Abstract:
A disk loading device of a slot-in optical disk drive comprises two loading levers to load and eject a disk, wherein the two loading levers are connected to a pivot pin; and a guide slot having a right recess and a left recess, wherein the pivot pin is moveable along the guide slot.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a slot-in optical disk drive, particularly one that relates to a loading device of the slot-in optical disk drive. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     With the technology of electronic and mechanical industries continue to develop and progress, the quality of computer peripherals such as hard drives, disk drives, scanners, printers and so on are becoming better. As far as the storage medium of the disk drive is concerned, the disk has evolved from the 700 MB storage capacity of traditional CD (compact disk) to the 4.7 GB storage capacity of the DVD (digital versatile disk). As these types of disks are capable of storing data in very long term, they have become the mainstream of the market for storing data and something that every consumer must have. 
     Current disk drives use either a tray-loading mechanism, by which disk is loaded or ejected is relied on the tray moving inward or outward of the inlet of the disk drive, or a slot-in mechanism, by which the disk is slid into a slot and then drawn in further by disk loading device. The disadvantage of the slot-in mechanism is that, as a result of having no tray to let the user to align the center of the disk with the center of the spindle, the disk may not be smoothly loaded into the disk drive, e.g. the disk may get stuck on the loading path. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 1  shows the mechanism of a conventional slot-in optical disk drive, which comprises a slot inlet  15 , a motor  21 , a transmission unit  23 , a slide plate  30 , a left loading lever  20 L, and a right loading lever  20 R. The inner end of the two loading levers  20 L and  20 R are pivoted on a pivot pin  13 , which can move along a guide slot  10 . 
     When a user pushes a disk into the slot inlet  15 , the left loading lever  20 L and the right loading lever  20 R will, at the touch of the disk, recede and open wide, causing the pivot pin  13  to move toward the slot inlet  15  along the guide slot  10 . After the disk is pushed into a certain depth, the motor  21  is then activated, which, via the transmission unit  23 , brings the slide plate  30  to move to the left. The slide plate  30  is provided with a first guide track  31  and a second guide track  32 . When a 12 cm disk is loaded, the two loading levers  20 L and  20 R will open wide apart as a result of the larger contact angle with the disk and the pivot pin  13  has a longer downward travel. Thus when the slide plate  30  is driven leftward, the pivot pin  13  will move along the first guide track  31 . In the same way, when an 8 cm disk is loaded, the two loading levers  20 L and  20 R will open. However, the span angle will be smaller and the pivot pin  13  has a shorter downward travel. Thus when the slide plate  30  is driven leftward, the pivot pin  13  will move along the second guide track  32 . 
     After the motor  21  is activated, the slide plate  30  will be driven, through the transmission unit  23 , to move to the left and the pivot pin  13  moves along the first guide track  31  or the second guide track  32 . As it is confined in the guide track  31  or  32 , the pivot pin  13  also moves along the guide slot  10  downward and upward, so that the left loading lever  20 L and the right loading lever  20 R will bring the disk to a predetermined position. 
     However, if a user does not place a small disk (8 cm disk) in the middle between the two loading levers  20 L and  20 R, then only one of the loading levers will be touched and activated, i.e, when the disk is placed more to the left, then only the left loading lever  20 L will be touched and activated, and vice versa. Hence, when the transmission unit  23  started to drive the slide plate  30 , the disk will get stuck in the drive because the uneven push force of the two loading levers  20 L and  20 R may not be able to push the disk into the predetermined position. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to create a disk loading device that can automatically bring a disk to the appropriate position, so that the disk will never get stuck on the way of loading process as a result of off-center position or improper placement. 
     The present invention discloses a disk loading device of a slot-in optical disk drive. The device comprises two loading levers for loading and ejecting a disk and the two loading levers are pivoted on a pivot pin; a guide slot, which is formed with a left recess and a right recess, in which the pivot pin can move along the guide slot. 
     The disk loading device of the present invention further comprises a plate, which assumes to be at either one of two positions: first position and second position in the device. When the fender is at first position, it shields at least some part of the recesses. When the plate moves to second position, it leaves the recesses unshielded. 
     In the first preferred embodiment of the invention, the plate has a slim window. The width of a first section of the slim window is larger than the maximum width of the guide slot, while a second section is smaller than the maximum width of the guide slot but is larger than the diameter of the pivot pin. 
     In the second preferred embodiment of the invention, the plate has a U groove and moves linearly along the guide slot. The width of the U groove is about the width of the guide slot. 
