Patent ID: 8037486

Claim:
A disk device comprising: a slider which is mounted on a chassis forming a frame so as to be movable in a first direction between a first position and a second position, and is configured to start a movement from the first position toward the second position in conjunction with an operation in which an optical pickup is switched from an operation mode into a non-operation mode and returns to an initial position; a disk tray which is mounted on the chassis so as to be movable in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction between a third position and a fourth position, is configured to move from the third position toward the fourth position in conjunction with the movement of the slider, and is provided with a first groove extending in the first direction; a protrusion which is provided in the slider and is engaged with the first groove when the disk tray moves to the third position, thereby preventing the disk tray from moving from the third position to the fourth position; a second groove which is provided in the disk tray, communicates with the first groove, and introduces the protrusion into the first groove when the disk tray is moved from the fourth position to the third position; a first drive mechanism which is configured to move the disk tray and includes a first pinion provided in the chassis and a first rack provided in the disk tray, and a second drive mechanism which is configured to move the slider and includes a second pinion which is integrally rotatable with the first pinion and a second rack provided in the slider, wherein the first rack is separated from the first pinion when the disk tray is positioned at the third position, and the first rack is engaged with the first pinion when the disk tray starts moving from the third position toward the fourth position; wherein the second groove is provided with an opening by cutting a portion of a groove wall of the guide groove so that the protrusion is introduced into the second groove through the opening when the disk tray moves from the third position toward the fourth position in conjunction with the movement of the slider in a case where the protrusion is disengaged from the first groove; wherein the second rack is separated from the second pinion when the slider is positioned at the first position, and the second rack is engaged with the second pinion when the slider starts moving from the first position toward the second position; and wherein when the protrusion is introduced into the second groove through the opening the slider is positioned at the second position and the second rack is separated from the second pinion.