Hitachi-LG Data Storage Assigned Patent

Hitachi-LG Data Storage, Tokyo, Japan has been assigned a patent (8,516,513) developed by seven co-inventors for a “cassette with disk eject mechanism.”

The co-inventors are Kyquang Son, Dublin, CA, Ravender Goyal, Saratoga, CA, Amir H. Torkaman, Jamie Nam, Sunnyvale, CA, Michael Szelong, Cupertino, CA, Paul R. Swan, Alameda, CA, and Michael Umansky, San Francisco, CA.

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “An optical disk cassette has a disk eject mechanism that ejects a disk such as a DVD or CD. The disk eject mechanism has pushrod, transfer and kick out portions. The pushrod portion slides relative to a side of the cassette case. Pivotally mounted within the case, the kick out portion pushes a disk to eject it from the case. The transfer portion translates pushrod motion to motion of the kick out portion. In a preferred embodiment, the disk eject mechanism is a unitary body, with pushrod, transfer and kick out portions made homogeneously as a single entity, the pushrod portion being a resilient joining elbow. In another preferred embodiment, the disk eject mechanism has a transfer portion that is a rack and a pinion. The rack extends from the pushrod portion and the pinion is attached to or formed as part of the kick out portion.”

The patent application was filed on Jan. 6, 2010 (12/683,296).