Abstract:
The present invention relates to a disc data storage apparatus with a structure for preventing cracked discs from jetting out. The disc data storage apparatus has a tray for receiving a disc, a cover and a housing. The cover has a first portion and a second portion. The first portion is connected to a front flange of the housing, and the second portion is extended into the housing to form a barrier portion. When a disc cracks, the barrier portion is configured to stop and prevent the cracked disc from jetting out.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
         [0001]    This application claims priority of Taiwan Patent Application Serial No. 091124968 entitled “Disc Data Storage Apparatus with Structure for Preventing Crack Disc from Being Jetted Out”, filed Dec. 2, 2002.  
         FIELD OF INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present invention provides a disc data reading apparatus for preventing ejection of cracked discs.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    As the optical disc device technology develops, the speed and performance of the optical disc device become higher and higher. The quality of discs on the market, however, is not always good enough for high performance. A cracked disc often ejects out of the device and even hurts users. Therefore, an effective design for preventing ejection of the cracked disc is a focus of the modern optical disc device technology.  
           [0004]    [0004]FIG. 1 a  illustrates a disc data reading apparatus of the prior art. FIG. 1 b  shows a cross-sectional view of the disc data reading apparatus. The cracked disc often passes through the opening between a tray  100  and a housing  200 . Then, the cracked disc breaks a panel  720  of the cover  700 , and jets out of the disc data reading apparatus. Conventionally, downwardly-bent end of a front flange  240  becomes a blocking device  260  to prevent ejection of the cracked disc. The blocking device  260  blocks the ejecting cracked disc due to the strength of the housing  200 .  
           [0005]    However, the blocking device  260  is located in an upper position of the housing  200  and there is still an opening below the blocking device  260 . If the cracked disc ejects out through the opening, it would dash against the cover  700  and the panel  720 . The material of the cover  700  and the panel  720  usually doesn&#39;t have enough strength to block the cracked disc.  
           [0006]    Moreover, the cracking of the disc is often accompanied by a strong force. The force usually downwardly pushes the tray  100  to expand the opening. In this situation, the cracked disc ejects out from below the blocking device  260 .  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    One aspect of the present invention is to provide a disc data reading apparatus for preventing ejection of a cracked disc.  
           [0008]    Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a disc data reading apparatus for reducing the force caused by the cracking of the disc.  
           [0009]    The present invention provides a disc data reading apparatus including a tray, a cover, and a housing. The tray includes a recess for receiving a disc and the recess defines a recess flange. The cover includes a first portion and a second portion. The second portion extends into the housing to form a barrier portion. When a disc cracks in the disc data reading apparatus, the barrier is provided to prevent the cracked disc from jetting out.  
           [0010]    If the barrier portion does not block the cracked disc, the cracked disc would enter an opening between the tray and the barrier portion. The barrier portion and the tray provide friction to prevent the cracked disc from jetting out through the opening therebetween.  
           [0011]    Moreover, the barrier portion includes a guidance surface sloping at a predetermined angle to guide the movement of the cracked disc upward and prevent the cracked disc from jetting out. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]    [0012]FIG. 1 a  illustrates a disc data reading apparatus of the prior art;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 1 b  is a cross-sectional view of the disc data reading apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1 a;    
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a disc data reading apparatus in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a disc data reading apparatus in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a disc data reading apparatus in accordance with the third embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0017]    The present invention provides a disc data reading apparatus. When a disc cracks in the disc data reading apparatus, the present invention prevents the ejection of the cracked disc. The disc data reading apparatus mentioned here are Compact Disc Drive, Compact Disc Recordable Drive, Compact Disc Rewritable Drive, Digital Versatile Disc Drive, Digital Versatile Disc Recordable Drive, Digital Versatile Disc Rewritable Drive, or any other apparatus with similar functions and structures. Some of the preferred embodiments of the present inventions are described bellow.  
         [0018]    First Embodiment  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 2 shows a disc data reading apparatus in accordance with the present invention. The disc data reading apparatus includes a tray  100 , a housing  200 , and a cover  700 . The tray  100  includes a recess  120  for receiving a disc  140 , and the recess  120  defines a recess flange  122 . The tray  100  is made of plastic material in this embodiment. However, the tray  100  can be made of other materials, such as metal, polymer, glass, and so on.  
