Disc loading mechanism in a disc player for positioning a disc and an optical pickup while reducing mechanical shocks to the disc tray

Abstract

A loading mechanism of a disc tray onto which recording medium discs such as compact discs, laser discs, or the like are set and which moves between a pull-out position at which the disc tray was pulled out of an outer casing and a pull-in position at which the disc tray was pulled into the outer casing. The engagement between the loading gear and the rack of the disc tray is released just before the pull-in operation of the disc tray is completed and, at the same time, a cam portion formed on the loading gear comes into engagement with the abutted portion of the disc tray, thereby allowing the disc tray to be subsequently pulled in by the pressing motion of the cam portion to the abutted portion. Thus, the pull-in speed of the disc tray can be reduced just before the completion of the pull-in operation of the disc tray and a shock which occurs upon completion of the pull-in operation of the disc tray can be reduced. Due to this, a shock sound by the collision of the disc tray and the member on the casing side for restricting the pull-in position of the disc tray and the shock to the disc player by such a collision are eliminated, thereby raising the quality of the disc player.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A disc tray loading mechanism comprising: a disc tray onto which discs are detachably set and which moves between a pull-out position where the disc tray is pulled out of a casing and a pull-in position where said disc tray is pulled into the casing and which has a rack extending along a side of said tray in its direction of travel; and a loading gear which is rotatably supported to the casing and which has a tooth portion adapted to engage the rack of said disc tray, wherein 
       an abutted portion is formed on an upper surface of said disc tray which faces said loading gear in a pull-in state of said disc tray; and  
       a pull-in state holding portion which has an arc-like shape formed on and concentric with said loading gear and which holds said disc tray in the pull-in position by engaging with the abutted portion, said pull-in state holding portion including a cam portion formed in an edge portion of the pull-in state holding portion where said pull-in state holding portion first engages said abutted portion,  
       wherein said cam portion engages said abutting portion after said loading gear and said rack have released engagement just before completion of the pull-in of the disc tray, thereby finishing the pull-in of said disc tray after completion of the release of engagement between said loading gear and said rack by a pressing motion of the cam portion to the abutted portion.  
     
     
       2. A disc tray loading mechanism according to claim  1 , wherein on the upper surface of said loading gear, there is provided a disc tray pushing-out cam portion which engages the abutted portion by rotation of said loading gear during the unloading of said disc tray, thereby moving said disc tray in the direction of the pull-out position. 
     
     
       3. A disc tray loading mechanism comprising: a disc tray onto which discs are detachably set and which moves between a pull-out position where the disc tray is pulled out of a casing and a pull-in position where said disc tray is pulled into the casing and which has a rack extending along a side of said tray in its direction of travel; and a loading gear which is rotatably supported to the casing and which has a tooth portion adapted to engage the rack of said disc tray, wherein 
       an abutted portion is formed on an upper surface of said disc tray which faces said loading gear in a pull-in state of said disc tray; and  
       a pull-in state holding portion which has an arc-like shape formed on and concentric with said loading gear and which holds said disc tray in the pull-in position by engaging with the abutted portion, said pull-in state holding portion including a cam portion formed in an edge portion of the pull-in state holding portion where said pull-in state holding portion first engages said abutted portion;  
       wherein said cam portion engages said abutting  abutted portion after said loading gear and said rack have released engagement just before completion of the pull-in of the disc tray, thereby finishing the pull-in of said disc tray after completion of the release of engagement between said loading gear and said rack by a pressing motion of the cam portion to the abutted portion,  
       wherein the upper surface of said loading gear, there is provided a disc tray pushing-out cam portion which engages with the abutted portion by rotation of said loading gear during the unloading of said disc tray, thereby moving said disc tray in the direction of the pull-out position, and wherein a first tooth of said loading gear is provided as an elastic member having flexibility in a radial direction of said loading gear.  
     
     
       4. A disc tray loading mechanism according to claim  1 , further comprising rotation driving means for rotating said loading gear, and wherein said rotation driving means has forced rotating means for rotating said loading gear simultaneously when said loading gear disengages from the rack, thereby allowing the cam portion to be engaged with the abutted portion when said disc tray is moved in the direction of the pull-in position in an inoperative mode. 
     
