Dynamic information storage or retrieval – Information location or remote operator actuated control – Selective addressing of storage medium
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-30
2002-10-15
Davis, David (Department: 2652)
Dynamic information storage or retrieval
Information location or remote operator actuated control
Selective addressing of storage medium
Reexamination Certificate
active
06466524
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording media playback apparatus for playing back information recorded on a recording medium and/or recording information on a recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recording media playback apparatuses are conventionally used for playing back information such as music and video from recording media such as compact discs (CDs), MiniDiscs (MDs), digital video discs (DVDs), and the like, or for playing back information such as maps used in navigation systems or programs or data used in personal computers, game machines, etc. from recording media such as CD-ROMs. There are two main ways by which recording media to be played back are loaded into and unloaded from a playback apparatus: one is to load and unload each recording medium individually, and the other is to accommodate a plurality of recording media in a magazine and load and unload the magazine with the recording media accommodated therein. Prior art apparatuses of the magazine type are disclosed, for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publications JP-A 3-235250(1991), JP-A 6-231559(1994), and JP-A 7-169168(1995). U.S. Pat. No. 5,481,512, which corresponds to Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 6-231559, should also be noted.
Some automotive audio systems are equipped with an autochanger facility for accommodating a plurality of recording media such as compact discs (hereinafter abbreviated CDs) as program sources, and for playing back the discs by sequentially changing the discs. The autochanger facility is very useful, since the driver of a car cannot manually load or unload recording media while driving the car.
FIGS. 73A and 73B
are simplified schematic diagrams showing the construction of a CD playback apparatus
1
equipped with an autochanger facility according to the prior art. A housing
2
is constructed conforming to the so-called DIN standard which defines a vehicle dashboard mountable size, for example, about 18 cm in width, about 5 cm in height, and about 17 cm in depth. A magazine
3
holding a plurality of CDs
4
is loaded into the housing
2
, and a desired one of the CDs
4
can be selected and played back by a PU unit
5
. Each CD
4
is about 12 cm in diameter, and a turn table
6
mounted on the PU unit
5
is about 3 cm in diameter. As shown in
FIG. 73A
, when selecting one of the CDs
4
accommodated in the magazine
3
, the PU unit
5
is retracted away from the magazine
3
into its standby position and selects the CD
4
to be played back. The magazine
3
with the CDs
4
accommodated therein is loaded into and unloaded from the housing
2
. Accordingly, the PU unit
5
is installed in a position where the PU unit
5
does not interfere with the loading and unloading of the magazine
3
.
As shown in
FIG. 73B
, when playing back a CD
4
, the magazine
3
in which the CD
4
to be played back is accommodated is separated between top and bottom at the accommodating position of the CD
4
; then, the turn table
6
is moved into the space created by separating the magazine
3
, and the CD
4
is mounted on the turn table
6
for playback. To move the PU unit
5
into the magazine
3
, a swiveling arm
7
is provided on whose swivelling end is mounted the turn table
6
. The base end of the swiveling arm
7
is supported on a support shaft
8
.
Playback apparatuses of the type that loads and unloads recording media one at a time are widely used. Some playback apparatuses are capable of accommodating a plurality of recording media within the housing, just like the magazine type, and yet capable of loading and unloading recording media one by one. Such prior art apparatuses are disclosed, for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publications JP-A 6-176472(1994) and JP-A 7-272383(1995). In such prior art, a playback pickup unit is provided between the insertion/ejection slot of the housing and the accommodating section inside the housing, and a recording medium, when inserted, can be played back immediately or transported for accommodating in the accommodating section, or a recording medium accommodated in the accommodating section can be drawn out for playback or ejection. Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 6-176472 is specifically directed to the MD whose recording medium is handled with being housed in a cartridge. Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 7-272383 uses CDs as recording media, each mounted on a tray. U.S. Pat. No. 5,508,994 also handles CDs as mounted on trays.
FIGS. 74A and 74B
schematically show the operating positions of various parts in a CD playback apparatus
11
disclosed by applicant in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publications JP-A 10-3732(1998), JP-A 10-3733(1998), JP-A 10-3734(1998), and JP-A 10-3736(1998). In this CD playback apparatus
11
, a stocker
13
capable of accommodating a plurality of CDs
4
is mounted inside a housing
12
. An insertion/ejection slot
14
is provided in the front panel of the housing
12
, and the CDs
4
can be inserted or ejected one at a time. As shown in
FIG. 74A
, a turn table
6
mounted on a PU unit
5
is on standby in a position outside the accommodating area of the CDs
4
accommodated in the stocker
13
, and is movable in the direction of thickness to select one of the CDs accommodated in the stocker
13
.
FIG. 74B
shows the condition in which the stocker
13
is separated to provide space above and below the selected CD
4
and the turn table
6
of the PU unit
5
is moved into the space created by the separating. A moving mechanism
15
moves the PU unit
5
into the space widened by separating the stocker
13
.
FIG. 75
shows a schematic cross sectional side view showing the construction of the CD playback apparatus
11
. The CD playback apparatus
11
is equipped with an autochanger facility and capable of accommodating a plurality of CDs
4
in the stocker
13
mounted inside the housing
12
. The CDs
4
can be inserted into or ejected from the housing
12
one at a time, and can be played back by the PU unit
5
. The PU unit
5
is mounted on a frame
16
, and is movable up and down and also movable horizontally in the inserting direction of the CD
4
as well as in the direction opposite to it. Since the CD playback apparatus
11
is a vehicle mounted type, it is susceptible to external vibrations and shocks when the vehicle is moving. A floating mechanism
17
is provided to reduce the effects of external vibrations and shocks during playback.
The stocker
13
can be separated between top and bottom at a desired accommodating position by using a lifting/separating mechanism
18
. The PU unit
5
moves into the space created by the separating, and receives a CD
4
from the stocker
13
for playback or returns a CD
4
after playback. The operation of the various parts is controlled by a control circuit
19
.
The stocker
13
and the frame
16
are supported on a chassis
20
. The chassis
20
is supported by the floating mechanism
17
in such a manner as to float with respect to the housing
12
.
When inserting or ejecting a CD
4
, the floating action of the floating mechanism
17
is restrained by locking a lock pawl
17
a.
On the front side of the frame
16
is provided a shutter
12
a
with which a slot
12
b
formed in the housing
12
for the insertion/ejection of CDs
4
can be opened and closed; when a CD is inserted, the shutter
12
a
is closed to prevent the insertion of a new CD
4
. The CD
4
inserted through the slot
12
b
is transported into the stocker
13
by virtue of transport rollers
16
a
. The transport rollers
16
a
are mounted on the frame
16
, and are positioned so as to align with the inside height of the slot
12
b
when inserting or ejecting a CD
4
.
FIGS. 76A
to
76
E are diagrams schematically illustrating the operation of the CD playback apparatus
11
of FIG.
74
. As shown in
FIG. 75
, the PU unit
5
and the transport rollers
16
a
are mounted on the same frame
16
so that they move together up and down. As shown in
FIG. 76A
, when inserting
Davis David
Fujitsu Ten Limited
Wenderoth , Lind & Ponack, L.L.P.
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