Dynamic information storage or retrieval – Information location or remote operator actuated control – Selective addressing of storage medium
Reexamination Certificate
1997-12-17
2001-02-06
Ometz, David L. (Department: 2754)
Dynamic information storage or retrieval
Information location or remote operator actuated control
Selective addressing of storage medium
C369S192100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06185164
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disk reproducing apparatus which can contain a plurality of information recording disks (referred to simply as disk hereinafter) arrayed in series and can serially reproduce the disks, and more particularly to an on vehicle disk reproducing apparatus installed in a dashboard of a vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
As a disk player which contains a plurality of disks arrayed in series and allows reproduction of a desired disk any time, there is a known apparatus which uses a magazine or the like containing therein disks separately from a main unit of the player. In this type of player, when a disks is to be reproduced, at first a disk contained in a magazine is protruded in the horizontal direction together with a tray, and a reproducing means including a turn table or the like is moved near to the disk having been moved in the horizontal direction from the underside, and the disk is clamped onto the turn table for reproduction.
Also there is an apparatus in which magazines each containing a disk therein are moved apart in the vertical direction, and a reproducing means is moved into a space between the separated magazine parts for reproducing a disk, as, for instance, the disk player disclosed in Japanese Patent Kokai No. Hei 3-235249.
Furthermore, there is a known disk player in which a plurality of disks are inserted from a disk insertion slot, each disk is transferred by a disk carrier means such as a roller mechanism into a disk storage section, a plurality of disks are contained and arrayed in multiple stages therein, a desired disk is selected from the contained ones, and the selected disk is reproduced. In this type of disk player, when a disk to be reproduced is selected, it is required to move the disk storage section in the direction of disk array, namely in the vertical direction, and to position the desired disk at a specified height against the reproducing means including the turn table or the like. When a disk to be released is selected, it is necessary to move the disk storage section also in the vertical direction and to position the disk to be released at a specified height against the disk carrier means.
However, in the disk players as described above, as relative movement to position a disk against the reproducing means is made by either one, a longer time from generation of an instruction for disk reproduction until execution of reproduction is required as compared to a signal disk player which contains only one sheet of disk.
In a disk player having a disk insertion slot, a disk carrier means, and a multiple-stage disk storage section, when a disk to be reproduced is to be selected, it is necessary to enable movement of the disk storage section in a range so as to be capable of selecting all disks contained therein at a position of the reproducing means as a reference. When a disk is to be inserted and also a disk to be discharged is selected, it is required to enable movement of the disk storage section in a range so as to be capable of selecting all the disks contained therein at a position of the disk carrier means as a reference. Accordingly, size of the apparatus inevitably becomes larger in the direction of movement of the disk storage section, for example, in the vertical direction.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention was made in the lights of the circumstances as described above, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a disk reproducing apparatus having a disk holding part containing a plurality of disks being held, in which reduction in size in the direction of arrangement of the disks is possible.
It is another object of the present invention that the reduction of a total size of the apparatus is enabled especially by reducing the depth of the apparatus in a direction parallel to main surfaces of the disks.
The disk reproducing apparatus according to the present invention comprises: an insertion slot which defines an insertion executable position through which a disk can be inserted; a disk holding means for holding a plurality of disks inserted through said insertion slot by arranging said disks in a direction perpendicular to main surfaces thereof, said disk holding means movable in a direction of arrangement of said disks; a disk transporting means for transporting a disk inserted through said insertion slot to said disk holding means; and a disk reproducing means for reproducing a disk to be reproduced, said disk reproducing means having first and second ends, said first end facing said disks in said direction of arrangement of said disks, said disk reproducing means being movable in said direction of arrangement of said disks, and reproducing said disk to be reproduced at a position at which said first end of said reproducing means faces said disk to be reproduced, wherein, when a disk is to be inserted, said disk reproducing means is placed at a position where said second end is positioned near to said insertion executable position in said direction of arrangement of said disks, and when reproducing said disk to be reproduced, said disk reproducing means is placed at a position in which a distance between said first end and said insertion executable position in said direction of arrangement of said disks is shorter than a distance between said first end and said insertion executable position at a time of insertion of a disk.
With these features, miniaturization of the apparatus can be achieved, especially the thickness of the apparatus in the direction of arrangement of the disk can be reduced.
More particularly, the disk reproducing means having a certain thickness is moved relative to the disk holding means in such a manner that when a disk is to be inserted, its side which is opposite to its part for holding a disk is positioned near to the disk insertion position, and when reproducing a near to the disk insertion position, and when reproducing a disk, its part holding a disk is placed near to the disk insertion position. With this feature, the thickness of the apparatus in the direction of arrangement of the disks is reduced as compared with conventional arrangements in which the disk holding means is moved in the direction of arrangement of the disk by using positions of the disk reproducing means and the disk transporting means (or a insertion slot) respectively as a reference.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5119354 (1992-06-01), Umesaki
patent: 5123001 (1992-06-01), Nakamichi et al.
patent: 5216645 (1993-06-01), Sakayama
patent: 5555239 (1996-09-01), Takai et al.
patent: 5872748 (1999-02-01), Shindo et al.
patent: 5917786 (1999-06-01), Kim
patent: 5982720 (1999-11-01), Takemasa et al.
patent: 3-235249 (1991-10-01), None
Fujimoto Masami
Ido Kenjiro
Suzuki Toru
Takemasa Kaoru
Yoshida Susumu
Easton Angel
Evenson, McKeown, Edwards & Lenahan P.L.L.C.
Ometz David L.
Pioneer Electric Corporation
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