Audiovisual card reproducing device

An audiovisual card reproducing device of the type in which when an audiovisual card is inserted into a slit in a cabinet, visual information printed on the upper surface of the card may be viewed through a window while audio information recorded on a disk-record mounted on the undersurface of the card may be reproduced. Means is provided for correctly locating the inserted card and holding it in operative position. Furthermore, preventive means is provided for preventing the damage to the program groove of the disk-record and a stylus when an ejection button is depressed or the inserted card is pulled out by mistake in the play mode.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to an audiovisual card reproducing device for 
reproducing audio information recorded on a disk-record mounted on the 
lower surface of an audiovisual card while displaying visual information 
printed on the upper surface of the card. 
In general, the record player comprises fundamentally a turntable rotatably 
mounted on a cabinet and a pickup arm one end of which is pivoted to the 
cabinet in such a way that a stylus or needle at the other end may follow 
the wavy spiral groove in a record on the turntable. However, as disclosed 
in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,883,146 and 3,952,170, there has been devised and 
demonstrated a record player of the type wherein a pickup arm is pivoted 
on a turntable for rotation in unison therewith so as to follow the spiral 
groove in a record which is held stationary. This record player is 
generally used for reproducing audio information recorded in a record 
printed together with visual information such as picture, illustration and 
instructions on a card of large size or on each page of a book by placing 
the record player over the recorded surface. Therefore the reproduction is 
limited to the audiovisual card or the like which must be held stationary. 
Furthermore both the audio and visual information are printed on the same 
surface of the card or the like so that the latter becomes large in size. 
Moreover when the record player is displaced relative to the recorded 
surface in the play mode, the stylus causes the damages of the spiral 
groove in the record. In addition if the record player is not correctly 
aligned with the recorded surface, the stylus is damaged by the contact 
with a portion of the recorded surface which is not grooved. The same 
problems arise even when the record player is directly placed on a desk or 
the like. When the record player is provided with a record guide which 
engages with the rim of the record in order to align the record player 
with the record, the program groove in the record is damaged by the record 
guide. When a pilot pin is inserted into the center hole of the record in 
order to align the record player with the record, the pilot pin tends to 
damage the program groove. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
One of the objects of the present invention is therefore to provide an 
audiovisual card reproducing device wherein upon insertion of an 
audiovisual card into the reproducing device, a pilot pin is advanced 
toward the card and inserted into a pilot pin hole formed in the card so 
that a disk-record and a turntable may be concentrically located with a 
higher degree of accuracy. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide an audiovisual card 
reproducing device which cannot be switched into the play mode when no 
card is inserted, whereby the damage to the stylus may be avoided. 
A further object of the present invention is to provide an audiovisual card 
reproducing device wherein when the card is pulled out by mistake in the 
play mode, the stylus may be automatically retracted away from the 
disk-record, whereby the damages to the stylus and to the program groove 
in the record may be prevented. 
A further object of the present invention is to provide an audiovisual card 
reproducing device wherein when a card ejection button is operated by 
mistake in the play mode, the stylus may be automatically retracted away 
from the disk-record and the card may be automatically ejected. 
A further object of the present invention is to provide an audiovisual card 
consisting of a base made of plastic, a printed sheet bearing the visual 
information and bonded or otherwise attached to the upper surface of the 
base and a disk-record bearing the audio information and bonded otherwise 
attached to the lower surface of the base, the base being formed with a 
pilot or guide pin hole for concentrically locating the disk-record with 
respect to a turntable and a pilot pin guide for facilitating the 
insertion of the pilot pin into the pilot pin hole. 
A further object of the present invention is to provide an audiovisual card 
reproducing device which may lock the eject operation during the play mode 
so that the damages to the program groove in the disk-record and the 
stylus may be prevented. 
