Disk device for disks of different sizes

Details Disk device for disks of different sizes Disk device for disks of different sizes

2000-09-26

2002-10-22

Miller, Brian E. (Department: 2652)

Dynamic information storage or retrieval

With particular cabinet structure

Slotted for edgewise insertion of storage disc

Reexamination Certificate

active

06469972

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disk device having a positional determination mechanism which can use disks of various outer diameters.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional disk device, in particular a disk device which can use disks of various outer diameters, needs a disk loading device for conveying the disks of various outer diameters to a turntable and for performing the positional determination. Such a disk loading device is generally complicated in that it has a positional determination mechanism which can use the disks of various sizes. This furthermore increases the overall size of the device.
FIGS. 1 through 12
show such a disk loading device. In the figures,
301
and
302
are guide levers,
303
is a disk guide plate,
303
a
is a refuge guide section,
304
is a slider,
305
is a link lever,
306
and
307
are guide levers,
306
a
and
307
a
are guide pins,
308
is an arm,
310
is a clamp,
311
is a clamp arm,
311
a
is a small disk stopper,
312
a
is a large disk stopper,
312
is a base,
313
is a turntable,
314
is a spindle motor,
315
is a transfer roller,
316
is a top plate,
317
is a player cabinet,
317
a
is a front face into which a disk is inserted,
318
is a spring.
A front face aperture
317
a
into which disks are inserted is provided in the front face of the player cabinet
317
. As shown by
FIG. 3
, a guide lever
301
,
302
which detects the size of the disk, a slider
304
which displaces in tandem with the guide lever
301
,
302
as shown in
FIG. 1
, an arm
308
which engages due to the displacement of the slider
304
, a guide lever
306
,
307
which guides a disk into the device, a link lever
305
which is opened and closed by connection to the guide lever
306
,
307
, and a disk guide plate
303
which guides the upper face of the disk are mounted on the upper plate
316
provided in the player cabinet
317
.
A refuge guide
303
a
which projects so that a large disk can avoid the small disk stopper
311
a
is provided on the disk guide plate
303
. On the lower section of the disk guide plate
303
, a transfer roller
315
is provided to displace the disk and the turntable
313
is provided behind the transfer roller
315
. In addition, a spindle motor
314
which drives the turntable
313
and a base
312
to fix the above components are also provided on the lower section.
Above the turntable
313
, a clamp
310
is provided which positions and holds an inserted disk on the turntable by the central hole of the disk. The clamp
310
is supported on the clamp arm
311
which rotates about the shaft
312
b
on the base
312
. A stopper
311
a
is provided which determines the position of a small disk on the clamp arm
311
. Another stopper
312
a
is provided on the base
312
to determine the position of a large disk.
The operation of the conventional disk device will be explained below.
A disk inserted into a conventional disk loading device is transferred in the horizontal direction in contact with the face of the disk guide plate
303
by the disk guide plate
303
and the transferring roller
315
.
FIGS. 5 through 8
represent a small disk A as inserted into a device. The outer periphery of the inserted small disk A abuts with the guide pins
301
a,
302
a
of the guide lever
301
,
302
as shown in FIG.
5
. The guide lever
301
,
302
is extended as the small disk A is transferred inwardly. A slider
304
which engages with the linking pins
301
b,
302
b
of the guide lever
301
,
302
displaces in a direction of the arrow D. As shown in
FIG. 6
when a small disk is inserted the bent projection
304
a
of the slider
304
and the sloping section
308
c
of the arm
308
do not engage.
When a small disk is transferred, the outer periphery of the small disk A abuts with the guiding pins
306
a,
307
a
of the guiding lever
306
,
307
as shown in FIG.
7
. As the guiding lever
306
,
307
is enlarged, the disk abuts with the small disk stopper
311
a
and its position is determined.
The arm
308
is displaced in direction E as shown in
FIG. 8
by the sliding lever
308
. The guiding pins
306
a,
307
a
which are in abutment with the outer periphery of the small disk A due to the arm
308
separate from the outer periphery of the small disk A and lock the guiding lever
306
,
307
. The guiding lever
301
,
302
is returned to the pre-extension position by the spring
318
when the small disk A is displaced inwardly.
FIGS. 9 through 12
show the device with a large diameter disk inserted. The outer periphery of the inserted large disk B abuts with the guide pins
301
a,
302
a
of the guide lever
301
,
302
as shown in FIG.
9
. The guide lever
301
,
302
is extended as the large disk B is transferred inwardly as shown in
FIG. 10. A
slider
304
which engages with the linking pins
301
b,
302
b
of the guide lever
301
,
302
displaces in the direction of the arrow D. The bent projection
304
a
of the slider
304
and the sloping section
308
c
of the arm
308
engage. The rotational range of the guiding lever
306
,
307
is adapted to the radius of the large disk B by displacing the arm
308
in the direction D.
When a large disk is transferred inwardly, the outer periphery of the large disk B abuts with the guiding pins
306
a,
307
a
of the guiding lever
306
,
307
as shown in FIG.
11
. As the guiding lever
306
,
307
is enlarged, the face of the large disk B abuts with the refuge guide
303
a
which projects from the disk guide plate
303
, and the direction of displacement of the large disk B is varied from a horizontal direction to an downwardly inclined direction by the projecting refuge guide
303
a.
Even if the large disk B is transferred further inwardly by the conveying roller
315
, it is not stopped by the small disk stopper
311
a
and its position is determined by abutment with the large disk stopper
312
a.
The arm
308
is displaced in the direction of the arrow E as shown in
FIG. 12
by the slide lever in the same way as when handling a small disk A. The guiding pins
306
a,
307
a
of the guiding lever
306
,
307
are separated from the outer periphery of the large disk B and the guiding lever
306
,
307
is locked. The guiding lever
301
,
302
is returned to a position before enlargement by the spring
318
in the same way as when handling a small disk A.
Since a conventional disk device is constructed as above, the problem of increases in structural complexity has arisen in order to deal with CDs of different diameters such as 8 cm or 12 cm CDs. This is a result of providing the small disk stopper refuge mechanism for determining the refuge position of a small disk stopper of an 8 cm disk with respect to a 12 cm disk.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is proposed to solve the above problems and has the object of providing a simplified structure for positioning disks having different sizes.
The disk device of the present invention comprises a conveying roller for conveying circular disks of differing sizes, a disk guiding section facing the conveying roller and guiding the disk, a disk selection mechanism having projections which are provided in proximity with the conveying roller, the projections being disposed at predetermined positions of the disk guiding section for selectively abutting with a surface of the disk inserted between the conveying roller and the disk guiding section depending on an outer radius of the disk, thereby changing an angle of the disk in the conveying direction depending on the outer radius, and a positional determination mechanism for positioning the disk, the angle of which is regulated by the disk selection mechanism, to respective predetermined positions preset in accordance with the outer radius of the disk.
As a result, a simple mechanism is obtained which can position the inserted disk to a predetermined position in the device depending on the outer diameter of the disk and which can initiate a disk clamp action with respect to the disk by positi

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