1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cartridge for a changer structured such that a plurality of information recording mediums are accommodated within a cartridge case or a plurality of trays each loading the information recording medium are accommodated within the cartridge, and more particularly to an assembling structure of the cartridge case.
2. Description of Related Art
In conventional, there has been proposed a cartridge for a changer structured such that a plurality of trays loading information recording mediums are accommodated within one cartridge case, and used in a state of being detachably installed to a drive apparatus (refer, for example, to patent document 1 (JP-A-2000-40324)).
In the cartridge described in the patent document 1, since the cartridge case is integrally and inseparably formed, however, it is necessary to be provided with an energizing means, a lock bar and the like for stably holding a tray within the cartridge case, it is impossible to actually form the cartridge case as an integrally inseparable structure or it is extremely hard to produce it. Accordingly, with regard to the cartridge for the changer, it is required to develop an assembling structure of a cartridge case which is provided with a necessary function and is easily assembled.
In this case, as a conventionally known general assembling structure of a cartridge case for accommodating information mediums, there are a thread fastening system (for example, a 5-inch MO cartridge) in which a cartridge case is constituted by an upper case and a lower case, and a plurality of positions at least including four corners of the upper case and the lowercase are fastened by screws, an ultrasonic depositing system (for example, a DVD-RAM cartridge) in which abutting faces of the upper case and the lower case are deposited by an ultrasonic wave, and a snap connecting system (for example, an LTO tape cartridge) in which locking pawls 102 are provided in a hanging manner at four corner portions of an upper case 101, engagement holes 104 capable of engaging the locking pawls 102 therewith are formed at four corner portions of a lower case 103, and the upper case and the lower case are integrated by snap fitting the locking pawls 102 with the engagement holes 104, as shown in
However, the cartridge for the changer takes the information recording medium or the tray in which the information recording medium is loaded in and out through an opening portion. Accordingly, in the case that the thread fastening system is employed as the assembling structure of the cartridge case, and the thread fastening is executed in the portion closer to the opening portion than the center portion of the cartridge case, a width of the opening portion is limited by a space for the thread fastening. As a result, there is generated a problem that a width of the cartridge case is necessarily enlarged.
On the other hand, since the cartridge for the changer has a large size and a heavy weight, a high strength is required. However, it is impossible to connect the upper case and the lower case at a high strength in accordance with the ultrasonic deposition, and the connection between the upper case and the lower case is easily broken at a time when an impact force is applied by a drop or the like. As a result, there is generated a problem that the information recording medium tends to be damaged.
Further, in the case that the snap connecting system is employed as the assembling structure of the cartridge case, it is necessary that the locking pawl 102 is provided in a hanging manner in the abutting face of a peripheral wall 101a constituting the upper case 101 to the lower case 103, a thin portion 103 for inside inserting the locking pawl 102 is formed in the abutting face of a peripheral wall 103a constituting the lower case 103 to the upper case 101, and an engagement hole 104 of the locking pawl 102 is provided in the thin portion 103b, as is apparent from
The present invention is made by solving the problems of the prior arts mentioned above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a cartridge for a changer having a compact size and a high strength.
In order to achieve the object mentioned above, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a cartridge comprising:
a cartridge case having an opening portion;
a plurality of information recording mediums or a plurality of trays each loading the information recording medium which are accommodated within the cartridge case so as to freely come in and out through the opening portion; and
the plurality of information mediums or trays being held by guide ribs which are formed in an inner side surface of the cartridge case in parallel to each other at a predetermined pitch,
wherein the cartridge case is constituted by an upper case, a lower case and right and left side plates having the guide ribs, the respective members are integrally connected in a portion closer to the opening portion than a center portion of the cartridge in accordance with a fitting operation utilizing a fitting means formed between the upper case and upper ends of the right and left side plates, and between the lower case and lower ends of the right and left side plates, and the respective members are integrally connected in a depth side than the center portion of the cartridge case in accordance with a thread fastening.
