Dynamic optical information storage or retrieval – Particular cabinet structure for optical media – Capable of only accepting unprotected insertable single...
Reexamination Certificate
2002-03-26
2004-08-03
Ometz, David (Department: 2653)
Dynamic optical information storage or retrieval
Particular cabinet structure for optical media
Capable of only accepting unprotected insertable single...
C720S661000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06772426
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disk carrier device which clamps a disk by a feed roller and a disk guide, and carries the disk by the rotation of the feed roller.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the disk player having a disk insertion slot, there is provided a disk carrier device which carries a disk between the disk insertion slot and the turntable. As the disk carrier device, one which clamps the disk by a feed roller and a disk guide and rotates the feed roller by a motor to thereby carry the disk has been often used. Recently, in order to reduce the cost of the disk carrier device, there is known a disk carrier device which rotates the feed roller by a motor for driving the pickup, as introduced in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-298903. In the disk carrier device disclosed in this publication, the disk is clamped between the feed roller and the disk guide, and the feed roller is rotated by the motor for driving the pickup, so that the disk is carried between the disk insertion slot and the turntable.
In this kind of disk player, as shown in
FIG. 11
, when playback of the disk
2
is being performed, the disk guide
3
and the feed roller
4
are alienated by about 2 mm from the face of the disk
2
so as not to disturb the rotation of the disk. When the ejection operation of the disk
2
is performed from this state, the rotation of a turntable motor
5
is first stopped, and then as shown in
FIG. 12
, a clamper
6
is alienated from the turntable
7
. Then, as shown in
FIG. 13
, the feed roller
4
comes in contact with the disk
2
, and as shown in
FIG. 14
, lifts the disk
2
so as to push the disk
2
to a disk guide
3
. The disk
2
is then fed out from the disk insertion slot
9
in a front panel
8
by the rotation of the feed roller
4
. At this time, positioning of the disk
2
clamped between the feed roller
4
and the disk guide
3
is performed by the disk guide
3
in a height so that the disk
2
does not come in contact with the disk insertion slot
9
.
In such a disk ejection operation, with the conventional disk player, the rotation of the motor is transmitted to the feed roller continuously during the disk ejection operation. Therefore, as shown in
FIG. 13
, as soon as the feed roller
4
comes in contact with the disk
2
, the disk
2
is carried towards the disk insertion slot
9
by the rotation of the feed roller
4
. Since the disk
2
has not yet reached the height of the disk insertion slot
9
, the edge of the disk touches the edge of the disk insertion slot
9
. As a result, there is a problem in that not only the disk cannot be ejected smoothly, but also the disk may be damaged, at the time of being pushed up in the state with the disk being caught by the edge of the disk insertion slot
9
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a disk carrier device which can smoothly eject the disk, without damaging the disk.
The disk carrier device of the present invention comprises a carrier gear
42
rotation-driven by a motor, control members driven by the motor via this carrier gear, for moving in one direction or in the other direction according to the direction of rotation of the motor, and a transmission gear which transmits the rotation of the motor to a feed roller, and the control member is provided with a rotation control section and a roller position control section. When the direction of rotation of the carrier gear is in the direction of rotating the feed roller in the unloading direction via the transmission gear, the feed roller is made to approach the disk guide by the roller position control section, with the movement of the control member, and then the transmission gear is shifted to the transmission position by the rotation control section.
Therefore, the disk is clamped between the feed roller and the disk guide so as to match the height with that of the disk insertion slot, and then ejected by the rotation of the feed roller. Hence, the ejection can be performed smoothly, without damaging the disk.
By constituting the roller position control section and the rotation control section by a cam groove respectively, the relation between the timing for clamping the disk between the feed roller and the disk guide and the rotation starting timing of the feed roller can be easily set. If the control member is stably held alternatively at the opposite movement termination positions by a contrarotating spring, the control member does not desperately move, thereby further facilitating the operation control.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5022023 (1991-06-01), Toyoguchi
patent: 5084855 (1992-01-01), Kobayashi et al.
patent: 5467334 (1995-11-01), Kim
patent: 6411582 (2002-06-01), Nakatani et al.
patent: 6414929 (2002-07-01), Fujiwara
patent: 6563778 (2003-05-01), Tanaka et al.
patent: 6597651 (2003-07-01), Kage et al.
patent: 2000-298903 (1999-04-01), None
A. Marquez, Esq. Juan Carlos
Fisher Esq. Stanley P.
Ometz David
Reed Smith LLP
Tanashin Denki Co. Ltd.
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