Alps Electric Co., Ltd.

Takashi Nakashima

Hideo Kikuchi

Toshihiro Sakurai

Hitoshi Ikeda

Kenji Abe

There is provided a disk device capable of shortening a replacing time for a disk. The disk device comprises one insertion/ejection slot; transferring means for transferring the inserted disk; and a driving unit which can be ascended or descended in a direction (z), each of a first driving position and a second driving position is set at different positions in the direction (z); the transferring means has a distributing plate for selectively changing over an orientation of the inserted disk toward either the first driving position or the second driving position; each of the first driving position and the second driving position is arranged on an advancing path for the disk transferred of which orientation is changed over by the distributing plate, one disk left in the disk device of the disks transferred by the transferring means to either the first driving position or the second driving position is loaded in the driving unit ascended or descended and moved in correspondence with the position of the disk and then the disk is driven.

Disk device having disk transferring mechanism capable of shortening disk replacement time

There is provided a disk device wherein an insertion/ejection slot for a disk, and two upper and lower disk D transferring paths connected to the insertion/ejection slot are provided; between the upper transferring path and the lower transferring path, a transferring roller for transferring the disk is disposed; an upper roller portion and a lower roller portion of the transferring roller are disposed so as to face the upper and lower transferring paths, respectively; in the upper roller portion and the lower roller portion, there are provided pressing members, having pressing surfaces to be arranged so as to oppose to each other; and the disk is caught between the pressing surface and the upper roller portion, or between the pressing surface and the lower roller portion to rotate the transferring roller thereby transferring the disk.

Disk device having disk transferring mechanism capable of being made thin

When a second disc is inserted, recording and/or reproducing operation of information on or from a first disc is stopped, and a moving member is moved in the X -direction. This movement allows a clamp chassis to be moved upward and unclamped, and the second disc is carried into a disc apparatus by a transfer roller and is supported by disc guides. Then, the first and the second discs are supported by the disc guides and are moved upward and then, the first disc is carried out of an insertion opening by the transfer roller. In the course of the movement of the drive chassis to the upper position, the second disc is placed on a turntable, and is chucked and clamped by a clamper. Therefore, it is possible to exchange the second disc with the first disc only by inserting the second disc.

Disk apparatus

Conventional disc units each involve the problem that a new disc must be inserted into the disc unit after a disc already present in the disc unit is ejected and that therefore it takes time for disc replacement. In the disc unit of the present invention, to solve the above-mentioned problem, a new second disc which has been inserted into the disc unit through an insertion opening is carried from an insertion area to a disc driving section by a conveying means. On the other hand, a first disc already present in the disc unit prior to insertion of the second disc is ejected from an ejection area to the exterior of the disc unit by both first and second ejection members. The time required for disc replacement can be shortened by performing the disc inserting operation by the conveying means and the disc ejecting operation by the first and second ejection members both in a simultaneous manner.

Growing community of inventors

Miyagi-ken, Japan

Takashi Nakashima