For Disk Patents (Class 360/133)
  • Patent number: 6583956
    Abstract: To easily know a correct direction of insertion into a recorder/player and assure a large width of an access opening through which the optical head approaches an optical disc, a disc cartridge is provided which includes an access opening (21) formed in a cartridge body (6) and through which a part of the recording area of an optical disc (5), extending between lead-in and lead-out areas, is exposed outside for data read and write, a pair of shutter members (25), (26) provided movably towards and away from each other to open and close the access opening (21); and a shutter open/close mechanism (27) having a pair of guide recesses (36a) and (36b) formed in a main side the of the cartridge body (6) obliquely in relation to the width of the cartridge body (6) to support the pair of shutter members (25) and (26), respectively, to be movable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2003
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shuichi Kikuchi, Rie Izu
  • Publication number: 20030112558
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2002
    Publication date: June 19, 2003
    Applicant: FUJI PHOTO FILM CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Niitsuma
  • Publication number: 20030112559
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2002
    Publication date: June 19, 2003
    Applicant: FUJI PHOTO FILM CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yasushi Endo
  • Publication number: 20030107841
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2002
    Publication date: June 12, 2003
    Applicant: FUJI PHOTO FILM CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yasushi Endo
  • Patent number: 6577592
    Abstract: A disc cartridge comprised of a main cartridge body unit and a disc as an information recording medium accommodated in the main cartridge body unit. In preparing an engagement opening engaged by a movement controlling member of the disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus and which is provided on a shutter member adapted for opening/closing an aperture provided in the main cartridge body unit housing the disc, the shutter member is punched so that the punched portion will be on an inner recessed side of the engagement opening. The punched portion is bent inwardly of the shutter member to provide a curved surface on which abuts the movement member to assure stable engagement/disengagement in the engagement opening of the movement controlling member to prevent the inner peripheral surface of the engagement opening and the peripheral surface of the movement controlling member from being damaged by repeated engagement/disengagement of the movement controlling member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2003
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Kenji Takahashi
  • Patent number: 6570726
    Abstract: A portable information processing apparatus 10 which is a lap top type has a housing 11 with a hard disk drive 14. At the bottom side 11b of the housing 11, a first touch sensor 20 is provided adjacent a corner 22 and a second touch sensor 21 is provided adjacent a corner 24 which is at a diagonal side. Once the portable information processing apparatus 10 leaves a table, output signals of the respective touch sensors 20 and 21 vary precisely. By comparing the output signals of the respective touch sensors 20 and 21 with a true value table memorized in a memory, it is decided whether the portable information processing apparatus 10 has started dropping. If the portable information processing apparatus 10 starts dropping, the hard disk drive 14 enters the withdrawal mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2003
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Hiroshi Mutoh
  • Publication number: 20030095359
    Abstract: A magnetic disk cartridge comprising a housing in which a magnetic disk is rotatably housed. The housing has upper and lower openings through which magnetic heads provided in a disk drive are positioned over both sides of the magnetic disk. The magnetic disk cartridge further comprises upper and lower shutters for exposing both sides of the magnetic disk through the upper and lower openings. The housing comprises a lower shell, and an upper shell which is fitted inside the lower shell from above. All components are assembled into the magnetic disk cartridge while being stacked within the lower shell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2002
    Publication date: May 22, 2003
    Applicant: FUJI PHOTO FILM CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kengo Oishi
  • Publication number: 20030095358
    Abstract: A magnetic disk cartridge capable of being loaded into a disk drive comprises a housing, and a magnetic disk, which is accommodated for rotation within the housing. The housing is provided with an opening, which allows a magnetic head of the disk drive to access a surface of the magnetic disk, and a shutter for opening and closing the opening. The housing has an outer peripheral shape composed of a circular arc, which is formed along a contour of the magnetic disk, and two straight lines, which are circumscribed with the circular arc formed along the contour of the magnetic disk and are normal to each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2002
    Publication date: May 22, 2003
