Patent ID: 6665254
Filing Date: 2003-12-16
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
A disk-loading apparatus in which a main chassis supports a tray that carries a disk thereon and slides between a disk-discharging position and a disk-loading position, the apparatus comprising:a drive gear rotatably mounted on the main chassis; a first rack formed in the tray, said first rack being in meshing engagement with said drive gear when the tray is at the disk-discharging position and becoming out of meshing engagement with said drive gear when the tray is at the disk-loading position; a cam slider having a second rack formed therein and a guide groove formed therein, said cam slider being movable relative to the main chassis in a first direction such that the second rack moves into engagement with said drive gear and in a second direction opposite to the first direction such that the second rack moves out of meshing engagement with said drive gear, wherein when the tray has moved to a location very close to the disk-loading position, the second rack starts moving into meshing engagement with said drive gear; wherein said first rack becomes out of meshing engagement with said drive gear before said cam slider has moved into meshing engagement with said drive gear such that a pitch circle of said drive gear is tangent to a pitch line of the second rack; a disk-reproducing unit having an engagement portion that extends slidably into the guide groove; wherein when said cam slider has moved into meshing engagement with said drive gear such that a pitch circle of said drive gear is tangent to a pitch line of the second rack, the engagement portion starts being guided along the guide groove so that said disk-reproducing unit starts rotating in a third direction about an axis to a disk-reproducing position; wherein when said cam slider moves in the second direction, said disk-reproducing unit rotates in a fourth direction opposite to the third direction about the axis to a non-disk-reproducing position.