Disc centering mechanism in disc playback and/or recording apparatus

A disc playback and/or recording apparatus comprising:

• disc centering means for centering a disc pulled into said apparatus, said disc centering means including:
• first and second centering members capable of moving in mirror image synchronism with each other so as to move in opposite directions which are perpendicular to a pull-in direction of a disc and parallel with a recording surface of the disc;
• a first front centering shaft and a first rear centering shaft supported on said first centering member;
• a second front centering shaft and a second rear centering shaft supported on said second centering member;
• a driving mechanism for centering the disc by causing an outer periphery of the disc to non-pinchingly contact said first front and rear and second front and rear centering shafts;
• a pull-in roller rotating in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions for driving the disc in the pull-in direction and a direction opposite of the pull-in direction when a rotating surface of said pull-in roller contacts the recording surface of the disc so as to pull the disc into said apparatus and eject the disc from said apparatus, respectively, said pull-in roller being located so that both a length and a central longitudinal axis thereof are perpendicular to both the pull-in direction of the disc and to said central longitudinal axes of said first and second centering members;
• and
• a control mechanism for driving said driving mechanism so that said first front and rear and second front and rear centering shafts move to contact and to release contact with the disc, wherein said control mechanism has a motor for driving said driving mechanism.

A disc playback and/or recording apparatus comprising:

• disc centerer configured to center a disc pulled into said apparatus, said disc centerer including:
• first and second centering members movable in mirror image synchronism with each other so as to move in opposite directions which are perpendicular to a pull-in direction of a disc and which are parallel with a recording surface of the disc;
• a first front centering shaft and a first rear centering shaft supported on and attached to said first centering member so that said first rear centering shaft is located directly behind said first front centering shaft in a straight line along a central longitudinal axis of said first centering member, said first front and rear centering shafts both being uniform diameter cylinders which act only to contact an outer periphery of the disc to guide and center the disc;
• a second front centering shaft and a second rear centering shaft supported on and attached to said second centering member so that said second rear centering shaft is located directly behind said second front centering shaft in a straight line along a central longitudinal axis of said second centering member, said second front and rear centering shafts both being uniform diameter cylinders which act only to contact an outer periphery of the disc to guide and center the disc, but do not pinch or grab the disc;
• a drive configured to drive the disc to center the disc by causing the outer periphery of the disc to non-pinchingly contact said first front and rear and second front and rear centering shafts;
• a pull-in roller for pulling the disc inside of the apparatus in the pull-in direction;
• and
• a first controller both configured to control said pull-in roller to move the disc in the pull-in direction and to control said first and second centering shafts to release said first front and rear and second front and rear centering shafts from contact with the outer periphery of the disc that is centered, wherein said first controller has a motor configured to drive said pull-in roller and said first front and rear and second front and rear centering shafts.

A disc playback and/or recording apparatus comprising:

• disc centerer configures to center a disc pulled into said apparatus, said disc centerer including:
• first and second centering members configured to move in mirror image synchronism with each other so as to move in opposite directions which are perpendicular to a pull-in direction of a disc and which are parallel with a recording surface of the disc;
• a first front centering shaft and a first rear centering shaft supported on said first centering member;
• a second front centering shaft and a second rear centering shaft supported on said second centering member;
• a driver configured to center the disc by causing an outer periphery of the disc to non-pinchingly contact said first front and rear and second front and rear centering shafts;
• a pull-in roller configured to rotate in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions to drive the disc in the pull-in direction and a direction opposite of the pull-in direction when a rotating surface of said pull-in roller contacts the recording surface of the disc so as to pull the disc into said apparatus and eject the disc from said apparatus, respectively, said pull-in roller being located so that both a length and a central longitudinal axis thereof are perpendicular to both the pull-in direction of the disc and to said central longitudinal axes of said first and second centering members;
• and
• a first controller configured to drive said driver so that said first front and rear and second front and rear centering shafts move to contact and to release contact with the disc, wherein said first controller has a motor for driving said driver.