A further object of the present invention is to provide an audiovisual card 
reproducing device of the type wherein a card holder consisting of a 
transparent panel may be detachably mounted on a cabinet or a main body of 
the reproducing device in such a way that when the card holder is removed, 
the pickup arm is exposed out of the cabinet or the main body, whereby the 
cleaning or replacement of the stylus may be facilitated. 
A further object of the present invention is to provide an audiovisual card 
reproducing device wherein when the card holder is mounted in the cabinet 
or the main body and then an audiovisual card is inserted into the card 
holder, the card holder may be made into secure engagement with the 
cabinet or the main body so that it may be prevented from being pulled out 
during the play mode. 
To the above and other ends, briefly stated, the present invention provides 
an audiovisual card reprducing device having a cabinet with a slit into 
which is inserted an audiovisual card, a turntable disposed for rotation 
within the cabinet or the main body in opposed relationship with the 
grooved surface of the disk-record or the inserted card, and a pickup 
pivoted to the turntable and positionable in resilient contact with the 
disk-record of the inserted card.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
First Embodiment, FIGS. 1-12 
FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a first embodiment of an audiovisual 
reproducing device in accordance with the present invention. It has a 
cabinet or a main body 1 with an elongated slit 2 through which an 
audiovisual card 3 is inserted into the main body 1, a window 4, a speaker 
unit 5, a play button 6, an eject button 7 and a stop button 8. 
FIG. 2 shows an audiovisual card 3 consisting of a base 9 made of plastic, 
a disk-record 10 attached to the lower surface of the base 9 and a picture 
sheet 11 attached to the upper surface of the base 9. The picture sheet 11 
is printed with a picture such as landscape as indicated by the broken 
lines in FIG. 1 so that a user may look it through the window 4 when the 
card is inserted into the main body 1. 
The base 9 is formed with an annular recess 9a into which is fitted and 
bonded the disk-record 10, a boss 9b for positioning the disk-record 10, a 
countersunk or an inverted frustoconical pin guide 9c for guiding a pilot 
pin to be described hereinafter, and a pilot pin 9d for receiving the 
pilot pin. 
The disk-record 10 is formed with a center hole 10a and a program groove 
10b. 
Next a method for mounting the disk-record 10 on the base 9 will be 
described. The diameter d.sub.2 of the boss 9b of the base 9 is slightly 
smaller than the diameter d.sub.1 of the center hole 10a of the 
disk-record 10 by such a degree that the center hole 10a may be located 
concentrically of the boss 9b with a predetermined tolerance. The diameter 
D.sub.2 of the annular recess 9a of the base 9 is slightly greater than 
the outer diameter D.sub.1 of the disk-record 10. Thus when the center 
hole 10a of the disk-record 10 is fitted over the boss 9a, the disk-record 
10 may be precisely mounted on the base 9 as best shown in FIG. 3. 
As shown in FIG. 3, the picture sheet 11 is fitted into a mating recess 9e 
formed in the bottom surface of the base 9 and bonded thereto. Instead of 
the picture sheet 11, visual information may be directly printed over the 
bottom surface of the base 9. 
So far the pin guide 9c of the base 9 has been described as being an 
inverted frustoconical form as best shown in FIG. 5, but it may be made in 
the form of a part of an inverted frustocone as shown in FIG. 6 or in the 
form of an inverted frustum of a square pyramid as shown in FIG. 7. 
Referring to FIGS. 4 and 8-12, reference numeral 12 denotes a turntable 
disposed for rotation within the main body in opposed relationship with 
the window 4; 13, a pickup which is not only horizontally rotatable about 
a pin 14 extended from the turntable 12 but also vertically rotatable 
about a pin 15; 16, a stylus mounted on the pickup; 17, an opening formed 
through the turntable 12 in order to permit the movement of the pickup 13 
as will be described in detail hereinafter; 18, a slip ring mounted on a 
spindle 19 of the turntable and electrically connected to the output 
terminal of the pickup 13; 20, an output brush normally made into contact 
with the slip ring 18; 21, a motor; 22, an endless belt for drivingly 
coupling the motor 21 to the turntable 12; 23, a chassis; 24, a card 
rejection member with one end slidably inserted into the card slit 2 and 
the other end slidably mounted on the chassis 23; 25, a bias spring for 
normally biasing the card ejection member 24 in the direction indicated by 
A in FIG. 8 so that a card 3 may be ejected out of the reproducing device 
as will be described in detail hereinafter. 
