JPH1083612A - Disk changer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide the disk changer to miniaturize the disk changer by simplifying the structure of an elevator device. SOLUTION: The disk changer is equipped with a switch 12 and a door 16a for detecting uppermost stage disk information which shows whether a minidisk(MD) in the midst of its loading by moving slide plate 5 is corresponding to an uppermost stage position in a stocker 14 or not, a switch 10 and a projection part 15 for detecting origin information which shows whether a position of the moved slide plate 5 is in an origin position or not, a switch 11 and a slit 8 for detecting moving position information which shows a position of the slide plate 5 moved from the origin position based on the origin information and a moving control means for moving the slide plate 5 into a position lower than the uppermost stage position by one stage as a prescribed position only when the slide plate 5 is moved into this prescribed position by using the moving position information, and also the uppermost stage disk information is detected out.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a disc changer and, more particularly, to a disc changer lifting / lowering apparatus effective for a 1 DIN size automobile mini disc changer and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As conventional disk changers (elevating / lowering devices), there are those shown in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9. FIG. 7 and 8 are side views for explaining a loading state and a recording / reproducing state of a conventional disc changer. 4
This figure shows an operation of exchanging a disc changer capable of storing and reproducing information by automatically exchanging mini discs (hereinafter referred to as MD). FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the operation of a conventional switch that determines the elevating position.

[0005] The elevation device shown in FIG. 1 has five steps (horizontal portions a1, a2, a3, a4, a5) for four MDs when recording / reproducing the top MD # 4 of the stocker 20. Groove 2
2 is slid in the X1 direction to raise the elevation base 24 equipped with the recording / reproducing mechanism (not shown) to the position of the uppermost horizontal portion a4 (FIG. 7), and at that position After loading MD $ 4,
Further, the slide plate 23 is slid in the X1 direction, lowered to the position of the horizontal portion a5 (FIG. 8), and recording and reproduction are performed at that position, thereby suppressing the entire height of the disc changer, and It was to secure a floating space.

[0006] As shown in FIG. 9, the loaded MD is a cam 2 formed on a slide plate 23.
This is a configuration for detecting from the “opening / closing combination” of the four switches 26 interlocked with 5, and even if the power is turned off in any state, when the power is turned on again, the “opening / closing combination” of the switch 26 The MD state (position) could be detected.

[0005]

However, in the above prior art, since the slide plate has a stepped groove having one more step than the number of stored disks, the horizontal distance of the stepped groove is increased and the slide stroke is increased. Also increases. Therefore, the depth of the disc changer main body increases. In particular, 1DI used for car audio, etc.
In a mini disc changer for an N size automobile, it is important that it is thin and small, and if five step grooves are used, the main body becomes long in the direction of movement of the cartridge, and it is difficult to make it small. Further, when the number of stored sheets increases, the number of switches also increases, which causes an increase in cost.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a disc changer which simplifies the structure of a lifting / lowering device and leads to downsizing.

[0007]

A feature of the disk changer according to the present invention that achieves the above object is that the disk or the like being loaded or clamped by moving the slide plate corresponds to the uppermost position of the stocker. Disc information detecting means for detecting uppermost disc information indicating whether or not the position of the slide plate; origin information detecting means for detecting origin information indicating whether or not the position at which the slide plate has moved is at the origin position; Position information detecting means for detecting movement position information representing the position of the slide plate moved from the origin position based on the movement position information, moving the slide plate to a predetermined position using the movement position information, Only when upper disc information is detected, the slide plate is set at the uppermost position as the predetermined position. In further comprising a movement control means for moving the placed al one step lowered position.

Another feature is that the movement control means includes:
Another object of the present invention is to provide a "return slide means" for returning the slide plate from the slide plate position corresponding to the uppermost position to the original slide plate position for moving the slide plate to a position one step lower than the uppermost position.

