Dynamic information storage or retrieval – Dynamic mechanism subsystem – Access of multiple storage elements
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-17
2001-10-30
Klimowicz, William (Department: 2652)
Dynamic information storage or retrieval
Dynamic mechanism subsystem
Access of multiple storage elements
C369S178010
Reexamination Certificate
active
06310853
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to an information storage apparatus for recording and/or reproducing information by using an optical disc such as a CD (compact disc), a CD-ROM or the like and a disc-like recording medium such as a magnetooptical disc (MO) or the like. Particularly, this invention relates to a recording medium loading apparatus and a recording medium recording and/or reproducing apparatus in which an operation for conveying any holding member of a plurality of holding members on which disc-like recording media are held between a stock position and a chucking position and an operation for elevating a housing member for housing a plurality of holding members can be selectively carried out by a single driving source.
BACKGROUND ART
Heretofore, as an example of information storage apparatus, there have been provided disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus for reproducing a piece of music and movies or the like by using a disc-like recording medium such as a CD, a CD-ROM and so on. As a disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus of this kind, there is known a disc player
1
shown in
FIG. 1
, for example.
This disc player
1
houses three disc cartridges
2
at one time and has a function to continuously reproduce three discs housed in the disc cartridges
2
or to reproduce tunes recorded on the discs housed in the three disc cartridges
2
in the arbitrary sequential order. To this end, this disc player
1
includes a changer apparatus
3
capable of housing three disc cartridges
2
, a conveying mechanism for selectively conveying an arbitrary disc cartridge
2
between the changer apparatus
3
and the disc drive apparatus and a reproducing apparatus for chucking the disc cartridge
2
conveyed by this conveying mechanism and reproducing a piece of music or the like from the disc or the like.
The changer apparatus
3
is attached to the central portion of the front surface of an apparatus body
4
, and three cartridge insertion slots
5
a
,
5
b
,
5
c
are opened in the front surface thereof. These three cartridge insertion slots
5
a
,
5
b
,
5
c
are formed in the form of three layers at a predetermined interval in the upper and lower direction. on one sides of the respective cartridge insertion slots
5
a
to
5
c
,there are provided eject buttons
6
a
,
6
b
,
6
c
for individually ejecting the disc cartridges
2
inserted into the corresponding cartridge insertion slots
5
a
to
5
c.
The front surface of this changer apparatus
3
can be opened and closed by an openable and closable lid
7
attached to the front surface of the apparatus body
4
. On the both sides of operable and closable lid
7
there are located a number of operation buttons
8
such as a power button for turning on or off a power, a forward button, a stop button and so on. When this operable and closable lid
7
is opened to expose the front surface of the changer apparatus
3
and the disc cartridges
2
are individually inserted into the cartridge insertion slots
5
a
to
5
c
,the three disc cartridges
2
are housed into and held at predetermined positions, respectively.
On the rearward of the changer apparatus
3
there is provided a conveying mechanism for selectively picking up and conveying an arbitrary one of the three disc cartridges
2
housed at the predetermined positions. In the vicinity of this conveying mechanism, there is disposed a disc reproducing apparatus for chucking a disc which is a recording medium of the disc cartridge
2
supplied to and loaded onto the predetermined position from this conveying mechanism and reading a music signal or the like from the disc to reproduce a piece of music or the like.
However, the above-mentioned conventional disc player
1
needs totally three motors of a motor for elevating and lowering a take-out holder for selecting and taking out an arbitrary disc cartridge
2
from the three disc cartridges
2
housed in the three cartridge housing portions, a motor for conveying a cartridge holder for holding the disc cartridge
2
thus taken-out to the disc reproducing apparatus and a motor for chucking and rotating the disc cartridge
2
supplied to this disc reproducing apparatus at a predetermined speed as driving sources. Accordingly, since the independent motors are used each time the disc cartridge is taken out and the disc cartridge is conveyed or the like, the apparatus needs a number of motors being used so that the weight of the whole apparatus increases, which is also uneconomical.
In view of the aforesaid problem encountered with the prior art, it is an object of the present invention to solve the above-described problem by providing a recording medium loading apparatus and a recording medium recording and/or reproducing apparatus in which the whole of the apparatus can be made light in weight and small in size by reducing the driving sources and in which a manufacturing cost can be reduced.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
A recording medium recording and/or reproducing apparatus according to this invention comprises a plurality of holding members capable of holding recording media, a recording and/or reproducing means for recording and/or reproducing recording media held on the holding members, a housing means for housing a plurality of holding members in a stacked state, an elevating means for elevating and lowering this housing means in the direction approximately perpendicular to the stacked direction of a plurality of holding members, a translate means for translating the holding member among a first position at which the recording medium can be held on the holding member, a second position at which the holding member can housed in the housing means and a third position at which the recording medium on the holding member can be recorded and/or reproduced by the recording and/or reproducing means and a single motor for supplying a driving force to the elevating means and the translating means.
Further, a recording medium recording and/or reproducing apparatus according to this invention comprises a plurality of holding members on which recording media can be held, recording and/or reproducing means for recording or reproducing recording media on the holding means, housing means for housing the plurality of holding members in such a manner that the holding members are stacked, elevating means for elevating the housing means in the direction approximately perpendicular to the direction in which the plurality of holding members are stacked, translating means for translating the holding members among a first position at which the holding members can hold recording media, a second position at which the holding members can be housed in the housing means and a third position at which the recording medium on the holding member can be recorded and/or reproduced by the recording and/or reproducing means, a single motor for supplying a driving force to the elevating means and the translating means, and driving means for selectively driving the translating means and the elevating means based on a driving force from the motor, wherein during the recording medium is being recorded or reproduced by the recording and/or reproducing means, the driving means operates the elevating means and drives the translating means to translate any one of the plurality of holding means housed in the housing means from the second position to the first position.
Also, a recording medium loading apparatus according to the present invention comprises a plurality of holding members on which recording media can be held, housing means for housing the plurality of holding members in such a manner that the holding members are stacked, elevating means for elevating the housing means in the direction approximately perpendicular to the direction in which the plurality of holding members are stacked, translating means for translating the holding members among a first position at which the holding members can hold recording media, a second position at which the holding members can be housed in the housing means and a third position which is loca
Klimowicz William
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
Sony Corporation
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