WO1998054717A1

WO1998054717A1 - A method and apparatus for dust proofing a removable data storage cartridge and drive

Info

Publication number: WO1998054717A1
Application number: PCT/US1998/010336
Authority: WO
Inventors: Neville K. S. Lee; Hisashi Katao
Original assignee: Digital Papyrus Corporation
Priority date: 1997-05-29
Filing date: 1998-05-20
Publication date: 1998-12-03
Also published as: TW397971B

Abstract

A dust proof apparatus for removable data storage drive includes a cartridge housing a data storage medium. The cartridge comprises: an enclosure within which the data storage medium resides, one surface of the enclosure defining an aperture therethrough granting access to the data storage medium; a guide plate adjacent the one surface of the enclosure, the guide plate and the one surface defining a pocket; and a door slidably mounted to the enclosure, the door slidable from a first position substantially covering the aperture to a second position substantially within the pocket. The apparatus can also include a drive housing for receiving the cartridge. Such a system includes a locking mechanism including a feature which engages the door to prevent accidental opening thereof. The cartridge or drive housing may be divided into plural compartments and may include air filters.

Description

A METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DUST PROOFING A REMOVABLE DATA

STORAGE CARTRIDGE AND DRIVE

Background Field of the Invention

This invention relates to disk drives and disk cartridges removably mountable in the disk drives. 2. Related Art

Many optical disk drives used with data processing systems are designed to accept removable disk cartridges. Shown in Fig. 1 is a typical prior art removable optical disk cartridge 10 that includes an enclosure 11 having mating top 12 and bottom 13 casings. A disk 14 is mounted inside the enclosure. Each of the top 12 and bottom 13 casings includes an aperture 16 through which access is provided to the disk 14 within the cartridge 10. The disk 14 has at least one recording surface. A hub 15, externally accessible via an aperture 16 on the enclosure, removably connects to an external spindle motor of a disk drive to enable the disk 14 to be rotated.

When the disk cartridge 10 is removed from the disk drive, U-shaped door 17, extending both above and below cartridge 10, closes to cover the aperture 16. The door 17 is opened and provides access to the interior of the disk cartridge for the read/write head of the disk drive when the disk cartridge is inserted in the disk drive. While the disk cartridge 10 is outside of the disk drive, dust and other contaminants may stick to the surface 18 of the cartridge 10 over which the door 17 slides when it opens. The dust and contaminants are easily transferred first to an interior surface of the door 17 when the door is opened, and then to the interior of the disk cartridge when the door is closed again. When such dust and other contaminants adhere to the recording surface of disk, they may interfere with read/write signals or may damage the delicate recording surface. Also, when the U-shaped door 17 is opened, apertures 16 in both the top 12 and bottom 13 casings are opened. Dust and contaminants are then easily sucked into the interior of disk cartridge when the disk is rotated by the spindle motor. Moreover, the air path to bypass a closed door 17 is short. Air merely travels around an exposed edge of the door and between the door and the surface of the enclosure along which it slides to reach the interior of the cartridge.

Shown in Fig. 2 is a typical prior art optical disk drive 20 designed to accept a removable optical disk cartridge. The disk drive includes an enclosure having a top 22, a

SUB8TlιirrESHEEr(RUI--E26) bottom 23 and a front 24. The disk drive also includes a spindle motor 25, a read/write head 26, an actuator 27, and a guide plate 28 for the disk cartridge. The front has an aperture 29 to allow the disk cartridge to be inserted into the disk drive, and a pivotally mounted door 30 to cover the aperture. The disk cartridge 10 is inserted via the aperture 29, opening the door 30 in the disk drive, and is guided by the guide plate 28 to the loaded position. The door 17 on disk cartridge 10 is opened by an arm mounted in the disk drive (not shown). Then, the spindle 25 engages the disk, and the read/write head 26 obtains access to the surface of the disk. The door 30 on the front of disk drive is opened when the disk cartridge is inserted and removed from the disk drive, giving dust and other contaminants an opening through which to enter the disk drive. Also, if a user manipulates or opens the disk drive door while the disk cartridge is not inserted, dust and contaminants may easily enter the disk drive. When the disk cartridge is then inserted into the disk drive for use, the dust and contaminants that previously entered the disk drive can stick to the delicate recording surface and the head.

