Abstract:
A slot-in optical recording and/or reproducing apparatus includes a case formed with a slot and a swingable cover. The case provides a housing for adopting components of the slot-in optical recording and/or reproducing apparatus. The optical disk is drawn out of/into the slot-in optical recording and/or reproducing apparatus through the slot. The swingable cover is used to expose/block the slot to/from the exterior of the slot-in optical recording and/or reproducing apparatus.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     (1) Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The disclosure relates to an optical recording and/or reproducing apparatus, and more particularly to an optical recording and/or reproducing apparatus of slot-in type with an openable blocking-cover.  
         [0003]     (2) Description of the Prior Art  
         [0004]     As various applications in multi-media technology widely spread, the demand for the large-volume data storage media, such as Compact Disk, and the access device, such as Compact Disk Drive, have been growing rapidly. In particular, the application using CD as a storage media has remarkable increased, so the optical read/write device, which is used to read/write the CD, is also extremely popular. Nowadays, for example, each Personal Computer at least has one optical access (read/write) device, such as CD-ROM, CD-RW, Slot-In Optical read/write device, Combo CD drive, DVD-R/RW drive, . . . and external CD drive.  
         [0005]     In order to easily and quickly draw/insert the CD from/to the CD drive, as well as to the request for slim, thin, and light product design, the slot-in is a very attractive option for the CD drive design. So this type of design (slot-in type) is generally adopted in car stereo system and note book computer as an optical read/write device to read and/or write CD.  
         [0006]     Because the optical recording and/or reproducing apparatus is used to optically read/write a compact disk (or optical dick), so the optical recording and/or reproducing apparatus is also referred as optical read/write drive hereafter.  FIG. 1  schematically shows a perspective view of the front portion of the traditional slot-in optical read/write drive  2  and a Compact Disk  4  fed thereto. Sparing the ejectable tray for loading CD, the slot-loading design prevails the tray-loading design in many applications in optical read/write driver. However, without the protection provided by the cover at the front edge of the slot  6 , exterior dust and small object will easily intrude through slot  6  of the traditional slot-in optical read/write drive  2 , in addition, the noise from the operation of the internal device of the traditional slot-in optical read/write drive  2  will directly spread to exterior through the slot  6 .  
         [0007]     Due to the foregoing reason, the exterior material tends to pass slot  6 , and accumulate on the interior device or mechanism of the traditional slot-in optical read/write drive  2 , then malfunction resulted and the expected life of the traditional slot-in optical read/write drive  2  can not be reached. Even if the traditional slot-in optical read/write drive  2  can work properly, the noise from the traditional slot-in optical read/write drive  2  resulted from normally operating parts and intruding-material accumulated parts probably will make the user doubts the quality of the traditional slot-in optical read/write drive  2 . This noisy operation will greatly deduct the value of the traditional slot-in optical read/write drive  2 .  
         [0008]     Because of the problems mentioned above, this disclosure provide an apparatus to solve the problems and to improve the value of the traditional slot-in optical read/write drive  2 .  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0009]     Accordingly, it is one object of the present invention to provide a optical read/write drive with a swingable cover to avert external dust and small object from intruding into the read/write device and to prevent the interior-generated noise from spreading out of the optical read/write drive. So the life of the optical read/write drive can be prolonged, and the value of this product can be raised.  
         [0010]     It is another object of the present invention to provide a fitting pad adherent to the inward surface of the swingable cover, which is to be squeezed into the slot, so the edges of the slot can seize the fitting pad, and further improve the dust-proof, intruding-object-proof and sound-proof efficiency.  
         [0011]     It is one more object of the present invention to provide a handy device, which is an impetus part, protruding outwardly from the outward surface of the swingable cover, thus the user can swing the swingable cover to expose/block the slot more easily when the user wants to access the CD.  
         [0012]     In one aspect of the present invention, the present invention relates to a slot-in read/write drive includes a case having a slot, a swingable cover, a fitting pad and a impetus part, the user can access compact disk through the slot from the slot-in read/write drive.  
