Abstract:
The present invention relates to an airflow guidance structure in an optical storage carrier player. More particularly, the present invention relates to an airflow guidance structure in a CD-RW drive. The airflow guidance structure provides a path and cooperates with outlets disposed close to the end of the airflow guidance structure. Heat generated during the operation of the CD-RW drive is discharged from the outlets by using the airflow generated by the rotation of the disc.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims priority of Taiwan Patent Application Serial No. 90114702 filed on Jun. 18, 2001.  
         FIELD OF INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present invention relates to an airflow guidance structure in an optical storage carrier player. More particularly, the present invention relates to an airflow guidance structure in a compact disk player.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    Due to consumer demand, the recording speed of CD-RW drives continues to increase. The heat generated during the operation of the CD-RW drive typically increases with the recording speed, however. This additional heat adversely affects the efficiency of the CD-RW drive and may damage the circuits or components of the CD-RW drive.  
           [0004]    Traditionally, a small fan is used in the CD-RW drive for discharging the heat generated during the operation. When the CD-RW drive operates, the fan operates at the same time to convey the air inside the CD-RW drive. The housing of the traditional CD-RW drive includes an outlet. The circulated air with the heat is discharged from the outlet to decrease the temperature inside the CD-RW drive.  
           [0005]    It is typically efficient to discharge the heat from the CD-RW drive by using the fan. However, the cost of the CD-RW drive typically increases due to adding a fan. Moreover, the CD-RW drive cannot normally discharge heat if the fan broken down. It is therefore desirable to provide a low-cost heat discharge structure in the CD-RW drive for efficiently discharging the heat.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    The present invention relates to an airflow guidance structure in an optical storage carrier player. More particularly, the present invention relates to an airflow guidance structure in a CD-RW drive.  
           [0007]    In an exemplary embodiment, the airflow guidance structure of the present invention is a plate structure. The structure is disposed on an internal surface of the upper cover of the CD-RW drive, i.e., the structure may be disposed right above the CD disc turntable. A first end portion of the structure is adjacent to one lateral sidewall of the upper case. The lateral sidewall includes a plurality of outlets formed close to the first end portion. When the CD disc is rotated within the CD-RW drive, it generates certain airflow within the CD-RW drive. The airflow guidance structure provides a path for discharging the heat from the outlets by guiding the airflow generated by the rotation of the disc.  
           [0008]    When an optical storage carrier is rotated within the carrier player, it will generate a hot airflow within the CD-RW drive. The hot airflow is then guided by the airflow guidance structure and flows from the center toward the lateral sidewall.  
           [0009]    In another exemplary embodiment, the second end portion of the airflow guidance structure bends toward a downwind side with an angle. Thus the hot airflow can easily flow along the airflow guidance structure and discharge the hot airflow from the outlets.  
           [0010]    The airflow guidance structures disclosed herein is further appropriate for many kinds of optical storage carrier player, for example, CD-ROM, CD-R (CD Recordable), CD-RW drive (CD Rewritable), and CD-E (CD Erasable). 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1 depicts the bottom view of airflow guidance structure of the present invention;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 2 depicts an exemplary embodiment of the airflow guidance structure;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 3 a  is a profile of the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1 along the I-I′ line; and  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 3 b  is a profile of another embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0015]    Please refer to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 depicts a bottom view of an exemplary airflow guidance structure  10  of the present invention. The airflow guidance structure  10  is appropriately disposed on a flat plane  122  on an interior side of upper case  12  of the CD-RW drive. A first end portion of structure  10  is adjacent to a lateral sidewall  121  on the interior side of the upper case  12 . The first end portion is not limited in perpendicular to the lateral sidewall  121 . For smoothly discharging the airflow with the heat along structure  10 , structure  10  may be adjacent to lateral sidewall  121  by an angle. When a disc is rotated within the CD-RW drive, the airflow is generated along a rotating direction  13  shown in FIG. 1 (counterclockwise). A second end portion of the airflow guidance structure  10  includes a bend portion  101 . The bend portion  101  is suitably bent in the direction opposite to the rotating direction  13  of the disc, as shown. That is, the second end portion bends toward a downwind side  102  of the airflow guidance structure  10  by an angle to avoid that the airflow flows to the upwind side.  
