Nakamichi Corporation

Other

Mechanical Research Corporation

Kabushiki Kaisha Sankyo Seiki Seisakusho

Niro Nakamichi

Hideo Kawachi

Yasuhiro Noguchi

Kozo Kobayashi

Mutsumi Aruga

Kazuhiro Musashi

Makoto Hara

Tadao Yamanouchi

A connecting member connects a pair of holder plates toward the end of the holder plates at the recessed end in the direction in which the disk is inserted. By forming the holding member holding disks using three pieces, there is less deformation causes by high temperatures compared to integrally formed units. Also, since this connecting member only serves to connect the pair of holder plates, a thin rod-shaped connecting bar can be used. This allows the clearance between the disks held toward the back of the device and the rear panel to be minimized, thus contributing to a reduced depth dimension for the device.

Display playback device

Disk conveying mechanism

Disk conveyance mechanism

A compact disk player/changer for compact disks fits within the standard half-height disk drive form factor for computer peripherals. A disk, either 5 &frac14;-inch or 3 &frac12; inch in size, is inserted through an aperture and supported, at opposite contact points on its edge, between laterally movable left and right-side disk guides. The disk's left side contacts a belt revolved on the left-side disk guide. The disk's right side contacts a fixed wall on the right-side disk guide. The belt slides along a rigid wall that prevents bowing from pressure exerted by the disk's edge. Thus, the right-side disk guide presents a flat movable wall that rolls the disk into the disk player along the fixed wall. The left and right-side disk guides move laterally to accommodate the disk as it is inserted. The spacing between the disk guides, once the disk is fully supported between the disk guides, is detected by a controller to determine the size of the disk. The position of the disk at insertion is accurately registered by the closing of a flap at the entrance of the front aperture. The position of the belt is detected by a rotational encoder on a pulley that supports one end of the belt. The disk size and registration position are used with belt position information to position the disk accurately irrespective of the disk size.

Disk transporting device with disk transfer guides

Disk locking mechanism

The impact of disturbances on the amplifier parts for the L and R channels is reduced by attaching the cases for the L and R channels, spaced apart, to the case for the power supply. Only the relatively massive power supply is directly supported on a supporting surface. Independent support on the supporting surface of the signal processing parts of the L and R channel is omitted.

Signal processing for audio device

Resilient members absorb vibrations to limit transmission of vibrations from a chassis to a base of a disk record/playback device. A restricting device limits transverse movement of the base on the resilient members. The restricting device limits sloping of a disk mounted on the record/playback device, and thereby prevents interference of the mounted disk with other disks in a storage device. By minimizing the sloping of the disk, the minimum required clearance from the disk mounted on the turntable is reduced and the available vertical space for use in storing disks is maximized. A compact design is possible permitting conformity to constrained dimensions such as standard DIN dimensions in vehicles.

Disk playback device

Disk playback device with reduced depth dimension

A changer type compact disk reproduction device having a first disk transfer mechanism and a second disk transfer mechanism capable of transferring a disk inserted into the device between a reproduction position and a storage position. The first disk transfer mechanism include first and second disk guide sections that hold the outer peripheral faces of a disk inserted into the reproduction device and transfers the disk to a reproduction position. The second disk transfer mechanism include third and fourth disk guide sections that hold the outer peripheral faces of the disk and transfers the disk between a storage position and a position where the first disk transfer mechanism can hold the disk. Each transfer mechanism includes a timing belt that moves the disk along the transfer mechanism.

Changer type compact disk reproduction device

In a disk playback device, a driven disk guide and a fixed disk guide provide transverse movement for a disk. A pivoting arm with an engagement cavity, engages with an edge of an inserted disk and guides the disk during movement into the apparatus. A spring biases the pivoting arm toward a front of the device so that the pivoting arm is in a correct position when the disk is first inserted. As a disk is inserted into the device, the pivoting arm rotates away from a center of the disk. When the full diameter of the disk enters the apparatus, the pivoting arm rotates completely, moves into a slit disposed in the fixed disk guide, and is thereby recessed from the edge of the disk.

Disk transfer device with alignment mechanism

A disk player has a magazine for storing disks and a disk transport mechanism transporting a selected disk between a playback position outside the magazine and a store position located entirely within the magazine. The carriages are stacked upon each other and pivotally supported within the magazine. The carriages are extracted from the stack by lifting a front end of a carriage above a selected carriage. Subsequent to the lifting of the carriage, the selected carriage is withdrawn from the magazine to the playback position. When a selected carriage is moved to the playback position, the disks on carriages above and below the selected carriage are prevented from shifting with the removal of the selected carriage by coaxial opposing shafts which extend through spindle holes in the disks on the carriages above and below the selected disk. A closeable gap between the two shafts permits the selected disk to be shifted. The gap is closed, except when a carriage is being shifted into or out of the magazine, thereby preventing disks and their carriages from shifting due to vibration or tilting of the cabinet.

Disk player with a secure disk-securing mechanism

A disk playback device provides a space above and below a selected disk held in a disk holder. A turntable and optical pickup reside within the space. The turntable is moved inward in the space from a storage position to chuck, and withdraw, the selected disk from its disk holder to a playback position in which the axis of the turntable is within the outline of disks stored in disk holders. The storage position places the axis of the turntable outside the outline of disks stored in the disk holders. In a single play mode, a disk not stored in a disk holder is moved directly from outside the disk playback device to the playback position where it is chucked and played. On conclusion of single play, the disk is transported out of the disk playback device without being resident in a disk holder.

Changer-type disk playback device

A cam member, having a cam groove on its outer surface, is slidably mounted on a rotating shaft to allow for movement of disk holders between a playback position and a stored position. In one embodiment, the cam groove is continuous about the cam member, making two complete rotations around the cam member. When a first disk holder is at the playback position, the cam groove engages the second disk holder at the stored position. When the second disk holder is selected to be played, rotation of the cam member causes the first disk holder to move to a stored position on an opposite end of the cam member while the second disk holder is in the playback position. The overall height required for such a disk holding device is constant, providing for a multiple disk playback device with minimal height requirements.

Disk holding device

A disk transferring device has a driven disk guide and a fixed disk guide. The fixed disk guide includes a plurality of guide blocks, each having a guide groove. At least one of the guide blocks is a straightening arm that is rotateably mounted on the fixed disk guide through a first and second gear. A spring biases the second gear so that the straightening arm is biased toward a front of the device. As a disk is inserted, the guides move apart. When the guides are moved a predetermined distance, a stopper engages with the second gear and forces it to rotate against the biasing force of the spring. This causes the straightening arm to move into a recessed position away from the disk.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Niro Nakamichi