US 6,983,477 B2
Disc cartridge having a shutter that includes a convex portion protruding into a center hole of the disc
Teruyuki Takizawa, Osaka (Japan); Yoshito Sazi, Hyogo (Japan); Kuniko Nakata, Osaka (Japan); and Hironori Okazawa, Osaka (Japan)
Assigned to Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., Osaka (Japan)
Filed on Nov. 12, 2002, as Appl. No. 10/292,570.
Application 10/292570 is a continuation of application No. PCT/JP02/00110, filed on Jan. 10, 2002.
Claims priority of application No. 2001-004661 (JP), filed on Jan. 12, 2001; application No. 2001-012747 (JP), filed on Jan. 22, 2001; application No. 2001-089497 (JP), filed on Mar. 27, 2001; application No. 2001-205845 (JP), filed on Jul. 06, 2001; application No. 2001-276284 (JP), filed on Sep. 12, 2001; application No. 2001-344030 (JP), filed on Nov. 09, 2001; application No. 2001-364438 (JP), filed on Nov. 29, 2001; and application No. 2001-364463 (JP), filed on Nov. 29, 2001.
Prior Publication US 2003/0112740 A1, Jun. 19, 2003
Int. Cl. G11B 17/03 (2006.01); G11B 23/03 (2006.01); G11B 3/70 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 720—738 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A disc cartridge comprising:
a cartridge body including a disc storage portion, a chucking opening and a head opening, wherein the disc storage portion has a bottom and stores a disc, having first and second sides, therein so that the disc is rotatable in the disc storage portion; the chucking opening is formed on the bottom of the disc storage portion so as to get the disc chucked externally; and the head opening is also formed on the bottom of the disc storage portion so as to allow a head, which reads and/or writes a signal from/on the second side of the disc, to access the second side of the disc; and
a shutter, which is supported to, and movable with respect to, the cartridge body between the disc and the bottom of the disc storage portion so as to expose or cover the chucking opening and the head opening,
wherein the shutter includes a convex portion that is provided for the shutter so as to protrude into a center hole of the disc while the shutter covers the chucking opening and the head opening, and wherein as the shutter is going to be opened, the convex portion lifts the disc in a thickness direction of the cartridge while contacting with the second side of the disc.