Dynamic information storage or retrieval – With particular cabinet structure – Slotted for edgewise insertion of storage disc
Reexamination Certificate
1998-10-16
2001-04-03
Ometz, David L. (Department: 2652)
Dynamic information storage or retrieval
With particular cabinet structure
Slotted for edgewise insertion of storage disc
C369S075110
Reexamination Certificate
active
06212147
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus, and a disc loading apparatus, and more particularly to a disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus and a disc loading apparatus, adopting a disc tray.
2. Description of Related Art
An optical disc player has been proposed for recording or reproduction, or both, of information signal into and from a recording medium, for example, an optical disc such as a so-called compact disc (CD).
Such an optical disc player has a tray provided drawably from the front opening of the player body and on which an optical disc is to be set, and a door provided movably in relation to the player body to close and disclose the front opening. In such an optical disc player, when the door has moved along the front of the player body to disclose the front opening, the tray is drawn from inside the player body to a drawout position where a disc may be set onto, or removed from on, the tray.
Generally, for the user to operate the optical disc player more easily, a control panel having various controls disposed thereon and a display such as an LCD display are provided on the front surface of the player to which the tray is drawn out from inside the player for setting or removing an optical disc.
However, since the above-mentioned conventional disc player is designed so that the door is moved along the front of the player to disclose the front opening, the control panel and display cannot be provided anywhere along the door moving path. In case the control panel is provided in a position along the door moving path, the door moved until the front opening is disclosed will screen the control panel, making it difficult or impossible to easily operate the control panel.
Such use of a part of the front of the player body as the door moving path will limit the space for disposition of the control panel and display, which will lead to a larger design of the optical disc player.
The door having moved from a position where it discloses the front opening to a position where it closes the front opening will cause it difficult for the user to see the markings provided on the front surface of the player, the display and indications on the display, and will also spoil the esthetic appearance of the player as a whole.
Furthermore, the tray does not start being drawn out before the door has moved to fully disclose the front opening, which add will to the operation time for each disc playing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus which resolves the above-mentioned problem.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a disc loading apparatus which resolves the above-mentioned problem.
According to the present invention, there is provided a disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus including an opening, a closing member, a tray and a drive mechanism. The opening is formed at the front of the apparatus. The closing member closes and discloses the opening. The tray receives a disc thereon. The tray is moved between a first position where the tray is projected out of the opening and generally perpendicular to the front of the apparatus and a second position where the tray is retracted into the apparatus through the opening and generally parallel to the front of the apparatus. The tray drive mechanism moves the closing member between a position where the closing member discloses the opening and a position where the closing member closes the opening, and the tray between the above-mentioned first and second positions.
According to the present invention, there is provided a disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus including an opening, a closing member, a tray and a drive mechanism. The opening is formed at the front of the apparatus. The closing member closes and discloses the opening. The closing member is moved between a position where it closes the opening and is in a generally same plane as the front surface of the apparatus and a position where it discloses the opening inside the apparatus. The tray receives a disc thereon. The tray is moved between a first position where it is projected out of the opening and a second position where it is drawn into the apparatus through the opening. The drive mechanism moves the closing member between a position where the closing member discloses the opening and a position where the closing member closes the opening, and the tray between the above-mentioned first and second positions.
According to the present invention, there is provided a disc loading apparatus including a tray, a drive mechanism and a guiding member. The tray has a disc mount surface on which a disc is to be set. The tray is moved between a first position where the disc mount surface of the tray is generally horizontal and a second position where the disc mount is generally perpendicular to that when the tray is in the first position, the second position being deeper than the first position in the apparatus. The drive mechanism moves the tray between the above-mentioned first and second positions. The guiding member guides the tray being moved by the drive mechanism between the first and second position.
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Altman Franklin D.
Ometz David L.
Smith Andrew V.
Sony Corporation
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