Abstract: A pair of left and right pressing pieces and to press down the front part of the upward moving drive chassis are provided so as to protrude from the front part of the casing integrally therewith, the left side pressing piece of both the corresponding pressing pieces and is formed so as to be resiliently displaced with a protruding portion erected at the tip end thereof, and the inner side of the corresponding protruding portion is made into an inclined pressing plane which is inclined in the left direction at a prescribed angle so that it is turned downward so as to be widened outwardly, the front part side edge of the upward moving drive chassis is formed so as to be resiliently brought into contact with the inclined pressing plane thereof.

Abstract: A slim optical disc drive in a portable computer, includes a main body, a tray, and a front panel. The main body includes an upper frame and a lower frame. The tray is installed in the main body to be loaded and/or unloaded and includes a spindle motor to rotate an optical disc and an optical pickup to record information on and/or reproduce information from the optical disc. The front panel is combined with a front side of the tray. A front end of the upper frame is supported by the front panel so that the upper frame is distorted downward by a load.

Abstract: A portable information processing apparatus having a disk drive device and being reduced in size and weight is presented. This portable information processing apparatus comprises a disk drive device, a disk cover, a keyboard, and a casing main body. The disk cover can be opened and closed from the casing, and the disk drive device allows part of the disk recording medium to advance beneath the keyboard when the disk recording medium is loaded into the disk drive device.

Abstract: An optical disk drive includes a main body and a tray. A tray locking mechanism includes a base fixed to the tray, a locking device installed on the base for combining with or separating from a stop pin of the main body, a transmission device installed on the base for driving the locking device, and a control device installed on the base for stopping the transmission device. When the locking device combines with the stop pin of the main body, the tray can be locked to the main body, and when the transmission device drives the locking device to be separated from the stop pin of the main body, the tray can eject from the main body and the control device can stop the transmission device from rotating.

Abstract: A disk table rotation supporting structure includes a tray having an inner wall surface that stands upward, a bottom surface provided on an inside, a central axis portion that stands upward on a center portion of the bottom surface, and a receiving portion disposed around the central axis portion, and a disk table having a large circular-ring supporting rib provided downward in neighborhood of the inner wall surface, a central through hole portion opened in a center portion and into which the central axis portion of the tray is inserted, and a small circular-ring rib extended downward from a periphery of the central through hole portion. Only the large circular-ring supporting rib is supported rotatably on the bottom surface of the tray via a lubricating member, and the disk table is rotated in this situation.

Abstract: A flexible wiring plate includes a first wiring plate connected to a connector of a member of a fixed side (chassis), a second wiring plate connected to a connector of a member of a movable side (slide), and a third wiring plate connecting the first wiring plate to the second wiring plate, wherein an extended direction of the first wiring plate is parallel to the second wiring plate, the second wiring plate is curved so as to be able to bend in an opposite direction to the extended direction of the first wiring plate when the flexible wiring plate is provided, and a reinforcement part having an increased width is formed at a facing part of the second wiring plate that faces a gap formed between the member of the fixed side and the member of the movable side.

Abstract: In a printer capable of performing recording on a recording medium such as an optical disk, a tray on which the recording medium is set is sent upstream or downstream by being nipped by a driving transfer roller rotatably driven by a motor and a driven transfer roller driven and rotated contacting it. When the tray is in a stillness state in a set position where the recording medium can be set, the assist control means generates rotation torque T1. When an external force F comes in effect on the tray, rotation torque T2 is generated by friction between the driving transfer roller and the tray, but the rotation torque T1 becomes an assist force, and the driving transfer roller rotates while any slip between the tray and the driving transfer roller does not occur.

Abstract: A positioning mechanism for preventing a slider from inadvertently moving laterally comprises a projecting wall provided on a lower surface of a tray and having a first wall extending forward and a second wall extending from the first wall toward a direction orthogonal to the first wall, and at least two projections provided on the slider for holding therebetween the second wall when the tray is in a completely advanced state and the first wall when the tray is in an advancing or a retracting state.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a disc data storage apparatus with a structure for preventing cracked discs from jetting out. The disc data storage apparatus has a tray for receiving a disc, a cover and a housing. The cover has a first portion and a second portion. The first portion is connected to a front flange of the housing, and the second portion is extended into the housing to form a barrier portion. When a disc cracks, the barrier portion is configured to stop and prevent the cracked disc from jetting out.

