Patent Abstract:
A disk carrier mechanism is used for moving a disk between an insertion position and a reading position. The disk carrier mechanism includes a wedged member set, a fixing board, a sliding board, and a driver set. The wedged member set includes multiple wedged members, each with a wedged part for wedging a disk. The driver set is formed on the fixing board for driving the sliding board to move relative to the fixing board. After being inserted, a disk is wedged in the wedged part and the force of inserting the disk pushes the sliding board to move to the position where the sliding board makes contact with the driver set. Thus the driver set drives the sliding board to place the disk in the reading position. Thus fewer members are used to accomplish the goal of moving the disk, which simplifies the actions of members, the fabrication of the mechanism, and reduces cost.

Full Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The invention relates to a disk carrier mechanism adopted for use in retracting optical disk drives, and particularly a disk carrier mechanism that operates with simplified element movements.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Among the peripheral devices of personal computers, the optical disk drive has become an indispensable piece of equipment. With the growing popularity of multimedia information in recent years, a great amount of data and products are stored on optical disks. Optical disks also have many advantages over other data media, thus the demand and popularity of optical disk drives such as CD and DVD is constantly increasing.  
           [0003]    In order to facilitate disk insertion and retrieval in the small space of the optical disk drive, a retracting optical disk drive has been development, such as the one disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,193,24. Conventional retracting optical disk drives mostly employ a guiding board to direct and position the disk. The guiding board has a plurality of slots to couple with elements such as cams and latch hooks. The cited patent has many elements. Thus production cost is higher, the fabrication process is complicated, and accurate positioning and assembly are difficult.  
           [0004]    In view of the aforesaid disadvantages, to design a disk carrier mechanism with fewer elements and simplified movements to make assembly simpler, positioning easier, fabrication procedures simpler, and production cost lower has become a key focus in the development of the retracting optical disk drive.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    The primary object of the invention is to provide a disk carrier mechanism that can carrying a disk with fewer elements and simplified element movements, and make assembly easier and cost lower.  
           [0006]    The disk carrier mechanism for optical disk drives of the invention is used to carry the disk between an inserted position and a reading position. The inserted position is the position on the disk carrier mechanism of the optical disk drive where the disk is placed. The reading position is the position of the chuck of the optical disk drive where the opening of the disk is located.  
           [0007]    The invention consists of a wedged member set, a fixing board, a sliding board and a driver set. The wedged member set couples with guiding slots of the fixing board and fixing holes of the sliding board to enable the sliding board and wedged member set to slidably mount onto the fixing board. The wedged member set includes a plurality of wedged members, each with a wedged part to wedge the disk. The driver set is mounted onto the fixing board to drive the sliding board to slide relative to the fixing board.  
           [0008]    When the disk is placed on the disk carrier mechanism, the disk is wedged in the wedged part to push the wedged member set to move along the guiding slots of the fixing board, and move the sliding board relative to the fixing board to the corresponding driver set. The driver set drives the sliding board and the wedged member set moves the disk to the reading position. In contrast, when retracting the disk, the driver set drives the sliding board, and the wedged member set moves along the guiding slots to move the disk on the wedged part of the wedged member set. When the sliding board separates from the driver set, the disk is moved to the inserted position by the wedged member set.  
           [0009]    The foregoing, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1 is a sectional view of the wedged member of the invention.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the fixing board of the invention.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the guiding board of the invention.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the sliding board of the invention.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of the invention.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 6 is a back perspective view of the invention.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIGS. 7A through 7E are schematic views of the invention, showing the disk in various moving conditions. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0017]    Referring to FIGS. 1 through 6, the disk carrier mechanism of the invention aims at carrying a disk A between an inserted position and a reading position. The inserted position is the location where the disk A is placed on the disk carrier mechanism of the optical disk drive. The reading position is the location of the chuck of the optical disk drive where the opening of the disk is mounted (also referring to FIGS. 7A and 7E).  
