Disc transfer mechanism for an information disc drive

Details Disc transfer mechanism for an information disc drive Disc transfer mechanism for an information disc drive

1999-01-28

2002-04-09

Miller, Brian E. (Department: 2652)

Dynamic information storage or retrieval

With particular cabinet structure

Slotted for edgewise insertion of storage disc

Reexamination Certificate

active

06370100

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a disc transfer mechanism having a tray used to install and eject a disc.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The disc transfer mechanism described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 63-191361 has a tray that moves in the horizontal direction between a disc installation and removal position at which a disc has been drawn out from the apparatus and a position at which the disc has been drawn into the apparatus body; and a disc holder provided on the tray and on which the disc is placed.
The apparatus body additionally includes a turntable that rotationally drives the disc, a damper that sandwiches the disc between itself and the turntable, an optical pickup, and a traverse mechanism for moving the optical pickup in the radial direction of the disc.
The tray and the disc holder have such a relation as to be configured so that the tray moves in the horizontal direction to lead the central hole of the disc placed on the disc holder to a position immediately before the turntable, and so that when the tray further moves in the same direction toward the internal end, the disc holder starts descending toward the turntable and loads the disc on the turntable provided on a fixed side so that the disc is sandwiched by the turntable and the clamper.
In addition, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 63-191361 uses the urging force of a spring to push out the tray in order to eject the disc and includes a damper to prevent the tray from being rapidly pushed out by this urging force.
Despite the reduced speed at which the tray is pushed out, such a disc transfer mechanism is likely to fail to deliver the disc removed from the turntable
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to a normal position of the tray, so the installation and removal of the disc are not so reliable.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a disc transfer mechanism in which the configuration of the tray to be moved is simple and in which the installation and removal of the disc are reliable even if an urging force of a spring is used to push back the tray.
A disc transfer mechanism according to this invention is characterized in that a damper means for reducing the tray moving speed comprises a first damper interposed between a tray and a base that supports the tray in the direction in which the tray is drawn out and back, in order to reduce the tray moving speed during all the steps in which the tray is moved by the urging force of a spring; and a second damper that operates during the step of delivering the disc set on the turntable to the tray.
This configuration can provide a disc transfer mechanism that can install and remove the disc reliably.
According to the disc transfer mechanism of this invention, there is provided a disc transfer mechanism for setting on a turntable a disc placed on a tray in response to the drawing-out and -back of the tray, comprising: a spring provided between the tray and a base that supports the tray in the direction in which the tray is drawn out and back, in order to urge the tray in the direction in which it is pushed out from the base; and a damper means provided between the base and the tray for reducing the speed of the tray movement effected by the urging force of the spring; the damper means comprising a first damper interposed between the tray and the base to reduce the tray moving speed during all the steps in which the tray is moved by the urging force of the spring, and a second damper that operates during the step of delivering the disc set on the turntable to the tray. Thus, when a disc ejecting operation is started, the tray and an elevating mechanism can be operated slowly and stably.
The disc transfer mechanism comprises: an elevating mechanism for elevating and lowering a turntable in response to the drawing-out and -back of a tray to allow the turntable to be installed on and removed from a disc placed on the tray; a disc receiving member provided at the front end of the tray and adapted to freely slide in the direction in which the tray is drawn out and back, and having a positioning protrusion that can abut on the outer circumference of the disc being loaded while said disc receiving member is urged toward the internal end of the tray; the disc receiving member being arranged to abut on the fixed side when the central hole of the disc placed on the tray reaches a position over said turntable and to move toward the front end of the tray relative to the movement of the tray toward its internal end; a spring provided between the tray and the base that supports the tray in the direction in which the tray is drawn out and back, in order to urge the tray in the direction in which it is pushed out from the base; and a damper means provided between the base and the tray in order to reduce the speed of the tray movement effected by the urging force of the spring; the damper means comprising a first damper interposed between the tray and the base to reduce the tray moving speed during all the steps in which the tray is moved by the urging force of the spring, and a second damper provided between the base that supports the tray in the direction in which the tray is drawn out and back and an elevating mechanism for elevating and lowering the turntable in response to the drawing-out and -back of the tray, in order to operate during the step of delivering the disc set on the turntable to the tray. Thus, by simply providing in the tray a disc receiving member of a simple configuration, the disc can be installed and removed stably as in conventional mechanisms having a tray of a complicated configuration. Moreover, the spring for urging the tray in the direction in which it is pushed out from the base is provided between the tray and the base that supports the tray in the direction in which it is drawn out and back and since the damper means for reducing the speed of the tray movement effected by urging force of the spring is provided between the base and the tray. Consequently, despite the ejection of the disc using the urging force of the spring, the disc can be reliably delivered to the tray from the turntable in such a way as to maintain the correct posture.
The disc transfer mechanism according to a further object of the invention comprises: an elevating mechanism for elevating and lowering a turntable in response to the drawing-out and -back of a tray to allow the turntable to be installed on and removed from a disc placed on the tray; a disc receiving member provided at the front end of the tray and adapted to freely slide in the direction in which the tray is drawn out and back, and having a positioning protrusion that can abut on the outer circumference of the disc being loaded while said disc receiving member is urged toward the internal end of the tray; said disc receiving member being arranged to abut on the fixed side when the central hole of the disc placed on the tray reaches a position over said turntable, and to move toward the front end of the tray relative to the movement of the tray toward its internal end; a spring provided between said tray and the base that supports said tray in the direction in which it is drawn out and back, in order to urge said tray in the direction in which it is pushed out from the base; and a damper means provided between the base and said tray in order to reduce the speed of the tray movement effected by the urging force of the spring; said damper means comprising: a first damper attached to the base that supports the tray in the direction in which the tray is drawn out and back, and engaging with a first rack formed to extend from the front end to internal end of said tray; and a second damper attached to said base and engaging with a second rack formed only at the front end of the tray. Thus, when the ejection of the disc is started, the tray and the elevating mechanism can be operated slowly and stably.
According to a more specific object of the invention, the spring for urging the tray in the direction in which it is pushed out from the base is provided on the top

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