Disk-shaped storage medium loading/ejection mechanism, disk device, and disk autochanger

• US 20060190950A1
• Filed: 02/23/2006
• Published: 08/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation), Muramoto Industry Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation), Muramoto Industry Company Limited
• Inventors: Fujimoto, Fumihiko, Yamanaka, Yasutake, Hatata, Kenichi, Ogawa, Kouichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,600,236 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 720/623
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 17/0404 with parallel drive rollers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 17/051 Direct insertion, i.e. without external loading means

Abstract

A disk loading/ejection mechanism in a disk device inserting and taking out a disk-shaped storage medium (disk D) through an opening and enabling a combined relatively large space to be secured inside the disk device, provided with an offset drive function unit for shifting the loading/ejection direction when inserting and taking out the disk D to a loading/ejection direction (B) offset from the straight direction (A) perpendicularly intersecting the opening direction of the opening.

Claims

1. A loading/ejection mechanism for a disk-shaped storage medium for inserting and taking out the disk-shaped storage medium through an opening formed in part of a housing, provided with:

an offset drive function unit for shifting the loading/ejection direction when inserting and taking out the disk-shaped storage medium through said opening to a loading/ejection direction offset from a straight direction perpendicularly intersecting the opening direction of the opening.

2. A loading/ejection mechanism as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said offset drive function unit has an offset loading/ejection drive part giving a drive force for inserting and taking out said disk-shaped storage medium,

said offset loading/ejection drive part is comprised of a drive roller, and

the drive roller is given a substantially V-sectional shape by gradually increasing a radius of said drive roller toward the left and right from the center along its axial direction.

3. A loading/ejection mechanism as set forth in claim 2, wherein said substantially V-sectional shape of said drive roller is left-right asymmetric from said center in shape.

4. A loading/ejection mechanism as set forth in claim 2, wherein said substantially V-sectional shape of said drive roller is left-right symmetric from said center in shape.

5. A loading/ejection mechanism as set forth in claim 2, wherein in said substantially V-sectional shape of said drive roller, predetermined ranges to the left and right of said center are made left-right symmetric from said center in shape.

6. A loading/ejection mechanism as set forth in claim 2, wherein in said substantially V-sectional shape of said drive roller, predetermined ranges at a left end part and a right end part of said drive roller are made left-right symmetric in shape.

7. A loading/ejection mechanism as set forth in claim 2, wherein

said offset drive function unit has a holding part paired with said drive roller and grips said disk-shaped storage medium in a transportable manner, and

said holding part is given a substantially V-sectional shape at the side facing said drive roller.

8. A loading/ejection mechanism as set forth in claim 7, wherein said substantially V-sectional shape of said holding part is left-right asymmetric from said center in shape.

9. A loading/ejection mechanism as set forth in claim 7, wherein said substantially V-sectional shape of said holding part is left-right symmetric from said center in shape.

10. A loading/ejection mechanism as set forth in claim 7, wherein in said substantially V-sectional shape of said holding part, predetermined ranges to the left and right of said center are made left-right symmetric from said center in shape.

11. A loading/ejection mechanism as set forth in claim 7, wherein in said substantially V-sectional shape of said holding part, predetermined ranges at a left end part and a right end part of said holding part are made left-right symmetric in shape.

12. A loading/ejection mechanism as set forth in claim 7, wherein said holding part is a holding plate or a holding roller.

13. A loading/ejection mechanism as set forth in claim 7, wherein said offset drive function unit is further provided with a pressing part for giving a pressing force so as to grip said disk-shaped storage medium with said holding part while maintaining said offset loading/ejection drive part parallel with said pressing part.

14. A loading/ejection mechanism as set forth in claim 7, further provided with an inside abutting part for holding a loading/ejection path in an arc shape by making the outer circumference of said disk-shaped storage medium follow the inside of an arc when a center of said disk-shaped storage medium draws an arc-shaped loading/ejection path.

15. A loading/ejection mechanism as set forth in claim 14, wherein said inside abutting part is arranged at or near a center of a circle forming said arc-shaped loading/ejection path.

16. A loading/ejection mechanism as set forth in claim 14, wherein said inside abutting part is a stationary column having a groove against which at least one of the top surface and bottom surface of the outer circumference of said disk-shaped storage medium can slidingly abut.

17. A loading/ejection mechanism as set forth in claim 14, wherein said inside abutting part is a pulley against which at least one of the top surface and bottom surface of the outer circumference of the disk-shaped storage medium can rotatably abut.

18. A loading/ejection mechanism as set forth in claim 14, wherein

said offset drive function unit is comprised of an offset loading/ejection drive part giving a drive force for inserting and taking out said disk-shaped storage medium and a guide part paired with said offset loading/ejection drive part and gripping the disk-shaped storage medium in a transportable manner, and

a width in the vertical plane passing through the axis of the offset loading/ejection drive part forming a space between the cross-sections of the offset loading/ejection drive part and guide part taken along that vertical plane is made to increase gradually the further toward the offset direction along the axis of the offset loading/ejection drive part.

19. A loading/ejection mechanism as set forth in claim 18, wherein said guide part is comprised of a guide plate extending horizontally along said loading/ejection direction and an inside guide rail for pulling and moving the outer circumference of said disk-shaped storage medium at the inside of an arc to hold the loading/ejection path in an arc shape when the drive of the offset loading/ejection drive part causes the center of the disk-shaped storage medium to draw a substantially arc-shaped loading/ejection path.

20. A loading/ejection mechanism as set forth in claim 18, wherein said guide part is comprised of a guide roller which rotates while gripping said disk-shaped storage medium with said offset loading/ejection drive part and an inside guide rail which pulls and moves the outer circumference of said disk-shaped storage medium along the inside of an arc and holds the loading/ejection path at an arc shape when drive of the offset loading/ejection drive part causes the center of the disk-shaped storage medium to draw a substantially arc-shaped loading/ejection path.

21. A loading/ejection mechanism as set forth in claim 19 or 20, wherein the surface of said inside guide rail contacting the outer circumference of said disk-shaped storage medium is treated to prevent sliding.

22. A loading/ejection mechanism as set forth in claim 1, further provided with an outside movement limiter holding the loading/ejection path in an arc shape by having the outer circumference of said disk-shaped storage medium follow the outside of an arc when said offset causes the center of said disk-shaped storage medium to draw an arc-shaped loading/ejection path.

23. A loading/ejection mechanism as set forth in claim 22, wherein said outside movement limiter has one end axially supported and another end able to swing freely in the radial direction of said disk-shaped storage medium.

24. A loading/ejection mechanism as set forth in claim 22, further provided with a detecting function unit for detecting when said outside movement limiter is pressed against the outer circumference of said disk-shaped storage medium and its other end moves to a predetermined position and stopping the drive of said offset drive function unit.

25. A loading/ejection mechanism as set forth in claim 24, wherein

provision is made of an inside movement limiting function unit for holding a loading/ejection path in an arc shape by having the outer circumference of said disk-shaped storage medium follow along the inside of an arc shape when a center of said disk-shaped storage medium draws an arc-shaped loading/ejection path, and

the distance between said inside movement limiting function unit and the above predetermined position is set to be slightly smaller than the diameter of said disk-shaped storage medium.

26. A loading/ejection mechanism as set forth in claim 24, wherein after the detecting function unit detects said predetermined position, the other end of said outside movement limiter can move further outward from that predetermined position.

27. A disk device provided with a loading/ejection mechanism for a disk-shaped storage medium as set forth in claim 1.

28. A disk autochanger provided with a loading/ejection mechanism for a disk-shaped storage medium as set forth in claim 1.