As mentioned above, since the cartridge case is constituted by the upper case, the lower case and the right and left side plates, and the respective members are integrally connected in the portion closer to the opening portion than the center portion of the cartridge in accordance with the fitting operation utilizing the fitting means formed between the upper case and the upper ends of the right and left side plates, and between the lower case and the lower ends of the right and left side plates, it is possible to integrally connect the respective members without arranging any member for connection such as a screw or the like in a front face of the opening portion. Accordingly, it is possible to achieve a downsizing of the cartridge case. Further, since the respective members are integrally connected in the depth side than the center portion of the cartridge case in accordance with the thread fastening, it is possible to firmly connect the respective members. Accordingly, it is possible to achieve a high strength of the cartridge case.
Further, in accordance with the present invention, in the cartridge having the structure mentioned above, the upper case has a top plate constituting an upper face of the cartridge case, the lower case has a bottom plate constituting a lower surface of the cartridge case, a top plate side fitting means having a thinner thickness than a thickness of the top plate is formed in end surfaces in both right and left sides of the top plate, a bottom plate side fitting means having a thinner thickness than a thickness of the bottom plate is formed in end surfaces in both right and left sides of the bottom plate, and a side plate side fitting means fitting to the top plate side fitting means and the bottom plate side fitting means is formed predetermined portions of the right and left side plates, and the upper case, the lower case and the right and left side plates are integrally connected in accordance with a slide fitting.
As mentioned above, since the top plate side fitting means of the bottom plate side fitting means having the thinner thickness than the thickness of the top plate or the bottom plate is formed in the end faces in both the right and left sides of the top plate constituting the upper case and the bottom plate constituting the lower case, the side plate side fitting means fitting to the top plate side fitting means or the bottom plate side fitting means is formed in the predetermined portions of the side plates, and the upper case, the lower case and the right and left side plates are integrally connected by slide fitting the top plate side fitting means to the side plate side fitting means and slide fitting the bottom plate side fitting means to the side plate side fitting means, the respective members can be firmly connected without increasing the thicknesses of the upper case, the lower case and the side plates as is different from the case of employing the snap connecting system. Accordingly, it is possible to achieve a downsizing of the cartridge case.
Further, in accordance with the present invention, in the cartridge having the structure mentioned above, the structure is made such that a shutter opening and closing the opening portion is provided in a front end portion of the cartridge case.
As mentioned above, since the shutter for opening and closing the opening portion is provided in the front end portion of the cartridge case, it is possible to prevent a foreign material from making an intrusion into the cartridge case. Accordingly, it is possible to improve a long-term keeping quality of the information recording medium accommodated within the cartridge case.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, since the cartridge case is constituted by the upper case, the lower case and the right and left side plates, the respective members are integrally connected in the portion closer to the opening portion than the center portion of the cartridge in accordance with the fitting operation utilizing the fitting means formed between the upper case and the right and left side plates, and between the lower case and the right and left side plates, and the respective members are integrally connected in the depth side than the center portion of the cartridge case in accordance with the thread fastening, it is possible to integrally connect the respective members without arranging any member for connection such as a screw or the like in a front face of the opening portion, wherein it is possible to achieve a downsizing of the cartridge case, and it is possible to firmly connect the respective members, whereby it is possible to achieve a high strength of the cartridge case.
A description will be given below of an embodiment in which an information recording medium accommodated in a cartridge in accordance with the present invention is constituted by in information recording disc.
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a disc cartridge in accordance with the present embodiment is constituted by a box-shaped cartridge case 1 having an opening portion 1a in one side surface, a shutter 2 attached to the cartridge case 1 so as to freely swirl and opening and closing the opening portion 1a, a shutter lock member 3, a plurality of disc trays 4 accommodated so as to freely come in and out an inner portion of the cartridge case 1 through the opening portion 1a, a plurality of information recording discs 5 mounted on the respective disc trays 4 one by one, a management memory apparatus set within the cartridge case 1, a first shutter spring 7 provided in a tensional manner between the cartridge case 1 and the shutter 2, and a second shutter spring 8 provided in a tensional manner between the cartridge case 1 and the shutter lock member 3.