    Applicant: FUJI PHOTO FILM CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kengo Oishi, Go Shirouzu
  • Patent number: 6563672
    Abstract: A disk cartridge permits improved efficiency of airflow circulation in a disk accommodation chamber and improved efficiency of dust collection, and also allows the spring force of a shutter spring to be reduced. In a cartridge main body of the disk cartridge, a spring accommodation chamber is formed outside a disk accommodation chamber. The spring accommodation chamber is separated by upper and lower partitions of upper and lower halves so that it is discrete and independent from the disk accommodation chamber. An elastic member installed in the spring accommodation chamber is used to rotatably drive a shutter opening and closing arm in the direction for closing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2003
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuyuki Yamamoto, Kazuo Takahashi, Toshio Mamiya, Takashi Yamada
  • Patent number: 6560070
    Abstract: A magnetic disc rotates causing an air flow that produces a floating force head unit which undergoes floating force by air flow produced as the result of the fact that the magnetic disc is rotated serves to selectively carry out loading of a first disc cartridge within which there is accommodated a first magnetic disc adapted so that flat recording tracks are provided at a disc substrate formed by molding synthetic resin and a magnetic layer is provided in a manner to cover the recording tracks, and a second disc cartridge within which there is accommodated a second magnetic disc adapted so that information uneven pit trains are formed at a disc substrate formed by molding synthetic resin and a magnetic layer is formed in a manner to include bottom surfaces and upper surfaces of information uneven pit trains, the magnetic layer being magnetized in the state where magnetization direction of the magnetic layer portions on the bottom surfaces and that of the magnetic layer portions of the upper surfaces of infor
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2003
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroshi Takino
  • Patent number: 6560187
    Abstract: An information recording method has; a history determination step for determining whether or not a medium being cased and capable of being used for information recording and reproduction has previously been taken out from the case by using an identification section having historical information as to whether the medium has previously been taken out from the case or not; and a verification step for verifying correctness of information recorded always or on condition that a predetermined condition is satisfied when a result of the determination shows that the medium has previously been taken out from the case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2003
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunji Ohara, Takashi Ishida, Yoshikazu Goto, Isao Satoh
  • Patent number: 6560193
    Abstract: To provide a new shutter open/close mechanism (26) suitable for use with a cartridge body whose front end is formed in an arbitrary shape for easily knowing a correct direction of insertion in a recorder/player, a guide recess (36) to support a shutter plate (25) movably is formed on a main side of the cartridge body (6) to be oblique relative to the width of the cartridge body (6). The shutter open/close mechanism (26) includes a guide member (31) supporting the shutter plate (25) and movably engaged in the guide recess (36), an operating member (32) to move the guide member (31), a transmission member (33) connecting the guide member (31) and operating member (32) to each other to transmit an operating force from the operating member (32) to the guide member (31), and support surfaces (37) formed on the cartridge body (6) to support the operating member (32) movably.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2003
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shuichi Kikuchi, Rie Izu
  • Publication number: 20030072106
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2002
    Publication date: April 17, 2003
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD. Republic of Korea
    Inventors: Kwang Kim, Soon-Kyo Hong, Hae-Sub Kweon, Seo-Young Oh, Hee-Sung Park, Jung-Ho Hwang
  • Publication number: 20030067715
    Abstract: A magnetic disk cartridge for use in a disk drive having both a slot and a guide portion. The magnetic disk cartridge comprises a generally disk-shaped housing in which a magnetic disk is rotatably housed, and protrusions. The protrusions are formed on the main surface of the housing and are used for positioning the magnetic disk cartridge in a direction capable of recording and reproduction in cooperation with the guide portion of the disk drive when the magnetic disk cartridge is loaded in the disk drive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2002
    Publication date: April 10, 2003
    Applicant: FUJI PHOTO FILM CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Niitsuma, Ryosuke Ogura, Kazuo Hiraguchi
  • Patent number: 6542332
    Abstract: A magnetic disc cartridge includes a magnetic disc with a center core and a casing which contains therein the magnetic disc for rotation and is provided in its lower side with a center core opening for giving access to the center core to a disc drive member of a disc drive system. A cover member which covers the space between the center core opening and the center core is provided on the lower side of the casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2003
