GB2059666A - Improvements in and relating to audio-visual cards - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to audio- visual cards. The card (3) bears audio and visual information on opposite sides thereof. The card (3) includes a base (9) of plastics, a disk record (10) attached to the lower surface of the base (9) and a picture sheet (11) attached to the upper surface of the base (9). The base (9) has an annular recess (9a) with a central boss (9b). The disk record (10) is located by the boss (9b) and bonded to the base (9) when accommodated in the recess (9a). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in and relating to audiovisual cards The invention relates to audiovisual card reproducing devices..

According to the invention there is provided an audiovisual card, comprising a base defining a boss having a central hole engageable by a pilot pin and a disk-record having a spiral groove extending about a central opening, the disk-record being mounted on the base with the central opening being in engagement with and located by the boss, and with the disk-record being bonded to said base.

According to the invention there is further provided an audio visual card comprising a base of plastics material, a recess in said base, a boss located centrally of said recess, a disk record having a spiral groove accommodated within the recess and located by said boss, and means securing the record to the base, the boss having a through hole for receiving the pilot pin of a reproducing device.

An audio visual card embodying the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawing in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of an audiovisual card reproducing device; Figure 2 is an exploded, perspective view of the audiovisual card; Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof; Figure 4 shows an audiovisual card inserted into a cabinet or a main body of the reproducing device; Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view, on enlarged scale, of the card showing a pilot pin guide and a pilot pin hole; Figures 6 and 7 show modifications, respectively, of the pilot pin guide; Figure 8 is a sectional view of the device of Fig. 1; Figure 9 is a perspective view thereof with a turntable being partially cut out; Figure 10 is a top view thereof; Figure 11 is a fragmentary perspective view thereof;; Figure 13 is a top view of another reproduction device; Figure 14 is an exploded perspective view of yet a further reproduction device; Figure 15 is a fragmentary sectional view, on enlarged scale, thereof; and Figure 16 is a detailed view of a portion encircled in Fig. 15.

Same reference numerals are used to designate similar parts throughout the Figures.

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of an audiovisual reproducing device. It has a cabinet or a main body 1 with an elongated slit 2 through which an audiovisual card 3 is inserted into the main body 1, a window 4, a speaker unit 5, a play button 6, an eject button 7 and a stop button 8.

Fig. 2 shows an audiovisual card 3 consisting of a base 9 made of plastic, a disk-record 10 attached to the lower surface of the base 9 and a picture sheet 11 attached to the upper surface of the base 9. The picture sheet 11 is printed with a picture such as landscape as indicated by the broken lines in Fig. 1 so that a user may look at it through the window 4 when the card is inserted into the main body 1.

The base 9 is formed with an annular recess 9a into which is fitted and bonded the disk-record 10, a boss 9b for positioning the disk-record 10, a countersunk or an inverted frustoconical pin guide 9cfor guiding a pilot pin to be described hereinafter, and a pilot pin 9dfor receiving the pilot pin.

The disk-record 10 is formed with a centre hole 1 Oa and a program groove 1 orb.

Next a method for mounting the disk-record 10 on the base 9 will be described. The diameter d2 of the boss 9b of the base 9 is slightly smaller than the diameter d, of the centre hole 1 0a of the disk-record 10 by such a degree that the centre hole 1 0a may be located concentrically of the boss 9b with a predetermined tolerance. The diameter D2 of the annular recess 9a of the base 9 is slightly greater than the outer diameter D, of the diskrecord 10. Thus when the centre hole 1 0a of the disk-record 10 is fitted over the boss 9a the disk-record 10 may be precisely mounted on the base 9 as best shown in Fig. 3.

As shown in Fig. 3, the picture sheet 11 is fitted into a mating recess 9e formed in the bottom surface of the base 9 and bonded thereto. Instead of the picture sheet 11, visual information may be directly printed over the bottom surface of the base 9.

So far the pin guide 9e of the base 9 has been described as being an inverted frustoconical form as best shown in Fig. 5, but it may be made in the form of a part of an inverted frustocone as shown in Fig. 6 or in the form of an inverted frustum of a square pyramid as shown in Fig. 7.

Referring to Figs. 4 to 8 to 12, reference numeral 12 denotes a turntable disposed for rotation within the main body in opposed relationship with the window 4; 13, a pickup which is not only horizontally rotatable about a pin 14 extended from the turntable 12 but also vertically rotatable about a pin 15; 16, a stylus mounted on the pickup; 17, an opening formed through the turntable 12 in order to permit the movement of the pickup 13 as will be described in detail hereinafter; 18, a slip ring mounted on a spindle 19 of the turntable and electrically connected to the output terminal of the pickup 13; 20, an output brush normally made into contact with the slip ring 18; 21, a motor; 22, an endless belt for drivingly coupling the motor 21 to the turntable 12; 23, a chassis; 24, a card rejection member with one end slidably inserted into the card slit 2 and the other end slidably mounted on the chassis 23; 25, a bias spring for normally biasing the card ejection member 24 in the direction indicated by A in Fig. 8 so that a card 3 may be ejected out of the reproducing device as will be described in detail hereinafter.

Referring still to Figs. 8 to 12, reference numeral 27 denotes a leaf spring one end of which is securely fixed to the chassis 23, the other end of which is resiliently made into contact with a wedge or a projection 26 struck out of the card rejection member 24 and which normally biases a pilot pin 28 upwardly or in the direction C in Fig. 9; 29, a leaf switch consisting of a pair of parallel contacts 30 and 31 and a contact holder 32 for supprting one end of the contacts 30 and 31, the leaf switch 29 connecting or disconnecting the motor 21 to or from a power source; 33, a stopper attached to the free end of the contact 30 of the leaf switch 29; 33a, a projection for engagement with a notch 12b of a flange 12a of the turntable 12; 34, a reset member attached to the free end of the contact 31; 34a, a cam surface of the reset member 34 made into contact with a pin 35a extended from a tone arm 35 for resetting the pickup 13 against the force of a spring 36k 34b, a cam made into contact with a projection 36a struck out of a play-slide plate 36 so that when the latter 36 is pushed into the main body, the reset member 34 as well as the stopper 33 are displaced downward or in the direction D in Fig. 9; 37, a stopper which is pivoted at a midpoint between the ends with a pivot pin 38.One end of the stopper 37 is made into engagement with a notch 24a of the card ejection member 24, and when an audiovisual card 3 is inserted into the slit 2, the card rejection member 24 is displaced in the direction B in Fig. 8 so that the stopper 37 is caused to rotate about the pivot pin 38 in the direction E in Fig. 11, whereby the other end of the stopper 37 is moved away from the path of the play-slide plate 36; 39, a locking plate slidably mounted on the chassis 23 and having pins 41 and 42 which engage with the play-slide plate 36 and a stop-slide plate 40, respectively, thereby locking them as will be described in detail hereinafter; 43, a bias spring for normally biasing the locking plate 39 in the direction F in Fig. 10; 47, a card-eject-slide plate.A projection 47a struck out from the card-ejectslide plate 47 at the leading end thereof is made into contact with a cam 27a attached on the leaf spring 47 (see Fig. 8) when the plate 47 is displaced in the direction L in Fig.

8 so that the leaf spring 27 is depressed downwardly and consequently the pilot pin 28 is moved downward away from the pilot pin hole 9dof the card 3; 48, a lever (see Fig. 12). When one end of the lever 48 is made into engagement with a cam projection (not shown) on the spindle 19, the lever 48 is caused to rotate about its pivot pin 49. Then the other end of the lever 48 is made into engagement with the pin 42 of the locking plate 39, causing the latter to slide in the direction opposite to the direction F so as to release the play-slide plate 36.The lever 48 is formed with a notch 48a made into engagement with the leading end 24b of the card rejection member in such a way that when the card 3 is inserted, the lever 48 is moved away from the cam projection, but when the card 3 is ejected the lever 48 is made into engagement with the cam projection (not shown).

The lever 57 is biased by a bias spring 50 so that the notch 48a may be normally main- tained in contact with the leading end 24b of the card ejection member 24. 51 is a spring for normally biasing the play-slide plate 36 to its inactive position; 54, a spring for normally biasing the stop slide plate 40 to its inactive position; and 55, a spring for normally biasing the eject-slide plate 47 to its inactive position.

Next the mode of operation of the device with the above construction will be described.

In the non-play mode; that is, when no card 3 is inserted, the projection 33a of the stopper 33 at the free end of the contact 30 of the leaf switch 29 is engaged with the notch 12b of the flange 12a of the turntable 1 2 so that the contact 30 is slightly bowed downwardly.

