Loading Or Ejecting Mechanism Patents (Class 360/99.06)
  • Patent number: 11972776
    Abstract: A conveying roller position manipulation mechanism moves the position of a conveying roller between a first roller position where the conveying roller contacts an optical disc and a second roller position where the conveying roller is separated from the optical disc. A centering mechanism aligns the center of the optical disc with the position of a spindle motor. A chucking pulley operation mechanism manipulates the position of a chucking pulley configured to fix the optical disc to the spindle motor. The conveying roller position manipulation mechanism includes a rotary arm configured to move in response to a collision with the optical disc that approaches the position of the spindle motor, and at least one of the centering mechanism and the chucking pulley operation mechanism includes a member coupled to the rotary arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventor: Kazuto Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 11915728
    Abstract: A data storage disk cartridge library system includes a rack having an array of bays, at least some housing disk media cartridges and/or media drives, and a pair of horizontal and vertical guide rails bordering each bay. A media transport robot includes fixed-position drive wheels at each corner for driving the robot along the guide rails, and pivoting guide wheels corresponding to each drive wheel for guiding the drive wheel horizontally along a horizontal guide rail and vertically along a vertical guide rail. With each guide wheel coupled with a horizontal guide rail the robot can travel horizontally on the rack, and with each guide wheel coupled with a vertical guide rail the robot can travel vertically on the rack. Electrical power can be supplied to the robot via the guide rails, and gear portions of the wheels mechanically interface with a mechanical portion of the guide rails.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert L. Horn
  • Patent number: 11862203
    Abstract: A data storage disk cartridge library includes a media drive having a clean internal environment, a disk cartridge bay positioned adjacent to the media drive, and a disk cartridge positioned in the disk cartridge bay and having clean compartments for housing a clean disk trays supporting clean magnetic recording disk media. The media drive has a disk tray extractor including a seal plate positioned at times flush with a surrounding shroud, and a set of pins for extending through the seal plate and a disk tray and for moving to a tray locking position. The seal plate covers a disk tray faceplate to physically isolate the faceplate from the clean portion of the disk tray, the corresponding clean compartment, and the clean environment of the media drive. The shroud is configured to cover surfaces of the disk cartridge adjacent to the faceplate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert L. Horn
  • Patent number: 11682825
    Abstract: A disk device includes a housing having a sidewall, the side wall having a first through-hole; a magnetic disk rotatably disposed in the housing and surrounded by the sidewall in a radial direction; a flexible printed circuit electrically connected to the magnetic disk; an insulator closing the first through-hole; a wireless communication device having a first communication antenna inside the housing; and a control board electrically connected to the flexible printed circuit. The control board is supplied with power from outside of the housing via a first connector, and is configured to receive a write command or a read command via the first communication antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA ELECTRONIC DEVICES & STORAGE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jia Liu, Taichi Okano, Kota Tokuda, Nobuhiro Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 11636876
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic disk device includes a magnetic disk, a spindle motor, a magnetic head, a ramp load mechanism, a filter, and a control section. The control section rotates the spindle motor at a second rotating speed for a given period of time at startup of the device, and then loads the magnetic head from the ramp load mechanism to a prescribed position on the magnetic disk. The second rotating speed is higher than a first rotating speed at which the spindle motor is rotated at the magnetic head reads/writes data from/to the magnetic disk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation
    Inventors: Koji Miyake, Takuya Ogawa, Wataru Tsukahara
  • Patent number: 11337329
    Abstract: The front of a rack-mounted 2 RU (Rack Unit) chassis includes bays that receive replaceable components, such as storage drives. Two rear slots of such chassis each receive hot-swappable 1 RU servers that couple to a midplane of the chassis. When a server is removed from its slot while the server in the other slot remains operational, the airflow output of the operational server escapes via the empty slot rather than cooling the components in the front-facing bays. Embodiments provide a single-blade air damper that blocks airflow via an empty chassis slot. The single-blade air damper is connected to spring assemblies on both chassis sidewalls. The spring assemblies are maintained in unstable states when servers are installed in both slots of the chassis. Upon a server being removed from a slot, the spring assemblies transition to stable states that position the single-blade air damper to block airflow via the empty slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Dell Products, L.P.