Referring to FIGS. 8-12, reference numeral 27 denotes a leaf spring one end 
of which is securely fixed to the chassis 23, the other end of which is 
resiliently made into contact with a wedge or a projection 26 struck out 
of the card rejection member 24 and which normally biases a pilot pin 28 
upwardly or in the direction C in FIG. 9; 29, a leaf switch consisting of 
a pair of parallel contacts 30 and 31 and a contact holder 32 for 
supporting one ends of the contacts 30 and 31, the leaf switch 29 
connecting or disconnecting the motor 21 to or from a power source; 33, a 
stopper attached to the free end of the contact 30 of the leaf switch 29; 
33a, a projection for engagement with a notch 12b of a flange 12a of the 
turntable 12; 34, a reset member attached to the free end of the contact 
31; 34a, a cam surface of the reset member 34 made into contact with a pin 
35a extended from a tone arm 35 for resetting the pickup 13 against the 
force of a spring 36b; 34b, a cam made into contact with a projection 36a 
struck out of a play-slide plate 36 so that when the latter 36 is pushed 
into the main body, the reset member 34 as well as the stopper 33 are 
displaced downward or in the direction D in FIG. 9; 37, a stopper which is 
pivoted at a midpoint between the ends with a pivot pin 38. One end of the 
stopper 37 is made into engagement with a notch 24a of the card ejection 
member 24, and when an audiovisual card 3 is inserted into the slit 2, the 
card ejection member 24 is displaced in the direction B in FIG. 8 so that 
the stopper 37 is caused to rotate about the pivot pin 38 in the direction 
E in FIG. 11, whereby the other end of the stopper 37 is moved away from 
the path of the play-slide plate 36; 39, a locking plate slidably mounted 
on the chassis 23 and having pins 41 and 42 which engage with the 
play-slide plate 36 and a stop-slide plate 40, respectively, thereby 
locking them as will be described in detail hereinafter; 43, a bias spring 
for normally biasing the locking plate 39 in the direction F in FIG. 10; 
47, a card-eject-slide plate. A projection 47a struck out from the 
card-eject-slide plate 47 at the leading end thereof is made into contact 
with a cam 27a attached on the leaf spring 47 (See FIG. 8) when the plate 
47 is displaced in the direction L in FIG. 8 so that the leaf spring 27 is 
depressed downwardly and consequently the pilot pin 28 is moved downward 
away from the pilot pin hole 9d of the card 3. 48, a lever (See FIG. 12). 
When one end of the lever 48 is made into engagement with a cam surface 
19a of the spindle 19, the lever 48 is caused to rotate about its pivot 
pin 49. Then the other end of the lever 48 is made into engagement with 
the pin 42 of the locking plate 39, causing the latter to slide in the 
direction opposite to the direction F so as to release the play-slide 
plate 36. The lever 48 is formed with a notch 48a made into engagement 
with the leading end 24b of the card rejection member in such a way that 
when the card 3 is inserted, the lever 48 is moved away from the cam 
surface 19a but when the card 3 is ejected the lever 48 is made into 
engagement with the cam surface 19a. The lever 57 is biased by a bias 
spring 50 so that the notch 48a may be normally maintained in contact with 
the leading end 24 b of the card ejection member 24. 51 is a spring for 
normally biasing the play-slide plate 36 to its inactive position; 54, a 
spring for normally biasing the stop slide plate 40 to its inactive 
position; and 55, a spring for normally biasing the eject-slide plate 47 
to its inactive position. 
