Abstract:
A disk copying and dispensing apparatus including a disk processing module installable in a host device such as a disk vending machine, the module having a frame containing a displaceable carriage mechanism with a disk pick-up head, at least one disk recorder with an extendible tray for receiving or discharging a disk, a disk label printer and at least one disk parking tray with one embodiment having an actuatable disk dispensing chute, the disk carriage being movable from one device to another under control of a controller, in accordance with a programmed sequence of a processor.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a mechanism for processing and transporting compact disks in a disk recording and dispensing system. The disk process and transport mechanism here comprises a disk copying and dispensing apparatus for a host system such as a compact disk vending machine. 
     Marketing of digital information has gone through many transformations, blending techniques common to the entertainment industry and the business software industry. Application software was frequently carried on a series of floppy disks and sold in boxes containing the disks and reference materials, such as user manuals. Some entertainment software, such as computer gameware, was similarly packaged, often with minimal written material on pamphlets. The bulky packaging of computer boxware is wasteful of resources, including the space required to transport and display such wares. 
     Similarly, music recordings were traditionally sold in albums having a sleeve or casing sized to the vinyl recording disk. When digitized recordings on compact disks were first marketed, the smaller compact disks were marketed in plastic jewel cases with elongated cardboard display backing, in part to utilize display racks and shelves designed for the larger vinyl albums. Only after consumer protest over the wasteful packaging techniques, were compact disks commonly marketed in cases without the wasteful cardboard extensions. 
     With the development of inexpensive laser recording devices for writing data to compact disks, it became possible to record digital data or digitized information onto a compact disk that became a permanent record. While subsequent developments permit compact disks to be rewritten, the write once read many times process for digitized compact disks is preferred by many content providers as an unalterable medium for sale to ultimate consumers. 
     The obvious advantage of recording compact disks at the place of purchase is the elimination of an inventory, since the content data or information can be stored in a memory or master disk and used as needed to generate a recorded copy on demand. 
     When copies are made on blank compact disks, only an inventory of disk blanks need be maintained for a variety of different content items. While this has the disadvantage of using an unidentifiable copy, this deficiency can be cured by inclusion of a label printer in the apparatus for printing content identifying labels on the printed disks. The label printer can be of any conventional type used for generating disk labels, such as ink jet printers or thermal transfer printers. Decorative graphic material can be included in the labels which are printed directly on a prepared surface of the disk. 
     It is an object of this invention to provide a versatile compact disk copying and dispensing apparatus that can be incorporated into a variety of different disk production devices. In particular, the apparatus of this invention is adapted to be utilized in a compact disk vending machine for dispensing disks to consumers upon selection and payment. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the disk copying and dispensing apparatus includes a printer wherein the copying feature includes copying digital data to the disk, and copying digitally stored label data on the disk as printed label. 
     In addition, the dispensing feature includes alternate mechanisms for issuance of the copied disk after purchase, including an activated ramp guide to a pickup bin and an extendible tray. The extendible tray is designed for customer removal of the conveyed disk or for automatic removal by a mechanical means, for example, for transport to another processing station. Such a station may comprise a packing station where the copied and printed disk is placed into a sleeve, cartridge, jewel case, envelope or other packing device before delivery to the customer. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This apparatus of this invention relates to compact disk process and transport mechanisms and in particular to a disk copying and dispensing apparatus adapted to be incorporated into a vending machine. 
     The vending machine in the described embodiment is designed to dispense music recordings on data carriers of different types including CD disks, cartridges, including disk and tape cartridges, and cards, such as flash cards, PCMCIA cards or MP3 cards. The apparatus of this invention is a device having a controller responsive to commands from the host machine. Here the disk copy process is initiated by a user in the selection and payment of an item which activates the copying and automatic dispensing of items including the recorded compact disks handled by the mechanism of the subject copying and dispensing apparatus. 
     The copying and dispensing apparatus herein described, can be incorporated into different types of dispensing systems for different types of products on disk carriers, such as business and entertainment software, videos, audios and other digitized material. 
     To properly identify the products dispensed, the apparatus includes a label printer. Additionally, the apparatus includes disk parking stations to enhance the versatility of the invented slave machine to the commands of different host machines. 
