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US 4,086,617 AGranted
Video disc player mechanism control system
AssigneeRCA Corporation
InventorAlfred Lynn Baker
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Coupling of pickup arm housing to a slow moving belt for translational motion during record playback is controlled by a play solenoid, while coupling to a fast moving belt for fast forward and reverse motions is controlled by respective forward and reverse solenoids. Player includes manually actuated push button controls for play, forward search, reverse search, pause, reject and power on/off functions. Mechanism actuated switches include a land switch actuated when pickup location is over beginning of recorded information, a travel limit switch actuated when pickup location is beyond ending of recorded information, and a rest switch placed in one switching condition when housing returns to an off-record rest position.
Claims22
In a disc record player, including a rotatable turntable for supporting a disc record;
- a motor for supplying rotational drive for said turntable when supplied with an energizing alternating current;
- a stylus arm for supporting at one end thereof a pickup stylus;
- a housing for said stylus arm;
- a carriage secured to said housing and subject to a translational movement providing motion of said housing between a rest position remote from said turntable and playback positions over said turntable;
- and a power supply for developing an operating potential between a pair of output terminals when energized with alternating current;
- a player control system including, in combination:
- a power switch completing a first current path, for supplying an energizing alternating current to said power supply, only when switched to an "on" position;
- a play initiating switch subject to manual actuation;
- and
- a rest switch, subject to switching from a first switch position to a second switch position, when actuation of said play initiating switch coincides with housing occupancy of said rest position;
- said rest switch, when in said second switch position, (a) completing a second current path for supplying energizing alternating current to said motor, and (b), in cooperation with said power switch, completing a third current path for supplying energizing alternating current to said power supply when said power switch is in an "off" position;
- said rest switch responding to a return of said housing to said rest position from positions removed therefrom by switching from said second switch position to said first switch position in which said second and third current paths are disrupted.
9 more elements
In a disc record player including a rotatable turntable for supporting a disc record;
- a stylus arm for supporting at one end thereof a pickup stylus;
- a housing for said stylus arm;
- a carriage secured to said housing, and subject to a translational movement providing motion of said housing between a rest position remote from said turntable and playback positions over said turntable;
- and a power supply for developing an operating potential between a pair of supply terminals when energized with alternating current;
- a player control system including, in combination:
- a thyristor having an anode, a cathode and a control electrode;
- a control winding;
- means, responsive to energization of said control winding during rotation of said turntable, for causing motion of said housing in a direction toward said rest position;
- first switching means for normally providing a coupling of the series combination of said control winding and the anode-cathode path of said thyristor across said pair of supply terminals during absences of said housing from said rest position;
- additional switching means, subject to manual actuation, for supplying a forward bias exceeding a turnon threshold level between said control electrode and said cathode during said actuation;
- and
- further switching means, subject to manual actuation, for effecting, during said actuation, a connection of said control winding between said pair of supply terminals which is independent of said thyristor
- whereby a motion of said housing toward said rest position which is initiated by actuation of said further switching means can be terminated by cessation of said actuation, whereas a motion of said housing toward said rest position which is initiated by actuation of said additional switching means is not terminated by mere cessation of such actuation.
10 more elements
In a disc record player including a rotatable turntable for supporting a disc record;
- a stylus arm for supporting at one end thereof a pickup stylus;
- a housing for said stylus arm;
- a carriage secured to said housing and subject to a translational movement providing motion of said housing between a rest position remote from said turntable and playback positions over said turntable;
- and a pair of alternating current input terminals;
- a player control system including, in combination:
- a first latching switch alternatively providing:
- (1) a conductive path between a first switch terminal and a second switch terminal, when in a first switching position;
- and (2) a conductive path between said first switch terminal and a third switch terminal, when in a second switching position;
- a power supply transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding;
- said primary winding being connected between said first switch terminal and one of said alternating current input terminals;
- a power supply coupled to said secondary winding for developing a unidirectional operating potential between a pair of supply output terminals upon energization of said primary winding;
- means for coupling the other of said alternating current input terminals to said third switch terminal;
- a motor having an energizing winding connected between said second switch terminal and said one alternating current input terminal;
- said motor providing rotational drive for said turntable upon energization of said winding
- a second latching switch alternatively (1) providing a conductive path between a fourth switch terminal and a fifth switch terminal, when in a first switching condition, and (2) isolating said fourth switch terminal from said fifth switch terminal, when in a second switching condition;
- means for coupling said other alternating current input terminal to said fourth switch terminal;
- and
- means for coupling said fifth switch terminal to said second switch terminal;
- whereby:
- (a) occupancy of said second switching position by said first latching switch when said second latching switch is in said second switching condition permits energization of said power supply transformer primary winding with alternating current supplied to said alternating current input terminals, to the exclusion of energization of said motor winding;
- whereas:
- (b) provision of said first switching condition for said second latching switch permits energization of both said transformer primary winding and said motor winding with alternating current supplied to said alternating current input terminals, with independence of the switching position of said first latching switch.
