Single disk write protection system for multiple-disk cartridge

A cartridge for storing machine-readable data storage disks for use by at least one disk drive of a computing system, said cartridge including:

• a cartridge shell for storing and conveying a predetermined number of trays, said shell including a face that is exposed when the cartridge shell is inserted into the disk drive;
• and
• at least one tray, wherein each said tray is shaped to be housed by the cartridge shell and each said tray includes an outer edge that is positioned proximate the face when the tray is housed within the cartridge shell, each said tray also including a corresponding write protection mechanism for selectively providing a machine-readable indication of a protection status of a disk supported by said tray, each said mechanism including user-activated receiving members to change the corresponding tray's indication in response to pressure manually applied by a user, said receiving members being positioned along the corresponding tray's outer edge and comprising:
• a resilient finger attached to the tray and pivotably deformable in a plane parallel to the tray between a first position and a second position in response to pressure applied to the finger:
• and
• a resilient detente attached to the tray and including a catch to maintain the finger in place when the finger is moved into the second position, said detente being deformably releasable to release the finger back into the first position in response to pressure applied toward the detente in a predetermined direction;
• wherein the cartridge shell houses the trays when the disks of the respective trays are not being accessed by said at least one disk drive.

A substantially planar tray to support a machine-readable data storage disk for use by a disk drive of a computing system, wherein said tray is shaped to be housed within a cartridge that is shaped for slidable insertion into the disk drive, the cartridge including a face that is exposed when the cartridge is fully inserted into the disk drive, said tray including an outer edge that is positioned proximate the face when the tray is housed by the cartridge, said tray including a write protection mechanism for selectively providing a machine-readable indication of a protection status of the disk, said write protection mechanism including user-activated receiving members to change the indication in response to pressure manually applied by a user, said receiving members being positioned along the tray's outer edge and comprising:

• a resilient finger attached to the tray and pivotably deformable in a plane parallel to the tray between a first position and a second position in response to pressure applied to the finger;
• and
• a resilient detente attached to the tray and including a ramp with an inboard catch facing the finger, wherein said attachment between the detente and the tray urges the ramp toward the finger to slidably contact the finger during pivoting of the finger from the first position to the second position, said catch maintaining the finger at the second position after the finger slides past the catch, said detente being deformably pivotable to release the finger in response to pressure applied to the detente in a direction away from the finger.

A method for establishing write protection status of a machine-readable data storage disk, comprising the steps of:

• supporting the disk in a substantially planar tray having a write protection mechanism accessible via an outer edge of the tray for selectively establishing a machine-readable indication of a protection status of the disk, said write protection mechanism having mutually exclusive write-protected and write-unprotected states;
• housing the tray within a cartridge such that the tray's outer edge is positioned proximate a face of the cartridge, and first and second holes defined in the face are positioned proximate the write protection mechanism;
• slidably inserting the cartridge into a disk drive of a computing system such that the cartridge's face is exposed;
• while the cartridge is inserted into the disk drive, inserting a narrow implement through the first hole sufficiently for contact with the write protection mechanism to change the indication from the write-unprotected state to the write-protected state;
• and
• while the cartridge is inserted into the disk drive, inserting a narrow implement through the second hole sufficiently for contact with the write protection mechanism to change the indication from the write-protected state to the write-unprotected state.