US 5,544,148 A · Compact configuration disk player

Abstract

A magazine in a disk player stores disks therein. A transport mechanism transports a selected one of the disks between the magazine and a disk reader. The disk reader is positioned to read a selected disk while a center aperture of the selected disk overlaps disks remaining in the magazine. A first embodiment has three edge rollers which engage an edge of the selected disk to rotatably support the selected disk at the read position. One of the edge rollers which is external to the magazine is driven by a driver mechanism to rotate the selected disk for reading. A second embodiment includes carriages for supporting the disks in the magazine and at the read position. The carriages each have a rotatable shaft for engaging the center apertures of the disks. When a selected disk is moved to the read position, a pair of idler rollers and a driving roller engage top and bottom surfaces of the selected disk. The idler roller is driven by a driver mechanism to rotate the selected disk. The idler roller is angled with respect to either a radius or a plane of the selected disk to impart a radial bias upon the selected disk.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A disk player for storing and playing disks comprising:

a magazine for holding said disks;
each of said disks being concentrically aligned in said magazine;
a common axis of said disks concentrically aligned in said magazine;
a disk reader for reading a selected disk partially removed in a direction perpendicular to said common axis from said magazine to a read position whereat an axis of said selected disk is substantially remote from said common axis and said axis of said selected disk overlaps disks which remain in said magazine;
means for aligning said selected disk in said magazine with said disk reader;
means for transporting said selected disk between said disk reader and said magazine;
means for rotating said selected disk at said read position;
and
said means for rotating being located outside of said magazine when said disk is rotated.

6 more elements

A disk player for storing and playing disks comprising:

a magazine for holding said disks;
each of said disks being concentrically aligned in said magazine;
a common axis of said disks concentrically aligned in said magazine;
a disk reader for reading a selected disk partially removed in a direction perpendicular to said common axis from said magazine to a read position whereat an axis of said selected disk is substantially remote from said common axis and said axis of said selected disk overlaps disks which remain in said magazine;
means for aligning said selected disk in said magazine with said disk reader;
means for transporting said selected disk between said disk reader and said magazine;
carriages for carrying disks between said magazine and said read position;
said carriages including means for rotatably supporting said disks above surfaces of each of said carriages;
an idler roller engaging a first surface of said selected disk at a said read position;
a driving roller for applying a force to a second surface of said selected disk, to rotate said disk at said read position;
and
said driving roller being positioned opposite said first surface;
an axis of said driving roller forming a first non-zero angle with a radial line of said selected disk, said radial line intersecting the point where said driver roller contacts said selected disk;
and
said idler roller and said driving roller located outside of said magazine while said driving roller applies force to said second surface of said selected disk.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Compact configuration disk player

Life of this patent

Compact configuration disk player

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims22