JP3216675B2 - Cartridge 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 cartridge storage device such as a floppy disk or cassette tape reproducing device and an optical disk drive.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a cartridge storage device of this kind,
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been known a loading device that draws a cassette holder into a mounting position while pressing and holding a cassette in a cassette holder by an elastic means, and presses the cassette against a seating surface by the elastic means at this mounting position to position the cassette. (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 63-27325)
No. 9).

[0003]

In a conventional cartridge storage device, a cartridge positioning device for positioning the cartridge by pressing the cartridge against a seating surface for positioning the cartridge includes a holder for storing the cartridge and a cartridge positioning device. And the seating surface of
A spring for biasing the cartridge is provided on a surface facing the seating surface inside the holder. However,
In this conventional cartridge storage device, it is necessary to make the inner dimensions of the holder larger than the outer dimensions of the cartridge in order to facilitate the insertion and removal of the cartridge. The gap between them has been an obstacle to miniaturization of the device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to eliminate a gap between a cartridge and a holder without sacrificing operability when inserting and removing a cartridge. It is an object of the present invention to provide a cartridge storage device capable of reducing the size of the device.

[0005]

According to the present invention, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, according to the first aspect, a first guide for guiding a front surface side of a cartridge with a holder for housing the cartridge.
In the cartridge accommodating device having a guide and a second guide for guiding the back side of the cartridge,
The guide is supported by the second guide so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis parallel to the back surface of the cartridge and perpendicular to the cartridge insertion / ejection direction, and further to be freely movable in a direction perpendicular to the back surface of the cartridge. A guide urging means for urging the first guide toward the second guide installation side is provided at a position on the cartridge insertion direction side with respect to the rotation axis, and the cartridge insertion direction is set in a state where the cartridge is not stored. Guide position regulating means for regulating the position of the first guide is provided such that the distance between the first guide and the second guide is smaller at the back than at the front.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the cartridge accommodating device according to the first aspect, a seating surface for positioning the cartridge is provided on the second guide at a position facing the four corners of the back surface of the cartridge when the cartridge is mounted. In a state where the cartridge protrudes toward the guide installation side and the cartridge is not stored, the distance between the first guide and the seating surface of the seating surface in the cartridge insertion direction is substantially equal to the thickness of the cartridge. The distance between the second guide and the first guide is larger than the thickness of the cartridge on the cartridge discharge direction side of the side seating surface installation portion,
The guide position regulating means is set so that the distance between the second guide and the first guide is smaller than the thickness of the cartridge on the cartridge insertion direction side of the cartridge insertion direction side seating surface installation portion.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the cartridge storage device according to the first or second aspect, the guide urging means is a plate spring having one side integrally formed with the first guide. The other end is fixed to the second guide.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a cartridge accommodating device embodying the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the first embodiment, and FIG. 3 explains the structure of the first embodiment. FIG.

1 to 3, a first guide 2 for guiding a front surface 1a of a cartridge 1 has a U-shaped cross section including a guide surface 2a and a side surface 2b. An engaging portion 2c is provided at the center of the side surface 2b of the first guide 2, and an urging portion 2d and an inclined portion 2e are sequentially provided in the direction of insertion of the cartridge 1 into the engaging portion 2c. .

A second guide 3, which guides the back surface 1b of the cartridge 1, also serves as a seating surface for positioning the cartridge, and an engaged hole 3a is opened at a portion corresponding to the engaging portion 2c of the first guide 2. A holding claw 3b for attaching an urging spring is provided in the cartridge discharge direction of the engaged hole 3a. The engaging portion 2c of the first guide 2 is movably engaged with the engaged hole 3a of the second guide 3.

A coil portion 4a of the torsion coil spring 4 is engaged with the holding claw 3b of the second guide 3, and one arm 4b of the torsion coil spring 4 is connected to the urging portion 2 of the first guide 2.
d, and the other arm 4c is hung on a portion on the discharge direction side of the holding claw 3b of the second guide.

The first guide 2 is urged by the torsion coil spring 4 toward the installation side of the second guide 3. When the cartridge 1 is not mounted, the first guide 2 has the inclined portion 2 e of the second guide 3. The position is regulated by being pressed against the guide 3 (see FIG. 3).

Here, when the cartridge 1 is not mounted, the distance between the guide surface 2a of the first guide 2 and the second guide 3, as shown in FIG. The cartridge thickness h is set so as to be larger than the cartridge thickness h on the cartridge discharge direction side than the installation portion of the urging portion 2d, and smaller than the cartridge thickness h on the cartridge insertion direction side of the installation portion of the urging portion 2d. That is, the relationship between the distances H ₁ , H ₂ , H ₃ between the guide surface 2a of the first guide 2 and the second guide 3 in FIG. 3 and the cartridge thickness h is H ₁ > h, H ₂ = h, H ₃ <h
It is set to be.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show the operation of the above embodiment. FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional view of the above embodiment.
(A) and (b) correspond to (a) and (c) in FIG. 4, respectively. As shown in FIGS. 4A and 5A, the cartridge insertion slot 5 of the present embodiment is
The opening is larger than the thickness of the cartridge 1 so that the cartridge 1 can be easily inserted.

