Patent ID: 8136129
Filing Date: 2012-03-13
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
1. A disc changer for storing a plurality of discs, transporting a disc selected from the plurality of discs, and performing recording/reproducing information on the disc, the disc changer comprising: a plurality of trays which respectively can be loaded with discs, can be moved substantially in a horizontal direction parallel to main surfaces of the discs, and are stacked substantially in a vertical direction perpendicular to the main surfaces of the discs; a tray driving gear unit which has a plurality of driving gears capable of respectively engaging with a rack provided on each tray, such that the tray driving gear unit is capable of shuttling the trays between a standby position in which the trays are stored in a mechanical chassis as a housing of the disc changer and a disc exchange position in which the trays are protruded outward from the mechanical chassis such that the discs can be put on the trays and removed from the trays; a gear driving mechanism driven by an electrical motor to generate a driving force for driving the tray driving gear unit; a tray triggering unit capable of locking/unlocking the trays in the standby position, the tray triggering unit being capable of pushing all trays at a same time so as to engage the rack provided on each tray with a respective driving gear of the tray driving gear unit after unlocking the trays; a recording/reproducing unit for recording and/or reproducing information on a disc placed on a turntable; and an elevation unit capable of moving the recording/reproducing unit with the turntable in a the vertical direction to align the recording/reproducing unit to a tray and place a disc on the tray onto the turntable, wherein the tray triggering unit, the tray driving gear unit and the gear driving mechanism are configured such that, in a state in which all the trays are locked in the standby position, all the trays are unlocked at a same time and all trays are pushed at a same time so as to engage the rack provided on each tray with the respective driving gear of the tray driving gear unit by operating the tray triggering unit, and all trays are protruded outward from the mechanical chassis at a same time by a predetermined uniform tray stroke due to the driving force of the gear driving mechanism, thereafter each tray is sequentially driven by the respective driving gear of the tray driving gear unit back to the standby position one by one from top to bottom, and such that the tray triggering unit locks all trays in the standby position upon the last tray reaching the standby position.