Dynamic information storage or retrieval – With particular cabinet structure – Slotted for edgewise insertion of storage disc
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-12
2003-11-11
Klimowicz, William (Department: 2652)
Dynamic information storage or retrieval
With particular cabinet structure
Slotted for edgewise insertion of storage disc
C369S077210
Reexamination Certificate
active
06646973
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a disk device for recording or reproducing information to or from a disk such as a CD (a compact disk) or a DVD (a digital versatile disk or a digital video disk) or the like, and more particularly, a disk device in which the disks are newly inserted and each of the disks can be driven.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIGS. 41A-41F
are illustrative views showing a replacement work for disks in the prior art disk device.
In the prior art disk device, there was present a system in which although a disk insertion slot and a disk ejection slot were the same to each other, a subsequent disk could be inserted while a preceding disk was being driven and the disks could be replaced to each other only through a one-hand operation, for example.
As shown in
FIGS. 41A-41F
, as positions of the disk
50
(
50
-
1
and
50
-
2
) within such a disk device as described above, a disk inserting/ejecting position
52
, a disk driving position
51
and a second driving position
53
above and below the disk inserting/ejecting position
52
are set.
Reference numeral
54
denotes a driving unit, wherein the disk
50
is mounted on a turntable (not shown) of the driving unit
54
and the disk
50
is driven under a state in which the disk
50
is clamped against the turntable by a clamp member
55
. In addition, the insertion slot
56
for use in inserting the disk
50
is arranged at a front panel (not shown) of the disk device in correspondence with the disk inserting/ejecting position
52
. In addition, reference numeral
57
denotes a supporting means having two upper and lower supporting positions
57
a
,
57
b
, wherein the disk transferred through the insertion slot
56
and the disk left in the disk device are temporarily supported.
Then, when the next disk
50
-
2
is inserted into the insertion slot
56
(
FIG. 41B
) under a state in which the disk
50
-
1
is being reproduced at the first driving position
51
, for example, (FIG.
41
A), a sensor not shown detects this disk
50
-
2
and the reproducing operation of the disk
50
-
1
is stopped in response to this detected signal.
Then, the driving unit
54
descends down to the second driving position
53
(so as to perform an unclamping operation) (FIG.
41
B). Further, when the inserted disk
50
-
2
is fed into the supporting position
57
b
of the supporting means
57
and reaches up to the inserting/ejecting position
52
(FIG.
41
C), the supporting means
57
supporting the disk
50
-
1
placed at the first driving position
51
and the disk
50
-
2
placed at the inserting/ejecting position
52
descends (
FIG. 41C
) and its descending operation is stopped at a position where the disk
50
-
2
placed at the inserting/ejecting position
52
reaches the second driving position
53
(FIG.
41
D).
Under this operation, the disk
50
-
1
placed at the first driving position
51
comes to the inserting/ejecting position
52
and the disk
50
-
2
is ejected (FIG.
41
E). Then, the disk
50
-
2
placed at the second driving position
53
is clamped by the clamp member
55
against the driving unit
54
(a clamping operation) and a reproducing operation of the disk
50
-
2
, for example, is carried out.
However, the prior art disk device has been constructed such that when the disk
50
-
1
being driven was replaced with a next disk
50
-
2
, the disk
50
-
2
was temporarily supported by the supporting means
57
and the supporting means
57
was descended down until the disk
50
-
2
reaches the driving position
53
, so that it took much time for descending the supporting means
57
and the replacement work needed much time.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a disk device capable of shortening a disk replacement time.
As a first apparatus for solving the above described problem, there is provided a disk device comprising one insertion/ejection slot for inserting or ejecting a disk, a transferring means for transferring the disk inserted into the insertion/ejection slot to a position where it can be driven, and a driving unit ascended or descended in a direction crossing at a right angle with a disk surface of the disk transferred to the position where it can be driven and for driving the disk while mounting it thereon, wherein a first driving position and a second driving position where the disk is driven are set at different positions along the ascending or descending direction of the driving unit, the transferring means has a distributing mechanism for selectively changing over a transferring direction of the disk to either the first driving position or the second driving position, and when a next disk is inserted into the insertion/ejection slot under a state in which the disk is present at one of the driving positions of either the first driving means or the second driving position, the next disk inserted is transferred to the other driving position where no disk is present, the disk already present is ejected out of the insertion/ejection slot, resulting in that the next disk is driven by the driving unit.
As a second apparatus, there are provided one insertion/ejection slot for use in inserting or ejecting a disk, a transferring means for transferring the disk inserted into the insertion/ejection slot and a driving unit which can ascend or descend in a direction crossing at a right angle with a surface of the disk, each of a first driving position and a second driving position is set at different positions in the direction crossing at a right angle, the transferring means has a distributing mechanism for selectively changing over a transferring direction of the inserted disk to either the first driving position or the second driving position, the disk transferred to either the first driving position or the second driving position by the transferring means is installed by the driving unit ascended or descended in correspondence with the disk so as to drive the disk.
Further, as a third apparatus for solving the problem above, there is provided a system in which when a new desk is inserted from the insertion/ejection slot, the disk is transferred by the transferring means to a vacant position in either the first driving position or the second driving position, the disk already transferred into the disk device is transferred in reverse through the transferring passage of the disk into the disk device and carried out to the insertion/ejection slot.
Further, as a fourth apparatus for solving the problem above, the transferring means has a transferring roller and a pressing member, the disk is held between the transferring roller and the pressing member and the transferring roller is rotated.
Further, as a fifth apparatus for solving the problem above, the distributing mechanism has two opposed slant surfaces which can be selectively changed over against the insertion/ejection slot, the extremity of the disk inserted from the insertion/ejection slot is abutted against one slant surface and moved along the slant passage, thereby the transferring direction of the disk is changed over toward the first driving position and further abutted against the other slant surface to be changed over to the second driving position.
Further, as a sixth apparatus for solving the problem above, the distributing mechanism has a distributing plate turned in such a direction as one crossing at a right angle with the surface of the disk, an opposing surface against the insertion/ejection slot at the first rotating position of the distributing plate is applied as one slant surface and the opposing surface at the second rotating position is applied as the other slant surface.
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patent: 5831956 (1998-11-01), Sawai et al.
patent: 5878011 (1999-03-01), Nakamichi
patent: 6345030 (2002-02-01), Sakurai et al.
patent: 6392980 (2002-05-01), Sato et al.
patent: 6449234 (2002-09-01), Ahn et al.
patent: 6452888 (2002-09-01), Eguchi
patent: 6469971 (2002-10-01), Sato et al.
patent: 6469972 (2002-10-01), Morimoto et al.
patent: 647337
Ikeda Hitoshi
Kikuchi Hideo
Nakashima Takashi
Alps Electric Co. ,Ltd.
Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione
Klimowicz William
Le Minh
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