Video disc player

A video disc player utilizable with a flexible foil-type information carrier disc, which disc is accommodated in a disc envelope of a type comprising first and second flexible plate members secured together to provide an opening leading to an envelope chamber defined therebetween, at least an outer peripheral portion of said disc being exposed to the outside from said envelope through the opening of said envelope, said video disc player comprising:

• means for driving said information carrier disc at its center at a relatively high speed in one direction;
• means including a disc holder and a disc mount, said disc mount being coupled to said driving means for rotation together therewith;
• means for supporting said disc holder, said supporting means being movable between first and second positions, said disc holder when said support means is in said second position cooperating with said disc mount to firmly hold said disc between said disc mount and said disc holder and being rotatable independently of said supporting means, but rotatable together with said disc mount, said disc holder when said supporting means is in said first position separating from said disc mount;
• a table structure including a disc receiving chamber and a stationary platform within said disc receiving chamber, said stationary platform having a central opening through which said disc mount slightly outwardly projects to allow said disc to hover on a rotation-induced air cushion above said stationary platform during rotation of said disc sandwiched between said disc mount and said disc holder, said table structure having an envelope inlet and a passage means leading from said envelope inlet to said disc receiving chamber and substantially above said platform;
• means in said disc receiving chamber operatively positioned in opposition to said envelope inlet and including fixed and movable members for holding said exposed outer peripheral portion of said disc when said exposed outer peripheral portion of said disc accommodated within said evenlope is engaged in between said fixed and movable members upon complete insertion of said envelope with said disc therein into said disc receiving chamber such that, when said envelope is subsequently pulled in a direction opposite to the direction of insertion of said envelope in readiness for removal of the envelope in relation to said disc, said disc is drawn out of said envelope being pulled, said movable member being supported in position for movement between first and second positions and operatively associated with said supporting means whereby, when said supporting means is in said second position, said movable member is brought to its said second position thereby releasing said exposed outer peripheral portion of said disc to permit the latter to fall flat against the stationary platform, said disc holder being subsequently engaged to said disc mount with said disc sandwiched therebetween when said supporting means is moved to said second position;
• and
• said passage means including first means positioned adjacent said holding means and second means positioned adjacent said envelope inlet of said table structure,
• said first means being operable to allow said exposed outer peripheral portion of said disc to be substantially engaged in between said fixed and movable members without being disturbed by said disc envelope during loading of the disc in said video disc player, and
• said second means being operable to substantially upwardly shift the front end portion of the first plate member of said envelope in relation to said front end portion of the second plate member of said envelope thereby allowing another outer peripheral portion of the disc, which has been accommodated within the disc receiving chamber, to be inserted into the envelope during insertion of the empty envelope into the disc receiving chamber in readiness for removal of the disc from the disc receiving chamber into the envelope.