Abstract: Provided are a tray 2 for mounting a cartridge 101 that houses a disk and has an aperture for exposing an information layer and a shutter 101a for opening/closing the aperture, a conveyor for conveying the tray 2, an opener 13 having an engaging member and opening/closing the shutter 101a, and guiding members 14, 15, 16 arranged to engage with the opener 13 and interlocked with a conveyance operation of the tray 2 so that engagement position with an engaging member of the opener 13 changes, wherein the guiding members 14, 15, 16 are arranged opposing the face for mounting the cartridge 101. Thereby, there is no need for providing to the upper part of the cartridge 101 a system for opening/closing the shutter 101a, and thus a space below the tray 2 can be used effectively, resulting in downsizing of the apparatus.

Abstract: The present invention provides a disc tray shift device including a disc tray having at least one disc placement portion, a rack having an arc portion and at least one straight portion, the rack being arranged on the disc tray, and a sun gear, a planet gear which has a large-tooth-portion engaged with the sun gear and a small-tooth-portion engaged with the rack, and a shift mechanism for shifting the disc tray between a position where the disc placement portion is withdrawn externally and a position where the disc placement portion is housed internally, wherein teeth of at least one of the sun gear, the planet gear, and the rack are profile-shifted.

Abstract: Provided are a tray 2 for mounting a cartridge 101 that houses a disk and has an aperture for exposing an information layer and a shutter 101a for opening/closing the aperture, a conveyor for conveying the tray 2, an opener 13 having an engaging member and opening/closing the shutter 101a, and guiding members 14, 15, 16 arranged to engage with the opener 13 and interlocked with a conveyance operation of the tray 2 so that engagement position with an engaging member of the opener 13 changes, wherein the guiding members 14, 15, 16 are arranged opposing the face for mounting the cartridge 101. Thereby, there is no need for providing to the upper part of the cartridge 101 a system for opening/closing the shutter 101a, and thus a space below the tray 2 can be used effectively, resulting in downsizing of the apparatus.

Abstract: A disk device for improving a S/N ratio is provided with a spindle motor control substrate 10 arranged below a tray 3 via a buffer material and a medium substrate 12 arranged at a position different from the spindle motor control substrate 10 below the tray 3. The spindle motor control substrate 10, the medium substrate 12 and the main control substrate 7 of the device body are connected each other with a flexible print circuit (FPC) 9. The medium substrate 12 and a pickup head 1c are connected with other FPC. The head detection signal is provided to the main control substrate 7 through the medium substrate 12. A driver IC for motor drive system is carried on the spindle motor control substrate 10. The motor drive signal is apart from the head detection signal and is provided to a spindle motor 1a or a head transferring motor.

Abstract: A magnetically suspended CD-ROM drive is proposed, which is characterized by using electromagnetic attraction/repulsion force to move a disc-holding support tray for loading or ejecting a compact disc into or out of the CD-ROM drive. Without employing a gear mechanism of a conventional CD-ROM drive for mechanically operating the support tray, this magnetically suspended CD-ROM drive is beneficial as not having to install additional equipment such as a read/write head moving device, thereby making fabrication processes and equipment maintenance more cost-effective to implement.

Abstract: An apparatus for preventing a cracked disc from flying out of a disc data reading apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a housing and a panel. The panel selectively connects with the housing. The housing has a protrusion connecting with a front edge of the housing. The panel has a first surface corresponding to the protrusion. While the disc within the disc data reading apparatus cracks, a force existing between the protrusion and the first surface prevents a cracked disc flying out.

Abstract: An optical disk drive includes a case, a tray which is slidably provided to the case and receives an optical disk, and a ground member which is electrically connected to the case and contacts one side of the optical disk as the tray slides in or out of the case. In the optical disk drive, by removing a static electricity remaining on the optical disk through the ground member, where the tray is loaded, foreign materials such as dust can be prevented from adhering to the optical disk. Accordingly, a stable and accurate optical signal processing can be guaranteed, thereby improving the reliability of the optical disk drive and the optical disk.