    Inventors: Yuxin Chen, Jie Yang, Qingqiang Guo
  • Patent number: 10832101
    Abstract: The present subject matter describes an electronic card holder. In an example implementation, the electronic card holder includes a housing having a slot to receive an electronic card. A slidable frame in the housing is to hold the electronic card. The slidable frame has a stud fittable in a groove in the housing. The card holder includes a resilient element with one end being coupled to the housing and other end being coupled to the slidable frame. The card holder further includes an actuating member coupled to the groove. When the electronic card is pushed inside the housing, the slidable frame is moved to lock the stud inside the groove and compress the resilient element. When the actuating member is pushed, the stud is released from the groove and the resilient element is relaxed to move the slidable frame such that the electronic card is pushed out of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Hsin-Tsung Ho, Chia-Ming Tsai, Keng-Ming Chang
  • Patent number: 10573345
    Abstract: An object of the preset invention is to prolong the life of an HDD by performing load/unload control without reducing usability. The present invention is an information processing apparatus including: a hard disk drive; a control unit configured to perform control so that a load state in the hard disk drive is kept for a predetermined time; and a derivation unit configured to derive the number of times of load/unload in the hard disk drive, and the information processing apparatus further includes a change unit configured to change the predetermined time during which the load state is kept based on the operation time of the information processing apparatus and the number of times of load/unload.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tatsuya Ogawa
  • Patent number: 10447324
    Abstract: Electronic devices are provided with ejectable component assemblies. The ejectable component assembly may include a tray that can be loaded with one or more removable modules, wafers coupled to circuit boards, cages and retaining plates to assist in retaining the tray within the assembly. The ejectable component assembly may include springs operative to engage detents in the tray to retain the tray in the assembly. The ejectable component assembly may include a tray ejector mechanism for ejecting the tray from the assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Scott A. Myers, Erik L Wang, Jason S. Sloey
  • Patent number: 10235323
    Abstract: A computing system comprising a portable computer and a reader are disclosed. The portable computer is pocket-sized and comprises flash memory, and optionally a processor and a GPS chip. The reader includes a monitor, a keyboard with docking port and an optional processor and at least one input/output USB connector. A user cannot interact with the portable computer without the reader. The reader is a non-functioning “shell” without the portable computer, however, when they are connected the system becomes a fully functional personal computer. To log on, a user provides security information, for example, a password or biometrics, such as fingerprints. The credit card size and capabilities of the portable computer allows a user to easily carry virtually their entire computer in a pocket for use anywhere there is a reader. In addition, the portable computer provides security against unauthorized use, even if lost or stolen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Inventor: Michael Arnouse
  • Patent number: 9853671
    Abstract: Electronic devices are provided with ejectable component assemblies. The ejectable component assembly may include a tray that can be loaded with one or more removable modules, wafers coupled to circuit boards, cages and retaining plates to assist in retaining the tray within the assembly. The ejectable component assembly may include springs operative to engage detents in the tray to retain the tray in the assembly. The ejectable component assembly may include a tray ejector mechanism for ejecting the tray from the assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Scott A. Myers, Erik L. Wang, Jason S. Sloey
  • Patent number: 9836624
    Abstract: The present technique relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, a record medium and a program which can prevent hot insertion and extraction of an SIM card. A removing unit removes a tray storing a storage member. A removal detector detects an operation of starting removal of the tray before the removing unit removes the tray. A power controller stopping power supplying to the storage member when the removal detector detects the operation of starting the removal of the tray may be employed. The present technique may be applied, e.g., to a personal computer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Kotochika Itakura
  • Patent number: 9264790
    Abstract: A tray moving mechanism includes: a unit base having an internal space formed as a containing space; and a tray movable between a retracted position in which the unit base is contained in the containing space and a projected position in which a music player formed in a substantially rectangular shape can be placed on the tray and in which a part of the tray is projected from the base unit, wherein the tray is moved with respect to the unit base such that the orientations of the tray with respect to the unit base in the retracted and projected positions are substantially 90 deg different from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Keiichiro Uchida, Hideki Ito, Fuyuki Nakagome
  • Patent number: 9036292
