Disc Drive Tray Support Member for Compact Stacked Units
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional disc apparatuses face challenges in reducing the size of the disc drive unit while maintaining smooth and stable tray stroke actions, as shorter tray supporting lengths lead to tray deflection and interference with the ejection process.
Innovation Solution
A disc drive unit configuration with a tray support member that protrudes from one disc drive to support the front end of an opposing disc drive's tray during ejection, allowing for a shorter tray supporting length without causing deflection, and is retractable when not in use to maintain operational space.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the tray supporting length is reduced to make the disc drive compact, then the disc drive size is reduced, but the tray becomes easier to deflect and interfere with the smooth and stable tray stroke action
Solution Approach 1:
A tray support member is introduced as an intermediary component between the ejected tray and the disc drive housing. This support member provides additional structural support to the tray during ejection, preventing deflection and ensuring stable tray stroke action, while allowing the main disc drive body to remain compact with reduced tray supporting length.
Solution Approach 2:
The tray support member extends in a direction perpendicular to the main tray stroke path, providing support from a different spatial dimension. This allows the compact disc drive design to maintain stable tray operation by utilizing three-dimensional space efficiently rather than increasing the linear supporting length.
2Volume of moving object
If multiple disc drives are arranged in vertically-stacked rows opposed to each other to reduce apparatus size, then the disc apparatus size is reduced, but the ejection and storage timing coordination becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The tray support member is positioned in advance at the ejection path of the opposing disc drive. This preliminary positioning allows the support to be ready before the tray is ejected, enabling smooth coordinated operation between opposed disc drives without complex real-time control mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The tray support member serves dual functions: it supports trays from opposed disc drives during ejection and can also serve as part of the storage mechanism when retracted. This merging of support and storage functions reduces the overall system complexity while maintaining compact arrangement of multiple disc drives.
Data Source
AI summary
A disc drive unit is configured with a plurality of disc drives as one unit. At least one of a pair of opposed disc drives arranged on an identical horizontal plane is provided with a tray support member for supporting a front end of a tray of the other disc drive when the tray is ejected. The tray support member is capable of protruding from the one disc drive and withdrawing into the same.