Abstract: A system that prevents fragments of a disc from escaping from a drive. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the system comprises a drive and a fragment barricade affixed within the drive. The fragment barricade is positioned within the drive so as to prevent fragments of the disc from escaping from the drive.

Abstract: The object is to allow to dispose the lock pin of the eject/lock mechanism of the disk device at the outermost side of the disk tray, and to enhance the packaging effective area of the wiring board to its maximum. Moreover, the eject/lock mechanism is protected even if an impact load is applied to the disk device built into the laptop PC, dashing out of the disk tray is intercepted, and system safety and reliability are improved.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a disk drive apparatus in which a disk tray travels forward or backward in a chassis casing to load or unload the disk tray. The chassis casing is constructed with a base chassis 1 and/or cover chassis 2 having openings located in alignment corresponding to the vertical peaks of the disk tray as the disk tray travels through the chassis casing with thin portions provided at the front end of the openings to enclose the openings.

Abstract: In a disc changer, improvements of the taking-out operation, housing operation, stabilization of disc transfer and downsizing of a conveyance mechanism and stabilization of reproducing operation are intended. The disc changer comprises a disc housing unit, a disc transfer mechanism provided on the upper surface of the disc housing unit, and a disc playback unit. The disc housing unit 100 is provided with disc exchange support mechanism for pushing up a disc inside disc housing groove 101 formed in the disc housing unit and light-emitting means 107 for allowing groove 101 to be recognized.

Abstract: This invention provides a device combining a slim CD-ROM drive and a flash memory card drive, which utilizes the unused space in a slim CD-ROM drive to mount a flash memory card socket to form a combined device. It comprises of a seat with the first containing space and the second containing space. The first containing space hosts a circuit board and a driving unit, a standard CD-ROM drive with a panel on the front and the panel has a opening against the second containing space, a flash memory socket in the second containing space and its slot faces against the said opening of the panel. The socket can hold multi types of flash memory cards, including SD, MMC, and MS cards. Furthermore, there are multi PINs in the socket and they are connected to the circuit board on one end and contact the flash memory card on the other end to support access to the flash memory card.

Abstract: An optical pick-up feeding device (100) includes a bracket (1) defining an opening (10), a carrier (41) supporting an optical pick-up (3), a stepping motor (42) having a worm screw (420) for driving the carrier, a pair of guide rails (43) for guiding the carrier, and a connecting body (44) for transmitting driving force from the worm screw to the carrier. A slot (446) and a beam (447) are defined at a front end of the connecting body. A protrusion (445) extends horizontally outwardly from a middle of the beam. The protrusion can elastically bend into the slot when a force is applied on the protrusion. When the protrusion collides with an inside wall of the bracket at the opening, the protrusion presses the beam to bend into the slot, thereby translating the force of the collision into elastic deformation force of the beam. This reduces vibration of the optical pick-up.

Abstract: The invention provides a casing for a storage apparatus having a first receiving portion for receiving a disc drive box in which a plurality of disc drives are received in a line, the first receiving portion being approximately equal in height and width to the disc drive box, and a second receiving portion for receiving a control portion box in which a plurality of control boards for executing a control relating to a data input and output process with respect to the disc drive are received in a line, the second receiving portion being approximately equal in height and width to the first receiving portion.

Abstract: An optical disk drive includes a main body and a tray. A tray locking mechanism includes a base fixed to the tray, a locking device installed on the base for combining with or separating from a stop pin of the main body, a transmission device installed on the base for driving the locking device, and a control device installed on the base for stopping the transmission device. When the locking device combines with the stop pin of the main body, the tray can be locked to the main body, and when the transmission device drives the locking device to be separated from the stop pin of the main body, the tray can eject from the main body and the control device can stop the transmission device from rotating.

Abstract: A case for accommodating a disc-shaped recording medium such as CD or DVD is disclosed. The case includes a front lid opened and closed and a body formed with a central button and a holder including an annular piece formed with an engagement groove for engaging a fixing hole of the disc-shaped recording medium with legs. The annular piece is disposed around the button and the holder further includes a spring portion. A force acting so that an upper side of the disc-shaped recording medium is pressed such that the recording medium is sunk is rendered competitive against a force acting so that the button is pushed upward via a second hinge by the spring portion. As a result, the button is prevented from being pushed over its toggle dead point and so that the disc-shaped recording medium is re-fixed to the annular piece by reduction and extinction of the external force.

Abstract: A system of shipping tape drives while they are mounted to a frame uses shipment brackets to retain the drives within the frame in retracted positions during shipment. The brackets allow the drives to be shipped inside the frame. The brackets hold the drives in the retracted position within the frame by clipping into the drives and the shelves above the drives. Tabs on each bracket snap into a drive such that the drive cannot move with respect to the bracket or the shelf. The drive is pushed into position until the bracket is fully engaged with the shelf above the drive and the tabs have prevented the drive from further insertion. Because the bracket is engaged, the drive no longer can move in or out of the shelf.

Abstract: A disk drive apparatus includes a casing having an upper plate; and a tray. The upper plate includes an arm having an attracted member fixed thereto. When the tray moves from a protruding position to a recording-and-playback position, since engagements of the arm and the tray are engaged with each other, the main body of the arm swings, and the attracted member serves as a chucking position facing a chucked portion of the disk-shaped recording medium placed on the tray. When the tray moves from the recording-and-playback position to the protruding position, since the engagement of the arm is detached from the engagement of the tray, the main body of the arm swings, and the attracted member serves as a retracting position retracting above the chucked portion of the disk-shaped recording medium.

Abstract: A recording medium cartridge includes a disc, an inner rotor and a shutter in a shell. Torque is applied to the inner rotor by a coil spring to drive the shutter so as to maintain the closed state of an opening part provided in the shell. When the recording medium cartridge is inserted into a disc device, the inner rotor is rotated against the resilient force of the coil spring by a shutter opening mechanism provided in the disc recording and reproducing device. Thus, the shutter is moved to a position where the opening part provided in the shell is opened. When the cartridge is ejected from the disc device, the inner rotor is rotated by the resilient force of the coil spring to close the shutter.

Abstract: A disk drive unit advantageously prevents dust from adhering to a pickup. The disk drive unit has a housing and a tray. The tray reciprocates between a retracted position and a projected position. A first pickup and a second pickup have a spindle motor located therebetween. The tray has a first cutout and a second cutout. A cover is provided to cover the top of the second pickup in its retreated position. The cover has a cover piece, which is disposed in a front portion of the cover that is positioned on the upstream side relative to the rotational direction of a disk-shaped recording medium such that it is movable in a direction parallel to the direction in which the second pickup moves, and urged in the projecting direction.

Abstract: A disc drive apparatus is comprised of an opening portion which can insert/eject a large disc shaped medium and a small disc shaped medium, a feeding roller which pulls in a disc shaped medium being inserted to the opening portion, oscillating links which have convex portions against which an end surface of the disc shaped medium which is guided inside the apparatus by the feeding roller, a locking plate which fixes the oscillating links, an actuating lever which is connected to one of the oscillating link, and a slide cam which starts moving toward the opening portion in conjunction with an oscillation of the actuating lever.

Abstract: A positioning mechanism for preventing a slider from inadvertently moving laterally comprises a projecting wall provided on a lower surface of a tray and having a first wall extending forward and a second wall extending from the first wall toward a direction orthogonal to the first wall, and at least two projections provided on the slider for holding therebetween the second wall when the tray is in a completely advanced state and the first wall when the tray is in an advancing or a retracting state.

Abstract: In a disc cartridge, the shutter opening/closing operation is to be performed reliably. To this end, the distal ends of a first engagement member 75 and a second engagement member 79 provided to a base 66 are pivotally movable in a direction along a lateral surface of a housing 51, in addition to being movable in a direction perpendicular to the lateral surface of the housing 51. The state of engagement of the first engagement member 75 and the second engagement member 79, provided to the base, with a first mating engagement section 110 and with a second mating engagement section 108, provided to an inner rotor 101, facing outwards from one lateral surface of the housing 51, when the base 66 performs relative movement along the lateral surface of the housing 51, may be maintained for prolonged time, while the load applied to the distal ends during engagement and disengagement may be reduced.