According to the present invention, since the uppermost disk information, the origin information, and the movement position information are used, the switch structure is simplified. Furthermore, since the uppermost position is returned to the original slide plate position using the uppermost disk information, the groove shape is simplified and the slide plate is shortened.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a side view showing a loading state of a disc changer according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view showing a recording / reproducing state of the disc changer of one embodiment according to the present invention. In this embodiment, an MD auto disk changer (hereinafter, referred to as a changer) capable of storing and playing back four MDs and capable of recording and reproducing by automatic exchange is taken as an example, and the lifting / lowering device (operation) of the changer is shown in a side view. I have. Note that the disk or the like in the present embodiment refers to a disk alone, a cartridge (for example, MD) containing the disk, a caddy as a case for transporting the cartridge, and the like.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the entire structure of the disc changer of FIG. FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view showing the disk information detecting means of one embodiment according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a combination configuration of a double insertion prevention door and a switch. The configuration of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. First,
In FIG. 3, a floating base 2 on which a recording / reproducing mechanism 1 and a loading mechanism 13 are mounted is elastically supported on an elevation base 4 by a suspension 3. And
The elevation base 4 can be moved up and down by a slide plate 5 and a link 6. In addition, the movement control means 40 described later includes the recording / reproducing mechanism 1 and the loading mechanism 1
3 to control the stocker 1 fixed to the housing 9
One of four to four MDs (# 1, # 2, # 3, # 4)
Is transported to the recording / playback mechanism.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, the slide plate 5 slidably supported by the housing 9 and slid by being driven by the loading mechanism 13 or the movement control means 40 has four stages corresponding to the number of MDs. A step groove 7 having a groove shape of 4 and four positioning slits 8 (8a, 8b, 8a, 8b,
8c, 8d) and a projection 15 which slides with the slide plate 5. (See FIGS. 1 and 2) Both the switch 10 and the switch 11 are fixed to the housing 9. The switch 10 is configured to engage with the protrusion 15 provided at the corresponding position when the slide plate 5 moves to the uppermost position as the MD elevating position. In this embodiment, the switch 1
The means for detecting whether or not the combination of the slide plate 5 and the projection 15 is located at the “origin position set at the uppermost position” of the moving position of the MD, that is, the slide plate 5 It constitutes origin information detecting means for detecting origin information indicating whether or not the position is at the origin position.

The switch 11 determines whether the slit 8 provided in the slide plate 5 is present or not.
This is to detect the moving position of. In the present embodiment, the combination of the slit 8 and the switch 11 is a means for detecting the elevation position of the MD determined from the movement position of the slide plate 5 (may include the elevation position of the top MD), in other words, Based on the origin information described above, a position information detecting means for detecting moving position information indicating a position of the slide plate moved from the origin position is constituted. The detection of the movement position will be described later.

The origin information detecting means and the position information detecting means can be constituted by using the floating base 2 or the elevation base 4 other than the slide plate 5, but the details are omitted. .
In addition, only the detection of the elevation position of the uppermost MD is performed using “switch 1” instead of “configuration of slit 8a and switch 11”.
0 and the configuration of the projection 15 ".

Further, in FIG. 4, the switch 12 is fixed to a predetermined portion of the stocker 14 at a position where the uppermost MD # 4 is stored, and corresponds to the uppermost MD # 4. It is configured to engage with the door 16a. The double insertion preventing doors 16 provided for the four MDs are rotatably supported by the stocker 14. The torsion spring 17 biases the door 16.

In the present embodiment, the combination of the switch 12 and the uppermost door 16a is such that the uppermost MD is the stocker 1
4 means for detecting that loading or clamping is being performed, that is, whether the disc or the like being loaded or clamped by moving the slide plate corresponds to the uppermost position of the stocker. It constitutes a disc information detecting means for detecting the uppermost disc information indicating whether or not the disc information is no. Note that the double insertion preventing door 16 has been already provided, and in this embodiment, the double insertion preventing door is also used to simplify the door. Further, it is possible to configure the disk information detecting means using an optical sensor or the like, but the details will be omitted.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described.
That is, the operation of the movement control means 40 will be described.
Of the MDs # 1, # 2, # 3, and # 4, for example, as shown in FIG. 1, when loading the MD # 4, the slide plate 5 is slid to move the elevation base 4 to the desired MD # 4. And move up and down next to
Loading MD # 4 in one direction. At this time, the door 16a rotates in the direction of R1 (see FIG. 1) in conjunction with the loading, and covers the MD # 4 stocker 14 which has been loaded and vacated so that another MD is not double-inserted. is there. Then, the movement control means 40 controls the movement using the movement position information obtained by detecting the slit 8 by the switch 11 so as to stop the slide plate 5 at a predetermined position.

