Radiant energy – Photocells; circuits and apparatus – With circuit for evaluating a web – strand – strip – or sheet
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-12
2003-12-02
Strecker, Gerard R. (Department: 2862)
Radiant energy
Photocells; circuits and apparatus
With circuit for evaluating a web, strand, strip, or sheet
C250S221000, C356S614000, C369S217000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06657220
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disk detecting device for use in a recording/reproducing system for a disk such as a compact disk.
2. Description of Prior Art
FIG. 1
illustrates a schematic configuration of a disk detecting device used in a conventional compact disk player. In the same figure, a disk
1
having a diameter of 12 cm (an 8 cm dia. disk is also employable) is inserted inside the device in the direction of arrow B from the outside of the device and is subjected to recording or reproducing at a loading position P. A photo type detecting switch
2
is for detecting that the disk
1
has been inserted. Generally, a visible light type or infrared type switch is used as the detecting switch
2
. An optical pickup
3
is for recording information onto the disk
1
or for reproducing the recorded information. The optical pickup
3
is provided with a lens portion
4
and slides radially from the center of the disk
1
, that is, from an inner periphery to an outer periphery of the disk. Various methods are available for effecting the sliding motion of the optical pickup
3
. But in the illustrated example, the optical pickup
3
is mounted on two guide shafts
5
. The guide shafts
5
and a spindle motor
6
are secured to a suspension chassis
7
. At the loading position P the disk
1
is held by the spindle motor
6
and rotates with rotation of the spindle motor, and recording or reproduction is carried out by the optical pickup
3
.
FIG. 2
is a sectional view taken on line II—II in
FIG. 1
, showing the structure of a conventional disk detecting device. In
FIG. 2
, (a) shows the disk detecting device not loaded with a disk and (b) shows the disk detecting device loaded with a disk. In
FIG. 2
, a detecting switch
2
is constituted by a combination of a light emitting element
2
a
such as a light emitting diode and a light receiving element
2
b
such as a photo-transistor. The light emitting element
2
a
and the light receiving element
2
b
are disposed respectively at upper and lower positions in a vertically sandwiching relation to a disk
1
. When light is intercepted between the light emitting element
2
a
and the light receiving element
2
b,
the detecting switch
2
outputs an OFF signal, while when light is not intercepted, that is, when light is transmitted, the detecting switch
2
outputs an ON signal. Thus, whether the disk
1
is present or not can be detected on the basis of the position of the detecting switch
2
. In this way it is possible to detect whether the disk
1
is loaded into a disk recording/reproducing system
8
.
Thus, also according to the conventional disk detecting unit it is possible to detect whether the disk
1
is present or not within the disk recording/reproducing system
8
. In a certain system configuration, plural sets of detecting switches
2
are disposed at arbitrary positions. In the example shown in
FIG. 2
there is used one set of detecting switch
2
.
In the above conventional disk detecting device, however, a detecting switch is needed for detecting a disk and a certain system configuration requires a plurality of detecting switches, with consequent necessity of ensuring a space for disposing such plural detecting switches therein. This is an obstacle to the reduction of cost and size.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In an aspect of the present invention there is provided a disk detecting device characterized by having a detecting switch for detecting and determining whether a predetermined disk has been inserted into the disk detecting device, the detecting switch being constituted by a combination of a light receiving element and an optical pickup as a light emitting element. According to this configuration it is possible to reduce the cost and size of the device while retaining the same performance as in the prior art.
In an aspect of the present invention there is provided a disk detecting device characterized by having a detecting switch for detecting and determining whether a predetermined disk has been inserted into the disk detecting device, the detecting switch being constituted by a combination of a light emitting element and an optical pickup as a light receiving element. According to this configuration it is possible to reduce the cost and size of the device while retaining the same performance as in the prior art.
In an aspect of the present invention there is provided a disk detecting device characterized by having a detecting switch for detecting and determining whether a predetermined disk has been inserted into the disk detecting device, the detecting switch being constituted by an optical pickup as both a light emitting element and a light receiving element. According to this configuration it is possible to reduce the cost and size of the device while retaining the same performance as in the prior art.
In an aspect of the present invention there is provided, a disk detecting device wherein the light receiving element, the light emitting element and the optical pickup are disposed on a disk insertion port side. According to this configuration it is possible to attain the reduction of cost and size of the device while ensuring the same performance as in the prior art.
In a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a disk detecting device characterized by using a plurality of detecting switches for detecting and determining whether a predetermined disk has been inserted into the disk detecting device, one of the plural detecting switches being the detecting switch described in any of the above-described aspects. According to this configuration it is possible to attain the reduction of cost and size of the device while ensuring the same performance as in the prior art.
In a still further aspect of the present invention there is provided a disk recording/reproducing system using any of the disk detecting devices described above. According to this configuration it is possible to attain the reduction of cost and size of the disk recording/reproducing system while ensuring the same performance as on the prior art.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a disk detecting device and a disk recording/reproducing system both capable of reducing the number of switch components and attaining the reduction of both cost and size while ensuring the same disk detecting function as in the prior art and thereby solve the foregoing conventional problems.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3966330 (1976-06-01), Ridler et al.
patent: 5631884 (1997-05-01), Chun
patent: 5644561 (1997-07-01), Son et al.
Hijikata Masakazu
Hino Yutaka
Hirata Minoru
Browdy and Neimark , P.L.L.C.
Strecker Gerard R.
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