Abstract: The disc changer device, for housing a plurality of discs, and transporting a selected disc to carry out a recording/reproducing operation on the disc, is provided with a plurality of trays, a first tray driving unit for moving the tray reciprocatingly between a stand-by position and a recording/reproducing position, a traverse unit having an optical pickup and a turn table, a clamp unit for moving the traverse unit to a clamp position as well as to a retreat position, a pickup moving unit for moving the optical pickup, a first motor for driving the first tray driving unit, the pickup moving unit and the clamp unit, an elevation unit that raises and lowers the traverse unit, a second tray driving unit for moving the tray reciprocatingly between the stand-by position and an exchange position, and a second motor for driving the elevation unit and the second tray driving unit.

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: Two positioning levers for positioning a disk and two detecting levers are provided outside an area in a disk loading device where the disk is to be mounted. A large-diameter disk is positioned when both of the two detecting levers come in contact with the disk. At the time of insertion of a small-diameter disk when one of the detecting levers comes in contact with the disk, the two positioning levers do not move and the small-diameter disk is positioned.

Abstract: A disk drive includes a plurality of optical heads corresponding to a plurality kind of disks, and a disk distinction device for distinguishing whether a set disk is a first disk or a second disk when a disk is set on a disk tray, a first disk tray conveying mechanism for the first disk and/or the second disk tray conveying mechanism for the second disk conveys the disk tray to a first tray position in which recording and/or reproducing is performed on the first tray or the second tray position in which recording and/or reproducing is performed on the second tray, according to a result distinguished by the disk distinction device, thereby, an optical head corresponding to a disk set to the disk tray is selected correctly and a recording or reproducing operation is performed on the disk.

Abstract: With a conventional disk changer, it takes a long time with poor operability to directly and visually confirm which tray has a disk or which tray has which disk in a device. A disk changer of the invention includes a tray transfer unit for shuttling trays between a standby position and an attaching/detaching position and between the standby position and a recording/reproducing position, a tray gear unit engaged separately with the trays, and a tray driving unit for driving the trays separately via the tray gear unit, so that the trays can be separately moved from the standby position to the attaching/detaching position via the tray gear unit and the trays can be protruded to the attaching/detaching position while being arranged like steps. Hence, it is possible to directly and visually confirm which tray has a disk or which tray has which disk in a device with a simple operation in a short time.

Abstract: First and second optical heads (3A, 3B) are disposed on the same side with respect to a plane including a disk surface. Then, a media tray (19) on which a disk is mounted is moved within a plane substantially parallel with the disk surface. Using two optical heads (3A, 3B) selectively, recording and/or reproducing is performed with respect to the optical disk. The height of a disk apparatus does not increase, and signal lines connected to the optical heads (3A, 3B) are not forced to bend.

Abstract: A disk drive includes a plurality of optical heads corresponding to a plurality kind of disks, and a disk distinction device for distinguishing whether a set disk is a first disk or a second disk when a disk is set on a disk tray, a first disk tray conveying mechanism for the first disk and/or the second disk tray conveying mechanism for the second disk conveys the disk tray to a first tray position in which recording and/or reproducing is performed on the first tray or the second tray position in which recording and/or reproducing is performed on the second tray, according to a result distinguished by the disk distinction device, thereby, an optical head corresponding to a disk set to the disk tray is selected correctly and a recording or reproducing operation is performed on the disk.

Abstract: With a conventional disk changer, it takes a long time with poor operability to directly and visually confirm which tray has a disk or which tray has which disk in a device. A disk changer of the invention includes a tray transfer unit for shuttling trays between a standby position and an attaching/detaching position and between the standby position and a recording/reproducing position, a tray gear unit engaged separately with the trays, and a tray driving unit for driving the trays separately via the tray gear unit, so that the trays can be separately moved from the standby position to the attaching/detaching position via the tray gear unit and the trays can be protruded to the attaching/detaching position while being arranged like steps. Hence, it is possible to directly and visually confirm which tray has a disk or which tray has which disk in a device with a simple operation in a short time.

Abstract: According to the present invention, an elevating means for elevating and lowering the spindles constituting the disc holding means and a disc playing means is configured so that a single part simultaneously performs these operations. Since the same part is driven to perform these operations, elevating and lowering timings for the spindles and the disc playing means can be easily matched to enable the elevation and lowering without changes in the gap between a played disc being elevated or lowered and held discs in a housing section, thereby preventing the discs being elevated or lowered from contacting with each other.

Abstract: According to the present invention, an elevating means for elevating and lowering the spindles constituting the disc holding means and a disc playing means is configured so that a single part simultaneously performs these operations. Since the same part is driven to perform these operations, elevating and lowering timings for the spindles and the disc playing means can be easily matched to enable the elevation and lowering without changes in the gap between a played disc being elevated or lowered and held discs in a housing section, thereby preventing the discs being elevated or lowered from contacting with each other.

