Dynamic information storage or retrieval – Information location or remote operator actuated control – Selective addressing of storage medium
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-06
2002-06-04
Bidwell, James R. (Department: 3651)
Dynamic information storage or retrieval
Information location or remote operator actuated control
Selective addressing of storage medium
Reexamination Certificate
active
06400659
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a disk manufacturing apparatus, and more particularly, to a disk manufacturing apparatus that automatically records information on a blank CD-ROM disk and prints a label affixed to the disk.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a simplified disk manufacturing apparatus for recording information on a blank disk such as a CD-ROM, hereinafter referred to as a compact disk, is known. What is herein referred to as a simplified compact disk manufacturing apparatus is an apparatus which, while lacking the mass-production capabilities of industrial compact disk manufacturing apparatuses, nevertheless is capable of producing a certain number of compact disks at a time.
FIG. 1
shows such a conventional compact disk manufacturing apparatus
1
. The compact disk manufacturing apparatus
1
shown in the drawing is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,734,629.
Generally, the compact disk manufacturing apparatus
1
shown in
FIG. 1
includes at least one or more CD-ROM recorders
3
for recording information on blank compact disks
2
. The apparatus
1
shown in
FIG. 1
, for example, has three such recorders
3
.
In addition, the compact disk manufacturing apparatus
1
shown in
FIG. 1
has an inspection device
4
to verify that information has been properly recorded to the compact disk
2
, a printer
6
for printing a label
5
affixed to a back surface of the compact disk
2
, that is, the surface opposite the recording surface of the compact disk
2
, a variety of stockers
7
,
8
,
9
for holding the compact disks
2
and a transporter
10
for transporting the compact disks
2
between the devices
3
,
4
,
5
,
6
,
7
,
8
,
9
described above.
Typically, the CD-ROM recorder
3
and the inspection device
4
are the same unit. Hereinafter, however, for convenience of description the unit that records the information to the compact disk
2
using a recording function is referred to as the CD-ROM recorder
3
and the unit that inspects the compact disk
2
using a reproducing function to verify that a predetermined recording has in fact been properly performed is referred to as an inspection device
4
. In addition, in the following description a blank compact disk
2
on which information has been recorded is referred to as a recorded compact disk
2
.
The CD-ROM recorder
3
described above is provided with a recorder tray
11
. A blank compact disk
2
is placed on the recorder tray
11
, which is extended in a direction indicated by arrow X
2
as shown in FIG.
1
. Information is recorded on the blank compact disk
2
in a state in which the recorder tray
11
, on which a blank compact disk
2
is loaded, is retracted into the compact disk manufacturing apparatus
1
, in a direction indicated by arrow X
1
.
Similarly, the inspection device
4
is provided with an inspection tray
12
. A recorded compact disk
2
is placed on the inspection tray
12
, which is extended in the direction of arrow X
2
. The recorded compact disk
2
is inspected in a state in which the inspection tray
12
, on which a recorded compact disk
2
is loaded, is retracted into the compact disk manufacturing apparatus
1
, in the direction of arrow X
1
.
The CD-ROM recorder
3
and inspection device
4
have conventionally been arranged vertically one atop the other as shown in
FIG. 1
, with the inspection device
4
positioned at the uppermost part of a plurality of CD-ROM recorders
3
.
As noted previously, the printer
6
prints a label
5
previously affixed to the back surface of the compact disk
2
. The printer
6
is provided with a printer tray
13
on which recorded compact disks
2
are placed. A recorded compact disk
2
that has been inspected by the inspection device
4
and found to be properly recorded is placed on the printer tray
13
which is extended in the direction of arrow X
2
. The printer tray
13
then retracts into the compact disk manufacturing apparatus
1
in the direction of arrow X
1
and the printer begins printing to the label
5
.
It will be appreciated that in an ordinary printer for printing on sheets of paper the printer head, which may be for example an ink jet head, moves in a straight line while feeding the paper to the head. By contrast, instead of feeding paper to the head, the printer
6
for printing the label
5
affixed to the back side of the recorded compact disk
2
typically operates by gradually moving the printer tray
13
on which the recorded compact disk
2
is placed in the direction of arrow X
2
, thereby printing the entire label
5
.
The printer
6
is positioned at an uppermost part of the compact disk manufacturing apparatus
1
. Placement of the printer
6
at the top of the compact disk manufacturing apparatus
1
is dictated by the need to make servicing the printer
6
convenient.
In addition, a carousel
18
is provided atop a base
19
positioned at the bottommost portion of the compact disk manufacturing apparatus
1
. A stocker
7
for blank disks, a stocker
8
for properly recorded disks and a stocker
9
for defectively recorded disks are provided on the carousel
18
.
The stocker
7
for blank compact disks
2
holds those compact disks
2
which have not yet been recorded. The stocker
8
for properly recorded compact disks
2
holds compact disks
2
that have been inspected by the inspection device
4
and found to be properly recorded and for which the labels
5
affixed to the back surfaces of the compact disk
2
have been printed by the printer
6
. The stocker
9
for defectively recorded compact disks
2
holds those compact disks
2
that have been inspected by the inspection device
4
and found to be defectively recorded. The defectively recorded compact disks
2
do not undergo printing.
It should be noted that the stockers
7
,
8
,
9
are configured so as to be positionable directly beneath the trays
11
,
12
,
13
by the rotation of the carousel
18
.
The transporter
10
comprises a carriage
14
, a rail
15
, a motor
16
, a belt
17
and so on. The carriage
14
detachably supports a compact disk
2
. The carriage
14
is guided by the rail
15
and is movable in a vertical direction indicated by double-headed arrow Z
1
-Z
2
in FIG.
1
. In addition, the belt
17
, which is driven by the motor
16
, is connected to the carriage
14
, in such a way that when the motor
16
rotates the carriage
14
moves up or down, as the case may be. Thus can the transporter
10
transport the compact disks
2
among the various devices
3
-
9
described above.
In the compact disk manufacturing apparatus
1
described above, the carriage
14
performs five different functions or steps, which may be briefly described as follows in the sequence in which they are performed:
1. transporting the blank compact disks
2
stored in the stocker
7
to the CD-ROM recorder
3
transport tray
11
;
2. transporting the recorded compact disks
2
recorded by the CD-ROM recorder
3
from the CD-ROM recorder
3
transport tray
11
to the inspection tray
12
;
3. transporting those compact disks
2
inspected by the inspection device
4
and found to be defectively recorded to the stocker
9
for defectively recorded compact disks
2
;
4. transporting those compact disks
2
inspected by the inspection device
4
and found to be properly recorded from the inspection device
4
inspection tray
12
to the printer
6
printer tray
13
; and
5. transporting recorded compact disks
2
for which the printer
6
has printed labels
5
from the printer
6
printer tray
13
to the stocker
8
for properly recorded compact disks
2
.
The conventional compact disk manufacturing apparatus
1
described above arranges the CD-ROM recorder
3
, inspection device
4
, printer
6
and stockers
7
-
9
one atop the other, so the carriage
14
moves through the same space when performing the five steps described above. At the same time, the printer tray
13
of the printer
6
, on which recorded compact disks
2
are loaded for printing, moves gradually in
Anderson Kill & Olick
Bidwell James R.
Lieberstein Eugene
Meller Michael N.
TEAC Corporation
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