US 6,650,603 B2 · Disc player and method of controlling the same

Abstract

A disc player includes a disc holding/separating mechanism which holds the plurality of discs concentrically and which separates the selected disc from the remaining discs; a turntable; a pickup; a playback base which supports the turntable and which moves toward and away from the disc holding/separating mechanism; a clamper which secures the selected disc to the turntable; a damper arm which supports the clamper and which moves toward and away from the disc holding/separating mechanism; a translating mechanism which supports the playback base and the clamper arm and which moves toward and away from the disc holding/separating mechanism; and a control mechanism which controls motions of the playback base, the clamper arm and the translating mechanism in such a way that, when the selected disc is put on the turntable by the disc holding/separating mechanism, the turntable is placed at a first position, which is located on a central axis of the plurality of discs held by the disc holding/separating mechanism, and when the pickup reads out data from the selected disc, the turntable is placed at a second position, which is located at a predetermined distance from the first position.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A disc player which is capable of containing a plurality of discs and playing back a disc selected from said plurality of discs, comprising:

a disc holding/separating mechanism which holds said plurality of discs concentrically and which separates said selected disc from the remaining discs;
a turntable;
a pickup which reads out data recorded on said selected disc which is placed on said turntable;
a playback base which supports said turntable and which moves toward and away from said disc holding/separating mechanism;
a clamper which secures said selected disc to said turntable;
a clamper arm which supports said clamper and which moves toward and away from said disc holding/separating mechanism;
a translating mechanism which supports said playback base and said damper arm and which moves toward and away from said disc holding/separating mechanism;
and
a control mechanism which controls motions of said playback base, said damper arm and said translating mechanism in such a way that, when said selected disc is put on said turntable by said disc holding/separating mechanism, said turntable is placed at a first position, which is located on a central axis of said plurality of discs held by said disc holding/separating mechanism, and when said pickup reads out data from said selected disc, said turntable is placed at a second position, which is located at a predetermined distance from said first position.

6 more elements

A method of controlling a disc player comprising the steps of:

separating a disc selected from a plurality of discs which are concentrically held by a disc holding/separating mechanism;
moving a playback base for supporting a turntable toward said disc holding/separating mechanism to place said turntable at a second position, which is located at a predetermined distance from a central axis of said plurality of discs held by said disc holding/separating mechanism;
moving a translating mechanism toward said disc holding/separating mechanism to place said turntable at a first position, which is located on said central axis of said plurality of discs held by said disc holding/separating mechanism, said translating mechanism supporting said playback base and a clamper arm together with a clamper;
putting said selected disc on said turntable;
moving said damper arm toward said disc holding/separating mechanism;
securing said selected disc to said turntable by said clamper;
moving said translating mechanism away from said disc holding/separating mechanism to move said turntable from said first position to said second position;
and
playing back said selected disc at said second position.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Disc player and method of controlling the same

Life of this patent

Disc player and method of controlling the same

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims10