| Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
|---|
| 720615000 | Multiple media loading | 20 |
| 20080235719 | Image analysis for use with automated audio extraction - A system and method for identifying multiple discs, prior to their use in an automated system is disclosed. A robotic arm, or similar device, is used to pick a disc from a set of unprocessed discs in a first receptacle. The robotic arm then holds the disc in position, where an imaging device captures an image of the disc. A computing system, in communication with the imaging device, determines whether a single disc is present, or multiple discs are present. Based on the result of this determination, the disc is either placed in the media reader for further processing, or rejected and placed in one of the output receptacles. | 09-25-2008 |
| 20080282273 | INFORMATION STORAGE DISK HANDLING APPARATUS - An information storage disk handling apparatus includes a first disk device, a second disk device and a turn-over device. The first disk device has a first tray, and the second disk device has a second tray. The first disk device is mounted over the second disk device. Each of the trays has an ejected position. The turn-over device is mounted between the ejected positions of the trays of the first disk device and the second disk device to turn over an optical disk removed from the first tray at its ejected position and received by the second tray at its ejected position after the optical disk is turned. | 11-13-2008 |
| 20080288969 | Unattended Data Storage System - The present invention discloses a mechanical apparatus for performing automatic and unattended data storage and retrieval tasks. The apparatus enables automating the data storage procedure of recording files on multiple compact discs (CDs) or digital versatile discs (DVDs) without relaying on the intervention of a human operator. The apparatus automatically transfers empty discs into the disc drive, removes them from the disc drive and marks them appropriately once the disc writing and reading procedures are completed. The apparatus is composed of an arm equipped with a gripping mechanism such as suction cups or mechanical grippers which can move vertically and horizontally and transfer the discs according to necessity. Two embodiments are described: in the first embodiment the horizontal movement of the arm is circular and is performed around a central axis; in the second the movement is along a straight line and the arm is positioned on a rack. | 11-20-2008 |
| 20080313663 | MEDIA PROCESSING APPARATUS AND CONTROLLING METHOD OF THE SAME - A processor is provided in a main body and performs at least one of writing data on a plate-shaped medium, reading data from the medium and printing on the medium. A drawer tray is provided in the main body, includes a stacker portion which is configured to accommodate a plurality of plate-shaped media processed by the processor and is movable between an accommodated position where the stacker portion is capable of receiving the media and a drawn position where the drawer tray is pulled out from the main body to take out the media accommodated in the stacker portion. | 12-18-2008 |
| 20090025020 | Optical disc loader for recorders with integrated labeling facility - In accordance with the invention, an automatic disc loader and unloader is integrated into an optical disc recorder having a labeling facility. In one embodiment, a supply stack of discs is positioned generally directly above an extended delivery tray of the system. Thus, a relatively small footprint is required. Also in the preferred embodiment, a disc take-up facility is located below the extended tray, so as not to extend substantially beyond the recorder/labeler with the tray in its extended condition. The loading of discs into the tray and the unloading of discs from the tray may be accomplished by a coordinated mechanism driven by a single motor. | 01-22-2009 |
| 20090172718 | Storage/Retrieval Device for Optical Disks - A storage/retrieval device for optical disks includes a container having an access slot. A disk shelf is rotatably mounted in the container and includes a plurality of storage compartments each for receiving an optical disk. A driving roller and a driven roller are rotatably mounted in the container for moving an optical disk into or out of the container via the access slot. An ejecting member includes a first end pivotably supported in the container and a second end operably coupled with the driving roller. The ejecting member is pivotable between a first position in one of the storage compartments for moving an optical disk in the storage compartment out of the storage compartment and a second position outside the storage compartment. A motor is provided to drive the driving roller for rotating the driving roller and the driven roller in opposite directions and for pivoting the ejecting member. | 07-02-2009 |