     
       5. A disc tray loading mechanism comprising: a disc tray onto which discs are detachably set and which moves between a pull-out position where the disc tray is pulled out of a casing and a pull-in position where said disc tray is pulled into the casing and which has a rack extending along a side of said tray in its direction of travel; and a loading gear which is rotatably supported to the casing and which has a tooth portion adapted to engage the rack of said disc tray, wherein 
       an abutted portion is formed on an upper surface of said disc tray which faces said loading gear in a pull-in state of said disc tray; and  
       a pull-in state holding portion which has an arc-like shape formed on and concentric with said loading gear and which holds said disc tray in the pull-in position by engaging with the abutted portion, said pull-in state holding portion including a cam portion formed in an edge portion of the pull-in state holding portion where said pull-in state holding portion first engages said abutted portion;  
       wherein said cam portion engages said abutting  abutted portion after said loading gear and said rack have released engagement just before completion of the pull-in of the disc tray, thereby finishing the pull-in of said disc tray after completion of the release of engagement between said loading gear and said rack by a pressing motion of the cam portion to the abutted portion,  
       said disc tray loading mechanism further comprising rotation driving means for rotating said loading gear, and wherein said rotation driving means has forced rotating means for rotating said loading gear simultaneously when said loading gear disengages from the rack, thereby allowing the cam portion to be engaged with the abutted portion when said disc tray is moved in the direction of the pull-in position of an inoperative mode, and  
       wherein said forced rotating means comprises: an arm adapted to elastically come into contact with a side surface of the loading gear; and pressing means for rotationally pressing the arm.  
     
     
       6. A disc tray loading mechanism according to claim  1 , further comprising stopper means made of an elastic member which contacts said disc tray when said disc tray reaches a pull-in completion position. 
     
     
       7. A disc player with a tray loading mechanism comprising: 
       
         a body;  
       
       
         a tray moving in a linear direction between a first position and a second position, said tray being projected from said body when said tray is positioned at said first position and being inside said body when said tray is positioned at said second position;  
       
       
         a disc table rotatably mounted on said tray and having a plurality of disc setting portions, each for holding a disc, arranged along an outer periphery of said disc table;  
       
       
         a loading gear, as part of said loading mechanism, for transferring said tray between said first position and said second position; and  
       
       
         a mechanical chassis arranged within said body having a longitudinal axis which is parallel to said linear direction, said mechanical chassis including an optical pickup and a rotatable turntable arranged along said longitudinal axis of said mechanical chassis, wherein said rotatable turntable of said mechanical chassis is offset so as not to intersect a line parallel to said linear direction which passes through a rotational axis of said disc table and which lies in a plane of said rotatable turntable. 
       
     
     
       8. A disc player according to claim  7 , wherein said mechanical chassis is supported such that it swings between an ascended position and a descended position, said optical pickup being directed in a direction substantially parallel to the rotational axis of the disc table when said mechanical chassis is in said ascended position. 
     
     
       9. A disc player according to claim  8 , wherein each disc setting portion has an opening portion formed therein, said opening portion extending in a radial direction from a center position of each said disc setting portion whereby each said disc setting portion is capable of being rotated to a position over said mechanical chassis in which said longitudinal axis of said chassis is substantially parallel to said radial direction of said disc setting portion when said mechanical chassis is in said ascended position. 
     
     
       10. A disc player according to claim  7 , wherein said loading gear includes a cam member which engages and locks said tray in said second position. 
     
     
       11. A disc tray loading mechanism according to claim  1 , further comprising a mechanical chassis arranged within said casing at a position offset from a rotational axis of said disc tray wherein a longitudinal axis of said mechanical chassis is parallel to said direction of travel of said tray, said mechanical chassis including an optical pickup and a rotatable turn table arranged along said longitudinal axis of said mechanical chassis. 
     
     
       12. A disc player according to claim  7 , further comprising a clamping arm supporting a chucking member above said rotatable turntable for chucking a disc on said rotatable turntable. 
     
     
       13. A disc player according to claim  12 , wherein said clamping arm is supported by and extends from a corner of said tray. 
     
     
       14. A disc player according to claim  13 , wherein said clamping arm extends in a straight line toward an opposite corner of said tray.