Abstract: A disc drive including a frame, a tray, a movable element and a buffer portion is provided. The tray is slidably disposed in the frame and includes a sliding groove. The movable element includes a protrusion slidably disposed on the sliding groove. The buffer portion is disposed adjacent to an end of the sliding groove. During the disc ejecting process, the protrusion contacts the buffer portion, to reduce the tray ejection speed.

Abstract: An optical pickup device for reading a multitude of disks. A first optical system for reading a first optical disk by generating a first laser beam, exposing the first laser beam on the first optical disk and receiving a first reflected light from the first optical disk system, and a second optical system for reading a second optical disk by producing a second laser beam, exposing the second laser beam on the second optical disk and receiving a second reflected light from the second optical disk are provided. Reproduction of the multitude of disks without transporting the pickup device can be formed continuously.

Abstract: A disk player for loading and unloading a pair of disks while closing and opening a door to the disk player under control of a single motor capable of rotating in both the clockwise direction and the counterclockwise direction. During rotation in one direction of the motor a plurality of connecting gears transmit the power of the motor to a driver for the pickup, which reads the information on the disks, and to moving rack. The moving rack causes rotation of a cam gear for disengaging a disk holder and rotation of a fitting for slightly opening the door. This causes a gear rack to engage the plurality of connecting gears to thereby open the door fully so that the pair of disks can be inserted or removed from the door. After the disks are inserted in the door the motor reverses direction and pulls the door shut by reverse operation of the components used in the opening of the door.

Abstract: A locking device for clamping plates, such as printing plates, in place includes a housing. A jaw is in the housing with a plurality of sets of clamp members mounted in the jaw. Each of the clamp members has rounded clamp surfaces. Spacers separate the sets of clamp members from each other. A fixed stop member is located at one end of the jaw and an actuating member is movably mounted at the other end of the jaw. When the actuating member is manipulated to move further into the jaw the spacers press against the clamp members to displace a clamp member of each set into its clamping or locking position with the plate clamped between the inside jaw and a wall of the housing.

Abstract: A front loading disc player is disclosed which comprises a housing, a play mechanism including a turntable, a carrier for carrying a disc to be played, and a projection/accommodation mechanism for moving the carrier so as to project/accommodate the carrier out-of-into the housing to perform loading/ejection of the disc. The projection/accommodation mechanism includes moving members movably provided within said housing, a driving force application unit for applying a driving force to the moving members, and a carrier moving mechanism for moving the carrier in a horizontal direction and a vertical direction in response to the movement of the moving members. The carrier moving mechanism is provided with a speed multiplier for moving the carrier at a speed higher than the moving speed of the moving members as the moving members move.

Abstract: A disc player, for playing various information carrier discs, which includes, a single turntable for supporting an information carrier disc, a single drive motor for rotating the turntable, and a reproducing head device for reading signals recorded on the disc. The drive motor has a motor body and a rotation shaft, and is attached at its rotation shaft directly to the turntable with its motor body spaced apart from the turntable. Therefore, a clearance is formed between the motor body and the turntable. The reproducing head device is radially transferrable relative to the turntable. When the reproducing head device is transferred to its innermost position where it reads the signals recorded on the inner periphery of the information area of the disc, it is positioned in the clearance without butting against either the motor body or the turntable.

Abstract: Mechanical oscillations of a mechanism containing a stepper motor, such as a solar-array powered spacecraft, are reduced and minimized by the execution of step movements in pairs of steps, the period between steps being equal to one-half of the period of torsional oscillation of the mechanism. Each pair of steps is repeated at needed intervals to maintain desired continuous movement of the portion of elements to be moved, such as the solar array of a spacecraft. In order to account for uncertainty as well as slow change in the period of torsional oscillation, a command unit may be provided for varying the interval between steps in a pair.

Abstract: Disc player includes a housing with a frame (11) carrying a scanning device and a disc-drive means for driving discs of different types. Loading mechanism includes a drawer (51) which is movable along guide means between an extended position and a retracted position to move a disc towards and away from the disc-drive means where a movable disc-pressure member (99) presses the disc against the disc-drive means. The disc-drive means comprises a first turntable which is fixedly supported relative to the frame and a second turntable (19) which is movable relative to the frame and can be positioned on the first turntable. A movable holder (21) can be actuated by the loading mechanism to position the second turntable on and remove it from the first turntable.

Abstract: A disk player for both optical and compact disk having two spindle motors for the two types of disk. One of the spindle motors is located far enough from the other spindle motors to receive its own smaller disk and is movable to allow the other spindle motor to receive the larger disk. The disks are carried on a tray to the respective spindle motor and are clamped thereagainst. The tray comprises two carriers for two disk sizes which are separable from each other inside the disk player.

