Dynamic information storage or retrieval – Information location or remote operator actuated control – Selective addressing of storage medium
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-16
2001-04-03
Letscher, George J. (Department: 2754)
Dynamic information storage or retrieval
Information location or remote operator actuated control
Selective addressing of storage medium
Reexamination Certificate
active
06212139
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION AND RELATED ART STATEMENT
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disk changer apparatus for holding a plurality of disks and reproducing selected disks sequentially and continuously.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a disk changer apparatus capable of selectively reproducing a given one of a plurality of disks held in the apparatus has been spread widely with the spread of use of disks such as the compact disk.
Especially, a disk changer apparatus is under development, in which a plurality of disks are arranged upright or horizontally in layers at predetermined spatial intervals. In this way, at least 50 disks can be held in an apparatus of about the same size as the conventional cassette deck. Such a disk changer apparatus has such a superior holding capacity and operability that the use thereof has extended widely and rapidly among general users.
An example of such a conventional disk changer apparatus is disclosed in the gazette of the Japanese examined patent application hei 6-34290 (Tokko hei 6-34290).
This conventional disk changer apparatus comprises a holding tray unit for holding a plurality of disks removably on the front thereof. Also, a disk drive unit having a reproduction unit for reproducing the disks is arranged backward of the holding tray unit (in the depth of the apparatus) and is movable along the direction in which the disks are arranged.
In this conventional disk changer apparatus, when a disk is held or a held disk is exchanged, the holding tray unit is removed entirely from the apparatus proper beforehand.
In the conventional disk changer apparatus described above, even in the case that only one of the disks held therein is exchanged, the whole of the holding tray unit is required to be removed from the apparatus and therefore the operation for exchanging the disks is very burdensome.
Another problem of the above-mentioned conventional disk changer apparatus is that in the case where a specific disk is to be taken out from the holding tray unit holding a substantially maximum number of disks, it is not easy to confirm the position of the disk to be taken out.
Further, even when the position of the disk to be taken out can be confirmed, it is very difficult to pick up only the desired one of the disks held in the apparatus because of the close spatial relation with adjacent disks. Especially in the case where a small disk of 8 cm in outer diameter is held between large disks 12 cm in outer diameter like ordinary compact disks, it is very difficult to take out the small disk. This problem has yet to be solved in this particular field.
OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A disk changer apparatus of the present invention has been developed in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and the object thereof is to provide a small disk changer apparatus with a simple construction, in which the disks held therein can be easily exchanged and a disk of any shape can be easily taken out from a multiplicity of disks closely held with each other.
In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, according to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a disk changer apparatus comprising: a stocker tray including a plurality of partitioning plates arranged substantially in parallel at predetermined spatial intervals and a plurality of couplers each having an opening at least in a part of the bottom thereof for coupling the partitioning plates, the stocker tray holding disks one each between every adjacent partitioning plates; and a disk delivery unit including a push-up lever and an operating means for driving the push-up lever, the push-up lever being adapted to advance into a partition between every adjacent partitioning plates from the opening formed in the coupler of the stocker tray and take a disk from the stocker tray to outside the apparatus, the disk delivery unit being movable along the direction in which the disks are arranged.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a disk changer apparatus comprising: a stocker tray including a plurality of partitioning plates arranged substantially in parallel at predetermined spatial intervals and a plurality of couplers each having an opening in at least a part of the bottom thereof for coupling the partitioning plates, the stocker tray holding a plurality of disks each between adjacent ones of the partitioning plates; a reproduction (playback) unit movable along the direction of disk arrangement in the stock tray for selectively reproducing a plurality of disks held in the stocker tray; and a disk delivery unit including a push-up lever adapted to advance into a partition between every adjacent partitioning plates from the opening formed in the coupler of the stocker tray and taking a given disk from the stocker tray to outside the apparatus and an eject lever for taking out a given disk from the stocker tray by rotating the push-up lever and retaining the disk thus taken out, the disk delivery unit being movable along the direction in which the disks are arranged in the stocker tray.
According to still another aspect of the invention, there is provided a disk changer apparatus so configured that the disk delivery unit is moved to the position of the desired disk held in the stocker tray and the operating unit is pushed. This simple operation permits the disk push-up lever to advance into a partition between adjacent partitioning plates and positively pick up the desired disk alone. For this reason, in the case where a plurality of disks are closely held in the stocker tray or in the case where it is desired to take out a small disk from between large disks, the desired disk can be easily and accurately taken out or exchanged without touching the remaining disks.
According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a disk changer apparatus small in size and simple in construction comprising a disk delivery unit arranged on the front of a disk holding unit and movable along the direction of disk arrangement for taking out a given disk from the disk holding unit. Thus the disks held in the disk holding unit can be easily taken out or exchanged. Even in the case where a multiplicity of disks are held or especially in the case where a small disk held between large disks is to be taken out, the desired disk can be easily and accurately taken out.
While the novel features of the invention are set forth particularly in the appended claims, the invention, both as to organization and content, will be better understood and appreciated, along with other objects and features thereof, from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4589101 (1986-05-01), Schatteman et al.
patent: 4599716 (1986-07-01), Shimbo
patent: 4633452 (1986-12-01), Shimbo et al.
patent: 4695990 (1987-09-01), Kawakami
patent: 5754519 (1998-05-01), Bando
patent: 5848034 (1998-12-01), Morioka et al.
patent: 5953293 (1999-09-01), Kajiyama et al.
patent: 6-34290 (1994-05-01), None
Koshino Katsuhiko
Morioka Yukio
Nakamura Masahiko
Ohtaki Noriyosi
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, L.L.P
Letscher George J.
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
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