Abstract: A disc drive unit is configured with a plurality of disc drives as one unit. At least one of a pair of opposed disc drives arranged on an identical horizontal plane is provided with a tray support member for supporting a front end of a tray of the other disc drive when the tray is ejected. The tray support member is capable of protruding from the one disc drive and withdrawing into the same.

Abstract: A storage device includes a first loading tray to comprise a loading surface on which to abut a non-recording surface of said portable recording medium, a second loading tray to comprise a loading surface, parallel with the loading surface of said first loading tray, on which to abut a recording surface of said portable recording medium loaded in the way of being turned in the same direction as that of the recording surface of said portable recording medium loaded into said first loading tray, and an access unit disposed on the side of the recording surface to access the recording surface of said portable recording medium even in such a case that said portable recording medium is loaded into any one of said first loading tray and said second loading tray.

Abstract: The invention provides a disc changer including a plurality of trays which can be moved respectively in a horizontal direction, a tray driving gear unit capable of shuttling the trays between a standby position and a disc exchange position, a gear driving mechanism for driving the tray driving gear unit, a tray triggering unit capable of locking/unlocking the trays in the standby position, pushing all trays to engage with the tray driving gear unit after unlocking the trays, and driving the trays toward the disc exchange position, wherein all trays in the standby position can be unlocked and pushed to engage with the tray driving gear unit, and ejected outward from a mechanical chassis by a predetermined tray stroke, thereafter the trays are driven back to the standby position one by one, and when the last tray reaches the standby position all trays are locked.

Abstract: The invention provides a disc changer including a plurality of trays which can be moved respectively in a horizontal direction, a tray driving gear unit capable of shuttling the trays between a standby position and a disc exchange position, a gear driving mechanism for driving the tray driving gear unit, a tray triggering unit capable of locking/unlocking the trays in the standby position, pushing all trays to engage with the tray driving gear unit after unlocking the trays, and driving the trays toward the disc exchange position, wherein the tray driving gear unit can be used for checking the discs by driving all trays to protrude outward from the mechanical chassis to the disc exchange position, and can drive the trays individually from the disc exchange position to the standby position from top to bottom, thereby each disc can be checked until its tray is closed.

Abstract: The disc changer device, for transporting a tray to a stand-by position where trays are housed in a stacked state, to a disc exchange position where a disc on the tray is exchanged, as well as to a disc recording/reproducing position where a recording/reproducing operation is carried out on the disc on the selected tray, is provided with a plurality of tray locking units that are prepared in association with the respective trays, and engaged with a corresponding trays so that each of the corresponding trays is prevented from being transported from the stand-by position to the disc exchange position, and an engagement releasing unit for releasing engagement between the selected tray and the tray locking unit related to the selected tray as well as engagement between a tray adjacent to the selected tray on a lower side thereof and the tray locking unit related to the adjacent tray.

Abstract: An optical disk device is capable of reducing a thickness of a loading portion equipped with plural sheets of trays. Trays installed in a main body are energized to put an optical disk between them in the thickness direction. Therefore, a thickness of plural sheets of trays can be reduced by cutting down a clearance between the tray and the optical disk. Also, plural sheets of trays are energized by spring members to be put elastically between them in the thickness direction. Therefore, an excessive pushing force is not applied to the optical disk loaded on the tray. Also, a hollow portion of the tray is formed such that projection portions protruded in excess of a standard thickness dimension of the optical disk do not interfere with the tray. Therefore, even when the projection portions are protruded from an adapter, such adapter can be loaded on the tray.

Abstract: The invention provides a disc changer including a plurality of trays which can be moved respectively in a horizontal direction, a tray driving gear unit capable of shuttling the trays between a standby position and a disc exchange position, a gear driving mechanism for driving the tray driving gear unit, a tray triggering unit capable of locking/unlocking the trays in the standby position, pushing all trays to engage with the tray driving gear unit after unlocking the trays, and driving the trays toward the disc exchange position, wherein the tray driving gear unit can be used for checking the discs by driving all trays to protrude outward from the mechanical chassis to the disc exchange position, and can drive the trays individually from the disc exchange position to the standby position from top to bottom, thereby each disc can be checked until its tray is closed.

Abstract: A stack type disk changer is capable of not only being designed to have a relatively small overall size and to be simple and mounting more many disks thereon, but also allowing a user to easily withdraw a desired tray and check disks mounted on the respective trays by withdrawing the entire trays in a stairway form.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a disc detecting method in a multi-disc optical storage apparatus, which comprises receiving an electronic signal and determining whether to perform a complete disc detecting process or not when the multi-disc optical storage apparatus is turned on or a multi-disc magazine is inserted into the multi-disc optical storage apparatus. If the multi-disc optical storage apparatus decides not to perform the complete disc detecting process, the multi-disc optical storage apparatus can enter to be standby to wait for further commands from users. If the multi-disc optical storage apparatus decides to perform the complete disc detecting process, the detecting result will be then stored in a memory for providing a reference to the subsequent accessing.