     In the third preferred embodiment of the invention, the plate comes with a U groove which has a portion cut at a position corresponding to the guide slot and a remaining portion of the U groove shields one of the recesses when the plate is at first position. 
     In the fourth preferred embodiment of the invention, the plate comes with a spike that shields one of the recesses when the plate is at first position. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a conventional slot-in optical disk drive. 
         FIG. 2  shows the guide slot of a prior art slot-in optical disk drive. 
         FIG. 3  shows the guide slot of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  shows the slide plate of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  shows the slot-in optical disk drive in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  shows the plate in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  shows the plate at a first position in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 8  shows the plate at a second position in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 9  shows the plate at a first position in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 10  shows the plate at a second position in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 11  shows the plate at a first position in accordance with a third preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 12  shows the plate at a second position in accordance with a third preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 13  shows the plate at a first position in accordance with a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     In the following description, the direction related wording: “inward”, indicated a moving direction is toward an internal of the optical disk drive, and the “outward” indicated a moving direction is toward inlet of the optical disk drive, and “left”, and “right” represent the paper direction marked in their referenced figures. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 5 , which illustrates the structure of the slot-in optical disk drive of the present invention. The slot-in optical disk drive comprises: a slot inlet  15 , a motor  21 , a transmission unit  23 , a slide plate  30  (as shown in  FIG. 4 ), a left loading lever  20 L, and a right loading lever  20 R. Both the left loading lever  20 L and the right loading lever  20 R are two-bar linkage with inner ends of two bars thereof being pivoted on a common pivot pin  13 . The pivot pin  13  moves along a guide slot  10  that comprises a left recess  10 L and a right recess  10 R, as shown in  FIG. 3 . The guide slot  10  is formed on a chassis  28  which is positioned above the slide plate  30 . 
     In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the left and right recesses are arc-shaped, like a crescent. The slide plate  30  is formed with a first guide track  31  and a second guide track  32  therein, as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     When a user disposes a disk  8 , e.g. 8-cm disk, into the slot inlet  15 , if he does not put it properly, e.g, he puts it not in the middle of the slot inlet  15  but a little bit to the left or to the right, the pivot pin  13  will be getting stuck in either the left recess  10 L, or the right recess  10 R, as a result of only one loading lever  20 R, or  20 L being pushed. Please refer to  FIG. 5 . When the disk  8  is put somewhat to the left into the slot inlet  15 , as only the left loading lever  20 L is subjected to the push force, the pivot pin  13  will be stuck in the left recess  10 L of the guide slot  10  and unable to move inward along the guide slot  10 . The left loading lever  20 L is prevented from opening wider. On the other hand, when disk  8  is put somewhat to the right into the slot inlet  15 , as only the right loading lever  20 R is subjected to the push force, the pivot pin  13  will be stuck in the right recess  10 R of guide slot  10  and unable to move downward along the guide slot  10 . The right loading lever  20 R is prevented from opening wider. Thus the disk  8  demands an extra force to overcome the resistance due to the recess during the loading process, i.e., the user has to exert an extra force to continue pushing the disk  8  into the slot inlet  15  a little bit, the disk  8  will be forced guiding to the proper middle position as a result of the resistance of the recess  10 R or  10 L. And when the disk  8  is forced into the proper position, the disk  8  will be able to push both the right and left loading levers  20 R and  20 L, releasing the pivot pin  13  from the confinement of the right recess  10 R or the left recess  10 L, and so the disk loading process will be carried out smoothly. 
     Thus, as described above, the slot-in optical disk drive of the present invention can force a manually loaded disk into the proper loading position and completely solve the disk stuck problems as often encountered by prior art slot-in optical disk drives. 
     The slot-in optical disk drive of the present invention further comprises a plate  40  within. The plate  40  assumes to be at either one of two positions: first position (Position I) or second position (Position II) in the drive. When the plate  40  is at Position I, it shields at least some parts of the recesses  10 L,  10 R so that the pivot pin  13  can smoothly move along the guide slot  10 . When the plate  40  is at Position II, it leaves the recesses  10 L,  10 R unshielded so that the pivot pin  13  can be stuck by the recesses  10 L,  10 R in order to guide the disk to the proper position of the slot inlet  15 . 
