Dynamic information storage or retrieval – Information location or remote operator actuated control – Selective addressing of storage medium
Reexamination Certificate
1997-08-28
2001-10-09
Davis, David (Department: 2153)
Dynamic information storage or retrieval
Information location or remote operator actuated control
Selective addressing of storage medium
C369S178010, C369S192100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06301205
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a changer-type disk playback device capable of selectively playing back a plurality of disks.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,138,591, Japanese Laid-open Publication Number 6-36436, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,561,657 disclose changer-type disk playback devices that allow a selected disk to be played back without requiring the disk to be pulled out from its storage position. In order to make the device compact, playback means, comprising an optical pickup, a turntable, and the like, is moved horizontally between a plurality of coaxially disposed disks.
These conventional examples comprise a magazine having a plurality of mounting plates. A disk is mounted on each of these mounting plates. The magazine can be attached and removed from the device. When this magazine is outside the device, a lock mechanism locks the mounting plates so that the mounting plates do not separate from each other. When the magazine is stored in the device, the lock mechanism is released by a prescribed lock releasing mechanism in the device. During disk playback, the mounting plates are moved in a direction perpendicular to the disk surfaces, thereby providing more space. Playback mechanisms positioned at recessed positions, such as a turntable and an optical pickup, are moved in the space created by moving the mounting plates to allow disks to be played back without requiring the disks to be pulled out from the magazine.
When disks not held in the magazine are to be played back, the magazine is removed from the device, and disks are removed from the magazine. Then, the disk to be played back is mounted in the magazine, and the magazine is remounted in the device. This makes operating the device complex. Thus, there is a need for this type of changer-type disk playback device to be equipped with a loading mechanism for loading a disk inserted from a slit formed on a front panel of the device into the device. The loading mechanism can be either a pinch-roller loading mechanism where the disk surface is interposed between a drive roller and a driven roller, or a belt loading mechanism where the edges of the disk are supported by a continuous drive belt disposed along a disk transfer path.
When a disk is to be stored in a storing position using a loading mechanism, a supporting means must be disposed to support the disk at the storing position. The supporting means can take on a variety of different structures. When the recording surface or label surface of disks are mounted on a mounting plate, as in the conventional technology described above, the disk can be damaged by the sliding contact between the disk surface and the mounting surface during the loading operation. In Japanese Laid-open Publication Number 9-17171, filed by the present applicant, an arcuate disk holder that supports the disk edge over approximately 180 degrees can be used. According to this disk supporting means, the sliding contact between the disk and the disk holder takes place only at the edge, where no data is recorded. Thus, even if the disk is scratched, there is no effect on playback.
During disk playback, the disk must be moved away from the disk holder so that the disk holder and the disk are out of contact with each other. If the disk holder is disposed close to the front panel of the device, the disk would project from the front panel when the disk is pulled out. Thus, the disk holder needs to be disposed further back in the device so that there is space between the front panel and the disk holder for the disk to be pulled out.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a playback device which overcomes the drawbacks of the prior art.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a playback device which permits playing of a disk while an axis of the disk remains within a perimeter of stored disks.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide a disk playback device in which a spacing between disks is sufficient to permit a turntable to move to and chuck a disk stored in a disk storage device, then withdraw the disk to a playback position.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide a disk playback device in which a storage position for a turntable and optical pickup is located outside a vertical space about a disk playback position.
Briefly stated, the present invention provides a disk playback device in which a space above and below a selected disk held in a disk holder provides room for a turntable and optical pickup to move in and out of positions outside and inside the perimeter of stored disks. The turntable is moved inward in the space from a storage position to chuck, and withdraw, the selected disk from its disk holder to a playback position in which the axis of the turntable is within the outline of disks stored in disk holders. The storage position places the axis of the turntable outside the outline of disks stored in the disk holders. In a single play mode, a disk not stored in a disk holder is moved directly from outside the disk playback device to the playback position where it is chucked and played. On conclusion of single play, the disk is transported out of the disk playback device without being resident in a disk holder.
When the disk holder is moved perpendicular to the disk surface in order to play back a disk, playback means needs to be recessed to a position where there is no overlapping with the disk. The space that is needed to provide a recessed position for the playback means acts as a bottleneck in making the device more compact.
In order to achieve the object described above, a changer-type disk playback device according to the present invention comprises: a plurality of disk supporting members supporting a plurality of disks so that the disks are coaxial; disk support member transferring means transferring the plurality of disk supporting members in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the disks; disk transferring means transferring a disk between a selected disk supporting member and a disk insertion/removal position; playback means performing playback of a disk comprising at least an optical pickup and a turntable; disk withdrawing means pulling out a disk from a disk supporting member so that the disk and the disk supporting member are out of contact; and a playback means transferring mechanism moving the playback means to a recessed position and a playback position. The recessed position is a position in a flat region formed by the transfer of the disk by the disk transferring means where the turntable does not overlap with the disks held in the plurality of disk support members. The playback position is a position where the turntable overlaps with the disks held in the plurality of the disk support members.
When the playback means is at the recessed position, it is positioned between the disk insertion/removal position, which is provided by disk transferring means, and disk supporting means. Thus, there is no need to prepare a space exclusively for the recessed position of playback means.
The above, and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals designate the same elements.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5117409 (1992-05-01), Shimizu et al.
patent: 5216645 (1993-06-01), Sakayama
patent: 5561657 (1996-10-01), Ogawa
patent: 5808976 (1998-09-01), Hisatomi
Davis David
Kupstas Tod
Morrison Law Firm
Nakamichi Corporation
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