Guide Mechanism Patents (Class 720/622)
  • Patent number: 8819709
    Abstract: Provided is a disk loading apparatus which includes a frame base on which a spindle motor is mounted. The apparatus includes a disk loading structure that loads a disk on the spindle motor, a plurality of sliders operating in connection with a loading lever, and a plurality of gears transferring the motive power to the plurality of sliders. The apparatus also includes a plurality of shafts to which the gears are coupled, and a plurality of slider guide walls that guide movement of the plurality of sliders. According to various aspects, the shafts and the slider guide walls are formed integrally with the frame base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Toshiba Samsung Storage Technology Korea Corporation
    Inventors: Joung-sug Ko, Sang-yun Baek, Un-jin Choi, Cheol-woong Ahn
  • Patent number: 8752076
    Abstract: A lift frame supports a turntable unit, and moves between a lower-most position and a read/write position in conjunction with slide movement of a follower slider. The follower slider has a pressing member and a cam groove. Pressed to a bottom plate of a device chassis by a coil spring, the pressing member stabilizes the movement of the follower slider. The cam groove fits onto a lifting pin of the lift frame. At the read/write position, the cam bottom wall is constituted of a pin pushing portion. The pin pushing portion is pushed upward by the coil spring to press the lifting pin to a cam groove upper wall when the lift frame is in the read/write position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: TEAC Corporation
    Inventor: Shinichi Fujisawa
  • Patent number: 8578401
    Abstract: An apparatus and system for recording, playing, handling, and storing a plurality of media disks in a plurality of configurations and a device for moving any disk into and out of a media disk storage mechanism and into or out of a selected media player/recorder on demand, and a controller for directing operation of the device for moving the disks and controlling selection of operation of the media disk storage mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Hie Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Burns Douglass, Thomas Marshall Humm, John Aden Mosher
  • Publication number: 20130047172
    Abstract: This optical disc device is provided with a disc guide unit for guiding movement of an optical disc while also sliding together with the optical disc as the optical disc is being inserted into the device. A plurality of types of regulating units for abutting the optical disc and regulating travel of the optical disc in an insertion direction are provided to the disc guide unit so as to be changed in accordance with a diameter of the optical disc.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2012
    Publication date: February 21, 2013
    Inventor: Masahito TERAOKA
  • Patent number: 8352973
    Abstract: According to the slot-in type disk apparatus, the discharge slider 106 is constituted by a main discharge slider 106 and a sub-discharge slider 106, first load means 106C and second load means 106X, 106Y are given to the main discharge slider 106 and the sub-discharge slider 106, when a load in a direction in which the disk is pushed in is applied to the discharge lever 100 when the disk is discharged, a load caused by the second load means 106X, 106Y is applied to the main discharge slider 106 and the sub-discharge slider 106, and load caused by the first load means 106C is after the load caused by the second load means 106X, 106Y is released.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Kengo Masaoka
  • Patent number: 8341655
    Abstract: A slot-in optical disc drive is provided to comprise a driving element moveably disposed in the optical disc and capable of moving toward a disc loading direction and a disc unloading direction, wherein the driving element has a loading drive groove; a disc loading element pivoted in the optical disc drive, wherein the disc loading element has a loading driven pin for operating with the loading drive groove; a disc unloading element pivoted in the optical disc drive; and an elastic element used for providing an elastic force on the disc unloading element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Philips & Lite-on Digital Solutions Corporation
    Inventors: Ta-Hsiang Wang, Yung-Han Wu
  • Patent number: 8276170
    Abstract: An apparatus and system for recording, playing, handling, and storing a plurality of media disks in a plurality of configurations and a device for moving any disk into and out of a media disk storage mechanism and into or out of a selected media player/recorder on demand, and a controller for directing operation of the device for moving the disks and controlling selection of operation of the media disk storage mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Hie Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Burns Douglass, Thomas Marshall Humm, John Aden Mosher
  • Patent number: 8276172
    Abstract: A lifting frame has a lifting pin that fits into a lifting cam groove of a follower slider, and swings up and down about a rod near a disk slot. A holding member is swingably attached to front end of the lifting frame. This holding member supports a turntable unit for holding a disk. The holding member has a cam follower pin that fits into a swinging cam groove of a loading slider to raise and lower the holding member. When the lifting frame swings down from a read/write position to a lowered position, the holding member inclines from the lifting frame so as to place the turntable unit substantially parallel to a disk carrying direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: TEAC Corporation
    Inventor: Shinichi Fujisawa
  • Patent number: 8266642
    Abstract: An optical disk mechanism has a housing with at least one disk entry/exit aperture. A disk guide, such as a plate, is aligned with and guides an optical disk through the disk entry/exit aperture. Two beams rotatably support at least one roller and a drive mechanism. Flexing and biasing the roller towards the disk, the two beams maintain a rotational axis of the roller parallel to the disk and accommodate varying separation between the roller and the disk guide. The two beams are closely spaced and non-coplanar, and may be part of a double-beam mount. The double-beam mount attaches the two beams to the housing and to a frame, which positions the roller near the disk guide and the disk entry/exit aperture. Sliding the disk along the plate or other disk guide, the roller is reversible to drive the disk in or out through the disk entry/exit aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi-LG Data Storage, Inc.
