Transport mechanism for optical disc cartridge

Details Transport mechanism for optical disc cartridge Transport mechanism for optical disc cartridge

2000-03-02

2003-02-25

Davis, David (Department: 2652)

Dynamic information storage or retrieval

With particular cabinet structure

Slotted for edgewise insertion of storage disc

Reexamination Certificate

active

06526016

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical disc recording/reproducing apparatus, and more particularly to a transport mechanism for loading or unloading an optical disc cartridge which accommodates an optical disc or a mini disc.
The present invention also relates to an optical disc recording/reproducing apparatus, and more particularly to an insert and discharge mechanism for loading or unloading an optical disc cartridge which accommodates an optical disc or a mini disc.
2. Description of the Related Art
An optical disc cartridge accommodating an optical disc or a mini disc is shown in FIG.
10
. This optical disc cartridge is provided with a shutter
2
b
for covering a disc recording/reproducing opening and an insertion direction mark
2
a.
As shown in
FIG. 11
, the optical disc cartridge
2
is inserted into an insertion port
1
a
of an optical disc reproduction apparatus
1
along a direction indicated by an arrow of an insertion direction mark
2
a.
The lateral width
a
of the optical disc cartridge
2
shown in
FIG. 10
along the insertion direction is longer by 4 mm than the length
b
along the insertion direction.
An example of a conventional transport mechanism for an optical disc cartridge is shown in
FIGS. 12 and 13
. In
FIGS. 12 and 13
, an arm
4
is rotatively supported by a chassis
3
via a shaft
3
a
mounted upright on the chassis
3
, and rotatively supports a transport roller
5
. The arm
4
is energized with an unrepresented spring in the counter-clockwise direction to be made in pressure contact with an unrepresented stopper. In this state, a distance between the transport roller
5
and a guide
11
is shorter than the lateral width
a
of the optical disc cartridge
2
shown in FIG.
10
and longer than the insertion direction length
b
.
A helical gear
7
rotatively supported by the shaft
3
a
engages with a worm gear
6
a
fixed to a rotary shaft of a motor
6
mounted on the chassis
3
. The helical gear
7
is sequentially engaged with idler gears
8
and
9
and a gear
10
integral with the transport roller
5
, respectively and rotatively supported on the arm
4
with shafts, so that the transport roller
5
is rotated by the motor
6
.
As shown in
FIG. 12
, as the optical disc cartridge
2
is inserted in a normal orientation, the transport roller
5
pushes the side wall of the optical disc cartridge
2
to abut it on the guide
11
. Insertion of the optical disc cartridge
2
is detected with an unrepresented detector means and thereafter the motor
6
rotates so that the transport roller
5
transports the optical disc cartridge
2
to the reproduction position. After recording/reproducing, the transport roller
5
rotates in a reverse direction to discharge the optical disc cartridge
2
from the insertion port to a predetermined projection position.
As shown in
FIG. 13
, if the optical disc cartridge
2
is inserted in an orientation rotated by 90° from the normal orientation, the transport roller
5
cannot transport the optical disc cartridge
2
because it is spaced apart from the side wall of the optical disc cartridge
2
.
With the transport mechanism for an optical disc cartridge described above, if an optical disc cartridge is inserted in an orientation rotated by 90° from the normal orientation, the cartridge is inserted into the apparatus without being squeezed with the transport roller
5
and cannot be discharged thereafter. Even if it is discharged forcibly by any means, it cannot be stopped at a normal disc discharge position and it may be fallen down from the apparatus.
If the transport roller
5
is projected deeper into a transport path of the optical disc cartridge
2
in a normal state in order to make the transport roller
5
in contact with the optical disc cartridge
2
even if it is erroneously inserted in an orientation rotated by 90° from a normal orientation, then the arm
4
is pushed by the optical disc cartridge
2
in a direction of moving the transport roller
5
toward the inner side of the transport path. Therefore, a feeling of inserting an optical disc cartridge in the normal orientation is degraded and the arm
4
or its support may be destroyed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made under the above-described circumstances. It is an object of the present invention to provide a transport mechanism for an optical disc cartridge, capable of preventing a feeling of inserting an optical disc cartridge in the normal orientation from being degraded and discharging an erroneously inserted optical disc cartridge with a transport roller.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a transport mechanism for a disc cartridge, capable of driving a transport roller support with a small force.
In a transport mechanism of this invention for an optical disc cartridge for transporting an optical disc cartridge having a lateral width along an insertion direction longer than a length along the insertion direction, by energizing an arm rotatively supporting a transport roller with a spring to make the transport roller in pressure contact with a side wall of the optical disc cartridge and by rotating the transport roller, a rotative guide arm is provided which projects into an optical disc cartridge transport path between the transport roller and a disc insertion port, if the optical disc cartridge is inserted in a normal orientation, the guide arm is rotated by the optical disc cartridge to rotate the arm in a direction of retracting the transport roller from the optical disc cartridge transport path to allow the optical disc cartridge to be inserted, and if the optical disc cartridge is inserted in an orientation rotated by 90° from the normal orientation, the transport roller is made in pressure contact with the side wall of the optical disc cartridge.
In a transport mechanism of this invention for an optical disc cartridge for transporting the optical disc cartridge by making a transport roller in pressure contact with the optical disc cartridge with a force of a spring and rotating the transport roller, the force of the spring is applied to a driving unit for a transport roller support only when the transport roller is made in pressure contact with the optical disc cartridge.
In the transport mechanism of the invention for an optical disc cartridge, a first arm is rotatively supported by a chassis and energized to rotate with a first spring and make a contact portion of the first arm in pressure contact with a contact portion of the chassis, a second arm is rotatively supported relative to the first arm and energized to rotate relative to the first arm with a second spring and make a contact portion of the second arm in pressure contact with a contact portion of the first arm, the transport roller is rotatively supported by the second arm, and an operation member pushes the first arm to rotate the first and second arms to make the transport roller in pressure contact with the optical disc cartridge with a force of the second spring.
In the transport mechanism of the invention for an optical disc cartridge, a first arm is rotatively supported by a chassis, a second arm is rotatively supported relative to the first arm and energized to rotate relative to the first arm with a spring and make a contact portion of the second arm in pressure contact with a contact portion of the first arm, the transport roller is rotatively supported by the second arm, and an operation member pushes the first arm to rotate the first and second arms to make the transport roller in pressure contact with the optical disc cartridge with a force of the spring.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4918553 (1990-04-01), Suzuki et al.
patent: 5144612 (1992-09-01), Isobe et al.
patent: 5220552 (1993-06-01), Yokoi et al.
patent: 5274620 (1993-12-01), Sipos
patent: 5724210 (1998-03-01), Sawada
patent: 5999366 (1999-12-01), Shiraishi et al.
patent: 1-235063 (1989-09-01), None
patent: 3-245356 (1991-10-01), None
patent: 7-192369 (1995-07-01), None
patent: 8-147835 (1

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