Patent Abstract:
A drive receives a removable storage cartridge thereinto and retains the received cartridge. The cartridge includes a shell and a storage media disposed within the shell. The drive has a motor for engaging the media within the retained cartridge and applying a motive force to the engaged media, and an ejection mechanism for ejecting the retained cartridge upon actuation. The drive also has a stopper for contacting the cartridge at least during ejection thereof and for co-acting with the ejecting cartridge to stop the ejecting cartridge at a predetermined ejection travel distance. The cartridge has a stop feature that co-acts with the stopper.

Full Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to a disk drive for receiving a disk disposed within an inserted cartridge and a device that controls the distance that the cartridge is ejected from the disk drive. More particularly, the present invention relates to such a disk drive having a catching device that catches the ejected disk cartridge after the cartridge has traveled a predetermined distance along an eject path.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    A disk drive for receiving a removable disk cartridge is known. Examples of a disk drive include a conventional 3.5 inch ‘floppy’ disk drive, a “ZIP” disk drive as developed and marketed by IOMEGA Corporation of Roy, Utah, and the like. Such a disk drive is typically coupled to a processor or the like, and facilitates an exchange of information between the processor and a disk contained within the disk cartridge. The disk and the disk drive may be magnetically or optically based, for example.  
           [0003]    The disk cartridge typically includes an outer casing or shell that houses the aforementioned disk therein. The disk is mounted on a hub and can rotate freely within the cartridge, and the hub of the disk is externally accessible by way of an access aperture defined in one of the planar panels of the cartridge. Typically, the disk drive includes a frame or chassis and a disk motor which is mounted thereto, wherein during operation of the drive, the motor engages the hub of the disk through the cartridge access aperture and applies a rotating force to such hub.  
           [0004]    In one arrangement, the disk cartridge is inserted into, retained within, and ejected from the disk drive generally within an X-Y plane, and the motor is moved into contact with the retained disk in a direction generally perpendicular to the X-Y plane of such inserted disk, i.e., along a Z-axis. Such movement of such motor may be actuated as part of receiving and retaining the disk cartridge in the frame, and may for example be achieved by helically mounting the motor within the frame, by positioning the motor on a bi-level slide, or by pivoting the motor along an appropriate axis. Accordingly, the motor is moved relative to the disk along the Z-axis between a disk-engagement or loaded position and a disk-separation or unloaded position.  
           [0005]    In at least some disk drives, the frame includes laterally arranged tracks on either side thereof for receiving corresponding lateral edges of the disk cartridge during cartridge insertion. Thus, the tracks guide the cartridge into the drive during insertion, hold the cartridge during retention, and guide the cartridge out of the drive during ejection. As may be appreciated, such tracks in the frame generally align with a cartridge opening in the disk drive, and the cartridge passes through the aligned opening during insertion and ejection thereof.  
           [0006]    Typically, the ejection mechanism for a disk drive is mechanically based or electrically based. In the mechanical case, a mechanical eject button is externally positioned on the disk drive, where the mechanical button is the distal end of an ejection link that extends within the drive to a ejection mechanism, and physical pressure is applied to such mechanical button and transferred to the ejection mechanism by way of the ejection link to mechanically effectuate ejection of an inserted disk cartridge. In the electrical case, an electrical eject button may be externally positioned on the disk drive, where the electrical button electrically actuates an ejection mechanism within the disk drive, and the ejection mechanism as actuated effectuates ejection of an inserted disk cartridge. Note that in addition to or instead of the electrical button, electrical actuation of the ejection mechanism may occur by way of a signal received from the processor to which the disk drive is coupled. At any rate, ejection of a disk cartridge, be it mechanically or electrically based, is generally known or should be apparent to the relevant public and therefore need not be discussed herein in any detail.  
           [0007]    The distance that the disk cartridge travels during ejection from the disk drive is important to the proper function of the drive. If the cartridge eject distance is too small, the cartridge may not protrude through the cartridge opening far enough to be grasped and pulled out. If the eject distance is too large, the cartridge may completely exit the drive and fall or even be projected some distance. Due to the nature of the ejection mechanism in a disk drive, be it mechanically or electrically based, there are many variables and tolerances which affect the eject distance of the cartridge. In short, cartridge eject distance of a disk drive is subject to a relatively wide range in variation, and is relatively difficult to control within an acceptable range.  