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes a robotic accessor for transporting media between multiple storage slots and one or more data storage drives; a controller for controlling the robotic accessor; a memory in communication with and/or integrated with the controller for storing information about the media and the storage slots, the information including data corresponding to a physical distribution of the media in the storage slots; and logic integrated with and/or executable by the controller, the logic being adapted to: position the robotic accessor at a computed optimal position during an idle period of the robotic accessor, the computed optimal position being based at least in part on the physical distribution of the media in the storage slots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Vernon W. Miller, Shawn M. Nave
  • Patent number: 8923106
    Abstract: An optical disc drive (ODD) includes one or more sensors which detect a user placing a disc in the loading path. In response, a process is triggered for sensing the thickness of a protective layer of the disc even while the disc is moving toward a turntable. An initial determination of the type of the disc (e.g. CD, DVD or Blu-ray®) can be determined based on the thickness and reported to a host computing device. The host, in turn, determines an application to load based on the disc type. The loading of the application can begin sooner than if the ODD waited until the disc was seated on the turntable to detect the disc type. A final determination of the disc type can be made while the disc is seated as well. The host is informed if there is a disagreement between the initial determination and the final determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Henry Chiu, Tse-Ching Yu
  • Patent number: 8879202
    Abstract: A cartridge drive apparatus includes a hole detection lever and a hole detector. The hole detection lever is provided with a projection corresponding to an identification hole position of a first shell of a cartridge at an insertion completion position of the cartridge. The projection is supported with respect to the identification hole to be movable in an insertion direction. The movement of the projection in the insertion direction is limited depending on a position of a second shell separated from the first shell. The hole detector is configured to detect whether or not an identification hole is formed at an identification hole position depending on the amount of movement of the projection in the insertion direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kenji Horiuchi, Takuji Nakamura, Satoshi Muto, Akihiro Miyazaki
  • Patent number: 8611082
    Abstract: A storage device having a plurality of recording devices in which a decrease in vibrations from the recording devices can be achieved with a small number of parts. A storage device having a plurality of recording devices mounted therein includes a handle for inserting and withdrawing the recording device into and out of the storage device. Two holding members each include a mounting portion where the recording device is mounted and a frame extending from the mounting portion to the handle. Two protrusions are formed to extend inwardly of a region surrounded by the recording device, the handle, and the two frames. A restriction plate is disposed so as to overlap the respective surfaces of the two protrusions; and a viscoelastic body is disposed at the overlapping portion for joining the two protrusions and the restriction plate to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshihiro Arisaka, Daisuke Matsuka, Hiroshi Fukuda, Morihiro Waizumi, Kouichirou Kinoshita, Naoki Wada
  • Publication number: 20130188279
    Abstract: Systems for and methods of creating a visual display associated with a mobile robot within a data storage library and libraries including such systems and utilizing such methods.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2012
    Publication date: July 25, 2013
    Inventor: Walter Wong
  • Patent number: 8482914
    Abstract: An electronic device with multi-phase mechanism including a host, a storage device and a carriage is provided in the present invention. The storage device is slidably disposed in the host and adapted to be pulled out from the host. The carriage is slidably disposed in the storage device and adapted to be pulled out from the storage device. Through the storage device slidably disposing in the host and being adapted to be pulled out from the host, it facilitates the user to take or replace a content from the storage device. When the carriage is moved out from the storage device in a first phase and then the storage device is pulled out from the host in a second phase, the content in the storage device is taken out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Compal Electronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Wen-Cheng Chen
  • Patent number: 8458891
    Abstract: A method of centering a disk of a hard disk drive includes arranging a disk on an upper end portion of a hub on which a plurality of disks are rotatably assembled, and assembling the disk on the hub by vibrating the hub. Accordingly, the disks and/or spacers may be easily assembled on the hub, a time of centering may be relatively much reduced, and a superior centering quality may be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Seagate Technology International
    Inventors: Kyung Ho Kim, Ha Yong Kim, Kyu Nam Cho, Yong-Soo Kim
  • Publication number: 20120162819
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a latch mechanism of a disk drive includes a latch member which includes a bearing pivotably mounted on a pivot set up in the disk drive, a main body separated from the bearing, and a bridge portion connecting the bearing and the main body. The bridge portion is less rigid than the main body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Toshiaki ABE
