Abstract: A library apparatus in which a plurality of cartridges can be charged or discharged at the same time, with a simple and compact configuration of a magazine load/unload portion, is disclosed. A plurality of cartridges each containing a storage medium are accommodated in a magazine. The cartridges are moved to a drive unit by a built-in accessor thereby to process the storage media. A charge/discharge mechanism for setting the magazine in the apparatus is configured of an outer door arranged on the front of a frame unit for establishing communication between the exterior and the interior of the apparatus and adapted to be opened/closed manually from outside, an inner door arranged on the back of the frame unit and opened/closed mechanically by the insert/discharge operation of the magazine, and a lock mechanism for the inner and outer doors arranged under the frame unit.

Abstract: Rotary table of an optical disk reproducing apparatus is mounted on a tray for rotation in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction, and it has a plurality of disk-holding depressed portions. These depressed portions are provided in such a manner that their respective centers are located at equal intervals on and along a predetermined imaginary circle line defined about a rotation center of the rotary table. Protruding elements are provided between every adjacent pair of the depressed portions, and each of the protruding elements has an upper surface that is located above the lower surface of an optical disk left adhering to a disk damper but below the lower surface of the disk damper in a non-clamping position.

Abstract: A rotary tray having a plurality of disk mounting sections is pivotally supported by a central shaft arranged on a tray support face of a casing, a rim protruding from a lower face of the rotary tray is movably set on a sliding face block arranged in an outer circumferential section of the tray support face, and disk mounted on a desired disk mounting section is opposed to an optical pickup when the rotary tray is intermittently rotated by a predetermined angle, and the sliding face block is engaged in a space formed between a recess step circumferential face, which is formed along an inner edge of an outer circumferential section of the tray support face, and a support frame integrally formed in the outer circumferential section and being opposed to the recess step circumferential face.

Abstract: A multitasking information processing method comprises the steps of (a) providing a plurality of turntables each for detachably storing an optical disc thereon; (b) affording a plurality of optical units each comprising a driving means and an optical read head; (c) simultaneously controlling the driving means so as to move the optical read heads in radial directions of the optical disc to a plurality of predetermined disc positions for simultaneously retrieving information stored thereon; (d) multitaskingly or simultaneously processing a plurality of information sets retrieved; and (e) rendering data transmitting means capable of multitaskingly transmitting the processed information sets processed.

Abstract: During an operation to change the recording speed, an optical pickup (3) is retracted so as to play back a signal that has already been recording onto a disc D. A synchronization signal obtained from the signal that is played back by the optical pickup (3) and a recording reference signal are synchronized, and the recording operation is resumed from a recording interrupted position. The position where the optical pickup (3) is to be retracted is set on the basis of the time required to change the recording speed. Also, a rotational speed change operation for a spindle motor (1) for rotationally driving a disc D and the retract operation for the optical pickup (3) are performed concurrently.

Abstract: A disk recording and/or reproducing apparatus recording and/or reproducing information on and/or from anyone of a plurality of disk-like recording mediums. Freedom in design is improved by effectively utilizing spaces in which respective portions and mechanisms of the apparatus are disposed. In the apparatus, a first planet gear and second planet gear meshed with a racked portion are switched, whereby the disk tray is moveable between a loading position at which the disk tray is loaded into the apparatus and an eject position at which the disk tray is ejected to a location outside the apparatus body.

Abstract: Both when disc reproducing means is performing a reproduction operation on a disc, and when the disc reproducing means is not performing a reproduction operation on a disc, a tray on which a rotary table is disposed can be moved by tray driving means to a accommodating position and a discharging position. In this configuration, when the disc reproducing means is performing a reproduction operation on a disc, the tray driving means moves the tray at a low speed (step S2), and, when the disc reproducing means is not performing a reproduction operation on a disc, the tray driving means moves the tray at a high speed (step S11).

Abstract: The present invention relates to method and apparatus for determining presence or absence of a disk and size of a disk inserted in a disk holder of a multi-disk changer. A disk size determining apparatus of a multi-disk changer of the present invention, includes a turntable, a plurality of disk holders installed at same distance from the center of the turntable, each disk holder being able to hold a disk of different size selectively, and a single light-emitting element or a single photo-detecting element above or below the turntable, wherein said each disk holder has holes at same distance from the center of the turntable, each hole passing through a light-beam from the light-emitting element in order that the disk size can be determined. A manufacturing cost of a multi-disk changer can be reduced owing to usage of a single detecting sensor.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for controlling the rotation of a turntable, in order to move a disk mounting portion selected among a plurality of disk mounting portions installed on the turntable to a pickup side by a key input signal of a user which includes rotating the turntable by supplying a driving voltage to a turntable driving motor, sensing a rotational velocity of the turntable and the extract output delay time Td of the driving voltage of the motor for stopping the pertinent disk mounting portion at a reproducing position on the basis of the sensed rotation velocity, and cutting off the driving voltage output of the turntable driving motor after confirming the approach of the pertinent disk mounting portion to a reproducing position and confirming the output delay time.

