Dynamic optical information storage or retrieval – Particular cabinet structure for optical media – Capable of only accepting unprotected insertable single...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-18
2004-08-03
Chen, Tianjie (Department: 2652)
Dynamic optical information storage or retrieval
Particular cabinet structure for optical media
Capable of only accepting unprotected insertable single...
Reexamination Certificate
active
06772425
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle mount disc player whose reproduction unit chassis is supported in a floating state by damper mechanisms, and more particularly to a lock position of the reproduction unit when a disc is loaded or unloaded, and to a disc loading/unloading mechanism.
2. Description of the Related Art
An example of a conventional vehicle mount disc player whose reproduction unit chassis is supported in a floating state on a main chassis by damper mechanisms, will be described with reference to
FIGS. 7A and 7B
.
FIG. 7A
illustrates a reproduction state of a disc
6
, and
FIG. 7B
illustrates a loading or unloading state of the disc
6
.
A reproduction unit
1
shown in
FIGS. 7A and 7B
supports a pickup
1
c
and a disc motor
1
a
. A turntable
1
b
fixed to a rotary shaft of the disc motor
1
a
supports the disk
6
which is rotated by the disc motor
1
a
. The pickup
1
c
is transported in a disc radial direction by a pickup transport unit (not shown) supported by the reproduction unit chassis
1
. In the above manner, the reproduction unit chassis
1
supports mechanisms necessary for the reproduction of a disc. In order to prevent external vibrations from being transmitted to the reproduction unit chassis
1
, the chassis
1
is supported by side walls
5
of the main chassis via damper mechanisms
2
constituted of coil springs and dampers.
In the reproduction state shown in
FIG. 7A
, the reproduction unit chassis
1
is supported in a floating state by the damper mechanisms
2
and moves relative to the main chassis. In order to allow a sufficient relative motion of the reproduction unit chassis
1
, the chassis
1
is disposed in its natural state by providing upper and lower spaces A and B.
As shown in
FIG. 7B
, when the disc
6
is loaded or unloaded, a lock mechanism
3
fixes the reproduction unit chassis
1
at a neutral position of the damper mechanisms
2
and a disc loading/unloading mechanism
4
is raised to load or unload the disc
6
so that the disc
6
does not abut on a projection supported by the reproduction unit chassis
1
such as the turntable
1
b
while the disc
6
is transported.
In the conventional vehicle mount disc player described above, when the disc
6
is loaded or unloaded, the reproduction unit chassis
1
is fixed at the neutral position of the damper mechanisms
2
. Therefore, the lower space B under the reproduction unit chassis
1
becomes a wasteful space and the disc player cannot be thinned.
An example of the disc loading/unloading mechanism of a conventional vehicle mount disc player is shown in
FIG. 8. A
disc recording/reproducing unit is supported by a floating chassis (reproduction unit chassis) which is supported by a main chassis via unrepresented damper mechanisms.
A housing (main chassis)
52
has a fixed disc guide
53
extending inward from a disc insert port
52
a
. A disc
51
inserted into the disc insert port
52
a
is transported to a recording/reproducing position by an unrepresented feed roller, or the disc
6
at the recording/reproducing position is transported to a position extending outward from the disc insert port
52
a.
A disc used with the vehicle mount disc player is accommodated in a cartridge on which a shutter
58
is mounted in a slidable state as shown in FIG.
9
. The shutter
58
opens and closes a window of the cartridge. In some state, the end of the shutter
58
becomes open and extends downward from the cartridge bottom surface by a distance C′ shown in FIG.
9
. Therefore, as shown in
FIG. 8
, the fixed disc guide
53
and a floating disc guide
54
are each provided with slanted guide portions
53
a
and
55
to smoothly guide the disc
6
.
With the conventional disc loading/unloading mechanism described above, the slanted guide portions
53
a
and
55
are disposed facing each other. It is therefore necessary to set a distance B′ shown in
FIG. 8
between opposing ends of the slanted guide portions
53
a
and
55
in order to allow a motion stroke of the floating chassis. The distance of transporting the disc
6
becomes long and the depth of the apparatus becomes large.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle mount disc player whose height is made low by removing a wasteful space in a disc loading/unloading state.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a disc loading/unloading mechanism for a vehicle mount disc player capable of shortening a depth of the player and of shortening a disc transport distance.
According one aspect of the present invention, a vehicle mount disc player having a reproduction unit chassis supported in a floating state by a main chassis via damper mechanisms, is provided wherein the reproduction unit chassis is locked being shifted to a turntable side relative to the main chassis along an axial direction of a clamper and a turntable when a disc is loaded or unloaded.
In the vehicle mount disc player, a disc loading/unloading mechanism may be moved to a damper side relative to the main chassis along the axial direction of the clamper and the turntable when a disc is loaded or unloaded.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a disc loading/unloading mechanism for loading/unloading a disc by guiding the disc along a fixed disc guide fixed to a housing and a floating disc guide fixed to a floating chassis, is provided wherein a slanted guide portion of the fixed disc guide and slanted guide portions of the floating disc guide are disposed at different positions along a direction perpendicular to a disc transport direction and at overlapping positions along the disc transport direction, the slanted guide portions being spaced apart by a distance allowing a motion stroke of the floating chassis.
In the disc loading/unloading mechanism, another slanted guide portion is provided having a large slant angle or a shorter length than a slant angle or a length of each of the slanted guide portions disposed at different positions along a direction perpendicular to a disc transport direction, the other slanted guide portion being disposed spaced apart from an opposing slanted guide portion by a distance allowing a motion stroke of the floating chassis.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4815065 (1989-03-01), Rouws
patent: 5010428 (1991-04-01), d'Alayerde Costemore d'Arc.
patent: 5166918 (1992-11-01), Kamijo
patent: 5537377 (1996-07-01), Takai et al.
patent: 6169720 (2001-01-01), Kamemura et al.
patent: 0 148 553 (1985-07-01), None
patent: 60-38753 (1985-02-01), None
patent: 63-146269 (1988-06-01), None
patent: 64-8546 (1989-01-01), None
patent: 62-195755 (1989-08-01), None
patent: 3-292665 (1991-12-01), None
patent: 4-10271 (1992-01-01), None
patent: 4-21946 (1992-01-01), None
patent: 4-362563 (1992-12-01), None
patent: 6-103674 (1994-04-01), None
patent: 08180537 (1996-07-01), None
patent: 10-199086 (1998-07-01), None
patent: 10-199087 (1998-07-01), None
Haga Yosuke
Imai Tsutomu
Sasada Takeharu
Suwa Takafumi
Tomioka Shoji
Chen Tianjie
Kabushiki Kaisha Kenwood
Robinson Eric J.
Robinson Intellectual Property Law Office
LandOfFree
Disc player mounted on vehicle 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 player mounted on vehicle, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Disc player mounted on vehicle will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3274798