           [0008]    Accordingly, a need exists for a device in a disk drive that controls the cartridge eject distance to be within a relatively narrow acceptable range in a relatively simple and economical manner.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0009]    The present invention satisfies the aforementioned need by providing a disk drive for receiving a removable storage disk cartridge thereinto and retaining the received cartridge. The cartridge includes a shell and a storage media disposed within the shell. The drive has a motor for engaging the media within the retained cartridge and applying a motive force to the engaged media, and an ejection mechanism for ejecting the retained cartridge upon actuation. The drive also has a stopper for contacting the cartridge at least during ejection thereof and for co-acting with the ejecting cartridge to stop the ejecting cartridge at a predetermined ejection travel distance. The cartridge has a stop feature that co-acts with the stopper. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]    The foregoing summary as well as the following detailed description of the present invention will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there are shown in the drawings embodiments which are presently preferred. As should be understood, however, the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown. In the drawings:  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the interior of a disk drive in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a disk cartridge for being received into the disk drive of FIG. 1, and a catch device for being mounted to the disk drive of claim 1 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 3 is another perspective view of the disk cartridge of FIG. 2, and shows a catch feature for being caught by the catch device of FIG. 2 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the catch feature shown in FIG. 3. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0015]    Certain terminology may be used in the following description for convenience only and is not considered to be limiting. For example, the words “left”, “right”, “upper”, and “lower” designate directions in the drawings to which reference is made. Likewise, the words “inwardly” and “outwardly” are directions toward and away from, respectively, the geometric center of the referenced object. The terminology includes the words above specifically mentioned, derivatives thereof, and words of similar import.  
         [0016]    Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a disk drive  10  in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. As was discussed above, the disk drive  10  is for receiving a removable disk (not shown) such as a conventional 3.5 inch ‘floppy’ disk or a “ZIP” disk as developed and marketed by IOMEGA Corporation of Roy, Utah, and the like. The disk may be mounted on a generally coaxial hub (not shown) or may define a generally coaxial aperture (not shown) at the center thereof. As was discussed above, the disk is positioned within a cartridge  13  that includes an outer casing or shell  15 . The disk can rotate freely within the cartridge  13 , and the hub or aperture of the disk is externally accessible by way of an access aperture (not shown) defined in an appropriate one of the planar panels of the shell  15  of the cartridge  13 . Of course, the disk drive  10  may be for receiving any type of disk, magnetic, optical, or otherwise, with or without a hub, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.  
         [0017]    The disk drive  10  includes a frame or chassis  12  and a disk motor  14  which is mounted thereto, wherein during operation of the drive  10 , the motor  14  engages the disk at the hub or aperture thereof by way of the access aperture of the cartridge  13  and applies a rotating force thereto. The disk cartridge  13  and disk therein are inserted into (arrow A, FIGS.  1 - 3 ), retained within, and ejected from (arrow B, FIGS.  1 - 3 ) the drive  10  generally within an X-Y plane that is generally parallel to and within the general extent of the frame  12  of the drive  10 , and the motor  14  is moved relative to the disk cartridge and disk into a loaded position and into contact with the disk generally along a Z-axis generally perpendicular to the X-Y plane. Upon ejection of the disk cartridge and disk therein, the motor  14  is moved relative to the disk cartridge and disk back out to an unloaded position and out of contact with the disk along the Z-axis.  
         [0018]    In one embodiment of the present invention, and as best seen in FIG. 1, the frame  12  includes laterally arranged tracks  16  on either side thereof for receiving and guiding corresponding lateral edges  17  of the disk cartridge  13  during insertion, retention, and ejection of the cartridge  13 . As seen, such tracks  16  in the frame  12  generally align with a cartridge opening  18  in the disk drive  10 , and the cartridge  13  with the disk therein passes through the aligned opening  18  during insertion and ejection thereof.  
         [0019]    As was discussed above, and as seen in FIG. 2, the disk drive  10  includes an electrical or mechanical ejection mechanism  28  that ejects the retained cartridge  13  upon actuation. Again, ejection of a disk cartridge  13 , be it mechanically or electrically based, is generally known or should be apparent to the relevant public and therefore need not be discussed herein in any detail. Accordingly, any appropriate ejection mechanism  28  may be employed without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.  