     For example, the label printer may optionally print on unprinted or preprinted labels, selecting disks from one disk storage station or another. Alternately, a dispensable software application program may require a plurality of disks and it is preferred that the group of disks be recorded and printed as a batch before the dispensing sequence is initiated to dispense a series of disks in a batch or within a brief period. Additionally, different complexities in the printing operation and recording operation may result in mismatches in the timing of print cycles and recording cycles allowing disks finished one task to be stored before being transported to the following task. 
     Furthermore, since the disk copying and dispensing apparatus may be adapted to different disk recording systems, the apparatus utilizes a dispensing tray that also serves as a storage station. Alternately, an automatically positionable guide chute for processed disks directs a processed disk to a customer pickup bin in the vending machine or to a collection container for batch pick-up or transport to another processing station. 
     Additionally, because a preferred use of the apparatus is in a vending machine for a retail establishment, it is an object of this invention that the copying and dispensing apparatus be compact and modular in form. The apparatus includes a unitary housing frame having a small foot-print for installation into the host system. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an end view of a music vending kiosk that includes the copying and dispensing apparatus of this invention. 
     FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of a disk processing module that forms the copying and dispensing apparatus in the kiosk of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the disk processing module of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 4 is a partial cross sectional view of the module of FIG. 2 taken on the lines  4 — 4  in FIG. 3, showing the disk parking tray  22 . 
     FIG. 5 is a partial cross sectional view of the module of FIG. 2 taken on the lines  5 — 5  in FIG.  3 . 
     FIG. 6 is an enlarged, partial cross sectional view taken on the lines  6 — 6  in FIG.  3 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The disk copying and dispensing apparatus of this invention is designated generally by the reference numeral  10  and is shown in FIG. 1 incorporated into a music kiosk  12  that vends music on customer selected media including a digitized compact disk or CD. The disk copying and dispensing apparatus is a command driven disk processing module  14  that can be installed into or combined with a variety of different host machines. 
     In the preferred embodiment both disk content and disk labeling is performed in the disk processing module  14 . A blank disk from a disk inventory is recorded with digitized content from a host memory or master disk, and the disk is contemporaneously labeled with text and/or graphic material. 
     The music kiosk  12  in FIG. 1 is a vending machine with a currency receptacle  16  and a credit card receptacle  18  for receiving payment for a dispensed product, such as the compact disk  20  seated on an automated tray  22  that is extendible from the module shown in FIG.  1 . 
     The disk processing module  10  includes a controller  24  shown schematically in dotted line in FIG. 1, which is mounted in the module  14 , that in turn is installed within an outer casing  26  of the kiosk  12 . The controller is instructed by a microprocessor  28  that customarily resides in the host machine as shown schematically in FIG.  1 . Alternately the processor  28 a resides in the processing module  14 , when the processing module is functioning as a primary electromechanical device without a host machine. The microprocessor  28  is in most instances a general-purpose, programmable computer that is either pre-programmed with the operating routine or programmable using an input device such as a personal computer with a keyboard and monitor. 
     Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, one embodiment of the disk processing module  10  is shown. In this embodiment the disk tray  22  is extendible, as illustrated in FIG. 1, and serves as the dispensing means for the module  10 . The module can be modified to include a dispensing chute mechanism  30  as shown in the partial view of the modified disk processing module boa, shown in FIG.  6 . 
     In FIG. 2, the processing module  10  has a frame  32  that forms a housing for the components. The frame  32  is formed of sheet metal as a box with a top, bottom and sides. The frame or housing has cutouts  34  allowing access to the mechanical and electrical components mounted in the frame. A vertically displaceable carriage  36  engages a track in the form of tracks on a pair of parallel guide rods  38  that engage carriage bearings (not shown). The carriage  36  is formed with a channel-shaped shell  42  having a lower lip  40 , that functions as a cam surface in an alternate embodiment, and cantilevered end portion  44  with a vacuum-controlled, disk pick-up head  46 . The disk pick-up head  46  includes vacuum hoses  48  that supply three flexible disk contact nipples  50  on the underside of the carriage  36 . 
     The uniformly spaced contact nipples  50  are shown engaging a compact disk  20   a  in FIG.  2 . An articulated finger switch  52  senses that a disk is engaged by the carriage and electronically signals the controller  24  mounted to a back wall  56  of the frame  32 . The controller  24  executes commands from the processor  28 , and other input devices that may by-pass or be used in conjunction with the processor. Essentially, the controller  24  coordinates the analog and digital operations of the disk copying and dispensing mechanism with the digital operations, such as routing digital copy data and code from the source archive to the disk recorders and printer for executing the disk recording and printing tasks. As noted the source archive may be contained on disks, in memory associated with the processor, or even at a dial-up location distant from the vending device. 
