US 4,285,524 AGranted

Stylus cleaning apparatus for video disc player

AssigneeRCA Corporation

InventorsLarry M. Hughes, Kenneth L. George

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A stylus cleaner arm is pushed back to a retracted position when a record-bearing caddy is inserted into the player to load an enclosed record therein. The cleaner arm is held in the retracted position by the retained spine upon subsequent jacket withdrawal. The cleaner arm follows the caddy as it is withdrawn from the player until it engages a latch plate, which arrests the cleaner arm at an intermediate position. The stylus lifter gently drops a pickup stylus on the cleaner arm occupying the intermediate position as the caddy is further withdrawn from the player. The latch plate frees the cleaner arm to swing back to a standby position thereof during still further withdrawal of the caddy, thereby passing the cleaner arm underneath the stylus to wipe it clean. The stylus is raised away from the cleaner arm when the caddy is withdrawn from the player.

In a record player including a pickup stylus subject to engagement with a record for recovering prerecorded information disposed thereon during playback;

said stylus being mounted at one end of a stylus arm supported in a carriage which is subject to translatory motion along a path between a starting position and an ending position;
said record being subject to removable occupancy of a protective caddy comprising a jacket and a record retaining spine;
said player having a record extraction mechanism for removing the record/spine assembly from said jacket, and retaining said record/spine assembly in said player, during jacket withdrawal subsequent to the insertion of an occupied caddy into said player to a fully inserted position along a further path disposed substantially parallel to said carriage path;
wherein an empty jacket is inserted into said player along said further path to retrieve said record/spine assembly;
stylus cleaning apparatus comprising:
(A) a cleaning element;
(B) a cleaner arm movably mounted in said player and carrying said cleaning element;
said cleaner arm being subject to engagement with said caddy during its travel to said fully inserted position in said player for effecting motion of said cleaner arm from a first position to a second position;
said retained spine holding said cleaner arm at said second position during occupation of said player by said spine;
(C) means for biasing said cleaner arm toward said first position;
and
(D) an actuated latch member mounted in said player;
said actuated latch member being subject to motion from a first location to a second location in response to insertion of said caddy into said player;
said actuated latch member, while occupying said second location, engaging said cleaner arm during motion thereof from said second position toward said first position in response to caddy withdrawal for holding said cleaner arm at an intermediate position between said first position and said second position;
said actuated latch member being subject to movement from said second location to said first location in response to withdrawal of said carry from said player, thereby releasing said cleaner arm to return to said first position;
the location of said intermediate position of said cleaner arm being such that said cleaning element wipes said pickup stylus during motion of said cleaner arm from said intermediate position to said first position.

13 more elements

Abstract

Claims7