The cartridge case 1 is formed as a box shape of a desired magnitude having the opening portion 1a in one side by an upper case 11, a lower case 12, a left side plate 13 and a right side plate 14, as shown in
The upper case 11 is formed as a shape structuring an upper half of the cartridge case 1 by an approximately quadrangular top plate 21 having step portions 21a in both right and left sides of a front end portion (a side in which the opening portion 1a is formed), and partition walls 22 hanged down from both right and left side lines except a forward portion than the step portions 21a of the top plate 21 and a rear line and having a fixed height, as shown in FIGS. 4 to 6. A fitting projection 23 for fitting front end upper portions of the side plates 13 and 14 are provided in an end surface portion in a front side of the step portion 21a of the top plate 21 so as to be protruded outward. On the other hand, two ribs 24 and 25 are formed in parallel in an inner surface of the top plate 21 so as to be spaced at an interval capable of inserting the left side plate 13 and an interval capable of inserting the right side plate 14 respectively with respect to the partition walls 22 hanged down from both the right and left side lines of the top plate 21, and projections 26 and 27 for temporarily fastening the respective side plates 13 and 14 are provided in a protruding manner in portions facing to rear ends of the respective ribs 24 and 25. Further, a boss 28 having a thread hole is provided in a protruding manner in a rear end corner portion of the inner surface of the top plate 21. Further, a setting portion 29 of the management memory apparatus 6 is formed in an inner surface of the partition wall 22 hanged down from the rear line of the top plate 21.
The lower case 12 is formed as a shape structuring a lower half of the cartridge case 1 by an approximately quadrangular bottom plate 31 having step portions 31a in both right and left sides of a front end portion, and partition walls 32 risen up from both right and left side lines except a forward portion than the step portions 31a of the bottom plate 31 and a rear line and having a fixed height, as shown in FIGS. 7 to 9. A fitting projection 33 for fitting front end lower portions of the side plates 13 and 14 are provided in an end surface portion in a front side of the step portion 31a of the bottom plate 31 so as to be protruded outward. On the other hand, two ribs 34 and 35 are formed in parallel in an inner surface of the bottom plate 31 so as to correspond to the ribs 24 and 25 formed in the upper case 11, and first bosses 36 and 37 for screwing the respective side plates 13 and 14 are provided in a protruding manner in portions facing to rear ends of the respective ribs 34 and 35. Further, a second boss 38 is provided in a protruding manner in a portion corresponding to the boss 28 formed in the upper case 11 in an inner surface of the bottom plate 31. Further, a setting portion 39 of the management memory apparatus 6 is formed in a portion corresponding to the setting portion 29 formed in the upper case 11 in the partition wall 32 hanged down from the rear line of the bottom plate 31.
The upper case 11 and the lower case 12 are assembled in the box shape by confronting a lower line of the partition wall 22 and an upper line of the partition wall 32 with each other, and fastening the screw inserted into the thread hole formed in the boss 28 to the second boss 38.
The left side plate 13 is formed as a shape and a magnitude which can be inserted into a space constituted by the top plate 21, the partition wall 22 and the rib 24 of the upper case 11, and the bottom plate 31, the partition wall 32 and the rib 34 of the lower case 12, as shown in FIGS. 10 to 14. A plurality of (seven in the present embodiment) guide ribs 41 are formed in the inner surface of the left side plate 13 so as to be in parallel to a direction from a front end side to a rear end side, and a mounting hole 42 of the shutter 2 is provided in a portion having no guide rib 41. On the contrary, a spring peg projection 42a locking one end of the first shutter spring 7 is provided in a protruding manner near a mounting hole 42 in an outer surface of the left side plate 13. Further, in upper and lower portions close to the front end of the left side plate 13, there are formed fitting concave portions 43 and 44 for fitting the fitting projection 23 formed in the upper case 11 and the fitting projection 33 formed in the lower case 12. Further, an erroneous insertion preventing portion 45 of the disc tray 4 is formed in a rear end portion of the left side plate 13, a locking pawl 46 engaged with the temporarily fitting projection 26 formed in the inner surface of the upper case 11 is formed in an upper portion of the erroneous insertion preventing portion, and a thread hole 47 fastened to the thread hole of the first boss 36 formed in the lower case 12 by the screw is provided in a lower portion thereof.
