Abstract: A disc apparatus which can judge accurately whether or not a spindle motor is at fault due to a short circuit is provided. A disc apparatus (1) includes a spindle motor (3) which rotates a disc (2), a differential operational amplifier (5) which successively detects output voltages of the spindle motor (3), and a failure judgment unit (10) which calculates an average voltage of the plural output voltages and judges whether or not the spindle motor (3) is at fault in accordance with the average voltage and the output voltages. When counting number of occurrences of a specific state which indicates that one of the two output voltages detected successively is larger than the average voltage and other of the two output voltages is smaller than the average voltage, the failure judgment unit (10) judges that the spindle motor (3) is at fault.

Abstract: Apparatus for controlling movement of an object including a compact disk carousel and compact disk insertion/extraction arm; a slotted track connected to the object, the slotted track having a plurality of equidistant slots; optical sensor apparatus mounted across the track so that the slots pass therethrough upon movement of the object, in response to which the optical sensor apparatus generate pulse signals; memory apparatus for storing a predetermined count value representative of the distance by which the object is to be moved; and circuit apparatus connected to the optical sensor means.

Abstract: A remote controlled compact disc loader including a housing of predetermined dimensions for supporting a compact disc player, incorporating a carousel (11) for storing a plurality of compact discs (7) in circular arrangement, circuitry for locating predetermined compact discs stored in the carousel, an extraction device (15) for removing successive predetermined compact discs, a mechanism for opening the disc carrying tray (19) of the compact disc player, an arcuate arm (5) for grasping the predetermined compact discs and lifting individual discs to a position immediately over the opened disc carrying tray and releasing the disc into the tray (19), and a device for closing the disc carrying tray. Electronic circuitry is included for recording the play duration of each compact disc, and for effecting sequential automatic retrieval and loading of a user selected sequence of compact discs into the compact disc player. Gripper elements (103a, 103b) extend from a gripper (9) which grabs the CD (7).

Abstract: A front loading disc player including two trays that can carry respective discs and having a selectable automatic disc ejection feature. When the automatic ejection mode is selected and scheduled play is completed, there is an interchanging of a playing operation from a first disc to a second disc and automatically ejecting of the first disc from a player housing. An interchanging of a playing operation from the first disc to the second disc and automatically ejecting the first disc from the player housing, are not conducted until a program of all selected tunes on the first disc is completed playing.

Abstract: A disk playing apparatus is capable of playing a plurality of disks or disks of different diameters. A disk transfer mechanism is provided between a magazine for storing the plurality of disks and a disk musical performance mechanism disposed obliquely and rearwards with respect to the mounting position of the magazine. Also, a single disk insertion opening is provided above or below the mounting position of the magazine. A disk inserted into the disk insertion opening is also transferred by the disk transfer mechanism.