Dynamic information storage or retrieval – Dynamic mechanism subsystem – Access of multiple storage elements
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-07
2001-08-14
Letscher, George J. (Department: 2652)
Dynamic information storage or retrieval
Dynamic mechanism subsystem
Access of multiple storage elements
Reexamination Certificate
active
06275464
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a disc changer for automatic changing of a disc to a disc drive using bare discs for recording and/or regeneration, for example, optical discs such as CD-ROM and magneto-optic (MO) disc.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, disc changers mostly uses a disc cartridge which is the cartridge which contains a disc, and automatically changes a disc to a disc drive.
In the case in which some information is recorded and/or regenerated simultaneously on a plurality of disc cartridges using a plurality of disc drives arranged vertically, a plurality of rack containers arranged vertically for containing disc cartridges and a plurality of disc drives arranged vertically are placed in two lines with front sides in the same direction, and a disc cartridge conveyer moves in the first direction and the second direction perpendicular each other in the horizontal plane and in the vertical direction to convey a disc cartridge between the plurality of rack containers arranged vertically and disc drives.
However, such a conventional disc changer using disc cartridges is disadvantageously restricted in disc containing capacity, because the volume of a disc cartridge is larger than that of a bare disc.
A conveyer which conveys a disc cartridge in three directions of the orthogonal axes has a complex structure, costs a lot, and requires a large space for conveying, thus the minimization of a disc changer is limited disadvantageously.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is accomplished to solve the above mentioned problem, and the object of the invention is to provide a disc changer having a capability of containing many discs while the disc changer is minimized in size.
The present invention provides a disc changer to achieve the object comprising; a plurality of disc rack boards provided vertically for holding bare discs for recording and/or regeneration, one or more of disc drives for recording and/or regenerating the bare discs provided facing to said disc rack boards, a carrier which moves only one direction in a space defined by the disc rack boards and disc drives, and a hand mounted on the carrier which moves only in the direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the carrier for transferring in only one direction the bare disc between a disc rack board and the carrier and between a disc drive and the carrier.
In the disc changer of the present invention structured as described herein above, bare discs for recording and/or regenerating are placed on a plurality of disc rack boards without using cartridge, a carrier which moves only one direction in a space defined by the disc rack boards and disc drives is provided, and a hand mounted on the carrier which moves only in the direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the carrier is provided, and a bare disc is transferred by the hand between a disc rack board and the carrier and between the carrier and disc drive.
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Patent Abstracts of Japan, vol. 015, No. 041 (P-1160), Jan. 31, 1991 & JP-A-02 276056 (Mitsubishi Electric Corp.), Nov. 9, 1990, abstract.
Hakoishi Takahisa
Itawaki Motofumi
Nonaka Wataru
Suzuki Masaharu
Watanabe Masahiko
Frommer William S.
Frommer Lawrence & Haug LLP.
Kessler Gordon
Letscher George J.
Sony Corporation
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