Summary of the Invention The present invention provides an improved method and apparatus for preventing or reducing the entry to a storage medium drive and a storage medium cartridge of dust and contaminants. The term "storage medium" is used herein in its broadest sense to refer to any medium on which analog or digital signals representing data can be stored, including, but not limited to various types of magnetic, optical and magneto-optical disks and tapes. Both a storage medium and a data storage medium can be used to store any type of data, including, but not limited to audio data, video data, computer code, text, etc., encoded as various known types of signals or marks incorporated into an information carrying layer of the storage medium. Aspects of the present invention can be embodied in a dust proof data storage system that includes a cartridge housing a data storage medium. The cartridge comprises: an enclosure within which the data storage medium resides, one surface of the enclosure defining an aperture therethrough granting access to the data storage medium; a door slidably mounted to the enclosure, the door slidable from a first position covering the aperture to a second position substantially uncovering the aperture; and a guide plate adjacent the one surface of the enclosure, the guide plate and the one surface defining a pocket into which the door slides when substantially uncovering the aperture.

SUBSnT-JTE8HEET(RULE26) Other aspects of the invention can be embodied in a drive housing for receiving the above-mentioned cartridge. The drive housing includes a housing having an aperture defined therethrough for receiving a data storage medium cartridge; a middle plate substantially dividing the housing into a first compartment for receiving the cartridge and a second compartment, the middle plate having a window defined therethrough; and media access equipment disposed in the second compartment of the drive housing, including at least one element for engaging the data storage medium through the window defined through the middle plate.

Yet other aspects of the invention can be embodied in the drive housing described above into which the cartridge described above has been received.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Various features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the detailed description in conjunction with the attached drawings, in which like reference designations indicate like elements, and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a prior art disk cartridge;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view with partial cut-away of a prior art disk drive;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a disk cartridge according to one embodiment of the invention, for use with a disk drive having a dust proof apparatus; Fig. 4 is another perspective view of the disk cartridge of Fig. 3 and illustrates the door mechanism thereof;

Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a detail of the disk cartridge of Figs. 3-4 showing an air filter and ventilation holes according to an embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view with partial cut-away of a disk drive having a dust proof apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of a detail of the interior of the disk cartridge of Figs. 3-4 showing a door locking mechanism for the door of Fig. 4;

Fig. 8 is an exploded perspective view of a detail of the disk cartridge of Figs. 3-4 showing an alternative air filter and ventilation hole arrangement according to one embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 9 is a cross sectional view along line 9-9 of the disk drive of Fig. 6 showing air flow.

$ϋBffπTUTESHEET(RULE26) Detailed Description

The present invention will be better understood upon reading, together with the drawings, the following detailed description of various embodiments and aspects thereof. Some features of embodiments of the invention are first described in overview, followed by a detailed description of one illustrative embodiment, given with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Overview According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a dust proof method and apparatus that can be incorporated in a removable optical disk cartridge and, according to another aspect, a corresponding optical disk drive. Certain embodiments of the invention maintain clean air, purified via air filters, around the delicate recording surface and the read/write head. Incorporating these features of the invention into both a cartridge and a disk drive helps to environmentally seal both and to exclude contaminants, whether or not in use. Although the embodiments of the invention described below relate to an optical disk cartridge and disk drive, the invention may be used with other media, such as high density magnetic disks and tapes, employing a cartridge that is inserted into a drive, and from which it is desired to exclude dust and other environmental contaminants. The disk cartridge enclosure of the illustrative embodiments include features which both independently, and in cooperation with a disk drive, substantially exclude dust and other contaminants from sensitive areas. In one embodiment, separate top and bottom doors exclude dust and contaminants from the cartridge interior. In another embodiment, guide plates cooperate with the cartridge doors to increase their effectiveness in excluding dust and contaminants both when closed and when moving from an open position to a closed position. In a further embodiment, a filter carried by the cartridge cooperates with air handling components of the disk drive to remove dust or contaminants which infiltrate the system or which are generated inside the system during operation thereof.

