US6301213B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Using a top-hinged shutter on a drive to supply a retaining force to hold a disc in position for vertical insertion
Assignee: Hewlett Packard Development Co LP
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Filing: 1999-10-04
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Granted: 2001-10-09
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Expires: 2019-10-04
Abstract
Abstract A shutter is utilized to maintain an optical disc within a receptacle during loading/unloading of the disc to/from an optical drive. The optical drive comprises a receptacle operable to transport a disc to/from the drive by extending from and retracting into the drive. Such receptacle comprises a top side that receives a disc. The optical drive further comprises a shutter that extends from the drive over at least a portion of the top of the receptacle, wherein such shutter applies force toward the top of the receptacle when the receptacle is extended from the drive. Such force is sufficient to maintain a disc in the receptacle when oriented vertically. In a preferred embodiment, the shutter is hinged wherein it is rotatably connected to the optical drive such that it opens upward when the receptacle extends from the drive and closes downward when the receptacle retracts into the drive. Additionally, the shutter comprises at least one shutter projection that engage a disc contained in the receptacle to prevent the disc from inadvertently falling out of the receptacle when oriented vertically. In a preferred embodiment, a user places a disc between the receptacle and the shutter, and the shutter maintains pressure against such disc to maintain the disc in the receptacle. Accordingly, in a preferred embodiment, a user can easily place a disc into a vertically oriented receptacle with little effort and little potential for damaging the disc.
Inventors
- 👤 Raymond M Cundiff, Sr.
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 03:08
CPC Classifications
G; G11; G11B; G11B17/00; G11B17/02; G11B17/04; G11B17/05; G11B17/053; G11B17/056; G11B17/0401; G11B17/0405
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
102 words
An optical drive comprising: a body; a receptacle that is operable to transport an optical disc to said body by extending from said body and retracting into said body, wherein said receptacle comprises a top side that receives said optical disc; and a shutter that is fixed to and extends from said body over at least a portion of said top side of said receptacle, wherein said shutter applies force toward said top side of said receptacle when said receptacle is extended from said body, said force sufficient to maintain an optical disc in said receptacle when said receptacle is oriented vertically.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
102 words
An optical drive comprising: a body; a receptacle that is operable to transport an optical disc to said body by extending from said body and retracting into said body, wherein said receptacle comprises a top side that receives said optical disc; and a shutter that is fixed to and extends from said body over at least a portion of said top side of said receptacle, wherein said shutter applies force toward said top side of said receptacle when said receptacle is extended from said body, said force sufficient to maintain an optical disc in said receptacle when said receptacle is oriented vertically.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
36 words
The optical drive of claim 1 , wherein said shutter further comprises: at least one shutter projection that applies said force toward said top side of said receptacle when said receptacle is extended from said body.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
41 words
The optical drive of claim 1 , wherein said shutter is rotatably connected to said body such that said shutter opens upward when said receptacle extends from said body and said shutter closes downward when said receptacle retracts into said body.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
16 words
The optical drive of claim 1 , wherein said shutter is rotatably fixed to said body.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
59 words
The optical drive of claim 1 , wherein said shutter is springably attached to said body with one or more springs, and wherein said one or more springs compress when said shutter opens upward and said one or more springs relax when said shutter closes downward, whereby said one or more springs cause said shutter to apply said force.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
30 words
The optical drive of claim 1 , wherein said receptacle comprises a cavity that receives said optical disc, and wherein said cavity is at least partially surrounded by a rim.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
36 words
The optical drive of claim 6 , wherein said rim comprises at least one ramped portion to aid in guiding an optical disc to/from said cavity when said optical disc is being loaded/unloaded to/from said receptacle.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
19 words
The optical drive of claim 7 , wherein said shutter extends over at least ¼ of said cavity's diameter.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
31 words
The optical drive of claim 1 , wherein said receptacle comprises height, length and depth dimensions, and wherein said shutter is oriented substantially parallel with said length dimension of said receptacle.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
19 words
The optical drive of claim 1 , wherein said shutter extends over at least ¼ of said receptacle's diameter.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
15 words
The optical drive of claim 1 , wherein said force is at least 50 grams.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
34 words
The optical drive of claim 1 , wherein said receptacle comprises height, length and depth dimensions, and wherein said height dimension of said receptacle is within the range of 10 millimeters to 15 millimeters.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
25 words
The optical drive of claim 1 , wherein said optical drive is selected from the group consisting of: a CD drive and a DVD drive.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
35 words
The optical drive of claim 1 , wherein said optical disc is selected from the group consisting of: a CD, a DVD, an audio optical disc, a video optical disc, and a multimedia optical disc.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
129 words
A system comprising: an optical drive; said optical drive comprising a body and a means for transporting an optical disc to said body by extending from said body and retracting into said body, wherein said means for transporting comprises a means for receiving said optical disc; said optical drive further comprising a means for maintaining said optical disc within said means for receiving, wherein said means for maintaining is fixed to and extends from said body over at least a portion of said means for receiving and applies force toward said means for receiving when said means for transporting is extended from said body, said force sufficient to prevent said optical disc from inadvertently falling out of said means for receiving when said means for transporting is oriented vertically.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
129 words
A system comprising: an optical drive; said optical drive comprising a body and a means for transporting an optical disc to said body by extending from said body and retracting into said body, wherein said means for transporting comprises a means for receiving said optical disc; said optical drive further comprising a means for maintaining said optical disc within said means for receiving, wherein said means for maintaining is fixed to and extends from said body over at least a portion of said means for receiving and applies force toward said means for receiving when said means for transporting is extended from said body, said force sufficient to prevent said optical disc from inadvertently falling out of said means for receiving when said means for transporting is oriented vertically.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
17 words
The system of claim 15 , wherein said optical drive is oriented within said system substantially vertically.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
32 words
The system of claim 15 , comprising a computer system selected from the group consisting of: a PC, a laptop computer, a mainframe computer, a workstation computer, a minicomputer, and a supercomputer.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
15 words
The system of claim 15 , wherein said optical drive is external to said system.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
108 words
A method of loading an optical disc in an optical drive, the method comprising: extending a receptacle from a body of said optical drive; receiving an optical disc in said receptacle between said receptacle and a shutter that extends over at least a portion of said receptacle, said shutter extending from and being fixed to said body; maintaining said optical disc in said receptacle by said shutter applying a force against said optical disc within said receptacle sufficient to maintain said optical disc in said receptacle when said receptacle is oriented vertically; and retracting said receptacle into said body to transport said optical disc to said optical drive.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
108 words
A method of loading an optical disc in an optical drive, the method comprising: extending a receptacle from a body of said optical drive; receiving an optical disc in said receptacle between said receptacle and a shutter that extends over at least a portion of said receptacle, said shutter extending from and being fixed to said body; maintaining said optical disc in said receptacle by said shutter applying a force against said optical disc within said receptacle sufficient to maintain said optical disc in said receptacle when said receptacle is oriented vertically; and retracting said receptacle into said body to transport said optical disc to said optical drive.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 19 , further comprising: opening said shutter when extending said receptacle from said body; and closing said shutter when retracting said receptacle into said body.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
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| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2004-10-08 | 2005-04-09 | 2005-10-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2008-10-08 | 2009-04-09 | 2009-10-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2012-10-08 | 2013-04-09 | 2013-10-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |