JPH0472307B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[Industrial Application Field] The present invention is applicable to compact discs (CDs), video discs (VDs), or read-only memory CDs.
The present invention relates to a loading and unloading device for disks such as (ROM, CD), etc., and particularly to a loading and unloading device for discs that can shorten access time. [Summary of the Invention] The present invention is aimed at shortening the loading and unloading time of disks when reading or recording (R/W) a plurality of disks stored in a carousel type disk storage unit. This invention relates to a disk loading and ejecting device which searches for a disk to be read/written next to the existing disk and simultaneously loads and ejects the disk. [Conventional technology] Recently, digital audio disk (DAD)
A playback device using the DAD is commercially available, and when information in a DAD is randomly accessed by optical pickup, the access time can be extremely shortened. However, in order to store more information in memory, a large number of the above-mentioned disks are arranged, a plurality of these disks are selected and brought to the reproducing means, and predetermined information is randomly selected from the disks of the reproducing means. For example, automatic performance devices called record changers have been proposed for record players and the like. These automatic performance devices use a storage device called a carousel, in which recording and reproducing media such as disks, cassettes, and slide films are arranged radially within a cylindrical disk storage chamber. The above carousel has a drive shaft connected to a drive motor in the center,
A predetermined reproduction medium is stopped at the reproduction means position, taken out from the carousel, and reproduced. As described above, the conventional structure for inserting or discharging a reproduction medium into a carousel is as shown in FIG.
The outer circumferential wall 3 is provided with an insertion opening 5 for inserting a reproduction (recording) medium, for example, a cassette 4, and the reproduction (recording) medium 4 clamped to a conveying device 7 is loaded and discharged along a radial groove 6. is going on. [Problems to be solved by the invention] According to the above conventional configuration, the reproduction (recording) medium 4
To perform R/W, first rotate the carousel 1 to bring the designated reproduction (recording) medium 4 to the position of the transport device 7, then operate the transport device 7 to perform the designated reproduction (recording) medium 4. After the recording) medium 4 is discharged from the carousel 1 and loaded into a recording or reproducing device, R/W is performed. During this time, the carousel 1 remains as it was, and after the read/write of the reproduction (recording) medium 4 is completed, it is returned to the original position of the carousel from which it was taken out. For this reason, the access time becomes long, and it is difficult to shorten the random access time. [Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned drawbacks, and the present invention includes a carousel formed in a cylindrical shape capable of accommodating a plurality of disks, and a carousel provided in a central space of the carousel. A recording or reproducing means and half the number of disks that can be stored in the carousel are stored, and the selected disk is loaded into the recording or reproducing means from the stored disk side, and at the same time, the disk in the reproducing or recording state is loaded into the recording or reproducing means. The discs that were ejected and stored on the empty carousel side are loaded from the ejected side, and the disks in playback state are ejected and stored in the carousel on the side where the disks are stored. and storage means for storing the carousel address status of the ejected or loaded disks. [Operation] In the present invention, if a recording or reproducing means for reading or writing is arranged in a cylindrical carousel and there is a holding means for, for example, n disks in this carousel, then n disks can be stored in the carousel. Of the disk holding means, only n/2 holding means are loaded with reproduction (recording) media (hereinafter referred to as disks), and the disk holding means on the opposite line to the disk holding means loaded with these disks is empty. Then, when the previous disk is R/W, locate (place) the next request disk in a predetermined position, and when the previous disk is rejected, that is, ejected, the next request disk is loaded. This is what I did. [Example] Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. Figure 1 is the principle system diagram of the present invention, Figure 2 a to l
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining access to a carousel according to the present invention. In FIG. 1, unlike the example in FIG. 3, the carousel 10 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and a reproducing or recording means 9 is arranged in the central space, and the carousel 10 is arranged concentrically at equal angular intervals. If there are a total of n holding means capable of storing the disks 8 placed therein, the disks 8 can be stored only in n/2. The other n/2 holding means are empty shelves. In the example of FIG. 1, four consecutive holding means indicated by A, B, C, and D each hold a disk 8, and the disk 8 placed on the holding means indicated by C is not reproduced (or read). Or, the following four holding means indicated by A, B, C, and D are empty shelves. 11 is a holding means a, b, for the carousel 10;
This is an address sensor for detecting addresses such as C, D, A, B, C, D, etc.
By rotating , the address of each holding means sensed by the address sensor 11 is read out by the address counter 17 . The carousel 10 is rotated by a motor 18 via a belt 10A, and the rotation angle may be up to ±90°. A loading/discharging mechanism 13 for taking out a desired disc 8 from the corresponding holding means and loading it into the reproducing or recording means 9 and ejecting the disc 8 that has been reproduced or recorded by the reproducing or recording means 9 has a rack 15 on the lower surface of one end thereof. has. This rack 15 is engaged with a pinion 14 which is pivotally connected to the shaft of a drive motor 16 for loading and discharging mechanism 13 . Further, although the holding means for taking out the disk 8 from each disk holding means, loading it into the playback or recording means 9, and holding and ejecting the disk 8 from the playback or recording means 9 is not shown in the loading/discharging mechanism 13, Attached to this, these means include:
Commonly used clamping means are used. A drive circuit 19 drives the motors 16 and 18, and is controlled by a control circuit 20 such as a computer. The output of address counter 17 is applied to control circuit 20. Commands from an input device 21 such as an operator console are stored in a request memory 22 and applied to the control circuit 20 . 23 is a buffer amplifier for swap address memory,
Drives swap address memory 24. In this swap address memory 24, swap addresses are managed in the form of original address = current address, and commands from the input device 21 always specify the original address of the swap address memory 24. . The operation of the disk 8 loading and unloading device constructed in this manner will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. First, in the state shown in FIG. 2a, the carousel 10 is
The following four holding means A, B, C, and D each hold a disk 8, and the other four holding means A, B, C, and D do not hold any disk 8. That is, only the following half of the holding means is loaded with disks 8. In this state, when a request is made for the disk 8A on the holding means A through the input device 21, the carousel 10 is rotated clockwise by the motor 18 as shown by the arrow a1 in FIG. 8B is in a horizontal position as shown in Figure 2b.
At this time, the address “A” of disk 8A detected by the address sensor 11 is transferred to the address counter 17.
In addition to the control circuit 20 through the drive circuit 19, the motor 18 of the carousel 10 is stopped.
Next, the motor 16 is rotated by the control circuit 20 and the drive circuit 19, and the loading/unloading mechanism 13 is rotated as shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. , enter playback or recording state. During this time, for example, the next disk 8 requested by the input device 21 is transferred to the loading/unloading mechanism 13.
The carousel 10 is rotated counterclockwise a2 in order to bring it to the position shown in FIG. That is, the control circuit 20
Based on the command, the loading and discharging mechanism 13 (X')
The carousel 10 can rotate in the direction of the arrow a2, rotate the next request disk 8D to the horizontal position shown in FIG. 2d, and then stop. Next, when the playback or recording on the disk 8i that is in the playback or recording state is completed, the control circuit 20 gives a control signal to the drive circuit 19 to rotate the motor 16 so as to move the loading/unloading mechanism 13 in the X direction. let Then, the clamping means of the loading/discharging mechanism 13 simultaneously clamps the disks 8N and 8A, and
As shown in FIG. Therefore, the address of disk 8 is “D”
Changes to FIG. 2 f shows that the disk 8 is in the playback or recording (hereinafter referred to as R/W) state, and during this time, for example, a request is made from the input device 21 to the disk 8.
In order to select A, the control circuit 20 operates through the request memory 22, rotates the motor through the drive circuit 19, rotates the carousel 10 in the direction of arrow a3, and selects a predetermined designation based on the address sensor 11. The carousel 10 is shown stopped at this position. Next, as shown in FIG. Loaded onto table 9A. While this disk 8c is being read/written by the reproducing and recording means 9, the carousel 10 is rotated in the direction of arrow a4 as shown in FIG. . Disk 8 A is for the original address "A",
The address at this time is “D”, so
By giving instructions to the control circuit 20 through the swap address memory 24, the motor 18 is
Rotate counterclockwise as shown by arrow a4 in Fig. 2h, so that disk 8a on holding means D is
The carousel 10 is stopped at a position that is 180 degrees different and on the same plane as the turntable 9A of the reproducing or recording means 9. As shown in FIG. 2i, a disk 8A is loaded onto the turntable 9A of the reproducing or recording means 9 from the holding means D from left to right, contrary to what has been done up to now, and the reproducing or recording means 9 turns. Disk 8 on table 9A is ejected to its original holding means. As a result, the address of disk 8 is:
It becomes “ni”. All of these conversions are performed in swap address memory 24 to rotate carousel 10 at the current address type. Next, as shown in FIG. 2j, while disk 8a is being read/written, the next request disk 8b is brought to a predetermined position by turning the carousel 10 in the direction of arrow a5, R/W of disk 8
When this is completed, as shown in FIG. 2K, the disk 8A is loaded onto the turntable 9A of the reproducing and recording means 9 from the right side to the left side, and the disk 8A above it is ejected into the holding means B. At this time, the original address "A" of disk 8A becomes address "B". Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2l, if disk 8c is selected, the carousel 10 is
6 to bring the disk 8 onto the same surface as the turntable 9A. In the above, as a disk, 8 “i” → 8
“Ni” → 8 “Ha” → 8 “I” → 8 “Ro” → 8 “Ha”
We have explained the case where 100 disks can be arranged in carousel 10, for example.
Out of the 50 disks, you can randomly select one disk of your choice with extremely fast access time. The conditions shown in FIGS. 2a to 1 are summarized in a table for easy understanding as shown in Table 1 below.

【table】

〔Effect of the invention〕

Since the present invention is configured as described above, while the requested disk is being played or read,
Since it is possible to search for the next request disk, the access time when cueing the disk can be reduced.
It is possible to significantly shorten the time. In addition, since the carousel, which has a moment of inertia, only needs to be rotated by ±90 degrees while the previous disk is B/W, the address search time does not substantially affect the access time, and the motor 18 can be small. This has the effect of increasing the accuracy of the stop position.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a system diagram of the disk loading and unloading device of the present invention, FIGS. 2 a to 1 are schematic diagrams of a carousel for explaining the disk loading and unloading states of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a conventional carousel. FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway perspective view of the carousel for explaining the loading and discharging method of the carousel. In the figure, 10 is a carousel, 11 is an address sensor, 20 is a control circuit, 21 is an input device, 2
2 represents a request memory, and 24 represents a swap address memory.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A cylindrical carousel that can accommodate a plurality of disks, a recording or reproducing means provided in the central space of the carousel, and half the number of disks that can be accommodated in the carousel. The selected disk is loaded into the recording or reproducing means from the stored disk side, and at the same time, the disk in the reproducing or recording state is ejected and stored into an empty carousel in which no disk is stored, and the empty carousel is loaded. A means for loading the disks ejected and stored on the side from the ejected side and ejecting and storing the disks in playback state into the carousel on the side where the disks are stored, and storing the carousel address state of the ejected or loaded disks. 1. A disk loading and unloading device, characterized in that it comprises a storage means for storing disks.