The second contact 31 remains in its initial position so that the first contact 30 is out of contact with the second contact 31. Thus the leaf switch 29 remains in the OFF state. As shown in Fig. 9, the pin 35a extended from the tone arm 35 is made into engagement with the side surface of the reset member 34 of the second contact 31. Therefore the tone arm 35 remains in such a position that the stylus 16 of the pickup 13 may be retracted into the opening 17 of the turntable 1 2.

The card ejection member 24 remains in its initial or inoperative position (in the direction A in Figs. 8, 11 and 12) under the force of the bias spring 25 so that the lever 48 is out of engagement with the cam surface 19a of the spindle 19 of the turntable 12 as indicated by the solid lines in Fig. 12.

When a user inserts a card 3 into the slit 2, the card 3 pushes the card ejection member 24 in the direction B in Fig. 8, 11 and 12 so that the leaf spring 27, which is operatively coupled to the card ejection member 24, is deflected upward. As a result, the pilot pin 28 is moved upwardly and inserted into the pilot pin hole 9dthrough the pilot pin guide 9cof the card 3 so that the disk-record 10 may be located concentrically of the turntable 12. The lever 48 is swung to the position indicated by the broken lines in Fig. 12 away from the cam surface 19a of the spindle 12.

When the play button 6 is depressed so that the play-slide plate 36 is displaced in the direction I in Fig. 10, the projection 36a of the play-slide plate 36 engages with the cam surface 34b of the.reset member 34 so that the latter is displaced downwardly and consequently the second contact 31 is caused to bow downwardly and make into contact with the first contact 30. Thus, the leaf switch connects the power source to the motor 21.

In this case, the first contact 30 is further deflected downwardly together with the second contact 31 so that the projection 33a of the stopper 33 at the free end of the first contact 30 is released from the notch 12b of the flange 12a of the turntable 12. Therefore the turntable 12 is turned in the direction J in Fig. 9 by the motor 21. Since the reset member 34 is displaced downwardly as the second contact 31 is deflected downwardly, it is released from the pin 35a so that the tone arm 35 is swung under the force of the spring 36 in such a direction in which the free end of the pickup 12 or the stylus 16 is extended upwardly out of the opening 17 of the turntable 12 and is made into engagement with the program groove of the disk-record 10 mounted on the card 3. Thus the information recorded on the disk-record 10 is reproduced.

This reproduction or play mode is maintained as long as the locking plate 39 locks the playslide plate 36 in the active or play position.

When a user depresses the stop button 7 in the play mode to cause the stop-slide plate 40 to slide in the direction K in Figs. 10 and 12, the locking plate 39 is caused to shift to the left and is released from the play-slide plate 36. As a result, the play-slide plate 36 is returned to its initial or inactive position under the force of the spring 51 so that the first and second contacts 30 and 31 of the leaf switch 29 are returned to their initial positions. The pin 35a of the tone arm 35 rides over the inclined cam surface 34a of the reset member 34 to the flat side surface thereof contiguous with the inclined cam surface 34a. The tone arm 35 is caused to swing back to it initial or inactive position so that the stylus 16 is retracted into the opening 17 of the turntable 12 away from the disk-record 10.

Even when a user pulls the card 3 out of the reproducing device during the play mode, the reproducing device may be reset automatically. That is, when the card 3 is pulled out in the play mode, the displacement of the card forces the pilot pin out of the hole 9dand the card ejection member 24 is displaced in the direction A in Fig. 12 under the force of the bias spring 25 and the lever 48 is returned to its initial position indicated by the solid lines in Fig. 12. As a result, the lever 48 is made into engagement with the cam projection of the spindle 19 so that the lever 48 is further rotated in the counterclockwise direction. The lever 48 pushes the pin 42 of the locking plate 39 so that the latter is caused to shift to the left out of engagement with the play-slide plate 36.As a result, as in the case of pushing the stop button 7, the slide plate 36 is returned to its initial position and consequently the tone arm 35 is also returned to its initial or inactive position in the manner described above.

In the play mode the pilot pin 28 serves to hold the card 3 in position within the slit 2.

When no card is inserted, the card ejection member 24 is in the inoperative or initial position (that is, it is displaced in the direction A in Fig. 8) so that the wedge or projection 26 of the card ejection member 24 pushes the leaf spring 27 downwards so that the pilot pin 28 is retracted downwards away from the top surface of the turntable 12. Thus the pilot pin 28 offers no obstacle against the insertion of the card 3. When the card 3 is inserted into the slit, the card ejection member 24 is displaced to the position shown in Fig. 8 so that the leaf spring 27 springs back upwardly so that the pilot pin 28 is moved upward, engages with the under surface of the card 3 sn is finally fitted into the pilot pin hole 9dof the disk-record 20, thereby preventing the card 3 from being pulled out of the slit 2.