Next the mode of operation of the first embodiment with the above 
construction will be described. In the nonplay mode; that is, when no card 
3 is inserted, the projection 33a of the stopper 33 at the free end of the 
contact 30 of the leaf switch 29 is engaged with the notch 12b of the 
flange 12a of the turntable 12 so that the contact 30 is slightly bowed 
downwardly. The second contact 31 remains in its initial position so that 
the first contact 30 is out of contact with the second contact 31. Thus 
the leaf switch 29 remains in the OFF state. As shown in FIG. 9, the pin 
35a extended from the tone arm 35 is made into engagement with the side 
surface of the reset member 34 of the second contact 31. Therefore the 
tone arm 35 remains in such a position that the stylus 16 of the pickup 13 
may be retracted into the opening 17 of the turntable 12. 
The card ejection member 24 remains in its initial or inoperative position 
(in the direction A in FIGS. 8, 11 and 12) under the force of the bias 
spring 25 so that the lever 48 is out of engagement with the cam surface 
19a of the spindle 19 of the turntable 12 as indicated by the solid lines 
in FIG. 12. 
When a user inserts a card 3 into the slit 2, the card 3 pushes the card 
ejection member 24 in the direction B in FIGS. 8, 11 and 12 so that the 
leaf spring 27, which is operatively coupled to the card ejection member 
24, is deflected upward. As a result, the pilot pin 28 is moved upwardly 
and inserted into the pilot pin hole 9d through the pilot pin guide 9c of 
the card 3 so that the disk-record 10 may be located concentrically of the 
turntable 12. The lever 48 is swung to the position indicated by the 
broken lines in FIG. 12 away from the cam surface 19a of the spindle 12. 
When the play button 6 is depressed so that the play-slide plate 36 is 
displaced in the direction I in FIG. 10, the projection 36a of the 
play-slide plate 36 engages with the cam surface 34b of the reset member 
34 so that the latter is displaced downwardly and consequently the second 
contact 31 is caused to bow downwardly and make into contact with the 
first contact 30. Thus, the leaf switch connects the power source to the 
motor 21. In this case, the first contact 30 is further deflected 
downwardly together with the second contact 31 so that the projection 33a 
of the stopper 33 at the free end of the first contact 30 is released from 
the notch 12b of the flange 12a of the turntable 12. Therefore the 
turntable 12 is turned in the direction J in FIG. 9 by the motor 21. Since 
the reset member 34 is displaced downwardly as the second contact 31 is 
deflected downwardly, it is released from the pin 35a so that the tone arm 
35 is swung under the force of the spring 36 in such a direction in which 
the free end of the pickup 12 or the stylus 16 is extended upwardly out of 
the opening 17 of the turntable 12 and is made into engagement with the 
program groove of the disk-record 10 mounted on the card 3. Thus the 
information recorded on the disk-record 10 is reproduced. This 
reproduction or play mode is maintained as long as the locking plate 39 
locks the play-slide plate 36 in the active or play position. 
When a user depresses the stop button 7 in the play mode to cause the 
stop-slide plate 40 to slide in the direction K in FIGS. 10 and 12, the 
locking plate 39 is caused to shift to the left and is released from the 
play-slide plate 36. As a result, the play-slide plate 36 is returned to 
its initial or inactive position under the force of the spring 51 so that 
the first and second contacts 30 and 31 of the leaf switch 29 are returned 
to their initial positions. The pin 35a of the tone arm 35 rides over the 
inclined cam surface 34a of the reset member 34 to the flat side surface 
thereof contiguous with the inclined cam surface 34a. The tone arm 35 is 
caused to swing back to its initial or inactive position so that the 
stylus 16 is retracted into the opening 17 of the turntable 12 away from 
the disk-record 10. 
