JP2908367B2 - External storage device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a front-loading type external storage device which can be pulled in from a storage medium insertion slot provided in a front panel of a main body and can be mounted therein. And an external storage device that can confirm that the operation is performed on the front panel of the main body.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As is well known, in a front-loading type external storage device, the inside cannot be seen through a front panel of the device main body. 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a front loading type disc player in which a chemical disc is drawn into a disc insertion slot provided on a front surface of a player body and installed on a turntable is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 61-9909.
As described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 5 (1999) -2005, a display window composed of a transparent plate is provided on a front panel of a player main body, a light source such as an incandescent bulb and a light guide such as a reflecting mirror are provided in the player main body, and the light guide is mounted inside the player main body. Irradiate the light from the light source to the recording surface of the chemical formula disc, and irradiate the rainbow light reflected by the recording surface to the display window with a light guide to illuminate the transparent plate of the display window in rainbow color. In some cases, the fact that the disc is mounted in the chemical disc player main body is displayed on the front panel of the player main body.

[0003]

The first problem of the prior art is that a light source is provided in the main body and light is emitted from the light source to determine the mounting of the disk. Cannot be irradiated, and extra power is consumed because a light source is provided in the main body.

[0004] The second problem is that some recording media other than optical discs absorb light. Therefore, even if light from a light source irradiates the recording surface of the optical disc, the recording medium will not absorb light. Cannot be determined.

According to the present invention, power consumption can be reduced because a power source is not required by using external light without providing a light source in the main body of the external storage device, and a storage device other than the optical disk can be stored in the external storage device. An object of the present invention is to provide an external storage device that allows a user to check the mounting state of a storage medium without turning on the power even when the user forgets to insert a medium, so that the user can clearly recognize the forgotten insertion.

[0006]

A first external storage device of the present invention is a front-loading type external storage device in which a storage medium can be pulled in from a storage medium insertion opening provided on a front panel of a main body and mounted. A device for guiding external light through an input window provided on a front panel to a storage medium.
It is characterized in that the storage medium is mounted vertically by irradiating light vertically and a display window provided on a front panel can be confirmed.

A second external storage device of the present invention is a front-loading type external storage device in which a storage medium can be pulled in from a storage medium insertion port provided on a front panel of a main body and can be mounted therein. A light input window provided in the panel for taking in external light, a light guide arranged to guide external light through the input window and illuminate the storage medium, and sandwiching the storage medium on an emission axis of light from the light guide A light-receiving unit that is disposed at a position opposite to the above and guides light to the front of the main body, a display window provided on the front panel that can confirm the light of the light-receiving unit, and an emission axis of light from the light guide unit A storage medium mounting tray with a hole is provided.

In the first or second external storage device, a light entrance window is provided at a position substantially at the center below the storage medium insertion opening.

The first or second external storage device is characterized in that a display window is provided at a substantially central position above the storage medium insertion slot.

[0010] In the first or second external storage device, the light guide section and the light receiving section are made of acrylic resin or glass fiber.

[0011] Further, the light receiving section includes a rhythm.

Further, the invention is characterized in that the guided external light is directed perpendicularly to the storage medium.

[0013]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

FIG. 1 shows a partial cross-sectional view of an external storage device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The external storage device 1 includes a front panel 2, a storage medium insertion slot 3, and a light entrance window. 4
, Display window 5, light guide 6, light receiver 7, storage medium mounting tray 8, and storage medium 9. The front panel 2 of the main body is provided with a light entrance window 4 for receiving light 10 from the outside, and a display window 5 at a position opposite to the light entrance window 4 so as to sandwich the storage medium insertion opening 3.

The light guide section 6 and the light receiving section 7 form a loop so that the light 10 introduced from the light entrance window 4 can pass through the display window 5 and are arranged vertically so that the storage medium 9 can be mounted. The light guide 6 is attached to the light entrance window 4, and the light receiver 7 is attached to the display window 5.

The storage medium mounting tray 8 on which the storage medium 9 is mounted is configured such that the light 10 can pass through the light output axis of the light guide 6.

Next, the operation of the first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG. In a state where the storage medium mounting tray 8 is pulled in regardless of the mounting of the storage medium 9, the storage medium insertion port 3 is in a state of being closed by the storage medium mounting tray 8. When the storage medium 9 is not mounted on the external storage device 1, light 10 from the outside enters through the light entrance window 4 provided below the storage medium insertion slot 3 of the front panel 2, and the light 10 is guided. The light reaches the storage medium mounting tray 8 through the optical unit 6. Storage medium loading tray 8
Since the light 10 can pass through the light emission axis of the light guide section 6, the light 10 reaching the storage medium mounting tray 8 further passes through the light receiving section 7 and is provided on the front panel 2. Since the light 10 reaches the designated display window 5, a bright display is obtained. In a state where the storage medium 9 is mounted, the storage medium 9 is pulled into the external storage device 1 from the storage medium insertion slot 3 provided on the front panel 2 of the external storage device 1 by the storage medium mounting tray 8 and horizontally. Attached to. Light 10 entering from the light entrance window 4 provided on the front panel 2 passes through the light guide 6 and reaches the storage medium mounting tray 8. The light 10 reaching the storage medium mounting tray 8 is blocked by the storage medium 9 and transmitted through the light receiving unit 7 to the display window 5.
Do not even reach. Therefore, the display is dark because the light 10 does not reach the display window 5.

