Optical disk drive unit with a sealing type bearing member

Abstract

An optical disk drive unit comprising: a sealing enclosure which encloses from exterior the disk cartridge and an access mechanism for the recording medium in the disk cartridge; an input device for inputting an eject command signal; a pin for moving and arranging a cartridge eject device to a state for starting its function; a cam which is disengaged from the pin when the cartridge is unloaded and which is contacted from the pin to start the ejecting function when the cartridge is loaded so that by rotating the cam, the ejecting function can be conducted; a cam drive disposed outside of the enclosure; a linkage for connecting a shaft of the cam drive to the cam through a hole formed in the enclosure; and a controller for controlling the cam in such a way that upon receipt of the eject command signal from the input device, the cam drive is driven to rotate the cam until the cartridge is ejected, wherein through a hole 15 of the chassis 1 is inserted a shaft 81 of the cam 80, and a worm wheel 79 is connected to the shaft 81 through an engagement member 82, the worm wheel 79 engaging with a worm 77 installed on a rotational shaft of an eject motor 76.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. An optical disk drive unit for loading a disk cartridge which houses a disk-shaped recording medium at a predetermined position in the unit and ejecting the loaded disk cartridge from the unit as well, said optical disk drive unit comprising: 
       a sealing enclosure which sealingly encloses said recording medium and an access mechanism for writing/reading data on and from said recording medium from exterior in a state where said disk cartridge is installed in the unit;  
       an input means for inputting a command signal to eject said loaded disk cartridge from the unit;  
       an eject means for ejecting said disk cartridge from the unit;  
       a pin for moving and arranging said eject means to a state for starting its ejecting function;  
       a cam member which is arranged in such a way that said cam member is disengaged from said pin when said disk cartridge is being unloaded from the unit and that said cam member contacts said pin to start said ejecting function by said eject means when said disk cartridge is being loaded in the unit so that by rotating said cam member, said ejecting function can be conducted;  
       a cam drive means for driving said cam member to rotate which drive means is disposed outside of said sealing enclosure;  
       a linkage means for connecting a rotational shaft of said cam drive means to said cam member which linkage means is disposed penetrating through a hole formed in said sealing enclosure; and  
       a control means for controlling said cam member in such a way that upon receipt of said command signal to eject said disk cartridge transmitted from said input means, said cam drive means is driven to rotate said cam member until said disk cartridge is ejected;  
       wherein a sealing type bearing means is disposed between said linkage means and said hole through which said linkage means penetrates said enclosure from outside to inside thereof.  
     
     
       2. An optical disk drive unit according to claim  1 , wherein a wall member is disposed surrounding said hole and wherein an enclosing member which covers said wall member from outer side thereof is disposed on said cam member. 
     
     
       3. An optical disk drive unit according to claim  2 , wherein a labyrinth seal structure is constituted from said wall member and said enclosing member surrounding said wall member. 
     
     
       4. An optical disk drive unit according to claim  1 , wherein said sealing enclosure is composed of a chassis constituting a lower part of said enclosure and a chassis cover constituting an upper part of said enclosure, and wherein each of the side plates of said chassis has a projecting step formed on its upper surface which mates with a recessed step formed on the lower surface of each side plate of said chassis cover so that said chassis and cover are combined together through said projecting steps mating together along said edges thereof. 
     
     
       5. An optical disk drive unit according to claim  4 , wherein said chassis has a hole, wherein a cam member is disposed above said hole within said chassis, and wherein a linkage member which constitutes a rotational shaft of said cam member is connected to an eject motor disposed outside of said chassis through said hole. 
     
     
       6. An optical disk drive unit according to claim  5 , wherein said linkage member engages with a male engagement member having at least two notches different from each other in width, and wherein said male engagement member transmits a rotational force to said linkage member. 
     
     
       7. An optical disk drive unit according to claim  5 , wherein said cam member has an outer configuration such that an increasing ratio of a radius of a basic circle of said cam member to a rotational angle of said cam member is not constant. 
     
     
       8. An optical disk drive unit according to claim  4 , wherein said chassis cover has a disk cartridge insertion inlet formed in the front side thereof, said inlet being covered by an urged lid which is biased to close the opening of the inlet and rotatable to open and close the inlet, and which has a lower edge which comes in contact with an upper surface of the cartridge when the disk cartridge is inserted into said enclosure through said inlet. 
     
