Mechanism to clamp magnetic disk against cartridge shell

Abstract

A data storage cartridge has a recording medium and a door covering an opening in the shell. The door is opened when the cartridge is inserted into the drive and closed when the cartridge is removed from the drive. A movable member rotates in cooperation with a stationary member by a actuating arm that is coupled to the door. Preferably, a screw/nut mechanism is operated by the opening and closing of the door to actuate a clamping mechanism which clamps the recording against a planar wall of the shell when the cartridge the is removed the drive

What is claimed:  
     
         1 . A cartridge for a drive in which read/write heads read/record data on a recording medium comprising: 
 a shell having a front, a back and two sides between substantially flat, planar surfaces;    said recording medium being in said shell;    said shell having an opening in the front thereof for access by said read/write to said recording medium;    a door covering said opening when said cartridge is removed from said drive;    a screw having screw threads;    a nut having threads engaging said threads;    one of said screw and said nut being connected to said shell and the other being connected to said door so that movement of said door between positions covering said opening and not covering said opening causes relative movement between said screw and said nut; and    clamping means movable by said relative movement to clamp said medium against a planar surface of said shell when said door is closed.    
     
     
         2 . The cartridge recited in  claim 1  wherein said screw is rotatable on the same axis as said recording medium and said nut is connected to said shell.  
     
     
         3 . The cartridge recited in  claim 1  wherein said nut is rotatable on the same axis as said recording medium and said screw is connected to said shell.  
     
     
         4 . The cartridge recited in either one of claims  1  and  2  wherein said clamping means is moved axially by said relative movement.  
     
     
         5 . The cartridge recited in either one of claims  1  and  2  further comprising: 
 a hub on which said recording medium is mounted, said clamping means applying an axial force to said hub to clamp said medium against a planar wall of said shell.  
 
     
     
         6 . The cartridge recited in  claim 5  further comprising a coil spring disposed on said axis, said spring biasing said clamping means against said hub to clamp said medium against said planar wall when said door is closed.  
     
     
         7 . The cartridge recited in  claim 6  wherein said coil spring is compressed pulling said claiming means away from said hub as said door is opened.  
     
     
         8 . The cartridge recited in  claim 7  wherein said screw is attached to a planar surface of said nut is rotatable about said screw by said door.  
     
     
         9 . The cartridge recited in  claim 8  wherein said nut is attached to a planar shell and said screw is rotatable about said nut.  
     
     
         10 . The cartridge recited in  claim 8  wherein said screw is molded into a planar wall of said shell.  
     
     
         11 . The cartridge recited in  claim 1  wherein said one of said screw and said nut is connected to said door by a member rotatable about the axis of said recording medium.  
     
     
         12 . The cartridge recited in  claim 11  wherein said spring returns said door to the closed position when said cartridge is removed from said drive.  
     
     
         13 . A cartridge for a drive in which read/write heads read/record data on a recording medium, comprising: 
 a shell having a front, a back and two sides between substantially flat, planar surfaces;    said recording medium being in said shell;    said shell having an opening in the front thereof for access by said read/write to said recording medium;    a door substantially covering said opening when said cartridge is removed from the drive;    an actuating arm having a first end and an opposing second end that is coupled to the door;    a stationary member rigidly coupled to one of the planar surfaces; and    a movable member coupled to the actuating arm and movably coupled to the stationary member such that movement of the door produces axial translation of the movable member, whereby said axial translation enables clamping of said medium against a planar surface of said shell when said door is closed.    
     
     
         14 . The cartridge of  claim 13  wherein said movable member is coupled to said stationary member such that movement of said door produces rotation of said movable member relative to said stationary surface, said movable member coupled to said stationary member such that rotation of the movable member produces axial translation of the movable member.  
     
     
         15 . The cartridge of  claim 14  wherein said translating member has a sliding surface slidably coupled to a stationary surface disposed on said stationary member, at least one of said sliding surface and said stationary service defining an incline for axially translating the translating surface upon rotation of said movable member.  
     
