Panasonic Corporation

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

Osamu Ataguchi

Yukio Morioka

Yuji Ariyoshi

Takuto Yamazaki

Yosuke Noda

A disc device includes a first traverse chassis holding a first optical pickup unit which performs recording/reproduction of information on a first surface of a disc, a second traverse chassis holding a second optical pickup unit which performs recording/reproduction of information on a second surface of the disc, and first and second biasing members which bias the first and second traverse chassis, respectively, in directions of coming closer to each other. The first and second traverse chassis are coupled to each other so as to turn around a turning axis at a rear side of a housing and extending in a width direction of the housing. At least one of the first and the second biasing members is attached while being inclined with respect to each of a conveying direction of the disc, and a thickness and the width directions of the housing.

Disc device

A disc changer device, that houses discs, and transports a selected disc to carry out a recording/reproducing operation on the disc, includes a plurality of trays, a first tray driving unit for moving the tray in a reciprocating manner between a stand-by position and a recording/reproducing position, a traverse unit having an optical pickup and a turn table, a clamp unit for moving the traverse unit to a clamp position as well as to a retreat position, a pickup moving unit for moving the optical pickup, a first motor for driving the first tray driving unit, the pickup moving unit and the clamp unit, an elevation unit that raises and lowers the traverse unit, a second tray driving unit for moving the tray in a reciprocating manner between the stand-by position and an exchange position, and a second motor for driving the elevation unit and the second tray driving unit.

Disc changer device

The tray carry-out method for a disc changer device, comprising, while transporting the tray from a recording/reproducing position to a stand-by position by driving the first motor, starting to drive the second motor for bringing a tray driving gear unit into a tray simultaneously transportable state, and upon completion of the transport of the tray to the stand-by position, with the tray driving gear unit being set to the tray simultaneously transportable state, starting to drive the second motor to carry out the tray from the stand-by position to an exchange position.

Tray carry-out method for disc changer device

The disc changer device, for transporting a tray to a stand-by position where trays are housed in a stacked state, to a disc exchange position where a disc on the tray is exchanged, as well as to a disc recording/reproducing position where a recording/reproducing operation is carried out on the disc on the selected tray, is provided with a plurality of tray locking units that are prepared in association with the respective trays, and engaged with a corresponding trays so that each of the corresponding trays is prevented from being transported from the stand-by position to the disc exchange position, and an engagement releasing unit for releasing engagement between the selected tray and the tray locking unit related to the selected tray as well as engagement between a tray adjacent to the selected tray on a lower side thereof and the tray locking unit related to the adjacent tray.

The disk transfer device according to the present invention includes a disk tray for holding the disk during the disk transfer action and a tray driving mechanism for driving the tray forward and backward between a first position which is the retracted location of the tray corresponding to a turn table in a disk drive and a second position which is the loading and unloading location of the disk outwardly of the disk drive, wherein the disk tray comprises a main tray for supporting one side of the disk and a sub tray provided separately of the main tray for holding the other side of the disk, the main tray and the sub tray are joined to each other to have a pocket for accommodating partially the disk.

Disk transfer device

A disk transfer device including a disk tray for holding a disk during the disk transfer action and a tray driving mechanism for driving the tray forward and backward between a first position which is the retracted location of the tray corresponding to a turntable in a disk drive and a second position which is the loading and unloading location of the disk outwardly of the disk drive. The disk tray is provided with a large diameter support region and a small diameter support region which is stepped down by a predetermined distance from the large diameter support region. A plurality of claws capable of engaging with the peripheral edge of the lower side of a small size disk are provided on the outer periphery of the small diameter support region. When the small size disk held and pinched between the clamper and the turntable is unloaded from the turntable, the peripheral edge climb over the claws, thereby, the disk is moved toward the turntable and released from its held state between the clamper and the turntable.

Growing community of inventors

Osaka, Japan

Osamu Ataguchi