Cleaning disc for compact disc player

In combination, a loading mechanism of a CD player and a cleaning disc for cleaning interior surfaces of the CD player, said combination comprising:

• a loading mechanism comprising a front display having a CD opening for receiving a CD, a load roller mounted in said CD player extending substantially parallel to a CD inserted in said opening, said load roller having a non-uniform diameter, and means for driving said load roller mounted adjacent said load roller;
• a cleaning disc comprising a substantially planar member having proximal and distal ends, an upper surface and a lower surface substantially parallel to said upper surface, wherein said planar member has a cross-section of a substantially uniform height, said distal end having a progressively narrowing contour sized to clean contact surfaces within the CD player when inserted into the CD opening of the CD player, the planar member being compressible in response to contact with the contact surfaces, and the planar member maintaining the parallel upper and lower surfaces prior to and after insertion in the CD player;
• and
• said loading mechanism further includes an upper skid plate and a lower skid plate spaced from the upper skid plate, said skid plates being positioned in communication with said CD opening.

In combination, a loading mechanism of a CD player and a substrate for cleaning interior surfaces of the CD player, the combination comprising:

• a loading mechanism comprising a front display having a CD opening for receiving a CD, a load roller mounted in said CD player extending substantially parallel to a CD inserted in said opening, said load roller having a non-uniform diameter, and means for driving said load roller mounted adjacent said load roller;
• a substantially planar substrate having a circular shape, a geometric center, a central opening formed in said substrate and centered on said geometric center, and said planar substrate having an upper surface and a lower surface substantially parallel to said upper surface, wherein said planar substrate has a cross-section of a substantially uniform height;
• a cleaning layer bonded to said substrate, and wherein the planar substrate maintains the parallel upper and lower surfaces and uniform height cross-section before and after insertion in the CD player;
• and
• said loading mechanism further includes an upper skid plate and a lower skid plate spaced from the upper skid plate, said skid plates being positioned in communication with said CD opening.

A method of cleaning a load roller of a CD player comprising the steps of:

• aligning a planar cleaning disc with a CD opening of a CD player, said cleaning disc having substantially parallel upper and lower surfaces that provide the cleaning disc with a cross-section of a substantially uniform height;
• inserting the cleaning disc in the CD opening;
• engaging the cleaning disc with a rotating load roller of the CD player, the load roller having a non-uniform diameter;
• moving the cleaning disc partially into the CD player by the rotation of the load roller in engagement with the cleaning disc;
• compressing the cleaning disc in response to contact with the load rollers;
• preventing further insertion of the cleaning disc into the CD opening;
• continuing to rotate the load roller while in engagement with the cleaning disc to clean the load roller;
• ejecting the cleaning disc by the load roller which reverses its direction of rotation;
• maintaining the planar cleaning disc in a planar shape including the substantially parallel upper and lower surfaces prior to and after engagement with the CD player;
• wherein
• said CD player further includes an upper skid plate and a lower skid plate spaced from the upper skid plate, said upper and lower skid plates being placed in communication with the opening of the CD player.