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 double-sided playing disc player is disclosed in which recorded signals are reproduced from a disc, on both faces of which signals are recorded, by a pickup disposed on the side of a turntable (4) or another pickup disposed on the side opposite to the turntable. The disc player comprises a first centering hub (6) mounted on the turntable, a clamping mechanism (11) for clamping the disc placed on the turntable, and a second centering hub (14) mounted on the clamper mechanism.

Abstract: A cleaner unit is provided for applying a liquid cleaning solution onto the surface of an information disk, such as a so-called compact laser disk or the like. The cleaner unit includes a housing with a rotatable spindle (22) adapted to support the information disk in a generally horizontal orientation, in combination with a circulation system having a rotatable pump impeller (24) for spraying a jet of a cleaning solution onto the underside of the disk (12) near the spindle. A drive motor is operated by a control circuit for initially rotating the spindle and impeller in a first direction for spraying the cleaning solution against the spinning disk, with the rotational disk movement causing the cleaning solution to spread radially outwardly as a film over the underside disk surface. The cleaning solution is thrown from the disk periphery and is captured by an outer contoured deflector shroud (99) for recirculation to the pump impeller.

Abstract: A loading apparatus for a disc-shaped recording medium including a disc transport unit having, in turn, a disc tray movable between a position protruding from a casing of the apparatus for exchanging a disc-shaped recording medium and an internal position for reproducing the recording medium by a player section, and a unit for suppressing vibrations produced in the disc tray by thrusting against the disc tray when the disc tray is at the position for reproducing the recording medium by the player section.

Abstract: A magneto-optic method and apparatus for recording digital data employs selective heating beyond the Curie or compensation temperature T.sub.c of the record material in the presence of an external magnetic field for recording information by rotating the direction of magnetization at the affected record locations, and the selective detection of the state of rotation of the polarization direction at information storage locations in a recording medium by way of analyzing the state of rotation of the light transmitted through said record material. The writing and retrieval of information are performed by means of a sharply pointed tip placed at an essentially constant distance above the recording medium, the sharpness of the apex of said tip determining the resolution and the achievable storage density. The heating of the storage locations is accomplished by means of a laser beam directed onto the recording medium through said slidably arranged tip.

Abstract: A disc-record player includes a lazy Susan type changer mechanism (5) arranged within a housing, a drawer (7) movable through an opening in the housing, and having a supporting surface for moving information discs into and out of the housing for loading and unloading from the changer; a scanning device (3) for writing and/or reading information discs which have been transferred from a supporting surface on the changer to a turntable (17) of the scanning device; and mechanisms for rotating the lazy Susan and moving the scanning device relative to the lazy Susan for picking up a disc placed on the lazy Susan, and moving it into a scanning position. A positioning device has a drive unit for positioning the scanning device and lazy Susan relative to each other. The scanning device is moved to transfer a disc to the scanning position responsive to rotation of the lazy Susan.

Abstract: A method for selecting additional data storage media for demount in an idle automated storage library, and an automated storage library and program product therefor are disclosed. The method permits the advanced demount of storage media when one or more of the occupied peripheral storage devices remains inactive for a relatively long predetermined time. Storage media may be demounted to service a pending mount request, provided the peripheral storage devices in which the media are mounted are inactive. A storage medium may also be demounted to create an unoccupied peripheral storage device, even though no mount request is pending, when all of the peripheral storage devices are occupied and one or more of such devices remains inactive for a relatively short predetermined time.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a structure of optical disks fabricated by pasting two substrates together using an adhesive composed of thermo-setting resin and UV-curing resin and to a process for fabricating the said optical disks. Ceramic layers are formed in the inner and outer circumference parts but neither recording layer nor reflective layer is formed in the said parts so that UV-light can penetrate into the adhesive. Therefore, the two substrates can be temporarily fixed by irradiating them with UV-light because the UV-curing components of the adhesive in the inner and outer circumference parts hardens thereby. The optical disk temporarily fixed is heated to harden the thermo-setting components of the adhesive, thereby the substrates being perfectly pasted together. The temporal fixing of the substrates using UV-curing resin has such effects as that the substrates can be set upright, and therefore no strain occurs in the substrates, and that the adhesive does not overflow.

Abstract: A disk driver in which a disk is inserted has a head (12), a holder (5), and a slider (14). The holder ascends and descends between a first position and a second position. The head ascends and descends between a third position and a fourth position in response to the ascending and descending of the holder. The disk (3) is inserted into or ejected from the holder (5) at the first position when the head (12) is at the third position, and information is recorded on or reproduced therefrom by the head at the fourth position when the holder is at the second position. Since the third position is higher than the first position so that the head does not hit the inserted disk, there is a space between the first and third positions. Accordingly, the slider (14) is located in the space so that it can avoid hitting the head, and thus the disk driver can be made thin.

Abstract: A device is disclosed which includes a frame (1), a turntable (3), and an electromagnetic drive unit comprising a stator section (5) and a rotor section (7). The turntable, which is rotatable about a shaft (19), and a frame portion (4) have facing annular bearing surfaces (21A and 21B respectively) to form a dynamic axial bearing. The bearing surfaces are coaxial with the shaft and radially spaced from this shaft. One of the bearing surfaces has at least one pattern of grooves which causes a pressure to be built up in a medium present between the bearing surfaces during rotation of the rotor section relative to the stator section.

