Patent ID: 6307711
Filing Date: 2001-10-23
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
A disc cartridge for rotationally housing a disc-shaped recording medium as an information recording medium, comprising:a disc-shaped recording medium;a main cartridge body unit including an upper cartridge half and a lower cartridge half rotationally housing said disc-shaped recording medium, said main cartridge body unit including a recording and/or reproducing aperture in at least the upper cartridge half or the lower cartridge half thereof for exposing at least a portion of said disc-shaped recording medium to outside along a radial direction of said disc-shaped recording medium;a shutter member having a shutter portion for opening/closing said recording and/or reproducing aperture, said shutter member being mounted on said main cartridge body unit for movement along a lateral side of said main cartridge body unit;said shutter member further comprising a cartridge holding portion,wherein said cartridge holding portion is comprised of an upper lug adjacent and substantially parallel to at least a portion of said upper cartridge half, a lower lug adjacent and substantially parallel to said lower cartridge half, and a connecting plate;said shutter member having at least a first guide piece and a second guide piece extending substantially perpendicularly from said upper or said lower lug at a predetermined height, wherein said first and second guide pieces operate, as a pair, for engagement in movement guide grooves formed in at least one of the upper or lower cartridge half of said main cartridge body unit for extending along the direction of movement of said shutter member;there being formed a first inclined guide portion and a second inclined guide portion on a distal and lateral side of said main upper cartridge half or lower cartridge half for guiding the first guide piece and the second guide piece into engagement with the movement guide groove;said first inclined guide portion or the second inclined guide portion being higher in height than the first or second guide piece facing said first inclined guide portion or said second inclined guide portion, respectively,wherein the height of an inclined guide portion is defined as the perpendicular distance from the upper lug to a most distal end said lateral side of the upper cartridge half or the perpendicular distance from the lower lug to a most distal end of said lateral side of the lower cartridge half.