Abstract:
A CD or DVD disc processor, as shown, a recorder or duplicator (it could be a printer) has a pivoting picker mechanism having only one degree of freedom when driven for handling the discs for recording and stacking recorded discs. The picker mechanism picks the disc from the top of a supply stack of blank discs and places the disc on a loading tray of a recorder. The disc is moved into the recorder drive and removed after recording. The picker mechanism then picks the disc from the tray apparatus, the tray is retracted into the recorder, and the picker mechanism pivots beyond the tray to deposit the completed discs on a completed stack storage space below the tray level.

Description:
This application refers to and priority is claimed from U.S. Provisional application Ser. No. 60/310,924, filed Aug. 8, 2001, the content of which is incorporated by reference herein. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to automatic recorders/duplicators for CD&#39;s and DVD&#39;s and more particularly to a disc duplicator that has a simple design with the components of the duplicator aligned with a disc picker and placement mechanism so drive movement of the disc picker and placement mechanism requires only one degree of freedom. 
   There exists a need for a simpler, efficient and low cost disc (CD) duplicator. There are many conventional disc duplicators available, but they are fairly expensive which prevents most casual users or low volume businesses from acquiring and utilizing one of these systems. 
   Conventional disc duplicators have pick and place picker mechanisms that usually have drives for both pivotal and linear motion due to the fact that the disc storage supports and the loading trays of conventional disc duplicators cannot be reached by the picker by just one motion. Therefore the picker mechanism is complicated, and other components of the conventional disc duplicator are not arranged in an efficient manner. Most of the complexity comes from the picker mechanism needing drives for having a substantial amount of linear motion in one degree of freedom to pick or drop a disc on a tall stack of discs found in conventional duplicators plus motion in other degrees or freedom to manipulate the disc between desired locations. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to a disc recorder/duplicator (called a duplicator) where a disc picker mechanism is mounted on a support arm that moves in substantial one dimensional alignment with the locations of the holder of unrecorded or blank discs, the loading tray for the duplicator and the storage holder for recorded discs. The picker mechanism picks and places discs with a drive in one degree of freedom pivotal motion of a support arm. 
   Specifically a disc is moved by the picker mechanism from a stack of blank discs to the loading and ejecting tray for the duplicator where the disc is loaded on the tray, which is moved into the recording drive. The recording drive or sequence is engaged with a controller. 
   After the disc is recorded (duplicated), the tray extends and the disc is ejected from the recording drive. Then, the picker mechanism picks the recorded disc from the duplicator loading tray, the loading tray is retracted into the duplicator housing and the picker mechanism places the completed disc on a completed stack of discs on a completed stack storage space, which is located below the position of the extended loading tray. 
   When the finished disc storage stack is below the extended tray, driven lateral movement of the support arm is not needed to place the recorded or completed disc on the completed disc storage stack after the tray holding the recorded disc is retracted. The picker is operated on the controller to lift the recorded disc. The tray then is retracted, and the picker is lowered to drop the recorded disc into the finished disc stack. The supply stack storage space, the completed stack storage space, and the duplicator disc support tray are in substantial one dimensional alignment centered on a plane with the central axis of the picker mechanism. 
   The picker mechanism pivots about a horizontal (as shown) axis at the outer end of the picker mechanism support arms. The sliding path of the duplicator disc support tray is in a plane parallel to the axis of mounting of the picker mechanism support arm. 
   In another form of the invention, a curved disc stack holder is provided. The radius of the curve of the disc stack holder is substantially the same as the radius of the pivoting support arm of the picker mechanism. 
