Dynamic information storage or retrieval – Dynamic mechanism subsystem – Having power driven transducer assembly
Reexamination Certificate
1998-10-27
2001-01-16
Ometz, David L. (Department: 2754)
Dynamic information storage or retrieval
Dynamic mechanism subsystem
Having power driven transducer assembly
C369S075210
Reexamination Certificate
active
06175544
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus for recording information signals, such as speech or video signals, on a disc, such as an optical disc, or reproducing the information signals recorded on the disc. More particularly, it relates to a disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus for loading the disc using a disc tray moved across the inner side and the outer side of a casing.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has hitherto been used a disc player employing, as a recording medium, an optical disc having information signals, such as speech signals or video signals, recorded thereon. Among the disc players of this type, there is such disc player in which an optical disc with a diameter of 120 mm or 80 mm, having mainly music signals recorded thereon, referred to hereinafter as CD, and an optical disc with a diameter of 300 mm or 200 mm, having mainly video signals recorded thereon, referred to hereinafter as LD, can be selectively loaded for reproducing the information recorded on these discs.
This disc player includes a disc tray having the optical disc set thereon and moved across the inner side and the outer side of a casing, a disc driving unit having an optical pickup for reproducing the information signals recorded on the disc, a loading mechanism for moving the disc tray across the inner and outer sides of the casing making up a main body portion of the disc player for loading the optical disc, and an adjustment mechanism for rotating a disc reproducing unit relative to the optical disc for adjusting the tilt of the optical axis of the light beam radiated by the optical pickup on the disc relative to the disc.
The disc driving unit includes the optical pickup for converging the light beam radiated from the light source for radiating it on the optical disc, and a movement mechanism for moving the optical pickup radially of the optical disc. The loading mechanism includes a slider for moving the disc tray, a cam gear having a cam groove engaged by the slider, and a loading driving motor for rotating the cam gear. The adjustment for adjusting the tilt of the optical axis of the light beam relative to the disc includes a guide rail supporting the optical pickup, a supporting substrate rotatably supporting the guide rail, a rotary member for rotating the guide rail and a driving motor driving the rotary member. With the present disc player, the adjustment mechanism is driven by the driving motor and the optical pickup is tilted relative to the optical disc via the guide rail for adjusting the direction of the optical axis of the objective lens relative to the optical disc. The information signals recorded on the optical disc are read out by the optical pickup of the disc driving unit.
Meanwhile, with the above-described disc player, if a disc set on the disc tray is loaded on the disc loading unit, the disc needs to be moved horizontally relative to the casing and subsequently in a direction approaching to the disc driving unit. This complicates the loading mechanism for the disc tray.
In addition, the above-described disc player is provided with a driving motor for moving the disc tray across the inner and outer sides of the casing for loading the optical disc and another separate driving motor for driving the adjustment mechanism configured for adjusting the tilt relative to the disc of the optical axis of the light beam radiated from the optical pickup. Since plural driving motors are used, the mechanism becomes complicated, while the manufacturing cost is increased.
Meanwhile, in the above-described disc player, a driving force connecting/disconnecting mechanism is provided between the adjustment mechanism and the driving motor, thus additionally complicating the structure.
In addition, if, with the disc player, the loading mechanism should be repaired, the operation of adjusting the loading mechanism needs to be performed with the optical disc loaded on the disc driving unit. In this case, a loading mechanism having a cam gear for moving a pair of sliders is arranged on the bottom surface extending parallel to the disc tray setting surface. Therefore, if the disc tray is entrained into the casing, the loading mechanism is covered up with the disc tray.
Thus, for repairing the loading mechanism, it becomes difficult to perform dismounting, adjustment and assembling of the loading mechanism with the disc tray entrained into the casing thus worsening workability in repair works or maintenance of the loading mechanism.
In addition, since the above-described disc player has a mechanism of intermittently driving the slider by an intermittent gear, it becomes necessary to provide a slider holding mechanism for holding the slider in position when not driving the slider. The result is that the loading mechanism in its entirety becomes complex in structure to render it difficult to secure stable operation of the loading mechanism.
Moreover, the casing of the dis player has an opening via which to pull out the disc tray, and a lid is provided for opening or closing the opening. If the player itself should be reduced in size in this case, the stroke of movement of the lid needs to be reduced.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a novel disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus free from inconveniences proper to the conventional disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus whereby the disc can be loaded reliably despite its simplified mechanism.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus in which a mechanism for moving the disc tray towards and away from the disc driving unit and a mechanism for adjusting the tilt of the optical axis of the light bean relative to the disc are actuated by a common driving motor for simplifying the mechanism for reducing the size of the apparatus.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus in which repair works or the like operations of the loading mechanism can be performed with the optical disc loaded on the disc driving unit.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus in which the stroke of movement of the lid opening/closing the opening provided in the lid is reduced for further reducing the size of the apparatus.
In one aspect, the present invention provides a recording/reproducing apparatus for a disc including a disc tray mounted for movement between a position protruded from a casing via an aperture formed therein and a position housed within the casing, the disc tray having a recess in which to set the disc. The apparatus also includes a movement mechanism for moving the disc tray between the protruded position and the housed position. The movement mechanism has a lift mechanism for lifting or lowering the disc tray in a direction normal to the direction of movement between the protruded position and the housed position when the disc tray reaches the housed position. The lift mechanism has a control gear arranged on a lateral surface of the casing. The control gear has a cam groove having a cam groove along which the disc tray reaching the housed position is lifted or lowered.
Preferably, the movement mechanism includes a movement gear engaged with the control gear for moving the disc tray between the protruded position and the housed position and the lift mechanism includes a pair of sliders moved by the control gear for lifting and lowering the disc tray.
Preferably, the movement gear is disengaged from the control gear when the disc tray reaches the housed position, the gear causing the control gear to lower the slider and the disc tray.
Preferably, the lift mechanism includes a link mechanism for moving the pair of sliders in synchronism with each other, one of the sliders having an engagement port
Limbach & Limbach L.L.P.
Oh Seong-Kun
Ometz David L.
Sony Corporation
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