Disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus having disc exchange function

Abstract

A disc recording/reproducing apparatus for selectively taking out a disc housed within a housing unit for recording or reproducing information signals on or from the disc is disclosed. The apparatus includes a housing unit for housing a plurality of sub-trays each configured for setting a disc on it in a direction normal to the disc surface direction so that the discs lie parallel to one another, a disc recording/reproducing unit provided within a main member of the apparatus, a main tray for holding a selected sub-tray and for being horizontally shifted between a first position of being protruded from the main member of the apparatus and a second position within the main member of the apparatus, transfer mechanism for selectively taking one of the sub-trays out of the housing unit and/or housing the sub-tray thus taken out in the housing unit, lift mechanism for shifting the transfer mechanism and the main tray shifted to the second position between the disc recording/reproducing unit and the housing unit, detection mechanism for detecting the position of the lift means and control mechanism for controlling the lift means based on an output signal of the detection means. The apparatus also includes disc presence/absence detection mechanism for detecting whether or not there is a disc on the sub-tray pulled out by the transfer means from the housing unit. The control means controls the operation of the lift means based on an output of the disc presence/absence detection means.