Dynamic information storage or retrieval – Dynamic mechanism subsystem – Specific detail of storage medium support or motion production
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-27
2001-08-14
Tupper, Robert S. (Department: 2652)
Dynamic information storage or retrieval
Dynamic mechanism subsystem
Specific detail of storage medium support or motion production
Reexamination Certificate
active
06275465
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disk clamping mechanism that clamps a disk such as a CD (compact disk) between a turn table and a clamper. Specially, it relates to a disk clamping mechanism that can securely clamp a disk and make a smooth and easy transition from a clamped state to a clamp-released state of the disk.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 5
is a side view to illustrate a compact disk (hereunder, abbreviated as CD) player incorporating the conventional clamping mechanism, in which
FIG. 5A
shows a clamp-released state, and
FIG. 5B
shows a clamped state.
As shown in
FIG. 5
, a disk drive unit
2
is provided inside an enclosure
1
of the CD player. The disk drive unit
2
is made up with a spindle motor
4
provided on a drive chassis
3
, a turntable T fixed on a rotary shaft
4
a
of the spindle motor
4
, and a pickup not illustrated, etc.
A disk clamping mechanism
5
is provided on the upper part of the drive chassis
3
. The disk clamping mechanism
5
comprises a clamp arm
6
and a clamper
7
supported so as to freely rotate on the front end (Y
1
side) of the clamp arm
6
. The clamp arm
6
is supported on the base of the Y
2
side to freely swing in the &agr;
1
direction (clamp-released direction) and in the &agr;
2
direction (clamped direction) against the drive chassis
3
, with a swing shaft
8
serving as the fulcrum.
The clamp arm
6
has an operating member
6
a
that is formed bent downward in a virtually L-shape under the drive chassis
3
. The operating member
6
a
has a clamp spring
10
attached, such as a coil spring or the like. By this clamp spring
10
, the clamp arm
6
is energized in the &agr;
2
direction. A pressed part
9
, which extends perpendicularly to the side view shown in
FIG. 5
, is provided on the front end (Y
1
side) of the operating part
6
a
. This pressed part
9
is formed of a pin fastened to the operating member
6
a
, or the like.
A pressing member
11
that is moved in the Y
1
and Y
2
directions by a drive means (not shown) is provided so as to face the pressed part
9
. As shown in
FIG. 5A
, as the pressing member
11
is moved in the Y
2
direction, the pressed part
9
provided on the operating part
6
a
of the clamp arm
6
is pushed up in the Z
1
direction by a taper
11
a
of the pressing member
11
. Thereby, the clamp arm
6
is swung in the a
1
direction, and the clamper
7
takes off from the turntable T into the clamp-released state. On the other hand, as shown in
FIG. 5B
, as the pressing member
11
is moved in the Y
1
direction, the pressing member
11
takes off from the pressed part
9
. At this moment, since the operating part
6
a
receives the energizing force from the clamp spring
10
, the clamp arm
6
is swung in the &agr;
2
direction, and being clamped between the clamper
7
and the turntable T, a disk D is put in the clamped state. This clamping force is determined by the elasticity of the clamp spring
10
.
A disk conveying means (not shown) is provided on the Y
1
side of the disk drive unit
2
. If the CD player is intended for a single disk insertion, the disk conveying means is, for example, a carrier roller. When the disk D (compact disk) is inserted from an insertion slot (not shown) provided on the front panel, the disk D is conveyed to the disk drive unit
2
, receiving a feeding force by the carrier roller.
If the CD player is designed as a disk changer system, the conveying means is, for example, a tray conveying mechanism that pulls out trays inside a magazine. When the tray is pulled out in the Y
2
direction, the disk mounted on the tray is transferred to the disk drive unit
2
.
In the foregoing disk clamping mechanism
5
, the clamp arm
6
is energized in the clamping direction by the elasticity of the clamp spring
10
. The elongation of the clamp spring
10
becomes longer in the clamp-released state shown in
FIG. 5A
than in the clamped state shown in FIG.
5
B. That is, if the elasticity in the clamping direction that acts on the clamp arm
6
in the clamped state is F
0
, and the elasticity in the clamping direction that acts on the clamp arm
6
in the clamp-released state is F
1
, F
1
>F
0
.
That is, the energizing force becomes greater in the clamp-released state than in the clamped state. This situation does not change in such a structure that the arm of a torsion spring attached to the swing shaft
8
is hooked on the operating member
6
a
and the clamp arm
6
is energized in the clamping direction.
In the clamped state of the disk shown in
FIG. 5B
, it is necessary to increase the elasticity F
0
to some extent in order to securely clamp the center of the disk D on the turntable T. Accordingly, as shown in
FIG. 5A
, the elasticity F
1
that acts on the clamp arm
6
increases still more, when the clamp arm
6
is pushed up in the clamp-released direction.
As a result, when the pressing member
11
pushes up the pressed part
9
in opposition to the elasticity F
1
, the resistance that acts on the pressing member
11
becomes extremely increased, and a greater driving force to move the pressing member
11
in the Y
2
direction becomes necessary, which inevitably requires a greater power consumption for a motor and the like. Further, the slide friction between the pressing member
11
and the pressed part
9
also increases, and the wear of components tends to increase.
Further, in the conventional example shown in
FIG. 5
, if the clamp arm
6
is swung to a great extent in the &agr;
1
direction by an external force during the process of manufacturing or maintenance, the clamp spring
10
will be stretched out to its breaking point, which is a problem to be resolved.
Therefore, it is conceivable to install a stopper (not shown) that restricts the swing range of the clamp arm
6
in the &agr;
1
direction. However, the installation of this stopper will create troubles in the assembly process while incorporating the clamp arm
6
onto the drive chassis
3
, because the stopper becomes an obstacle. This will increase the number of components.
The present invention intends to solve those problems of the conventional technique. It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a disk clamping mechanism capable of varying the energizing force that acts on the clamp arm to an appropriate degree in correspondence with the clamped state and the clamp-released state, displaying an ample clamping force in the clamped state, and reducing the load that acts on a clamp switching means during the movement toward the clamp-released state.
Further, it is another object of the invention to provide a disk clamping mechanism that enables to give a limit to the swing angle of the clamp arm in the clamp-released direction without installing a stopper, whereby a breakage of the clamp spring or the like will not be created.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to accomplish the foregoing objects of the invention, the disk clamping mechanism comprises: a turntable that gives a rotation to a disk; a clamp arm supported so as to freely swing in a clamped direction facing the turntable and in a clamp-released direction facing opposite the turntable; a clamper supported by the clamp arm so as to freely rotate, which clamps the disk between the turntable and the clamper; an energizing means, the energizing means for energizing the clamp arm in the clamped direction; and a clamp switching means, the clamp switching means for swinging the clamp arm in the clamp-released direction against an energizing force of the energizing means.
In this construction, the energizing means swings so as to follow a swing of the clamp arm, and possesses an energizing arm that applies the energizing force in the clamped direction to a pressed part of the clamp arm. Further, the positions of a swing fulcrum of the clamp arm and a support end for the energizing arm are set in such a manner that the point of the energizing force applied from the energizing arm to the pressed part moves farther from the support end for t
Shirashima Hitoshi
Suzuki Shoji
Alpine Electronics Inc.
Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione
Tupper Robert S.
Watko Julie Anne
LandOfFree
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