US 6,307,828 B1 · Disc recording/reproducing apparatus and disc container casing used therein

Abstract

A disc reproducing apparatus having a disc exchange function includes a housing section, a reproducing unit, a movement unit and a pull-out unit. The housing section holds plural optical discs and is detachably mounted on a main body portion of the apparatus. The housing section includes plural trays on which to set optical discs. These trays are mounted for movement between a pull-out position out of the housing section and a housed position in the housing section. The reproducing unit reproduces an optical disc. The movement unit moves one of the housing section and the recording and/or reproducing unit relative to the other. The movement unit moves the housing section and the recording and/or reproducing unit relative to the arraying direction of plural trays housed in the housing section. The movement mechanism includes a positioning mechanism for positioning the recording and/or reproducing unit relative to a sole tray housed in the housing section. The pull-out unit pulls out one of the plural trays housed in the housing section from the housing section towards the recording and/or reproducing unit.

Drawings

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Drawings

Claims16

Dependent claims

A disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus comprising:

a housing section for housing a plurality of discs, said housing section having a plurality of trays each for setting a disc thereon, said plurality of trays being movable between a pull-out position outside of the housing section and a housed position within the housing section;
a recording and/or reproducing unit for recording and/or reproducing the disc;
a movement unit for moving the recording and/or reproducing unit relative to the housing section, said movement unit causing relative movement between the housing section and the recording and/or reproducing unit in an arraying direction of the plurality of trays housed in the housing section, said movement unit having a positioning mechanism for positioning said recording and/or reproducing unit relative to a sole tray housed in said housing section;
a pull-out unit for pulling out from said housing section one of the plurality of trays housed within said housing section towards said recording and/or reproducing unit;
and
a lift mechanism for moving said recording and/or reproducing unit between a lowered position in which the recording and/or reproducing unit is disposed when one of the trays housed in said housing section is pulled from the housing section to the pull-out position by said pull-out unit and an uplifted position for recording and/or reproducing the disc on said tray,
wherein said positioning mechanism includes a plurality of engagement bosses provided so as to be substantially flush with one another on the recording and/or reproducing unit and a plurality of engagement recesses provided in register with the plurality of trays housed in said housing section, said engagement bosses engaging with any of the engagement recesses for positioning the recording and/or reproducing unit,
wherein said movement unit includes a position detection unit and wherein the movement unit moves the recording and/or reproducing unit relative to the housing section based on a detection result from the position detection unit,
wherein said movement unit includes a pair of movement members on one of which said plural engagement recesses are formed and which are moved in a facing relation to each other, and a driving mechanism for driving said movement members, said position detection unit detecting the amount of movement of one of the movement members, and
wherein further plural engagement bosses are provided on another lateral side of the recording and/or reproducing unit, said movement unit having plural linear grooves formed in one of the pair of movement members and the main body portion of the apparatus and plural inclined grooves formed in the other of the pair of movement members and the main body portion of the apparatus, said further plural engagement bosses engaging with the linear grooves and said inclined grooves, each of said movement members being moved by said driving mechanism for moving said recording and/or reproducing unit.

7 more elements

A disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus comprising:

a housing section for housing a plurality of discs, said housing section having a plurality of trays each for setting a disc thereon, said trays being movable between a pull-out position outside of the housing section and a housed position within the housing section;
a recording and/or reproducing unit for recording and/or reproducing the disc, said recording and/or reproducing unit having plural engagement bosses on at least two lateral sides thereof, said engagement bosses being substantially flush with one another;
a movement mechanism for moving the recording and/or reproducing unit relative to said housing section, said movement mechanism having at least two movement members, one of said two movement members having plural engagement recesses in association with said plurality of trays housed in said housing section, said engagement recesses being selectively engaged with the engagement bosses for positioning the recording and/or reproducing unit relative to a sole tray housed in said housing section;
a pull-out unit for pulling out one of the trays housed in said housing section from the housing section towards the recording and/or reproducing unit;
and
a lift mechanism for moving said recording and/or reproducing unit between a lowered position in which the recording and/or reproducing unit is disposed when one of the trays housed in said housing section is pulled from the housing section to the pull-out position by said pull-out unit and an uplifted position for recording and/or reproducing the disc on said tray,
wherein said movement mechanism includes a position detection unit and wherein the movement mechanism moves the recording and/or reproducing unit relative to the housing section based on a detection result from the position detection unit,
wherein said movement mechanism includes a driving mechanism for moving said movement members in a facing relation to each other for moving said recording and/or reproducing unit relative to the housing section and wherein said position detection mechanism detects the amount of movement of one of said movement members, and
wherein further plural engagement bosses on another lateral side of the recording and/or are prove reproducing unit, said movement unit having plural linear grooves formed in one of the pair of movement members and the body portion of the apparatus and plural inclined grooves formed in the other of the pair of movement members and the main body portion of the apparatus, said further plural engagement bosses engaging with the linear grooves and said inclined grooves, each of said movement members being moved by said driving mechanism for moving said recording and/or reproducing unit.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Description22,215 words

Summary1,860 words

#1. Field of the Invention

#This invention relates to a disc recording/reproducing apparatus having the function of a disc exchanging function. More particularly, it relates to a disc recording/reproducing apparatus in which one of plural trays in a container, holding a disc, is pulled out and held even after movement to a recording/reproducing unit, with the holding of the disc being released after the tray is restored from the recording/reproducing unit.

#2. Description of the Related Art

Brief description of the drawings29 figures

#FIG. 1 is an outward perspective view showing a tray housing unit adapted for constituting a disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus according to the present invention.

#FIG. 2 is an overall perspective view showing a disc tray used in the disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus according to the present invention, looking from the front side.

#FIG. 3 is an overall perspective view looking from the reverse side of the disc tray.

Detailed description19,457 words

#Referring to the drawings, preferred embodiments of a car-laden disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus according to the present invention will be explained in detail.

#The disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus according to the present invention includes a tray housing unit housing a plurality of disc trays each adapted for setting an optical disc thereon. This tray housing unit is detachably mounted on a disc reproducing device and is dismounted from the disc reproducing device to pull out the disc tray to exchange an optical disc set on each disc tray.

#The tray housing unit is loaded at a pre-set loading position in the disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus in order to pull out the disc tray housed therein and in order to load the optical disc set n the disc tray on the reproducing unit to reproduce the optical disc.

Disc recording/reproducing apparatus and disc container casing used therein

Life of this patent

Disc recording/reproducing apparatus and disc container casing used therein

Life of this patent

Life of this patent

Abstract

Drawings

Drawings

Claims16

Description22,215 words

Drawings

Classification2 codes

Life of this patent

Description22,215 words