Then, MD # 1, # 2, # excluding the top row
For the three MDs No. 3, the recording / reproducing operation is executed as it is at the loaded position.
Because the floating space in the direction is extremely small,
The slide plate 5 is "slid back" in the X2 direction (see FIG. 2), and the horizontal portion of the step groove 7 in the Z2 direction (see FIG. 2).
Lower the elevation base 4 to the height position of 3, Z
The movement control means 40 controls the movement using the uppermost disk information so as to execute the recording / reproducing operation after securing a sufficient floating space in one direction.

On the other hand, the MDs # 1, # 2, and # 3 are
When returning to 4, the recording / reproducing operation is stopped, and unloading is performed in the X2 direction at the same position. On the other hand, in the case of the MD # 4 at the uppermost stage, when the recording / reproducing operation is stopped, the slide plate 5 is slid in the X1 direction using the disk information at the uppermost stage, and the elevation base 4 is moved to the uppermost step. After ascending to the level of the horizontal portion # 4 of the groove 7, MD # 4 is unloaded in the X2 direction.

That is, the feature of the present invention is that the uppermost MD
Using the uppermost disk information from the disk information detecting means for detecting whether the MD is another MD or not, the movement controller 40 determines that the MD is the uppermost MD, and furthermore, the movement controller 4
0 is a slide plate position corresponding to the uppermost position for controlling the loading mechanism 13 to move the slide plate 5 from the uppermost position to a position lowered by one step so as to secure a sufficient floating space in the Z1 direction. The present embodiment is characterized in that a “return slide means” is provided for returning to the original slide plate position and executing the recording / reproducing operation. Therefore, in this embodiment, the "return slide means" includes a disc information detection means including the switch 12 and the uppermost door 16a, a loading mechanism 13 for driving the slide plate 5 to slide, and loading using each information. Mechanism 13
And a movement control means 40 for controlling

In other words, when the uppermost MD of the stocker is loaded, a switch is interlocked with the double insertion prevention door, which closes in conjunction with the loading, and it is detected that the uppermost MD of the stocker is being recorded / reproduced. And a stepper groove formed of a horizontal portion and an inclined portion and having the same number of steps as the number of sheets that can be stored in the slide plate, and sliding the slide plate to raise and lower the recording / reproducing mechanism. After the top MD is loaded, the MD is returned to the original stage and lowered, and recording and reproduction are performed at the same height as when loading the MD one stage below.

That is, the MD at the uppermost stage of the stocker is returned to the original stage by one stage, lowered, and recorded / reproduced, so that the height direction (Z1 direction)
Floating space can be secured. According to the above-described configuration and operation of returning to the first stage of the present embodiment, the step groove 7 of the slide plate 5 can be formed into four stages of groove shapes. The length dimension in the sliding direction is reduced,
The structure of the lifting device is simplified, and the effect of reducing the depth of the disk changer body is obtained.

Further, another operation of the movement control means 40 for controlling the movement of the slide plate 5 using the information from the respective switches (that is, for controlling the vertical position of the MD) will be described. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the processing of the movement control means of one embodiment according to the present invention. In the initial setting operation of the movement control means 40 provided in the disc changer of the present embodiment, in other words, of the series of slide plate movement controls executed by the movement control means 40, the movement is performed when the power is turned on. Initial control means 30 included in control means 40
Is a flowchart of a control operation executed first.
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the operation of the movement control means according to one embodiment of the present invention. This will be described with reference to FIGS.