         [0020]    As shown in FIG. 2, the housing  200  includes an upper plate  220  parallel to the tray  100 , and the upper plate  220  has a front flange  240  and a bent portion  250 . The upper plate  220  is made of metal in this embodiment, but can be plastic material, polymer, glass, or other materials with similar functions in other embodiments. The bent portion  250  downwardly extends from the upper plate  220  and is perpendicular to the tray  100 . When the disc  140  cracks in the disc data reading apparatus, the bent portion  250  blocks the cracked disc  140  from jetting out. It should be noted that the bent portion  250  is perpendicular to the tray  100  in this embodiment, but the bent portion  250  can be positioned at other angles.  
         [0021]    The cover  700  includes a first portion  750  and a second portion  760 . The first portion  750  is connected to the front flange  240  of the housing  200 , and the second portion  760  extends into the housing  200  to form a barrier portion  780 . As shown in FIG. 2, an opening  500  becomes narrower, compared to similar openings in the prior art of disc reading apparatus, due to the presence of the barrier portion  780 . The narrower opening  500  prevents the cracked disc  140  from jetting out. Moreover, even if the bent portion  250  and the barrier portion  780  cannot block the cracked disc  140  from entering the opening  500 , the cracked disc  140  would continuously rub against the barrier portion  780  and the tray  100  due to the narrower opening  500 . The friction helps the barrier portion  780  and the tray  100  to stop the cracked disc  140 , or at least slow down the cracked disc  140 , so that the cover  700  or a panel  720  can easily block the cracked disc  140 .  
         [0022]    In this preferred embodiment, the barrier portion  780  is located between the recess flange  122  and the front flange  240 . The bent portion  250  of the upper plate  220  is also located between the recess flange  122  and the front flange  240 .  
         [0023]    Second Embodiment  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of the present invention. The second embodiment has the same essential units of the first embodiment. In the second embodiment, the barrier portion  780  further includes a guidance surface  790  sloping at a predetermined angle  800  to guide the movement of the cracked disc  140  upward and prevent the cracked disc  140  from jetting out. In this embodiment, the predetermined angle  800  is less than 90 degrees. When the guidance surface  790  guides the movement of the cracked disc  140  upward, the bent portion  250  blocks the cracked disc  140 . The bent portion  250  is perpendicular to the upper plate  220  and the barrier portion  780  in this embodiment, but can be at other angles in other embodiments.  
         [0025]    As shown in FIG. 3, an opening  500  becomes narrower, compared to the prior art openings, due to the presence of the barrier portion  780 . The narrower opening  500  prevents the cracked disc  140  from jetting out. Moreover, even if the guidance surface  790  cannot successfully guide the cracked disc  140  upward and the cracked disc  140  enters the opening  500 , the cracked disc  140  would continuously rub against the barrier portion  780  and the tray  100  due to the narrower opening  500 . The friction helps the barrier portion  780  and the tray  100  to stop the cracked disc  140 , or at least slow down the cracked disc  140 , so that the cover  700  or a panel  720  can easily block the cracked disc  140 .  
         [0026]    Third Embodiment  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a third embodiment of the present invention. The third embodiment has the same essential units of the first embodiment. In the third embodiment, the barrier portion  780  further includes a clasp  900  engaging with the bent portion  250 . When the cracked disc  140  dashes against the barrier portion  780 , the clasp  900  provides an additional supporting force via the bent portion  250 . The supporting force prevents the barrier portion  780  from being damaged by the cracked disc  140  and decreases the possibility of ejection of the cracked disc  140 . Furthermore, the clasp  900  includes a guidance surface  890  for guiding the movement of the cracked disc  140  upward and prevents the cracked disc  140  from jetting out.  
         [0028]    As shown in FIG. 4, an opening  500  becomes narrower, compared to the prior art openings, due to the presence of the barrier portion  780 . The narrower opening  500  prevents the cracked disc  140  from jetting out. Moreover, even if the guidance surface  890  cannot successfully guides the cracked disc  140  upward and the cracked disc  140  enters the opening  500 , the cracked disc  140  would continuously rub against the barrier portion  780  and the tray  100  due to the narrower opening  500 . The friction helps the barrier portion  780  and the tray  100  to stop the cracked disc  140 , or at least slow down the cracked disc  140 , so that the cover  700  or a panel  720  can easily block the cracked disc  140 .  
         [0029]    The spirit and scope of the present invention can be clearly understood by the above detail descriptions of the prefer embodiments. The embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Contrarily, various modifications of the illustrative embodiments, as well as other embodiments of the invention, will be apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reference to this description. It is therefore contemplated that the appended claims will cover any such modifications or embodiments as falling within the true scope of the invention.