Patent ID: 6426931
Filing Date: 2002-07-30
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
A planar postal article, comprising:a postcard-size and planar bottom member (20) having a top planar surface that physically supports; a planar disk (43) having a top planar surface, a center of rotation (41) that extends perpendicular to said top planar surface of said bottom member and perpendicular to said top planar surface of said disk, and a spiral groove (50) formed in said top planar surface of said disk; said spiral groove having a beginning portion located adjacent to an outer diameter of said disk, and said spiral groove having an ending portion located adjacent to an inner diameter of said disk; disk driving means (27, 28) connected to rotate said disk about said center of rotation; disk rotation control means (45, 46) connected to control said disk driving means; a unitary and generally Y-shaped pickup arm (17) pivotally mounted adjacent to said outer diameter of said disk for pivotal movement about an axis (19, 21) that is spaced from and extends perpendicular to said top surface of said disk, said pivotal movement of said pickup arm being above and parallel to said top surface of said disk; said pickup arm having a first leg portion (22) supporting a cutting stylus (24) for engagement with said spiral groove, and said pickup arm having a second leg portion (23) supporting a playing stylus (25) for engagement with said spiral groove, said cutting stylus and said playing stylus moving as a single unit in a plane that is parallel to said top surface of said disk as said pickup arm pivots; said cutting stylus and said playing stylus being angularly offset from one another by a fixed distance and in said plane parallel to said top surface of said disk, such that said cutting stylus is disposed closer to said center of rotation of said disk than is said playing stylus; said angular offset of said cutting stylus and playing stylus being such that during movement of said pickup arm parallel to said top surface of said disk, from said beginning portion of said spiral groove to said ending portion of said spiral groove, said cutting stylus initially engages said beginning portion of said spiral groove, and such that when said cutting stylus thereafter engages said ending portion of said spiral groove said playing stylus engages said beginning portion of said spiral groove; a membrane (14) connected to said pickup arm, said membrane operating to cause cutting movement of said cutting stylus upon said membrane being subjected to input audio sound waves, and said membrane operating to generate output audio sound waves upon said membrane being subjected to vibration generated by said playing stylus; a soft plastic material (51) located in a bottom of said spiral groove, said soft material being adapted to harden after being cut by passing of said cutting stylus; and a postcard size planar housing (4) covering and spaced from said top surface of said postcard size bottom member.