In a further embodiment, the disk drive and the disk cartridge each is divided into two compartments arranged to direct air through filter elements before entering sensitive areas. Each disk cartridge incorporates a filter element, through which air is filtered when the

cartridge is in use. Thus, when the drive is in use with a cartridge, air passes through a filter no older than the cartridge.

Illustrative Embodiments Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of a disk cartridge 30 embodying some aspects of the invention. The illustrated cartridge includes an enclosure 31 having mating top and bottom casings 32 and 33. The casings 32 and 33 can be made, for example, of a molded plastic.

The cartridge 30 also includes apertures 34 on the top and the bottom of enclosure, and doors 35 that are positionable to open and to fully close the apertures. The doors slide within a pocket formed between guide plates 36 and the enclosure. The invention is, however, not limited to doors of the particular shape shown, as explained below. A disk 37 is mounted in the enclosure. When the door 35 is positioned to substantially fully open the aperture 34, the disk is exposed via the aperture. The enclosure has ventilation holes 38 on the top or the bottom and ventilation holes 39 on the side. The precise number and position of the ventilation holes 38 and 39 may be varied. The position, and whether supplied on the top, bottom or side of the enclosure depends upon features of a disk drive in which the disk is used, and which may be varied to suit the convenience of a skilled designer. The number and shape of the holes 38 and 39 depend upon the air flow characteristics desired by the skilled designer.

Fig. 4 is another perspective view of disk cartridge 30 showing the door mechanism. The disk cartridge 30 uses two doors 35a and 35b so that only one aperture 34 in the enclosure need be opened at a time if so desired. A door 35a on the top, and door 35b on the bottom are separately mounted on the enclosure, and guided by rails 40a, 40b formed as ribs of the enclosure, and by guide plates 36a, 36b. Door extension members 41a or 41b are engaged at a notch 42a or 42b by an operating arm of the disk drive. Each door can be independently operated. The door on the bottom 35b is opened to provide access to the disk by disk drive components when the cartridge is inserted in the disk drive, and closed to exclude dust and contaminants from the cartridge 30 when the cartridge is removed from the disk drive. The door on the top 35a is kept closed during operation, thereby preventing dust and contaminants from falling onto the disk surface. The guide plates 36a, 36b are fixed on the top and the bottom of enclosure with enough clearance to form pockets in which the doors slide, and fully exposing the apertures 34. The guide plates cover a surface of the enclosure over which the doors slide, thus excluding from

that surface any dust and other contaminants to which it would otherwise be exposed. When the doors 35a and 35b are closed, infiltration by dust and contamination is less likely than in the prior art cartridge because air must travel a longer path to bypass the doors 35a and 35b than the corresponding path required to bypass the prior art door (Fig. 1, 17). In this embodiment, the air path is first between a door and its guide plate, then around the hidden edge of the door and finally between the door and the surface of the enclosure on which it slides. The guide plates 36a, 36b may be separate components affixed to the enclosure or may be formed integrally with the top and bottom casing 32, 33.

