Disc holding device and disc accommodating casing

Abstract

A disc holding mechanism enabling a disc-shaped recording medium to be held easily and reliably without e.g., a finger end of a user directly contacting a disc-shaped recording medium to prevent the recording surface of the disc-shaped recording medium from being damaged. To this end, the disc holding mechanism includes an engaging section 51 , engaged in a center opening 3 of an optical disc 2 , a gripping section 52 , for gripping the optical disc 2 engaged in the engaging section 51 , and a releasing member 53 having releasing pieces 68 abutted by a holding area 4 on the outer peripheral side of the center opening 3 of the optical disc 2 to cause movement of the optical disc 2 in a direction a 1 for releasing the engaged state of the optical disc 2 with the engaging section 51.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A disc holding device comprising: 
 an engaging section engaged in a center opening in a disc-shaped recording medium;    a gripping section for gripping said disc-shaped recording medium engaged by said engaging section; and    a releasing section including an operating piece abutted against a holding area lying on the outer peripheral side of said center opening of the optical disc, said holding area being an area held by a recording and/or reproducing apparatus, said operating piece causing movement of said disc-shaped recording medium in a direction of disengaging said engaging section and said disc-shaped recording medium from each other.    
     
     
         2 . The disc holding device according to    claim 1    having an abutment section compressing against said holding area of said disc-shaped recording medium engaged in said engaging section.  
     
     
         3 . The disc holding device according to    claim 1    wherein said engaging section has engaging pawls which are provided for elastic displacement in a direction along the radius of said center opening of the disc-shaped recording medium into engagement with at least two locations of the center opening of said disc-shaped recording medium.  
     
     
         4 . A disc accommodating casing comprising: 
 a casing member having a housing section for housing a plurality of disc-shaped recording mediums as the recording mediums are stacked together in the direction along the disc thickness; an insertion/dismounting opening for inserting/dismounting the disc-shaped recording medium into or from said housing section, and a setting section formed on the bottom surface section of said housing section, said setting section being a section on which is set a holding area held by a recording and/or reproducing apparatus, said holding area being provided on an outer peripheral side of a center opening of said disc-shaped recording medium; and    a lid intrudable from said insertion/dismounting opening into said housing section for opening/closing said insertion/dismounting opening;    said lid having an engaging section engaging with said center opening of the disc-shaped recording medium housed in said housing section of said casing member, a gripping section for gripping said disc-shaped recording medium engaged by said engaging section and a releasing section including an operating piece abutting against said holding area of said disc-shaped recording medium for causing movement of said disc-shaped recording medium in a direction of releasing the engagement of said disc-shaped recording medium.    
     
     
         5 . The disc accommodating casing according to    claim 4    wherein said disc holding mechanism includes an abutment section compressing against the holding area of said disc-shaped recording medium engaged in said engaging section.  
     
     
         6 . The disc accommodating casing according to    claim 4    wherein said engaging section of said disc holding mechanism includes engagement pawls provided for elastic displacement in a radial direction of said center opening of said disc-shaped recording medium, said engagement pawls engaging with at least two portions of said center opening of said disc-shaped recording medium.  
     
     
         7 . The disc accommodating casing according to    claim 4    wherein said casing member includes an idling controlling section performing elastic displacement in a direction along the thickness of said disc-shaped recording medium, said idling controlling section operating for restricting idling movement along the direction of thickness of a plurality of disc-shaped recording mediums stacked together along the direction of thickness and housed in this state in said housing section.  
     
     
         8 . The disc accommodating casing according to    claim 4    wherein said casing member includes a guide section on its outer periphery facing the inner periphery of said housing section, said guide section permitting movement of said lid in a direction substantially perpendicular to the bottom surface of said housing section.  
     
     
         9 . The disc accommodating casing according to    claim 4    wherein a gap for ventilation is provided between the outer periphery of said lid and the inner periphery of said casing member, said gap for ventilation permitting communication of air in the housing section closed by said lid with inside and outside.  
     
     
         10 . The disc accommodating casing according to    claim 4    wherein engagement means are provided on an outer portion of the bottom surface section of said casing member, said engagement means causing said bottom surface section to be engaged with said insertion/dismounting openings or said lids of other disc accommodating casings when the disc accommodating casing is stacked on said other disc accommodating casings.  
     
     
         11 . The disc accommodating casing according to    claim 4    wherein positioning means are provided on an inner side of said bottom surface section of said casing member, said positioning means operating for positioning a supporting member relative to said housing section, said supporting member being inserted into center openings of a plurality of the optical discs, housed in said housing section in a state of being stacked along the disc thickness, for supporting said optical discs in the state of being stacked along the disc thickness.  
     
     
         12 . The disc accommodating casing according to    claim 7    wherein said lid is provided with a guide section on its outer peripheral portion facing the inner peripheral portion of said housing section to permit the lid to be moved in a direction substantially perpendicular to said bottom surface section of said housing section of said casing member, said guide section being protruded outwards from said insertion/dismounting opening; 
 said idle movement controlling section being provided on said casing member for being intruded into said housing section;  
 said guide section being protruded a pre-set amount corresponding to the elastic displacement of said idling controlling section.