         [0013]     The fitting pad mentioned above, which is adherent to the inward surface of the swingable cover, is also designed to be squeezed into the slot at the time when the swingable cover blocking the slot. In addition. the present invention further includes two pivots and two bearings. The two pivots are formed on the two ends of the longitudinal side of the swingable cover respectively, and the two bearings are positioned on the case and adjacent to the two ends of the edge of the slot respectively. The two pivots are engaged to the two bearings respectively, thereby axially jointing the swingable cover to the case adjacent to the edge of the slot.  
         [0014]     The impetus part is also designed for being applied with a force thereon, thus enabling the swingable cover to swing in a predetermined direction. The impetus part protrudes from the outward surface of the swingable cover, thereby the impetus part itself provides a predetermined distance from the exterior surface of the slot-in optical read/write drive when the slot is blocked by the swingable cover.  
         [0015]     The foregoing description detailed how the present invention utilizes a swingable cover of the optical read/write drive to avert external dust and small object from intruding into the read/write device and to prevent the interior-generated noise from spreading out of the optical read/write drive. This is the reason why the life of the optical read/write drive can be prolonged, and the value of this product can be raised. According to the present invention, the fitting pad is adherent to the inward surface of the swingable cover, which is to be squeezed into the slot, so the edges of the slot can seize the fitting pad, and further improve the dust-proof, intruding-object-proof and sound-proof efficiency. The present invention also provides a handy device, which is an impetus part, protruding outwardly from the outward surface of the swingable cover, thus the user can swing the swingable cover to expose/block the slot more easily when the user wants to access the CD. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0016]     The present invention will now be specified with reference to its preferred embodiment illustrated in the drawings, in which  
         [0017]      FIG. 1  schematically shows a perspective view of the front portion of the traditional slot-in optical read/write drive and a compact disk (CD) fed thereto;  
         [0018]      FIG. 2A  schematically illustrates the perspective view of the openable blocking cover and the optical read/write drive in accordance with the first preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0019]      FIG. 2B  illustrates the cross-sectional side view of the front portion of the optical read/write drive and the openable blocking cover and the spacial relationship between them;  
         [0020]      FIG. 3  is the schematic perspective view of the openable blocking cover from inward surface;  
         [0021]      FIG. 4A  schematically illustrates the perspective view of the openable blocking cover and the optical read/write drive in accordance with the second preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0022]      FIG. 4B  illustrates the cross-sectional side view of the front portion of the optical read/write drive and the openable blocking cover, and the spacial relationship between them; and  
         [0023]      FIG. 5  schematically illustrates, in side view, the cross section of the front portion of the optional read/write drive according to the third embodiment of the present invention, which utilizes a certain mechanism (e.g., a gear drive) to enable the swingable cover to swing without manual force.  
         [0024]      FIG. 6  schematically shows the fourth embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0025]      FIG. 2A  schematically illustrates the perspective view of the openable blocking cover  30  and the optical read/write drive  32  in accordance with the first preferred embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 2B  illustrates the cross-sectional side view of the front portion of the optical read/write drive  32  and the openable blocking cover  30  and the spacial relationship between them. This invention discloses an optical read/write drive  32  comprising a case  31  have a slot  34  formed thereupon wherein an optical disk is drawn out of/into the slot-in optical read/write apparatus  32  through the slot  34  and an openable blocking cover  30 , which can be utilized to cover the slot  34  and to isolate the interior of the optical read/write drive  32  from the exterior.  
         [0026]     According to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, the openable blocking cover  30  includes a swingable cover  302  and a fitting pad  304 , wherein the fitting pad  304  can be a soft pad. When the slot  34  is covered by the openable blocking cover  30 , the fitting pad  304  is tightly inserted in the slot  34  so that the dust and exterior object has been prevented from entering the optical read/write drive  32  via the slot  34  and the internal operation noise has been isolated from scattering out of the optical read/write drive  32  via the slot  34 .  
