The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 23, 1999
Filed:
Sep. 12, 1995
Wataru Nonaka, Kanagawa, JP;
Masahiko Watanabe, Kanagawa, JP;
Takahisa Hakoishi, Kanagawa, JP;
Motofumi Itawaki, Kanagawa, JP;
Masaharu Suzuki, Kanagawa, JP;
Sony Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A disc changer is provided to support each of a plurality of bare discs for recording and/or regeneration on a separate disc rack board without requiring a cartridge. The disc rack boards are positioned so as to form a vertical stack. A carrier is provided which moves only in the vertical direction along the vertical stack of disc rack boards. Furthermore, a plurality of disc drives is provided in a vertical stack opposing the vertical stack of disc rack boards. A hand is provided which moves only in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the carrier moves, and operates to transfer one of the plurality of bare discs between one of the plurality of disc rack boards and the carrier and between one of the plurality of disc drives and the carrier. Thus, the number of discs which may be loaded is increased while the size of the disc changer is minimized.