In FIG. 1, if the power of the disk changer is turned on in step S1, the initial control means 30 detects that the power is turned on. Then, in step S2, it is determined whether or not all MDs (all disks and the like) have been unloaded. As shown in FIG. 6A, whether or not there is an MD being loaded is determined by switching the caddy transport arm 50 to the switch 52 fixed to the loading mechanism 13.
Can be detected by pressing or not. The caddy transport arm 50 is a member that engages with two arm claws to transport the caddy 51 (or MD). If the switch 52 is pressed by the caddy transport arm 50,
If the state of FIG. 6A has been unloaded and the switch 52 is not pressed, it is detected that there is an MD being loaded, that is, the state of FIG. 6B.

If any MD is being loaded, it goes through steps S3 to S5, and in any case, is unloaded in step S6, and
As shown in (a), all MDs (all disks, etc.) are returned to the stocker 14. That is, in step S3, it is determined whether or not there is an MD that is being clamped in the recording / reproducing mechanism 1. If there is no MD that is being clamped, the process proceeds to step S3.
At 6, it is unloaded and returned to the stocker 14. By the way, whether there is an MD being clamped or not
As shown in FIG. 6C, the detection can be made based on whether or not the caddy transport arm 50 is pressing the switch 53 fixed to the loading mechanism 13. The switch 53 is a switch that is pressed by the caddy transport arm 50 to detect a loading end position. Therefore, if the switch 53 is pressed, the state is as shown in FIG. 6C, and it is understood that loading is completed and there is an MD being clamped.

Further, in step S4, it is determined whether or not MD # 4 is clamped by the recording / reproducing mechanism 1. In this case, the uppermost disc information obtained from the switch 12 is also used to determine that MD # 4 is clamped at the height position of the step groove # 3 but not MD # 3. If the MD # 4 is not clamping, it is unloaded and returned to the stocker 14 in step S6. Then, when it is determined that MD # 4 is clamped, the switch 10 is pressed by the projection 15 in step S5 even if the MD # 4 is at the height position of the step groove # 3. The slide plate 5 is controlled to move in the X1 direction until it is detected that the slide plate 5 has been raised to the height position, and then unloaded and returned to the stocker 14 in step S6.

On the other hand, if all the MDs have been returned to the stocker 14 in step S6 or S2, in step S7, until the switch 10 is pressed by the projection 15, ie, the height of the step groove # 4. The slide plate 5 is always controlled to move in the X1 direction until it is detected that the slide plate 5 has been raised to the position. Therefore, the switch 10 and the projection 15 are origin information detecting means for detecting a position to be an origin. By the above operation, the switch 12 detects that the top MD of the stocker has been loaded, and it is possible to determine that the loaded MD is the top MD of the stocker. However, it can be returned to the top of the stocker.
The movement control means 40 including the initial control means 30 is desirably used also as a control device (not shown) existing in the disc changer for recording / reproduction control, elevation control, etc. from the viewpoint of simplification of the structure. I can say.

That is, another feature of the present invention is that the slide plate 5 is controlled to always move in the X1 direction, and the slide plate 5 is moved when the vertical position of the MD moves to the uppermost position. Protrusion 1 provided on the part where
By engaging the switch 5 with the switch 10, the height position of the step groove # 4 where the elevation position of the MD is the uppermost position is always set as the origin, and the disc selection button is pressed with the origin as the base point. To move the MD to the specified desired position.

After the disc selection button is pressed, a desired elevation position is detected by, for example, a method of counting the number of slits 8 through which the switch 11 passes by the movement control means 40, and the above-described operation is performed. As described in the above section, predetermined loading operation, lifting operation and recording / reproducing operation are performed thereafter. The control method for counting the number of slits 8 and detecting the ascending / descending position will not be described because existing technology can easily cope with it. Also, the position set as the origin is not limited to the uppermost stage (the leftmost position in the figure), but is the lowermost stage of the elevation position of the MD (always moves in the X2 direction toward the rightmost position). Also,
Any position except the extreme end position (reciprocal movement in X1, X2 directions)
It can be easily understood that the origin movement control can be performed at any position. However, in the case of an arbitrary position as described above, since the origin movement control becomes somewhat complicated and there is a problem that a failure easily occurs, the uppermost position is desirable.

