Dynamic information storage or retrieval – With particular cabinet structure – Slotted for edgewise insertion of storage disc
Reexamination Certificate
2002-04-23
2004-06-08
Letscher, George J. (Department: 2816)
Dynamic information storage or retrieval
With particular cabinet structure
Slotted for edgewise insertion of storage disc
Reexamination Certificate
active
06747937
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a playback mechanism of a recording medium, which reads out information from a recording medium such as a compact disc.
(2) Description of the Related Art
A compact disc (hereinafter, CD) is an example of a recording medium. A CD player as a playback mechanism of a recording medium is mounted on an instrument panel of a motor vehicle as a mobile unit. The CD player reads out the information recorded in the CD.
The CD player is provided with an instrument body to be mounted on the instrument panel, an opening for inserting the recording medium opened to the instrument body, a conveying unit, clamp playback mechanism, locking member, and so on. The instrument body is formed in a box-shape, in which a plurality of metal plates are assembled to each other. The CD is inserted through the opening for inserting the recording medium.
The conveying unit conveys the CD inserted through the opening for inserting the recording medium up to the clamp playback mechanism or conveys the CD from the clamp playback mechanism to the opening for inserting the recording medium, thereby taking the CD out from the inside of the instrument body. The conveying unit is provided with a pair of first nipping members formed separable from each other.
One member of the pair of the first nipping members has a conveying roller rotatively driven by a drive source such as a motor. The conveying roller is rotatively driven by a drive source such as a motor, thereby conveying the CD. The another member of the pair of the first nipping members has a sliding member having a small friction coefficient. The sliding member nips the CD between the sliding member and the conveying roller so as to guide the CD in the conveying direction. The conveying unit nips the CD between the pair of the first nipping members and conveys the CD.
The clamp playback mechanism has a pair of second nipping members formed separable from each other. One member of the pair of the second nipping members has a rotary table rotatively driven by a drive source such as a motor and an optical pickup for reading out the information recorded in the CD. The rotary table rotates the CD after the CD is set on the rotary table by using a central hole to position the CD.
The another member of the pair of the second nipping members is provided with a disc-shaped clamper at a position where the another member meets the rotary table. The clamper is formed rotatably relatively to the another member. When the pair of the second nipping members approaches each other, they nip the CD between the rotary table and the clamper. The clamp playback mechanism clamps the CD by nipping the CD between the pair of the second nipping members. Thereafter, the optical pickup of the clamp playback mechanism reads out the information recorded in the CD.
The clamp playback mechanism is movably supported relatively to the instrument body by a coil spring or rubber. Since the playback mechanism of a recording medium is mounted on the motor vehicle and the like, the instrument body oscillates due to the oscillation of the vehicle during traveling. Then, the clamp playback mechanism moves relatively to the instrument body by the coil spring or rubber. Thus, the influence of the oscillation is reduced when the clamp playback mechanism reads out the information recorded in the CD.
The locking member is rotatably provided in the instrument body or the like. The locking member moves in the range between a locking position where a part of the clamp playback mechanism is locked and a lock-releasing position where the locking is released. At the position where the locking member locks the part of the clamp playback mechanism, the clamp playback mechanism is fixed relatively to the instrument body. At the lock-releasing position, the clamp playback mechanism becomes free relatively to the instrument body.
In the playback mechanism of a recording medium as mentioned above, when the CD is inserted from the opening for inserting the recording medium, the playback mechanism nips the CD between the pair of the first nipping members and conveys the CD toward the pair of the second nipping members of the clamp playback mechanism. At this time, the second nipping members part from each other. When the CD is situated between the pair of the second nipping members, the second nipping members approach to each other while the first nipping members part from each other. Then, the CD is clamped to the clamp playback mechanism. At this time, the locking member is situated at the locking position and the clamp playback mechanism is fixed relatively to the instrument body.
Then, the pair of the first nipping members parts from each other. When the clamp playback mechanism moves relatively to the instrument body, the CD clamped to the clamp playback mechanism is prevented from coming into contact with the pair of the first nipping members. Thus, the pair of the first nipping members parts from each other, thereby securing a range within which the CD can move when the clamp playback mechanism moves relatively to the instrument body.
After the pair of the first nipping members sufficiently part from each other, the locking member moves from the locking position to the lock-releasing position. When the locking member is situated at the lock-releasing position, the rotary table rotates and the information recorded in the CD can be read out through the optical pickup. The information taken out through the optical pickup is output as a voice through a speaker and the like equipped in the motor vehicle.
In the playback mechanism of a recording medium, when the CD is taken out from the instrument body, first the rotation of the rotary table is halted. Then, the locking member is moved from the lock-releasing position to the locking position, thereby the clamp playback mechanism is fixed relatively to the instrument body. Thereafter, the pair of the second nipping members parts from each other while the pair of the first nipping members approach to each other. With nipping the CD between the pair of the first nipping members, the conveying unit conveys the CD to the opening for inserting the recording medium. The CD is taken out from the instrument body through the opening.
As is mentioned above, in a conventional playback mechanism of a recording medium, in order to prevent a problem from taking place, the problem being that the clamp playback mechanism or the CD comes into contact with the pair of the first nipping members of the conveying unit due to the oscillation of the motor vehicle during traveling, a clearance between the pair of the first nipping members and the clamp playback mechanism has been sufficiently secured and thereafter the lock by the locking member has been released.
Accordingly, since the lock by the locking member is released after the pair of the first nipping members sufficiently parts from each other, therefore it takes a long period of time to start the playback of the recording medium after the recording medium such as the CD is inserted in the instrument body. In such a case, a long period of time elapses until the information recorded in the recording medium is output as a voice after the recording medium is inserted in the instrument body, thereby giving a passenger in the motor vehicle an unpleasant feeling. Further, in order to release the lock of the locking member after the clearance between the pair of the first nipping members and the clamp playback mechanism is sufficiently secured, a mechanism for securing the clearance and that for releasing the lock should be separately provided, resulting in that the number of parts increases and the playback mechanism itself becomes large in size.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an objective of the present invention to solve the above problem and to provide a playback mechanism of a recording medium, by which a period of time required until the information recorded in the recording medium is read out after the recording medium is inserted
Kinoshita Hideki
Mizoguchi Takashi
Sawada Nobutaka
Togashi Jun
Yasaki Akira
Letscher George J.
Pioneer Corporation
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