Compact disk apparatus having enhanced disk handling capabilities

A compact disk apparatus comprising:

• a tray including a toothed surface, said tray being arranged to be movable between a disk inserting/removing position and a disk loaded position;
• a movable base unit including a supporting part, said supporting part being capable of supporting a disk when the tray is at the disk loaded position, said movable base unit being arranged to be movable between an unsupported position and a supported position, the disk being supported on said supporting part when said movable base unit is at the supported position;
• drive means which converts electric current into a rotating force;
• first gear means which is engaged with said toothed surface of said tray, said tray being moved between the disk inserting/removing position and the disk loaded position when said first gear means is rotated through an engagement with the toothed surface of the tray;
• second gear means which is rotated by the rotating force of said drive means and engageable with said first gear means, said second gear means being arranged to be movable between a first position and a second position, wherein said second gear means is engaged with said first gear means when said second gear means is at the first position and rotated around a central rotation axis of the second gear means by said drive means, so that said first gear means is rotated through an engagement of said second gear means with the first gear means and the tray is moved to the disk loaded position,
• and wherein, after the tray reaches the disk loaded position and the movement of the tray is stopped, said second gear means is, with the engagement with said first gear means being maintained, moved around a periphery of said first gear means by said drive means, so that said second gear means force of the drive means, so that said second gear means is moved from the first position to the second position;
• and
• moving means for moving said movable base unit from the unsupported position to the supported position when said second year means is moved from accordance with said movement of said second gear means from the first position to the second position;
• and wherein
• said moving means comprises a rotating base having an arm guide, said rotating base rotatably supporting the second gear means on said rotating base and being rotatable around a central rotation axis of the first gear means, said rotating base being arranged to be rotatable, co-axially with the first gear means, between a third position at which the second gear means is placed at the first position and a fourth position at which the second gear means is placed at the second position,
• said compact disk apparatus further comprising a locking mechanism having a tray lock arm engageable with a projection of the tray, said tray lock arm being arranged to be rotatable between a rotating-base locked position, engaged with the arm guide of the rotating base at the third position and locking the rotating base, and a tray locked position, engaged with the projection of the tray at the disk loaded position and locking the tray,
• wherein said locking mechanism locks the rotating base when the tray is moved from the disk inserting/removing position to the disk loaded position, and locks the tray when the tray has reached the disk loaded position.