Abstract:
The invention provides a jam-proof device of a slot-in optical disk drive. In the jam-proof device, a contact pin protrudes from one end of the loading bar, the other end of the loading bar is pivoted with a pivot on a first side of the casing, and a block protrudes adjacent to the pivot. One end of the unloading bar is pivoted on a second side of the casing opposite to the first side, and a reception end is formed at the other end of the unloading bar to extend to a center of the casing. A distance between the block and the reception end at a default position is shorter than a diameter of an 8-cm disc to prevent the disc from entering the slot-in optical disk drive.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention is related to an optical disk drive for data storage, particularly to a slim optical disk drive with a tray used for supporting an optical disk to load and unload. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    With the consumption trend, a notebook is getting lighter, thinner and smaller. An optical disk drive, as one of the main part of the notebook, must correspondingly lightened weight and a further reduced thickness, so as to be assembled in a narrower space in the notebook and therefore facilitating the easy-carrying and storage of the notebook. 
         [0003]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , a conventional optical disk drive  1  comprises a plastic tray  3 , on which an optical disk  4  is supported, is contained in a hollow cover  2  in the conventional optical disk drive  1 . Moreover, at both sides of the hollow cover  2 , there is fixedly provided with a guide  5 , inside which a bar  6  slides, in such a way one end of the bar  6  is allowed to stick out of or retract into the hollow cover  2 , thus supporting the plastic tray  3  at two side thereof to slide into or out of the hollow cover  2 . At the bottom of the plastic tray  3 , a servo printed circuit board (PCB)  7  is provided for the control of the optical disk drive, and a metal base plate  8  is further provided under the servo PCB  7  for the isolation of electronic components on the plastic tray  3  from being touched and electric magnetic interference (EMI). 
         [0004]    The hollow cover  2  of the conventional optical disk drive  1  is made of metal or the like, and could be separate into an upper cover and a bottom cover enclosing the optical disk drive cooperatively, in such a way that this optical disk drive is more bulky with an increased thickness H. In some prior arts, the cover  2  is hollowed out in an appropriate place to reduce the weight of the cover  2 , but still incapability of lowering the thickness of the optical disk drive. Additionally, in the prior art of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0005212, disclosed an optical disk drive without its upper cover and bottom cover, in which only a frame is used to enclose a back and guides both sides of a tray as well as support the tray to slide thereon, and in order to reduce weight together with thickness. During the manufacturing, assembly and testing of this exposed top side optical disk drive, there will be no protection against the fragmentation cause by the high-speed rotation optical disk. Furthermore the laser emitted from a pick-up head may be easily leaked. Due to the above situations this structure would cause some serious safety threats to the operators who involved in the manufacturing. Because of explosion, a precise and precious optical pick-up lens is also more likely to be touched and even damaged. Although the bottom of the optical disk drive is protected by the base plate, EMI isolation at the top side thereof may not be obtained effectively by the use of plastic tray only, but may be provided by the cooperation of an isolation device of the notebook instead, leading to a restriction on the location of the optical disk drive, and thus the increased difficulty in design. 
         [0005]    Therefore, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0285288 was further proposed to disclose an optical disk drive with a metal protecting plate apply on the upper cover after the optical disk drive is assemble in the notebook. The metal protecting plate is used for EMI isolation and protection. The additional metal protecting plate is equivalent to the upper cover of the optical disk drive, however, and thus the effect of reducing the weight and the thickness of the optical disk drive is completely lost. Moreover, the problems of fragments protection, laser leak and the exposed optical lens during manufacturing are never solved by the metal protecting plate. Thus, there are still problems in thinning and lightening the conventional optical disk drive to be solved necessarily. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a slim optical disk drive having braces extending from an upper cover to fix guides with preserved overall safety of the optical disk drive so as to reduce weight by removing the bottom cover. 
         [0007]    It is another object of the present invention to provide a slim optical disk drive having braces inserted into concaved positioning recesses of guides, in such a way that the thickness of each brace may be eliminated to facilitate the thickness reduction of the optical disk drive. 
         [0008]    It is a further object of the present invention to provide a slim optical disk, in which a buckle hook at the bottom of each of braces is inserted into a hooking recess at the side of each of guides, respectively, so as to eliminate the thickness of the brace, facilitating the thickness reduction of the optical disk drive. To achieve above-mentioned objects of the present invention, a slim optical disk drive of the present invention comprises a plurality of braces extending downward from the edges of an upper cover. Each of the braces extending provided a fixing part with a buckle hole from the middle and the bottom, respectively. Each of the guides in a guide unit is formed with a concaved positioning recess at the top and bottom thereof, respectively. Additionally, each of the braces provides with a wedge. The guides being enveloped between the two fixing parts and the fixing parts being assembled in the positioning recess, the wedge tenoned into the buckle hole. Each of the bars in a bar unit is used to cooperate with the guides and support by a tray to slide at two sides thereof, the bottom of the tray covering over a base plate. 
