Abstract:
A disc player with light-sensing type loading mechanism includes a casing, a control board, a slide mechanism and a light-sensing element. The light-sensing element is adopted to serve as a switch controlling the slide mechanism to reciprocate between a loading area and a reading area. The disc to be loaded is detected by an optical manner instead of physical. The invention may increase durability of a disc player.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    The invention generally relates to an optical disc drive, particularly to a slot-load optical disc drive. 
         [0003]    2. Related Art 
         [0004]    A slot-load blu-ray disc drive is shown in  FIG. 1 . The disc drive includes a casing  1 , a pick-up assembly  2  and a slide mechanism  3 . The casing  1  is provided with a slot at the front thereof. The pick-up assembly  2  mounted in the casing  1  is used for reading a loaded disc. The slide mechanism  3  mounted in the casing  1  can reciprocate along a predetermined path for loading a disc into a position at which the pick-up assembly  2  can read the disc or ejecting the loaded disc. 
         [0005]    The slide mechanism  3  includes a sliding seat  4 , two clamps  5  and a driving device  6 . The clamps  5  are disposed on the sliding seat  4 . The driving device  6  drives the sliding seat  4  to move in the casing  1 . The driving device  6  electrically connects a switch  8  on the sliding seat  4  through a control board  7 . When the sliding seat  4  is at a loading position and a user embeds a disc  9  into the slot as shown in  FIG. 2 , the disc  9  will be clamped between the clamps  5  and the sliding seat  4 , and then the switch  8  will be pressed by the disc  9  and send a contact signal to the control board  7 . After that, the control board  7  controls the driving device  6  to move the sliding seat  4 , clamps  5  and disc  9  to a reading position for allowing the disc  9  to be read by the pick-up assembly  2 . 
         [0006]    However, employing the switch  8  to control the driving device  6  tends to give rise to a problem of positional slippage or coming off of the switch  8  because the switch  8  is moved with the sliding seat  4 . Once this problem occurs, the disc  9  can not be loaded (i.e. the driving device  6  can not work). Also, another problem may happen after the disc drive has been used for a long time. That is the elastic fatigue of the switch  8  because the switch  8  is repeatedly pressed by the disc  9 . Thus, loading of the disc  9  may be lagged. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    An object of the invention is to provide a disc player with a light-sensing loading mechanism, which can load or eject a disc very fast and precision. 
         [0008]    Another object of the invention is to provide a disc player with a light-sensing loading mechanism, which can reduce abrasion of elements and prolong lifetime. 
         [0009]    Accordingly, the invention provides an optical disc drive comprising a casing having a reading area and a loading area therein, provided with a slot communicating with the loading area and at least one first bump formed in the reading area; a control board mounted in the casing; a pick-up assembly for reading a disc, mounted in the reading area of the casing and electrically connected to the control board; a slide mechanism having a sliding seat, at least one clamp and a driving device, wherein the clamp is pivotally connected to the sliding seat through a free end towards the slot, the clamp is formed with at least one second bump, the driving device electrically connects to the control board for driving the sliding seat to reciprocate between the reading area and the loading area; and a light-sensing element mounted in the loading area of the casing, electrically connected to the control board; wherein when a disc is embedded into the slot, the disc will be clamped on the sliding seat by the at least one clamp, the light-sensing element will be triggered and send a signal to the control board to move the sliding seat from the loading area to the reading area, the at least one second bump touches the at least one first bump, and the at least one clamp is pushed to open. 
         [0010]    According to the optical disc drive of the invention, wherein the casing further comprises a cover and a base. 
         [0011]    According to the optical disc drive of the invention, wherein both sides of the casing are separately provided with two sliding rails, both sides of the sliding seat are separately provided with two sliding rods, one end of each the sliding rail is formed with an inclined rail, the sliding rods can move along the sliding rails and the inclined rails, when the sliding rods are located in the inclined rails, the at least one second bump touches the at least one first bump, and the free end of the at least one clamp is pushed to open. 
         [0012]    According to the optical disc drive of the invention, wherein the pick-up assembly further comprises a frame, a pick-up head and a spindle motor, the pick-up head is mounted on the frame and driven to reciprocate along the frame in the reading area, and the spindle motor is mounted on the frame for rotating the disc. 
         [0013]    According to the optical disc drive of the invention, wherein the sliding seat is provided with at least one through hole, the at least one second bump penetrates through the through hole. 
         [0014]    According to the optical disc drive of the invention, wherein the driving device further comprises a driving motor, a gear set, a rack disposed on the sliding seat and a wheel-belt set, the driving motor is mounted in the casing for providing power to the sliding seat via the wheel-belt set, the gear set and the rack, and the sliding seat is capable of moving between the reading area and the loading area. 