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kengo Oishi
  • Publication number: 20030058774
    Abstract: A disk device 1 comprising a disk cartridge 3 and a disk 2 accommodated therein. The disk cartridge 3 includes a body case 11: opened with a window for exposing a recording surface 5 of the disk 2; and provided with a shutter 26 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 having an outer peripheral surface exposed to the exterior of the body case; and transmission 35 for transmitting the rotation of the rotating body 30 to the shutter 26. 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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2002
    Publication date: March 27, 2003
    Applicant: PIONEER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masashi Kurosawa, Katsuhiro Onodera
  • Publication number: 20030058783
    Abstract: A disc cartridge having a single case member which covers most of the base surface of the disc cartridge and is disposed on the recording side of a recording medium is described. An access window for a recording/playback device to access the recording medium is opened and closed by a shutter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2002
    Publication date: March 27, 2003
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomomi Okamoto, Kyuichiro Nagai
  • Patent number: 6538984
    Abstract: A disk cartridge and its loading method in which loading recessed portions can easily be secured and mis-loading and mis-insertion of the disk cartridge can be prevented, wherein the disk cartridge has at its left and right side end portions on the insertion side formed as a pair of loading recess portions and one loading recess portion is hidden by a shutter plate that has been placed in the closed state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yotaro Sanada, Yoshio Kusui, Naohiro Netsu
  • Patent number: 6538848
    Abstract: A magnetic disk 20 includes a disk-like magnetic data recording medium 4 in which data are allowed to be read and written; and a disk case 2 which rotatably incorporates the magnetic data recording medium 4, liners 9 are bonded to faces of the case 2 which are opposed to a magnetic data recording plane 5 of the magnetic data recording medium 4, respectively. The liners attract dust by means of an electrostatic attractive force while supporting front and back sides of the magnetic data recording plane 5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: Mitsumi Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsuneo Uwabo, Yoshihiro Okano, Eiichi Yoneyama, Yoshinori Tangi
  • Patent number: 6532133
    Abstract: A recording medium cartridge capable of permitting energy to be effectively transmitted from a welding horn to a casing to highly improve welding between an upper casing member and a lower casing member which is carried out in order to integrally form the casing. The casing members are made of crystalline resin to which a filler such as glass fiber or the like is added.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 1993
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2003
    Assignee: TDK Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kaneda, Kenji Hashizume, Hisao Katoh, Masatoshi Okamura, Haruo Shiba
  • Publication number: 20030043507
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2002
    Publication date: March 6, 2003
    Applicant: FUJI PHOTO FILM CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kengo Oishi
  • Patent number: 6525900
    Abstract: A small-sized and thin flexible recording system including a flexible disk drive and a recording disk is provided. The recording disk has a disk-shaped recording medium and a recording medium cartridge rotatably receiving therein the recording medium. The flexible disk drive includes a magnetic head for recording information into the recording medium or reproducing information recorded in the recording medium, a carriage mechanism for moving the magnetic head, a recording medium drive motor for rotating the recording medium, a frame having an insertion opening through which the recording disk is inserted, a recording medium mounting portion formed adjacent the insertion opening in a direction in which the recording disk is inserted for mounting thereon the recording disk, and a recording-disk ejection mechanism for ejecting the recording disk from the frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2003
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazunobu Hamatsu, Kenji Shoji, Kazuya Oda, Akira Hashimoto, Yasutaka Mizutani
  • Patent number: 6525908
    Abstract: The present invention provides a magnetic recording medium having high recording density and excellent storage property, and it provides a floppy disk, which includes a magnetic disk incorporated in a shell having a liner on inner side thereof, the magnetic disk having a magnetic film formed at least on one side of a flexible support member, and the liner contains a rust preventive agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2003
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuyuki Usuki
  • Patent number: 6522621