Fig. 5 shows an exploded perspective view partially cut-away of the disk cartridge of Figs. 3-4. The enclosure has a compartment 43 separated by a wall 44 from a main compartment 45 that accommodates the disk 37. The wall 44 can be a separate part affixed to the enclosure, or can be formed integrally with the enclosure. The compartment has ventilation holes 38a on the top or the bottom, and ventilation holes 39a on the side. The ventilation holes can be in any suitable positions for providing air flow through an air filter as explained below, when the disk cartridge is inserted in a suitably equipped disk drive, as explained further below. In this embodiment, the two sets of ventilation holes 38a and 39a define inlets and outlets of an air path. The holes penetrate the enclosure from the exterior to the interior of compartment 43. The compartment 43 accommodates an air filter 46 that fully fills the space of compartment 43. The air filter need not fill the space completely, provided it is interposed in the air path defined between ventilation holes 38a and ventilation holes 39a. The air filter may be of any type that removes particles, gases, etc., that are undesirable in the media environment. For example, the air filter 46 can be a block, pad, sheet or other configuration of fibers, textile or cloth made from either natural fibers, plastic fibers, or a combination thereof. The air filter 46 can also include charcoal, ceramic or adhesive material. The air filter 46 can be also made of inductive material that retains a positive or negative charge on its surface for a period of time, for example using radioactivity, to attract contaminants.

Fig. 6 shows a perspective view of a disk drive 50 embodying other aspects of the invention. The disk drive includes an enclosure having a top 51, a bottom 52 and a front 53. The front 53 has an aperture 54, and a pivotally mounted door 55 to cover the aperture 54. Instead of pivotally mounted door 55, a door mounted for other opening motion accommodating a disk cartridge, such as a sliding door, can be used. The disk drive 50 also includes a middle plate 56 to guide the cartridge, a window 57 formed through the middle plate

8U-iS1T-tlTE8H££r(RUL£26) 56, a door 58 to close and open the window 57, a guide plate 59 mounted near the window on the middle plate 56 to guide the door 58, an operating arm 59 and a door opening mechanism 60.

The disk cartridge 30 is inserted into the disk drive via the aperture 54, opening the door 55. The cartridge is guided by the middle plate 56 towards the interior of the disk drive. The operating arm 59 has a hook 61 pivotally mounted at the free end. The hook 61 engages the notch 42a or 42b, and the operating arm opens the door 35a or 35b of the cartridge while the arm 59 is pushed back. The door opening mechanism 60, which is interlocked with the arm, opens the door 58 to fully expose the window 57. Depending on the orientation of the cartridge when inserted, only the one of the doors 35a and 35b that faces the door 58 is opened, to avoid dust and other contaminants invading the cartridge via an unused open aperture, especially an upward-facing open aperture.

The middle plate 56 has a ventilation hole 62 formed through the middle plate in such a location as to face ventilation holes 38a of the cartridge, when the cartridge is fully inserted. The middle plate 56 also has a breathing hole 63 formed through the middle plate, and located far from the ventilation hole 62. The breathing hole 63 is normally closed by a flexible sheet 64 whose edge is fixed near the hole. The flexible sheet 64 can be made of a polyester film, a thin, springy sheet metal or another suitable sheet material.

The compartment 65, which is enclosed by the bottom 52 of enclosure and the middle plate 56, accommodates a spindle motor 66, a read/write head 67, a fan 68 and an air filter 69. The spindle motor 66 obtains access to the disk via the window 57 and the aperture 34a or 34b, and engages the disk when in use. The read/write head 67 also obtains access to the recording surface via the window 57 and the aperture 34a or 34b, when in use.

The fan 68 draws air through the ventilation hole 62, preferably being mounted near the ventilation hole 62. The air filter 69 is mounted in the air flow path between the fan and the ventilation hole 62. This air filter 69 may also be of any type suited to removing particles, gases, etc., which are undesirable in the media environment. The air filter 69 can, for example, be a block, pad, sheet or other configuration of fibers, textile or cloth made from either natural or plastic fibers, or a combination thereof. The filter also can include charcoal, ceramic or adhesive material. The filter can also be made of inductive material that retains a positive or negative charge on its surface for a period of time, for example using radioactivity, thereby attracting contaminants.

