like center core. The upper surface of the disk-like center core is centrally affixed to the magnetic disk. The magnetic disk is rotatably retained in a flat housing. The magnetic disk has a surface recording density of at least about 158.7 Mbit/cm2. The disk wobbling value of the magnetic disk measured at a radial position located 5 mm outward from the outer diameter of the center core of the magnetic disk while rotating the magnetic disk by means of a drive device via the center core is not more than 20 &mgr;m.

Abstract: A first-surface optical disk including features, such as a slot defined on an edge of the housing for providing clearance for a blocking tab in a drawer mechanism so as to allow the cartridge assembly to be fully inserted into the drawer mechanism when the shutter member is in the second position.

Abstract: Disclosed is a tray structure for loading in and unloading a disk from a disk drive. It comprises rearward and forward parts hinged together, thereby permitting the forward part to gravitate and incline downward when the forward part is pulled out of the disk drive. The forward part has guide pieces integrally connected to its opposite sides for mating with the guide rails of the disk drive when putting the tray structure in the disk drive. The approximately two thirds of the full length of the tray is required in taking out and putting the disk on the tray, and accordingly the space allotted to the taking-off and putting-in of the disk is much smaller than the pulling-out of the tray over its whole length.

Abstract: A magnetic disk cartridge having a shutter formed in a stepped configuration, which is capable of preventing damage to a data area of the magnetic disk by the step formed in the shutter, for example, when the magnetic disk cartridge is inserted into a drive. The magnetic disk cartridge has a housing constituted by a resin frame and upper and lower shell halves formed of metal sheets. The housing rotatably accommodates a magnetic disk and a rotary shutter therein. The rotary shutter is constituted by upper and lower shutter halves, each of which is formed in a stepped configuration. Junctures between surface regions located closer to the magnetic disk and transition regions of the upper and lower shutter halves are positioned at radial positions corresponding to areas other than the data area of the magnetic disk 5.

Abstract: To ensure smooth rotation of a rotary shutter.

Abstract: A disk cartridge having an improved dust removing capability for removing dirt or dust on a surface of an information recording medium is provided.

Abstract: A data distribution system (10) including an information card (12) and a reader (14). The information card (12) includes visible indicia (20) on its front and stripe zones (34) and a ring zone (36) on its back. The zones (34, 36) are suitable for magnetically recording data, and optional data identifiers. The reader (14) may be a linear reader (14a) or a rotary reader (14b), and optionally may act automatically in response to reading a data identifier. If the reader (14) is a rotary reader (14b) the information card (12) may be loaded into a cartridge (16) which is loaded into the rotary reader (14b).

Abstract: A magnetic disk cartridge which comprises a housing provided with a shutter lock member, and which facilitates attachment of the shutter lock member and prevents dust or other contaminants from entering via the portion where the shutter lock member is attached.

Abstract: A data recording apparatus includes a slot for receiving a memory card having a disk, a flash memory and a controller. Each time one frame of compressed image data is recorded to the disk, a vacant capacity value of the disk is written to the flash memory. This vacant capacity value is read out according to an instruction given from a CPU. When the vacant capacity of the disk is lower than the vacant capacity of a compressed image area formed in an SDRAM, the CPU invalidates the vacant capacity of the compressed image area in a portion exceeding the vacant capacity of the disk. This restricts the number of frames to be picture-taken.

Abstract: A disk cartridge includes a case which contains a disk, and a shutter which opens/closes at least one opening formed in the case. The shutter is configured to be foldable around upper and lower surfaces of the case, and slides on the upper and lower surfaces of the case to open/close the opening. Since the shutter opens/closes the opening while being folded around the upper and lower surfaces of the case, a movable distance of the shutter for opening/closing the opening can be fully accommodated even though the size of the disk cartridge is reduced. In addition, applying the configuration of the shutter to a double-sided disk cartridge prevents an inflow of dust from entering into the double-sided disk cartridge since the shutter closes an opening, which is not in use, during a recording/reproducing operation.