  • Patent number: 8184400
    Abstract: A mounting system for a media playback device is provided having an outer module for rigidly mounting the media playback device to a surface, and a corresponding cartridge which is capable of being inserted and removed from the outer module. While inserted in the outer module, a first mounting subsystem functions to fixedly mount the cartridge within the outer module such that shock, vibration, and other physical environmental factors are not amplified in the cartridge. A second mounting subsystem is provided to protect the cartridge while removed from the outer module, and generally comprises a resilient material around a portion of the cartridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Viviana Research LLC
    Inventors: Bruce Edwards, Nicholas R. Kalayjian, Craig M. Janik
  • Patent number: 8164891
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a housing, an expansion card holder, and a protective cover assembly. The housing defines an opening. The expansion card holder is located inside the housing. The protective cover assembly includes a rotary shaft unit, and a cover rotatably connected to the main body via the rotary shaft unit. The cover includes a main body made of soft material, and an elastic member embedded in the main body. The main body includes a cover portion covering the opening, a resisting portion resisting against the housing, and a connecting portion interconnecting the cover portion and the resisting portion. The elastic member includes a first elastic arm and a second elastic arm. The first and the second elastic arms are embedded in the cover portion and the resisting portion, respectively. The elastic member provides a resilient force to the cover portion to open or seal the opening automatically.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignees: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (ShenZhen) Co., Ltd., Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Zhi-Hua Liu
  • Patent number: 8010974
    Abstract: A disk apparatus includes a chassis, a disk tray and a tray panel unit. The tray panel unit includes a panel main body and a spring body. The spring body has a coil part, a pair of end attachment parts and a middle attachment part. An axial direction of the coil part is aligned with a width direction of the tray panel unit. The pair of end attachment parts extends from both axial ends of the coil part, respectively. The end attachment parts are fixedly coupled to one of the panel main body and a front end part of the disk tray. The middle attachment part is provided to an axial middle portion of the coil part. The middle attachment part is fixedly coupled to the other of the panel main body and the front end part of the disk tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroaki Iwaasa
  • Publication number: 20110181983
    Abstract: A method of centering a disk of a hard disk drive includes arranging a disk on an upper end portion of a hub on which a plurality of disks are rotatably assembled, and assembling the disk on the hub by vibrating the hub. Accordingly, the disks and/or spacers may be easily assembled on the hub, a time of centering may be relatively much reduced, and a superior centering quality may be obtained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2011
    Publication date: July 28, 2011
    Applicant: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Kyung Ho KIM, Ha Yong Kim, Kyu Nam Cho, Yong-Soo Kim
  • Patent number: 7921439
    Abstract: Apparatus in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present invention includes a data storage cartridge and/or a receiver configured to receive the cartridge in facilitation of data transfer to and/or from the cartridge. The cartridge and the receiver each include respective connector portions configured to connect when the cartridge is inserted into the receiver. The cartridge and/or the receiver also include guide features configured to facilitate alignment of the connector portions for connection as the cartridge is inserted into the receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Leslie G. Christie, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7826172
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiro Inata, Teruyuki Takizawa, Kozo Ezawa
  • Publication number: 20100149686
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a disk drive includes a carriage supporting a head configured to perform information processing for the recording medium, and a latch mechanism configured to latch and hold the carriage in a retracted position when an external force acts on the disk drive with the carriage being in the retracted position. The latch mechanism includes a latch member pivotable around an central axis between a latchable range and a released position. The latch member is configured to pivot in a latching direction within the latchable range before the engaging portion of the carriage starts to move when a rotational impact externally acts in a direction to pivot the carriage toward the information processing position with the carriage and the latch member being located in the retracted position and the latchable range, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2009
    Publication date: June 17, 2010
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventor: Hirofumi Nesori
  • Publication number: 20100061012
