Dynamic information storage or retrieval – With particular cabinet structure – Slotted for edgewise insertion of storage disc
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-25
2001-02-20
Klimowicz, William (Department: 2652)
Dynamic information storage or retrieval
With particular cabinet structure
Slotted for edgewise insertion of storage disc
C369S075210
Reexamination Certificate
active
06192019
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a disc player, which permits readily taking out disc and is small in size.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Japanese Patent Disclosure No. 9-237455 proposes a disc player which has a playing portion disposed near a disc insertion slot for playback with a disc at a position, which is assumed when the entire disc is inserted slightly from the disc insertion slot. In this disc player, the disc is transferred by rotation of a transfer roller while the disc is held between a disc guide plate and the transfer roller.
Disposing the playing portion near the disc insertion slot as in this case, is effective for the size reduction of the disc player. Besides, doing so has another effect that the disc inserted from the disc insertion slot can be quickly transferred to the playing portion.
However, the transfer means transfers the inserted disc to the playing portion and also transfers the disc from the playing portion to a take-out position, is of roller type. Therefore, it is possible that the recording area of the disc is damaged or contaminated by the roller surface in contact with the recording area.
Japanese Patent Disclosure No.63-37853 shows a structure, in which a disc is transferred by pushing the edge of the disc. With this type, unlike the roller type, the recording area of the disc is neither damaged nor contaminated.
In the meantime, if the transfer means can push back the disc from the playing portion toward the disc insertion slot up to a position, at which the center hole of the disc projects to the outside, the disc can be readily taken out by inserting fingers into its center hole. Also, if the transfer means can push back the disc even up to a position, at which the center hole of the disc is exposed not entirely but partly to the outside, the disc can be readily taken out by holding the disc on the inner side thereof other than the recording area from the opposite sides with fingers. With the structure disclosed in the Japanese Patent Disclosure No. 63-37853, however, if the disc is pushed back by more than one half or at a high transfer speed, it is possible that the disc gets out to the outside.
In the use of the disc player particularly as a car-mounted one, the getting-out of the disc will pose a driver's danger that the driver's attention for driving is made loose by picking up the got-out disc. For this reason, hitherto the disc could not be pushed back so much. Consequently, it was difficult to take out the disc having been pushed back by the transfer means.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a disc player, which is adapted to let, for size reduction, a disc to be played at a position assumed by the disc when the entirety thereof is inserted slightly from the disc insertion slot, and which permits transfer of the disc without damaging or contaminating the recording area of the disc, and is adapted, for ready take-out of the disc in the unloading thereof, to push back the disc up to a position, at which the center hole of the disc at least partly projects from the disc insertion slot, without possibility for the disc to get out to the outside.
According to the invention, for size reduction, a playing portion is disposed near the disc insertion slot for playback with a disc at a position assumed when the entirety thereof is inserted slightly from the disc insertion slot. Transfer means pushes back the edge of the disc in the paying portion up to a position, at which the center hole of the disc at least partly projects from the disc insertion slot. An elastic holding mechanism is adapted to elastically hold the disc, which has been pushed back by the transfer means from the playing portion toward the disc insertion slot, on the outer side of the recording area of the disc from the opposite sides of the disc, so that the disc is positively prevented from getting out to the outside.
By this arrangement, the transfer means transfers the disc by pushing the outer periphery thereof, which causes no danger of damaging or contaminating the recording area of the disc. Further, when the disc is pushed back by the transfer means, the disc is elastically held by the elastic holding mechanism, so that the disc can not get out to the outside although the disc has been pushed back by more than one half, and the disc as pushed back can be easily taken out by holding the disc on the inner side thereof other than the recording area or by inserting fingers into its center hole.
The elastic holding mechanism serving as above should be disposed at a restricted position. Specifically, the elastic holding mechanism should be disposed at a position to be able to hold the disc at a position thereof, to which the disc has been pushed back by the transfer means, as well as being out of contact with the disc during playback and also out of contact with the recording area of the disc being transferred. However, the restriction on the disposing position of the elastic holding mechanism is considerably stringent particularly in the case of disposing the playing portion near the disc insertion slot for playback with the disc at the position assumed when the entirety thereof is inserted slightly from the disc insertion slot.
Accordingly, an elastic retainer having an inclined surface relative to the plane of the disc, may be used to retain the edge of the disc, having been pushed back by the transfer means, with the inclined surface. This arrangement permits increasing the scope of selection of the disposing position of the elastic holding mechanism, and hence increasing the degree of freedom of design.
Particularly, formation of the elastic retainer to be integral with a synthetic resin portion in the neighborhood of the disc insertion slot, permits reducing the number of components and hence reducing the cost of manufacture.
Also, the elastic holding mechanism may have a pair of elastic retainers disposed symmetrically on the opposite sides of the passage of the disc. With this arrangement, the two elastic retainers offer equal resistance to the insertion of the disc, and the disc can be inserted in a transversely well-balanced state and without possibility of meandering.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4507768 (1985-03-01), Ikedo et al.
patent: 4674079 (1987-06-01), Agostini
patent: 5260925 (1993-11-01), Camps et al.
patent: 5355358 (1994-10-01), Alfen
patent: 5719844 (1998-02-01), Abe
patent: 5737293 (1998-04-01), Kawamura et al.
patent: 5872756 (1999-02-01), Shime
patent: 5878011 (1999-03-01), Nakamichi
patent: 6337853 (1988-02-01), None
patent: 9237455 (1997-09-01), None
Kido Kunio
Kurokawa Yusuke
Shinohara Eiji
Shitamichi Akeshi
Dickinson Wright PLLC
Klimowicz William
Tanashin Denki Co. Ltd.
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