    Inventors: Amir H. Torkaman, Michael Szelong, Kyquang Son, Ravender Goyal, Paul R. Swan, Michael Umansky
  • Publication number: 20120117579
    Abstract: A disc device that includes a loading unit configured to load an storage medium into the disc device, a chucking unit configured to accommodate the loaded storage medium thereon, an ejection unit configured to eject the storage medium, and a controller configured to control the loading unit, the chucking unit, and the ejection unit. The ejection unit moves the storage medium to a loading position for loading the storage medium onto the chucking unit when the storage medium is initially inserted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2011
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Inventor: Cheol-woong Ahn
  • Publication number: 20120089995
    Abstract: A disk device of the invention is provided with a trigger member rotated by being contacted with and pressed by a disk having a different diameter to be conveyed to a replayable position, a slide cam member which drives a disk installment mechanism by being pressed and moved by the trigger member, and a centering member which centers the disk so that the disk faces a turntable at the replayable position. The trigger member has a rotation shaft portion serving as a rotation center, a disk contact portion to be contacted with the disk, and a pressing portion for pressing the slide cam member, and the centering member is provided movably in a disk conveying direction by being contacted with and pressed by the conveyed disk, and has a guide portion for moving the rotation shaft portion of the trigger member in accordance with movement in the disk conveying direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2011
    Publication date: April 12, 2012
    Inventors: Takuto Yamazaki, Yukio Morioka, Norikatsu Yoshida, Yuji Ariyoshi, Shinichi Maeda, Hitoshi Higaki, Tatsuro Nishi
  • Patent number: 8132194
    Abstract: A disk storage medium processing apparatus includes at least an apparatus body having a disk loading/unloading slot, a traverse unit which is disposed in the apparatus body to conduct at least one of recording, deletion, and reproduction of information onto or from a disk, and a disk conveying device which conveys the disk into the apparatus body when a part of the disk is inserted through the disk loading/unloading slot and which ejects a part of the disk through the disk loading/unloading slot from a state that the disk is housed in the apparatus body. A control device controls the disk conveying device. The control device includes a single control member for controlling conveyance of the disk by the disk conveying means, for centering of the disk relative to the traverse unit, and for clamping or unclamping the disk relative to a turn table of the traverse unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Tohei Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Katsuro Shimomae
  • Publication number: 20120042329
    Abstract: The invention provides a jam-proof device of a slot-in optical disk drive. In the jam-proof device, a contact pin protrudes from one end of the loading bar, the other end of the loading bar is pivoted with a pivot on a first side of the casing, and a block protrudes adjacent to the pivot. One end of the unloading bar is pivoted on a second side of the casing opposite to the first side, and a reception end is formed at the other end of the unloading bar to extend to a center of the casing. A distance between the block and the reception end at a default position is shorter than a diameter of an 8-cm disc to prevent the disc from entering the slot-in optical disk drive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2011
    Publication date: February 16, 2012
    Applicant: QUANTA STORAGE INC.
