Pioneer Electronic Corporation

Atsushi Kurosawa

Kiyohito Kajihara

Kiyoshi Morikawa

Sei Onishi

Tomomichi Kimura

Kaoru Takemasa

Fumiya Yamada

Osamu Kitazawa

Toshiyuki Kimoto

Masanori Sugihara

Akihiko Okamoto

Akira Shimizu

Kazuo Kobayashi

Tatsuya Yanagisawa

Toshirou Yamashita

Nobuo Nohtomi

Kouji Shimoda

Nobutaka Sawada

Toshiroh Yamashita

Tomomitsu Kouno

Akira Bessho

Haruo Kama

Hideki Okii

Kenji Okuda

Masami Fujimoto

Manabu Kiyota

A vibration damping support mechanism for a recored data reproducing apparatus is provided which allows the apparatus to be installed in either a horizontal or vertical position without shifting the tensioning direction of damper springs. Each pair of the damping springs is mounted between a main reproducing unit and an outer casing. The two damper springs are arranged to extend in the thicknesswise and depthwise directions of the main reproducing unit respectively or arranged tilting at a predetermined angle. In the horizontal position, external vibrations are absorbed by the elastic action of one of the two damper springs and thus prevented from propagating directly to the main reproducing unit. Similarly in the vertical position, such external vibrations are absorbed by the elastic action of the other damper spring and prevented from propagating directly to the same. In another construction, a damper spring is mounted between a side panel of the main reproducing unit and a projection of each spring loaded arm rotatably mounted to the outer casing. The spring loaded arm rotates 90 degrees when is actuated by a shift lever pressed with each shift pin of a vertical mounting bracket, thus resetting its damper spring for corresponding to the horizontal or vertical position of the main reproducing unit.

Vibration damping suspension mechanism for recorded data reproducing

A vibration damping support mechanism for a recored data reproducing apparatus is provided which allows the apparatus to be installed in either a horizontal or vertical position without shifting the tensioning direction of damper springs. Each pair of the damping springs is mounted between a main reproducing unit and an outer casing. The two damper springs are arranged to extend in the thicknesswise and depthwise directions of the main reproducing unit respectively or arranged tilting at a predetermined angle. In the horizontal position, external vibrations are absorbed by the elastic action of one of the two damper springs and thus prevented from propagating directly to the main reproducing unit. Similarly in the vertical position, such external vibrations are absorbed by the elastic action of the other damper spring and prevented from propagating directly to the same. In another construction, a damper spring is mounted between a side panel of the main reproducing unit and a projection of each spring loaded arm rotatably mounted to the outer casing. The spring loaded arm rotates 90 degrees when is actuated by a shift lever pressed with each shift pin of a vertical mounting bracket, thus resetting its damper spring for corresponding to the horizontal or vertical position of the main reproducing unit. In a further construction, a connecting rod arranged extending at one end outward from the outer casing is used to rotate the spring loaded arm through 90 degrees upon coming into direct contact with e.g. the floor of a vehicle.

A CD player has a magazine having a plurality of shelves each of which is provided for mounting an ordinary 12 cm CD. An adapter has a thickness so as to be mounted on the shelf of the magazine and has a U-shaped form having an arc corresponding to a circumference of a small CD. The adapter is so arranged that the center of the small CD attached to the adapter is deflected from the center of the ordinary CD to be mounted on the shelf when the adapter is mounted on the shelf of the magazine.

Adapter for a small CD

A tray loading device has a fixed gear, a first gear coaxial with the fixed gear, and a first arm integral with the first gear. A second gear is rotatably mounted on the first arm and engaged with the fixed gear so as to revolve around the fixed gear. A third gear is rotatably mounted on the first arm and engaged with the second gear. A second arm is secured to the third gear. The second arm has a tray guide provided at an end portion thereof so as to be engaged with one of trays in a magazine. The tray guide is moved along a guide as the first and second arms rotate so as to draw the tray from the magazine.

Tray loading device of a CD player

A CD player has a magazine containing a plurality of trays each of which mounts a CD, and a moving device for moving one of the CDs between the magazine and a playback position. The starting of the operation of the moving device for moving the CD from the playback position to the magazine is detected and a CD start signal is produced. When the CD does not arrive to the magazine after a predetermined time from the production of the CD start signal, the CD is returned to the the playback position and moved from the playback position to the magazine again.

System for recovering a CD in a CD player having a magazine containing a

A disk playback device includes a magazine for several disks and trays for supporting the disks, a magazine housing for the magazine, a disk playback section for playing back data recorded on a disk and a tray transport section for transporting a tray, supporting a selected disk, between the magazine and the playback section. In one embodiment, the playback device includes a disk guide for securely placing a played back disk onto its associated tray. In another embodiment, the playback device includes a disk guide for guiding disks of various diameters. In another embodiment, the playback device includes an optical detecting element for detecting whether a tray contains a disk. In another embodiment, the playback device includes a switch for detecting whether a magazine has been inserted and locked in the magazine housing. In another embodiment, the playback device includes a guide mechanism for securely guiding a disk clamper to a selected disk for playback.

