Optical disc drive

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9741390-B1
Application number	US-201615078857-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Mar 23, 2016
Priority date	Mar 23, 2016
Publication date	Aug 22, 2017
Grant date	Aug 22, 2017

Abstract

An optical disc drive includes a spindle connected to an optical assembly. A disc clamp device is configured to hold an optical disc on the spindle. A contiguous opening on at least two adjacent sides in a plane of a disc mount position intersect at a common corner of the optical disc drive.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optical disc drive comprising:
a spindle coupled to an optical assembly;
a disc clamp device configured to hold an optical disc on the spindle; and
a contiguous opening on a portion of at least two adjacent sides in a plane of a disc mount position and intersecting at a common corner of the optical disc drive, wherein the at least two adjacent sides include a front side and a top side of the optical disc drive.

2. The optical disc drive of claim 1 , wherein the spindle and the optical assembly are movable to engage the disc clamp device that is constrained by a cover assembly.

3. The optical disc drive of claim 1 , further comprising at least one movable door coupled to a portion of the cover assembly, wherein the at least one movable door is configured to open for loading an optical disc through the contiguous opening.

4. The optical disc drive of claim 1 , wherein the spindle and optical assembly are fixed and the disc clamp device is movable to engage the spindle to clamp an optical disc.

5. The optical disc drive of claim 1 , wherein the contiguous opening is covered by at least one hinged or flexible door.

6. The optical disc drive of claim 2 , further comprising:
one or more moveable doors coupled to the cover assembly over the contiguous opening, wherein the one or more moveable doors are configured to control air flow to reduce turbulent disturbances in the optical drive.

7. An optical disc drive comprising:
a spindle coupled to an optical assembly;
a disc clamp device configured to hold an optical disc on the spindle; and
a cover assembly having a contiguous opening on a portion of the optical disc drive, wherein the contiguous opening comprises a front opening portion and a top opening portion that intersect at a common corner of the optical disc drive.

8. The optical disc drive of claim 7 , wherein the spindle and the optical assembly are movable to engage the disc clamp device that is constrained by the cover assembly.

9. The optical disc drive of claim 7 , further comprising at least one movable door coupled to a portion of the cover assembly, wherein the at least one movable door is configured to open for loading an optical disc through the front opening.

10. The optical disc drive of claim 7 , wherein the spindle and the optical assembly are fixed and the disc clamp device is movable to engage the spindle to clamp an optical disc between the spindle and the disc clamp device.

11. The optical disc drive of claim 7 , wherein the cover assembly is coupled to a hinged or flexible door configured to control air flow for at least one of the front opening and the top opening to reduce turbulent disturbances in the optical drive.

12. An optical disc drive comprising:
an optical assembly;
a spindle coupled to the optical assembly;
a disc clamp device configured to vertically hold an optical disc on the spindle; and
a cover assembly having a contiguous opening on a portion of the optical disc drive including a front side and a top side, wherein the contiguous opening comprises a front opening portion and a top opening portion that intersect at a common corner of the optical disc drive.

13. The optical disc drive of claim 12 , wherein the spindle engages the disc clamp device that is constrained by the cover assembly.

14. The optical disc drive of claim 12 , further comprising at least one movable door coupled to a portion of the cover assembly, wherein the at least one movable door is configured to open for loading an optical disc through the front opening, the optical assembly is fixed, and the disc clamp device is movable to engage the spindle to clamp a disc between the spindle and the disc clamp device.

15. The optical disc drive of claim 12 , wherein the cover assembly is coupled to a hinged or flexible door configured to cover at least one of the front opening and the top opening to control air flow to reduce turbulent disturbances to the optical assembly.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Altknecht David J
• Best John S
• Bethune Donald S
• Dyer William M
• Erpelding A David
• Hetzler Steven R
• Lawson Drew B
• Smith Daniel F

Classifications

• G11B17/225 Primary

  wherein the disks are transferred from a fixed magazine to a fixed playing unit using a moving carriage · CPC title

• G11B17/0284

  by clampers · CPC title

• G11B17/0288

  by means for moving the turntable or the clamper towards the disk · CPC title