Abstract: A disk cartridge is provided which, with a small number of parts, can reduce manufacturing costs and facilitate assembly. In particular, the disk cartridge can be assembled easily even if a disk medium is small-sized. Case members of a same configuration are superposed together so as to form a case. Shutter members of a same configuration are disposed so as to correspond to openings of the case members. A lock member and a spring member are provided in common for the two shutter members. The case members of the same configuration and the shutter members of the same configuration are used, and only one lock member and only one spring member are provided. Thus, a number of parts can be reduced, manufacturing costs can be reduced, and assembly can be facilitated.

Abstract: There is provided a portable storage device which makes it possible to largely reduce time that is taken to remove the storage cartridge that is inserted and cannot be handled. A removable hard disk cartridge contains a hard disk and a control circuit for control of writing and reading of data in and from the hard disk in a casing thereof. A main unit includes an automatic loading/ejecting mechanism that receives the hard disk cartridge into a predetermined inner position within the main unit and ejects the same out from the position, and a microprocessor that controls storage operation for storing data in the hard disk cartridge. Before the automatic loading/ejecting mechanism performs a receiving operation, it is determined whether access to contents recorded on the hard disk can be gained, and when the access cannot be gained, the receiving operation by the automatic loading/ejecting mechanism is inhibited.

Abstract: A disc cartridge having a case to accommodate a disc, a shutter to open or close an opening formed in the case to enable a recording and/or reproducing job with respect to the disc, a discharge path provided at one side of the case to allow the flow of air formed therein during rotation of the disc, and an opening/closing mechanism to open/close the discharge path. Thus, since the discharge path through which the flow of air produced inside the cartridge during rotation of a disc is smoothly discharged to the outside is provided, contamination of the disc by foreign material such as dust can be considerably reduced.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a magnetic recording medium having a disc-shaped flexible slave medium accommodated in a case, onto which servo signals are effectively recorded by a magnetic transfer method with high quality. The method includes a slitting step for cutting an original sheet into discrete webs; a punching step for obtaining a disc-shaped slave medium; a thermo step for removing distortion; a burnishing step for smoothing a surface of the slave medium; a center core attachment step; a magnetic transfer step for performing a magnetic transfer while a master medium is allowed to be brought into close contact with one of the web and the slave medium; an assembly step for incorporating slave medium into the case; a cleaning step for cleaning a surface of the slave medium; a verifying step for checking the servo signals; and a packing step.

Abstract: The surface of a disk medium includes a substrate whose surface includes grooves and lands. A non-magnetic underlayer and a magnetic recording layer are formed on the substrate. Smoothing non-magnetic film fills the grooves, which are covered with the non-magnetic underlayer and the magnetic recording layer, so that the height of the magnetic recording layer above the grooves may reach the same level as the height of the magnetic recording layer above the lands.

Abstract: A magneto-optical disk drive has a problem that it is difficult to render it low-profile because there is a magnetic head elevating mechanism in an upper part of a cartridge.

Abstract: A disk cartridge has a write protect portion for switching between a write-allowed state and a write-inhibited state. The write protect portion is equipped with two prisms having reflection faces different in reflectivity which are rotatably supported therein. In a drive device in which the disk cartridge is loaded, an amount of light, which is irradiated to the write protect portion and then reaches a photodetecting portion of the drive device, is varied by rotating a shaft. On the basis of the amount of the light reaching the photodetecting portion, the drive device judges whether the disk cartridge is in a write-inhibited state. According to the disk cartridge, dust-proof performance is not lost, and occurrence of mis-detection due to deformation of the disk cartridge can be prevented.

Abstract: A method to write information to a designated information storage medium using an allocated data storage device using a specified information recording format, whereby a previously-determined media bit for the designated information storage medium is examined, and a previously-determined device bit for the allocated data storage device is examined, and the write capability of the designated information storage medium using the specified information recording format is determined.