         [0009]    A slim optical disk drive of another embodiment of the present invention comprises a plurality of braces extending downward from each of two edges of an upper cover, each of the braces being extended from the middle thereof with a fixing part having a buckle hole, and being formed at the bottom thereof as a buckle hook. Each of the guides in a guide unit is formed at the top thereof with concaved positioning recesses, in each of which there is provided with a wedge. The outer surface of the each of the guides formed a hooking recess, respectively. The guides assembled on the braces and the fixing part will be tenoned in the positioning recess. The wedge inserted into the buckle hole and the buckle hook tenoned into the hooking recess. Each of the bars in a bar unit is put inside the guide correspondingly, and support by a tray to slide at two sides thereof, the bottom of the tray is cover over a base plate. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a partial cross-sectional view of a conventional slim optical disk drive. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a front view of the disassembled structure of a slim optical disk drive of the present invention. 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a rear view of the disassembled structure of the slim optical disk drive of the present invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a front assembly view of the assembled slim optical disk drive of the present invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a rear assembly view of the assembled slim optical disk drive of the present invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A of  FIG. 4 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  is a partial cross-sectional view of a slim optical disk drive of another embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0017]    Technical measures taken for achieving above-mentioned objects of the present invention and effects thereof will be described taken in conjunction with figures. 
         [0018]    Referring to  FIG. 2  together with  FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 2  shows a front view of the disassembled structure of a slim optical disk drive  10  of the present invention, and  FIG. 3  shows a rear view of the disassembled structure thereof. The slim optical disk drive  10  of the present invention mainly comprises an upper cover  11 , a guide unit  12 , a bar unit  13 , and a tray  14 . The upper cover  11  includes a main body  21  generally in the form of a flat plate. At each of the two edges of the main body  21 , there are provided, respectively, with a plurality of braces  22  extending downward. In this embodiment, three braces  22  provided at each side are taken as an example. Each brace  22  is formed in an inverted-F shape, and further extended a first fixing part  23  and a second fixing part  24  form the middle and the bottom of the brace, respectively. Each braces extending inward into the optical disk drive  10  and partly parallel with the main body  21 . The first fixing part  23  is provided thereon with a first buckle hole  25 , and the second fixing part  24  is provided thereon with a second buckle hole  26 . The upper cover  11  is additionally provided with at least one fixing plate  27 , which, extending downward along the back edge of the main body  21 , is used for fixing a main board  28  of the optical disk drive  10 , in such a way that the main board  28  may be laid in parallel to the main body  21 , and at a certain distance below the body  21 . One end of a flexible wire harness  29  is connected with one end of the main board  28 , while the other end of the flexible wire harness  29  is extended to the front side of the main body  21 . 
         [0019]    The guide unit  12  includes a left guide  31  and a right guide  32 . The left guide  31  and the right guide  32  are a three-sided enclosing wall structure, in which could be work as a sliding recess  33 . The height of each of these guides is approximately equivalent to the distance between the first fixing part  23  and the second fixing part  24 . For each of the guides  31 ,  32 , it may be made of plastic for the reduction of friction and noise, and provided with a thicker enclosing wall for the enhancement of structural strength. At the top and bottom of the guide  31 ,  32 , where thicker enclosing walls are used, could further conjunct a consideration number of the braces  22 , and so as positioning recesses  34  is provided. Each positioning recess  34  may cooperate with the enclosing walls at the top and bottom of each of the guides  31 ,  32 . The height of each positioning recess  34  may be approximately larger than the thickness of the upper cover  11 . In each positioning recess  34 , there is further projectingly provided with a wedge  35 , the height of which is approximately equivalent to the thickness of the upper cover  11 , and the size of which is approximately smaller than that of the corresponding first buckle hole  25  or second buckle hole  26 , allowing this wedge to be inserted into the first buckle hole  25  or second buckle hole  26 . 