         [0015]    Therefore, the invention employs the light-sensing element to control motion of the slide mechanism. Damages resulting from physical wear and tear can be effectively prevented. Not only can the sliding seat move smoothly, but also the disc can be clamped accurately. This will make the reading process more unhindered. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0016]      FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of a conventional disc player; 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  is an assembled top view of the conventional disc player shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the invention; 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  is an assembled perspective view of the invention; and 
           [0020]      FIGS. 5-8  show a series of motions of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0021]    Please refer to  FIGS. 3-8 . A preferred embodiment of the invention provides a blu-ray disc player with a light-sensing loading mechanism including a casing  10 , a control board  20 , a pick-up assembly  30 , a slide mechanism  40  and a light-sensing element  50 . 
         [0022]    Please refer to  FIGS. 3 and 4 . The casing  10  serves to be mounted by the control board  20 , pick-up assembly  30 , slide mechanism  40  and light-sensing element  50 . The casing  10  is composed of a cover  11  and a base  12 . The casing  10  is provided with a slot  13  at the front thereof for being embedded by a disc. Both sides of the base  12  of the casing  10  are separately provided with two sliding rails  121  and two first bumps  123 . One end of each the sliding rail  121  is formed with an inclined rail  122 . A reading area and a loading area are defined in the casing  10 . The first bumps  123  and slot  13  are located in the reading area and loading area, respectively. 
         [0023]    Please refer to  FIG. 3 . The control board  20  is mounted in the casing  10  and electrically connected to the pick-up assembly, slide mechanism  40  and light-sensing element  50  for controlling them. 
         [0024]    Please refer to  FIGS. 3 and 4 . The pick-up assembly  30  includes a frame  31 , a pick-up head  32  and a spindle motor  33 . The pick-up assembly  30  is mounted in the casing  10  and the pick-up head  32  is mounted on the frame  31 . The pick-up head  32  may be driven to reciprocate along the frame  31  in the reading area. The spindle motor  33  is mounted on the frame  31  for rotating the disc. 
         [0025]    Please refer to FIGS.  3  and  6 - 8 . The slide mechanism  40  includes a sliding seat  41 , two clamps  42  and a driving device  43 . Both sides of the sliding seat  41  are separately provided with two sliding rods  411 . Each of the clamps  42  is pivotally connected to the sliding seat  41  through a free end  422  towards the slot  13 . Each of the clamps  42  is formed with a second bump  423  penetrating through a through hole  412  of the sliding seat  41 . The driving device  43  includes a driving motor  431 , a gear set  432 , a rack  433  disposed on the sliding seat  41  and a wheel-belt set  434 . The driving motor  431  is mounted in the casing  10  for providing power to the sliding seat  41  via the wheel-belt set  434 , gear set  432  and rack  433 . As a result, the sliding seat  41  is capable of moving along the sliding rail  121  and inclined rail  122  by the sliding rod  411 . 
         [0026]    Please refer to  FIG. 4 . The light-sensing element  50  is mounted in the loading area of the casing  10  and can detect movement of a disc placed in the loading area by a non-contact manner. 
         [0027]    Please further refer to  FIG. 5 . When a user embeds a disc  99  into the slot  13  of the casing  10 , the disc  99  will be clamped on the sliding seat  41  by the clamps  42 . Meanwhile, once the disc  99  enters the loading area, the light-sensing element  50  will be triggered and send a signal to the control board  20 . Then the control board  20  controls the driving motor  431  to move the sliding seat  41  via the wheel-belt set  434 , gear set  432  and rack  433 . Thus, the sliding seat  41  moves along the sliding rail  121  and the disc  99  is moved from the loading area to the reading area as shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 . After the sliding rods  411  of the sliding seat  41  slides into the inclined rails  122 , the sliding seat  41  will slightly move downwards to make the second bumps  423  of the clamps  42  touch the first bumps  123  of the casing  10 . Then the clamps  42  are pushed to open as shown in  FIG. 8 . Thus, the disc  99  is put on the spindle motor  33  to be rotated for being read by the pick-up head  32 . 
         [0028]    The invention employs the light-sensing element to control motion of the slide mechanism. Damages resulting from physical wear and tear can be effectively prevented. Not only can the sliding seat move smoothly, but also the disc can be clamped accurately. This will make the reading process more unhindered. 
         [0029]    While the forgoing is directed to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof. As such, the appropriate scope of the invention is to be determined according to the claims.