Abstract: Rotary table of an optical disk reproducing apparatus is mounted on a tray for rotation in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction, and it has a plurality of disk-holding depressed portions. These depressed portions are provided in such a manner that their respective centers are located at equal intervals on and along a predetermined imaginary circle line defined about a rotation center of the rotary table. Protruding elements are provided between every adjacent pair of the depressed portions, and each of the protruding elements has an upper surface that is located above the lower surface of an optical disk left adhering to a disk damper but below the lower surface of the disk damper in a non-clamping position.

Abstract: A rotary tray having a plurality of disk mounting sections is pivotally supported by a central shaft arranged on a tray support face of a casing, a rim protruding from a lower face of the rotary tray is movably set on a sliding face block arranged in an outer circumferential section of the tray support face, and disk mounted on a desired disk mounting section is opposed to an optical pickup when the rotary tray is intermittently rotated by a predetermined angle, and the sliding face block is engaged in a space formed between a recess step circumferential face, which is formed along an inner edge of an outer circumferential section of the tray support face, and a support frame integrally formed in the outer circumferential section and being opposed to the recess step circumferential face.

Abstract: An optical disc changer having a main body, a tray slidably installed in the main body, a roulette rotatably installed at the tray to accommodate a plurality of optical discs, an optical pickup device to selectively reproduce one of the optical discs accommodated on the roulette, and a damping unit to absorb shock when the tray is loaded in and unloaded from the main body to prevent defective reproduction of data from the optical disc.

Abstract: When a disk tray stops beyond or before a predetermined rotational position, there has heretofore been a likelihood of the disk tray being unable to be inhibited its rotation. As an arm portion 261b is displaced counterclockwise, a shaft portion 262b of a rotary stopper 262 moves toward an engaging groove 223, so that a sharp portion 262a1 is inserted into the engaging groove 223. At this time, slant faces formed on both sides of the tip of the sharp portion are guided along slant faces of the engaging groove 223 and are inserted to an inner part of the engaging groove. Thus, even when a rotary tray 220 stops at a position deviated from the predetermined rotational position, it is possible to surely inhibit the rotation of the rotary tray 220.

Abstract: If a disk tray, i.e., a rotary tray, is undulated, it is impossible to stabilize a rotating torque of the disk tray, thus causing unevenness in rotation of the tray. A rotary tray is supported from below at a peripheral edge portion of its lower surface by means of rollers which are arranged at equal intervals on a circumference centered at a support shaft, and with a biasing force of a spring, the rotary tray is pressed toward an upper surface of a slide tray, so that the rotary tray is installed warpedly in a downwardly convex shape as a whole. Consequently, undulation of the rotary tray which occurred at the time of resin molding is eliminated and the rotary tray comes into uniform abutment against the rollers, whereby it becomes possible to stabilize the rotating torque of the rotary tray and eliminate unevenness in rotation of the rotary tray.

Abstract: The present invention relates to method and apparatus for determining presence or absence of a disk inserted in a disk holder of a multi-disk changer. A disk size determining apparatus of a multi-disk changer of the present invention, includes a turntable, a plurality of disk holders installed at same distance from the center of the turntable, each disk holder being able to hold a disk of different size selectively, and a single light-emitting element or a single photo-detecting element above or below the turntable, wherein said each disk holder has holes at same distance from the center of the turntable, each hole passing through a light-beam from the light-emitting element in order that the disk size can be determined. A manufacturing cost of a multi-disk changer can be reduced owing to usage of a single detecting sensor.

Abstract: A reproducing apparatus comprising: a main body; a frame which can be freely pushed out from, or drawn in the main body; a disk tray which is rotatably attached to the frame, for mounting a plurality of disks; an optical pick-up unit for reproducing recording data recorded in each disk, the disk tray for rotatably moving a designated disk at the optical pick-up unit; and the designated disk being reproduced; wherein the optical pick-up unit operating along with a turn table for holding and rotating the disk, is located between the rotation center of the disk tray and the front panel the main body when the frame is drawn in said main body.