Patent ID: 6031811
Filing Date: 2000-02-29
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
An optical disk drive apparatus, comprising:a main tray having a plurality of subtrays thereon, said main tray being movable, along with selected said subtrays, between withdrawn and inserted positions;means for moving said main tray from said withdrawn position towards said inserted position;means for drawing a chosen one of said subtrays from a stand-by position towards a loaded position while said main tray is maintained at said inserted position;a clamp device for clamping an optical disk resting on the chosen one of said subtrays when the chosen one of said subtrays has been drawn to said loaded position;opposite side edges of each of said plurality of subtrays having support steps extending from a front end towards a rear end thereof such that each of said support steps of ones of said plurality of subtrays having another said support step of others of said plurality of subtrays stacked above the ones of said plurality of subtrays together define U-sectioned guide grooves; anda chassis having opposite side walls, a support guide being located on and positioned inwardly of each of said opposite side walls, said support guide comprising a plurality of parallel ribs for engagement with said U-sectioned guide grooves such that (a) when said main tray is withdrawn to said withdrawn position and the chosen one of said subtrays is held at said stand-by position, rear ends of said support steps of the chosen one of said subtrays are supported from below by respective said ribs and at least a portion of a front end of the chosen one of said subtrays overlaps at least a portion of a rear end of an uppermost one of said plurality of subtrays remaining in said main tray so that the chosen one of said subtrays assumes a horizontal position, (b) when said main tray is at said inserted position, rear ends of said support steps are supported from below by respective said parallel ribs of said support guide, and (c) when said main tray is withdrawn to said withdrawn position together with all of said subtrays said rear ends of said support steps separate from the respective said parallel ribs.