     
       9. An optical disk drive unit for loading a disk cartridge which houses a disk-shaped recording medium at a predetermined position in the unit and ejecting the loaded disk cartridge from the unit as well, said optical disk drive unit comprising: 
       a sealing enclosure which sealingly encloses said recording medium and an access mechanism for writing/reading data on and from said recording medium from exterior in a state where said disk cartridge is installed in the unit, wherein said sealing enclosure is composed of a chassis constituting a lower part of said enclosure and a chassis cover constituting an upper part of said enclosure, and wherein each of the side plates of said chassis has a projecting step formed on its upper surface which mates with a recessed step formed on the lower surface of each side plate of said chassis cover so that said chassis and cover are combined together through said projecting steps mating together through said projecting steps mating together along said edges thereof;  
       an input means for inputting a command signal to eject said loaded disk cartridge from the unit;  
       an eject means for ejecting said disk cartridge from the unit;  
       a pin for moving and arranging said eject means to a state for starting its ejecting function;  
       a cam member which is arranged in such a way that said cam member is disengaged from said pin when said disk cartridge is unloaded from the unit and that said cam member contacts said pin to start said ejecting function by said eject means when said disk cartridge is loaded in the unit so that by rotating said cam member, said ejecting function can be conducted;  
       a cam drive means for driving said cam member to rotate which drive means is disposed outside of said sealing enclosure;  
       a linkage means for connecting a rotational shaft of said cam drive means to said cam member which linkage means is disposed penetrating through a hole formed in said sealing enclosure for transmitting a driving force from the cam drive means to the cam member by rotation thereof;  
       a sealing type bearing means is disposed between said linkage means and said hole; and  
       a control means for controlling said cam member in such a way that upon receipt of said command signal to eject said disk cartridge which houses a disk-shaped recording medium at a predetermined transmitted from said input means, said cam drive means is driven to rotate said cam member until said disk cartridge is ejected.  
     
     
       10. An optical disk drive unit for loading a disk cartridge which houses a disk-shaped recording medium at a predetermined position in the unit and ejecting the loaded disk cartridge from the unit as well, said optical disk drive unit comprising: 
       a sealing enclosure which sealingly encloses said recording medium and an access mechanism for writing/reading data on and from said recording medium from exterior in a state where said disk cartridge is installed in the unit;  
       an input means for inputting a command signal to eject said loaded disk cartridge from the unit;  
       an eject means for ejecting said disk cartridge from the unit;  
       a pin for moving and arranging said eject means to a state for starting its ejecting function;  
       a cam member which is arranged in such a way that said cam member is disengaged from said pin when said disk cartridge is unloaded from the unit end that said cam member is contacted by said pin to start said ejecting function by said eject means when said disk cartridge is loaded in the unit so that by rotating said cam member said ejecting function can be conducted;  
       a cam drive means for driving said cam member to rotate which drive means is disposed outside of said sealing enclosure;  
       a linkage means for connecting a rotational shaft of said cam drive means to said cam member which linkage means is disposed penetrating through a hole formed in said sealing enclosure; and  
       a sealing type bearing means is disposed between said linkage means and said hole;  
       a wall member is disposed surrounding said hole and wherein an enclosing member which covers said wall member from an outer side thereof is disposed on said cam member;  
       a labyrinth seal structure is constituted from said wall member and said enclosing member surrounding said wall member; and  
       a control means for controlling said cam member in such a way that upon receipt of said command signal to eject said disk cartridge transmitted from said input means, said cam drive means is driven to rotate said cam member until said disk cartridge is ejected.  
     
     
       11. An optical disk drive unit according to claim  10 , wherein said sealing enclosure is composed of a chassis constituting a lower part of said enclosure and a chassis cover constituting an upper part of said enclosure, and wherein each of the side plates of said chassis has a projecting step formed on its upper surface which mates with a recessed step formed on the lower surface of each side plate of said chassis cover so that said chassis and cover are combined together through said projecting steps mating together along said edges thereof; 
       said chassis has a hole, said cam member is disposed above said hole within said chassis, and said linkage means which constitutes a rotational shaft of said cam member is connected to an eject motor disposed outside of said chassis through said hole;  
       said chassis cover has a disk cartridge insertion inlet formed in the front side thereof, said inlet being covered by an urged lid which is biased to close the opening of the inlet and ratable to open and close the inlet, and has a lower edge which comes in contact with an upper surface of the cartridge when the disk cartridge is inserted into said enclosure through said inlet;  
       said linkage member engages with a male engagement member having at least two notches different from each other in width, said male engagement member transmitting a rotational force to said linkage member; and  
       said cam member has such an outer configuration that an increasing ratio of a radius of a basic circle of said cam member to a rotational angle of said member is not constant.  
     