    Inventors: Yao-Ching Tsai, Jen-Chen Wu
  • Patent number: 8095944
    Abstract: A slot-in type disk drive fastens a clamping unit with two protrusions around its periphery on the central hole of a base plate. A front positioning part utilizes a stick to link a front right positioning bar and a front left positioning bar to synchronously open or close. A locking rod has a limiting pin inserted into an arc slot on the side of the base plate, and protrudes a locking end from the rear end. A rear positioning part utilizes an idle gear to link rear right and rear left positioning bars to synchronously open or close. The locking end can insert a first or second positioning recess on the rear left positioning bar and a touch block of the locking rod leans against the first protrusion. A lever is disposed on the rear right positioning bar to link a linkage plate set by one end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Quanta Storage Inc.
    Inventors: Yu-Ming Chang, Yu-Sheng Wang, Jen-Chen Wu
  • Patent number: 8085625
    Abstract: A burner system capable of inverting an optical disc has a control module, a burning module, a mechanical arm and an inverter. The control module controls the mechanical arm to grab the optical disc from a burner in the burning module and release the optical disc into the inverter. The optical disc passes through the inverter due to gravity, one side of the optical disc is tilted by the inverter so the optical disc is inverted. Therefore, the burner system automatically inverts the optical disc for double-sided data processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Vinpower Inc.
    Inventor: Shuo-Wei Chang
  • Patent number: 8060896
    Abstract: A method and device for protecting slot-in optical disc drive are provided. A first sensing switch is for detecting the action of an unloading unit, a second sensing switch is for detecting the action of a receiving unit, and a third sensing switch is for detecting the action of a positioning bar. A disc is inserted as the optical disc drive is at the initial state, and the states of the first, second and third sensing switches are detected. The transmission unit is activated to automatically load the disc as all sensing switches are turned on, and whether the state of the third sensing switch changes is checked. When the state of the third sensing switch changes, the extraction of the disc is detected, so the transmission unit is immediately reversed to execute the unloading of the disc, so as to protect the optical disc drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: Quanta Storage Inc.
    Inventor: Jen-Chen Wu
  • Publication number: 20110247020
    Abstract: A disk unit is disclosed wherein a disk inserted by a pivoting arm is loaded to the interior of the disk unit or a disk accommodated in the interior of the disk unit is unloaded to the exterior of the disk unit, the disk unit including a plurality of arms able to convey two types of disks different in diameter while supporting an outer periphery edge of each of the disks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2011
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Applicant: TEAC Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichi Fujisawa, Satoru Inoue
  • Patent number: 8024750
    Abstract: The present invention provides a lift device of a slot-in disk drive, which includes two straight slots formed on a side of a sliding component, two sliding pins protruding from a side of base adjacent to the sliding component or protruding from a fixing plate of a casing, a cover covering with the sliding component, two guiding pins protruding from an inner surface of the cover corresponding to the two straight slots for inserting into the two straight slots respectively, an one-humped traverse slot with two ends of different heights formed on a lateral side of the cover adjacent to the sliding bolt whereinto the sliding bolt inserts, and two lifting slots separately formed on the other lateral side of the cover whereinto the two sliding pins insert.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Quanta Storage Inc.
    Inventors: Yao-Ching Tsai, Jen-Chen Wu
  • Patent number: 7984458
    Abstract: A disk unit is disclosed wherein a disk inserted by a pivoting arm is loaded to the interior of the disk unit or a disk accommodated in the interior of the disk unit is unloaded to the exterior of the disk unit, the disk unit including a plurality of arms able to convey two types of disks different in diameter while supporting an outer periphery edge of each of the disks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: TEAC Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichi Fujisawa, Satoru Inoue
  • Patent number: 7900220
    Abstract: A slot-in disk drive device has a drive unit for providing power to move a slider and thus a sliding plate attached to the slider. Guiding slots on the sliding plate rotate a transmission bar. A guide pin is disposed on the transmission bar and moves with a loading stick. One end of a receiving bar is formed with a locking slot. A substrate having inclined slots arranged in parallel and used for guiding the receiving bar. A locking member mounted on the disk drive device has a stopper edge located on moving path of projecting guide pin of the transmission bar and a locking pin. One end of a pulling spring is fixed to the locking member so that the locking pin locks with the locking slot. One end of a restoring bar is mounted on the substrate, and a restoring torsion spring supports and restores the receiving bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Quanta Storage Inc.
    Inventors: Yao-Jia Chiou, Yao-Ching Tsai, Yao-Ting Kuo, Jen-Chen Wu
  • Patent number: 7844979
    Abstract: A disc player 10 is equipped with a positioning unit 14 that has step plate 54 and positions a disc 1, a clamper unit 15 that has a clamp plate 66 and carries out a clamp operation on the disc positioned by the positioning unit, a drive unit 16 that has a pickup and a turntable 19 on a drive plate 18, and rotates the disc clamped on the turntable by the clamper unit to take information from the disc by the pickup, wherein the positioning unit and the clamper unit are provided separately from each other, and movable vertically to the drive unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Katsuhisa Satoh
  • Publication number: 20100281495
    Abstract: A protection device of a slot-in optical disk drive is provided. The protection device is disposed between two linking parts of the slot-in optical disk drive. One of the two linking parts is formed with a slot, and the other one of the two linking parts is connected to an upper end of a guide pin. A lower end of the guide pin protrudes and is inserted into the slot, and a portion of the guide pin corresponding to a side of the slot is formed with a notch. As the notch engages with the slot, the situation that the guide pin slides out of the slot can be avoided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2010
    Publication date: November 4, 2010
    Applicant: QUANTA STORAGE INC.
    Inventors: Yao-Ching TSAI, Jen-Chen Wu
  • Patent number: 7827568
    Abstract: An optical drive bezel assembly for coupling to an optical drive. The optical drive bezel assembly includes a functional bezel having a first opening to receive an optical disk and a first plurality of attachment features. The functional bezel is coupled to the optical drive. A disk guide is rigidly coupled to the functional bezel. A cosmetic bezel has a second opening to receive the optical disk and a second plurality of attachment features. The cosmetic bezel is rigidly coupled to the functional bezel. A cosmetic screen is attached to the cosmetic bezel. The first opening and the second opening are in alignment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Joshua David Banko
  • Patent number: 7827569
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a recording medium drive system including: a casing provided in a front face thereof with a slot through which to insert and discharge a recording medium having a principal surface and an opposite surface; and a sheet-formed member provided so as to close the slot and having a loop-formed deflected part which, while being deformed, is capable of making contact with at least one of the principal surface and the opposite surface of the recording medium at the times of insertion and discharge of the recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Yoichiro Mitsumoto
  • Patent number: 7805737
    Abstract: A disk drive device includes a housing having a front side with a slot through which a disk-shaped recording medium is inserted and ejected, a pickup unit including a mount on which the recording medium is mounted, a rotating mechanism that rotates the recording medium on the mount, a pickup mechanism that reproduces a signal recorded on the recording medium, a pickup-moving mechanism that moves the pickup mechanism in a radial direction of the recording medium, and a base plate that has a protruding surface guiding the recording medium toward the mount and on which the mount, the rotating mechanism, the pickup mechanism, and the pickup-moving mechanism are integrated, and a conveying mechanism that conveys the recording medium between the slot and the mount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2010
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Yamada, Hideaki Kumagai, Kazuyuki Yamamoto, Toshio Mamiya
  • Publication number: 20100138847
    Abstract: A disk storage medium processing apparatus includes an apparatus body having a disk loading/unloading slot, a traverse unit which is disposed in the apparatus body to conduct at least one of recording, deletion, and reproduction of information onto or from a disk, and a disk conveying device which conveys the disk into the apparatus body when a part of the disk is inserted through the disk loading/unloading slot and which ejects a part of the disk through the disk loading/unloading slot from a state that the disk is housed in the apparatus body. A control device controls the disk conveying device. The disk conveying device includes at least first through third disk conveying arm members which are pivotably mounted on the apparatus body and which can hold a periphery of the disk to convey the disk.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2010
    Publication date: June 3, 2010
    Inventor: Katsuro Shimomae
  • Patent number: 7716692
    Abstract: A disc device includes the following: a traverse base 5 that can be moved between a recording/reproducing position and a standby position, on which an optical pickup 2 and a turntable 1 are mounted; a front cover 3 including a disc carrying surface 3a that carries a disc 4 and an aperture 3b that is formed in the disc carrying surface 3a and allows the turntable 1 to pass through when the traverse base 5 is moved between the recording/reproducing position and the standby position; and centering members 8 for holding and shifting the disc 4 to a position where the center of the disc 4 is aligned with the center of the turntable 1. The loading of a disc can be performed in an easy and highly flexible manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Yuji Ariyoshi, Naohisa Tanabe
  • Patent number: 7716690
    Abstract: A disk-storing disk may include multiple supporting members for supporting disks and being stacked in the axial direction; a supporting member selecting mechanism for moving a supporting member to a selecting position; a driving unit having a rotational driving unit for clamping and rotating a disk held by the supporting member at the selecting position; a transporting mechanism for transporting a disk inserted from an insertion opening of the casing to the selected supporting member at the selecting position; and a restriction guide member having a restriction face and being turnably supported between a guiding attitude and a non-acting attitude; wherein, when a disk is transported toward a supporting member at the selecting position by the transporting mechanism, the restriction guide member turns to the guide attitude, and when the supporting member is moved by the supporting member selecting mechanism, the restriction guide member turns to the non-acting attitude.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: Alpine Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Satoshi Haga, Shoji Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7685610
    Abstract: A disk device includes a driving unit and a restricting mechanism that are disposed in a housing. The driving unit moves between a withdrawal position and a driving position. The withdrawal position is separated from an outer peripheral edge of a disk that is positioned in the housing, and the driving position is where the disk is rotationally driven. When the driving unit is at the withdrawal position, the restricting mechanism restricts movement of the driving unit toward the driving position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: Alpine Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Abe, Ken Fujinaga
  • Patent number: 7644417
    Abstract: A disc apparatus is provided in which a disc inserted by automatic loading by a plurality of arms supporting outer peripheral edges of two kinds of discs with different diameters can be loaded into the disc apparatus or a disc accommodated within the disc apparatus can be unloaded from the disc apparatus. This disc apparatus includes an elevation frame for swinging a turntable on which the disc is fixed and rotated in the upper and lower direction, wherein a rotary base plate of a disc supporting arm is slightly distorted in the initial state in which the elevation frame is lowered, whereby a tip end of a holder provided at a tip end of the disc supporting arm approaches or contacts the surface of the elevation frame to prevent a rear end side of a large-diameter disc or a small-diameter disc from entering the lower surface of the holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Assignee: Teac Corporation
    Inventor: Satoru Inoue
  • Publication number: 20090288107
    Abstract: An optical disc apparatus including first to fourth disc guides. At the end of disc loading, the first one, in a fixed position, contacts a peripheral side face of the optical disc at a first point thereon to support the disc; the second one has a plane opposite to the peripheral side face which contacts the peripheral side face of the optical disc at a second point to support the disc while restrained from moving away from the side face; the third one contacts the peripheral side face of the optical disc at a third point to support the disc while biased by a spring; and the fourth one contacts the side face at a fourth point while biased by a spring to support the disc, and is restrained from moving against the resilience of the spring. The disc, supported by those disc guides, is chucked by a clamper.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2009
    Publication date: November 19, 2009
    Inventors: Yoichi NARUI, Ikuo Nishida, Yoshiyuki Tanaka, Hisahiro Miki
  • Publication number: 20090288106
    Abstract: In an optical disc drive apparatus 10, a main arm 400 is spread by an inserted optical disc 102 as the optical disc 102 is being inserted. A main arm boss 402 slides in a predetermined direction along a disc holder control groove 225 and a main arm boss 403 slides in a predetermined direction along a disc holder rotation groove 222.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2009
    Publication date: November 19, 2009
    Inventors: Hiroyuki YOKOE, Takeshi Oosora, Hiroto Kawata
  • Patent number: 7603679
    Abstract: When a disc is loaded in or unloaded from a disc device, even if the disc is pushed in the direction opposite to the transmission direction by external force to return or is pulled to return, it is possible to prevent the mechanism that transmits the disc from being damaged and to improve the reliability of the disc device. In a disc device for loading the disc inserted by the pivoting of the arm mechanism therein and for unloading the disc accommodated therein to the outside thereof, a lock mechanism, by which a lock state in which driving force for pivoting the arm mechanism is transmitted from a driving mechanism is released when force more than a predetermined amount is applied to the arm mechanism in the loading direction of the disc or in the unloading direction of the disc, is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: TEAC Corporation
    Inventor: Nobuhiko Fujimura
  • Patent number: 7603678
    Abstract: When a disc is loaded in or unloaded from a disc device, even if the disc is pushed in the direction opposite to the transmission direction by external force to return or is pulled to return, it is possible to prevent the mechanism that transmits the disc from being damaged and to improve the reliability of the disc device. In a disc device for loading the disc inserted by the pivoting of the arm mechanism therein and for unloading the disc accommodated therein to the outside thereof, a lock mechanism, by which a lock state in which driving force for pivoting the arm mechanism is transmitted from a driving mechanism is released when force more than a predetermined amount is applied to the arm mechanism in the loading direction of the disc or in the unloading direction of the disc, is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: Teac Corporation
    Inventor: Nobuhiko Fujimura
  • Patent number: 7576946
    Abstract: In the loading of a disc in a slot-in type of disc apparatus, time lag occurs at the time of shift from an operation that manually inserts the disc to an operation that automatically swallows the disc. In order to solve this problem, a switch for detecting the position of a disc at the beginning of insertion thereof and a switch for detecting a position where the loading of the disc has been completed are provided respectively. The modification of control is made so that the disc support arm is driven with a weak electric power from the beginning of the insertion of the disc, and an error caused by time-out is further detected. If the error has been detected, the disc is ejected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Assignee: Teac Corporation
    Inventor: Shinichi Fujisawa
  • Publication number: 20090049462
    Abstract: There is provided a disc player which does not require any complicated mechanism for holding discs different in diameter at the terminal portion of the loading passage and implements thin design of the apparatus. Guide mechanism 81A, 82A for guiding a disc 200 inserted in an insertion port upwardly or downwardly inside the main body are provided, and the disc 200 guided upwardly or downwardly can be loaded along a different loading passage RK1 inside the main body 1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2007
    Publication date: February 19, 2009
    Applicant: CLARION CO., LTD
    Inventor: Katsuhisa Sato
  • Patent number: 7472402
    Abstract: A disk drive includes a chassis and first and second disk-positioning members mounted respectively on two opposite sides of the chassis. The first and second disk-positioning members have two straight inner portions extending perpendicularly and respectively from the opposite sides of the chassis to define a first distance therebetween, and two outer portions extending inclinedly and respectively from the inner straight portions in such a manner to define a second distance therebetween. The second distance is longer than the first distance. When an optical disk is moved to a reading and/or writing position from a temporary position, the inclined outer portions of the first and second disk-positioning members are spaced apart from the disk to permit smooth rotation thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Lite-On It Corporation
    Inventors: Tsung-Jung Kuo, Jui-Chiang Lin
  • Patent number: 7467395
    Abstract: A disc drive device which can discharge a disc in an optimum discharge amount in the disc drive device dealing with discs having different thickness and weight. A disc drive device including a disc conveying mechanism formed with a supporting portion to support the optical disc, and having a plurality of arms rotatably supported in the housing, and an energizing member for rotatably energizing the plurality of the rotary arms in a predetermined direction, and conveying the optical disc between a disc mounting position for holding the optical disc inserted into the housing in the disc holding portion and a disc insertion/removal position for inserting/removing the optical disc, the top cover having a control portion for controlling a rotary region of the plurality of rotary arms which energizes the optical disc in the discharging direction by contact with the plurality of rotary arms supporting the outer peripheral surface of the disc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2008
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Omori, Yuji Suzuki, Takashi Ootsuka, Keiji Jitsukawa, Satoshi Muto, Koji Natsubori, Hidekuni Aizawa
  • Publication number: 20080282274
    Abstract: To provide a disk selecting device and disk device which require only a small space and can prevent an erroneous selection of disks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2005
    Publication date: November 13, 2008
    Inventors: Hiroto Handa, Akira Takahashi
  • Patent number: 7444650
    Abstract: A disk apparatus includes a playback unit having a reading unit for reading information recorded on a disk, and a turntable on which the disk is placed, the playback unit being movable between a lateral side of a disk conveying path and a central portion of the disk, an arc-shaped stocker for stocking the disk, the stocker being shaped like a part of a circle whose more than half of its area including a center is removed in order to make it possible for the playback unit to move toward the central portion of the disk, and a supporting member disposed separately from the stocker opposite to a part of the disk which is not held by the stocker, the supporting member restricting horizontal movements of the disk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2008