     The carriage  36  has sides  58  configured with a projecting tab  60  that co-acts with a photodiode sensor  62  to limit travel of the carriage. The carriage  36  moves between a disk inventory station  64 , here a stack of disks  20   b  on an elongated spindle  66  (omitted from FIG.  1 ), and one or more task stations, where content and graphics are copied to the processed disks. Ultimately, the carriage moves to a discharge station where the copied disk is dispensed. 
     The cantilevered end portion  44  of the carriage  36  has a hole located centrally with respect to the nipples  50  of the pick-up head  46  allowing the carriage to position the pick-up head  46  at the top disk without interference from the projecting spindle  66 . 
     The carriage  36  is connected to an endless belt  68  that loops around a top and bottom guiding idler rollers  70  and  72  and the drive capstan  74  of a stepping motor  76  controlled by the controller  24 . The controller  24  executes commands and positions the carriage according to the task in the protocol of operations. 
     Mounted adjacent to the drive motor  76  is a vacuum unit  78  including a drive motor  88  with a cooling fan  82  and a coupled vacuum pump  84 . The vacuum output is connected by a conduit  86  to a cylindrical vacuum tank  88  which maintains an adequate vacuum reservoir to generate a continuous suction at the engagement nipples  50  when a disk pick-up and transport sequence is initiated. A flexible vacuum conduit  90  loops over the carriage  36  allowing the carriage to displace without crimping the conduit. 
     In the arrangement of FIGS. 2 and 3, a disk printer unit  92  and a pair of disk recorders  94  and  96  are mounted in the frame  32  and positioned so that the loading tray  97  (one visible) of each device (not shown) will extend into the path of the pick-up head of the carriage for receiving a disk from or dispensing a disk to the pick-up head  46 . A pair of sensors  99  for each tray are positioned to detect when a tray is extended. 
     In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 at least one if not both recorders  94  and  96  read compact disks as well as write to the disks, as is common for such commercially available disk recorder devices. This permits a disk in one recorder to be read for writing to a disk in the other recorder, if necessary. The preferred read/write disk drives are conventional components obtainable from a variety of different manufactures. The disk printer unit  92  is a conventional disk printer with an extendible tray or a specialty thermal transfer printer of the type designed for printing compact disks. The arrangement of sensors (not shown) for detecting extension of the print tray is the same as that of the disk recorders. 
     Above the recorders  94  and  96  are two extendible disk parking trays  22  and  98 . As noted in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-3, the upper tray  22  also serves as a dispensing tray to deliver a disk  20  that has completed the recording and printing process to a customer, as shown in FIG.  1 . Except for the procedure for super extending the upper tray  22  on disk dispensing, the trays  22  and  98  extend into the path of the pick-up head of the carriage in alignment with the center of the pick-up head  46 . Each tray is shown with a short spindle  100  and  102  for holding a plurality of disks, for example, ten disks per spindle. 
     The incorporation of two trays greatly increases the versatility of the system. For example, where master disks must be stored in the disk processing module, the two parking stations permit the carriage pick-up head  46  to sort through a master stack, parking disks from one tray to the other, until the desired disk is obtained and transported to one of the disk recorders  94  or  96  for reading. Alternately, a series of disks in a recording session can be stored for dispensing as a batch. Or, a series of specialty silkscreened disks can be stored on a tray for selective use and over-printing by the printer. Since the system is primarily designed as a slave mechanism, the use can be customized to the operational design of the host system. 
     The disk trays  22  and  98  are constructed and operate in a similar manner, except when the upper tray also functions as a dispensing device. As shown in FIG. 2, the displaceable tray  22  tracks on opposed roller units  104  and  106 . The pairs of roller units  106  include sliding carrier plates  108  that are connected to a tension spring  110 , as shown in the partial underside view of the disk tray support plate  112  in FIG.  5 . The two sliding carrier plates  108  for each tray have fold down ends  114  which project through rectangular openings  116  and  118  in the disk tray support plate  112 . The fold down ends  114  engage parallel rods  120  which are seated at their ends in the frame  34  and edge fold  122  in opening  118 . The tension spring  110  is anchored at one end to the support plate  112  and at the other end to the carrier plates  108 . In this manner the roller units  106  with the sliding carrier plates are biased away from the stationary roller units  104  which are simply mounted to the support plate  112 . Any transverse “play” in the displacement of the disk trays  22  and  98  is effectively eliminated. 