SUBS πUTESHEET(RULE28) The compartment 65 is well-sealed at any gap in the enclosure, for example, by using sealing material or gasket 70. The sealing material or gasket 70 can be rubber, flexible plastic, cloth or a polymer formed as a closed-cell foam. The compartment 65 is also sealed by the door 58 when not in use, and sealed by the enclosure of disk cartridge 30 when in use. Therefore, while the fan 68 is in operation, purified air is drawn by the fan 68 through the air filter 46 of the cartridge and the air filter 69 of the disk drive. The fan 68 maintains a positive air pressure in the compartment relative to the air pressure of the environment outside the compartment. Therefore, the flexible sheet 64 is pushed by the air pressure to open the breathing hole 63. The air from the compartment, including any dust and contaminants which may have come into the compartment despite the seals or which may be generated by the mechanism exits through the breathing hole 63. Thus, the air in the compartment is continuously replaced and replenished with purified air. The only air admitted to the disk cartridge 30 through an open access door is admitted from this purified air, unpurified air having passed out through breathing hole 63. The invention is not limited to the particular arrangement shown in Fig. 6. For example, such design considerations as the positions of the various holes, fan and filter are subject to variation as deemed desirable by the skilled designer. The air filter 69 could even be omitted entirely, at the expense of reducing the filtering capacity of the system to that of the cartridge filter (Fig. 5, 46). Numerous variations in the disk cartridge receiving features illustrated, including the door opening mechanism, are also known in the art and can be used in connection with the invention.

Since multiple removable disk cartridges may be used at various times in a single disk drive, the air filter 46 is renewed every time a new cartridge is used. Although the filter 46 of a used cartridge will be dirty, the filter 46 can be designed for a life approximately equal to or exceeding that of the recording medium. Should air filter 46 fail to do its job, allowing contaminants to blow by, filter 69 in the disk drive absorbs the contaminants which have blown by. Thus, air quality within the drive housing is continuously maintained to avoid deterioration of the read/write signals or damage to the head or the recording surface of the disk that might otherwise be caused by dust and other contaminants. Fig. 7 shows an illustrative locking mechanism 100 for a door 35b of the cartridge.

This locking mechanism prevents the door of the cartridge from being accidentally opened while the cartridge is out of the disk drive. Preventing accidental opening of the door

aiBSmUrESHEET(RULE26} avoids accidental contamination of the cartridge interior. A lever 101 is pivotally mounted around a shaft 102 interior to the enclosure 33. The lever 101 includes a first arm 103 and a second arm 104. The first arm 103 has a projection 105 that normally rests in the notch 42b of the door extension member 41b. The lever 101 is made of a material that provides the second arm 104 with a sufficient degree of elasticity, for example a plastic material. When the cartridge is inserted in the disk drive, the hook 61 engages the notch 42b and pushes the projection 105 to release the lock. The second arm 104 is stopped by a boss 106, and the first arm 103 is moved back after the door extension member 41b is slid and the door 35b is opened. When the cartridge is moved out, the door extension member 41b is slid toward an opposite direction. A slope 107 on the door extension member contacts a slope 108 on the projection to push the first arm 103 back. Then the projection 105 falls back into place for locking.

Other locking mechanisms, as well as variations on the illustrated locking mechanism can also be used in connection with the invention.

Fig. 8 shows an exploded perspective view partially cut-away of an alternative disk cartridge. A compartment 111 is formed by the enclosures 32 and 33. The compartment accommodates the disk 37 and the air filter 46. The compartment has ventilation holes 110a formed through the top or the bottom of the enclosure. The position, size and shape of holes 110a can be varied to suit particular design needs. In this embodiment, all or part of the wall 44 described above in connection with Fig. 5 is omitted, thus opening a window between compartments 43 and 45 of Fig. 5. In this embodiment, the air path into which air filter 46 is interposed is defined between the holes 110a, wherever the holes 110a may be located, and the window defined through wall 44. As in the embodiment shown in Fig. 5, the filter 46 need not completely fill the compartment 111. Indeed, the entire wall 44 could be omitted, provided the filter is held in place in the air path, for example by compression, friction or adhesive. Fig. 9 shows the air flow when the disk cartridge of Fig. 8 is used with a compatible disk drive. When the disk cartridge 30 is loaded into the disk drive, the ventilation holes 110a on the cartridge align with the ventilation hole 62 on the middle plate 56. A main compartment 120 of the disk drive formed by the bottom enclosure 52 and the middle plate 56 is connected with the compartment 111 of the cartridge via the aperture 34, the window 57, the ventilation holes 110a and the ventilation hole 62. The compartments 102 and 111 are tightly sealed by the bottom enclosure 52, the middle plate 56 and the cartridge 30.