19 more elements
In a disc record player including a rotatable turntable for supporting a disc record;
- a stylus arm for supporting at one end thereof a pickup stylus;
- a housing for said stylus arm;
- a carriage secured to said housing, and subject to a translational movement providing motion of said housing between a rest position remote from said turntable and playback positions over said turntable;
- and a power supply for developing an operating potential between a pair of supply terminals when energized with alternating current;
- a player control system including, in combination:
- a land switch, responsive to the position of said carriage and occupying a first switching position during housing occupancy of said rest position and positions intermediate said rest position and an initial one of said playback positions, and a second switching position during housing occupancy of all other positions;
- a thyristor having an anode, a cathode and a control electrode;
- a control winding;
- means, responsive to energization of said control winding during rotation of said turntable, for causing motion of said housing in a direction toward said rest position;
- first switching means for normally providing a coupling of the series combination of said control winding and the anode-cathode path of said thyristor across said pair of supply terminals during absences of said housing from said rest position;
- a record reject control, comprising a first momentary switch, subject to manual actuation, for supplying a forward bias exceeding a turn-on threshold level between said control electrode and said cathode during said actuation to normally effect, as a result of said actuation, a latched energization of said control winding for returning said housing to said rest position;
- and
- a reverse search control, comprising a second momentary switch, subject to manual actuation, for effecting, during said actuation, when said actuation coincides with occupancy of said second switching position by said land switch, a connection of said control winding between said pair of supply terminals which is independent of said thyristor;
- said second momentary switch being ineffective in providing such independent connection when actuation of said second momentary switch coincides with occupancy of said first switching position by said land switch;
- whereby motion of said housing toward said rest position occasioned by energization of said control winding via said independent connection is limited to travel to the vicinity of said initial playback position.
12 more elements
In a disc record player including a rotatable turntable for supporting a disc record;
- a stylus arm for supporting at one end thereof a pickup stylus;
- a housing for said stylus arm;
- a carriage secured to said housing, and subject to a translational movement providing motion of said housing between a rest position remote from said turntable and playback positions over said turntable;
- and a power supply for developing an operating potential between a pair of supply terminals when energized with alternating current;
- a player control system including, in combination:
- a travel limit switch, subject to actuation by said carriage when carriage travel away from said rest position moves said housing beyond a limit one of said playback positions;
- a first control winding;
- means, responsive to energization of said first control winding, for causing motion of said carriage in a direction toward said rest position;
- a second control winding;
- means, responsive to energization of said second control winding, for causing motion of said carriage in a direction away from said rest position;
- a thyristor having an anode, a cathode and a control electrode;
- a forward search control comprising a manually actuated switch normally in a first switching position, but assuming a second switching position during control activiation;
- said manually actuated switch, in said first switching position, providing a first current path for coupling the series combination of said first control winding and the anode-cathode path of said thyristor across said pair of supply terminals during housing absences from said rest position;
- a transistor having base, emitter and collector electrodes;
- said transistor being normally cut off during housing occupancy of a playback position;
- said travel limit switch, in the absence of said actuation thereof, providing a current path for coupling the series combination of said second control winding and the emitter-collector path of said transistor across said pair of supply terminals;
- and
- means, including a capacitor coupled to said travel limit switch, for developing a momentary voltage impulse in response to actuation of said travel limit switch;
- said manually actuated switch, in said first switching position, providing a second current path for coupling said voltage impulse to said control electrode to effect a turn-on of said thyristor;
- wherein said manually actuated switch, in said second switching position, serves to disrupt said first and second current paths, and to supply forward bias between said base and emitter electrodes to render said transistor conductive;
- whereby actuation of said travel limit switch by said carriage when said manually actuated switch is in said first switching position effects a turn-on of said thyristor to provide a latched energization of said first control winding, commencing a return-to-rest motion of said housing;
- whereas actuation of said travel limit switch by said carriage during activation of said forward search control effects a deenergization of said second winding without effecting a turn-on of said thyristor so that said housing ceases travel at the travel limit switch actuating position and remains stationary thereat upon subsequent deactivation of said forward search control.
19 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.