    Abstract: For cushioning a shock to prevent problems such as a reading error, a ramp for a magnetic disc apparatus is made of a resin material for forming a ramp main body and a material having higher rigidity than the resin material, disc facing surfaces in the disc insertion portion for inserting a magnetic disc is provided with disc contact portions made of the high rigidity material, a bottom surface portion of a concave portion of the disc insertion portion is constructed by a combination of a bottom surface portion made of the resin material and a bottom surface portion made of the high rigidity material, and a step structure is provided by arranging the bottom surface portion made of the high rigidity material at a position moved rearward in a depth direction of the concave portion in comparison with the bottom surface portion made of the resin material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2009
    Publication date: March 11, 2010
    Applicant: NOK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shota SEKI, Shuichi KIYOMOTO, Nobuyuki OKA, Michiya TOTOKI, Teruhiro NAKAMIYA, Takeji SUMIYA, Tomoki HIRAMATSU, Kohji TAKAHASHI
  • Patent number: 7652844
    Abstract: A mounting system for a media playback device is provided having an outer module for rigidly mounting the media playback device to a surface, and a corresponding cartridge which is capable of being inserted and removed from the outer module. While inserted in the outer module, a first mounting subsystem functions to fixedly mount the cartridge within the outer module such that shock, vibration, and other physical environmental factors are not amplified in the cartridge. A second mounting subsystem is provided to protect the cartridge while removed from the outer module, and generally comprises a resilient material around a portion of the cartridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2010
    Inventors: Bruce Edwards, Nick Kalayjian, Craig Janik
  • Patent number: 7634784
    Abstract: Apparatus in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present invention includes a data storage cartridge and/or a receiver configured to receive the cartridge in facilitation of data transfer to and/or from the cartridge. The cartridge and the receiver each include respective connector portions configured to connect when the cartridge is inserted into the receiver. The cartridge and/or the receiver also include guide features configured to facilitate alignment of the connector portions for connection as the cartridge is inserted into the receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2009
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Leslie G. Christie, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7619855
    Abstract: The object of the invention is to provide a storage device represented by a removable hard disk from which a cartridge having a storage medium is removable, to which cartridges having different specification sizes of the outer shapes can be applied. A cartridge of this invention is detachably loaded in a holder portion for a storage device outside a computer or a storage device incorporated in a computer, and has a storage medium. The cartridge includes a groove which engages with a locking portion provided to the holder portion to releasably lock the cartridge. The groove is formed at a predetermined distance in an inserting/removing direction from an end of the cartridge. This distance is set common for another cartridge which is detachably loaded in the holder portion and has a length different from that of the cartridge in the inserting/removing direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2009
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Koji Kimura
  • Patent number: 7612962
    Abstract: A housing opening and closing apparatus of a DVD camcorder includes a main frame in which a DVD is accommodated, a housing which is opened and closed with respect to the main frame, and a housing ejecting unit operated by a solenoid unit to open and close the housing. The housing ejecting unit may include a pair of connection members disposed on the housing and an ejecting member formed between the pair of connection members on the housing. A link member is rotatable about a first hinge axis, and the link member is adapted to contact the ejecting member. A sliding member is engaged with the first hinge axis and one end of the link member. The sliding member has a first end and a second end, and the sliding member is adapted to slide. A pair of locking members are rotated by sliding of the sliding member, and a solenoid unit is engaged with the first end of the sliding member. A third elastic member is disposed at the second end of the sliding member to oppose the solenoid unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2009
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sang-ki Min, Chang-hee Lee
  • Publication number: 20090228654
    Abstract: The present invention, in particular embodiments, provides methods, apparatuses and systems directed to a removable cartridge which has a data storage device, such as a hard drive, that contains a data archive application and a loader or installer. In one implementation, the data storage device contains platform-independent archive data, and one or more differing platform-dependent archive applications. When the removable cartridge is connected to a host with no installed archive application, an archive application on the removable cartridge, corresponding to the host operating system, may be installed. Archive data is then translated to a format compatible with the host operating system and provided to the host.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2008
    Publication date: September 10, 2009
    Inventor: Michael Lakowicz
  • Patent number: 7576946