| 20090178066 | Transportation Arm Device for Carrying Discs - A transport arm device for carrying at least one disc comprising a driving means, a sway control member, and a swaying mechanism is disclosed. The sway control member comprises a hole in substantial middle of the sway control member for receiving a portion of the driving means and two leaf springs extending up from two sides of the sway control member respectively. The swaying mechanism is capable of grabbing the discs. The swaying mechanism comprises a rotating connection for engaging with a suspension of the transport arm device, wherein the two leaf springs are contacted with the swaying mechanism. The sway control member is moved by the driving means so as to rotate the swaying mechanism along a rotary axis on the rotating connection, and the two leaf springs provide elasticity for the swaying mechanism rotating back. | 07-09-2009 |
| 20090260026 | Recording medium changer - A recording medium changer includes a storage block that is movable in a longitudinal direction, a drive block that processes data recorded on a recording medium, a conveying block that is movable in a vertical direction and conveys the recording medium for mounting onto the drive block or for storage into the storage block, and a power supply block that supplies drive power to individual sections. The rear position of the storage block is present above the drive block, the driving delivery position of the conveying block is present forward of the drive block, the conveying block is present in the driving delivery position at the time of movement of the storage block in the longitudinal direction, and the storage block is present in the forward position when storage and ejection of the recording medium into and from the storage block are performed via an opening. | 10-15-2009 |
| 20100011385 | COMPACT DISK FEEDING MECHANISM - A compact disc (CD) feeding mechanism includes a base internally defining a moving passage, and a CD inlet and a CD outlet communicating with an upper and a lower end of the moving passage, respectively, and having a first and a second supporting wall spaced by a shifting path and radially projected into a left side of the CD inlet, an overall length extending along the two supporting walls and the shifting path being larger than one half of the outer circumference of a CD, so that a plurality of CDs may be stacked on the two supporting walls; a driving unit mounted below the base and electrically connected to an external power supply; and a shifting unit including a shifting section driven by the driving unit to shift a lowest one of the stacked CDs out of the supporting walls into the moving passage to the CD outlet. | 01-14-2010 |
| 20100050194 | DISK DRIVE, DISK FEEDING DEVICE, AND DISK LOADING MECHANISM - The present invention provides a disk drive with a compact size that makes it possible to effectively utilize space within a disk drive and permits a straightforward layout of members. | 02-25-2010 |
| 20100131967 | STORAGE MEDIUM CHANGER - Characterized by checking, after stopping a stocker driving motor, whether a target pattern can be detected at the stopping position or not; and by reducing, if the target pattern cannot be detected at the stopping position, the driving force of the stocker driving motor during retrying operation carried out by reversing the rotation of the stocker driving motor. | 05-27-2010 |
| 20120117578 | OPTICAL DISC LIBRARY SYSTEM AND METHODS - A system for optical disc storage, writing and reading including a housing holding at least two optical disc racks and a plurality of read/write drives that may be positioned in line with the storage rack. A track spans the racks, (e.g., a parallel track is positioned between two racks). A shuttle mounted on the track allows transfer of discs from the racks to drives. The shuttle may allow for disc pass through, disc rotation, or have other structures for disc transport. | 05-10-2012 |
| 20130263162 | DISC DEVICE - A disc device which takes out a disc stored in a magazine and conveys the disc to any disc drive, in which the magazine comprises a tray which stores a plurality of discs, and a case which has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape and which stores the tray. The case has an opening at front face into which the tray can be inserted into or taken out therefrom. The tray has an outer shape being substantially rectangular in planar view. The tray is provided with cut portions formed at corner portions positioned on the back side of the case being cut off. The disc device further comprises a picker which holds the tray and draws out the tray from the case. The picker rotates the tray when the cut portion passes through the opening. | 10-03-2013 |
