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US 6,147,837 AGranted
Data cartridge having arcuate shutter spring
AssigneeIomega Corporation
InventorsBrian Schick, Shane Nowell, Michael William Nordmeyer, Barry Littlewood
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A disk cartridge, for use in a disk drive, has a shutter for opening and closing over a disk access opening. A compression spring provides a force to bias the shutter to a closed position. The spring is coupled at one end to the shutter and follows an arcuate path substantially concentric with the disk within the cartridge.
Claims10
A disk cartridge comprising:
- an outer shell having a front edge, a back edge, and two side edges;
- a data storage medium rotatably disposed within-said outer shell,
- a medium access opening formed proximate said front edge of said outer shell;
- a shutter pivotally coupled within said outer shell about an axis of rotation of the data storage medium and movable between a position covering said medium access opening and a position exposing said data storage medium in said medium access opening;
- and
- a compression spring disposed within said outer shell between said data storage medium and said back edge, said spring compressing and expanding in a path substantially parallel to an outer edge of said medium.
3 more elements
A method for automatically closing a cartridge shutter, comprising:
- providing an outer shell over a circular data storage medium, said outer shell having a substantially planar inner top surface, a front edge, back edge, and two side edges;
- pivotally disposing a shutter within said outer shell so that said shutter moves between a position closing over a head access opening formed in said front edge of said outer shell and a position opening said head access opening;
- and
- providing a helically wound spring arranged so that an axis about which the spring is wound lies substantially in a plane substantially parallel to the substantially planar inner top surface of the outer shell and disposed within a portion of said outer shell between an edge of said circular data storage medium and said back edge, said spring being coupled to said shutter so that said shutter is biased toward a closing position.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.