Patent ID: 7246363

Claim:
A disk changer for storing a plurality of disks, transporting a disk selected from the plurality of disks, and performing recording and reproduction of the disk, the disk changer, comprising: a plurality of trays which are each respectively capable of being loaded with a disk, the trays can be moved substantially in a horizontal direction being in parallel with a main surface of a disk, and are stacked substantially in a vertical direction at a right angle to a main surface of a disk, a disk recording/reproducing section for holding a disk on a turntable and performing recording or reproduction, and a tray transfer unit for shuttling the trays between a standby position for storing a disk in a device and an attaching/detaching position for protruding the trays to the outside of the device to attach and detach a disk, and between the standby position and a recording/reproducing position for recording and reproducing a disk, an elevating unit for moving a disk recording/reproducing section substantially in a vertical direction and setting the section at a height of a selected disk, a tray selecting unit which is similarly moved substantially in a vertical direction and selects a tray loaded with a selected disk, and a driving mechanism for driving the tray transfer unit, the elevating unit, and the tray selecting unit, wherein the tray transfer unit comprises a tray gear unit separately engaged with the trays, and a tray driving unit for separately driving the trays via the tray gear unit, the tray gear unit having a plurality of tray gears located uniaxially in a laminated manner to be respectively engaged with the trays, the tray driving unit being located in an inner diameter part of the tray gears in a laminated manner uniaxially with the tray gears and having a plurality of tray driving cams respectively engaged with the tray gears and for driving the tray gears, each tray driving cam having an engageable protrusion formed on a contact surface thereof with a surface of an adjacent tray driving cam, a protrusion on a tray driving cam of one tray being engaged with a protrusion on a tray driving cam of an adjacent tray when the tray driving cam is driven, so that the driving start time of the tray driving cam of a next to lowest tray is delayed relative to the driving start time of the tray driving cam of a lowest tray, thereby each tray driving gear is rotatably driven in sequence.