When a user pushes the eject button 8, the card 3 is automatically ejected out of the slit 2 and the reproducing device is also automatically reset or returned to the non-lay mode as will be described in detail below. Upon depression of the eject button 8, the eject-slide plate 47 is displaced in the direction L in Fig.

8 so that the projection 47 a of the eject-slide plate 47 engages with the cam 27a on the leaf spring 27. The leaf spring 27 is therefore deflected downwardly away from the pilot pin hole 9d of the card 3. Then the card ejection member 24 is displaced in the direction A under the force of the bias or return spring 25 (see Fig. 11) so that the card 3 is ejected out of the slit 2 by the card ejection member 24.

When the card ejection member 24 is displaced in the direction A in Fig. 8, it turns the lever 48 so that the locking plate 39 releases the play-slide plate 36. Then the play-slide plate 36 returns to its initial or inoperative position under the force of the bias spring 51.

More particularly, when the lever 48 is turned so that is one end engages with the cam projection 19a of the spindle 19, the lever 48 is turned by the spindle 19 so as to displace the locking plate 39 out of engagement with the play-slide plate 36.

As described above, the card ejection operation is very simple. Furthermore even when the card is pulled out in the play mode, the reproducing device may be automatically reset. Thus the operability may be much improved.

When no card 3 is inserted into the slit 2, the card ejection member 24 is held in its initial or inoperative position under the force of the bias or return spring 25 as shown in Fig. 11 The other end of the stopper 37 is located in the path of the play-slide plate 36.

As a result, even when the play button 6 is depressed, the inner end of the slide plate 36 immediately engages with the other end of the stopper 37 so that the play button 6 cannot be depressed completely. As a consequence the pickup 13 remains in the inoperative position.

The described audiovisual card reproducing machine is very simple in construction and compact in size and acts to prevent the damage to the stylus when the card is inserted and offer excellent operability. It may be used as an audio reproducing device as well as a teaching machine.

The second card reproduction device shown in Fig. 13 is different from the first device in that the second device includes a mechanism for preventing or inhibiting the ejection operation during the play mode.

Referring to Fig. 13, an ejection locking member 44 is mounted for slidable movement in the directions G and H at right angles to the direction I of movement of the play-slide plate 36 and is normally biased in the direction H under the force of a bias or return spring 46. When the play-slide plate 36 is displaced in the direction I to its operative position, a pin 45 extended from the plate 36 engages with the inclining edge of a notch formed in the ejection locking member 44 so that the latter is displaced to the right against the bias or return spring 46 and the left end of the locking member 44 engages with a locking notch 47b formed in the eject-slide plate 47, thereby locking it. Therefore even when the card ejection button 8 is depressed during the play mode, the displacement of the eject-slide plate 47 is locked so that the card 3 cannot be ejected out of the slit 2.

When the play-slide plate 36 is returned to its initial or inoperative position, the engaging pin 45 is out of engagement with the notch of the ejection locking member 44 so that the latter is returned to its initial or inoperative position and consequently the left end thereof is out of engagement with the locking notch 47b of the eject-slide plate 47. Therefore the sliding movement of the eject-slide plate 47 is permitted. Thus when the ejection button 8 is depressed the card 3 is automatically ejected out of the slit 2 in the manner described elsewhere with particular reference to Fig. 8.

As described above, according to the second embodiment of the present invention the ejection of the card 3 during the play mode is completely prevented. Therefore even when a user erroneously depresses the ejection button 8 during the play mode, the damage to the card 3 by the stylus 16 or the damage to the stylus by the card 3 may be completely avoided. The card 3 may be ejected out of the reproducing device only when the latter is in the inoperative mode.

In the third device to be described with reference to Figs. 14 to 16, the replacement of a worn stylus as well as the cleaning thereof may be much facilitated as will be described in detail below with reference to Figs. 14to 16.

In the first and second devices, the window 4 is directly formed in the main body 1, but according to the third device, a card holder 53 having a transparent top panel 53a through which the picture on the card 3 may be viewed and a card insertion slit 53b may be detachably mounted on the cabinet or the main body 1.

