# US 4,398,281 A · Caddy loading video disc player

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- Number: US 4,398,281 A
- Document ID: US4398281A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 06/311,839
- Filed: 1981-10-16
- Granted: 1983-08-09
- Earliest claimed: 1981-10-16
- Assignees: RCA Corporation
- Inventors: Larry M. Hughes
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4398281A

## CPC

- G11B 17/049: Insertion of discs having to be extracted from the cartridge prior to recording or reproducing
- G11B: INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER (recording measured values in a way that does not require playback through a transducer G01D9/00; recording or playback apparatus using mechanically marked tape, e.g. punched paper tape, or using unit records, e.g. punched or magnetically marked cards G06K; transferring data from one type of record carrier to another G06K1/18; circuits for coupling output of reproducer to radio receiver H04B1/20; gramophone pick-ups or like acoustic electromechanical transducers or circuits therefor H04R)

## Abstract

In a video disc player, an empty sleeve is inserted into an input slot provided in the player along a pair of guide rails to retrieve a record/spine assembly retained therein. The caddy guide rails are provided with a set of oppositely disposed notches near the input slot to block the entry of the sleeve into the player if its entrance angle is too sharp, thereby reducing the possibility of retrieval of the spine without the record.

## Claims

### Claim 1

In a record player for recovering prerecorded information from a disc record; said record being enclosed in a planar protective caddy; said caddy being inserted into an input slot provided in said player substantially along a path formed by a pair of guide rails to load an enclosed record into said player; an improvement comprising a pair of notches disposed in at least one of said guide rails in the vicinity of said caddy input slot on opposite sides of said caddy insertion path for blocking angular entry of said caddy into said player.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The player as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said guide rails has a pair of oppositely disposed notches adjacent to said caddy input slot for blocking angular entry of said caddy into said player; wherein each of said guide rails has an upper guiding surface and a lower guiding surface; said upper guiding surfaces and said lower guiding surfaces of said guide rails serving to guide said caddy substantially along said caddy insertion path; wherein said notches are oppositely disposed in said upper guiding surface and said lower guiding surface of each of said guide rails near said caddy input slot.

### Claim 3

In a record player for recovering prerecorded information from a disc record; said record being enclosed in a planar protective caddy consisting of a sleeve having a record enclosing cavity in communication with an edge opening and a record retaining spine slidably disposed in said cavity; said record retaining spine having an opening for receiving an enclosed record to form a record/spine assembly; an occupied caddy being inserted into an input slot provided in said player substantially along a path defined by a pair of guide rails to load an enclosed record/spine assembly into said player; said player having a mechanism for extracting said enclosed record/spine assembly from said sleeve for retention in said player when said sleeve is withdrawn from said player after a full insertion of said caddy into said player; said sleeve being reinserted into said player along said path for retrieving said record/spine assembly; an improvement comprising a pair of notches provided in at least one of said guide rails in the vicinity of said caddy input slot on opposite sides of said caddy insertion path for reducing the possibility of an angular entry of said sleeve into said player to ensure proper retrieval of said record/spine assembly from said player.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The player as defined in claim 3 wherein each of said guide rails has a pair of oppositely disposed notches adjacent to said caddy input slot for blocking angular entry of said caddy into said player; wherein each of said guide rails has an upper guiding surface and a lower guiding surface; said upper guiding surfaces and said lower guiding surfaces of said guide rails serving to guide said caddy substantially along said caddy insertion path; wherein said notches are oppositely disposed in said upper guiding surface and said lower guiding surface of each of said guide rails near said caddy input slot.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The record player as defined in claim 3 for use with a planar protective caddy wherein the interior surfaces of said sleeve are fitted with a pair of elongated pads disposed along said edge opening for preventing foreign matter from getting into said record enclosing cavity of said sleeve.