Abstract: A protecting device (30) for a slim CD-ROM drive (10) includes a first sidewall (32), a second sidewall (34), an internal sidewall (38), and a bottom wall (36) connecting the second sidewall and the internal sidewall. A plurality of through holes (32a, 38a) is defined in the first sidewall and the internal sidewall respectively. A pair of slots (34a) is defined in the second sidewall, for providing access to the holes of the internal sidewall. A plurality of fasteners (39) is extended through respective openings and holes to attach the protecting device to a second side surface (17) and a first side surface (18) of the slim CD-ROM drive.

Abstract: An optical disk drive includes a first gear formed on a rotary shaft of a motor, a second gear meshing with the first gear, a third gear co-axially and integrally rotating with the second gear, a fourth gear meshing with the third gear, and a slider to which the fourth gear is mounted, and sliding in accordance with a rotation of the third gear. The third gear is press-fitted into a mating hole of the second gear. The second gear and the third gear slip at a press fitting portion one another when a torque having a predetermined value or greater is applied to the press fitting portion.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a controlling mechanism for selectively providing the driving force from the same driving source to a tray driving mechanism, a disk driving section driving mechanism and a head driving mechanism for successively moving a tray, a disk driving section and a head in this order or in the opposite order, and a switch driving mechanism for controlling the switch in either of the on and off states at the time the tray reaches at the pulling out reference position from the cabinet, and controlling the same in the other state of the on and off states at the time the head reaches at the reference position for recording or reproducing with respect to the disk according to the contract with the member interlocked with the operation of the controlling mechanism.

Abstract: An optical pickup head includes a base section, a first board which is provided on the base section and has a first wiring pattern, a second board which is provided on the base section at an angle different from that of the first board and has a second wiring pattern electrically connected to the first wiring pattern, and a flexible section which is formed on at least one of the first and second boards and to which a part of the wiring pattern is extended, the wiring pattern of the first board and the wiring pattern of the second board being soldered to each other via the wiring pattern extended to the flexible section.

Abstract: A disc device can easily install an eject/lock mechanism of self-hold solenoid type into a narrow space inside it, and by omitting some mechanisms of the structures, the cost can be lowered, and the malfunction frequency is therefore reduced. The disc device operates the eject/lock mechanism and opens a disc-loading unit by adding a pulse current to the self-hold solenoid. The eject/lock mechanism has a releasing spring, and when closing the disc-loading unit, a resilient force is generated by the releasing spring, and when opening the disc-loading unit, the resilient force is released. An activating end of the releasing spring is connected to a moveable plate of the self-hold solenoid.

Abstract: Provided are a tray 2 for mounting a cartridge 101 that houses a disk and has an aperture for exposing an information layer and a shutter 101a for opening/closing the aperture, a conveyor for conveying the tray 2, an opener 13 having an engaging member and opening/closing the shutter 101a, and guiding members 14, 15, 16 arranged to engage with the opener 13 and interlocked with a conveyance operation of the tray 2 so that engagement position with an engaging member of the opener 13 changes, wherein the guiding members 14, 15, 16 are arranged opposing the face for mounting the cartridge 101. Thereby, there is no need for providing to the upper part of the cartridge 101 a system for opening/closing the shutter 101a, and thus a space below the tray 2 can be used effectively, resulting in downsizing of the apparatus.

Abstract: A tray-side terminal area of a disc drive unit (1) and a body-side terminal area on the body chassis side are connected electrically to each other by the use of a flat belt-shaped connecting wire (17). The belt-shaped connecting wire (17) is one general-purpose, belt-shaped FFC (17) with a given width and a given length that is folded at 45° at two positions (f, g) in its center. A part of the FFC (17) on the side of the body-side terminal area is fixed on a body chassis (2), while a part of the FFC (17) on the side of tray-side terminal area is lifted and bent in the shape of a horizontal U in the middle.

Abstract: A disk ejection device of a portable computer and controlled method thereof, the disk ejection device includes a cover installed on a computer body of the portable computer, at least one torsional spring coupled between the computer body and the cover for providing a preliminary torque force to let the cover be in a closed state, and a controlled button disposed on the computer body for controlling a disk ejection thereby to push the cover. Furthermore, the prior optical disk drive can be replaced by the other optical disk drives with different size-designed front boards, and the portable computer still can have a good-looking appearance due to the cover.