The right side plate 14 is formed as a shape and a magnitude which can be inserted into a space constituted by the top plate 21, the partition wall 22 and the rib 25 of the upper case 11, and the bottom plate 31, the partition wall 32 and the rib 35 of the lower case 12, as shown in FIGS. 15 to 19. The same number of guide ribs 51 as the guide ribs 41 are formed at the corresponding positions to the guide ribs 41 formed in the inner surface of the left side plate 13, in the inner surface of the right side plate 14, and a mounting hole 52 of the shutter 2 is provided in a portion having no guide rib 51. On the contrary, an outer surface of the right side plate 14 is provided with a mounting projection 52a of the shutter lock member 3 and a spring peg projection 52a locking one end of the second shutter spring 8 in accordance with a predetermined arrangement. Further, in upper and lower portions close to the front end of the right side plate 14, there are formed fitting concave portions 53 and 54 for fitting the fitting projection 23 formed in the upper case 11 and the fitting projection 33 formed in the lower case 12. Further, an erroneous insertion preventing portion 55 of the disc tray 4 is formed in a rear end portion of the right side plate 14, a locking pawl 56 engaged with the temporarily fitting projection 27 formed in the inner surface of the upper case 11 is formed in an upper portion of the erroneous insertion preventing portion, and a thread hole 57 fastened to the thread hole of the first boss 37 formed in the lower case 12 by the screw is provided in a lower portion thereof. In this case, reference numeral 58 in the drawing denotes a tray locking portion for stably holding the disc tray 4 accommodated within the cartridge case 1. The tray locking portion 58 is constituted by an elastic piece 58a formed by cutting three sides of the right side plate 14, and a locking pawl 58b formed in a leading end portion of the elastic piece 58a, and is structured such that the locking pawl 58b is arranged within a tray inserting space formed between the guide ribs 51. In this case, the right side plate 14 is formed such that an entire length thereof is slightly longer than the left side plate 13.
The left side plate 13 is inserted from the opening portion 1a along an inner surface of a left side of the integrally assembled upper case 11 and lower case 12, as shown in
On the other hand, the right side plate 14 is inserted from the opening portion 1a along the inner surface of the right side of the integrally assembled upper case 11 and lower case 12, as shown in
The disc tray 4 is formed in an approximately quadrangular shape capable of being accommodated within the cartridge case 1 in an outer shape, as shown in
As shown in
The disc accommodating concave portion 61 is formed by a circular peripheral wall 64 structured such that a diameter is larger than a diameter of the information recording disc 5 and a depth is larger than the thickness of the information recording disc 5, and a rib-shaped disc holding portion 65 protruded inward from a lower side of the peripheral wall 64, and a part of the disc holding portion 65 is provided with a notch 66 reaching the thin portion 63. A protruding amount s of the disc holding portion 65 from the peripheral wall 64 is set such that the disc holding portion 65 is brought into contact only with an outer peripheral non-recording region of the information recording disc 5. In a portion of the peripheral wall 64 corresponding to the notch 66, there is formed an inverse slope portion 67 in which a diameter of the peripheral wall 64 is increased toward the disc holding portion 65 side from the opening surface side of the peripheral wall 64, as a drop preventing portion of the information recording disc 5, as shown in
The disc tray 4 is accommodated within the cartridge case 1 in a state in which the information recording disc 5 is accommodated within the disc accommodating concave portion 61, as shown in
In the disc tray 4 in accordance with the present embodiment, since the inverse slope portions 67 are formed in the corresponding portion to the notch 66 in the peripheral wall 65, in the case that the cartridge case 1 is vertically arranged in a state in which each of the inverse slope portions 67 is directed in a vertical direction, an outer peripheral edge portion of the information recording disc 5 is brought into contact with the inverse slope portion 67 in a lower side, as shown in
The information recording disc 5 is structured such that a desired thin film including an information recording film is formed on one surface or both surfaces of a disc substrate. As the information recording film, it is possible to form a known optional information recording film, for example, a magnetic recording film, an optical recording film, a magneto-optic disc or the like.