The main body 1 is provided with a card holder mount 52 upon which is detachably mounted the card holder 53. The card holder mount 52 is formed with a hole in which is located the turntable 12 with the pickup 13 having the stylus 16 and with first and second engaging members 52a and 52b along the front and rear edges.

First the card holder 53 without the card 3 is inserted into the mount 52. Then a first hook 53engages with the first engaging member 52a while a second hook 53dwith the second engaging member 52b. Thereafter the card 3 is inserted into the slit 53b of the card holder 53. Because the card 3 has a thickness, the first and second hooks 53c and 53dot the card holder 53 are pushed upwardly and downwardly, respectively, as best shown in Fig. 15 so as to firmly engage with the corresponding first and second engaging members 52a and 52b. As a-result, once the card 3 is inserted into the card holder 3, the latter cannot be pulled out of the card holder mount 42.

When a user pushes lightly down the front edge of the card holder 53 or the transparent panel 53a after he or she has pulled the card 3 out of the card holder 53, the first hook 53c is easily released from the first engaging member 52a. Thereafter the user pulls the card holder 53. Then the second hook 53dot the card holder 53 is readily released from the second engaging member 52b of the card holder mount 52, whereby the user may completely pull the card holder 53 out of the card holder mount 52. The turntable 12 and the pickup 13 are exposed so that the replace ment or cleaning of the stylus 1 6 may be effected in a simple manner without the disas sembly of the main body or cabinet 1. Since the card holder 53 cannot be removed out of the reproducing device when the card 3 is inserted into the slit 53b of the card holder 53, the erratic removal of the card holder 53 during the play mode may be positively pre vented and damage to the stylus 16 and the disk-record 10 may be completely avoided.

The described audiovisual card reproducing devices act upon insertion of an audiovisual card into the reproducing device to advance a pilot pin towards the card and for insertion into a pilot pin hole formed in the card so that the disk-record and turntable will be concentrically located with a higher degree of accuracy.

The described audiovisual card reproducing devices cannot be switched into the play mode when no card is inserted, so that damage to the stylus can be avoided.

If a card is pulled out by mistake in the play mode, the stylus will be automatically retracted away from the disk-record, so that the damage to the stylus and to the program groove in the record is prevented.

Also if a card ejection button is operated by mistake in the play mode, the stylus will be automatically retracted away from the diskrecord and the card automatically ejected.

The audiovisual cards described consist of a base made of plastics, a printed sheet bearing visual information bonded or otherwise attached to the upper surface of the base and disk-record bearing the audio information and bonded otherwise attached to the under surface of the base, the base being formed with a pilot or guide pin hole for concentrically locating the disk-record with respect to-a turntable and a pilot pin guide for facilitating the insertion of the pilot pin into the pilot pin hole.

The described devices act to lock the eject operation during the play mode so that damage to the program groove in the disk-record and the stylus is prevented.

The card holder of the described devices in the form of a transparent panel is detachable from the cabinet or main body of the reproducing device in such a way that, when the card holder is removed, the pickup arm is exposed to enable cleaning or replacement of the stylus to be readily effected.

When the card holder is mounted in the cabinet or the main body and then an audiovisual card is inserted into the card holder, the card holder is held in secure engagement with the cabinet or the main body so that is is prevented from being pulled out during the play mode.

Claims (9)

1. An audiovisual card, comprising a base defining a boss having a central hole engageable by a pilot pin and a disk-record having a spiral groove extending about a central opening, the disk-record being mounted on the base with the central opening being in engagement with and located by the boss, and with the disk-record being bonded to said base.

2. A card according to claim 1, wherein the hole in said boss is frusto-conical.

3. A card according to claim 1, wherein the hole in said boss in the form of a frustrum of a square pyramid.

4. A card according to any one of claims 1 to 3, including a printed sheet bearing a visual image bonded to the base on a side thereof opposite to that on which said diskrecord is mounted.

5. A card according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the face of said base opposite to that on which the disk-record is mounted carries printed matter.

6. An audio visual card comprising a base of plastics material, a recess in said base, a boss located centrally of said recess, a disk record having a spiral groove accommodated within the recess and located by said boss, and means securing the record to the base, the boss having a through hole for receiving the pilot pin of a reproducing device.

7. A card according to claim 6, wherein the securing means comprises an adhesive.

8. A card according to claim 6 or to claim 7, wherein said through hole is tapered.

9. An audiovisual card substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.