Even when a user pulls the card 3 out of the reproducing device during the 
play mode, the reproducing device may be reset automatically. That is, 
when the card 3 is pulled out in the play mode, the card ejection member 
24 is displaced in the direction A in FIG. 12 under the force of the bias 
spring 25 and the lever 48 is returned to its initial position indicated 
by the solid lines in FIG. 12. As a result, the lever 48 is made into 
engagement with the cam surface 19a of the spindle 19 so that the lever 48 
is further rotated in the counterclockwise direction. The lever 48 pushes 
the pin 42 of the locking plate 39 so that the latter is caused to shift 
to the left out of engagement with the play-slide plate 36. As a result, 
as in the case of pushing the stop button 7, the slide plate 36 is 
returned to its initial position and consequently the tone arm 35 is also 
returned to its initial or inactive position in the manner described 
above. 
In the play mode the pilot pin 28 serves to hold the card 3 in position 
within the slit 2. When no card is inserted, the card ejection member 24 
is in the inoperative or initial position (that is, it is displaced in the 
direction A in FIG. 8) so that the wedge or projection 26 of the card 
ejection member 24 pushes the leaf spring 27 downwards so that the pilot 
pin 28 is retracted downwards away from the top surface of the turntable 
12. Thus the pilot pin 28 offers no obstacle against the insertion of the 
card 3. When the card 3 is inserted into the slit, the card ejection 
member 24 is displaced to the position shown in FIG. 8 so that the leaf 
spring 27 springs back upwardly so that the pilot pin 28 is moved upward, 
engages with the under surface of the card 3 and is finally fitted into 
the pilot pin hole 9d of the disk-record 10, thereby preventing the card 3 
from being pulled out of the slit 2. 
When a user pushes the eject button 8, the card 3 is automatically ejected 
out of the slit 2 and the reproducing device is also automatically reset 
or returned to the non-play mode as will be described in detail below. 
Upon depression of the eject button 8, the eject-slide plate 47 is 
displaced in the direction L in FIG. 8 so that the projection 47a of the 
eject-slide plate 47 engages with the cam 27a on the leaf spring 27. The 
leaf spring 27 is therefore deflected downwardly so that the pilot pin 28 
is retracted downwardly away from the pilot pin hole 9d of the card 3. 
Then the card ejection member 24 is displaced in the direction A under the 
force of the bias or return spring 25 (See FIG. 11) so that the card 3 is 
ejected out of the slit 2 by the card ejection member 24. When the card 
ejection member 24 is displaced in the direction A in FIG. 8, it turns the 
lever 48 so that the locking plate 39 releases the play-slide plate 36. 
Then the play-slide plate 36 returns to its initial or inoperative 
position under the force of the bias spring 51. 
More particularly, when the lever 48 is turned so that its one end engages 
with the cam surface 19a of the spindle 19, the lever 48 is turned by the 
spindle 19 so as to displace the locking plate 39 out of engagement with 
the play-slide plate 36. 
As described above, the card ejection operation is very simple. Furthermore 
even when the card is pulled out in the play mode, the reproducing device 
may be automatically reset. Thus the operability may be much improved. 
When no card 3 is inserted into the slit 2, the card ejection member 24 is 
held in its initial or inoperative position under the force of the bias or 
return spring 25 as shown in FIG. 11. The other end of the stopper 37 is 
located in the path of the play-slide plate 36. As a result, even when the 
play button 6 is depressed, the inner end of the slide plate 36 
immediately engages with the other end of the stopper 37 so that the play 
button 6 cannot be depressed completely. As a consequence the pickup 13 
remains in the inoperative position. 
As described above, the first embodiment of the audiovisual card 
reproducing machine in accordance with the present invention is very 
simple in construction and compact in size may completely prevent the 
damage to the stylus when the card is inserted and offer excellent 
operability. It may be used as an audio reproducing device as well as a 
teaching machine. 
Second Embodiment, FIG. 13 
The second embodiment of the present invention to be described below with 
reference to FIG. 13 is different from the first embodiment in that the 
second embodiment includes a mechanism for preventing or inhibiting the 
ejection operation during the play mode. 