Abstract: A disk device includes a disk tray capable of accommodating disks by stacking; a first driving motor for transferring the disk tray in the disk-stacking direction; a driving unit including an optical head for reading out data recorded in the disks, and a supporting component for supporting the rotation of the disks; a second driving motor for selectively transferring the driving unit between a playback position where the driving unit overlaps with the disks in the disk-stacking direction and a retracted position where the driving unit does not overlap with the disks in the disk-stacking direction; disk detectors for determining whether the disk tray accommodates disks at predetermined positions; and a controlling section for transferring the disk tray in the disk-stacking direction while the driving unit is kept at the playback position when the disk tray does not accommodate disks at predetermined positions on the basis of detection results of the disks during disk checks.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a tray-out control method for moving out a loading tray of an optical drive. A first forcing function is applied to the loading tray to overcome a lesser magnetic attraction when an optical disk is placed on the loading tray. A second forcing function is applied to the loading tray to overcome a greater magnetic attraction when the optical disk is not placed on the loading tray. A maximum value of the second forcing function is larger than a maximum value of the first forcing function.

Abstract: To achieve a disc device with a disc changer in which number of motors is reduced, and a quiet and stable switching operation, accurate positioning of a sub-tray, smooth clamp and release of a disc are possible, only a first motor for driving a main tray and a second motor for driving the sub-tray are used as driving sources, and a gear switching mechanism is provided, in which driving channels of the first and second motors can be disconnected.

Abstract: A scanning device for magazine-type storage media, especially magazine player for optical disks, and a method to drive such player, the player being provided to cooperate with a magazine-type container having extremely dense packaging of storage media, where the storage media are secured against damages even when they are removed from the container. The disks are coupled to trays of the container. For playback the container is inserted into a playback device, a tray of the container is moved into a playback position, a disk is released from the tray and coupled to a mechadeck for playback.

Abstract: A computer-server rack enclosure fault light diagnostic system and a method for providing an overall rack level fault indicator of a fault incurred by a unit of electronic equipment housed in the rack. The rack may be an EIA standard rack holding constituent components complying with EIA standards.

Abstract: A disc recording and/or reproducing device includes a disc compartment that has a plurality of disc mounts placed one upon another, on which discs are mounted. The device also includes a recording and/or reproducing mechanism for selectively recording and/or reproducing a disc mounted on one of the plurality of disc mounts. An injection mechanism is included for ejecting the disc mounted on the disc mount. A control mechanism is included that moves along a line substantially perpendicular to the placing direction and is configured to start the recording and/or reproducing mechanism when in a first position and start the ejection mechanism when reaching a second position on another side of the line.

Abstract: A carriage ejection mechanism has a drawer, which moves back and forth between a stock position and an eject position, a plurality of carriages contained inside the drawer in a slidable manner in the direction in which the drawer moves and in a vertically stacked manner, and a slide control device that slides the carriages relative to the drawer. The slide control device slides upper carriages relatively more towards the stock position than the lower carriages such that the plurality of carriages are positioned successively staggered in a stair-like manner in the eject position.

Abstract: A disc storage stores a plurality of discs. A pair of driving rollers are provided for carrying a disc inserted from an opening to the disc storage. Each of the driving rollers is provided to be moved between a disc carrying position and a retracted position by a moving device.

Abstract: A cam structure is equipped with a first cam that displaces a first follower section in a radial direction, a second follower section that rotates with the first cam and has at least three support pins, and a second cam that displaces the second follower section in an axial direction. The first cam is formed from divided segments defining at least three arcuate surfaces with different radiuses and sloped connection surfaces that connect the arcuate surfaces and are provided in ranges that give appropriate pressure angles with respect to the first follower section, and the second cam is provided with cam sections, each of the cam sections being divided in the radial direction in the number corresponding to the number of the support pins. The divided cam sections of the second cam are disposed at positions arranged in a circumferential direction in a manner that displacements in the axial direction of the second follower section are timed with displacements in the radial direction of the first follower section.

Abstract: A disc changer apparatus includes a disc table, reproducing means, a first tray, a second tray, containing means, and movement means. The disc table is rotated together with a disc mounted thereon. The reproducing means reproduces information from a disc rotating together with the disc table. The first tray carries a disc mounted thereon between a loading position at which a disc is loaded and a mounting position at which a disc is mounted on the disc table and between the disc mounting position and a containing position at which a disc is contained. The second tray is engaged with the first tray, to carry the first tray between the disc loading position and the disc mounting position. The containing means stacks and contains a plurality of the first trays in a stacking direction substantially perpendicular to principal planes of discs mounted on the first trays.

Abstract: Provided forwardly of a stacker accommodating trays in a plurality of stages for placing a disk on each tray is a recording-playback unit which is movable upward and downward for recording or reproducing data on or from the disk. A clamp plate covering the recording-playback unit is pivoted to the unit. When one of the trays is to be ejected from the stacker, the recording-playback unit is moved upward or downward to a level where the disk carrying face thereof is displaced from the tray to be ejected, to block the path of movement of the tray to the recording-playback unit with the clamp plate or the recording-playback unit, and the tray is thereafter ejected.