Cartridge load mechanism

Claim 1

A cartridge load mechanism for a cartridge disk drive having a spindle, comprising: a disk cartridge having a flexible housing and a disk pack mounted therein; a cartridge cradle having a transverse yoke and means for mounting therein said disk cartridge, the cradle further having an aperture in a bottom through which the disk pack may be lowered into mounting contact with the spindle of the cartridge disk drive; a nub mounted centrally on said yoke and projecting towards a top of the disk cartridge; said nub adapted to press said disk pack into locking contact with said spindle at a lowermost position by pressing against the top of the disk cartridge flexible housing; means for constraining the motion of said cartridge cradle to substantially the axial direction vis-a-vis said spindle; a lever having a crank arm which is affixed to said cradle by means adapted to accommodate disparity in motion between said lever and said cradle; said lever pivotally mounted on said cartridge disk drive; a hinge pivotally mounted on said cartridge disk drive; a door fixedly mounted on said hinge; an arm one end of which is pivotally mounted on said hinge and the other end of which is pivotally mounted on a second crank arm of said lever; means including said hinge and arm for connecting same to said lever such that partially closing the door causes the arm and lever to lower the cradle to a lowermost position wherein the nub presses the disk pack into locking contact with the spindle and further closing movement of the door moves the cradle back up to an intermediate position wherein the flexible housing top flexes back such that it no longer presses on the disk pack, the disk pack remaining locked onto the spindle, whereby the disk pack is free to spin without rubbing against the housing top.