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shigehiro Ito
  • Publication number: 20080201730
    Abstract: When a disc is loaded in or unloaded from a disc device, even if the disc is pushed in the direction opposite to the transmission direction by external force to return or is pulled to return, it is possible to prevent the mechanism that transmits the disc from being damaged and to improve the reliability of the disc device. In a disc device for loading the disc inserted by the pivoting of the arm mechanism therein and for unloading the disc accommodated therein to the outside thereof, a lock mechanism, by which a lock state in which driving force for pivoting the arm mechanism is transmitted from a driving mechanism is released when force more than a predetermined amount is applied to the arm mechanism in the loading direction of the disc or in the unloading direction of the disc, is formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2008
    Publication date: August 21, 2008
    Applicant: TEAC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Nobuhiko Fujimura
  • Patent number: 7411871
    Abstract: An optical disk drive including a sliding portion, which moves a sub frame upward or downward against a main frame; a sensor, which includes tension members which are provided in both sides of the sliding portion so that the tension members are elastically deformed to apply an additional load to the sliding portion when the sliding portion slides, and stopper members which contact the tension members and elastically deform the tension members when the sliding portion slides; and a controller, which senses a current change of a driving motor when the additional load is applied to the sliding portion, recognizes whether the tray is loaded or unloaded onto or from the main frame, and controls the driving motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2008
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jae-soo Lee, Byung-sam Son
  • Patent number: 7401342
    Abstract: In order to prevent any scratches from occurring at a back-end edge of a disk when a feeding roller finishes ejecting the disk and a user tries to grab and draw out the disk, a second ridge disposed on a side of an opening for inserting the disk of two ridges located on both sides of the feeding roller is made up of a straight part without any gradient for a specified range in a central part, a first tapered part with a sharp gradient within a specified range on both sides thereof, and a second tapered part with a gentle gradient on both sides further thereto. When the disk is drawn out for ejecting, only the back-end circumferential periphery of the disk point-contacts the first tapered part with a sharp gradient and accordingly it is possible to prevent any damage to the disk due to any possible line contact between the disk and the ridges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kasama, Youhide Kido
  • Patent number: 7401341
    Abstract: When a disc is loaded in or unloaded from a disc device, even if the disc is pushed in the direction opposite to the transmission direction by external force to return or is pulled to return, it is possible to prevent the mechanism that transmits the disc from being damaged and to improve the reliability of the disc device. In a disc device for loading the disc inserted by the pivoting of the arm mechanism therein and for unloading the disc accommodated therein to the outside thereof, a lock mechanism, by which a lock state in which driving force for pivoting the arm mechanism is transmitted from a driving mechanism is released when force more than a predetermined amount is applied to the arm mechanism in the loading direction of the disc or in the unloading direction of the disc, is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Assignee: Teac Corporation
    Inventor: Nobuhiko Fujimura
  • Publication number: 20080134225
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a disc guide of a disc carrying device composed of a guide plate made from a metal plate and guide projections made of a synthetic resin, and that can be easily produced at low cost.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2007
    Publication date: June 5, 2008
    Inventor: Takashi Yamanaka
  • Publication number: 20080052731
    Abstract: A slot-in disk drive device has a drive unit for providing power to move a slider and thus a sliding plate attached to the slider. Guiding slots on the sliding plate rotate a transmission bar. A guide pin is disposed on the transmission bar and moves with a loading stick. One end of a receiving bar is formed with a locking slot. A substrate having inclined slots arranged in parallel and used for guiding the receiving bar. A locking member mounted on the disk drive device has a stopper edge located on moving path of projecting guide pin of the transmission bar and a locking pin. One end of a pulling spring is fixed to the locking member so that the locking pin locks with the locking slot. One end of a restoring bar is mounted on the substrate, and a restoring torsion spring supports and restores the receiving bar.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2007
    Publication date: February 28, 2008
    Applicant: QUANTA STORAGE INC.