     Please refer to  FIG. 6 , which illustrates the plate  40  of the first preferred embodiment of the invention. The plate  40  comprises a base  40 A, a fulcrum  41 , a slim window  42  and an actuating part  43 . The base  40 A swivels about the fulcrum  41  between Position I and Position II. The width of the first part (the upper section) of the slim window  42  is larger than the maximum width of the guide slot  10 , which is the width from farthest edge of the left recess  10 L to that of the right recess  10 R. As a result, the first part of the slim window  42  can expose the guide slot  10 , and the left and right recesses  10 L and  10 R simultaneously. The width of the second part (the lower section) of the slim window  42  is smaller than the maximum width of the guide slot  10 , but is larger than the diameter of the pivot pin  13 . Therefore, the slim window  42  can shield the left and right recesses  10 L and  10 R simultaneously while exposing the guide slot  10  to allow the pivot pin  13  to move smoothly within. Also, in this embodiment of the present invention, there is a bumper  36  attached on one end of the slide plate  30 . When the slide plate  30  is driven by the transmission unit  23  to the left, the bumper  36  will drive the actuating part  43  so that the base  40 A swivels about the fulcrum  41  and the plate  40  moves from position II (as shown in  FIG. 8 ) to position I (as shown in  FIG. 7 ) and the base  40 A covers both the left and right recesses  10 L and  10 R. 
     In accordance with the embodiment of the slot-in optical disk drive of the present invention, when the motor  21  is activated, the slide plate  30  is moved to the left by the transmission unit  23  and the plate  40  is moved to Position I to shield the left and the right recesses  10 L,  10 R. Therefore, when the pivot pin  13  is confined by either the first guide track  31  or the second guide track  32  on the slide plate  30  and moved inward or outward along the guide slot  10 , the pivot pin  13  will not be stuck in the left recess  10 L or the right recess  10 R, but instead, can move smoothly within the guide slot  10 . 
     Please refer to  FIG. 9  and  FIG. 10 , which illustrate the plate of the second embodiment of the present invention. On the base  40 B of the plate  40 , there is a U groove  45 . The U groove  45  has a length only about a half or less of the guide slot  10  so that the two recesses  10 L and  10 R are completely unshielded as the plate  40  is at a Position II, as shown in  FIG. 10 , and the U groove  45  can shield the left and right recesses  10 L and  10 R simultaneously while exposing the guide slot  10  to allow the pivot pin  13  to move smoothly as the plate  40  is at Position I, as shown in  FIG. 9 . The actuating part  43  of the plate  40  is a slant. On the plate  40  there is also a slit  44  which is in parallel with the guide slot  10  and, in this embodiment, on the slide plate  30  there are also two pillars  33 , which are positioned inside the slit  44 . The plate  40  is moved linearly because of the pillars  33  and the slit  44 . When the slide plate  30  moves to the left, the bumper  36  on the slide plate  30  will push the actuating part  43  of the base  40 B so that the plate  40  moves from Position II to Position I. 
     With this slot-in optical disk drive of the present invention, the plate  40  can also be designed to cover only one of the two recesses on the guide slot, which will also allow the pivot pin to move along the guide slot smoothly without being stuck in the recesses. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 11  and  FIG. 12 , which illustrate the plate  40  of the third embodiment of the present invention. The base  40 C of the plate  40  is a modified version of the base  40 B (of the second embodiment). The U groove  45  is modified to have a portion cut at a position corresponding to the guide slot  10  and a remaining portion of the U groove  45  can still shield the right recess while the plate  40  is at Position I.  FIG. 11  and  FIG. 12  respectively illustrates the plate  40  is at Position I and Position II of the third embodiment of the present invention. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 13 , which illustrates the plate  40  of the fourth embodiment of the present invention. The plate  40  comprises a base  40 D, a spike  47 , a slit  44 , and an actuating part  43 . When the slide plate  30  moves to the right or to the left, it will carry the plate  40  to move inward or outward, with the spike  47  shielding part of the right recess  10 R, which allows the pivot pin  13  to move in the guide slot  10  without being stuck in the recess. 
     According to the above embodiments of the present invention, the shape of the plate may be in arbitrary and can swivel, move linearly, or in any other ways between Position I and Position II. Moreover, when the plate is at Position I, it shields at least a part of the recesses on the guide slot, allowing the pivot pin to move smoothly in the guide slot, and when the plate is at Position II, it shields no part of the recesses on the guide slot, allowing the disk to be guided to the proper loading position. 
     As is understood by a person skilled in the art, the foregoing preferred embodiments of the present invention are just illustrations, rather than limiting descriptions, of the present invention. It is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims, the scope of which should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar structures.