Abstract: A coat suitable for use by firefighters in firefighting featuring an outer shell portion (10), a liner (12), and a storm flap (90). The outer shell portion has right and left sleeves, and a body, the body having a right-front section a left-front section, and a back section. One of the front sections has a slit (40) extending generally from the top of one of the front sections to a point near the bottom of one front section. The storm flap has a first and second longitudinal edge and is attached to the liner via an attaching portion (96).

Abstract: A card carrier in use with an optical data record/reproduction system for reading data from and writing data to a card, including a press contact slide member (26, 27) which prevents a table for carrying the card from being tilted and deviated from a predetermined traveling direction, and a table drive member which prevents the transfer of a vibration to the table. With this arrangement, data is exactly written into and read out from the card.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for directly overwriting data on a magnetooptic data storage medium. The apparatus includes a magnet (16) disposed adjacent to a recording medium (14) which provides a static magnetic field which interacts with the medium (14). The interaction is broadbased, having an area including multiple tracks (17) of the medium that encompass up to an entire data band. A first laser focuses a continuous laser beam (22) onto a track (17) of the recording medium within the location of the reversed magnetic field (18). This first laser beam (22) provides for erasure of the medium. A second laser focuses a pulsed laser beam (26) onto the erased track (17) within the location of the nonreversed magnetic field (20). This pulsed laser beam (26) provides for writing to the medium.

Abstract: A magneto-optical reproducing device in which a reflected light signal from a magneto-optical disk is divided by an astigmatic analyzer. The analyzer both divides the light signal according to linear polarization, for data signal detection, but also introduces astigmatism in one of the divided beams to allow focus detection.

Abstract: This invention is a dual-deck VCR including answering machine logic whereby the VCR can also be used to answer a video telephone system. The video cassette decks of the VCR are switched between and are shared by the VCR and telephone answering functions. The VCR can be switched between its answering mode of operation and its VCR mode of operation by a remote controller.

Abstract: In an apparatus for moving an objective lens, the objective lens (2) mounted on a lens support is suspended on a support frame by tracking leaf springs (6) and focusing leaf springs (8), each of the tracking leaf springs (6) and each of the focusing leaf springs (8) being coupled to each other. Focusing (26a) and tracking (26b) coils are provided on the lens support and are arranged in a magnetic circuit fixed to the support frame. The support frame is movably supported on side rails and coupled to a linear motor mechanism (28). In a long-stroke access, the support frame is moved in a access signal by the linear motor mechanism along a radial direction of an optical disk. In a middle-stroke access or a tracking operation, the magnetic circuit is energized in response to the access signal or a focusing signal so that the tracking leaf spring (6) is deformed by an interaction force between a current supplied to the tracking coils (26b) and magnetic fluxes generated from the magnetic circuit.

Abstract: A telephone answering attachment to a highfidelity music system. An adaptor switches audio signals between a telephone circuit, a double-deck recorder and an amplifier. A bell signal on the telphone circuit causes one deck to play a back a prerecorded message onto the telephone circuit and causes the other deck to then record the caller's message. A short notification message is displayed on a television screen. Otherwise, the adaptor leaves the double-deck recorder in its usual configuration.

Abstract: A disc record loading apparatus for use in a compact disc player loads different size disc records. The loading apparatus has a door (2) rotatably attached under a main body of the player. Within the door are a pair of spaced rectangular openings. A disc housing (10) is provided with a housing body, a pair of spaced support columns (12) vertically formed at center portions of the housing body, a support beam and a folded rib. The disc housing is mounted on the door. When a smaller disc record, such as an 8 cm diameter disc (8D disc), is inserted into the apparatus, the pair of support columns on the disc housing will support an edge of the disc record. The support beam is positioned between the two support columns and will form therewith a slot for receiving a part of edge of the 8D disc record. On the other hand, when a larger disc record, such as a 12 cm diameter disc (12D disc) is loaded, the disc record will engage the two support columns and push them to rotate the housing body.

Abstract: A recording head having an electrically insulating substrate (11), at least one recording electrode (12) formed on one of opposite major surfaces of the substrate, and at least one return circuit electrode (13) formed on the other major surface. The substrate is formed of a material whose wear resistance is lower than that of the electrodes, and includes a proximal portion, and a thin-walled distal end portion (16) extending from the proximal portion for contact with an electrically resistive layer of a recording medium or an ink ribbon. The distal end portion has a constant thickness smaller than that of the proximal portion, and the substrate has a recessed portion formed in at least one of the opposite major surfaces such that the recessed portion at least partially defines the thickness of the distal end portion. A reinforcing layer (17) is disposed to reinforce the thin-walled distal end portion, such that at least a portion of the reinforcing layer is positioned in said recessed portion.

Abstract: A magneto-optic playback apparatus which plays back information from a recording layer (RL) which exhibits different light absorption of left and right circular polarized beams emitted from a laser (L). The laser (L) operates in two different polarization modes, DE and TM. Polarization converter (PC) converts linear polarized radiation from the laser in one plane to one circular polarization orientation (left or right) in one direction of transmission, and then converts the opposite circular polarized radiation orientation back to linear polarization in the other direction of transmission. The laser switches between modes according to the magnetic orientation of the medium which is determined by the reflected light. Loss control element (LC) selectively increases the TE losses in the extended laser cavity. The self-coupling laser's operation in either the TE or TM mode depends on the differential absorption by the media of right (RCP) or left (LCP) handed circularly polarized beams.