         [0020]    The bar unit  13  further comprises a left bar  41  and a right bar  42 , each of the bars is formed with a sliding groove  43 , which, composed of three-sided enclosing wall, opens toward the inside of the optical disk drive  10 . The heights of the left bar  41  and the right bar  42  are adapted such that these bars may be just accommodated, and then moved inside the sliding recesses  33  of the left guide  31  and the right guide  32 , respectively. On the top surface of the tray  14 , there is provided with a disk recess  44 , in which a spindle motor  45  and a pick-up head  46  used for supporting and rotating the optical disk are provided. On the bottom of the tray  14 , there are provided a servo printed circuit board and electronic components (not shown), covered by a metal base plate  47  for EMI isolation, for the control of the spindle motor  45  and the pick-up head  46 . 
         [0021]    Referring to  FIG. 4  together with  FIG. 5 , there are shown front and rear views of an assembled slim optical disk drive  10  of the present invention, respectively. For the slim optical disk drive  10  of the present invention, the left guide  31  and the right guide  32  may be received between the first fixing part  23  and the second fixing part  24  of the brace  22 , respectively. The first fixing part  23  and the second fixing part  24  laid at each edge of the main body  21 , while the sliding recess  33  opens toward the inside of the optical disk drive  10 . The first fixing part  23  of each brace  22  is allowed to enter into the positioning recesses  34  on the left guide  31  and the right guide  32  correspondingly one after another, and then the wedge  35  of each positioning recess  34  is allowed to insert into the first buckle hole  25  of each first fixing part  23  one by one, causing the brace  22  to be caught into the positioning recess  34  without projecting out of this positioning recess  34 . On the other hand, the second fixing part  24  is assembled into the positioning recesses  34  at the bottom of the left guide  31  and the right guide  32  correspondingly one after another, and then the wedge  35  of each positioning recess  34  is allowed to insert into the second buckle hole  26  of each second fixing part  24  one by one, causing the brace  22  to be caught into the positioning recess  34  without projecting out of this positioning recess  34 . The left guide  31  and the right guide  32  are thus fixed at the both sides of the upper cover  11 . Subsequently, the left bar  41  and the right bar  42  are inserted into the sliding recesses  33  of the left guide  31  and the right guide  32 , respectively, in which the sliding grooves  43  of the left bar  41  and the right bar  42  face toward the inside of the optical disk drive  10 . Both sides of the tray  14  are extended into the sliding groove  43  of the left bar  41  and the right bar  42 , and then slidingly moved therein. The tray  14  is supported at both sides thereof by the left bar  41  and the right bar  42 , allowing it to slide into and out of the upper cover  11 . 
         [0022]    In  FIG. 6 , there is shown a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A of  FIG. 4 . For the present invention the upper cover  11  includes an inverted-F brace  22 . Further the inverted-F brace  22  extends the first fixing part  23  and the second fixing part  24 , which may coincide with the positioning recesses  34  exactly. The wedges  35  on the positioning recesses  34  may insert into the first buckle hole  25  and the second buckle hole  26  of these first and second fixing parts exactly. Due to the aforesaid structure, this structure could fix the guide  31  securely and achieve the object of weight reduction by removing the bottom cover. Furthermore, the overall thickness of the optical disk drive may be reduced due to the fact that the second fixing part  24  may not project out of the surface of the guide  31  any more. Meanwhile, the protection against the fragments of an optical disk  48  may be obtained, and the exposure of the laser from the pick-up head may be prevented, owing to the preservation of the upper cover  11  to cover the top side of the optical disk drive in the present invention. Additionally, EMI may be also prevented by the cooperation with the base plate  47  covering the bottom of the optical disk drive. 
         [0023]    In  FIG. 7 , there is shown a slim optical disk drive  50  of another embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment and the prior one are similar in basic configuration, while the difference there between is that, instead of the connection between the bottom faces of the left and right guides and the second fixing parts in the prior embodiment, an outer face  51  of each of the left and right guides, in the present invention, is formed with a plurality of hooking recesses  52  with which the second fixing parts  53  of the braces  55  formed as buckle hooks  54  are connected. Thus, the overall thickness of the optical disk drive may be equally lowered. 
         [0024]    Therefore, the object of reducing weight by removing the bottom cover is achieved by the slim optical disk drive of the present invention, in which the braces extend from the upper cover to fix the guides with preserved overall safety of the optical disk drive. Moreover, either the insertion of the braces into the concaved positioning recesses of the guides, or the buckling provided at the outer faces of the guides may be also used, in such a way that the thickness of each brace may be eliminated to facilitate the thickness reduction of the optical disk drive. 
         [0025]    The foregoing description is only embodiments for illustrating the present invention, but the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. All variations made in accordance with the present invention without departing from the spirit of the invention are intended to be embraced in the appended claims.