Abstract: A disc player comprising two drivable turntables (14, 19) on a common supporting member (4) which can be swung about a swing axis between a first position in which a disc supported by one turntable will be in a play position opposite to a clamping member (21) and a second position in which a disc supported by the other turntable will be in the play position opposite to the recording member. The two turntables are coupled for their drive to the same motor (11) supported by the supporting member, the supporting member being swingable through 180 between the first position and the second position.

Abstract: An apparatus for reproducing signals recorded on a selected one of first and second discs of different diameters, such as, a relatively large diameter video disc and a relatively small diameter compact disc, has a disc-transporting tray mounted for substantially horizontal movement between a first or operative position within a housing and a second or disc-inserting and withdrawing position in which the tray projects substantially forwardly from the housing through an opening at the front of the latter, the tray having first and second disc mounting portions dimensioned for receiving and holding the relatively large and small diameter discs, respectively, and the second or relatively small-diameter disc mounting portion being disposed at a front part of the tray and substantially contained within the confines of the first or large-diameter disc mounting portion for minimizing the required size of the tray, and hence the overall size of the apparatus.

Abstract: A front-loading type disk player, such as a video or compact disk player, having an improved front loading mechanism which absorbs any play or backlash that occurs during the movement of the carriage so that the carriage is accurately controlled in position as it moves in and out of the housing of the player. Support members for the chassis have a stopper with which the carriage comes into contact when the disk reaches a predetermined playing or recording position. An energizing force is applied during the time an accelerating mechanism drives the carriage in the direction of the accommodation position inside the housing, continuing for a short time after the carriage contacts the stopper. The excess force is absorbed by urging the carriage against the stopper.

Abstract: An improved disk driving system for selectively driving one of the compact disk and the video disk is provided with respect to an optic pickup. A compact disk driving motor and a video disk driving motor are installed in line by the respective suitable motor fixing means at the opposite sides of the pick up in a longitudinal axis of a pickup carriage.A driven pinion engaged with the rack of one slider member of said pickup carriage is coupled to the shaft of the first potentiometer for generating a pickup positioning signal upon video disk tracking. A follower gear engaged with said driven pinion is coupled to the shaft of the second potentiometer for generating a pickup positioning signal upon compact disk tracking.The above, different pickup positioning signals are alternatively occurred.

Abstract: A disc player comprises a first driver for driving a first turntable for a first kind of an information-recorded disc, a second driver for driving a second turntable for a second kind of an information-recorded disc, a single holder for holding thereon the first and second drivers, holder drive means for driving the holder, and a pickup for reproducing signals from one of the first and second kinds of information-recorded discs at a predetermined play position, in which the single holder is moved so that one of the first and second kinds of information-recorded disc is selectively positioned at the predetermined play position.

Abstract: In a record player of the direct drive system wherein a turntable and a motor for driving the turntable are directly coupled; a record player characterized in that a cancellation mechanism is disposed coaxially with the driving motor, said cancellation mechanism performing a reciprocating rotational motion to generate to a torque equal in magnitude and reverse in direction with respect to a torque fluctuation developed by rotation of said driving motor, thereby to cancel counteractive rotational vibrations exerted on a cabinet of said record player by said driving motor.

Abstract: A record player wherein a second turntable and motor which are respectively equivalent to an ordinary turntable and motor are additionally disposed, and both the motors are driven and controlled so as to cancel their torques each other, thereby to eliminate a cross modulation distortion from a pickup.

Abstract: A reproducing apparatus for information-carrying records, which apparatus comprises:a housing with an opening for inserting such records, which opening is situated at housing front,a drive mechanism for the rotary drive of the records about an axis of rotation, which mechanism is accommodated in the housing,a turntable for supporting the records, which turntable is axially movable between a lowered position and an operating position, anda lifting device for moving the turntable between the lowered position and the operating position,in which apparatusthere is provided a support (14), which supports the turntable (13) in the lowered position,the turntable (13) can be lifted off the support (14) into the operating position by means of the lifting device (35, 45, 47, 49, 51), andthere is provided a positioning device (11) for moving the support (14) and the turntable (13) carried by said support between the lowered position of the turntable and a position in which it extends at least partly from the housing (3).

Abstract: A disc player apparatus which features, inter alia, a disc and drive support structure including a turntable having a lower face adapted to receive thereon the disc to be played back and a lower disc support unit which is movable into and out of a position below the turn table for holding the disc between the turn table and the disc support unit.

Abstract: A front loading type record player comprises a first and a second turntable, the second table being slidably detachable from the first table, and a means for outwardly feeding the second table from the record player frame.