Dynamic information storage or retrieval – Dynamic mechanism subsystem – Access of multiple storage elements
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-30
2004-03-16
Davis, David (Department: 2652)
Dynamic information storage or retrieval
Dynamic mechanism subsystem
Access of multiple storage elements
Reexamination Certificate
active
06707781
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disc changer comprising a simple mechanism for preventing an occurrence of abnormal noise caused by vibration.
2. Description of the Related Art
A disc changer disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 10-21630 previously filed by the Applicant comprises: a disc storage device removably inserted into an apparatus main body while holding a plurality of discs arranged in a stacked state; a disc reproduction device comprising a clamper for holding a disc from above, a turn table on which the disc is placed, and a pickup that is movable in a radial direction of the disc to read information recorded in the disc; and an elevation device for elevating the disc reproduction device in the stacking direction of the discs stored in the disc storage device.
The disc changer will be described with reference to FIG.
10
and FIG.
11
.
As shown in
FIG. 10
, the disc changer comprises a casing
100
of the apparatus main body so that a magazine
101
serving as a disc storage device is stored in a space at the left-hand portion of the casing
100
. The magazine
101
has trays
104
on which a plurality of discs
103
can be placed from an opening
110
to store them in these trays
104
and removed therefrom. The magazine
101
can be loaded into the casing
100
so that the opening
110
is directed to an X-axis direction (i.e., the transverse direction of the disc changer) and unloaded therefrom by means of a magazine eject mechanism (not shown). The loading and unloading direction relative to the casing
100
of the magazine
101
include a Z direction (i.e., the longitudinal direction of the disc changer) that extends vertically to both of the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction (i.e., the vertical direction of the disc exchanger).
A disc reproduction device
102
comprises a stage chassis
105
on which a clamper is mounted; and a carriage chassis
106
on which a turntable and a pickup are mounted. The stage chassis
105
can be elevated together with the carriage chassis
106
in the Y-axis direction. Although a mechanism for the elevation is not shown, for example, slide members are disposed respectively on both front and rear faces in the Z direction of the casing
100
. These slide members are constructed to be slidably engaged with, guide pins protruded from the stage chassis
105
and the carriage chassis
106
, respectively. When the slide members moves relatively in the X-axis direction along both first and rear faces of the casing
100
, the disc reproduction device
102
is elevated in the Y-axis direction. By the elevation mechanism, the disc reproduction device
102
moves to a position at which a disc
103
selected by a user is stored.
The disc reproduction device comprises a disc transfer mechanism (not shown). The disc transfer mechanism is engaged with the tray
104
for the selected disc
103
so as to draw the tray
104
to a disc reproduction position. The disc reproduction device
102
reproduces the disc
103
on the tray
104
, which is drawn from the magazine
101
to the disc reproduction position.
In the thus constructed disc changer, for example, when a user presses a magazine eject button or the like (not shown) provided on the apparatus main body, the elevation mechanism moves the disc reproduction device
102
to the standby position, i.e., the storage position of the disc
103
placed on the tray
104
a
at the top stage of the magazine
101
shown in FIG.
10
. After the disc reproduction position coincides with the disc storage position, the magazine
101
is ejected out of the casing
100
in the Z direction.
In the thus constructed disc changer, when the magazine
101
is ejected from the casing
100
, the disc reproduction device
102
vibrates under the influence of external vibration, and abnormal noise may be generated. Conventionally, as a device for preventing an occurrence of such abnormal noise, an elastic member is provided on each of the casing
100
and the carriage chassis
106
. The elastic member applies an elastic force to the stage chassis
105
and the carriage chassis
106
, thereby attempting to prevent vibration.
A device for preventing the occurrence of an abnormal noise will be described with reference to FIG.
10
and FIG.
11
.
As shown in
FIG. 10
, a leaf spring
107
serving as the elastic member is provided at the upper part of the casing
100
that corresponds to a position in abutment with the top face end of the stage chassis
105
when the disc reproduction device
102
moves to the standby position. When the disc reproduction device
102
is moved to the standby position by means of the elevation device, the leaf spring
107
comes into contact with the stage chassis
105
, thereby applying an elastic force to the stage chassis
105
in the Y-axis direction.
In addition, as shown in
FIG. 11
, a leaf spring
109
serving as the elastic member is provided on the carriage chassis
106
, and an engagement pin
108
, which can come into contact with the leaf spring
109
is provided on the disc transfer mechanism (not shown). The engagement pin
108
serves to make a positional decision between a disc reproduction position of the disc reproduction device
102
positioned by the elevation device and the disc storage position of the disc
103
stored in the magazine
101
. When the disc transfer mechanism moves in the X-axis direction in order to draw the tray
104
after the disc reproduction device
102
has been positioned by means of the elevation device, the engagement pin
108
moves in the same direction accordingly. Then, the engagement pin
108
is engaged with a guide hole
111
provided at the carriage chassis
106
to make a positional decision, and the leaf spring
109
is pressed in the same direction, whereby the carriage chassis
106
and the disc transfer mechanism turn into a united body. The disc transfer mechanism draws the tray
104
to the disc reproduction position.
More specifically, when the disc reproduction device
102
moves to the standby position described above, the leaf spring
107
shown in
FIG. 10
applies an elastic force to the stage chassis
105
in the Y-axis direction. The leaf spring
109
shown in
FIG. 11
applied an elastic force to the engagement pin
108
engaged with the guide hole
111
in order to make a positional decision between the disc storage position of the disc
103
placed on the tray
104
at the top stage of the magazine
101
and the disc reproduction position. By both of the above-mentioned elastic forces, the stage chassis
105
and carriage chassis
106
are stationarily held on the casing
100
. In this manner, even if the disc reproduction device
102
is subjected to external vibration, the device does not generate abnormal noise. At the standby position, the disc transfer mechanism does not draw the tray
104
.
However, in the conventional construction described above, the engagement pin
108
is pressed against the leaf spring
109
, generating an elastic force in the X-axis direction between the former and the latter every time the disc reproduction device
102
is positioned by means of the elevation mechanism at the disc storage position of the disc stored in the magazine
101
. Thus, the elastic force of the leaf spring
109
for preventing an occurrence of abnormal noise is applied to the carriage chassis
106
every time the disc is transferred. Therefore, there is a problem that a large driving force must be applied to the disc transfer mechanism in proportion to the applied elastic force. Further, the engaging pin
108
essentially serves to make a positional decision between the disc storage position of the disc stored in the magazine
101
and the disc reproduction position of the disc reproduction device
102
. However, there is a problem that the engagement pin
108
urges the leaf spring
109
, thereby causing displacement between the disc storage position and the disc reproduction position.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the pr
Anada Satoru
Kajihara Kiyohito
Sugimoto Kiyofumi
Yanagisawa Tatsuya
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