Loading apparatus for recording medium and method for controlling the same

An apparatus for loading a disc-like recording medium, comprising:

• a transfer member for transferring the disc-like recording medium between a disc-like recording medium changing position and a disc-like recording medium recording and/or reproducing position;
• drive means connected to said transfer member for driving said transfer member and including a gear having a drive force supplied thereto by a drive motor, wherein said gear is engaged with said transfer member for driving said transfer member between said changing position and said recording and/or reproducing position;
• detecting means for continuously detecting a position of said transfer member moved by a drive force from said drive means in accordance with said movement of said gear of said drive means, wherein said detecting unit comprises a conductive plate mounted on a stationary part of said apparatus and on which a plurality of electrically conductive patterns are provided, and a plurality of brushes mounted on said gear which move together with said movement of said gear for contact with said conductive plate;
• and
• control means for controlling said drive means in response to a detection signal from said detecting means so that a moving speed of said transfer member is gradually decreased as said transfer member nears one of said recording medium changing position and said recording and/or reproduction position.

A method for controlling a transfer device for transferring a recording medium by using a transfer member which transfers the recording medium between a recording medium changing position and a recording and/or reproducing position relative to the recording medium by a drive force transmitted from drive means to which a pulse width modulation signal is supplied, wherein the drive means includes a gear having said drive force supplied thereto by a drive motor and wherein the gear is engaged with the transfer member for driving the transfer member between the changing position and the recording and/or reproducing position, said method comprising the following steps of:

• continuously detecting a position of said transfer member by detecting means in accordance with a movement of said gear of said drive means by contacting a plurality of electrically conductive patterns formed on a conductive plate mounted on a stationary part of the apparatus with a plurality of brushes mounted on the gear so that the plurality of brushes move together with said movement of the gear for contact with the conductive plate;
• producing a control signal for controlling a duty of the pulse width modulation signal in accordance with the position of said transfer member in response to a detection signal from said detection means obtained in said step of continuously detecting;
• and
• changing the duty of the pulse width modulation signal on a basis in response to the control signal produced in said control signal producing step to gradually decrease a moving speed of said transfer member when said transfer member nears one of said recording medium changing position and said recording and/or reproducing position.