US 8,266,642 B2 · Optical disk mechanism with shaped roller and double beam mount

Abstract

An optical disk mechanism has a housing with at least one disk entry/exit aperture. A disk guide, such as a plate, is aligned with and guides an optical disk through the disk entry/exit aperture. Two beams rotatably support at least one roller and a drive mechanism. Flexing and biasing the roller towards the disk, the two beams maintain a rotational axis of the roller parallel to the disk and accommodate varying separation between the roller and the disk guide. The two beams are closely spaced and non-coplanar, and may be part of a double-beam mount. The double-beam mount attaches the two beams to the housing and to a frame, which positions the roller near the disk guide and the disk entry/exit aperture. Sliding the disk along the plate or other disk guide, the roller is reversible to drive the disk in or out through the disk entry/exit aperture.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An optical disk mechanism comprising:

a housing having a disk entry/exit aperture and a disk guide within and attached to the housing, the disk guide being aligned with the disk entry/exit aperture and directed to guide an optical disk in or out through the disk entry/exit aperture, the housing further including two beams being attached to the housing at a housing end of each beam, the two beams rotatably supporting a roller with a drive mechanism, the two beams being flexible and positioned and directed to bias the roller towards the optical disk, to maintain a rotational axis of the roller parallel to the optical disk and to accommodate varying positioning of the roller relative to the disk guide, when the optical disk is being guided by the disk guide.

An optical disk mechanism comprising:

a housing having a disk entry/exit aperture and a plate within and attached to the housing, the plate having a first edge aligned with the disk entry/exit aperture and having a first face, the housing further including a frame attached to two beams at a frame end of each beam, the two beams being attached to the housing at a housing end of each beam, the frame rotatably supporting a roller with a drive mechanism, the two beams being flexible and positioned and configured to bias the frame and the roller towards the first face of the plate, to maintain a rotational axis of the roller parallel to the plate and to accommodate varying separation between the roller and the first face of the plate.

An optical disk mechanism comprising:

a housing with a disk entry/exit aperture;
a double-beam mount attached at a base to the housing, the double-beam mount having two beams extending from the base to a block, the two beams being closely spaced and non-coplanar;
a frame attached to the block;
a roller, supported by the frame, the roller being driven by a motor and rotating on a rotational axis;
and
a plate attached to the housing and having a first edge proximate to and parallel to the disk entry/exit aperture, the plate having a first face;
the frame and the double-beam mount positioning the roller proximate to the first face and the first edge of the plate so that the roller drives an optical disk slidably along the first face of the plate and in through the disk entry/exit aperture and the roller drives the optical disk slidably along the first face of the plate and out through the disk entry/exit aperture, the two beams of the double-beam mount flexing to maintain the rotational axis of the roller parallel to the plate.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Optical disk mechanism with shaped roller and double beam mount

Life of this patent

Optical disk mechanism with shaped roller and double beam mount

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20