Disk changer driving apparatus for multi-desk players driven by a single motor

A disk changer for selecting and drawing disk trays from a disk tray drawer using the same motor for both elevational movement of the disk changer and lateral/horizontal movement of the disk tray lever. An idler gear, which is driven by the motor, is selectively engaged with an elevational control gearing mechanism and a lateral movement gearing mechanism. A power switching plate having cam grooves therein controls position changes of the idler gear.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a disk changer driving apparatus for 
multi-disk players, and more particularly, to a disk changer driving 
apparatus for multi-disk players to be driven by a motor. 
In a disk changer driving apparatus for a conventional multi-disk player, a 
disk changer is provided with a disk tray drawing portion which draws a 
disk tray from the disk tray drawer accommodating multiple disk trays and 
a mobile portion moving the disk changer into the relevant disk tray 
drawing position of the disk tray drawer, in which the disk tray drawing 
portion and mobile portion are driven by the respective motors. 
However, in such a disk changer driving apparatus, since the disk tray 
drawing portion and the mobile portion are driven by separate motors, 
plural motors and respective controllers for controlling the motors are 
needed. Therefore, the structure is complicated, and this increases the 
cost of the multi-disk player. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
An object of the present invention is to provide a disk changer driving 
apparatus of a multi-disk player, wherein a disk tray drawing lever 
driving means (for pulling a selected tray from a drawer) and an elevation 
driving means (which moves the disk changer elevationally to a position 
adjacent a selected disk) are driven by a single motor. 
To accomplish the above object, the disk changer driving apparatus of the 
invention comprises a drawing lever driving means for reciprocating a disk 
tray drawing lever; an elevating driving means for elevating the disk 
changer; a motor; and power switching means for transmitting the power of 
the motor selectively to the drawing lever driving means and to the 
elevating driving means. 
According to the present invention, the disk tray drawing lever driving 
means and the disk changer elevating driving means are driven by a single 
motor. Therefore, the structure is simplified and the cost is reduced.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, a disk changer driving apparatus of a multi-disk 
player according to the present invention, comprises a disk changer 4 
provided with disk tray drawing lever driving means 10, which draws a disk 
tray 2 from a disk tray drawer 3, where a plurality of disk trays are 
accommodated. A disk changer elevating means 20 moves disk changer 4 to 
the drawing position of the relevant disk tray of disk tray drawer 3. The 
apparatus also includes a motor 1 and a power switching portion 30, which 
transmits the power of motor 1 selectively to disk tray drawing lever 
driving means 10 and disk changer elevating means 20. 
Motor 1 is installed in disk changer 4 with its rotary axis thereof 
vertically oriented. On the upper portion of the rotary axis of motor 1, 
there is installed a rotary encoder 5, comprising a rotary circular plate 
5a and a photosensor 5b, for counting the revolutions of the motor. 
Disk tray drawing lever driving means 10 comprises four first connection 
gears 11a, 11b, 11c and 11d, installed so as to be combined successively 
with the upper portion of disk changer 4, a pulley gear 12 meshed with 
gear 11d, and a first belt 13 driven by pulley gear 12 and engaged with a 
second pulley gear 12b, which is installed spaced apart from a first 
pulley gear 12a by a predetermined interval. On one side of belt 13, a 
disk tray drawing lever 15 is fixedly installed. The belt 13 may be a 
timing belt, otherwise referred to as a power transmission belt, having 
evenly spaced teeth on the bottom side thereof to engage with grooves cut 
in the periphery of the pulley. This arrangement produces a positive, 
non-slip, constant-speed drive. 
A third sensor 16 and a fourth sensor 17 are installed in disk changer 4. 
The third sensor 16 draws a disk tray 2 by rotating motor 1 in the reverse 
direction when drawing lever 15 is positioned within drawing groove 2a of 
disk tray 2. Fourth sensor 17 stops motor 1 and at the same time moves 
solenoid 37 when disk tray 2 has been fully withdrawn from the disk tray 
drawer 3. 
A plurality of guide rollers 6 are installed in disk changer 4, so that 
disk tray 2 can be easily withdrawn. 
Disk changer elevating means 20 comprises a first elevating gear 21 
installed in disk changer 4. On the upper portion of gear 21, a worm 21a 
is installed. A worm wheel 23 meshes with worm 21a and is installed on 
connection axis 22. A pair of second elevating gears 24 are installed on 
both ends of connection axis 22. Four racks 25a, 25b, 25c and 25d are 
installed at the corners of disk changer 4, and six second connecting 
gears 26a, 26b, 26c, 26d, 26e and 26f are installed on either side of disk 
changer 4, for respectively connecting second elevating gears 24 and four 
racks 25a, 25b, 25c and 25d. 
Also, in disk changer 4 and the main body in which the disk changer is 
installed, there are installed a photosensor 27 and a hole position sensor 
bracket 28. The photosensor 27 senses the position of disk changer 4 and 
stops disk changer 4 at the drawing position of the disk tray. 
As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 5, power switching means 30 comprises a 
driving pulley 31 installed in the bottom side of the rotary axis of motor 
1, an idler pulley 33 connected with driving pulley 31 through a second 
belt 32, a driving gear 34 installed in the axis of idler pulley 33, an 
idler gear 35 meshed with driving gear 34 and selectively meshed with 
initial first connecting gear 11a of disk tray drawing lever driving means 
10 and first elevating gear 21 of disk changer elevating means 20, 
respectively, a power switching plate 36 which moves idler gear 35 to 
initial first connecting gear 11a of disk tray drawing lever driving means 
10, and a push lever 38 which presses power switching plate 36 toward 
first elevating gear 21 of disk changer elevating means 20 so that idler 
gear 35 meshes with first elevating gear 21. Power switching plate 36 is 
installed so as to be elastically biased toward disk tray drawer 3 by 
torsion spring 39, as illustrated in FIG. 4. In the power switching plate 
36, guide slots 36a and 36b are slidably combined with the axes of driving 
gear 34 and idler gear 35, respectively. Push lever 38 is installed so as 
to be laterally moved by solenoid 37. Also, the axis of driving gear 34 is 
pivotally bearing-combined with disk changer 4, and idler gear 35 is 
pivotally bearing-combined with a supporting plate 40 fixedly installed in 
the axis of driving gear 34 and is installed so as to be moved together 
with driving gear 34. 
Guide slot 36a is formed as an obtuse angle. Guide slot 36b is formed as 
two obtuse angles. 
The disk changer driving apparatus of the multi-disk player having the 
above composition according to the present invention operates as follows. 
First, when a user selects a desired disk tray 2 from the disk tray drawer 
3 where a plurality of disk trays are accommodated, the motor 1 starts to 
rotate and the rotary encoder 5 counts and controls the number of 
revolutions of motor 1. 
The power of motor 1 is transferred to idler pulley 33 by driving pulley 31 
and second belt 32, causing driving gear 34 and idler gear 35 to rotate. 
As illustrated in FIG. 2, as first elevating gear 21 is rotated by idler 
gear 35, resulting in worm 21a rotating worm wheel 23, connecting rod 22 
and second elevating gears 24, installed in both ends of connecting rod 
22, start to rotate. 
This results in the rotation of second connecting gears 26a, 26b, 26c, 26d, 
26e and 26f, which cause disk changer 4 to move tip or down along racks 
25a, 25b, 25c and 25d, depending on the direction of rotation of motor 1. 
A sensor bracket 28 and a second photosensor 27 cooperate to sense the 
position of disk changer 4 relative to the disk trays. The bracket 28 has 
holes therein corresponding to the withdrawal positions of the disk trays. 
The photosensor thereby senses whether or not the position of disk changer 
4 is at a position corresponding to a withdrawal position by sensing the 
holes in bracket 28. When second photosensor 27 and a hole position sensor 
bracket 28 installed in disk changer 4 sense that disk changer reaches the 
drawing position of a desired disk tray, motor 1 stops. Accordingly, disk 
changer 4 will stop at the drawing position of the user-desired disk tray. 
When disk changer 4 stops at the drawing position of the desired disk tray, 
solenoid 37 operates and pulls push lever 38 in the direction of arrow 
"A," thus separating the push lever from power switching plate 36. 
Therefore, power switching plate 36 is moved in the direction of arrow "B" 
by the elasticity of torsion spring 39, causing idler gear 35 to disengage 
elevating gear 21 and to engage the initial first connecting gear 11a, as 
illustrated in FIG. 3. 
When idler gear 35 is engaged with initial first connecting gear 11a, motor 
1 is driven again, to thereby rotate pulley gear 12 via first connecting 
gears 11a, 11b, 11c and 11d. When first belt 13 connected to pulley gear 
12 is driven, disk cartridge drawing lever 15 installed thereon is moved 
in the direction of arrow "C" to engage with drawing groove 2a of disk 
tray 2. When lever 15 arrives at the point where it engages groove 2a, 
this position is detected by the third sensor 16. This causes motor 1 to 
rotate reversely and drive gear 34, idler gear 35, connecting gears 11a, 
11b, 11c and 11d and pulley gear 12 to rotate reversely. Accordingly, disk 
tray drawing lever 15 is moved in the direction of arrow "D," to draw disk 
tray 2 from disk tray drawer 3. 
Here, since a plurality of guide rollers 6 is installed in disk changer 4, 
disk tray 2 is drawn easily by guide roller 6. 
When disk tray 2 is completely withdrawn, disk tray drawing lever 15 will 
enable fourth sensor 17, thereby stopping motor 1 and controlling solenoid 
37 to move push lever 38 in the direction of arrow "E." Accordingly, power 
switching plate 36 is pushed by push lever 38 in the direction to cause 
idler gear 35 to once again engage with first elevating gear 21. 
Also, when idler gear 35 is combined with first elevating gear 21, motor 1 
is driven again, to rotate first elevating gear 21, worm wheel 23, second 
elevating gears 24, and second connecting gears 26a, 26b, 26c, 26d, 26e 
and 26f. Accordingly, disk changer 4 is moved up and down along racks 25a, 
25b, 25c and 25d, thereby shifting disk tray 2 toward the disk driving 
portion. 
As illustrated above, since a disk changer driving apparatus of a 
multi-disk player according to the present invention is structured so that 
a disk tray drawing lever driving means and a disk changer elevating means 
are driven by a single motor, fewer motors and fewer motor controllers are 
needed, compared with the conventional method which is driven by plural 
motors. Thus, the structure is simplified and the cost is reduced.