Disk play-back device with removable disk magazines

A disk play-back device includes a housing having an upper and a lower wall each having a respective opening. At least one exchangeable disk magazine is provided that contains superposed disk holders and that is insertable into the housing between the upper and lower walls. The disk magazine includes a front wall having a plurality of recesses formed therein, and a bottom and a top wall each having an opening in registration with the respective openings of the housing when the magazine is inserted in the housing. A catch device is located on the front wall of the disk magazine for fixing the disk magazine in position in the housing. The catch device includes a pressure spring having two ends, and two levers. Each lever is located behind a respective recess, and each has a front end facing the other front end. The front end includes a centered projecting pin with a respective end of the pressure spring being pushed thereon for pre-stressing and moving the levers in opposite directions to engage with the associated openings of the housing. The levers further include another end narrowing to form a neck opposite of the respective projecting pin. The neck is guided in a respective opening of the magazine and is extendable through the respective opening of the housing. The catch device includes a manually-operable gripping projection formed on each lever and projecting into the respective recess.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The invention relates to a disk play-back device with at least one disk 
magazine exchangeably disposed in the housing of the device, which is 
fixed in its position in respect to the housing by means of a catch device 
and has disk holders which are placed in compartments above each other and 
hold respectively one disk. 
A CD play-back device with two oppositely located, exchangeable disk 
magazines, which are equipped with disk holders placed in horizontal 
compartments and respectively receiving one disk, is known from DE 39 22 
721 A1. A transport device which can be moved in the stack direction of 
the disk magazines conveys a desired disk, together with the associated 
disk holder, back and forth between the compartment of the respective disk 
magazine and a play-back unit. It is customary in connection with such 
devices to have a plurality of disk magazines with a single device and to 
stock the individual disk magazines with disks from a defined field of 
music, such as classics, rock, jazz, etc. For protection against dust, the 
disk magazines which are not placed into the disk play-back device are 
usually stored in separate boxes, to which respectively one container for 
the protective sleeves of the disks stored in the disk magazine is 
assigned. 
Each disk magazine of the known play-back device is maintained in its fixed 
position by means of two catches disposed on the front of the housing of 
the device, which consist of a spring mechanism respectively located at 
the top and the bottom. Both catches are connected via rods with a 
displacement lever on the housing. With the movement of the displacement 
lever in one direction, the first catch is released, so that the disk 
magazine can be pivoted around a pivot shaft out of the housing in order 
to ease in this way the exchange of the disks stored in the disk holders. 
With a movement of the displacement lever in the other direction, the 
second catch is also released, because of which it is possible to remove 
the disk magazine as a whole from the housing. However, in the course of 
pivoting the disk magazine out as well as when removing it, it is 
necessary for the transport device to be in the end position below the 
level of the bottom of the disk magazine, which therefore requires a 
special monitoring function of the position of the transport device when 
exchanging the disk magazine. In addition, the rotational and 
translatorial movement of the disk magazine in the course of its exchange 
requires a relatively elaborate construction of the two catches consisting 
of respectively two spring mechanisms. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is the object of the invention to provide a disk play-back device of the 
type mentioned at the outset wherein the exchange of the disk magazine is 
assured in a quick and simple manner. 
This object is attained in accordance with the invention in that the disk 
magazine is inserted from the front of the housing in the manner of a 
drawer. 
Because of this step, only translatory movements are required when 
replacing the disk magazine with another one, which can be performed 
without regard of the position of the transport device for disk transport, 
which is disposed next to the disk magazine, and the ease of operation is 
considerably increased by this. In addition, the design of the disk 
magazine as a drawer provides the option of keeping the construction of 
the catch device simple, because only the sliding movement of the disk 
magazine needs to be limited. 
In accordance with an advantageous embodiment of the invention, at least 
one groove and tongue guide is provided between the disk magazine and the 
housing to achieve the dependable insertion and removal of the disk 
magazine from the housing of the play-back device. Suitably, respectively 
one groove and tongue guide is provided on the bottom as well as on the 
top wall of the disk magazine for increasing stability. 
