CD changer using flexible belt transfer mechanism
US6169713A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 28, 1999 |
| Grant date | Jan 2, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 28, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG11B17/24
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Automatic disc changer apparatus includes a tray containing elastomeric grooves designed to securely hold multiple compact information storage discs in generally upright positions, one or more stations, each performing processing operations on discs transferred from the tray one at a time (operations such as reading information from discs and/or writing information to them), means for effecting relative movement between the tray and the stations for aligning a selected groove in the tray with a station, a transfer mechanism associated with each station for moving a disc from the selected groove to a loading position at the station, and from that position back to the tray, in controllably driven rotations, and latch means for laterally moving the disc between the loading position and a processing station. In the controllably driven rotation, top and bottom edges of each selected disc are flexibly constrained while a force is applied to the disc tangential to its top edge. After processing, the selected disc is returned to the tray in a controllably driven reverse rotation. In the rotation from the loading position back to the tray, the selected disc may be returned to the tray eithe…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.