Abstract: A conventional disc changer uses separate elevating cams, separate connection mechanisms, and separate locking mechanisms to effect driving of the elevation and lowering of spindles constituting a disc holding means and of a disc clamp means at a recording/playing position. Thus, the apparatus is complicated and large, and loads on the elevating cams significantly vary when the drivings of the elevating and lowering of the spindles constituting the disc holding means and the disc clamp means are simultaneously carried out. Consequently, during the elevating driving, the driving force may become insufficient to cause unstable operations, while during the lowering driving, high operating noise may occur. According to the present invention, an elevating means for elevating and lowering the spindles constituting the disc holding means and a disc playing means is configured so that a single part simultaneously performs these operations.

Abstract: According to the present invention, an elevating means for elevating and lowering the spindles constituting the disc holding means and a disc playing means is configured so that a single part simultaneously performs these operations. Since the same part is driven to perform these operations, elevating and lowering timings for the spindles and the disc playing means can be easily matched to enable the elevation and lowering without changes in the gap between a played disc being elevated or lowered and held discs in a housing section, thereby preventing the discs being elevated or lowered from contacting with each other.

Abstract: A conventional disc changer uses separate elevating cams, separate connection mechanisms, and separate locking mechanisms to effect driving of the elevation and lowering of spindles constituting a disc holding means and of a disc clamp means at a recording/playing position. Thus, the apparatus is complicated and large, and loads on the elevating cams significantly vary when the drivings of the elevating and lowering of the spindles constituting the disc holding means and the disc clamp means are simultaneously carried out. Consequently, during the elevating driving, the driving force may become insufficient to cause unstable operations, while during the lowering driving, high operating noise may occur. According to the present invention, an elevating means for elevating and lowering the spindles constituting the disc holding means and a disc playing means is configured so that a single part simultaneously performs these operations.

Abstract: It is an object of this invention to provide a light and inexpensive disc changer that does not require a stocker having a plurality of shelves or a plurality of subtrays. A group of spacers (40) held by a disc holding means are driven by a vertical drive means to select any disc (12) of a group of discs (12) held by the spacers (40). A spindle drive means detaches a holding claw (27). A horizontal transfer means transfers any disc (12) supported on a subtray (11) to a sound recording/reproduction position, and a disc clamp means clamps the disc.

Abstract: A disk changer apparatus for selectively reproducing a plurality of disks has a disk delivery unit arranged on the front of a stocker tray for holding a plurality of disks and adapted to move along the direction in which the disks are arranged on the front of the stocker tray. By depressing an eject button providing an operating unit for the disk delivery unit, a push-up lever advances into the stocker tray from a bottom opening of the stocker tray. As a result, a disk held in the stocker tray is taken out forward of the stocker tray by the rotation of the push-up lever, and is retained by a disk receiving lever of the disk delivery unit.

Abstract: A disk changer apparatus for selectively reproducing a plurality of disks, the disk changer including a disk delivery unit arranged on the front of a stocker tray for holding a plurality of disks and adapted to move along the direction in which the disks are arranged on the front of the stocker tray. By depressing an eject button providing an operating unit for the disk delivery unit, a push-up lever advances into the stocker tray from a bottom opening of the stocker tray. As a result, a disk held in the stocker tray is taken out forward of the stocker tray by the rotation of the push-up lever, and is retained by a disk receiving lever of the disk delivery unit.

Abstract: A disk changer apparatus for playing back a plurality of disks selectively has a disk transfer unit including a forward feed lever 107 for taking out disks 2, 3 from under a stocker tray 1, and a rearward feed lever 110 for transferring the disks 2, 3 to a disk playback unit 102. A designated disk 2, 3 held in the stocker tray 1 is taken out from under the stocker tray 1 by the forward feed lever 107, and then the disk 2, 3 is transferred to the disk playback unit 102 by the rearward feed lever 110.

Abstract: This disk loading device is capable of reproducing a plurality of disks. A power transmission to drive gears is switched by tooth omission gears of a control gear so that angular movement of a disk playing portion, as well as movement of a tray base in a non-reproducing position and a reproducing position of the disk playing portion, can be effected by a single motor. A close lock gear, which prevents movement of the tray base in a disk reception stop positions, limits position of the drive gears. With this arrangement, when each tooth omission gear of the control gear enters the teeth of the corresponding drive gear, the interference of the teeth is eliminated. With this construction, the number of component parts such as a drive motor is reduced, thereby achieving a compact design and a stable operation.

Abstract: The invention relates to a multi-disk player which can store a plurality of disks and can choose any of the stored disks for consecutive play. An elevating and lowering rack (44) provided at one end of a loading base (12) is driven by a worm gear (43) to incrementally raise and lower the loading base for selectively supplying a disk from a magazine to the disk playing section. The loading base also has a horizontal retaining structure, including an elevating and lowering level (49) and a sub elevating and lowering lever (50), installed at both sides of the loading base.