A conventional recording and reproducing apparatus of slim-type is generally installed within a portable computer, such as a notebook computer. Thus, production of recording and reproducing apparatus plays a major role in the computer industry.
The main object of the manufacturer is to find a way to reduce the volume or size of the recording and reproducing apparatus during the development thereof so as to facilitate in the carrying along or storage.
FIG. 1 shows a bottom side view of a conventional recording and reproducing apparatus 10 of slim-type, and includes an outer casing 5, and a disk-carrying tray 12 mounted within the outer casing 5. The tray 12 is movable with respect to the outer casing 5 between a retracted position, in which the tray 12 is retracted into the outer casing 5 to permit reading of a disk supported on the tray 12, and an extended position, in which the tray 12 is protruded outwardly from the outer casing 5.
The tray 12 is formed with a guiding groove 13. A locking device 16 is used in the conventional recording and reproducing apparatus 10 in order to position the tray 12 stationarily at the retracted position. The locking device 16 includes a locking member 2 and a lock-fastening member 14. The lock-fastening member 14 is fixed to the tray 12 adjacent to a front end thereof, and has a hooking part for engaging the locking member 2.
Referring to FIG. 2, a pin 4 serves as the locking member 2, and includes a head 402 fixed with a hole in a bottom part 6 of the outer casing 5 and a pillar portion 404 extending into the guiding groove 13 so as to permit sliding over and engaging the hooking part of the lock fastening member 14 when the tray 12 is disposed at the retracted position. Under this condition, the tray 12 is prevented from moving to the extended position. In the event, the tray 12 is required to be ejected, the lock-fastening member 14 is activated to remove the hooking part from the pillar portion 404, resulting in disengagement between the pillar portion 404 of the pin 4 and the hooking part, thereby permitting the tray 12 to move from the retracted position to the extended position.
Some disadvantages resulting from the use of the conventional recording and reproducing apparatus are as follows:
The periphery portion of the hole in the bottom part 6 and surrounding the pillar portion 404 of the pin 4 is subjected to be deformed in the D1 direction due to the collision of the hooking part of the lock-fastening member 14 in the f direction, thereby loosening of the pin 4 with respect to the bottom part 6, especially in a shock test. Because the tray 12 is positioned in the outer casing 5 by engagement between the pin 4 and the hooking part of the lock-fastening member 14 only, the hooking part exerts a relatively large force on pin 4 at the tray moving direction in order to oppose the ejecting force to eject the tray 12 from the outer casing 5 during the shock test. Therefore, the pillar portion 404 may easily loose from the bottom part 6 of the outer casing 5 when the latter suffers from shock test.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds