Abstract: A disc player has a magazine for storing discs and a disc transport mechanism transporting a selected disc between a playback position outside the magazine and a store position located within the magazine. The carriages are stacked upon each other and pivotally supported within the magazine. The carriages are extracted from the stack by lifting a front end of a carriage above a selected carriage. Subsequent to the lifting of the carriage, the selected carriage is withdrawn from the magazine to the playback position. When a selected carriage is moved to the playback position, the discs on carriages above and below the selected carriage are prevented from shifting with the removal of the selected carriage by coaxial opposing shafts which extend through spindle holes in the discs on the carriages above and below the selected disc. A closeable gap between the two shafts permits the selected disc to be shifted.

Abstract: A disk transport mechanism for moving disks into a disk-player transports disks between an eject position and a playback or storage position inside the disk-player. The tray passes through an opening in the disk-player when it moves from the eject position to the playback or storage position. The disk transport mechanism carries the disk on a tray with a circular recess which locates the disk precisely in the tray. A disk improperly placed in the tray, so that it rests on a ridge around the circular recess, could cause damage when the tray passes through the opening. To prevent this, the transport mechanism abruptly accelerates the tray during movement into the disk-player by momentarily halting or reversing a drive motor of the disk transport mechanism. The acceleration of the tray causes any improperly mounted disk to fall into the circular recess before the disk can jam in the opening, thereby preventing injury to the disk or the disk-player.

Abstract: A disc player both translates and rotates a disc using a pair of parallel drive belts contacting opposed edges of a disc. Each drive belt spans a drive pulley and a passive driven pulley. The pulleys are supported on one of two sliding plates. The sliding plates are connected by a pair of pantograph-type rotatable mounting arms such that movement of one drive belt toward the disc forces the other drive belt to move an equal amount toward the disc. Each drive pulley is driven by a motor causing the drive belt to revolve. A spanning portion of each drive belt is urged against the edge of the disc, thereby establishing friction engagement between the belts and the disc such that the disc rotates when the belts rotate. A disc advance control system moves the disc linearly through an optical beam by differing the rotational frequency of one belt relative to the other. Disc advance may be accomplished with, or without, disc rotation.

Abstract: A magazine in a disk player stores disks therein. A transport mechanism transports a selected one of the disks between the magazine and a disk reader. The disk reader is positioned to read a selected disk while a center aperture of the selected disk overlaps disks remaining in the magazine. A first embodiment has three edge rollers which engage an edge of the selected disk to rotatably support the selected disk at the read position. One of the edge rollers which is external to the magazine is driven by a driver mechanism to rotate the selected disk for reading. A second embodiment includes carriages for supporting the disks in the magazine and at the read position. The carriages each have a rotatable shaft for engaging the center apertures of the disks. When a selected disk is moved to the read position, a pair of idler rollers and a driving roller engage top and bottom surfaces of the selected disk. The idler roller is driven by a driver mechanism to rotate the selected disk.

Abstract: A changer-equipped player uses an n number of carriages which can hold up to an n number of discs in storage positions in a stocker. These carriages carry discs between the stocker and a movable tray for play and for loading and unloading. One of the n number of carriages, carriage S, is usable in a single-play mode, allowing the player to be used as a tray equipped single-play device. Carriage S may be selected for single-play regardless of the number of discs stored in the remaining n-1 number of carriages. The remaining n-1 number of carriages are usable only in changer-play operation. Loading discs into the device is accomplished by placing discs into empty carriages as each is held in the tray in an eject position. The stocker is not removed for loading discs or for removing or replacing the discs stored within it. During changer-playback operation, the device selects and plays all stored discs in a predetermined sequence. During single-play operation the device plays only the disc in carriage S.

Abstract: A disk player has a magazine for storing disks and a disk transport mechanism transporting a selected disk between four positions including an ejection position, a load position, a playback position, and an initial store position which lie in a single plane. The selected disk is carried upon a tray from the ejection position to the load position where the selected disk is partially removed from the tray to the playback position above a disk reader. The partial removal of the disk from the tray to the load position provides a required clearance for the disk reader permitting a tray length to be minimized. The magazine accepts a plurality of disks. An alignment mechanism provides relative movement between the magazine and a plane of transport of the disk transport mechanism permitting a selected disk to be inserted or removed from the magazine at the initial store position. The disk reader is positioned to read the selected disk overlapping disks stored in the magazine resulting in a smaller disk player size.

Abstract: A disk player has a magazine for storing disks and a disk transport mechanism transporting a selected disk between four positions including an eject position, a load position, a playback position, and a store position which lie in a single plane. The selected disk is carried upon a tray from the eject position to the load position where the selected disk is partially removed from the tray to the playback position above a disk reader. The magazine accepts a plurality of disks. A magazine driving mechanism provides relative movement between the magazine and a plane of transport of the disk transport mechanism permitting a selected disk to be inserted or removed from the magazine at the store position. A disk clamping mechanism moves the disk reader relative to a clamp assembly in order to clamp the selected disk to a turntable. Both the disk clamping mechanism and the magazine driving mechanism are driven from a common drive source.

Abstract: A disk player has a magazine for storing disks on carriages and a disk transport mechanism transporting a selected disk between four positions including an eject position, a load position, a playback position, and a store position which lie in a single plane. The selected disk is carried upon a carriage from the magazine to the load position where the selected disk is partially removed from the magazine to the playback position above a disk reader. An alignment mechanism provides relative movement between the magazine and a plane of transport of the disk transport mechanism permitting a selected disk to be inserted or removed from the magazine at the store position. The disk reader is positioned to read the selected disk while overlapping disks stored in the magazine resulting in a smaller disk player size. The magazine pivotally holds the carriages in a stacked arrangement with prongs engaging recesses in the carriages. The magazine also holds a carriage for accepting disks of two sizes.

Abstract: A disk player has a magazine for holding disks and mechanisms for transporting disks between four positions, an eject position, a load position, a playback position, and a store position. A disk reader is positioned to read a selected disk in the playback position while the selected disk overlaps disks in the magazine. The disks are held on carriages in the magazine and are transported on the carriages to the disk reader. Each carriage has a V-shaped aperture which provides for access by the disk reader to a recording surface of the selected disk. Clearance for playing the selected disk is also provided by the V-shaped apertures of adjacent carriages in the magazine. The selected disk is raised by the disk reader into an area within the V-shaped aperture of the carriage in the magazine which is above the disk being played. A selected carriage is carried by a tray between the eject position and the load position.

Abstract: A car loading audio instrument adapted to be used by being connected to a car battery so that an electric power is supplied to the audio instrument and comprising a circuit breaker to break a circuit in a non-reversible manner in accordance with detection of robbery of the car loading audio instrument so that it is prohibited from being operated. A robbery is detected when two power lines supplying power are disconnected from each other.

Abstract: A changer-equipped player uses an n number of carriages which can hold up to an n number of discs in storage positions in a stocker. These carriages carry discs between the stocker and a movable tray for play and for loading and unloading. One of the n number of carriages, carriage S, is usable in a single-play mode, allowing the player to be used as a tray equipped single-play device. Carriage S may be selected for single-play regardless of the number of discs stored in the remaining n-1 number of carriages. The remaining n-1 number of carriages are usable only in changer-play operation. Loading discs into the device is accomplished by placing discs into empty carriages as each is held in the tray in an eject position. The stocker is not removed for loading discs or for removing or replacing the discs stored within it. During changer-playback operation, the device selects and plays all stored discs in a predetermined sequence. During single-play operation, the device plays only the disc in carriage S.

Abstract: A D/A converter divides an input digital data into at least two overlapping digital ranges. The data in the two ranges are converted separately from digital to analog by a low-range and a high-range DAC. The resulting analog signals are then added with a weighting that maintains the proper loudness relationships in the final combined analog output. In a low range of amplitudes, only the low-range DAC performs D/A conversion. Above a predetermined amplitude threshold, some of the high significant bits to the low-range DAC are frozen, while a remaining low significant bits of the low-range DAC are permitted to vary with the input digital data. Above the predetermined amplitude threshold, a digital value is subtracted from the data fed to the high-range DAC. The subtracted value is equal to the frozen value in the low-range DAC. In some embodiments, one or more supplementary bits are developed to smooth the transition between ranges.

Abstract: A changer-equipped player uses an n number of carriages which can hold up to an n number of discs in storage positions in a stocker. These carriages carry discs between the stocker and a movable tray for play and for loading and unloading. One of the n number of carriages, carriage S, is usable in a single-play mode, allowing the player to be used as a tray equipped single-play device. Carriage S may be selected for single-play regardless of the number of discs stored in the remaining n-1 number of carriages. The remaining n-1 number of carriages are usable only in changer-play operation. Loading discs into the device is accomplished by placing discs into empty carriages as each is held in the tray in an eject position. The stocker is not removed for loading discs or for removing or replacing the discs stored within it. During changer-playback operation, the device selects and plays all stored discs in a predetermined sequence. During single-play operation, the device plays only the disc in carriage S.

Abstract: In a compact disk player a tray for carrying a disk is reciprocated between a loaded position for playback of the disk and an ejected position outside the player. The tray is locked up in the loaded position by engagement between a lock pin of a rotatable arm and a stationary rib fixed to the bottom of the tray. When a sliding plate comes to one of extreme positions in which a disk-reading device arrives in its standby position retracted away from the loaded position of the tray, the advancing end of the sliding plate pushes an unlock pin of the arm to rotate the arm, thereby releasing the lock-up condition of the tray which may now be moved toward the ejected position. The sliding plate is then backed off a little amount to be released from contact with the unlock pin so that the lock pin of the arm becomes ready for engagement with the rib of the tray when the tray again arrives in the loaded position.

Abstract: A changer-equipped disc player uses a number n of carriages which can to hold up to a number n of discs in storage positions in a stocker. These carriages carry discs between the stocker and a movable tray for play and for loading and unloading. One of the n number of carriages, carriage S, is usable in a single-play mode, allowing the player to be used as a tray equipped single-play device. Carriage S may be selected for single play regardless of the number of discs stored in the remaining n-1 number of carriages. The remaining n-1 number of carriages are usable only in changer-play operation. Loading discs into the device is accomplished by placing discs into empty carriages as each is held in the tray in an eject position. The stocker is not removed for loading discs or for removing or replacing the discs stored within it. During changer-playback operation, the device selects and plays all stored discs in a predetermined sequence. During single-play operation, the device plays only the disc in carriage S.

Abstract: A changer-equipped player uses an n number of carriages which can hold up to an n number of discs in storage positions in a stocker. These carriages carry discs between the stocker and a movable tray for play and for loading and unloading. One of the n number of carriages, carriage S, is usable in a single-play mode, allowing the player to be used as a tray equipped single-play device. Carriage S may be selected for single-play regardless of the number of discs stored in the remaining n-1 number of carriages. The remaining n-1 number of carriages are usable only in changer-play operation. Loading discs into the device is accomplished by placing discs into empty carriages as each is held in the tray in an eject position. The stocker is not removed for loading discs or for removing or replacing the discs stored within it. During changer-playback operation, the device selects and plays all stored discs in a predetermined sequence. During single-play operation, the device plays only the disc in carriage S.

Abstract: A disk player with disk changer functions has an elevatable stacker for storing plural disks for playback. A mechanism or elevation of the stacker relative to a main body of the player includes a motor, a threaded shaft (95) rotated by the motor and a nut (96) fixed to the bottom of the stacker in engagement of the threaded shaft (95) to allow elevation of the stacker in response to rotation of the threaded shaft. The threaded shaft has a smaller diameter than a central aperture of the disk when received in the stacker. The fixed position of the nut may be adjusted to vary relative angular position with respect to the threaded shaft. A projection (96) may be inserted into one of a plurality of apertures (903) to vary or adjust the position of the nut relative to the shaft (95).

Abstract: A disk player with disk changer functions and having a stacker for storing plural disks for playback allows a new disk to be added or disks to be changed without removing the stacker. The disk player is also convenient for playback of single disks not to be stored in the stacker. A single tray carrying one of disk-carriages is transportable between a loaded position inside the player and an ejected position outside the player, by means of a shuttle engageable with the tray. During further movement of the shuttle in the disk-loading direction, it is disengaged from the tray in the loaded position. Instead, the shuttle comes into engagement with the carriage formerly carried by the tray, to separate the carriage from the tray remaining in the loaded position and advance the same toward the stacker. The carriage is at last received fully in the stacker with the help of a spring, which releases engagement between the shuttle and the in-stacker carriage.

Abstract: A device for opening a shutter of a disc cartridge along with insertion of the disc cartridge into a holder of a recording and/or reproducing apparatus for performing recording and/or reproducing operation is disclosed. The device includes at least one arm member freely rotatable about a pivot provided at one end thereof and having at the other end a first engaging portion adapted to be in engagement with the shutter substantially during insertion of the disc cartridge. A guide means or a slot extending in an oblique direction between the cartridge inserting direction and a direction in which said shutter is slided to open is provided for guiding therealong a second engaging portion of the arm member during first-step advancement of the disc cartridge into the holder from an unloaded position to a half-loaded position, thereby rotating the arm member to open the shutter due to continued engagement thereof with the first engaging portion.