    Abstract: A disc cassette comprises a case in which a recording disc is rotatably received. The case has an opening through which the disc is exposed. A bridge defined by the case extends across a mouth portion of the opening. A slide bar is arranged beside the bridge in a manner to move axially therealong. A shutter is connected to the slide bar to move therewith. The shutter selectively opens and closes the opening in accordance with axial movement of the slide bar. The slide bar has a base portion which comes beside the bridge when the shutter takes the open position, and the base portion is formed with a recess which faces in a direction away from the center of the disc recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2003
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Ohmori, Sunao Aoki, Takakiyo Kanazawa, Takatsugu Funawatari
  • Patent number: 6515830
    Abstract: A main cartridge body unit is to be reduced in size and thickness to reliably protect a disc-shaped recording medium. To this end, a disc cartridge includes a disc-shaped recording medium 5, a main cartridge body unit 6 including an upper plate 21 and a lower plate 22, both of a metal material, forming a plate pair, and an intermediate frame 23, sandwiched between the upper and lower plates 21, 22, and an upper liner sheet 101 and a lower liner sheet 110, forming a set of liner sheets, bonded to inner surfaces of the upper and lower plates 21, 22 for protecting the disc-shaped recording medium 5. The disc-shaped recording medium 5 is accommodated in the main cartridge body unit 6.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2003
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroshi Meguro
  • Patent number: 6510026
    Abstract: A flexible disk drive has the configuration of a type-2 card for use in a personal computer or other information processing apparatus. The flexible disk drive includes a cabinet for insertion into a card slot in the information processing apparatus, a mechanism for inserting and ejecting a recording medium cartridge containing a recording medium, a head for accessing the recording medium, a head drive actuator for moving the head, a recording medium drive actuator for driving the recording medium, a position device for positioning the recording medium in a predetermined position, and a drive force transfer mechanism for transferring the driving force of the recording medium drive actuator to the recording medium. The components of the flexible disk drive have thin profiles to achieve the form factor of the type-2 card.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2003
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akira Hashimoto, Takamitsu Sugahara, Hirohiko Sugiura, Junji Kawada, Yasutaka Mizutani
  • Patent number: 6510132
    Abstract: A disk cartridge incorporating a disk-shaped recording medium and having an opening portion for enabling recording and/or reproduction by a recording and/or reproducing device includes a disk cartridge main body, and a disk holder which is detachably mountable to the disk cartridge main body. The opening portion of the disk cartridge is provided in the disk cartridge main body and is closed by a shutter arranged at the disk cartridge main body. The disk holder includes a disk holding member holding the recording medium so that when the disk holder is mounted to the disk cartridge main body, the disk holding member releases holding of the recording medium. When the disk holder is detached from the disk cartridge main body, the disk holding member holds the disk-shaped recording medium and is detached from the disk cartridge main body along with the disk-shaped recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2003
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomomi Okamoto, Kyuichiro Nagai, Hirofumi Taguchi, Hiroaki Ono, Atsushi Inoue, Nobuo Masuoka
  • Patent number: 6504679
    Abstract: A disc cartridge includes a disc casing having a disc chamber defined therein for rotatably accommodating the recording medium. The disc casing has a sensor hole and a slot defined in first and second wall portions of the casing that are opposed to each other. A safety device is disposed within the disc casing for preventing information recorded on the erasable recording medium from being erased inadvertently. The safety device includes a bearing bushing integral with the first wall portion, and a switching element connected at one end rotatably with the bearing bushing for angular movement between first and second operative positions. The sensor hole is adapted to be closed by the switching element when the latter is angularly moved to the first operative position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2003
    Assignee: Hitachi Maxell, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenji Ohta
  • Publication number: 20020196730
    Abstract: A disc cartridge includes a shutter unit having an outer shutter and inner shutters to open and shut apertures on the disc cartridge. The outer shutter opens one of the inner shutters corresponding to a side of the disc cartridge being accessed by a pickup. Accordingly, the overall area of the apertures exposed to the exterior during information recording and reproducing operations is reduced. Accordingly, dust is less likely to enter into the disc cartridge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2002
    Publication date: December 26, 2002
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD..