         [0016]    Please refer to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 depicts an exemplary embodiment of airflow guidance structure  10  wherein the scale of airflow guidance structure  10  to upper case  12  has been exaggerated for illustration purposes. The portion of the lateral sidewall  121  adjacent to the airflow guidance structure  10  includes one or more outlets  11 . In an exemplary embodiment, the outlets are disposed on the downwind side  102  of the airflow guidance structure  10 . The airflow generated by the rotation of the disc brings the heat generated during the operation of the CD player to form a thermal airflow. As FIG. 1 shows, the thermal airflow flows along rotating direction  13 . When the thermal airflow hits airflow guidance structure  10 , the thermal airflow flows along airflow guidance structure  10  toward lateral sidewall  121 . Finally, the thermal airflow is discharged from outlets  11 . As described above, outlets  11  are disposed on lateral sidewall  121  in this exemplary embodiment. However, in the other embodiment, outlets  11  also may be disposed on the flat plane  122 , or elsewhere within the structure.  
         [0017]    With continued reference to FIG. 2, the optical storage carrier player includes: flat plane  122  with a center  124 ; a lateral sidewall  121  formed on one end of flat plane  122 ; and airflow guidance structure  10  protruding from flat plane  122 . The longitudinal axis of the airflow guidance structure  10  substantially extends from center  124  of flat plane  122  toward lateral sidewall  121 . When the optical storage carrier is rotated within the carrier player, a hot airflow is suitably generated within optical carrier player drive. The hot airflow is then guided by airflow guidance structure  10  from the center  124  toward the lateral sidewall  121  to effectively remove the heat from the interior of the optical storage carrier player to the outside environment, as appropriate.  
         [0018]    Please refer to FIG. 3 a . FIG. 3 a  is a profile of a further exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Airflow guidance structure  10  may be a plate as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. In other embodiments, however, the material of guidance structure  10  is PVC, plastic, metal or the like. FIG. 3 b  shows the dimensions and shape of the profile. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the thickness is about 0.4 mm, and the height is about 4.5 mm. The inside of air guidance structure  10  may be hollow to reduce the cost. In a further embodiment, the width of the hollow portion is about 1.2 mm.  
         [0019]    Outlets  11  may be designed in accordance with safety codes or other requirements. Further, many problems, such as the dust, should be considered. In an exemplary embodiment, outlets  11  are designed as eight to ten rectangular holes with dimensions of about 2.5 mm×10 mm. The spacing between two adjacent holes may be about 1.5 mm, as shown.  
         [0020]    Airflow guidance structure  10  may substitute for the traditional small fan in a CD player to decrease the temperature and the cost of the CD-RW drive. In an exemplary embodiment, airflow guidance structure  10  is appropriate for all kinds of CD players such as CD-ROM, CD-R (CD Recordable), CD-RW (CD Rewritable), CD-B (CD Erasable), and the like. It is not intended to limit the scope and applicability of the present invention, and any embodiment of the application of the airflow guidance structure  10  without departing from the spirit and feature of the invention is within the protected scope.  
         [0021]    The above description sets fourth various exemplary embodiments of the invention only, and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the invention in any way. For example, the exemplary material of airflow guidance structure  10  is PVC. However, the material of the airflow guidance structure  10  is not so limited, and any material forming airflow guidance structure  10  is within the scope of the present invention. Additionally, even though the exemplary dimensions of the airflow guidance structure  10  have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the dimensions included herein. Rather, various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described in these embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, the protected scope of the present invention is as set fourth in the appended claims and their equivalents.