         [0027]     The schematic side view of the openable blocking cover  30  is shown in  FIG. 2B , and the schematic perspective view of the openable blocking cover  30  from inward surface is shown in  FIG. 3 . According to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, the swingable cover  302  is used to expose/block the slot  34 , wherein the fitting pad  304  is adherent to the swingable cover  302 , and is positioned between the swingable cover  302  and the slot  34 . When blocking the slot  34 , please referring to  FIG. 2B , the swingable cover  302  forces the fitting pad  304  to insert in the slot  34 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the size of the fitting pad  304  make itself lodge in as well as block the slot  34 , thus the interior of optical read/write drive  32  has been sealed to improve the dust-proof, intruding-object-proof, and sound-proof efficiency; Being fitted to the slot  34 , the fitting pad  304  makes the swingable cover  302  keep close even when an unexpected external force applied thereon. As depicted in the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, the material of the fitting pad can be made of rubber, soft material (such as soft plastic or foamed plastic) or elastic material.  
         [0028]      FIG. 4A  schematically illustrates the perspective view of the openable blocking cover  30  and the optical read/write drive  32  in accordance with the second preferred embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 4B  illustrates the cross-sectional side view of the front portion of the optical read/write drive  32  and the openable blocking cover  30  and the spacial relationship between them. According to the second embodiment of the present disclosure, the an optical read/write drive  32  comprising a case  31  have a slot  34  formed thereupon wherein an optical disk is drawn from/into the slot-in optical read/write apparatus  32  through the slot  34  and an openable blocking cover  30 , which can be utilized to block the slot  34  and to isolate the interior of the optical read/write drive  32  from the exterior. In addition, the openable blocking cover  30  includes a swingable cover  302 , a fitting pad  304 , and a impetus part  306 , wherein the fitting pad  304  can be a soft pad. When the slot  34  is covered by the openable blocking cover  30 , the fitting pad  304  is tightly inserted in the slot  34  so that the dust and exterior object has been prevented from entering the optical read/write drive  32  via the slot  34  and the internal operation noise has been isolated from scattering out of the optical read/write drive  32  via the slot  34 .  
         [0029]     One longitudinal side of the swingable cover  302  is axially jointed on the case  31  and adjacent to one edge of the enclosure surrounding the slot  34 , i.e., is axially jointed to one edge of the slot  34 . As obviously depicted in  FIG. 4B , the other longitudinal side of the swingable cover  302  can swing, thus enabling the swingable cover  302  to pivot on the axis parallel to the longitudinal side of the swingable cover  302 , which is jointed to the foregoing edge of the slot  34 , and the swingable cover  302  can expose/block the slot  34  thereby. In the second preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, please referring back to  FIG. 4A , there are two pivots  36  located on two ends of the foregoing longitudinal side of the swingable cover  302  respectively. Each pivot  36  correspondingly engages one of the two bearings  38 , which are respectively positioned on two ends of the foregoing edge of the enclosure surrounding the slot  34 . Thus the swingable cover  302  can pivot on the direction parallel to the foregoing edge of the slot  34 .  
         [0030]     According to the second embodiment of the present disclosure, the schematic side view of the openable blocking cover  30  is shown in  FIG. 4B , and the schematic perspective view of the openable blocking cover  30  is shown in  FIG. 3 . According to the second embodiment of the present invention, the swingable cover  302  is used to expose/block the slot  34 , wherein the fitting pad  304  is adherent to the swingable cover  302 , and is positioned between the swingable cover  302  and the slot  34 . When blocking the slot  34 , please referring to  FIG. 4B , the swingable cover  302  forces the fitting pad  304  to cover and block the slot  34 . In addition, the size of the fitting pad  304  make itself lodge in as well as block the slot  34 , thus the interior of optical read/write drive  32  has been sealed to improve the dust-proof, intruding-object-proof and sound-proof efficiency. Being fitted to the slot  34 , the fitting pad  304  makes the swingable cover  302  keep close even when an unexpected external force applied thereon. As depicted in the second preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, the material of the fitting pad can be made of rubber, soft material (such as soft plastic or foamed plastic) or elastic material.  