    Inventors: Heui-jong Kang, Jae-yong Eum, Han-kook Choi
  • Patent number: 6490242
    Abstract: A data storage disk cartridge having a dual housing structure includes an inner housing that contains a disk, and an outer housing that contains the inner housing. The inner housing is at least partially removable from the outer housing for insertion into a disk drive. The outer housing remains external to the disk drive, however, except for a portion that is inserted into the drive to provide a docking channel for retraction of the inner housing. A shutter on the inner housing covers a portion of the disk, but is manipulable by the disk drive to uncover the disk and allow drive access. The dual housing structure of the cartridge is capable of significantly improving disk and drive reliability, particularly for recording applications that require higher areal recording densities, such as near field optical recording. In particular, the disk cartridge reduces the accumulation of debris on the disk and drive components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2002
    Inventors: Brian T. Bonn, Warren L. Dalziel, Michael A. Maiers, Scot C. Fairchild, Douglas R. Plourde, Wayne M. Hector, Jerrie R. Powers, Leo W. Spychalla, Thiruppathy Srinivasan
  • Patent number: 6487166
    Abstract: A disc cartridge has an optical disc (13), first and second halves (15), (16) and a slide shutter (14), in which the slide shutter (14) is removably supported between the first and second halves (15) and (16), whereby it is possible to prevent erroneous opening and closing operations by making it difficult for a user's hand to touch as well as to prevent a loss of an information record by such an arrangement which is difficult for minute trash and dust to intrude.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2002
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Gakuji Hashimoto
  • Publication number: 20020171979
    Abstract: A disk is manufactured having a reduced capacity based on a quantity of addressable and non-addressable portions. The method of formatting the disk comprises identifying a first quantity of the storage portions; and labeling the first quantity of storage portions as non-addressable storage portions such that the non-addressable storage portions cannot be accessed by a user or a disk drive. The first quantity of storage portions may include addressable portions designated as non-addressable portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2001
    Publication date: November 21, 2002
    Inventors: Chad Adams, Eric Ryon Peters, Robert L. Short, Mark Reimann, Daniel D. Rochat
  • Publication number: 20020172140
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2002
    Publication date: November 21, 2002
    Applicant: FUJI PHOTO FILM CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kengo Oishi, Kazuo Hiraguchi
  • Publication number: 20020171964
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2001
    Publication date: November 21, 2002
    Applicant: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventor: Shingo Hamaguchi
  • Patent number: 6480354
    Abstract: A door 20 is rotatably attached to a disk cartridge 1. In mounting the disk cartridge 1, an opening and closing pin 224 moving along a groove 223 is engaged with the door 20 and the door 20 is opened. For example, when the opening and closing pin 224 cannot return to a normal standby position by some cause, a front face of the door 20 and a projected streak portion 206 are brought into contact with each other and the disk cartridge 1 cannot be inserted further. Therefore, even when the disk cartridge 1 is inserted in a state where the door 20 is not opened, there is avoided beforehand an accident where the disk cartridge 1 collides with a head, a lamp or the like to cause the destruction thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2002
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Yamada, Takatsugu Funawatari
  • Patent number: 6476817
    Abstract: A removable memory media, such as a floppy disk or videocassette, has an electrically alterable display thereon. The display comprises an array of electrically alterable elements which can be selectably altered in appearance without the need for ancillary circuitry on the floppy disk or videocassette.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2002
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Richard H. Harper, Michael G. Molloy, Marc B. Rene
  • Patent number: 6473266
    Abstract: The invention presents a magnetic recording disc cartridge with two small fabric liners affixed inside the media compartment. One liner covers the lifter and the other covers the raised structure. The lifter and the raised structure bring the liners in contact with the flexible surface of the disc as it rotates, thus cleaning the disc. One or more protrusions in the media compartment prevent the disc from abrading the surface of the media compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: Imation Corp.