   The invention also relates to a method of handling discs for duplicating/recording in a simplified manner. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a disc duplicator having a picker mechanism made in accordance with the present invention showing the picker mechanism picking a disc from a supply stack of blank discs; 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view similar to  FIG. 1  where the blank disc is shown deposited in place on a duplicator support disc tray to be loaded into the recorder/duplicator; 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view similar to  FIGS. 1 and 2  where the picker mechanism is placing a completed or recorded disc on the stack of recorded discs; 
       FIG. 4  is a side view of a second embodiment of the present invention showing a curved stack holder for a stack of discs; and 
       FIG. 5  is a cross sectional view taken generally along line  5 — 5  of  FIG. 3  showing one type of internal component of the picker mechanism. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   The invention disclosed herein relates primarily to an apparatus and a method for recording or duplicating a relatively small number (about 25-50 discs) recordable CD&#39;s or DVD&#39;s. The invention also can be a printer. Referring to  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  3 , and  5 , in particular, a CD or DVD processor, as shown recorder/duplicator  13  (called a duplicator) but which also can be a printer, has a disc support tray  1  that extends for loading and retracts into a known recording drive  11  internally mounted in a processor cabinet  6 . The recording drive  11  controls movement of the support tray  1  in response to signals from a controller  9 . A disc picker mechanism assembly  16  is pivotally mounted about a main horizontal pivot axis  7  on provided supports  6 B which, as shown, are part of the cabinet  6 . The supports  6 B can be separate from the cabinet  6 , but are located adjacent to the duplicator. The pivot for the base end of picker mechanism  16 , as shown, may comprise a rotatable shaft  20  onto which a pair of arms  4  are drivably mounted. The arms  4  moves in unison. 
   A controlled motor  8 , such as a stepper motor, is used to drive the shaft  20  in the proper direction of rotation, and also determines the amount and speed of rotation of the shaft  20  and the arms  4 . The motor  8  is controlled by input control signals from the controller  9  that programs the movement of shaft  20  and thus pivotally places a disc picker  5  in desired positions. Controller  9  also controls the recorder drive  11  which in turn controls the movement of the disc support tray  1 . The controller  9  controls operation of picker  5  to engage and release discs, using the center opening of the discs. 
   The disc picker  5  is mounted on cross shaft  26  extending between the arms  4 . The proper orientation of picker  5  can be maintained by allowing shaft  26  to freely rotate on the arms  4  and permit gravity to maintain the vertical orientation of the picker. A counterweight can be attached to picker  5 , if needed. The axis of shaft  26  and pivot axis  7  for the base ends of the arms  4  are maintained parallel. Control leads for the picker can be provided through a bore in shaft  26  and arms  4 , back to connections at the base of the arms, in a known manner. 
   Alternatively, a positive positioning of link between shaft  26  and picker  5  can be provided for maintaining the picker orientation. As shown schematically in  FIG. 5 , a pulley or sprocket  22  can be fixed to one support  6 B centered around the shaft  20 , but permitting arms  4  to rotate relative to the pulley. Shaft  26  is provided with a drive pulley  28  of the same size as sprocket  22 . The pulleys  22  and  28  are connected together by a drive belt  24 , and as the arms  4  are rotated the picker  5  is also rotated so it remains oriented in space. 
   The picker or disc holder  5  can be used to pick a disc in the center opening, and hold the disc, as is known in the prior art, for example as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,873,692. Also, a vacuum operated picker can be used, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,141,298, which also discloses a disc duplicator. 
   In  FIG. 1 , a CD or DVD blank disc  32  in the process of being picked up by the picker  5  of picker mechanism assembly  16 . Disc  32  is the top disc in a supply stack  2  of unrecorded or blank discs. The stack or store  2  is located on a storage space  12  on a top panel of cabinet  6 , and the storage space is centered on the bisecting plane of the duplicator and the tray picker  5 . Disc support tray  1  for the duplicator is extended, and the arms  4  are driven by the motor  8  to the position shown in  FIG. 2  where, by releasing the picker, the disc is placed on support tray  1  which is the loading and ejecting tray for the recording drive  11 . The tray  1  supports the disc in a known manner, after it is released by the picker, and the picker is lifted by reversing rotation of arms  4  a short distance. Then the tray  1  is slidably moved by controller  9  and the recorder drive  11  to the recording position in recorder drive  11 . The path of the tray is in a plane parallel to the horizontal axis  7  of the picker mechanism assembly  16 . 
   Once disc  32  is loaded into the recording drive  11  the recording drive is engaged for duplicating a recording onto the blank disc. The recording drive is conventional. After the recording is completed, the recording drive and controller  9  cause the tray  1  and disc  32  to be moved out of the recording drive  11  by moving the tray at  1  to its extended position. The picker  5  of the picker mechanism assembly  16  has been held above the tray position, and is then moved down by motor  3  and arms  4  to pick up the disc  32 , which is fully recorded, from the tray  1 . The arms  4  are rotated up to lift the picker and fully recorded disc  32  away from the tray  1 , for clearance, and then the tray  1  is retracted into the duplicator by commands from controller  9  so that the disc  32  can be lowered by the arms  4  onto a completed stack  3  of discs in a storage space or support  28  immediately below the tray.  1  and also centered on the picker mechanism and tray  1 . The picker  4  is operated to drop the disc; (the discs can fall onto the completed stack  3 ). 
   The arms  4  are then reversed by motor  8  to pick up a new blank disc in the storage stack  2  on space  12  on top of cabinet  6 , and the tray  1  is extended from the duplicator. The process is then repeated, with a new disc being placed onto the tray, the picker is released, and lifted, leaving the blank disc on the tray and the tray is retracted into the duplicator for duplicating/recording. The recorded disc is moved out of the recorder drive by extending the tray, and then picked up by picker  5 , the tray is retracted, and the second recorded disc put onto the complete stack  3  of discs. 
   A disc duplicator having an extendable and retractable tray is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,327,230, by way of example. The device in patent &#39;230 also includes a label printer. The label printer has a disc tray and the duplicator tray aligned vertically in U.S. Pat. No. 6,327,230. The picker mechanism shown herein can be used for moving a recorded disc onto a label printer and printing on a label, which is a second operation, by properly adjusting the length and position of the pivoting arms  4 . 
     FIG. 4  shown a modified form of a disc stack holder  10 , that has curved supports  30  that guide the discs This type of curved disc stack holder can be used either with the supply stack  2 , or the completed stack  3  or both. The radius of he arm  4  of the picker mechanism assembly  16  is defined in  FIG. 4  as “R” and is a distance between the axis  7  of rotation of the arms  4 , and the axis  18  of shaft  26 . The curve indicated on the support  30  of the curved stack holder  10  coincides with the arc having a radius A. The curved stack of the discs aids in increasing disc capacity, because the radius of the movement of the picker mechanism assembly  16  and the curve of supports  30  of the stack holder  10  will coincide, resulting in more easily stacking, or picking up discs with the picker  5 . 
   The placement of the completed discs has to be the location that is not in the path of movement between the blank disc storage and the tray or carriage for the recorder/duplicator, because the discs have to be carried across that path on the single axis of pivoting of the picker mechanism assembly. The storage tray for the completed discs can be offset laterally parallel in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the picker support a short distance, and a slide or similar guide to be used to move the items laterally. However, the position of release has to be such that it will position the disc on a completed disc guide or support at some location in the path of pivotal movement of the picker support. There could be a guide that moves into a disc receiving position after recording, and after the disc had been lifted from the tray. In other words, a support could be inserted above the tray  1 , in a position to provide a sliding guide for moving the completed disc out of the way of the path of movement of the picker mechanism assembly between the blank disc storage and the tray. Such a movable support would then have to be moved out of the path before the next blank disc was deposited in the recorder/duplicator tray. 
   As noted, there are many printers that have an extendable and retractable tray that moves identically to the tray shown with a recorder. Thus the picker shown can be used with a printer, and with modification, with a combined unit as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,327,230. The terms “processor” and “operation” are meant to include duplicators or printers, and printing a label on a disc as well as duplicating or recording. 
   Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.