         [0018]    The disk carrier mechanism of the invention includes a wedged member set  10 , a fixing board  20 , a sliding board  30 , a driver set  40 , a sliding member  50  and an elastic element  60 . The wedged member set  10  enables the sliding board  30  to movably couple on one side of the fixing board  20  and moves the disk A. The driver set  40  drives the sliding board  30  to move relative to the fixing board  20 . The sliding member  50  is connected to the sliding board  30  by the elastic element  60 .  
         [0019]    The wedged member set  10  includes a plurality of wedged members  11 . Each wedged member  11  has a wedged part  111  and a washer  112 . The wedged part  111  may wedge the disk A. It includes a plane  111   a,  a side wall  111   b  and a sloped surface  111   c.  The plane  111   a  may hold the disk A horizontally. The side wall  111   b  connects to the plane  111   a  to allow the wedged member  11  to be pushed by the disk A and drives the disk A when the wedged member  11  is moved. The plane  111   a  and the side wall  111   b  may wedge the disk A. The sloped surface  111   c  connects to the plane  111   a  to guide the disk A to wedge in the wedged member  11  and escape from the wedged member  11 . The washer  112  is movably mounted onto the wedged member  11  to keep the sliding board  30  movably located on one side of the fixing board  20 .  
         [0020]    The fixing board  20  has a plurality of guiding slots  21 , a retaining section  22 , a clamp set  23 , a front switch  24 , a rear switch  25 , a guiding board  26  and a lever  27 . Each guiding slot  21  couples with one wedged member  11  and guides the movement of the wedged member  11 . The retaining section  22  is located on one side of the fixing board  20  (opposite to the side of the fixing board  20  where the sliding board  30  is located) to enable the disk A to separate from the wedged member  11 . The clamp set  23 , front switch  24  and rear switch  25  are located on another side of the fixing board  20  (the side of the fixing board  20  where the sliding board  30  is located). The clamp set  23  includes a clamping rod  231 , a clamping spring (not shown in the drawings), a clamping plate  233  and a clamping member  234 . The clamping rod  231  is pivotally mounted on the fixing board  20 . The clamping spring (not shown in the drawings) is coupled with the clamping rod  231 . The clamping plate  233  is coupled with the clamping rod  231  in a turnable manner. The clamping member  234  is fixedly mounted onto the clamping plate  233  and is located in a position corresponding to the reading position of the disk A so that when the disk A is moved with its opening corresponding to the chuck of the optical disk drive, the clamp set  23  presses the disk A to the chuck on the reading position. The front switch  24  and the rear switch  25  connect electrically with the driver set  40 , and correspond respectively to the starting point and the finishing point of the movement displacement of the sliding board  30  relative to the fixing board  20  to actuate the driver set  40 . The guiding board  26  is located on one side of the fixing board  20  (opposite to the side of the fixing board  20  where the sliding board  30  is located) and has a guiding surface  261  to direct the disk A to the inserted position and make the disk A wedge in the wedged part  111 . The lever  27  is pivotally located on one side of the fixing board  20  (opposite to the side of the fixing board  20  where the sliding board  30  is located).  
         [0021]    The sliding board  30  has a plurality of fixing holes  31  corresponding to the guiding slots  21  and an opening  32  corresponding to the clamp set  23 . It also has a first gear rack  33 . The dimensions of the fixing hole  31  correspond to the wedged member  11  so that the wedged member  11  may couple with the corresponding fixing hole  31  and the guiding slot  21 . When the wedge part  111  is located on one side of the fixing board  20 , the sliding board  30  is slidably located on another side of the fixing board  20 . When the sliding board  30  is moved, the clamp set  23  is located in the opening  32  without affecting the movement of the sliding board  30 . The first gear rack  33  is located on one side of the sliding board  30  adjacent to the driver set  40  to be driven by the driver set  40 .  