    Inventors: Ronald H. Turchin, Jeffrey T. Gibbs
  • Publication number: 20020149880
    Abstract: A disc cartridge having a disc to record information and a case to accommodate the disc includes a cleaning unit installed inside the case and selectively contacting or being separated from the disc depending on a flow of air generated during a rotation of the disc, so that the cleaning unit removes foreign material adhering to a surface of the disc when contacting the disc. Since cleaning is automatically performed depending on the flow of air, inconvenient manual operation is not necessary. Furthermore, since the cleaning unit does not deviate from a disc area, miniaturization of the disc cartridge or disc recording and reproducing apparatus is possible.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2001
    Publication date: October 17, 2002
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD
    Inventors: Byoung-Young Bae, Soon-Kyo Hong, Un-Jin Choi
  • Patent number: 6466406
    Abstract: A data-storage cartridge comprises an outer shell having an inner surface. The data-storage cartridge also comprises a data-storage medium having an outer peripheral edge and a centrally-disposed hub. The data-storage medium is rotatably disposed within the outer shell so that the data-storage medium faces the inner surface of the outer shell. A recess is formed in the inner surface. The recess preferably extends from a first position proximate the outer peripheral edge of the data-storage medium to a second position proximate the hub. A liner is attached to the inner surface of the outer shell so that the liner covers a portion of the recess between the first and the second ends of the recess. The liner and the recess thereby form a passage for circulating air between the outer peripheral edge and the hub of the data-storage medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2002
    Assignee: Iomega Corporation
    Inventor: David L. Hall
  • Patent number: 6466405
    Abstract: A data storage cartridge (10) includes a switch (50). The switch (50) has a handle (56) that extends through an opening (30) and the switch (50) has a sensor member (55) which extends in a second opening (40). The switch (50) is held in position with a spring positioning post pin (42).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2002
    Assignee: Imation Corp.
    Inventor: G. Phillip Rambosek
  • Patent number: 6462903
    Abstract: A disc-shaped recording medium for which information signals are recorded and/or reproduced in a state in which a rotating recording and/or reproducing head is floated a pre-set distance from a signal recording region carrying surface of the disc-shaped recording medium. The disc-shaped recording medium has an area radially outside of the outer perimeter of center opening by at least 0.1 mm clamped by a clamp mechanism. This area is coplanar as each surface of the disc-shaped recording medium carrying the signal recording region. It is possible in this manner to prevent eccentricity of the rotating disc-shaped recording medium and consequent collision of the recording and/or reproducing head against the disc-shaped recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2002
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Yamada, Naoto Kojima, Kazuo Takahashi, Toshio Mamiya, Kanzo Okada
  • Patent number: 6462907
    Abstract: A diskette incorporating a flat disk-shaped permanent magnet generator is disclosed. This permanent magnet generator comprises a rotor having a permanent magnet that can rotate together with a hub; the permanent magnet having a plurality of rotor magnetic poles on the circumference thereof, and a stator comprising a plurality of magnetic pole teeth having on one end thereof stator magnetic poles that can face the rotor magnetic poles via a magnetic gap. The magnetic pole teeth extend from the stator magnetic poles outside of the rotor, with stator coils wound on the extended portions of the magnetic pole teeth and the outside ends of the magnetic pole teeth connected to each other by a back yoke. The thickness of the outward extending magnetic pole teeth is smaller than the thickness of the permanent magnet. The diskette should preferably be a 3.5″ floppy disk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2002
    Assignee: Hitachi Metals, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Masuzawa, Fumio Kimura, Toshiko Takahashi, Masahiro Mita
  • Patent number: 6459544
    Abstract: One aspect of the present invention provides a removable cartridge device having an elastically deformable, protective enclosure containing a data-storage medium. A normally closed opening or slit extends along a front edge region of the enclosure. The opening is expandable from the closed condition to an opened condition upon application of a compressive force from opposing lateral sides of the enclosure. In the closed condition, the enclosure substantially shields the medium from contaminants in the external environment. In the opened condition, a transducer may enter the enclosure, through the expanded opening, to address the medium. Another aspect of the present invention provides a method for accessing a data-storage medium housed within a resiliently flexible, protective enclosure having a normally closed front edge region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2002
    Inventor: Bruce M. Harper
  • Patent number: 6459545
    Abstract: A data storage cartridge for a data storage disk drive has a marker including a latent illuminance material such as phosphor. A matte material on the cartridge or within the marker diffusely reflects charging light that is not absorbed by the latent illuminance material in the marker. This reduces noise and signal pollution in the light then emitted by the latent illuminance material. Accordingly, an accurate decay time can be determined. The decay time is checked to provide identification of different types or generations of data storage cartridges or provides a secure keying mechanism for authorized access to proprietary software.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2002