     
       12. An optical disk drive unit for loading a disk cartridge which houses a disk- shaped recording medium at a predetermined position in the unit and ejecting the loaded disk cartridge from the unit as well, said optical disk drive unit comprising:    
       
         a sealing enclosure which sealingly encloses said recording medium and an access mechanism for writing/reading data on and from said recording medium from exterior in a state where said disk cartridge is installed in the unit;  
       
       
         an input means for inputting a command signal to eject said loaded disk cartridge from the unit;  
       
       
         an eject means for ejecting said disk cartridge from the unit;  
       
       
         a pin for moving and arranging said eject means to a state for starting its ejecting function;  
       
       
         a cam member, provided within the sealing enclosure and which is arranged in such a way that said cam member is disengaged from said pin when said disk cartridge is unloaded from the unit and that said cam member contacts said pin to start said ejecting function by said eject means when said disk cartridge is loaded in the unit so that by rotating said cam member, said ejecting function can be conducted;  
       
       
         a cam drive means for generating a rotational driving force, said cam drive means being disposed outside of said sealing enclosure;  
       
       
         a linkage means for connecting a rotational shaft of said cam drive means to said cam member, said linkage means being disposed rotatably so as to penetrate through a hole formed in said sealing enclosure for transmitting the rotational driving force of said cam drive means to said cam member, said hole having a diameter substantially equal to that of said linkage means, said hole and said linkage means substantially forming a portion of said sealing enclosure; and  
       
       
         a control means for controlling said cam member in such a way that upon receipt of said command signal to eject said disk cartridge transmitted from said input means, said cam drive means is driven to rotate said cam member until said disk cartridge is ejected.  
       
     
     
       13. An optical disk drive unit according to claim  12 , wherein a sealing means is disposed between said linkage means and said hole through which said linkage means penetrates said sealing enclosure from outside to inside thereof.  
     
     
       14. An optical disk drive unit according to claim  12 , wherein a sealing type bearing means is disposed between said linkage means and said hole through which said linkage means penetrates said sealing enclosure from outside to inside thereof.  
     
     
       15. An optical disk drive unit according to claim  12 , wherein a wall member is disposed surrounding said hole and wherein an enclosing member which covers said wall member from an outer side thereof is disposed on said cam member.  
     
     
       16. An optical disk drive unit according to claim  15 , wherein a labyrinth seal structure is constituted from said wall member and said enclosing member surrounding said wall member.  
     
     
       17. An optical disk drive unit according to claim  12 , wherein said sealing enclosure is composed of a chassis constituting a lower part of said sealing enclosure and a chassis cover constituting an upper part of said sealing enclosure, and wherein each of the side plates of said chassis has a projecting step formed on its upper surface which mates with a recessed step formed on the lower surface of each side plate of said chassis cover so that said chassis and said chassis cover are combined together through said projecting steps mating together along said edges thereof.  
     
     
       18. An optical disk drive unit according to claim  17 , wherein said chassis has a hole, wherein a cam member is disposed above said hole within said chassis, and wherein a linkage member which constitutes a rotational shaft of said cam member is connected to an eject motor disposed outside of said chassis through said hole.  
     
     
       19. An optical disk drive unit according to claim  18 , wherein said linkage member engages with a male engagement member having at least two notches different from each other in width, and wherein said male engagement member transmits a rotational force to said linkage member.  
     
     
       20. An optical disk drive unit according to claim  18 , wherein said cam member has an outer configuration such that an increasing ratio of a radius of a basic circle of said cam member to a rotational angle of said cam member is not constant.  
     
     
       21. An optical disk drive unit according to claim  17 , wherein said chassis cover has a disk cartridge insertion inlet formed in the front side thereof, said inlet being covered by an urged lid which is biased to close the opening of the inlet and rotatable to open and close the inlet, and which has a lower edge which comes in contact with an upper surface of the cartridge when the disk cartridge is inserted into said sealing enclosure through said inlet.