6UBSr-πi-rTESHEEr(RULE2β) When the disk 37 is rotated by the spindle 66, the rotation generates an air flow strong enough to circulate air in the connected compartments through the air filter 69. The dust and other contaminants present in the disk drive are caught by the air filter, and the air is purified. The compartment 120 has a small breathing hole 121 on the middle plate 56 or the bottom enclosure 52. The breathing hole 121 is usually opened to keep the air pressure inside the compartment 120 the same as the air pressure in the surrounding environment. Breathing hole 121 may be covered with a filter, as is known in this art, to prevent outside contamination entering the system. The dust proof mechanism of Fig. 9 does not require a fan, as does the mechanism shown in Fig. 6. The present invention has now been described in connection with some specific embodiments thereof. However, numerous modifications which are contemplated as falling within the scope of the present invention should now be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that the scope of the present invention be limited only by the scope of the claims appended hereto. What is claimed is:

Claims

1. A data storage cartridge for housing a data storage medium, the data storage cartridge comprising: an enclosure to receive the data storage medium, one surface of the enclosure defining an aperture therethrough granting access to the data storage medium; a door slidably mounted to the enclosure, the door slidable from a first position covering the aperture to a second position substantially uncovering the aperture; and a guide plate adjacent the one surface of the enclosure, the guide plate and the one surface defining a pocket into which the door slides when substantially uncovering the aperture.

2. The cartridge of claim 1, the further comprising: an air filter disposed within the enclosure; and wherein the enclosure has defined therethrough a ventilation hole permitting communication of air outside the enclosure with the air filter within the enclosure.

3. The cartridge of claim 2, wherein the enclosure further includes: an interior wall substantially dividing the enclosure into a first compartment to receive the data storage medium and a second compartment containing the air filter.

4. The cartridge of claim 3, wherein the interior wall of the enclosure has defined therethrough an opening such that an air path is defined from the ventilation holes, through the filter and the opening defined in the interior wall, to the first compartment.

5. The cartridge of claim 3, in combination with a storage medium drive comprising: a storage medium drive housing having an aperture defined therethrough for receiving the cartridge; a middle plate substantially dividing the drive housing into a first drive housing compartment into which the cartridge is received and a second drive housing compartment, the middle plate having a window and a ventilation hole defined therethrough, the ventilation hole defined through the middle plate in communication with the ventilation hole defined through the enclosure when the cartridge is received; and

SUBSnTUTESHEEr(RUL-E26) media access equipment disposed in the second compartment of the drive housing having at least one element which engages the data storage medium through the window defined through the middle plate.

6. The combination of claim 5, wherein the cartridge further comprises: a locking mechanism including a feature which engages the door to prevent accidental opening thereof.

7. The combination of claim 6, wherein the drive housing further comprises: a door opening mechanism having an unlocking device which engages the locking mechanism to permit opening of the door.

8. The combination of claim 5, wherein the drive housing further comprises: a cover movably mounted to cover the window defined through the middle plate when the cartridge is not inserted and to uncover the window defined through the middle plate when the cartridge is inserted.

9. The combination of claim 8, wherein the drive housing has defined therethrough ventilation holes opening into the second compartment, and the drive housing further comprises: an air filter disposed in the second compartment of the drive housing, disposed in an air flow path between the ventilation hole and the window in the middle plate.

