Disk device

Details Disk device Disk device

2000-09-29

2002-08-13

Cao, Allen (Department: 2652)

Dynamic information storage or retrieval

With particular cabinet structure

Slotted for edgewise insertion of storage disc

Reexamination Certificate

active

06434102

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disk device which can be used with circular disks of different outer diameters and cartridge-stored disk used in cartridge-stored form.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1
is a perspective figure of a conventional disk device. This type of disk device in particular is comprised of a sliding feed mechanism on an optical pickup which is provided in a disk device which can be used with disks of different outer diameters. In the figure, reference numeral
201
denotes a CD (compact disk),
201
a
is a pit,
202
is an optical pickup,
203
is a support point,
204
is a swing arm,
205
is a tracking coil,
211
is an objective lens,
212
is a collimator lens,
213
is a wedge-shaped prism,
214
is a rectangular prism,
215
is a laser diode,
216
photo diode,
221
is a disk motor,
231
is a convey roller for a CD
201
.
The operation of the conventional disk device will be explained below.
In this disk device, an optical pickup
202
provided on a tip of a swing arm
204
defines a circular orbit about a support point
203
. The entire pickup displaces on the on the rear face of a CD
201
and perform tracking. In such a case, the direction in which the pickup moves on the circular orbit is shown by the arrow B—B and this line is orthogonal to the conveying direction (direction of insertion/retraction) of the CD shown by the arrow A—A″.
After the CD
201
is positioned in a fixed recording/playing position, the roller
231
must be removed from the rear face of the CD
201
. A structure of this type which raises the turntable is disclosed in JP-A 8-87796.
Since the conventional disk device is constructed in the above manner, the device is complicated by the fact that the roller
231
separates from the rear face of the CD
201
after the CD
201
has been placed in a fixed recording/playing position.
As a result, attempts have been made to simplify the structure and maintain the reliability of feeding disks of differing outer diameters. For example, it has been proposed that the roller
231
describes an arc shaped orbit when it descends and that the roller
231
rise in a direction of the disk motor
221
on the rear face of the CD
201
. However since the optical pickup
202
and the like is disposed on the rear face of the CD
201
, the roller
231
can not rise towards the disk motor
221
. Thus, it has been difficult to simplify the structure and maintain the reliability of feeding disks of differing outer diameters.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is proposed to solve the above problem and has the object of providing a disk device which can be used with circular disks of different outer diameters and cartridge-stored disks with a simple structure. The disk device of the present invention can be used with high reliability to feed disks of different outer diameters.
The disk device of the present invention comprises an optical pickup which reads information recorded on a circular disk, a CD feed mechanism which has a feed roller which performs uptake and ejection of circular disks, a clamp mechanism which mounts the central section of a circular disk taken up by the CD feed mechanism onto a turntable by being pressed upwardly by a clamp lever, an MD feed mechanism which uptakes a cartridge-stored disk, mounts the cartridge-stored disk which has been taken up onto a turntable and which ejects the cartridge-stored disk from the turntable. The MD feed mechanism performs the above due to the displacement of a feed arm which forms a section of a link mechanism when the cartridge-stored disk is inserted into an MD holder. The disk device also comprises a clamp lever refuge mechanism which refuges a clamp lever of the clamp mechanism to a position which does not interfere with the uptake and ejection of cartridge-stored disks when a cartridge-stored disk is ejected or taken up by the MD feed mechanism. A feed roller displacement mechanism is provided which, together with the mounting of a circular disk which has been taken up by the CD feed mechanism onto the turntable displaces the position of the feed roller further towards the direction of disk insertion than the optical pickup and lower than the initial position of a circular disk when inserted. When the circular disk is ejected from the turntable, the feed roller displacement mechanism returns the position of the feed roller from a position lower and further towards the direction of disk insertion than the optical pickup to an initial position.
With the above structure an effect is created which can be used with circular disks of different outer diameters and cartridge-stored disks and which can maintain the feeding of circular disks of different outer diameters with a high reliability simple structure.
The disk device of the present invention is provided with a feed roller contact avoidance mechanism which raises an edge of an ejected circular disk which abuts with a feed roller and returns the feed roller to an initial position together with a return operation of a feed roller position by the feed roller displacement mechanism. The feed roller contact avoidance mechanism avoids contact with the edge of the circular disk by the feed roller which returns to an initial position.
With such an arrangement, the feed roller, which returns to an initial position when a circular disk is inserted, and the face of a circular disk may abut as they do not come into contact with the edge of the disk when the feed roller has returned to an initial position. Thus the reliability of feeding circular disks of different outer diameters is increased.


REFERENCES:
patent: 6292452 (2001-09-01), Endo et al.
patent: 6301215 (2001-10-01), Otsuki et al.
patent: 07201113 (1995-08-01), None
patent: 887796 (1996-04-01), None
patent: 8167212 (1996-06-01), None

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Disk device does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Disk device, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Disk device will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2972740