In FIG. 4, when the cartridge 1 is pushed forward from the cartridge insertion slot 5 in the insertion direction and the cartridge 1 is inserted about halfway, the insertion end 1c of the cartridge 1 is inserted.
Reaches a point where the distance between the guide surface 2a of the first guide 2 and the second guide 3 becomes smaller than the thickness of the cartridge 1 as shown in FIG.

When the cartridge 1 is further pushed from this state, the cartridge 1 is moved to the guide surface 2 of the first guide 2.
a, and the first guide 2 rotates until the guide surface 2 a becomes parallel to the second guide 3. This first guide 2
By the rotation of the first guide 2, the inclined portion 2e of the first guide 2
As shown in FIG. 5C and FIG. 5B, the cartridge 1 is separated from the second guide 3 and a biasing force acts on the cartridge 1 from the guide surface 2a in the installation direction of the second guide 3.

As described above, the cartridge 1 is
While receiving the urging force from the guide surface 2a of the guide 2, FIG.
It is pushed forward to the cartridge mounting position shown in FIG. 5C and FIG. 5B. When ejecting the cartridge 1,
An operation reverse to the above-described cartridge mounting operation is performed.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the operation of the conventional example, and FIGS. 6 (a), 6 (b) and 6 (c) show the operations of FIGS.
(B) and (c) respectively.

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a cartridge accommodating device embodying the present invention. As shown in FIG. 7, the second guide 3 of this embodiment has seating surfaces 3c and 3d at locations facing four corners of the back surface 1b of the cartridge 1 when the cartridge is mounted.
It has the same configuration as the second guide 3 of the cartridge storage device embodying the described invention. The seating surfaces 3c and 3d provided on the second guide 3 project toward the installation side of the first guide 2. Further, the first guide 2 and the torsion coil spring 4 having the same configuration as the cartridge accommodating device embodying the present invention are mounted on the second guide 3 in the same manner as in the first embodiment. .

In this embodiment, when the cartridge 1 is not mounted, of the respective seating surfaces 3c and 3d, the seating surface 3d on the cartridge insertion direction side and the guide surface 2a of the first guide 2 are provided.
Is substantially equal to the thickness of the cartridge. Further, in the present embodiment, the inclined portion 2e for regulating the position of the first guide 2 has a distance between the guide surface 2a and the second guide 3 on the cartridge ejection direction side from the installation portion of the seating surface 3d on the cartridge insertion direction side. Is larger than the thickness of the cartridge, and on the cartridge insertion direction side from the installation portion of the seating surface 3d on the cartridge insertion direction side,
The distance between the guide surface 2a and the second guide 3 is set to be smaller than the thickness of the cartridge.

FIG. 8 is a schematic sectional view showing the operation of the second embodiment. FIG. 9 is a schematic sectional view showing the operation of an example in which the seating surfaces 30c and 30d are arranged so as to protrude into the insertion space of the cartridge 1 in the prior art.

As shown in FIG. 8A, the cartridge 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention is inserted through the cartridge insertion slot 5, and the insertion end 1c reaches the seating surface 3d in the cartridge insertion direction. Pushed forward. During this time, since no urging force acts on the cartridge 1 from the first guide 2, the insertion end 1c of the cartridge 1 in the present embodiment is, as shown in FIG. It is possible to easily get over the step due to 3d.

When the cartridge 1 is further pushed from the state shown in FIG. 8B, the cartridge 1 reaches the mounting position shown in FIG. 8C while pushing up the guide surface 2a of the first guide 2. Thereby, the guide surface 2 of the first guide 2
a is rotated by being pushed up by the cartridge 1 so as to be parallel to the second guide 3, and urges the entire surface 1a of the cartridge 1 toward the installation side of the seating surfaces 3c and 3d.

In the prior art, when the seating surfaces 30c and 30d are arranged so as to protrude as in this embodiment, FIG.
As shown in (b), the cartridge 1 has its insertion end 1
Before a passes through the seating surface 30d in the cartridge insertion direction side, the urging means 40a urges the seating surfaces 30c and 30d toward the installation side. Therefore, in the conventional example, the insertion end 1c of the cartridge 1 is connected to the seating surface 30 on the cartridge insertion side.
When the cartridge 1 passes through the cartridge 1 as shown in FIG.
Is significantly reduced. For this reason, in order to prevent the above-mentioned catching of the cartridge in this conventional example, as shown in FIG. 10A, the respective seating surfaces 30c and 30d are moved out of the cartridge insertion space when the cartridge is not mounted. After the cartridge 1 is inserted as shown in FIG. 10B, a mechanism for projecting the respective seating surfaces 30c and 30d into the cartridge insertion space as shown in FIG. 10C is required. And the device becomes complicated.

FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of a cartridge accommodating device embodying the third aspect of the present invention, FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the third embodiment, and FIG. 13 is a side view of the same embodiment. FIG. 13A shows a state in which the cartridge is not mounted, and FIG.
3 (b) shows the mounting state of the cartridge.

In the third embodiment, the cartridge 1
The first guide 2 for guiding the surface 1a of the
And a side surface 2b. At the end of the side surface 2b of the first guide 2 on the cartridge insertion direction side, an inclined portion 2e set in the same manner as in the first embodiment or the second embodiment is formed. A leaf spring 6 is provided on the inclined portion 2e of the guide 2 so as to integrate one end thereof.

Further, as shown in FIG.
The other end of the cartridge has an opening 6d for screwing, and the second guide 3 for guiding the back surface 1b of the cartridge 1 has a portion corresponding to the hole 6d for screwing described above.
A female screw 3e is provided, and this leaf spring 6 is inserted into the female screw 3e of the second guide 3 through the screw hole 6d.
12 by screwing with screws 7
1, the first guide 2 is assembled to the second guide 3.

As a result, the first guide 2 is elastically supported by the leaf spring 6 with respect to the second guide 3, and is urged in the installation direction of the second guide 3. The operation of inserting the cartridge according to the third embodiment is the same as that of the first or second embodiment, and the description thereof is omitted.

[0029]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention,
According to the height dimension of the space for inserting the cartridge,
When the cartridge is not mounted, it is larger than the cartridge thickness by half of the discharge direction, and when the cartridge is mounted, the thickness is equal to the cartridge thickness. Is possible. Further, since the urging force for urging the cartridge against the seating surface does not act until the cartridge is inserted by half or more, the work load (load) when the cartridge is inserted is reduced, and the operability is improved.

According to the second aspect, the cartridge is urged against the seating surface after the insertion end of the cartridge has passed through the seating surface for positioning the cartridge, so that the operability is not impaired and the cartridge is inserted into the cartridge insertion space. The seating surface can be fixedly arranged in a protruding state. Further, by projecting the seating surface into the cartridge insertion space in this manner, it is possible to improve the positioning accuracy of the cartridge.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the urging means and the guide of the cartridge are formed integrally, the number of parts of the apparatus is reduced, and the cost and the number of assembly steps can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a side view for explaining the structure of the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional view for explaining the operation of the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a side view for explaining the operation of the first embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the operation of the conventional example for comparison with the operation of the first embodiment.

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining the operation of the second embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a schematic sectional view showing the operation of another conventional example for comparison with the operation of the second embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a schematic sectional view showing an operation of still another conventional example for comparison with the operation of the second embodiment.

FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the third embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a side view for explaining the operation of the third embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 Cartridge 1a Front surface of cartridge 1b Back surface of cartridge 1c Insertion end of cartridge 2 First guide 2a Guide surface of first guide 2b Side surface of first guide 2c Engagement portion of first guide 2d Biasing portion of first guide 2e 1 Inclined portion of guide 3 Second guide 3a Engaged hole of second guide 3b Holding claw of second guide 3c, 3d Seating surface of second guide 3e Female screw of second guide 4 Torsion coil spring 4a, 4b Arm of torsion coil spring 5 Cartridge insertion slot 6 Leaf spring 6d Leaf spring hole 7 Screw h Cartridge thickness

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] A first guide for guiding the front side of the cartridge, and a second guide for guiding the back side of the cartridge, wherein the first guide is connected to the second guide. The guide is rotatable about a rotation axis parallel to the back surface of the cartridge and perpendicular to the cartridge insertion / ejection direction, and is further movably supported in a direction perpendicular to the cartridge back surface. A guide urging means for urging the first guide toward the second guide installation side is provided at a position on the cartridge insertion direction side. The guide position regulating means for regulating the position of the first guide is provided so that the distance between the first guide and the second guide becomes smaller. Cartridge storage apparatus according to claim and. 2. A cartridge accommodating device according to claim 1, wherein a seating surface for positioning the cartridge protrudes toward the first guide installation side at a position on the second guide facing four corners of the back surface of the cartridge when the cartridge is mounted. In the state where the cartridge is not stored,
The distance between the first guide and the seating surface on the cartridge insertion direction side of the seating surface is substantially equal to the thickness of the cartridge, and the second guide and the first guide on the cartridge ejection direction side of the cartridge insertion direction side seating surface installation portion. The guide position is regulated such that the distance between the second guide and the first guide is smaller than the thickness of the cartridge on the cartridge insertion direction side of the cartridge insertion direction side than the cartridge insertion direction side seating surface installation portion. A cartridge accommodating device, wherein means are set. 3. The cartridge accommodating device according to claim 1, wherein said guide urging means is a leaf spring having one side integrally formed with said first guide, and the other end of said leaf spring. Is fixed to the second guide.