Abstract: A tray includes a substrate and a resin portion placed thereon by printing. The resin portion includes a first part placed along an edge on the disc loading side of the substrate, a second part placed along another edge on the disc unloading side of the substrate, and a third part placed between the first and second parts.

Abstract: An optical disc driving apparatus requiring a fewer number of parts, simpler structure, less assembly cost, to thus result in a lower product price. The optical disc driving apparatus includes a base plate, on which a spindle motor and a pickup unit are mounted, is moved to optical disc loading and chucking positions together with a caddy by a physical force exerted to the caddy inserted into the deck base. The base plate is locked by a locking unit and positioned. In this situation, information is recorded and/or reproduced on/from the optical disc. In an ejection mode, the pickup unit is moved in a radial direction of the optical disc so that the base plate is unlocked and is moved to the initial position for unloading of the optical disc. Here, the physical force is a pressing force exerted by a user. Accordingly, the optical disc driving apparatus can be of a compact-size, and conveniently utilized as a caddy-type as well as a tray-type.

Abstract: To simplify incidental operations relating to setting of an earth plate for discharging static electricity of a disk drive for driving an optical disk, reduce the processing cost accompanying assembling of a bezel, and improve the versatility of the disk drive so that the bezel can be manufactured with a simple configuration at a low cost in order to set the bezel to the front end face of the disk drive through post-mount processing, and moreover to make it possible to supply a disk drive to unspecified users at a stable quality without lacking in specifications required to a disk tray for keeping a desired performance. In the case of a disk drive for loading or unloading a disk tray 1 to which a recording medium is set by moving the disk tray 1 forward or backward in a chassis case 10, an earth plate 9 for discharging static electricity generated at a bezel portion 8 is set so as to cover an essential portion of the front end face of the disk tray 1 at the disk tray 1 side.

Abstract: An optical disc changer includes a main body, a tray installed in the main body to be capable of sliding, a roulette rotatably installed at the tray and where a plurality of optical discs are accommodated, an optical pickup device to selectively reproduce one of the optical discs accommodated on the roulette, a drive gear member installed at the main body, rotated by being connected to a drive unit, and selectively engaged with a rack gear member formed on the bottom surface of the tray, and a tray gear unit installed adjacent to the drive gear member and having a tray gears selectively engaged with the rack gear member and the drive gear member.

Abstract: A slim optical disc drive in a portable computer, includes a main body, a tray, and a front panel. The main body includes an upper frame and a lower frame. The tray is installed in the main body to be loaded and/or unloaded and includes a spindle motor to rotate an optical disc and an optical pickup to record information on and/or reproduce information from the optical disc. The front panel is combined with a front side of the tray. A front end of the upper frame is supported by the front panel so that the upper frame is distorted downward by a load.

Abstract: A disk device for improving a SIN ratio is provided with a spindle motor control substrate 10 arranged below a tray 3 via a buffer material and a medium substrate 12 arranged at a position different from the spindle motor control substrate 10 below the tray 3. The spindle motor control substrate 10, the medium substrate 12 and the main control substrate 7 of the device body are connected each other with a flexible print circuit (FPC) 9. The medium substrate 12 and a pickup head 1c are connected with other FPC. The head detection signal is provided to the main control substrate 7 through the medium substrate 12. A driver IC for motor drive system is carried on the spindle motor control substrate 10. The motor drive signal is apart from the head detection signal and is provided to a spindle motor 1a or a head transferring motor.

Abstract: An external optical disk drive. The optical disk drive includes a body, a carrier, and an extendable member. The carrier is mounted to the body to receive the optical disk. The extendable member slideably connects to the body. The extendable member and the body define an inner space to contain the optical disk.

Abstract: A slim optical disc drive including a deck having a protrusion on which a spindle motor that rotates an optical disc and an optical pickup sliding along a radial direction of the optical disc drive are mounted, a lower case installed so that the deck slides into and out of the lower case and having a penetration corresponding to the protrusion, and a cover that covers the penetration.