Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Panasonic Corporation

Shingo Kage

Yasunari Toyama

Nobuyuki Miroku

Shinya Ogasawara

Yukihiro Araki

Makoto Kambayashi

Yoshikazu Yamano

Takehisa Takamiya

Yosikazu Yamano

Tetsuji Yoshii

Tetsuhiko Takeda

Shinya c/o Matsushita Electric Industrial Co Ltd Ogasawara

The present invention provides a disk apparatus reduced in size, thickness and weight, by reducing a space for carrying a disk and a space between the floating unit and the stationary frame for use in holding the floating unit in a floating state, as much as possible, with a simple structure. In the disk apparatus of the present invention, the floating unit held in a floating state in the stationary frame is so arranged that the roller arm can rotate itself, pressing a disk-shaped recording medium onto the disk guide provided on the stationary frame, to carry the disk-shaped recording medium to a desired position.

Disk apparatus

There is provided a disc device achieving a reduced thickness by reducing as much as possible the space required for sandwiching operation by a turn table and a clamper while assuring the space where an inserted disc is conveyed inside the device. The disc device includes: a clamper unit having a clamper for sandwiching a disc-shaped recording medium by a floating unit held via an elastic member to a fixed frame; and a disc recording/reproduction drive unit having a turn table. The disc device is configured so that when the disc-shaped recording medium is sandwiched, a part of the clamper and a part of the turn table are contained in each other.

The present invention provides a highly reliable disk apparatus which is reduced in size, thickness and weight, and which can surely prevent the double insertion of disk-shaped recording media with a simple structure to thereby prevent a contact between each of the disk-shaped recording media. In the disk apparatus of the present invention, a disk guide is rotatably held in the proximity of an opening for inserting and ejecting a disk-shaped recording medium, which is formed in the stationary frame fixed to the casing, and the disk guide leads the disk-shaped recording medium to the inserting and ejecting operations and also closes at least a part of the above opening.

The present invention provides a disk apparatus reduced in size and thickness, by reducing the size of a means which detects the insertion of a disk into the disk apparatus. In the disk apparatus of the present invention, an electric circuit board and disk insertion-detecting levers are provided on the floating unit, and the disk insertion-detecting levers are disposed in the proximity of the disk insertion/extraction port, and are pressed down and rotated by the outer edge of the inserted disk-shaped recording medium, to thereby directly drive a switch which outputs a disk detection signal to the electric circuit board.

Disk apparatus having disk insertion detecting levers disposed in plane of disk and rotatable in axial direction relative to disk

The disc player according to the present invention is provided with a disc selecting leverwhich is oscillatably journaled on both ends along the direction perpendicular to a disc transportation direction X. Furthermore, on both ends of the disc selecting leverare provided projecting portionsprojecting toward the disc side, respectively. When a large-diameter disc is transported, both of the projecting portionsabut on the disc to push down the disc, while on the other hand, when a small-diameter disc is transported, both or at least one of the projecting portionsdoes not abut on the disc. In addition, a large-diameter latch memberfor receiving and latching the large-diameter disc having reached a terminal end of transportation after being pushed down by the projecting portions, and a small-diameter latch memberfor receiving and latching the small-diameter disc having reached the terminal end of transportation are provided. In this way, decrease in whole thickness is achieved.

Disk player

A disc player including a drive switching mechanism having an oscillating member provided so as to be capable of oscillating about the same axial position as a transmission gear of the rotation driving source; a switching gear provided on the tip end side of the oscillating member, to be transmissibly connected with the transmission gear; oscillation preventing means for preventing the oscillating member from oscillating during operation of the disc transporting means or the pickup transporting means; an intermediating member for assisting oscillation of the oscillating member while being engaged with the switching gear during the period when the oscillating member lies in its oscillation tracks.

Disc player

A drive mechanism for moving a clamper arm into a standby position of the clamper is simplified and the possible occurrence of the vibration of the clamper in the standby state and the falling of the disc out of the tray in the transferring stage are prevented with a relatively simple construction. Provided is a disc clamping device having a turntable and a clamper which faces the turntable, operating to rotatively support a disc on the turntable with the disc pressed by the clamper, the device being provided with a clamper arm which rotatably supports the clamper and is able to pivot approximately in the direction of its axis of rotation, moving the clamper between a disc pressing position and a standby position, and a clamper arm moving means having a clamper urging plate which pivots the clamper arm as engaged with this and urges the clamper arm toward the turntable side at least in the disc pressing position, whereby the disc is urged against the turntable by the urging force of this clamper urging plate.

Disc clamping device

Provided is a disc changer capable of being made compact with a relatively simple construction and infallibly avoiding the interference of a disc transfer member with the other drive components within a limited space. The disc changer 1 is provided with a disc lodging magazine 50, a disc recording and reproducing unit 10 and a disc transfer unit 30 which transfers a disc 55 between the magazine and the recording and reproducing unit. The disc transfer unit is provided with a transfer member 31 which is engaged with a disc retaining tray 56, extends in a disc transfer direction and is elastically deformable in a direction perpendicular to the disc transfer direction, driving mechanism 34, 35 for driving the transfer member, and a guide section 37 which guides the slide operation of the transfer member. The transfer member is elastically deformed by a specified quantity at its middle portion in the above perpendicular direction so that its portion corresponding to the magazine is located outside the magazine.

