Information recording and reproducing apparatus having an emergency conveying device for moving a carriage member to an ejecting port

Claim 1

An optical information recording /reproducing apparatus for effecting at least one of recording of information on and reproducing of information from a card-like information recording medium by use of a light beam, said apparatus comprising: an opening through which the information recording medium can be inserted into and ejected form said apparatus; a driving roller for conveying the information recording medium inserted through said opening into said apparatus; a rotary motor for rotationally driving said driving roller by a driving force; a driving transmission mechanism for transmitting the driving force of said rotary motor to said driving roller; holding means for receiving the information recording medium conveyed by said driving roller and for holding the information recording medium; an engaging section provided on said holding means; an optical head for effecting at least one of recording of information on and reproducing of information from the information recording medium; a linear motor for moving said holding means relative to said optical head; and manual driving means adapted to come into engagement with said engaging section of said holding means and said driving transmission mechanism to rotationally drive said driving roller and to move said holding means relative to said optical head by a manual operation from outside of said apparatus, wherein said manual driving means is retractably provided against said driving transmission mechanism and said holding means so that when said driving transmission mechanism transmits the driving force of said rotary motor to said driving roller and said holding means is being moved by said linear motor, said manual driving means is retracted to a position away from said engaging section of said holding means and said driving transmission mechanism, and when said linear motor is rendered inoperative due to an abnormal condition, said manual driving means is caused to come into engagement with said driving transmission mechanism and said engaging section of said holding means to be driven by a manual operation from outside of said apparatus, thereby rotationally driving said driving roller in an ejecting direction and moving said holding means toward said opening to eject said information recording medium form said apparatus.