Changer for disk-shaped recording media

Abstract

A changer for CD and/or DVD disks generally includes a drawer slidably mounted within a chassis of the changer and supporting a number of disk plates arranged one above the other and each holding a disk therein. It is an object of the invention to provide a changer of this kind modified in such a way that the user can access all disks inside the changer and access all disks except disks which are in a playback position by a pick-up or an equivalent reader. The disk plates ( 7 ) are each mounted at one end via a hinge ( 9, 10 ) at the drawer ( 3 ) in such a way that they are pivotable about a horizontal axis of the chassis ( 1 ) of the changer.

1 . Changer for disk-shaped recording media including a drawer slidably mounted within a chassis of the changer and supporting a number of disk plates arranged one above the other and provided to hold a disk therein, characterized in that at least one disk plate ( 7 ) is mounted at one end via a hinge ( 9 ,  10 ) at the drawer ( 3 ) in such a way that it is pivotable about a horizontal axis of the chassis ( 1 ) of the changer.  
     
     
         2 . Changer according to    claim 1   , characterizing in that the disk plate ( 7 ) is provided with a pin ( 9 ) at its edge remote from the edge at which the disk can be drawn from the disk plate ( 7 ) said pin ( 9 ) cooperating with an opening ( 10 ) in a side wall ( 5 ) of the drawer ( 3 ) and/or an opening within a side wall ( 2 ) of the chassis ( 1 ).  
     
     
         3 . Changer according to    claim 1   , characterizing in that the disk plate ( 7 ) comprises at each of its opposite edges two pins ( 15 ,  16 ) the first pin ( 15 ) cooperating with an opening ( 11 ) within a side wall ( 5 ) of the drawer ( 3 ) and the second pin ( 16 ) cooperating with an opening ( 12 ) within a side wall ( 2 ) of the chassis ( 1 ).  
     
     
         4 . Changer according to    claim 3   , characterizing in that the opening within the side wall ( 2 ) of the chassis ( 1 ) has the form of a slot ( 12 ) extending perpendicular to the pivoting axis of the disk plates ( 7 ).  
     
     
         5 . Changer according to    claim 4   , characterizing in that the slot ( 12 ) within the side wall ( 2 ) of the chassis ( 1 ) has an horizontal section ( 13 ) and a subsequent downwardly inclined section ( 14 ) enabling a pivoting of the disk plate ( 7 ) within the drawer ( 3 ) about an horizontal axis.  
     
     
         6 . Changer according to    claim 5   , characterizing in that the lowest slot ( 12   a ) for the lowest disk plate ( 7   b ) has substantially no downwardly inclined section and that the length of the downwardly inclined section ( 14 ) increases from one disk plate to the next above positioned disk plate so that the disk plates ( 7 ) are pivotable by angles increasing from the lowest to the upper disk plate ( 7 ) and the disk plates ( 7 ) become spreaded from eachother.  
     
     
         7 . Changer according to    claim 1   , characterizing in that the pivoting operation of the disk plates ( 7 ) can be implemented manually.  
     
     
         8 . Changer according to    claim 1   , characterizing in that the pivoting operation of the disk plates ( 7 ) is implemented by electrical-mechanical driving means.  
     
     
         9 . Changer according to    claim 1   , characterized in that disk plates ( 7 ) are mounted at one end via a hinge ( 9 ,  10 ) at the drawer ( 3 ) in such a way that they are upwards and/or downwards pivotable about a horizontal axis of the hassis ( 1 ) of the changer.  
     
     
         10 . Changer according to    claim 1   , characterized in that the changer is vertical arranged and the disk plates ( 7 ) are provided with means to hold disks ( 17 ) on said disk plates ( 7 ).