     The disk trays  22  and  98  are both displaced in the same manner. For example, disk tray  22  in FIG. 5 has a linear drive strap  124  anchored at each end  125  to the tray  22  and aligned with the direction of displacement as shown in the opening  126 . A reversible drive motor  128  having an offset drive capstan  130  engages the drive strap  124 . Two idler rollers  132  adjacent the capstan  130  maintain the engagement of the capstan  130  with the strap, which routes under the idler rollers  132  and over the capstan  130  in the underside view of FIG.  5 . 
     As the trays are tracked on the roller units  104  and  106 , optical sensors  134  detect the tray position, using a fold down tab  133  of a plate  135  fastened to the top of the trays as a flag, and locate the tray at the retracted, extended or super extended position (in the case where the tray comprises the dispenser). The sensors  134  feed to the controller and interrupt a displacement sequence at the appropriate positioning for storing disks or co-acting with the pick-up head  46 . 
     In the alternate embodiment of the disk copying and dispensing apparatus  10   a , a disk processing module  14   a  eliminates the use of the upper disk tray  22  as a dispensing device. In this embodiment, in which only a fragment of the disk processing module  14   a  is shown in FIG. 6, the apparatus is similar to that shown in FIGS. 2-5 with the upper tray  22  restricted in displacement to extension into the vertical path of the pick-up head of the carriage  36 . In FIG. 6 the upper portion  136  of the end side  138  of the frame  32  is viewed from inside the module  14   a . The frame  32  has an  140  opening (not visible) in which is mounted an automatic chute mechanism  140  with a chute  142  pivotally mounted on a pair of spaced pivot pins  144  that are mounted to the folded edge  146  of an opening  147  of the mounting plate  145  of the chute unit. The chute  142  has a flat delivery platform  148  with an octagonal opening  150  and two parallel slide strips  152  of plastic or other material that prevent damage to the surface of a disk dropped on the chute  142 . When deposited on the chute by release of the vacuum, the disk slides on the strips  152  during dispensing to a bin, as shown in FIG. 1 or other receptacle. 
     To coordinate the positioning of the chute unit  140  with the carriage  36 , the movement of the carriage activates the pivot of the chute  142 . The bottom  154  of the chute  144  is thereby lifted inwardly and upwardly to a discharge position well above the pivot pins  144 . To initiate engagement of the chute  142  with the carriage  36 , a cam actuator  156  has a rotatable, eccentrically-mounted cam roller  158  on a motor shaft  155  of motor that contacts a cam surface on a extension tab  160  on the chute unit  140 . A cam roller  162  on the chute  142  engages a projecting cam track  40  on the displacing carriage  136  of FIG. 2, with roller  162  shown in dotted line. As a result the chute is pivoted to a sloping discharge position by the rising carriage  36 . At the appropriate position in the cycle a suction retained disk is released by the pick-up head  46  to the chute  142 , where it slides to a discharge bin, such as the bin  164  shown in FIG.  1 . To prevent damage to the disk, the curvature of the bin slide  166  is such that the disk is supported by its edge without the recorded surface of the disk touching the bin slide  166 . 
     A flag  168  on the side of the dispensing chute  142  of the disk processing module  14   a  coacts with pairs of elements  170  of two optical sensors  172  (not shown) to signal the initial displacement and subsequent engagement of the chute  142  by the carriage in a dispensing cycle. A coil spring  174  biases the chute  142  to its vertical disengagement position. The disk processing module  10 , as shown in FIG. 3 has a power supply connector  176  and power supply switch  178  in a power supply unit  180  that includes the necessary transformers and power circuits to operate the system. 
     During operation, a sequence of tasks, programmed by the requirements of the host machine, are executed under command of the controller  24 . With a redundancy in the number of disk recorders, the operation can be tailored or customized. This versatility in operation is enhanced by the incorporation of two disk parking trays  22  and  98 . Although current requirements of compact size necessitated use of a single printer, multiple printers of the same or different type can advantageously be installed, for example, a thermal transfer printer and an ink jet printer. 
     While, in the foregoing, embodiments of the present invention have been set forth in considerable detail for the purposes of making a complete disclosure of the invention, it may be apparent to those of skill in the art that numerous changes may be made in such detail without departing from the spirit and principles of the invention.