Disk playback device

A CD player has a magazine containing a plurality of trays each of which mounts the CD, a magazine holder for holding the magazine, and a frame for vertically movably supporting the magazine holder. A pair of opposed stopper plates are provided on the frame adjacent an outlet of the tray provided on the magazine. Opposed ends of the stopper plates form a gap there-between having a width through which only one tray is passed.

Stopper for trays in a magazine of a CD player

A cassette insertion device comprising a holder for receiving a tape cassette, the holder having an upper inner surface with a first projection thereon for contacting an upper surface of the tape cassette and a lower inner surface having a second projection adapted to engage a pawl of the tape cassette to unlock a slider of the tape cassette, the first and second projections being laterally separated by a distance greater than or equal to the length of a lower projection formed on a lower surface of the tape cassette.

Tape cassette housing improved insertion guides

A CD player has a magazine containing a plurality of trays each of which mounts a CD, and a magazine holder. The magazine holder has an inlet for inserting the magazine. An upper and a lower edges of the inlet has an upwardly inclined guide portion and a downwardly inclined guide portion, respectively.

Magazine holder in a CD player

A CD player has a magazine containing a plurality of trays each of which is provided for mounting a CD, and a moving device for moving one of the CDs between the magazine and a playback position. Switches are provided for producing CD position signals each of which represents a CD position on a path of the moving tray, and a photosensor is provided for detecting the CD passing the CD position informed by said CD position signal. A display indicates whether the CD exists on the tray.

System for detecting a CD on a tray in a compact disk player having a

A threading device for a tape recorder installed in vehicle includes a pair of slide blocks which are provided with guide rollers for drawing a tape from a tape cassette and winding the tape on a cylinder head. One of the slide blocks is abutted against a guide groove, and a tension arm is abutted against the other slide block to thereby prevent the rattling of the slide blocks due to vibration produced during operation of the vehicle.

Threading device for tape recorder including a tension arm abutted

A disk reproduction apparatus of the type capable of being displaced from a horizontal attitude to a vertical attitude or vice versa includes an outer casing; a support frame disposed inside the outer casing in a floating manner and loaded with a magazine in which a compact disk is mounted; a vibration proof mechanism disposed between the corresponding side surfaces of the outer casing and the support frame; and a pickup device disposed above the compact disk, and being movable and adapted to read the information recorded on the compact disk. The vibration proof mechanism includes a support, such as a rotating plate, pivotally secured to the side surface of the outer casing, and a spring having one end engaged with the pivotal rotating plate and the other end secured to the side surface, opposing to the side surface of the outer casing, of the support frame. Several vibration proof mechanisms may be disposed on both side surfaces of the outer casing and the support frame. The operation of the pickup device is controlled by a servo-controlled mechanism so as to be movable in a radial direction of the compact disk.

Disk reproduction apparatus capable of being disposed in different

Compensating arrangements compensate for variations in load which a disk magazine places on a drive motor. In a first arrangement, a cam slot of a predetermined spiral configuration receives driving force from a drive motor and translates the same to: an end-range force from an initial portion of the cam slot which causes the selected tray to rotate at a first speed; an intermediate-range force from a middle portion which causes the selected tray to rotate at a second speed which is higher than the first speed; and, an end-range force from a final portion which causes the selected tray portion to rotate at a third speed which is lower than the second speed. In a second arrangement wherein a level of the disk magazine placeable in either a horizontal or vertical posture is adjusted with respect to the inlet of an information reproducing section, where there is an adjustment of a level position of the disk magazine in a same direction as gravitational force, a spring force from the spring attached at an oblique angle between the disk magazine and a frame portion of the disk player, offsets a portion of the load imposed on the drive motor by gravitational force on the disk magazine; and, when in an opposite horizontal or vertical posture, a spring force from the spring adds to a load imposed on the drive motor.

Multi-disk disk player having minimally-sized magazine drive motor

A tape cassette push-out device for a tape recorder includes a push-out mechanism for pushing the rear face of a tape cassette (A) thereby moving the cassette to a cassette insertion opening (2) of the recorder. Before the push-out mechanism is operated, a cassette box (7) for holding the cassette is first moved from a tape driving position to a position adjacent to the backside of the cassette insertion opening. After operation of the push-out mechanism, the mechanism is retractable away from the cassette.

Tape cassette push-out device for tape recorder

A front loading disk player comprising a housing provided with a slot into which a disk to be played is inserted, a playback unit installed in said housing and a disk carrier mechanism for carrying said disk to a playback position. The disk carrier mechanism includes a disk loader. The playback unit comprises a carriage for supporting an optical pickup, a driving mechanism for driving the carriage, a turntable and a support member for supporting the carriage, the driving mechanism and the turntable. The support member is secured to the housing through a vibration-damping mechanism. A locking unit is provided for locking the support member to the housing when the disk is not played.

Growing community of inventors

Saitama, Japan

Atsushi Kurosawa