Referring to FIG. 13, an ejection locking member 44 is mounted for slidable 
movement in the directions G and H at right angles to the direction I of 
movement of the play-slide plate 36 and is normally biased in the 
direction H under the force of a bias or return spring 46. When the 
play-slide plate 36 is displaced in the direction I to its operative 
position, a pin 45 extended from the plate 36 engages with the inclining 
edge of a notch formed in the ejection locking member 44 so that the 
latter is displaced to the right against the bias or return spring 46 and 
the left end of the locking member 44 engages with a locking notch 47b 
formed in the eject-slide plate 47, thereby locking it. Therefore even 
when the card ejection button 8 is depressed during the play mode, the 
displacement of the eject-slide plate 47 is locked so that the card 3 
cannot be ejected out of the slit 2. 
When the play-slide plate 36 is returned to its initial or inoperative 
position, the engaging pin 45 is out of engagement with the notch of the 
ejection locking member 44 so that the latter is returned to its initial 
or inoperative position and consequently the left end thereof is out of 
engagement with the locking notch 47b of the eject-slide plate 47. 
Therefore the sliding movement of the eject-slide plate 47 is permitted. 
Thus when the ejection button 8 is depressed, the card 3 is automatically 
ejected out of the slit 2 in the manner described elsewhere with 
particular reference to FIG. 8. 
As described above, according to the second embodiment of the present 
invention the ejection of the card 3 during the play mode is completely 
prevented. Therefore even when a user erroneously depresses the ejection 
button 8 during the play mode, the damage to the card 3 by the stylus 16 
or the damage to the stylus by the card 3 may be completely avoided. The 
card 3 may be ejected out of the reproducing device only when the latter 
is in the inoperative mode. 
Third Embodiment, FIGS. 14-16 
According to the third embodiment of the present invention, the replacement 
of a worn stylus as well as the cleaning thereof may be much facilitated 
as will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 14-16. 
In the first and second embodiments, the window 4 is directly formed in the 
main body 1, but according to the third embodiment, a card holder 53 
having a transparent top panel 53a through which the picture on the card 3 
may be viewed and a card insertion slit 53b may be detachably mounted on 
the cabinet or the main body 1. 
The main body 1 is provided with a card holder mount 52 upon which is 
detachably mounted the card holder 53. The card holder mount 52 is formed 
with a hole in which is located the turntable 12 with the pickup 13 having 
the stylus 16 and with first and second engaging members 52a and 52b along 
the front and rear edges. 
First the card holder 53 without the card 3 is inserted into the mount 52. 
Then a first hook 53c with the first engaging member 52a while a second 
hook 53d with the second engaging member 52b. Thereafter the card 3 is 
inserted into the slit 53b of the card holder 53. Because the card 3 has a 
thickness, the first and second hooks 53c and 53d of the card holder 53 
are pushed upwardly and downwardly, respectively, as best shown in FIG. 15 
so as to firmly engage with the corresponding first and second engaging 
members 52a and 52b. As a result, once the card 3 is inserted into the 
card holder 3, the latter cannot be pulled out of the card holder mount 
52. 
When a user pushes lightly down the front edge of the card holder 53 or the 
transparent panel 53a after he or she has pulled the card 3 out of the 
card holder 53, the first hook 53c is easily released from the first 
engaging member 52a. Thereafter the user pulls the card holder 53. Then 
the second hook 53d of the card holder 53 is readily released from the 
second engaging member 52b of the card holder mount 52, whereby the user 
may completely pull the card holder 53 out of the card holder mount 52. 
The turntable 12 and the pickup 13 are exposed so that the replacement or 
cleaning of the stylus 16 may be effected in a simple manner without the 
disassembly of the main body or cabinet 1. Since the card holder 53 cannot 
be removed out of the reproducing device when the card 3 is inserted into 
the slit 53b of the card holder 53, the erratic removal of the card holder 
53 during the play mode may be positively prevented and the damages to the 
stylus 16 and the disk-record 10 may be completely avoided.