The management memory apparatus 6 records an attribute and the like of the information recording disc 5 accommodated within the disc cartridge, can conveniently use the disc cartridge, and can employ a radio communication tag (RFID) and the like. The management memory apparatus 6 is set within the setting portions 29 and 39 formed in the rear end portions of the upper case 11 and the lower case 12.
The shutter 2 is constituted by an upper surface portion 71 covering an upper surface of the cartridge case 1, a front surface portion 72 covering a front surface of the cartridge case 1, and a side surface portion 73 covering a side surface of the cartridge case 1, as shown in
The shutter lock member 3 is formed by a plate-like main body portion 81, an operating portion risen up outward from a front end lower portion of the main body portion 81, an approximately rod-like shutter locking portion 83 protruded to a front side of the main body portion 81 from an upper line of the main body portion 81, and an engagement portion 84 of the second shutter spring 8 protruded to a rear side from a rear end of the main body portion 81, as shown in
When it is not used, the shutter lock member 3 is moved to the opening portion 1a side of the cartridge case 1 by the elastic force of the second shutter spring 8, as shown in
If the disc cartridge is installed to the disc drive apparatus (not shown), a canceling portion provided within the disc drive apparatus pushes the operating portion 82 of the shutter lock member 3 to a rear side, as shown in
Since the disc cartridge in accordance with the present embodiment is structured by forming the thick portion 62 in which the disc accommodating concave portion 61 is formed and the thin portion 63 held by the guide ribs 41 and 51 formed in the cartridge case 1 in the disc tray 4, and making the difference between the thickness of the thick portion 62 and the thickness of the thin portion 63 smaller than the thickness of the guide ribs 41 and 51, it is possible to improve an accommodating density of the disc tray 4 in comparison with the case that the thin portion 63 is not formed in the disc tray 4. Further, since the step is formed between the upper surface of the thick portion 62 and the upper surface of the thin portion 63, and between the lower surface of the thick portion 62 and the lower surface of the thin portion 63, it is possible to arrange the information recording disc 5 at an intermediate position between two guide ribs 41 and 51, it is possible to prevent collation between the guide ribs 41 and 51 and the information recording disc 5, and it is possible to improve a storage stability of the information recording disc 5. Further, since the depth of the disc accommodating concave portion 61 is made larger than the thickness of the information recording disc 5, the other disc tray 4 is hard to be brought into contact with the recording surface of the information recording disc 5 mounted in one disc tray 4, and the storage stability of the information recording disc 5 can be improved from this point. Further, since the notch 66 reaching the thin portion 63 is provided in a part of the disc holding portion 65, it is possible to arrange the leading end portions of the guide ribs 41 and 51 within the notch 66, and it is possible to achieve a downsizing on the basis of the reduction of the width of the cartridge.
In this case, in the embodiment mentioned above, the inverse slope portion 67 is formed as the drop preventing portion of the information recording disc 5, however, the scope of the present invention is not limited to this, but one or a plurality of (four in an example in
Further, in the embodiment mentioned above, the description is given by exemplifying the disc cartridge in which the disc tray 4 mounting the information recording disc 5 thereon is held by the guide ribs 41 an d51 formed in the side plates 13 and 14, however, the scope of the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention can be applied to a disc cartridge in which the outer peripheral non-recording region of the information recording disc 5 is directly held by the guide ribs 41 and 51.
Further, in the embodiment mentioned above, the description is given by exemplifying the cartridge in which the upper and lower cases are separately structured, however, the present invention can be similarly applied to a structure in which the upper and lower cases are integrally formed in a state of being connected, as shown in
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2005-223060 | Aug 2005 | JP | national |