Dynamic information storage or retrieval – With particular cabinet structure – Slotted for edgewise insertion of storage disc
Patent
1986-12-22
1989-01-31
Stephan, Steven L.
Dynamic information storage or retrieval
With particular cabinet structure
Slotted for edgewise insertion of storage disc
G11B 1704, G11B 906
Patent
active
048021555
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
DESCRIPTION
Technical Field
The present invention relates to a recording disc playback apparatus in which a disc-like recording medium (hereinafter referred to as "disc") is automatically drawn out of a disc case in which it is accommodated, thereby enabling the reproduction of the signals recorded on the disc.
Background Art
Various playback systems used for reproduction of high-density recording discs, such as video discs, have heretofore adopted a so-called "semi-automatic disc-loading mechanism", as disclosed, for example, in the specification of Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 111158. Such a conventional semi-automatic disc-loading type of playback apparatus is arranged in such a manner that a cylindrical disc case accommodating a disc is manually inserted into the interior of the playback apparatus, and the thus-emptied disc case alone is then manually drawn out of the apparatus, with the disc being left inside. However, such a prior-art semi-automatic disc-loading type of playback apparatus has various diasdvantages in that the disc case must be moved back and forth to a considerable extent when it is to be manually inserted into or drawn out of the apparatus, and also in that it is difficult to constitute a disc loading mechanism which is completely movable even when a user handles the apparatus very roughly.
To overcome the above-described drawbacks, it has been proposed to use a playback apparatus arranged such that the disc is automatically taken out of the case by means of feed roller means when the disc case is slightly inserted into the interior of the body of the playback apparatus. In this arrangement, since the disc cannot be fed in direct contact with the feed roller means, a frame surrounding the disc is provided within the disc case in order to draw the disc out of the case, so that the frame is fed by the roller means and the disc is thereby fed into the interior of the playback apparatus. However, such prior-art arrangement involves disadvantage in that, since the disc-drawing frame is needed within the disc case, there is no interchangeability with respect to other types of playback apparatus.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a recording disc playback apparatus arranged in such a manner that a user only needs to insert a disc case very slightly into the apparatus, thereby enabling the disc to be autiomatically drawn out of the case for reproduction purposes and the action to be positively performed.
A recording disc playback apparatus in accordance with the present invention employing a disc case having: a case body including in an interior thereof an accommodating space in which a disc-like recording medium is capable of being accommodated and, at one end, an opening through which the recording medium is drawn out; and, at said one end, a lid which is detachably fitted into the opening, comprising:
lid release means for causing the release of the engagement between the opening of the case body and the lid;
clamp means for clamping the recording medium; and
feed means for feeding the clamp means within the playback apparatus body.
The clamp means may be arranged to clamp the recording medium either by pressing the medium therebetween or by sandwiching the medium therebetween.
With this arrangement, when the disc case is merely inserted into the playback apparatus body, the lid is automatically disengaged from the opening of the case by the lid release means, and the recording medium is fed within the playback apparatus body while it is clamped by the clamp means, whereby the medium is held in place for reproduction purposes. As described above, since the recording medium is directly clamped by the clamp means, unlike the above mentioned proposal in which the feed roller means is used, the present invention possesses advantage in that it is unnecessary to provide the disc case with any frame surrounding the recording medium in order to feed the disc medium from the case.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
FIGS. 1A and 1B respectivel
REFERENCES:
patent: 4545045 (1985-10-01), Baer et al.
Fujioka Yoshitaka
Kawamura Ichiro
Okuno Noboru
Yoshikane Tetsuo
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
Stephan Steven L.
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