         [0031]     Please refer to  FIG. 4B , the impetus part  306  is protruded and positioned at outward surface of the swingable cover  302 , which is adjacent to simultaneously perpendicular to the surface facing the slot  34 . In other words, the impetus part  306  is located at the outward surface of the swingable cover  302  from the slot  34 . The swingable cover  302  can swing in an expected direction responding to a force applied on the impetus part  306 , and the slot  36  is opened/closed.  
         [0032]     Because it is manually operated, the type of impetus part  306  mentioned above can be utilized in the swingable cover  302  referred as a manual type. In addition, in the third embodiment of the present invention, the swingable cover  302  can automatically swing to expose/block the slot  34  without manual force. To roughly illustrate the construction, please refer to  FIG. 5 , in side view, it schematically illustrates the cross section of the front portion of the optional read/write drive  32  including the openable blocking cover  30 , which utilizes a certain mechanism such as a gear drive to enable the swingable cover  302  to swing without manual force. Because the mechanism operates responds to an electric signal, and is driven by electricity, this type of swingable cover  302  can be referred as electricity driven type. The gear drive mentioned above, according to the third embodiment of the present invention, includes a fixed gear wheel  40  being a semicircle gear wheel in this embodiment fixed on the inward surface of the swingable cover  302 , a gear wheel unit  42  and a driving device  44  electrically coupled to a button  46 . The gear wheel  40  is engaged to the gear wheel unit  42 , and the gear wheel unit  42  is driven by driving device  44  such as a motor which is driven by the power from electricity. The driving device  44  is activated by a control signal (for example an electric signal) generated responding to pushing the button  46  on the outward surface of the optional read/write drive  32 . Thus, by pushing the button  46 , the user can easily control the swinging of the swingable cover  302 , thereby exposing/blocking the slot  34  easily.  
         [0033]     In order to more firmly fix the swingable cover  302  in position while the swingable cover  302  blocking the slot  34 , in the fourth embodiment of the present invention, please refer to  FIG. 6 , the swingable cover  302  and the edge of the slot  34  respectively include the positioning post  48  and positioning hole  50  formed thereon. This construction can also be applied to all other aspects of all embodiments of the present invention. The two positioning posts  48  are adherent to the inward surface of the swingable cover  302 , and are longitudinally separated by the fitting pad  304 , accordingly, the two positioning holes  50  are formed in the front of the case  31  of the optional read/write drive  32  and positioned corresponding to the two positioning posts  48  respectively, thus enabling the two positioning posts  48  inserting into the two positioning holes  50  when the swingable cover  302  blocking the slot  34 . Solo squeezing the fitting pad  304  into the slot  34  sometimes can not provide enough force to hold the swingable cover  302 , so the fourth embodiment of the present invention use the positioning post  48  and the positioning hole  58  to provide additional force to prevent the swingable cover  302  from unexpected opening and to keep the swingable cover  302  in position.  
         [0034]     According to the foregoing description, the swingable cover  302  of the optical read/write drive  32  in the present invention can avoid dust and small object invasion from the exterior, and prevent the interior-generated noise from spreading out of the optical read/write drive  32 . So the life of the optical read/write drive  32  according to the present invention can be prolonged, and the value of this product can be raised. In addition, the fitting pad  304  adherent to the inward surface of the swingable cover  302  is to be squeezed into the slot  34 , so the present invention can further improve dust-proof, intruding-object-proof and sound-proof efficiency. Furthermore, in order to make the optical read/write drive  32  a handy device, a impetus part  306  is added to the outward surface of the swingable cover  302 , thus the user can open the swingable cover  302  to expose the slot  34  more easily when the user wants to access the CD.  
         [0035]     While the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been set forth for the purpose of disclosure, modifications of the disclosed embodiments of the present invention as well as other embodiments thereof may occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to cover all embodiments which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.