    Assignee: Iomega Corporation
    Inventors: Todd L. Graves, Wayne A. Sumner
  • Patent number: 6459677
    Abstract: A disc cartridge housing a driving rotating unit and adapted to be loaded along with the driving rotating unit on a recording and/or reproducing apparatus. A shutter mechanism for opening/closing an opening provided in a main cartridge body portion includes two shutter members movable along the major surface of the main cartridge body portion. An area in which the first shutter member and the second shutter member are moved is delimited by first and second wall sections arranged facing each other. The first and second shutter members are intruded into a spacing defined between the first and second wall sections. The first and second wall sections are arranged in the portions of the main cartridge body portion facing the major surface of the disc-shaped recording medium so that the wall sections face each other with a pre-set separation in-between. The main cartridge body portion is formed with first and second openings facing the first and second wall sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2002
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuhiro Shiomi, Takuya Niitsu
  • Publication number: 20020131207
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2002
    Publication date: September 19, 2002
    Applicant: FUJI PHOTO FILM CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kengo Oishi, Kazuo Hiraguchi
  • Publication number: 20020131208
    Abstract: A disc cartridge having a shutter which can open/close an opening for access to a disc-shaped disc medium, which opening is formed in at least one surface of a case which rotatably accommodates the disc medium. A visual recognition means which enables visual recognition of recorded/unrecorded regions is provided at a disc medium recording surface side of the case. A push portion for fingers at a time of loading the disc cartridge into a drive device is provided at a rear surface of the case. An urging means for urging in a closing/opening direction is provided at the shutter which opens/closes the opening. The disc cartridge is provided in which an unrecorded amount of the disc medium can be visually recognized from an exterior, operation of the shutter is smooth, and loading of the disc cartridge into the drive device can be carried out smoothly and stably.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2002
    Publication date: September 19, 2002
    Applicant: FUJI PHOTO FILM CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kengo Oishi, Kazuo Hiraguchi
  • Patent number: 6449125
    Abstract: A main cartridge body unit for housing a disc-shaped recording medium which can be reduced in size and thickness. To this end, the main cartridge body unit 6 includes a flexible magnetic disc 5, an upper plate 21 of a metal material and a lower plate 22 of a metal material, forming a plate pair, and an intermediate frame 23 sandwiched between the upper and lower plates 21, 22. A flexible magnetic disc 5 is housed in the inside of the main cartridge body unit 6. The main cartridge body unit 6 includes recording and/or reproducing apertures 24, 25 for exposing portions of the recording area of the flexible magnetic disc 5 to outside across the inner and outer rims of the disc. The main cartridge body unit 6 also includes a shutter member 61 for opening/closing the recording and/or reproducing apertures 24, 25.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Meguro, Kazutoshi Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 6449124
    Abstract: A computer diskette system utilizes a pair of partial disks which mate together to form a complete data storage disk that can be read in a conventional manner by a computer disk drive. When mated together, the partial disks are mounted in a diskette that comprises a cartridge for holding the partial disks and a hub rotatably mounted in an opening in the lower wall of the cartridge. The hub has a center hold for receiving a drive spindle of the computer disk drive and, within the cartridge, has an interlocking portion to which the partial disks can be attached. The hub and partial disks can have radially-extending interlocking elements that prevent the disks from slipping on the hub when it is being driven by the disk drive. The cartridge has an access door for inserting and removing the partial disks. A first one of the two partial disks contains conventional formatting information which identifies the locations of data on the second partial disk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Assignee: B.E. Technology, LLC
    Inventor: Martin David Hoyle
  • Patent number: 6441997
    Abstract: A cartridge for a magnetic disk drive having a clamping mechanism which is actuated as the door to the cartridge is closed is disclosed. The cartridge is closed when he cartridge is removed from the drive. The door covers the opening through which the cartridge is accessed by read/write heads. When the cartridge is removed from the drive, the mechanism of the present invention clamps the recording disk against the cartridge shell to prevent rattle, which might otherwise damage the recording disk. The mechanism includes a rotating cam having helical lobes, a translating cam having helical slots to receive the lobes, a spring to bias the door and a spring to bias the rotating cam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2002
    Assignee: Iomega Corporation
    Inventor: James Blum