Pioneer Electronic Corporation

Toshiyuki Kimoto

Atsushi Kurosawa

Sei Onishi

Kiyohito Kajihara

Masanori Sugihara

Tomomitsu Kouno

Akihiko Okamoto

Kouji Shimoda

A disk playback device includes a magazine for several disks and trays for supporting the disks, a magazine housing for the magazine, a disk playback section for playing back data recorded on a disk and a tray transport section for transporting a tray, supporting a selected disk, between the magazine and the playback section. In one embodiment, the playback device includes a disk guide for securely placing a played back disk onto its associated tray. In another embodiment, the playback device includes a disk guide for guiding disks of various diameters. In another embodiment, the playback device includes an optical detecting element for detecting whether a tray contains a disk. In another embodiment, the playback device includes a switch for detecting whether a magazine has been inserted and locked in the magazine housing. In another embodiment, the playback device includes a guide mechanism for securely guiding a disk clamper to a selected disk for playback.

Disk playback device

A disk reproduction apparatus of the type capable of being displaced from a horizontal attitude to a vertical attitude or vice versa includes an outer casing; a support frame disposed inside the outer casing in a floating manner and loaded with a magazine in which a compact disk is mounted; a vibration proof mechanism disposed between the corresponding side surfaces of the outer casing and the support frame; and a pickup device disposed above the compact disk, and being movable and adapted to read the information recorded on the compact disk. The vibration proof mechanism includes a support, such as a rotating plate, pivotally secured to the side surface of the outer casing, and a spring having one end engaged with the pivotal rotating plate and the other end secured to the side surface, opposing to the side surface of the outer casing, of the support frame. Several vibration proof mechanisms may be disposed on both side surfaces of the outer casing and the support frame. The operation of the pickup device is controlled by a servo-controlled mechanism so as to be movable in a radial direction of the compact disk.

Disk reproduction apparatus capable of being disposed in different

Compensating arrangements compensate for variations in load which a disk magazine places on a drive motor. In a first arrangement, a cam slot of a predetermined spiral configuration receives driving force from a drive motor and translates the same to: an end-range force from an initial portion of the cam slot which causes the selected tray to rotate at a first speed; an intermediate-range force from a middle portion which causes the selected tray to rotate at a second speed which is higher than the first speed; and, an end-range force from a final portion which causes the selected tray portion to rotate at a third speed which is lower than the second speed. In a second arrangement wherein a level of the disk magazine placeable in either a horizontal or vertical posture is adjusted with respect to the inlet of an information reproducing section, where there is an adjustment of a level position of the disk magazine in a same direction as gravitational force, a spring force from the spring attached at an oblique angle between the disk magazine and a frame portion of the disk player, offsets a portion of the load imposed on the drive motor by gravitational force on the disk magazine; and, when in an opposite horizontal or vertical posture, a spring force from the spring adds to a load imposed on the drive motor.

Multi-disk disk player having minimally-sized magazine drive motor

An automatic disc player including a housing having an elongated slot through which a disc is to be inserted, playback means accommodated within the housing and including a turntable to carry a disc during playback operation, disc carrier means to convey the disc toward a predetermined position with respect to the turntable after the disc is inserted through the slot in the housing, and disc clamp means to move the disc correctly to the predetermined position after the disc is conveyed toward the predetermined position by the disc carrier means, wherein the disc clamp means comprises a support member movable between a release position remoter from the turntable and a disc clamp position closer to the turntable, and a disc clamping member which is rotatably supported on the support member through an elliptical opening formed in the support member and which is cooperative with the turntable for having a disc clamped between the turntable and the disc clamping member when the support member is in the disc clamp position with respect to the turntable, the disc clamping member being formed with a circumferential groove through which the support member engages the disc clamp member along its rim portion defining the elliptical opening therein, the outside diameter of the disc clamping member being smaller than the diameter of the major axis and larger than the diameter of the minor axis of the elliptical opening.

Growing community of inventors

Kawagoe, Japan

Toshiyuki Kimoto