Patent ID: 7107599

Claim:
A recording medium driving device comprising: a loading unit for having a recording medium loaded thereon; a holder for holding said recording medium, said holder being movable between an insertion/ejection position inserting/ejecting said recording medium and a loading position loading said recording medium on said loading unit; an ejection lever for ejecting said recording medium from said holder at said inserting/ejecting position; a slider movable in a direction of inserting said recording medium into said holder and in a direction of ejecting said recording medium from said holder, said slider when moved in said inserting direction causing said holder to be moved from said inserting/ejecting position towards said loading position, and said slider when moved in said ejecting direction causing said holder to be moved from said loading position to said insertion/ejection position; a head for recording information signals on said recording medium; a head shift lever for causing said head to be moved in directions of contacting with and separating from said recording medium, respectively; and a cam lever carried by said holder for movement in said inserting direction and in said ejecting direction, said cam lever operating said head shift lever; said head being retreated to a first retreat position receded from said recording medium held by said holder, when said recording medium is ejected from said holder positioned at said insertion/ejection position under a driving force of a driving motor; said head being retreated to a second retreat position receded from said recording medium when information signals are reproduced from said recording medium at said loading position; said holder being moved to said insertion/ejection position when said recording medium is ejected from said holder by a manual operation by a user during recording of information signals on said recording medium in said loading unit, said head being retreated to a third retreat position receded from said recording medium ejected from said holder; wherein in said first, second and third retreat positions, a relative position between said head and said holder relative to the contacting or separating direction is substantially the same.