         [0020]    In one embodiment of the present invention, to control the distance that the disk cartridge  13  travels during ejection from the disk drive  10 , the disk drive  10  is provided with a stopper  20  (FIG. 2) that contacts the cartridge  13  at least during ejection and that co-acts with the cartridge  13  to stop the cartridge  13  at a predetermined ejection travel distance. In one embodiment of the present invention, and as shown in FIG. 2, the stopper  20  is a bias spring mounted on the drive  10 . However, the stopper  20  may be any appropriate device without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as long as the stopper  20  performs the functions associated therewith as disclosed herein.  
         [0021]    In one embodiment of the present invention, and as seen in FIG. 2, the disk drive  10  has a top wall  22  generally parallel to the retained disk cartridge  13  and on a side of the disk cartridge  13  opposite the motor  14 , and the stopper  20  is mounted to an inner side of the top wall  22  and extends down toward and into the path that the disk cartridge  13  travels during ejection. Thus, and as seen, a distal end  24  of the stopper  20  contacts a top surface  19  of the disk cartridge  13  as the disk cartridge  13  travels along the ejection path, and such contact by the stopper  20  halts the traveling disk cartridge at the aforementioned predetermined ejection travel distance.  
         [0022]    Note that in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the bias spring stopper  20  as mounted to the inner side of the top wall  22  extends down toward and exerts a downward pressure on the disk cartridge  13  even as the disk cartridge  13  is retained within the disk drive  10 . Thus, the stopper  20  also acts to hold the retained cartridge  13  down against the motor  14 .  
         [0023]    In one embodiment of the present invention, the stopper  20  positively co-acts with the cartridge  13  during ejection thereof to stop the cartridge  13  at the predetermined ejection travel distance, as is seen in FIG. 2. In particular, and as seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the disk cartridge  13  at the top surface  19  thereof is provided with a stop feature  21  that is contacted by the distal end  24  of the stopper  20  as the disk cartridge  13  is being ejected. Importantly, when such contact occurs, further travel of the disk cartridge  13  along the ejection travel path is halted. Thus, such stopper  20  and stop feature  21  in combination define the predetermined ejection travel distance. Appropriate positioning of both the stopper  20  within the disk drive  10  and the stop feature  21  on the top surface  19  of the disk cartridge  13  to achieve the contact therebetween at the predetermined ejection travel distance should by now be appreciated by the relevant public and therefore need not be described herein in any detail.  
         [0024]    In one embodiment of the present invention, the stop feature  21  on the top surface  19  of the disk cartridge  13  is a recess, as shown. Thus, contact with the stopper  20  comprises the distal end  24  thereof springing down and into the recess. Alternatively, the stop feature  21  may be a bump or a rough surface on the top surface  19  of the cartridge  13 , in which case the distal end  24  of the stopper  20  would spring up or frictionally co-act with the stop feature  21 , respectively.  
         [0025]    In any case, the distal end  24  of the stopper  20  preferably comprises a contacting surface  26  that glides along the top surface  19  of the traveling cartridge  13  in areas away from the stop feature  21 , and that positively co-acts with the stop feature  21  to stop the ejecting cartridge  13  at the predetermined ejection travel distance. Also in any case, the distal end  24  of the stopper  20  and the contacting surface  26  thereof preferably do not interfere with grasping of the stopped cartridge  13  by a user or the like and continued removal of the disk cartridge  13  from the disk drive  10  through the cartridge opening  18  thereof. For example, and as seen, the contacting surface may comprise a generally convex curvature that generally is matched to the generally concave recess stop feature  21 . Such generally convex curvature also is amenable to the stop feature  21  in cases where such stop feature  21  is a bump or a rough surface.  
         [0026]    In the foregoing description, it can be seen that the present invention comprises a new and useful stopper  20  in a disk drive that controls the cartridge eject distance to be within a relatively narrow acceptable range in a relatively simple and economical manner. It should be appreciated that changes could be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the inventive concepts thereof. For example, the stopper  20  may be located elsewhere, such as for example below or on a side of the retained disk cartridge  13 , and the co-acting stop feature  21  may be appropriately positioned based on the location of the stopper  20 . Likewise, the cartridge  13  may contain an item other than a disk, such as for example a tape. It should be understood, therefore, that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but it is intended to cover modifications within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 6