Abstract: A small magnetic disk cartridge comprising a housing, a rotatably disk-mounting hub, and a magnetic disk mounted on the disk-mounting hub. The disk-mounting hub is rotatably supported by the housing through a bearing equipped with inner and outer races that are mutually rotatable.

Abstract: Disclosed is a magnetic storage cartridge adapted to be removably received by a drive base. The magnetic storage cartridge comprises a housing that includes at least one magnetic disk rotatable about an axis, and an actuator arrangement pivotal about an axis. The actuator arrangement includes at least one read/write head for reading and writing information to and from the at least one magnetic disk. The housing also includes a first engagement feature positioned on the housing at the rotational axis of the magnetic disk and a second engagement feature positioned on the housing at the pivot axis of the actuator arrangement. The housing of the storage cartridge also includes a third engagement feature that is spaced from the first and second engagement features.

Abstract: A disk drive device includes a protective case having an upper case and a lower case. The disk drive device has a form such that the disk drive device can be inserted into and removed from a PCMCIA port of a computer. The disk drive device has an output connector located at one end of the protective case so that the input/output connector can connect with a PCMCIA connector of the computer when the disk drive device is inserted in the PCMCIA port. Information from the computer can thus be stored on the disk drive device, or information from the disk drive device can be read into the computer.

Abstract: A disk cartridge in which a pair of shutter members can be opened and closed smoothly and reliably, and a dust-proof property and an airtightness of a large opening portion can be increased by reducing a space between a pair of shutter members and a cartridge housing as much as possible The disk cartridge comprises a cartridge housing in which a disk compartment is formed-between an upper shell and a middle shell by overlapping the upper shell, the middle shell and the lower shell and the middle shell is supported by the upper shell and the lower shell so as to become freely rotatable, an optical disk rotatably stored within the disk compartment and a pair of shutter members attached to the middle shell in such a manner that they can be moved in the plane direction on the same plane. A shutter opening and closing mechanism for opening and closing opening portions by moving the pair of shutter members based rotation of the middle shell.

Abstract: A method for mounting two planar objects so that they are relatively rotatable, in which a welding step and a pressing step are eliminated, is provided. At least three slits are formed in a first planar object, extending radially from the center point of relative rotation at equal angular intervals. The first planar object is made to approach a second planar object, in a manner such that the center point moves along the axial line of a cylinder provided on the second planar object. Thereby, the cylinder is press fit into a region of the first planar object which includes the slits. The region is spread, and the edges thereof are fitted rotatably about the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder.

Abstract: A disk cartridge includes a casing, a recording disk, and a liner which is fixed to an inner surface of the casing or a shutter member interposed between the disk and the casing at a site opposed to the disk in order to clean the surface of the disk. The liner is supported away from the inner surface of the casing or the shutter member so that the liner can be deflected when the disk is brought into abutment against the liner due to impact applied to the disk cartridge.

Abstract: A disc cartridge includes a disc type recording medium housed for rotation in a flat housing formed by a pair of metal shell halves. The housing is provided with an opening for giving a recording/reproducing head of a disc driver access to the disc type recording medium. At least one of the metal shell halves is provided along its periphery with an erected wall which is formed by bending a part of the edge of the shell half and is bonded to the other shell half and a V-shaped groove which keeps the bending angle of the erected wall at a predetermined angle is integrally formed on the shell half.

Abstract: A rotor is provided which is rotatably disposed between a first shell and a recording medium, in a containing space formed inside the first shell and a second shell. The rotor includes a first wall formed along the circumferential direction of the rotor, and a part of the first wall is cut out to form a first opening. The second shell includes a second wall formed so as to overlap with the inside of the first wall along the outer circumference of the recording medium, on the outside in the radial direction of the outer circumference of the recording medium. The second wall and the first wall constitute a labyrinth structure portion for isolating the recording medium and the exterior of the recording medium from each other. With the rotor rotated, the first opening and a second opening constitute a head in/out opening.