In accordance with an advantageous further embodiment of the invention, the 
tongue of the tongue and groove guide is provided with oppositely located 
chamfers and its front end, and the groove with a corresponding widening 
at its rear end to ease the inserting process of the disk magazine into 
the housing. In this case the front end of the tongue is preferably used 
as a stop for the bottom wall of the groove, which is in the form of a 
blind bore, in order to limit the inserting movement of the disk magazine. 
In an advantageous embodiment of the subject of the invention, the catch 
device is disposed on the front wall of the disk magazine and comprises 
two levers, which are pre-stressed by means of a pressure spring and can 
be moved in opposite directions to each other and cooperate with 
corresponding openings in the intermediate walls of the housing. On the 
one hand, this results in a space-saving placement of the catch device 
and, on the other, in a structurally simple, easy to manipulate catch 
device. 
In accordance with an advantageous further embodiment of the subject of the 
invention, the levers of the catch device, which are placed above each 
other and are aligned with each other, are located between two oppositely 
placed guide rails formed on the back of the front wall of the disk 
magazine and are respectively limited in the direction of their movements 
by a peg, fixed on the back of the front wall and engaging a corresponding 
elongated hole of the associated lever. This assures a particularly 
dependable operation of the catch device. 
In accordance with an advantageous further embodiment of the invention, a 
recess in the front wall of the disk magazine, in which a gripping 
projection is situated which is formed on the lever located behind the 
recess, is associated with each lever, so that the catch device can be 
operated in a simple manner. Accordingly, it is only necessary to move the 
two gripping projections toward each other against the force of the 
pressure spring for releasing the catch device, and after the gripping 
projections have been released, the levers return automatically into their 
locking position under the force of the pressure spring. 
For achieving a simple assembly it has been further advantageously provided 
that the fronts of the levers which are located opposite each other 
respectively have a centered projecting peg on which the free ends of the 
pressure spring have been pushed. In the process, suitably each lever 
makes a transition into a narrow neck on the front opposite the peg, which 
is guided in a corresponding opening in the bottom or the top wall of the 
disk magazine and which, in the locked position of the disk magazine, 
extends through the associated opening of the corresponding intermediate 
wall of the housing. 
In an advantageous further embodiment of the invention, to prevent the 
lever from buckling out of the back of the front wall of the disk 
magazine, the backs of the levers are covered by a strip extending between 
the top wall and the bottom of the disk magazine, which is composed of 
spring elements for keeping in place the disk holders respectively 
containing a disk and inserted into compartments of the disk magazine. 
The concept on which the invention is based will be explained in detail in 
the following description by means of an exemplary embodiment shown in the 
drawings. Shown are in:

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
The disk play-back device by means of which it is possible to read out 
optically and reproduce information stored on disks 1, has a housing 2 
with an associated operating console, not shown, which has different keys, 
for example a disk selection key, a disk playing key and a stop key. Two 
disk magazines 3 are laterally disposed in the housing 2, which are 
identically constructed and respectively have a plurality of compartments 
arranged on top of each other for storing a corresponding number of disk 
holders 4, each receiving respectively one disk 1. A transport device 5 
which can be moved up and down for taking a desired disk 1 with the 
associated disk holder 4 back and forth between the compartment and a 
play-back unit is located in the space between the disk magazines 3. The 
play-back unit, not shown, having a motor for rotating the disk turntable 
and a play-back head, is fixedly disposed between the two disk magazines 3 
and below their level. 
