Patent ID: 6295266
Filing Date: 2001-09-25
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
A disk player apparatus, comprising:a housing;a disk tray movably coupled to said housing, moving in a first direction along a first path of conveyance to a first location inside said housing when inserted into said housing, moving in a second direction along the first path of conveyance to a second location outside said housing when ejected from said housing, receiving a disk when positioned at the second location, transporting the disk into said housing when said disk tray is inserted into said housing;a turntable rotatably coupled to said housing and receiving the disk;an optical unit movably coupled to said housing reading information recorded on the disk on said turntable, moving along a second path of conveyance within said housing;a motor installed in said housing;a tray driving unit moving said disk tray along the first path of conveyance by power transferred from said motor, said tray driving unit further comprising:a first gear installed in said housing and rotated by said motor;a first rack portion disposed at said disk tray and extended along the first path of conveyance of said disk tray, being engaged to said first gear when said disk tray is being moved, and being disengaged from said first gear when said disk tray is at the first location inside said housing;an optical unit transfer system moving said optical unit along the second path of conveyance by power transferred from said motor, said optical unit transfer system further comprising:a second gear installed in said housing and driven by said motor;a rack member attached to said optical unit and disposed to be extended along the second path of conveyance of said optical unit, being disengaged from said second gear when said first rack portion is engaged to said first gear, and being engaged to said second gear when said first rack portion is disengaged from said first gear; anda clutch unit selectively transferring power of said motor to a selected one of said tray driving unit and said optical unit transfer system, said clutch unit further comprising:a gear member rotatable coupled to said housing, rotating between a first rotational position and a second rotational position being rotated in a first rotational direction to the first rotational position when said disk tray is ejected from said housing, and being rotated in a second rotational direction to the second rotational position when said disk tray is inserted into said housing, the first rotational direction being opposite to the second rotational direction;a gear portion formed at a circumferential surface portion of said gear member;a second rack portion coupled to said disk tray, engaging to said gear portion of said gear member when said disk tray is inserted into said housing, disengaging from said gear portion of said gear member when said disk tray is ejected from said housing, and rotating said gear member in the second rotational direction to the second rotational position when said disk tray is inserted into said housing;a sliding member movably coupled to said housing, moving along a third path of conveyance;a first clutching rack portion coupled to said sliding member;a second clutching rack portion coupled to said sliding member;said sliding member moving in a first direction along the third path of conveyance when said first clutching rack portion engages to said gear portion of said gear member rotated to the second rotational position;when said sliding member is moved in the first direction along the third path of conveyance, said second clutching rack portion engages to said first gear said sliding member continues to move in the first direction along the third path of convevance by power transferred from said motor, said disk tray becomes completely inserted into said housing by said first clutching rack portion, said gear portion of said gear member and said second rack portion, and said first rack portion of said disk tray disengages from said first gear;a pivoting member rotatably coupled to said housing and having a gear part engaged to said gear portion of said gear member when said gear member is rotated to the second rotational position;when said pivoting member is pivoted due to said gear part becoming engaged to said gear portion of said gear member rotated to the second rotational position, said pivoting member pressing said rack member in a pushing direction causing said rack member to engage to said second gear causing said optical unit to move by power transferred from said motor; anda pushing member coupled to said optical unit to simultaneously move with said optical unit, said pushing member rotating said gear member at the second rotational position by further rotating said pivoting member, said pivoting member pressing said rack member in the pushing direction, and said pushing member causing said second clutching rack member to disengage from said first gear by moving said sliding member.