US 5,914,918 AGranted

Compact disc transporter having a carriage for transporting compact discs between moveable adding bins, a printer and a recorder

AssigneeRimage Corporation

InventorsJohn S. Lee, Roger E. Haro, David Rother, Donald Hollerich

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

An apparatus for recording and verifying information recorded on compact disks and for printing label information on the disks, and a method of operating the apparatus, wherein the respective recorders, verifiers, and printers are vertically stacked in a housing, and a vertically movable carriage is arranged to transport compact disks to each of the stacked devices. A rotatable carousel is mounted to the housing beneath the carriage; the carousel having multiple bins for receiving and holding compact disks. A computer processor controls the actuation of the respective devices, the carriage, and the carousel, to sequentially process unrecorded compact disks through the steps of recording, verifying and printing, and to reject compact disks which have failed the verification tests. A camera may be connected to the housing and uses in conjunction with the computer processor to rotatably position a compact disk into a preferred position prior to the printing step.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A transporter apparatus for performing sequential recording and printing operations on compact discs, comprising:

a horizontal base frame and a vertical frame affixed thereto;
a moveable compact disc carrier positioned on the base frame, the compact disc carrier having at least two compact disc holding bins;
a carriage assembly affixed to the vertical frame, the carriage assembly having a vertically movable carriage, the carriage being vertically movable into a compact disc holding bin of the at least two compact disc bolding bins which is positioned directly beneath and vertically aligned with the carriage assembly, and the carriage assembly selectively attaching onto a compact disc of the compact discs located in the compact disc holding bin;
a plurality of vertically stacked devices positioned on the base frame and adjacent to a vertical path of movement of the carriage, at least a first one of the vertically stacked devices is a recorder for recording data on the compact discs, at least a second one of the vertically stacked devices is a printer for printing label information on the compact discs and each of the vertically stacked devices have an openable drawer which may be extended into a position beneath the carriage when the carriage is raised to an elevated position;
and
the carriage, the compact disc carrier, and the openable drawers of the vertically stacked devices are selectively moveable by a processor, the carriage is selectively activatable by the processor to sequentially move the compact disc between the compact disc holding bin and the vertically stacked devices for either recording the data on the compact disc or for printing the label information on the compact disc.

3 more elements

A compact disc vertical transporter comprising:

a base having two compact disc holding bins, the compact disc holding bins are moveable into alignment with a vertical transportation axis for positioning compact discs in axial alignment with the vertical transportation axis;
a plurality of compact disc processing devices vertically positioned above the base, a first one of the processing devices is a recorder for recording information on the compact discs, and a second one of the processing devices is a printer for printing label information on the compact discs, each of the processing devices has an openable compact disc drawer which may be extended into the vertical transportation axis;
a vertical carrier located directly above a compact disc holding bin of the two compact disc holding bins which is positioned in axial alignment with the vertical transportation axis, the vertical carrier for selectively coupling to a compact disc of the compact discs located in the compact disc holding bin and vertically raising the compact disc to an elevated position while maintaining the compact disc in axial alignment with the vertical transportation axis, the vertical carrier further selectively placing and retrieving the compact disc in the openable drawer of the processing devices while maintaining the compact disc in axial alignment with the vertical transportation axis;
and
the vertical carrier is selectively activatable by a processor to sequentially move the compact disc between the compact disc holding bin and the plurality of compact disc processing devices.

2 more elements

A method of operating a compact disc transporter, the compact disc transporter comprising a base having a compact disc supply bin and a compact disc receiving bin, the bins are moveable into alignment with a vertical transportation axis for positioning compact discs in axial alignment with the vertical transportation axis, a recorder vertically positioned above the base for recording information on the compact discs, a printer vertically positioned above the base for printing label information on the compact discs, the recorder and printer each have an openable compact disc drawer which may be extended into the vertical transportation axis, and a vertical carrier, the method comprising:

using the vertical carrier, selectively coupling a topmost compact disc of the compact discs located in the compact disc supply bin and vertically raising the compact disc along the vertical axis to an elevated position;
extending the compact disc drawer of the recorder into the vertical axis below the compact disc;
lowering the compact disc along the vertical axis and placing the compact disc into the compact disc drawer of the recorder;
recording the information onto the compact disc using the recorder;
removing the compact disc from the compact disc drawer of the recorder;
extending the compact disc drawer of the printer into the vertical axis below the compact disc;
lowering the compact disc along the vertical axis and placing the compact disc into the compact disc drawer of the printer;
printing the label information onto the compact disc using the printer;
removing the compact disc from the compact disc drawer of the printer;
and
lowering the compact disc along the vertical axis and placing in the disc receiving bin.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/910,298Filed 11 Aug 1997 · continuation
Priority: 28 Dec 1995
Granted: 22 Jun 1999
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

G11B 17/08
Guiding record carriers not specifically of filamentary or web form, or of supports therefor: from consecutive-access magazine of disc records
G11B 7/26
Record carriers characterised by shape, structure or physical properties, or by the selection of the material: apparatus or processes specially…
G11B 19/12
Control of operating function, e.g. switching from recording to reproducing: by sensing distinguishing features of or on records, e.g. diameter…
G11B 23/40
Visual features other than those contained in record tracks or represented by sprocket holes the visual signals being auxiliary signals:…