A lower intermediate wall 6 and an upper intermediate wall 7 of the housing 
2 are associated with each disk magazine 3 inside the housing 2, and 
between them receive the disk magazine 3 inserted in the manner of a 
drawer from the front of the housing 2. Respectively one tongue and groove 
guide 10 is provided between the lower intermediate wall 6 and the bottom 
8 of the disk magazine 3 and between the upper intermediate wall 7 and the 
top wall 9 of the disk magazine 3. Each tongue and groove guide 10 
consists of a tongue 11, extending in the insertion direction of the disk 
magazine 3 and formed on the lower intermediate wall 6 or the upper 
intermediate wall 7, the front face 12 of which has a defined spacing from 
the front edge 13 of the respective intermediate wall 6 or 7, and of a 
correspondingly embodied groove 14 in the bottom 8 or the top wall 9 of 
the disk magazine 3. The groove 14, embodied in the manner of a blind 
bore, has a widening (tapered region) 16 on its open end in the area of 
the back wall 15 of the disk magazine 3, which in the course of the 
insertion operation of the disk magazine 3 cooperates with oppositely 
located chamfers 17 of the front face 12 of the tongue 11. The length of 
the tongue 11 corresponds to the length of the groove 14, so that the 
bottom wall 18 rests against the front face 12 of the tongue 11 in the 
inserted state of the disk magazine, the result of which is a limitation 
of the insertion movement of the disk magazine 3. 
An opening 19 is cut into the respective intermediate wall 6, 7 between the 
front edge 13 of the intermediate walls 6, 7 and the front face 12 of the 
respectively associated tongue 11, which is associated with a catch device 
21 attached to the front wall 20 of the disk magazine 3. 
The catch device 21 comprises two levers 22, 23, which are disposed in the 
longitudinal direction above each other at a distance and are U-shaped in 
cross section, are aligned with each other and are slidingly movable 
between guide rails formed on the back of the front wall 20 of the disk 
magazine 3. A strip of spring elements, not shown, for keeping in place 
the disk holder 4, containing respectively one disk 1, in the compartments 
of the disk magazine 3, covers the back of the two levers 22, 23, one end 
of the strip being fastened on the top wall 9 and the other on the bottom 
8 of the disk magazine 3. A projecting peg 24, on which the free ends of a 
pressure spring 25 located inbetween have been pushed, is located centered 
on the front faces of the levers 22, 23 facing each other. To limit the 
movement of the levers 22, 23 away from each other under the force of the 
pressure spring 25, each lever 22, 23 has an elongated hole 26 which is 
engaged by a peg 27 fixed on the front wall 20. On its free end each lever 
22, 23 makes a transition into a narrow neck 28. The neck 28 of the lever 
22 extends through an opening 29 in the top wall 9, and in the locked 
position of the disk magazine 3 engages the opening 19 of the upper 
intermediate wall 7, while the neck 28 of the lever 23 extends through an 
opening 30 in the bottom 8 and engages the opening 19 of the lower 
intermediate wall 6 in the locked position of the disk magazine 3. The 
insertion and removal movement of the necks 28 of the levers 22, 23 in 
relation to the openings 19 is determined by the size of the elongated 
holes 26 cooperating with the pegs 27. In order to release the levers 22, 
23 from their locking position against the force of the spring 25, each 
lever 22, 23 has a gripping projection 31 extending through an associated 
recess 32 in the front wall 20. In this way it is possible to release the 
locking of the disk magazine 3 with the housing 2 by pressing together the 
gripping projections 31, and the disk magazine can be pulled out of the 
housing in the manner of a drawer. In the course of inserting the disk 
magazine 3 into the housing 2, the necks 28 of the levers 22, 23 compress 
the pressure spring 25 and slide on the intermediate walls 7, 6 until the 
necks 28 of the levers 22, 23 catch the associated opening 19 of the 
intermediate wall 7, 6 under the action of the pressure spring 25, so that 
the disk magazine 3 is locked in its insertion position within the housing 
2 of the disk play-back device. 
The exemplary embodiment described shows the particularly simple and 
convenient to manipulate construction of the disk play-back device of the 
invention which, regardless of its simplicity, has proven to be 
particularly dependable in connection with the exchangeabilty of the disk 
magazines. Although the invention has been described by means of only one 
exemplary embodiment, for one skilled in the art obvious variants of the 
object of the invention ensuing from this representation are within the 
scope of the claimed play-back device.