    Abstract: In the loading of a disc in a slot-in type of disc apparatus, time lag occurs at the time of shift from an operation that manually inserts the disc to an operation that automatically swallows the disc. In order to solve this problem, a switch for detecting the position of a disc at the beginning of insertion thereof and a switch for detecting a position where the loading of the disc has been completed are provided respectively. The modification of control is made so that the disc support arm is driven with a weak electric power from the beginning of the insertion of the disc, and an error caused by time-out is further detected. If the error has been detected, the disc is ejected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Assignee: Teac Corporation
    Inventor: Shinichi Fujisawa
  • Patent number: 7495712
    Abstract: Disclosed is a television with a disk playback feature, in which the convenience of the slot-in mechanism is preserved and a disk can be unloaded without being damaged by the lid body. A critical point is established on the path of turning of the second point of application of spring force. By the urging force of the torsion spring, the pivoting door can be forced to either open or close the slot, subject to whether or not the second point is beyond the critical point. The slot can be closed positively by the door plate before the second point reaches the critical point. Once the second point goes beyond the critical point, the pivoting door can be swung open without being thrust by the disk. Therefore, resistance during disk unloading is reduced and it can be prevented that a disk is damaged by touching with the door plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2009
    Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenichi Takeda
  • Patent number: 7496934
    Abstract: The present invention provides lock release means that allows spring constant of the lock release means to be set to any desired value without regard to a material used for a cartridge holder. A disk recording and/or reproducing apparatus includes: recording and/or reproducing means disposed in a chassis; a cartridge holder supported on the chassis movably between an insertion and withdrawal position, at which a disk cartridge is inserted or removed, and a recording and reproducing position, at which the disk cartridge is recorded or reproduced by the recording and/or reproducing means; an eject lever disposed on an upper surface of the chassis so as to be movable in a disk cartridge insertion and withdrawal direction; eject lever lock means disposed on the upper surface of the chassis; and lock release means mounted on the cartridge holder such that a leading end side of the lock release means advances into the cartridge holder from an upper surface of the cartridge holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2009
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Mikinori Matsuda, Kazuhito Kurita, Toru Morikawa, Takahiro Yamada
  • Patent number: 7492547
    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 chassis of the device has a base and a projection projecting from the base toward a holder for being inserted in the positioning hole. An ejection slider is slidably supported on the chassis for sliding movement selectively in a first sliding direction to move the holder from the first to second position and a second sliding direction, which is opposite to the first sliding direction, to move the holder from the second to first position. The projection has a recess defined therein. The ejection slider has a portion insertable into the recess when the election slider is moved in the first sliding direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2009
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Mikinori Matsuda, Kazuhito Kurita, Takahiro Yamada, Tokio Kanada
  • Patent number: 7447835
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2008
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masato Fujiwara, Masumi Ishiwatari, Takeyuki Higashibata, Tadashi Takayama, Noriyuki Suzuki, Hiroyasu Ito, Makoto Kobayashi, Mamoru Yoshimoto
  • Publication number: 20080247083
    Abstract: A disk-feeding apparatus includes a base, two or more than two disk-feeding devices and an intermediate conveyer associated with the disk-feeding devices. The disk-feeding devices are mounted on the base and hold respectively stacks of disks. An intermediate conveyer is mounted between each pair of adjacent disk-feeding devices to convey a disk from a first disk-feeding device to a second disk-feeding device of each pair of adjacent disk-feeding devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2007
    Publication date: October 9, 2008
    Inventors: Ming-Hsun Liu, Chung-Hsuan Tsai
  • Publication number: 20080247084
    Abstract: To assuredly determine whether a shutter pinches a disk in a disk device including a shutter at a disk insertion slot. A shutter control device 10 includes a pinch determining unit 14 that determines whether the disk is pinched by the shutter based on a position of the shutter during a process of closing the shutter, and a sensitivity changing unit that sets sensitivity of determination to be high as ambient temperature of a shutter driving mechanism increases.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2006
    Publication date: October 9, 2008
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Matsumoto, Takeshi Matsumoto, Katsunori Tamamura, Takao Yoshida, Fumito Inaba, Makoto Ikehata
  • Patent number: 7418722
    Abstract: An electrical system comprises a module (3), an immovable element (2) defining a space for receiving the module and an ejecting mechanism assembled between the immovable element and the module. The ejecting mechanism comprises a guiding frame (6), a groove frame (5) and a first spring element (7) for urging the module to withdraw out of the immovable element. The guiding frame comprises a swing element (63) being rotatable around a pivot pin thereof and a second spring element (62) attached to the swing element. The swing element defines a guiding pin and a balance line. The groove frame defines a continuous groove for guiding the guiding pin. The second spring clement can prevent the guiding pin from being moved along a direction opposite to a predetermined direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2008