     
         16 . The cartridge of  claim 14  wherein the stationary member has a surface that extends which extends axially as a function of the circumference of said stationary member when the translating member is rotated as said door is opened and closed.  
     
     
         17 . The cartridge of  claim 13  further comprising a spring having one end coupled to said stationary member and an other end coupled to said movable member, said spring biasing said movable member toward an unclamped position.  
     
     
         18 . The cartridge of  claim 17  wherein the spring is disposed around an axis of rotation of the recording medium.  
     
     
         19 . The cartridge of  claim 17  wherein the spring is disposed proximate the periphery of said movable member.  
     
     
         20 . The cartridge of  claim 13  wherein the stationary member comprises a screw rigidly coupled to one of the planar surfaces and the movable member comprises a nut movably coupled to said screw.  
     
     
         21 . The cartridge of  claim 20  wherein the screw has screw threads disposed thereon, and the nut has nut threads disposed thereon that are capable of meshing with said screw threads.  
     
     
         22 . The cartridge of  claim 21  further comprising a spring having one end coupled to said screw and an other end coupled to said nut, said spring biasing said nut toward an unclamped position.  
     
     
         23 . The cartridge of  claim 22  wherein the spring is disposed around an axis of rotation of the recording medium.  
     
     
         24 . The cartridge of  claim 13  wherein the stationary member comprises a nut rigidly coupled to one of the planar surfaces and the movable member comprises a screw movably coupled to said nut.  
     
     
         25 . The cartridge of  claim 24  wherein the screw has screw threads disposed thereon, and the nut has nut threads disposed thereon that are capable of meshing with said screw threads.  
     
     
         26 . The cartridge of  claim 25  wherein said nut has a cut away portion to provide access to said screw by said recording arm.  
     
     
         27 . The cartridge of  claim 25  further comprising a spring having one end coupled to said screw and an other end coupled to said nut, said spring biasing said screw toward an unclamped position.  
     
     
         28 . The cartridge of  claim 27  wherein the spring is disposed around an axis of rotation of the recording medium.  
     
     
         29 . The cartridge of  claim 13  wherein the stationary member comprises screw threads coupled to one of the planar surfaces, and the movable member comprises a nut having nut threads that are capable of meshing with said screw threads.  
     
     
         30 . The cartridge of  claim 29  wherein the screw threads are formed on a rim of the one planar surface proximate a spindle motor aperture.  
     
     
         31 . The cartridge of  claim 30  further comprising a spring having one end coupled to said nut and an other end coupled to said one planar surface, said spring biasing said nut toward an unclamped position.  
     
     
         32 . The cartridge of  claim 13  wherein the screw comprises a protrusion, and the nut comprises a groove capable of cooperating with said protrusion to axially translate the nut in response to rotation of the nut.  
     
     
         33 . The cartridge of  claim 13  wherein the groove is inclined relative to at least one of planar surfaces.  
     
     
         34 . The cartridge of  claim 13  wherein the movable member comprises a coil and a plate coupled to said coil, said plate capable of axial translation in response to rotation of said coil.  
     
     
         35 . The cartridge of  claim 34  wherein the coil comprises a first end coupled to said actuating arm and a second end coupled to said plate.  
     
     
         36 . The cartridge of  claim 34  wherein said stationary member comprises a post that is rigidly coupled to said shell and that defines a longitudinal keyway therein, and wherein said plate comprises a disk having a center cutout and a key projecting into said center cutout, said key capable of insertion into said keyway so as to prevent said plate from rotating  
     
     
         37 . A cartridge for a drive in which read/write heads read/record data on a recording medium, comprising: 
 a shell having a front, a back and two sides between substantially flat, planar surfaces;    said recording medium, being in said shell, having a disk hub that forms a cavity therein;    said shell having an opening in the front thereof for access by said read/write to said recording medium;    a door substantially covering said opening when said cartridge is removed from the drive;    an actuating arm having a first end and an opposing second end that is coupled to the door;    a clamping mechanism, at least partially insertable within said cavity.