Chassis and cartridge holder with ejection mechanism for ejecting a cartridge from a disk apparatus

• US 7,496,934 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2005
• Issued: 02/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Morikawa, Toru, Yamada, Takahiro, Kurita, Kazuhito, Matsuda, Mikinori
• Primary Examiner(s): CAO, ALLEN T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kayrish; Matthew G
• Application Number:
  US11/107,804
• Publication Number:
  US 20050248879A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,408 Days
• Field of Search: 720636-638, 720/640, 360/99.06, 360/99.02
• US Class Current: 720/636
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 17/046 with pivoting loading means
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 23/0308 Shutters G11B23/0317 takes precedence

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.

Claims

1. A disk recording and/or reproducing apparatus, comprising:

a recording and/or reproducing unit disposed in a chassis, the recording and/or reproducing unit configured to record and/or reproduce a disk cartridge;

a cartridge holder supported on the chassis configured to move between an insertion and withdrawal position, at which the 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 unit;

an eject lever disposed on an upper surface of the chassis configured to move in a disk cartridge insertion and withdrawal direction, the eject lever configured to be pressed by an insertion end of the disk cartridge inserted in the cartridge holder configured to move in the disk cartridge insertion and withdrawal direction;

an eject lever lock unit disposed on the upper surface of the chassis, the unit locking the eject lever configured to move in the disk cartridge insertion and withdrawal direction; and

a lock release unit mounted on the cartridge holder such that a leading end side of the lock release unit is configured to advance into the cartridge holder from an upper surface of the cartridge holder, the lock release unit configured to move the eject lever in a direction of releasing locking by the eject lever lock unit when the cartridge holder is moved from the recording and reproducing position to the insertion and withdrawal position,

wherein the lock release unit has,

a mounting portion mounted to a side surface of the cartridge holder;

an overlapping portion continuing to the mounting portion and overlapping the upper surface of the cartridge holder;

an elastic flap portion continuing to the overlapping portion, configured to advance into the cartridge holder through a cutout window portion provided in the upper surface of the cartridge holder and extending toward the side of the chassis; and

an eject lever operating portion disposed at a leading end portion of the elastic flap portion, the eject lever operating portion configured to move the eject lever in a direction of releasing locking by the eject lever lock unit when the cartridge holder is moved from the recording and reproducing position to the insertion and withdrawal position.

2. The disk recording and/or reproducing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the eject lever operating portion includes an engagement portion;

and

wherein the engagement portion is configured to move in the direction of an upper surface of an operated portion of the eject lever when the cartridge holder is moved from the recording and reproducing position to the insertion and withdrawal position, and the engagement portion thereby lifts the eject lever off the chassis and thereby releases locking of the eject lever by the eject lever lock unit.

3. The disk recording and/or reproducing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the eject lever operating portion includes:

an inclined surface portion configured to be pressed by a side surface of the operated portion of the eject lever so as to deflect the elastic flap portion when the cartridge holder is moved from the insertion and withdrawal position to the recording and reproducing position; and

an engagement portion configured to engage a lower surface of the operated portion when the elastic flap portion makes a return motion as the inclined surface portion is released from pressure.

4. The disk recording and/or reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cartridge holder includes an elastic flap positioning portion configured to maintain the elastic flap portion of the lock release unit substantially at a right angle relative to the upper surface of the cartridge holder by pressing the elastic flap portion of the lock release unit.

7. The disk recording and/or reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cartridge holder is rotatably supported on the chassis.

5. A disk recording and/or reproducing apparatus, comprising:

a recording and/or reproducing unit disposed in a chassis, the recording and/or reproducing unit configured to record and/or reproduce a disk cartridge;

a cartridge holder supported on the chassis configured to move between an insertion and withdrawal position, at which the 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 unit;

an eject lever disposed on an upper surface of the chassis configured to move in a disk cartridge insertion and withdrawal direction, the eject lever configured to be pressed by an insertion end of the disk cartridge inserted in the cartridge holder configured to move in the disk cartridge insertion and withdrawal direction;

an eject lever lock unit disposed on the upper surface of the chassis, the unit locking the eject lever configured to move in the disk cartridge insertion and withdrawal direction; and

a lock release unit mounted on the cartridge holder such that a leading end side of the lock release unit is configured to advance into the cartridge holder from an upper surface of the cartridge holder, the lock release unit configured to move the eject lever in a direction of releasing locking by the eject lever lock unit when the cartridge holder is moved from the recording and reproducing position to the insertion and withdrawal position,

wherein the lock release means unit is disposed in a space between an arcuate front surface formed on an insertion end of the disk cartridge inserted in the cartridge holder and a side surface of the cartridge holder.

6. A disk recording and/or reproducing apparatus, comprising:

a recording and/or reproducing unit disposed in a chassis, the recording and/or reproducing unit configured to record and/or reproduce a disk cartridge;

a cartridge holder supported on the chassis configured to move between an insertion and withdrawal position, at which the 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 unit;

an eject lever disposed on an upper surface of the chassis configured to move in a disk cartridge insertion and withdrawal direction, the eject lever configured to be pressed by an insertion end of the disk cartridge inserted in the cartridge holder configured to move in the disk cartridge insertion and withdrawal direction, the eject lever rotatably disposed on a shaft disposed on the upper surface of the chassis, and the shaft disposed, when a cartridge holder in which a disk cartridge is inserted is then disposed at the recording and reproducing position, in a space between an arcuate front surface formed on an insertion end of the disk cartridge inserted in the cartridge holder and a side surface of the cartridge holder;

an eject lever lock unit disposed on the upper surface of the chassis, the unit locking the eject lever configured to move in the disk cartridge insertion and withdrawal direction; and

a lock release unit mounted on the cartridge holder such that a leading end side of the lock release unit is configured to advance into the cartridge holder from an upper surface of the cartridge holder, the lock release unit configured to move the eject lever in a direction of releasing locking by the eject lever lock unit when the cartridge holder is moved from the recording and reproducing position to the insertion and withdrawal position.