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Ind. Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Guo Jiun Shiu
  • Publication number: 20080186624
    Abstract: An electronic component ejection structure of an electronic device is provided. The ejection structure includes a guide element, a push rod, an elastic element, and a stopping element. The guide element is used to guide the push rod to move between a first and a second position. The stopping element has a hook and an abutting nose, wherein when the push rod is located at the first position, the hook is clipped into the clip hole; when the push rod is moved to the second position, the stopping element is driven to pivotally rotate and thereby removing the hook out of the clip hole; then, the electronic component is pushed out of the slot by the abutting nose. The elastic element is connected with the electronic device and the push rod, and it can push the push rod towards the first position, so as to repeatedly perform the ejecting operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2007
    Publication date: August 7, 2008
    Applicant: INVENTEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Cheng-Hsiang Chuang, Yi-Hsun Hung
  • Patent number: 7375924
    Abstract: If a cartridge moves to a complete loading position which is inward of a device by a loading device, a sliding plate moves in Y2 direction in accordance with the loading device. At this moment, because a control convex portion engages a concave portion of a door setting portion by moving from a convex portion of the manipulating member, the manipulating member is pulled by a fourth biasing member and rotates in an ?2 direction. Therefore, a control pin moves inside a manipulating groove and sets a door in a closed position. Also, the door is set in the closed position as well even after the cartridge is drawn out of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hideo Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 7342744
    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
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2008
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Mikinori Matsuda, Kazuhito Kurita, Takahiro Yamada
  • Patent number: 7254819
    Abstract: A recording medium drive unit includes an insertion opening through which a recording medium is inserted, a holder receiving the recording medium inserted through the insertion opening, a connector, a holder drive part moving the holder to a loading position so that the recording medium is connected to the connector, and a clamp mechanism pressing opposing sides of the recording medium when the recording medium is inserted into the holder. The clamp mechanism is provided to a side of the holder so as to be slidable thereon, and holds the recording medium by the opposing sides thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2007
    Assignees: Mitsumi Electric Co., Ltd., Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kaname Suwa, Masahiro Ando, Mamoru Takahashi, Naoki Tamiya, Yoshiaki Aboshi
  • Patent number: 7251099
    Abstract: A HDD tray structure is disclosed. The HDD tray structure includes a tray housing, a flexible printed circuit board (FPC) installed on the tray housing, and at least one indicator, wherein one end of the FPC has a metal pad electrically connected to a connector of a printed circuit board, and the other end of the FPC is in electrical contact with the indicator, so as to control the on/off state of the indicator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2007
    Assignee: Quanta Computer Inc.
    Inventors: Chih-Wei Kao, Cheng-Cheng Lee, Chih-Wei Lee
  • Patent number: 7227744
    Abstract: A data recording device and a memory cartridge of a data recording device that improve the manipulation of attaching and detaching the memory cartridge and the portability of the memory cartridge. The data recording device (A) is replaceably equipped with a memory cartridge (B) accommodating a memory card (DM) as a data recording medium. The memory cartridge (B) includes a handle (23) capable of being popped out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2007
    Assignee: Teac Corporation
    Inventor: Yasuhide Kitaoka
  • Patent number: 7213119
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masato Fujiwara, Masumi Ishiwatari, Takeyuki Higashibata, Tadashi Takayama, Noriyuki Suzuki, Hiroyasu Ito, Makoto Kobayashi, Mamoru Yoshimoto
  • Patent number: 7187542
    Abstract: A disk drive/player positioning structure includes a bracket, a sliding bottom plate coupled and movable forwards/backwards relative to the bracket, two sliding side plates coupled between the sliding bottom plate and the bracket for longitudinal displacement with the sliding bottom plate and transversely movable to each other relative to the bracket, and a disk drive/player mounted on the sliding bottom plate. The disk drive/player is locked that the disk drive/player is pushed backwards with the sliding bottom plate relative to the bracket and the sliding side plates are moved inwards toward each other to force locating rods thereof into respective locating holes in the disk drive/player, and is unlocked that the disk drive/player is pushed forwards with the sliding bottom plate relative to the bracket and the sliding side plates are moved outwards to disengage the locating rods from the locating holes of the disk drive/player.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Tatung Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chin-Nan Wu