10. The combination of claim 9, further comprising: a fan disposed in the second compartment of the drive housing.

11. The combination of claim 10, wherein the drive housing further comprises: a breathing hole defined in the middle plate, the breathing hole permitting air to pass from the second compartment of the drive housing into the first compartment of the drive housing.

12. The combination of claim 11, wherein the drive housing further comprises:

SU--5TlTUTESHEEr(RULE26) a movable cover disposed in a position sealing the breathing hole.

13. The combination of claim 12, wherein the cover is a flap valve secured along one edge to the middle plate.

14. The combination of claim 9, wherein movement of the medium induces an air flow which circulates between the first compartment of the cartridge and the second compartment of the drive.

15. The combination of claim 14, wherein the drive housing further comprises: a breathing hole defined in the middle plate, the breathing hole permitting air to pass from the second compartment of the drive housing into the first compartment of the drive housing.

16. The combination of claim 15, wherein the drive housing further comprises: a movable cover disposed in a position sealing the breathing hole.

17. The combination of claim 16, wherein the cover is a flap valve secured along one edge to the middle plate.

18. A dust proof storage medium drive, comprising: a housing having an aperture defined therethrough to receive a data storage medium cartridge; a middle plate substantially dividing the housing into a first compartment to receive the cartridge and a second compartment, the middle plate having a window defined therethrough; and media access equipment disposed in the second compartment of the drive housing, the media access equipment arranged to engage the data storage medium through the window defined through the middle plate.

19. The drive of claim 18, wherein the cartridge includes a door and a locking mechanism, the drive further comprising:

SUB8TITUTESHEEr(RUL-E26) a door opening mechanism having an unlocking device which engages the locking mechanism to permit opening of the door.

20. The drive of claim 18, further comprising: a cover movably mounted to cover the window defined through the middle plate when the cartridge is not inserted and to uncover the window defined through the middle plate when the cartridge is inserted.

21. The drive of claim 20, further comprising: an air filter disposed in the second compartment of the housing, in an air flow path between the ventilation hole and the window in the middle plate.

22. The drive of claim 21, further comprising: a fan disposed in the second compartment of the housing.

23. The drive of claim 22, further comprising: a breathing hole defined in the middle plate, the breathing hole permitting air to pass from the second compartment of the housing into the first compartment of the housing.

24. The drive of claim 23, further comprising: a movable cover disposed in a position sealing the breathing hole.

25. The drive of claim 24, wherein the cover is a flap valve secured along one edge to the middle plate.

26. The drive of claim 21, wherein movement of the medium induces an air flow which circulates between the cartridge and the second compartment of the drive.

27. The drive of claim 26, further comprising: a breathing hole defined in the middle plate, the breathing hole permitting air to pass from the second compartment of the housing into the first compartment of the housing.

SUBSTmjTESHEEr(RUi--E26)

28. The drive of claim 27, further comprising: a cover disposed in a position sealing the breathing hole.

29. The drive of claim 28, wherein the cover is a flap valve secured along one edge to the middle plate.

30. A method of dust proofing a storage medium cartridge, comprising steps of: covering an aperture through which access to an interior region of the cartridge is provided with a door sliding over an exterior surface of the cartridge; and protecting the exterior surface of the cartridge over which the door slides from contact with airborne contaminants, so airborne contaminants do not land on the exterior surface over which the door slides and become carried into the cartridge by the sliding door.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising a step of filtering air entering the cartridge.

32. The method of claim 31 , further comprising a step of supplying a filter mounted in the cartridge, for use by the step of filtering.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising steps of: receiving the cartridge into a storage medium drive; and filtering air entering the storage medium drive.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising a step of inducing an air flow through a filter mounted in the cartridge, the filter mounted in the storage medium drive and subsequently into the cartridge.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the step of inducing is performed by movement of the storage medium.

SUBSHT╧àT┬úSHEEr(RULE26)