Optical disk changer

Details Optical disk changer Optical disk changer

2001-12-31

2004-08-17

Watko, Julie Anne (Department: 2652)

Dynamic optical information storage or retrieval

Particular cabinet structure for optical media

Tray or drawer loading or ejecting

C720S608000, C369S030980

Reexamination Certificate

active

06779189

ABSTRACT:

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 2001-52106 filed on Aug. 28, 2001, in the Korean Industrial Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical disc changer, and more particularly, to an optical disc changer adopting a tray transfer unit which is simplified by reducing the number of parts.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, optical disc drives reproduce information recorded on optical discs such as CDs or DVDs, which are optical recording media, by using optical pickup devices. When an optical disc is placed on a tray and loaded in a drive, a drive unit rotates the optical disc. An optical pickup device mounted at the lower end of the tray reproduces data recorded on the optical disc while being transferred in a radial direction of the optical disc.
Since only one optical disc is accommodated on the tray of the optical disc drive, if a user wishes to reproduce a plurality of optical discs, the user must inconveniently repeat actions including ejecting the tray, placing a new optical disc that the user wishes to reproduce on the tray, and loading the tray in the drive.
To solve the above inconveniences, optical disc changers to selectively reproduce one of a plurality of optical discs accommodated on a tray, so as not to repeatedly change the optical discs, have been developed.
FIG. 1
shows a perspective view showing a conventional front loading type optical disc changer to select a desired one of a plurality of optical discs accommodated on a tray and reproduce the selected optical disc by using an optical pickup device. Referring to
FIG. 1
, a conventional optical disc changer
100
includes a main body
110
, a tray
150
installed to be capable of being inserted into the main body
110
, a roulette
160
rotatably installed on the tray
150
and where a plurality of optical discs are accommodated, an optical pickup device
120
to read information from a desired one of the optical discs accommodated on the roulette
160
, and a damper support unit
131
installed above the optical pickup device
120
to support a damper
130
which clamps the optical discs against the optical pickup device
120
.
Also, the optical disc changer
100
includes a tray transfer unit
140
to load or unload the tray
150
in or from the main body
110
.
The optical disc changer
100
loads the tray
150
in the main body
110
to perform reproduction by using the optical pickup device
120
, or unloads the tray
150
after reproduction by the optical pickup device
120
is completed. Also, there is a need to load or unload the tray
150
while one of the optical discs is selected and being reproduced by using the optical pickup device
120
.
FIG. 2
is a plan view of a tray transfer unit shown in FIG.
1
.
FIG. 2
, illustrates a tray transfer unit
140
of the conventional optical disc changer
100
, a drive gear member
141
, a tray gear member
142
rotating by selectively being engaged with the drive gear member
141
, and a converter gear member
143
. A rack gear member
151
, having a rack gear formed at both sides thereof, is provided at the bottom surface of the tray
150
so that it engages with the tray gear member
142
and the converter gear member
143
and passes between the tray gear member
142
and the converter gear member
143
as both of these members rotate.
When the tray transfer unit
140
loads or unloads the tray
150
, the tray gear member
142
is engaged with the drive gear member
141
. When the optical disc is being reproduced while the tray
150
is simultaneously loaded or unloaded, the converter gear member
143
and the drive gear member
141
are engaged with each other.
In the conventional optical disc changer
100
, since the converter gear member
143
is additionally used, the cost of manufacturing the optical disc changer
100
increases. Also, to assemble the tray gear member
142
, the converter gear member
143
, and the rack gear member
151
, since an accurate assembly point must be kept, the assembly work is difficult and the number of defective parts increases.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an optical disc changer adopting a tray transfer unit which is simplified by reducing the number of parts.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.
The foregoing and other objects of the present invention are achieved by providing an optical disc changer comprising a main body, a tray installed in the main body to be capable of sliding, a roulette rotatably installed at the tray and where a plurality of optical discs are accommodated, an optical pickup device to selectively reproduce one of the optical discs accommodated on the roulette, a drive gear member installed at the main body, rotated by being connected to a drive unit, and selectively engaged with a rack gear member formed on the bottom surface of the tray, and a tray gear unit installed adjacent to the drive gear member and having tray gears selectively engaged with the rack gear member and the drive gear.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5742571 (1998-04-01), Hoshino et al.
patent: 6061320 (2000-05-01), Tsai
patent: 1999-25985 (1999-04-01), None
patent: 383126 (2000-02-01), None

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