Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Takanori Hayashi

Kenji Urushihara

Isamu Nakade

Masakazu Kashikawa

Shoji Asakawa

Herein disclosed is an optical disc driving apparatusfor driving an optical disc while reading out information contained in the optical disc, the optical disc having an outer peripheral surface, comprising: a housingformed with an loading slot having the optical disc passed therethrough; first detecting meansfor performing a detection of the outer peripheral surface of the optical disc to be moved into the housingand second detecting meansfor performing a detection of the outer peripheral surface of the optical disc to be moved into the housingafter the detection of the outer peripheral surface of the optical disc is performed by the first detecting meansand judging meansfor judging whether one optical disc or partially overlapped optical discs are passed through the loading slotof the housingbased on results detected by the first and second detecting meansand

Optical disk driving apparatus capable of detecting overlapped disc insertion

Herein disclosed is a disc drive apparatus for driving an optical disc having a central portion formed with a central hole, comprising: a frame member, a disc retaining member rotatably supported by the frame member, a cam member supported by the disc retaining member and rockable with respect to the disc retaining member, a plurality of disc holding members each supported by the disc retaining member and operatively coupled with the cam member, each of the disc holding members being movable with respect to the disc retaining member to assume two different operation positions including a disc holding position in which each of the disc holding members is held in contact with the central portion of the optical disc, and a disc releasing position in which each of the disc holding members is held out of contact with the central portion of the optical disc, and a resilient member intervening between the disc retaining member and each of the disc holding members to have each of the disc holding members resiliently urged to assume the disc holding position.

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Kanagawa, Japan

Takanori Hayashi