Dynamic information storage or retrieval – With particular cabinet structure – Slotted for edgewise insertion of storage disc
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-11
2003-10-21
Korzuch, William (Department: 2653)
Dynamic information storage or retrieval
With particular cabinet structure
Slotted for edgewise insertion of storage disc
C369S270100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06636470
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disc apparatus for a CD player or the like, and more particularly to a disc loading mechanism for transporting a disc to a reproduction position or ejecting a disc at the reproduction position to the outside of an apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
An example of a conventional disc loading mechanism is shown in
FIG. 13. A
disc motor
1
, a disc guide
5
, and a support shaft
3
a
are fixed to an unrepresented reproduction unit chassis. A clamper holder
7
supports a clamper
6
movable up and down in a predetermined clearance range, the clamper holder being raised or lowered by an unrepresented drive mechanism.
A turntable
2
is fixed to the rotary shaft of the disc motor
1
. A roller arm
3
pivotally supported by the support shaft
3
a
is energized in the clockwise direction by an unrepresented spring. The roller arm
3
is energized in the counter-clockwise direction against the force of the spring by an unrepresented drive mechanism. A rubber roller
4
rotatively supported by the roller arm
3
is rotated by an unrepresented drive mechanism.
As a disc
10
is inserted from the right side as viewed in
FIG. 2
, this disc insertion is detected with an unrepresented detector, and a motor of the drive mechanism for the rubber roller
4
rotates to rotate the rubber roller
4
in the counter-clockwise direction and transport the disc
10
in pressure contact with the disc guide
5
to the left side. When an unrepresented detector detects that the disc
10
is transported to the position where the disc
10
abuts on a disc stopper
7
a
projected from the clamper holder
7
above the turntable
2
, the motor of the drive mechanism for the rubber roller
4
stops and the clamper holder
7
is lowered to squeeze the disc
10
with the clamper
6
and place it on the turntable
2
. The clamper
6
is attracted by a magnetic force of the turntable
2
to clamp the disc
10
with the turntable
2
. In this case, the clamper
6
and clamper holder
7
are not in contact with each other so that the disk
10
can be rotated by the disc motor and a reproduction ready state starts.
After the reproduction, the clamper holder
7
is raised and the roller arm
3
is rotated in the clockwise direction so that the rubber roller
4
makes the disc
10
in pressure contact with the disc guide
5
. The rubber roller
4
further rotates in the clockwise direction to eject the disc
10
out of the apparatus.
With the conventional disc loading mechanism described above, however, since the disc
10
is transported toward the intermediate position between the clamper
6
and turntable
2
, one side of the disc
10
is squeezed between the disc guide
5
and rubber roller
4
and supported in a cantilever way. If the apparatus vibrates, the disc
10
also vibrates and abuts on the turntable
2
so that the disc
10
may be damaged. In order to prevent the disc from abutting on the turntable
2
even if the disc
10
vibrates, a space between the turntable
2
and clamper
6
is required to be made broad, which increases the height of the apparatus. Furthermore, the position of the circumferential edge of the disc
10
cannot be stabilized while the disc
10
is loaded, so that the disc
10
may enter under the disc stopper
7
a
without is being stopped with it.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide a disc loading mechanism for a disc reproduction apparatus capable of stabilizing the position of the circumferential edge of a disc and preventing the disc from abutting on a turntable.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a disc loading mechanism capable of reliably stopping a disc at the home position with a disc stopper while the disc is transported to the reproduction position.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a disc loading mechanism capable of preventing a disc from being engaged with a turntable or the like and from not being ejected, at the start of a disc eject operation.
In a disc loading mechanism for a disc reproduction apparatus of this invention in which a disc squeezed between a disc guide and a disc roller is loaded while the roller is rotated, a disc contact surface of the disc guide is slanted so that the disc is spaced from a turntable along a disc transport direction when the disc is loaded.
In a disc loading mechanism for a disc reproduction apparatus of this invention in which a disc squeezed between a transport roller and a disc guide is transported by a rotation of the transport roller to a reproduction position above a turntable or from the reproduction position to an outside of the apparatus and a clamper is lowered above the turntable to clamp the disc, when the clamper is raised to unclamp the disc, a disc holding member raises a circumferential edge of the disc.
In a disc loading mechanism for a disc reproduction apparatus of this invention in which a disc squeezed between a transport roller and a disc guide is transported by a rotation of the transport roller to a reproduction position above a turntable or from the reproduction position to an outside of the apparatus and a clamper is lowered above the turntable to clamp the disc, a disc stopper for position-aligning the disc at the reproduction position is provided with a slanted portion, and when the clamper is raised to unclamp the disc, the disc stopper moves toward the disc and raises a circumferential edge of the disc.
In a disc loading mechanism for a disc reproduction apparatus of this invention in which a disc squeezed between a transport roller and a disc guide is transported by a rotation of the transport roller to a reproduction position above a turntable or from the reproduction position to an outside of the apparatus, and a clamper is lowered above the turntable to clamp the disc, a disc stopper for position-aligning the disc at the reproduction position is provided with a flange under the disc stopper, and when the disc stopper stop the disc at the reproduction portion, the flange prevents the disc from entering under the disc stopper.
In a disc loading mechanism for a disc reproduction apparatus of this invention in which a disc squeezed between a transport roller and a disc guide is transported by a rotation of the transport roller to a reproduction position above a turntable or from the reproduction position to an outside of the apparatus and a clamper is lowered above the turntable to clamp the disc, a disc stopper rotatively mounted on a chassis for position-aligning the disc at the reproduction position is provided with a flange under the disc stopper and a slanted portion at a partial area of the disc stopper, when the disc stopper stops the disc at the reproduction portion, the flange prevents the disc from entering under the disc stopper and when the clamper is raised to unclamp the disc, the disc stopper rotates to raise a circumferential edge of the disc with the slanted portion.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4510591 (1985-04-01), Schatteman
patent: 4764917 (1988-08-01), Sugihara et al.
patent: 5031169 (1991-07-01), Kato et al.
patent: 5036509 (1991-07-01), Kobayashi et al.
patent: 5204849 (1993-04-01), Yamada et al.
patent: 5764612 (1998-06-01), Tanaka et al.
patent: 6084838 (2000-07-01), Tanaka et al.
patent: 6288982 (2001-09-01), Kato
patent: 0666562 (1995-01-01), None
patent: 0 666 562 (1995-08-01), None
patent: 0 833 320 (1998-04-01), None
patent: 2234844 (1991-02-01), None
patent: 2 234 844 (1991-02-01), None
patent: 5974560 (1984-05-01), None
patent: 62-008361 (1987-01-01), None
patent: 62-209765 (1987-09-01), None
patent: 63-298756 (1988-12-01), None
patent: 1235062 (1989-09-01), None
patent: 02-060944 (1990-05-01), None
patent: 2239461 (1990-09-01), None
patent: 03-005243 (1991-01-01), None
patent: 05-028617 (1993-02-01), None
patent: 6 44659 (1994-02-01), None
patent: 09-237455 (1997-09-01), None
Chinese Office Action dated Jun. 21, 2002 and a full English Translation.
Haga Yosuke
Imai Tsutomu
Masuda Shinji
Murakami Midori
Ono Atuomi
Castro Angel
Kabushiki Kaisha Kenwood
Korzuch William
Robinson Eric J.
Robinson Intellectual Property Law Office, P.C
LandOfFree
Disc loading mechanism of disc apparatus does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Disc loading mechanism of disc apparatus, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Disc loading mechanism of disc apparatus will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3112093