Patent ID: 8352974

Claim:
A disk holding device for a disk having a center hole, comprising: a disk holding mechanism for engagement with an edge of said center hole when in a holding position, and for coming away from said edge when in a release position, the disk holding mechanism comprising first, second and third coupling levers for engagement on at least three points of said edge, each of the first, second and third coupling levers comprising a shank portion for insertion in said center hole, the first and second coupling levers each further comprising a hook portion, disposed to project from said shank portion, for engagement of a lower surface of said disk, the third coupling lever without a hook portion; an actuating mechanism for shifting said disk holding mechanism, to hold said disk by setting said disk holding mechanism in said holding position, and to enable loading or unloading of said disk by setting said disk holding mechanism in said release position; and a separator, opposed to said edge when inserted in said center hole, for receiving said edge while said disk holding mechanism moves to said release position, to ensure separation of said disk from said first and second coupling levers of said disk holding mechanism.