In the case of this embodiment, three switches 10 and one switch 1 are provided for four disks.
1, the switch 12 is installed, and the slide plate 5 is provided with the slit 8 and the projection 15. On the other hand, in the case of the conventional example shown in FIG. 8, four switches 26 are provided corresponding to four disks,
The slide plate 23 is provided with a cam 25, but when the number of stored disks further increases, the number of switches 26 increases in proportion. In other words, in the case of the present invention, even if the number of disk cartridges to be stored is increased, it is not necessary to increase the number of switches according to the number, and the effect that the structure of the elevating device can be simplified and the cost can be reduced can be obtained. .

The origin moving control method according to the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the slide plate 23 having the five-step groove shape of the conventional example, instead of the slide plate 5 having the four-step groove shape as in the present embodiment. It can be said that it is applied independently and the effect of cost reduction by reducing the number of switches can be obtained.
Although the present embodiment has been described as an MD auto disc changer, a changer for a CD or other recording medium is used.
It is needless to say that the present invention is also applicable to (a device called a disk recording / reproducing device).

[0032]

As described above, according to the present invention, the number of steps of the step groove of the slide plate is made the same as the number of MDs that can be stored, and the recording / reproduction of the top MD of the stocker is restored after loading. Since it is performed one step lower, the horizontal distance of the step groove can be minimized while securing a floating space in the height direction of the main body, and the effect of reducing the depth dimension of the main body can be obtained. .

In addition, there is no need to increase the number of switches in accordance with the increase in the number of sheets to be stored, so that an effect of reducing costs can be obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view illustrating a loading state of a disc changer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing a recording / reproducing state of the disc changer of one embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the entire configuration of the disc changer of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view showing a disk information detecting means of one embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a process of the movement control means of one embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the operation of the movement control means of one embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a side view illustrating a loading state of a conventional disc changer.

FIG. 8 is a side view illustrating a recording / reproducing state of a conventional disc changer.

FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the operation of a conventional switch for determining a vertical position.

[Explanation of symbols]

1: recording / playback mechanism, 2: floating base, 3: suspension, 4, 24: elevation base, 5, 23
... Slide plate, 6 ... Link, 7,22 ... Step groove,
8, 8a, 8b, 8c, 8d ... slit, 9 ... housing, 10, 1
1, 12, 26 ... switch, 13 ... loading mechanism,
14, 20 ... stocker, 15 ... protrusion, 16, 16a ...
Door: 17: Torsion spring, 25: Cam, 30: Initial control means, 40: Movement control means, 50: Caddy transport arm, 51: Caddy (MD), 52, 53: Switch, a
1, a2, a3, a4, a5, ＄ 3, ＄ 4 ... horizontal part, ＠ 1, ＠ 2, ＠
3, $ 4, # 1, # 2, # 3, # 4 ... MD

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A disk or the like which is being loaded or clamped by moving a slide plate,
A disc information detecting means for detecting top disc information indicating whether or not the disc corresponds to the top position of the stocker; and an origin for detecting origin information indicating whether the position where the slide plate has moved is at the origin position. Information detecting means; position information detecting means for detecting moving position information representing a position of the slide plate moved from the origin position based on the origin information; and using the moving position information, the slide to a predetermined position. Moving control means for moving the plate, and only when the uppermost disk information is detected, moving the slide plate to a position one step lower than the uppermost position as the predetermined position. Disc changer. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the movement control means includes:
A disc changer having a "return slide means" for returning from a slide plate position corresponding to the uppermost position to a slide plate position of a previous stage for moving the slide plate to a position one step lower than the uppermost position. 3. A disc changer according to claim 1, wherein said disc information detecting means is obtained by linking a switch to a double insertion preventing door.