Automatic changer for digital discs

A digital disc changer, comprising:

• means at a play position for playing back information recorded on a digital disc;
• and
• means for transporting a disc from a first position to the play position and then to a second position, said transporting means including means for sequentially lifting the disc from said first position, transporting the disc to the play position, lowering the disc at the play position, lifting the disc from the play position, transporting the disc to the second position and lowering the disc at the second position;
• wherein said transporting means includes a carousel and wherein said transporting means is operative to raise and lower said carousel to thereby raise and lower said disc.

A digital disc changer for sequentially playing a plurality of digital discs, comprising:

• a loading station having means for receiving a plurality of digital discs in a stacked relationship to form a stack of discs to be played;
• a play station having means for sequentially receiving and playing discs from said stack;
• a discard station having means for receiving discs from said play station;
• and
• means including a robot arm for lifting a disc from the top of said stack, transporting the disc to the play station and lowering it at the play station for play, lifting the disc from the play station after play, transporting the disc to the discard station and releasing the disc at the discard station and wherein each of said digital discs has a central aperture and wherein said robot arm includes means for engaging said aperture for lifting and transporting said disc, wherein said robot arm is driven via a clutch having a driving member and a driven member frictionally engaging said driving member wherein said driving member includes means for raising and lowering said robot arm upon rotation of said driving member.

A digital disc changer for sequentially playing a plurality of digital discs, comprising:

• a loading station having means for receiving a plurality of digital discs in a stacked relationship to form a stack of discs to be played;
• a play station having means for sequentially receiving and playing discs from said stack;
• a discard station having means for receiving discs from said play station;
• and
• means including a robot arm for lifting a disc from the top of said stack, transporting the disc to the play station and lowering it at the play station for play, lifting the disc from the play station after play, transporting the disc to the discard station and releasing the disc at the discard station and wherein each of said digital discs has a central aperture and wherein said robot arm includes means for engaging said aperture for lifting and transporting said disc,
• wherein said engaging means includes one or more engaging members that frictionally engage said central aperture and are resiliently biased to exert a outwardly directed radial force against said disc;
• wherein said loading station includes an elongated stacking spindle about which discs may be stacked, said spindle being mounted for movement along its longitudinal axis and resiliently biased to an extended position wherein said spindle enters the central aperture of a disc, said spindle being movable along its longitudinal axis by said pick-up head to a retracted position out of said central aperture to permit said engaging members to engage said central aperture;
• wherein said discard station includes means for urging said engaging member or members sufficiently inwardly to disengage said central aperture and release said disc;
• and
• wherein said discard station includes a discard spindle about which discs are discarded, wherein said engaging member urging means includes a surface on said discard spindle that engages said engaging member or members to disengage said disc when said robot arm is positioned at the discard station.

A digital disc changer, comprising:

• a loading station having means for receiving a digital disc to be played;
• a play station having means playing discs from said loading station;
• a discard station for receiving a digital disc played at the play station;
• and
• transporting means for transporting digital discs from the loading station to the play station and from the play station to the discard station, the transporting means includes means for raising said disc to a raised position at said loading station and transporting the disc to the play station and lowering the disc to a lowered position at the play station, wherein said loading station, play station, and discard station are arranged in a cyclic path around a central axis and the transporting means includes driving and driven members in frictional engagement with each other to form a friction clutch and the raising and lowering means includes cam means whereby relative rotational movement between the driving and driven members is translated by the cam means into a raising and lowering of the transporting means.

A digital disc changer, comprising:

• means for playing a digital disc;
• a carousel having a plurality of radially spaced receptacles for receiving a plurality of digital discs;
• and
• means for raising, rotating and lowering said carousel to raise each of said discs, sequentially transport them to said playing means and lower them over said playing means for play thereby, and to raise them from said playing means after play and transport them away from said playing means.

A digital disc changer, comprising:

• a play station having means for reading information recorded on a digital disc;
• a loading station;
• and
• a transport mechanism having means for lifting a disc at the loading station, transporting it to the play station by rotating the disc about an axis and lowering the disc at the play station along a path parallel to said axis and wherein said transport mechanism includes a carousel.

A digital disc player, comprising:

• means at a loading position for receiving a plurality of discs in a stacked relationship;
• a play position;
• transporting means including a robot arm provided with means for engaging a top one of said discs at the loading position, transporting the disc to the play position, centering and rotatably retaining the disc in a centered relationship at the play position;
• and wherein said transporting means includes a cam and clutch assembly for rotating said robot arm between said loading and play positions.

A digital disc reader or writer comprising:

• means for rotating at a reading or writing position an individual disc capable of containing digital information;
• means at a loading station for receiving a plurality of discs in a stacked relationship;
• and
• means for engaging a top one of said discs at said loading station at or near the center thereof and transporting said disc to said reading or writing position for rotation by said rotation means, said engaging means being operative to center and retain said disc for rotation at said reading or writing position and said engaging means rotating with said disc;
• and wherein said transporting means includes a robot arm.

A digital disc reader or writer comprising:

• means for rotating at a reading or writing position an individual disc capable of containing digital information;
• means at a loading station for receiving a disc to be read or written;
• and
• transporting means including a robot arm provided with means for engaging a disc at said loading station at or near the center thereof and transporting said disc to said reading or writing position for rotation by said rotating means, said engaging means being operative to center and retain said disc for rotation at said reading or writing position and said engaging means rotating with said disc;
• and wherein said robot arm is driven from said loading station to said reading or writing position and said transporting means includes cam member to raise and lower said robot arm.

A digital disc changer comprising:

• a play station having means for reading information recorded on a digital disc;
• a loading station;
• and
• a transport mechanism having means for lifting a disc at the loading station, transporting it to the play station by rotating the disc about an axis and lowering the disc at the play station along a path parallel to said axis, wherein said transport mechanism includes a carousel.

A digital disc changer comprising:

• a loading station having means for receiving a digital disc to be played;
• a play station having means for reading information recorded on a digital disc;
• a discard station for receiving a digital disc from the play station;
• and
• transporting means for transporting a digital disc from the loading station to the play station and from the play station to the discard station, the transporting means including means for raising said disc to a raised position at said loading station and transporting the disc to the play station and lowering the disc to a lowered position at the play station and means for lowering said disc from said raised position to an intermediate position during transport thereof between stations and means associated with each station for registering said transporting means with each associated station when said disc is in the intermediate position.