| 20130298145 | STACKING TYPE TRAY AND TRAY DEVELOPING MECHANISM AND STACKING TYPE TRAY DEVELOPING SYSTEM - To develop optical discs stored while being stacked and to load them to a plurality of recording/reproducing devices simultaneously. Trays for mounting optical discs are stacked to configure an optical disc transportation body, and the portions being exposed without overlapping when the stacked trays are viewed from the stacking direction are utilized as tray operation portions for handling. Supporting portions abutting against the tray operation portions inherent to respective trays in one to one correspondence are fixed with an interval in the vertical direction to the frames configuring a tray distributing/holding portion. The tray operation portion of each tray is held by the supporting portion at each position by moving the optical disc transportation body downward along the frames, and intervals corresponding to the arrangement pitch of recording/reproducing devices are formed between respective trays. | 11-07-2013 |
| 20130326548 | DISC DEVICE - The disc device supplies a disc to each of the plurality of disc drives. The disc device includes a carrier which retains a plurality of discs being stacked in such a stacked state, which separates one disc from the retained plurality of discs above a tray ejected from an arbitrary one of the disc drives, and which places the separated disc on the tray. The carrier includes a plurality of claw portions holding the inner circumferential portion of the bottommost disc out of the plurality of discs, and a disc press pressing the topmost disc out of the plurality of discs so as to be in parallel to the disc placing face of the tray. | 12-05-2013 |
| 20130326549 | DISC DEVICE - The disc device includes a carrier which retains a plurality of discs in such a stacked state, which separates one disc from the retained plurality of discs above a tray ejected from arbitrary one of the disc drives, and which places the separated disc on the tray. The carrier includes a spindle unit inserted into a center hole formed in each of the discs, a first hold claw portion which holds an inner circumferential portion of the disc, and a second hold claw portion provided at a position higher than the first hold claw portion by a substantially thickness of one disc, the second hold claw portion holding an inner circumferential portion of the disc. One disc from the retained discs is separated by shifting the first and second hold claw portions back and forth between an inner side and an outer side of the spindle unit. | 12-05-2013 |
| 20140047463 | DISK-SHAPED INFORMATION RECORDING MEDIUM, DISK CARTRIDGE, AND INFORMATION RECORDING/REPRODUCING APPARATUS - The disk-shaped information recording medium having an outer diameter and an inner diameter comprises a substrate having a predetermined thickness, a first side that is one side of the substrate, a second side that is the other side of the substrate, a cylindrical portion forming a through hole formed at a center of the substrate, and a thin portion formed so as to surround an outer diameter of the cylindrical portion. The thin portion is thinner than the predetermined thickness and includes a non-inclined surface and an inclined surface formed on an outer diameter side of the non-inclined surface. The inclined surface is inclined at a predetermined angle to the non-inclined surface and is larger than the non-inclined surface in the thin portion. | 02-13-2014 |
| 20150074692 | DISC DEVICE - A disc device according to the present invention includes a plurality of magazines each having a tray that stores a plurality of discs, a plurality of disc drives that performs recording or reproducing of information on or from a disc, respectively, a picker that draws out the magazine tray from one magazine selected from the plurality of magazines and that conveys the magazine tray to a position near the plurality of disc drives, and a disc separating and supplying device that, at the position near the disc drives, holds the plurality of discs stored in the magazine tray, that separates at least one disc from the held plurality of discs, and that supplies the separated disc to the disc drive. | 03-12-2015 |
| 720616000 | Of diverse media type (e.g., disc and cartridge) | 2 |
| 20090064214 | DISK DEVICE - A disk drive according to the present invention includes: a mechanical chassis; a pickup for reading and/or writing information from/on a disk storage medium; a rotation drive section with a turntable to mount and rotate the storage medium thereon; a pickup supporting member having a bottom portion for supporting the pickup and the rotation drive section and a standup wall that stands upright from the bottom portion toward the turntable, the pickup supporting member being supported on the mechanical chassis so as to turn around an axis of rotation that is defined through the standup wall; and a pickup raising/lowering portion, which is provided for the mechanical chassis in order to drive the pickup supporting member to either a first position in which the pickup is ready to perform a read or write operation on the storage medium that is mounted on the turntable or a second position in which the turntable has been retracted so as to avoid contact with the storage medium being inserted or ejected. | 03-05-2009 |
| 20100037247 | INFORMATION REPRODUCTION APPARATUS - When a medium selection button | 02-11-2010 |
