Disk drive cartridge door
AssigneeIomega Corporation
InventorsWayne A. Sumner, Allen T. Bracken, David W. Griffith, David E.. Jones, Edward L. Rich
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cartridge for a magnetic disk drive has a rigid shell and a flexible door which covers an opening through which read/write heads engage the recording medium. The flexible door is guided outside of the shell to an open position as the cartridge is inserted into the drive. A projection on a flexible arm in the drive catches a hole in the flexible door to open it as the cartridge is inserted into the drive. The door which opens along the outside of the cartridge conserves space so that the recording medium can be large for a given form factor drive.
Claims27
A cartridge for a drive in which read/write heads read/record data on a recording medium comprising:
- a shell;
- a recording medium in said shell;
- an opening in said shell for access by said read/write heads from outside said shell to said recording medium;
- a flexible door covering said opening when said cartridge is removed from said drive;
- tracks along the front of said shell guiding said door outside of said shell, said flexible door sliding in said tacks from a closed position covering said opening, along the outside of said shell on said one side, to an open position when said cartridge is inserted into said drive;
- a member rotatable about the axis of said recording medium, said member being connected to said door;
- and
- a spring connected to said member for returning said door to said closed position when said cartridge is removed from said drive.
The combination of a cartridge containing a recording medium and a drive having read/write heads which read/record data on said recording medium, said cartridge comprising:
- a shell;
- a recording medium in said shell;
- an opening in said shell for access by said read/write heads from outside said shell to said recording medium;
- a flexible door covering said opening when said cartridge is removed from said drive;
- tracks guiding said door outside of said shell when said door is moved from a closed position covering said opening to an open position when said cartridge is inserted into said drive;
- a member rotatable about the axis of said recording medium, said member being connected to said door;
- and
- a spring connected to said member for returning said door to said closed position when said cartridge is removed from said drive.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.