    Inventors: Yao-Jia Chiou, Yao-Ching Tsai, Yao-Ting Kuo, Jen-Chen Wu
  • Patent number: 7302695
    Abstract: The present invention provides a slot-in type optical disk player which has a guide unit to guide an optical disk, inserted into an inlet, to a central portion of the inlet of the optical disk player, and a disk guide device to allow the optical disk player to play either of 80 mm and 120 mm optical disks. The disk guide device includes a chucking plate, a guide arm, a select arm, a push arm and a push lever. As such, the optical disk player of the present invention plays either of the 80 mm and 120 mm optical disks, so that the optical disk player is economical and practical. Furthermore, the optical disk player has the guide unit which is provided in a disk loading part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Cheong-Hee Lee, Ju-Chul Kim, Jae-Joon Yoon
  • Patent number: 7234152
    Abstract: In guide grooves formed at both side edges of a lower face of a tray and fitted to a pair of left and right guide members of a cabinet, the guide groove substantially in a U-like shape on one side is inserted with a front end portion of an elastic plate integrally projected at a front portion of the cabinet, a recess portion is formed at a portion of one side face of the guide groove 12 opposed to the elastic plate in a state of containing the tray into the cabinet, and formed such that by bringing the one side face of the guide groove 12 into elastic contact with the elastic plate opposed to the recess portion in moving the tray forward, other side face of the guide groove is brought into contact with reference guide faces of the guide member on one side to thereby prevent the tray from being inclined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2007
    Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Katsuya Sakagami
  • Patent number: 7231645
    Abstract: A disk recording and/or reproducing apparatus has a disk centering member having a disk abutment assembly and an operating member, and angularly movably supported at a portion thereof between the disk abutment assembly and the operating member by a shaft, wherein when a transferred disk abuts against the disk abutment assembly to press the disk abutment assembly, the disk centering member is angularly moved about the shaft, and then prevented from being angularly moved by a stopper, centering the disk, and a gear switching mechanism operable by being pressed by the operating member. The disk abutment assembly has a first disk abutment for angularly moving the disk centering member by a predetermined angular interval, and a second disk abutment for angularly moving the disk centering member by an angular interval, which is substantially the same as the angular interval of the first disk abutment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2007
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kenichi Hirano, Takeshi Suzuki, Shinji Ito
  • Patent number: 7065773
    Abstract: To make simple in structure and to still ensure precise disc loading, a disc loading-and-unloading structure for a disc apparatus comprises a drive motor, a drive roll assembly, a free-roll slider, a rotary lever, a slider, and link-and-spring connection means. The drive roll assembly has first and second drive rolls, an intervening transmission gear wheel, and a rotatable arm plate. The first drive roll is rotatably fixed to a stationary stud axle next to one end of the disc slot, and is connected to the drive motor. The first and second drive rolls are fixed to the opposite ends of the rotatable arm plate with the intervening transmission gear wheel sandwiched therebetween. The free-roll slider is next to the other end of the disc slot. The free-roll slider has first and second free rolls, and a slidable arm plate, and the first and second free rolls are fixed to the opposite ends of the slidable arm plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2006
    Assignee: Orion Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kouji Azai