         [0022]    The driver set  40  is mounted onto the fixing board  20 . It includes a motor  41 , a worm  42 , a first gear  43  and a second gear  44 . The motor  41  is located on one side of the fixing board  20  where the wedged part  111  is located. The worm  42  is coupled with the motor  41  and is located on one side of the fixing board  20  where the wedged part  111  is located. The first gear  43  engages with the worm  42  and is located on one side of the fixing board  20  where the wedged part  111  is located. The second gear  44  engages with the first gear  43  and is located on another side of the fixing board  20  opposite to where the wedged part  111  is located (but on the side of the fixing board  20  where the sliding board  30  is located). When the motor  41  rotates it drives the worm  42 , which in turn drives the first gear  43  and the second gear  44  to rotate.  
         [0023]    The sliding member  50  is located on one side of the sliding board  30  adjacent to the driver set  40 , and is movable relative to the sliding board  30 . It has a second gear rack  51  formed on one side adjacent to and driven by the driver set  40 . The elastic element  60  couples with the sliding member  50  and the sliding board  30  such that when the wedged member set  10  moves along the guiding slots  21 , the sliding board  30  is driven and moved relative to the fixing board  20 , and the driver set  40  drives the sliding member  50  (through the second gear rack  51 ) to move. The elastic element  60  drives the sliding board  30  to move, the driver set  40  drives the sliding board  30  (through the first gear rack  33 ), and the disk A is moved to the reading position. On the other hand, when the sliding board  30  separates from the driver set  40 , the sliding member  50  and the elastic element  60  push the sliding board  30  outwards, and the disk A is moved to the inserted position.  
         [0024]    Referring to FIGS. 7A through 7E, when the invention is in use and the disk A is inserted, the guiding surface  261  of the guiding plate  26  guides the disk A to the inserted position and pushes the lever  27 . The disk A is then wedged in the wedged part  111  of the wedged member  11  of the wedged member set  10 . The wedged member  11  is pushed by the external force applied to the disk A and is moved along the guiding slot  21 . It moves the sliding board  30  at the same time relative to the fixing board  20 . When the sliding member  50  is moved to the second gear rack  44  of the driver set  40 , the sliding board  30  is moved away from the front switch  24 , and the motor  41  is actuated to rotate. The worm  42  is then driven, and the first gear  43  and second gear  44  are driven to rotate. Through the second gear rack  51 , the sliding member  50  is driven by the second gear  44 , and the elastic element  60  drives the sliding board  30  to move. The second gear  44  drives the sliding board  30  through the first gear rack  33 . When the wedged member set  10  moves the disk A to couple its opening with the chuck of the optical disk drive, the sliding board  30  is driven continuously by the second gear  44 , so the sliding board  30  is moved continuously until reaching the rear switch  25 . Meanwhile, the lever  27  turns continuously because of the movement of the wedged member  11 . The disk A is stopped by the retaining section  22 , drops downwards from the plane  111   a  and side wall  111   b  of the wedged part  111  along the sloped surface  111   c,  and escapes from the wedging of the wedged member  11 . Meanwhile, the clamping plate  233  of the clamp set  23  turns about the clamping rod  231  to press the disk A to the chuck through the clamping member  234  to keep the disk A in the reading position.  
         [0025]    In contrast, when retracting the disk A, the motor  41  of the driver set  40  drives the sliding board  30  to move, the disk A is moved upwards along the sloped surface  111   c  to the plane  111   a  and the side wall  111   b,  and is wedged in the wedged part  111 . Meanwhile, the clamp plate  233  raises the clamping member  234  to facilitate wedging of the disk A in the wedged part  111  of the wedged member  11 . As previously discussed, when the sliding board  30  is moved, the disk A is also moved with the wedged member set  11  until the first gear rack  33  of the sliding board  30  is separated from the second gear  44  of the driver set  40 . The elastic element  60  pushes the sliding board  30 , which presses the front switch  24 , and the driver set  40  stops operating. Meanwhile, the lever  27  moves the disk A outwards to complete the retracting movements for the disk A.  
         [0026]    In summary, the disk carrier mechanism of the invention has fewer elements, and is thus easier to assemble. Element movements for loading the disk also are simplified. Thus cost may be reduced and positioning of the elements is more accurate.  
         [0027]    While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been set forth for the purpose of disclosure, modifications of the disclosed embodiment of the 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 invention.

Technology Classification (CPC): 6