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 2, the storage medium 9 is pulled in from the storage medium insertion slot 3 provided on the front panel 2 of the external storage device 1 by the storage medium mounting tray 8, and is mounted horizontally. In the state where the storage medium mounting tray 8 is pulled in regardless of the mounting of the storage medium 9, the storage medium
Is closed by the storage medium mounting tray 8. Next, in the external storage device 1, the front panel 2 is provided with a light entrance window 4 and a display window 5. The light entrance window 4 is a window provided at a substantially central position below the storage medium insertion opening 3 and is formed in a shape having a wide front surface so that light 10 can easily enter. The display window 5 is provided above the storage medium insertion slot 3 at the light entrance window 4.
It is a window provided at a position opposite to the above. Next, a light guide section 6 and a light receiving section 7 are provided in the external storage device 1.
The light guide section 6 is configured so that the light 10a can be guided by an acrylic resin, glass fiber, glass, a reflecting mirror, or the like. The end face is fitted into the light entrance window 4, and the other end face is The light 10a guided to the light entrance window 4 is arranged so as to vertically strike the storage medium 9, and the end faces are 90
It has become a degree. The light receiving section 7 is the same as the light guide section 6 and has the light 10b.
The end face is fitted in the display window 5, and the other end face is positioned so as to sandwich the storage medium 9 on the emission axis of the light 10 a from the light guide section 6. And the end faces are at 90 degrees to each other. The storage medium mounting tray 8 of the external storage device 1 has a hole 8a formed on an emission axis of the light 10a from the light guide unit 6 so that the light 10a can pass through. The storage medium 9 stores the light 10
An optical disk, a magnetic disk, and the like can be used as long as they can block a.

Next, the operation of the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

In FIG. 2, when the storage medium 9 is mounted in the external storage device 1, the light 10 entering from the light entrance window 4 passes through the light guide section 6 as light 10a and passes through the hole of the storage medium mounting tray 8. 8a, but the light 10
Since a is cut off, no light 10b passes through the light receiving unit 7. Therefore, since the light 10b does not reach the display window 5, the display becomes dark.

FIG. 3 is a view showing a state in which the storage medium 9 is not mounted. The light 10 entering from the light entrance window 4 passes through the light guide section 6 as light 10a and passes through the hole 8a of the storage medium mounting tray 8. And reaches the light receiving section 7. Light 1 that has reached the light receiving section 7
Oa further reaches the display window 5 as light 10b through the light receiving section 7. Accordingly, since the light 10b reaches the display window 5, a bright white display is obtained.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

The light receiving section 7 provided in the external storage device 1 of the present invention can guide the light 10b by an acrylic resin, glass fiber, glass, a reflecting mirror or the like, and receives the light 10a from the light guiding section 6. The end faces are 90 degrees so that the display window 5 can be reached as 10b.

In the light receiving portion 7a of the second embodiment, the light guide portion 6 is formed by reflecting light using a characteristic such that light travels along the form of acrylic resin or glass fiber, glass, or a reflecting mirror.
The light 10a from the display window 5 is bent by 90 degrees as the light 10b.
Instead, the prism 7b is used as a substance that refracts the light 10b by 90 degrees, and many parts are made of acrylic resin, glass fiber, glass, or the like.

As described above, the light receiving section 7a receives the light 10a from the light guide section 6 and reaches the display window 5 as the light 10b as the rainbow light 10c by the prism 7b.

Accordingly, when the storage medium 9 is not mounted, the display window 5 is displayed in rainbow color, and the presence or absence of the mounting of the storage medium 9 can be more clearly confirmed and beautiful.

In the above description, the light entrance window and the display window are provided at the lower part and the upper part of the storage medium insertion port, respectively, but they may be provided at the upper part and the lower part of the storage medium insertion port, respectively.

[0029]

The first effect is that it is not necessary to provide a light source in the main body. This makes it possible to determine the mounting of the storage medium without turning on the power.

The reason is that external light is used as a light source required for detecting the mounting of the storage medium.

A second effect is that the reflection on the recording surface of the optical disk is not used for detecting the mounting of the storage medium. This makes it possible to determine whether or not a storage medium other than the optical disk is mounted.

The reason is that the storage medium itself uses the blocking of the light for detection.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a state of an external storage device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the present invention when a storage medium is mounted.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the present invention when a storage medium is not mounted.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional external storage device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 External storage device 2 Front panel 3 Storage medium insertion port 4 Light entrance window 5 Display window 6 Light guide part 7, 7a Light receiving part 8 Storage medium mounting tray 8a Hole 9 Storage medium 10 Light 10a Light passing through the light guide part 10b Light receiving part Light passing through 10c Rainbow light passing through prism

Claims (7)

(57) [Claims] 1. A front-loading type external storage device in which a storage medium can be pulled in from a storage medium insertion opening provided on a front panel of a main body and can be mounted therein, and an external storage device is provided through an input window provided on the front panel. An external storage device, wherein light is guided to illuminate the storage medium vertically, and the mounting of the storage medium can be confirmed by a display window provided on the front panel. 2. A front loading type external storage device in which a storage medium can be pulled in from a storage medium insertion port provided on a front panel of a main body and can be mounted therein.
A light incident window provided on the front panel to take in external light,
A light guide portion arranged to guide external light through the input window to shine light on the storage medium; and a light guide portion arranged at a position opposed to the storage medium so as to sandwich the storage medium on an emission axis of light from the light guide portion. , A display window provided on the front panel, on which light from the light receiving unit can be confirmed, and a storage medium having a hole on an emission axis of light from the light guiding unit. An external storage device having a mounting tray. 3. The external storage device according to claim 1, wherein said light entrance window is provided at a substantially central position below said storage medium insertion opening. 4. The storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the display window is provided at a substantially central position above the storage medium insertion slot.
4. The external storage device according to 2 or 3. 5. The external storage device according to claim 2, wherein the light guide section and the light receiving section are made of acrylic resin or glass fiber. 6. The external storage device according to claim 2, wherein the light receiving section includes a rhythm. 7. The external storage device according to claim 2 , wherein the guided external light is vertically applied to the storage medium.