Optical information processing apparatus and cleaning cartridge
AssigneeKabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
InventorHiroshi Yamamoto
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An optical information processing apparatus includes a loading section in which a disk cartridge enclosing an information recording medium therein and a cleaning cartridge enclosing a cleaning member are selectively loaded. When the cleaning cartridge is loaded in the apparatus, the cleaning member contacts the objective of an optical head of the apparatus. In response to a detection signal from a sensor for detecting that the cleaning cartridge is loaded in the loading section, a drive mechanism of the apparatus moves the optical head and cleaning member relative to each other while keeping the objective and cleaning member in sliding contact.
Claims15
A cleaning cartridge for cleaning optical means movable in first and second directions in a movement path of an information processing apparatus and capable of reproducing information from an optical memory, the cleaning cartridge comprising:
- a cartridge body removably loadable in the processing apparatus and having an opening located in the movement path of the optical means when the cartridge body is loaded in the processing apparatus;
- and
- cleaning means provided in the cartridge body for contactably cleaning the optical means when the cartridge body is loaded, the cleaning means including a cleaning member and a cleaning unit, said cleaning member being arranged so as to contact the optical means through the opening, said cleaning unit having a support member for supporting the cleaning member, the support member being arranged in the cartridge body so as to move in accordance with the movement of the optical means between an original position where the cleaning means is located in the movement path of the optical means and a swing position where the cleaning means is removed from the movement path of the optical means.
An optical information processing apparatus comprising:
- a casing having an inlet opening and a loading section;
- a first cartridge for housing an information recording medium;
- loading means for removably loading the first cartridge in the loading section of the casing;
- optical means movable in a movement path for processing information from the information recording medium of the first cartridge loaded in the loading section;
- a second cartridge removably loadable in the loading section in place of the first cartridge, the second cartridge having cleaning means for contactably cleaning the optical means when the second cartridge is loaded in the loading section;
- means for detecting when the second cartridge is loaded in the loading section;
- and
- drive means for moving the optical means and the cleaning means relative to each other, and for keeping the optical means and the cleaning means in contact in response to a detection signal supplied from the detecting means.
An optical information processing apparatus including optical means for reproducing information from an optical memory, the optical information processing apparatus comprising:
- means for cleaning the optical means, the cleaning means including a cartridge body and a cleaning unit provided in the cartridge body, said cleaning unit contacting the optical means;
- means for housing the cleaning means;
- means for removably loading the cartridge body in the housing means;
- means for detecting when the cartridge body is loaded in the loading means;
- and
- means for moving the optical means and the cleaning means relative to each other and for keeping the optical means and the cleaning means in contact in response to a detection signal supplied from the detecting means, so that the optical means is cleaned by the cleaning means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.