Disc changer

A disc or tray is prevented from inadvertently springing out of a magazine when the magazine is mounted or an external force is exerted. Provided is a disc changer having a magazine mounting section, a recording and reproducing unit, a slider which selects a desired disc from a plurality of discs lodged in a magazine and a transfer arm which draws the selected disc out of the magazine and loads the disc on the recording and reproducing unit 10. The disc changer is provided with a lock member which prevents each disc from springing out of the magazine at least in a disc non-selective state in which the slider does not execute disc selection, and the mounting of the magazine in the magazine mounting section is executed when the slider 21 is in the disc non-selective state.

A disc player has a first lock unit and a second lock unit, which are driven by a reversible motor through the lock drive unit so as to lock a floating unit having a turntable in a transferring operation for the disc player and the disc. The first lock unit comprises a lock plate having lock pins, which engage with lock-pin receivers of the floating unit, and the second lock unit comprises a pair of locking members, which engage with a locking projection of the floating unit in the locking state.

Lock mechanism for a floating unit in a disc player

A tape recorder includes a cassette holder for holding therein a tape cassette which is inserted in a direction parallel to the direction of movement of a slide shutter of the tape cassette, an arm-like shutter opening member for opening the slide shutter of the tape cassette, a slide member movable between a first position in which the tape cassette is latched on the slide member, and a second position in which the tape cassette is fully received in the cassette holder, and a control plate, connected with the slide member and engageable with the shutter opening member, for controlling the operation of an actuating pin of the shutter opening member such that when the slide member is disposed in the first position, the actuating pin is held on the outside of the cassette holder, and when the slide plate moves from the first position toward the second position, the actuating pin is able to move into the cassette holder and then engage and open the slide shutter of the tape cassette as the tape cassette is advanced by the slide member.

Tape recorder having a cassette-shutter opening mechanism

An apparatus for identifying the type of each of first and second types of tape cassettes which are inserted into the same cassette holder of a tape recorder in a longitudinal direction and mounted at a predetermined position in the tape recorder, the first tape cassette being provided with at least one recess at its side surface perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and the second tape cassette being provided with a projection at a position of its side surface corresponding to the position of the recess of the first tape cassette. The apparatus comprises a rotatable lever arranged to be at a predetermined recessive position before mounting the first and second tape cassettes and rotatable toward the first and second tape cassette after mounting the first and second tape cassettes. The rotatable lever engages with the recess of the first tape cassette and the projection of the second tape cassette by the rotation so as to take first and second operating states in accordance with the recess and projection. The apparatus further comprises a switch responsive to the first and second operating states of the rotatable lever so as to identify the kinds of the tapes of the first and second mounted tape cassettes on the basis of the first and second operating states.

Apparatus for identifying a type of tape cassette inserted into a tape

A tape recorder operates with a Digital Method Compact Cassette (DCC) where the DCC has a hole in its upper surface. When the DCC is placed in the tape recorder, the DCC is moved parallel to the direction of insertion of the DCC and is then moved down. The tape recorder also includes a holder for holding the DCC, a first supporting member for supporting the holder, a projection disposed on the first supporting member, a transfer part for transferring the DCC in a direction parallel to the direction of insertion, a second supporting member rotatably mounted on the transfer part for supporting the lower surface of the DCC, and a spring for urging the second supporting member toward the lower surface of the DCC. The projection mates with the hole in the upper surface of the DCC. The second supporting member has an extending part and the first supporting member has a contact surface which makes contact with the extending part of the second supporting member when the parallel movement of the DCC is completed. Under operation, when the DCC moves in the parallel direction, the DCC is maintained between the first supporting member and the second supporting member. When the DCC then moves perpendicularly, the second supporting member does not obstruct the perpendicular movement of the DCC.

Tape recorder cassette loading mechanism in which a projection mates

A tape recorder apparatus is compatible with both analog and digital audio tape cassettes 1, 2, upper surfaces of the cassettes being formed with different engaging holes 1a, 2a, respectively. This tape recorder apparatus includes a holder 3 for selectively receiving either of these two different kinds of tape cassettes 1, 2; and a retainer member 4 which is swingably supported about a shaft 4d and disposed adjacent to but spaced from the holder 3. This retainer member 4 has a pair of engaging hooks 4a, 4c disposed along an insertion direction of the tape cassette 1 or 2. Each of these engaging hooks 4a, 4c exclusively engages with either of different engaging holes 1a, 2a formed on the two different kinds of tape cassettes 1, 2 when a respective tape cassette 1 or 2 is completely inserted in the holder 3. This retainer member 4 further includes a resilient portion 4b for flexibly causing a swing movement of the engaging hooks 4a, 4c in both directions for engaging and disengaging with the tape cassettes 1 or 2. Shift members 5, 6 and 7, are connected with the retainer member 4 directly or indirectly, for shifting the tape cassette 1 or 2 from a first position, where the tape cassette is completely held in the holder 3, to a second position where the tape cassette is set to execute its recording or reproducing operation.

Growing community of inventors

Kobe, Japan

Shingo Kage