GB2162991A - Autochanger disc player - Google Patents

Abstract

In a autochanger type disc player for automatically accessing, playing and restoring a predetermined disc or a number of discs stored in a disc storage section, a selected disc is transferred between a disc playback section and disc storage section by a disc transferring section. The disc transferring section has a disc guide 550 (also (Fig. 8)) with a buffer part 553 that prevents a disc passing through the disc inlet from its recorded side coming into contact with objects in the disc player. Buffer parts are further described w.r.t. (Figs. 13, 15, 16). Part 552 prevents feeding a plural discs simultaneously. The disc holding grooves (202) (Figs. 4a-c) of the tray (200) (Fig. 3) are detailed, as is loading of the tray (Fig. 5). Wire (401) serves as a second disc fall out prevention mechanism. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Autochanger type disc player The present invention relates to an autochanger type disc player suitable for optical compact discs (referred as CDs hereinafter), for example.

Recently, in the field of audio equipment, digital audio disc playback systems utilizing pulse code modulation (referred as PCM hereinafter) technology to playback sound as faithfully as possible have been developed. Of these systems, playback systems employing the CD discs have become especially popular.

Specifically, the CD disc used in the digital audio disc playback system consists of a disc which is made from a transparent resin and has a diameter of 12 cm and a thickness of 1.2 mm. The CD disc has a thin metal film deposited on at least one surface thereof, and pits or depressions are formed in the thin metal film, corresponding to digitized (pulse code modulated) data so that logic 1 and 0 may produce different light reflectivities.

When a signal is read out from the CD disc, the CD disc is rotated at a variable rotation frequency of 200 to 500 rpm with a constant linear velocity while an optical pickup incorporating a semiconductor laser or photoelectric transducing device tracks the information storage area of the CD disc rectilinearly from the inner side toward the outer side.

The CD disc stores such a large quantity of information that it permits a stereophonic playback for about one hour even if only one side of the CD disc is used for information storage. It has been theoretically proved that the CD disc is much superior to the conventional analog phonograph record in both playback characteristics and information storage density.

In view of the excellent characteristics of the CD disc, it has been suggested to use CD discs in an automatic multi-disc playback system for business use. In particular, this corresponds to a jukebox or an orchestra accompaniment playback apparatus (that is known as "karaoke" apparatus in Japan) which is put into practical use with analog phonograph records. It is possible to realize the automatic multi-disc playback system by means of an autochanger type disc player. Known autochanger type disc players of this kind are complex in structure and bulky, however, partially because they have been designed for use with analog phonograph records. Therefore, the conventional disc players present control problems. Further, the requirement of more certain operation limits the number of discs held within such a disc player.Another problem is the long time it takes to exchange one disc for another. Also, a pusher-type mechanism has been used to make a disc from storge to a playing pasition. The pusher mechanism passes through the stack of discs and require the discs to be separated by an unnecessary wide space to accommodate the bulk of the pusher mechanism.

For these reasons, if the conventional autochanger type disc player is applied to CD discs without changing the essential structure of the disc player, there arise numerous problems. Hence, the development of an autochanger type disc player suitable for CD discs is a matter of urgency.

The same circumstances apply to video disc players and optical disc document file systems which are soon to be put into practical use.

Summary of the Invention In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide an autochanger type disc player wherein reliability of operation can be promoted by a simple construction.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an autochanger type disc player wherein the discs can be effectively protected.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the autochanger type disc player automatically accesses, playbacks and restores a predetermined disc or a number of discs stored in a disc storage section. A selected disc is transferred between a disc playback section and the disc storage section by a disc transferring section. The disc transferring section is provided with a disc guide which is defined a disc inlet and provided with a buffer part that prevents a disc passing through the disc inlet from its recorded side coming into contact with objects in the disc player.

Additional objects, advantages, and features of the present invention will become apparent to persons skilled in the art from a study of the following description and of the accompanying drawings, in which: Brief Description of the Drawings Fig. 1 is a front external view of an autochanger type disc player according to the present invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective inside view of the autochanger type player shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing a tray shown in Fig. 2; Figs. 4(a), 4(b) and 4(c) are a perspective view and sectional views of the disc holding groove of the tray shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view for illustrating a loading and an unloading of the tray shown in Fig. 3 to or from the autochanger type player shown in Fig. 2;; Fig. 6 is a a perspective view for illustrating a driving mechanism of a disc temporary loading mechanism shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 7 is a block diagram for controlling the autochanger type player shown in Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the playback unit shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing the fixed guide of Fig. 8 extended; Figs. 1 0(a) and 1 0(b) are illustrational flat and elevational views showing details of the restricting part of the fixed guide shown in Fig. 9; Figs. 1 1 (a) and 1 1 (b) are partial cutouts of a compact disc utilized in the disc autochanger of the present invention; Figs.-12(a) and 12(b) are views illustrating an arrangement of discs in the tray shown in Fig. 3;; Figs. 1 3(a) and 1 3(b) are views showing details of the buffer part of the fixed guide shown in Fig. 9; Fig. 14 is a cross section for illustrating the disc transferring operation of the playback unit shown in Fig. 8; and Figs. 15 and 16 are views showing other embodiments of the buffer part of the fixed guide.

Description of the Preferred Embodiment The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings: Fig. 1 to Fig. 16. Throughout the drawings like reference numerals and letters are used to designate like or equivalent elements for the sake of simplicity of explanation.

Referring now to Fig. 1, there is shown a front view of an autochanger type disc player according to the present invention. A housing 100 of the autochanger type disc player has in its front a disc storage section 101, a disc temporary loading section 102, an operation control section 103 and a display section 104. The disc storage section 101 is coverd by a cover 105. The disc temporary loading section 102 is slidably mounted to the hous ing 100 so as to protrude outward of the housing 100.

Before describing in detail compoments of the disc player, individually, their fundamental structures and functions will be described by referring to Fig. 2. There is shown the autochanger type disc player with the housing 100 removed. This disc player includes a main chassis 106, a left-side chassis 107 and a right-side chassis 108. Located among these members in the manner described later are the disc storage section 101 for housing a tray 200, a disc temporary loading mechanism 300 for the disc temporary loading section 102 and a disc playback unit 400.

The trpy 200 is able to store a plurarity of discs 201 arranged uprightly in a low along the longitude direction of the tray 200 in confronting their surfaces with each other, on the other hand the disc temporary loading mechanism 300 is able to store a piece of disc 201. The tray 200 is removable from the disc storage section 101 through a port covered by the cover 105, so that the discs 201 are wholly able to be loaded in or unloaded from the disc storage section 101 together with the tray 200. On the other hand, the disc 201 on the disc temporary loading mechanism 300 is loaded in or unloaded from the disc temporary loading mechanism 300 through the disc temporary loading mechanism 300 sliding in or out the disc temporary loading section 102.In the disc player the disc 201 stored in the disc temporary loading section 102 is also arranged in the same line with the discs 201 in the tray 200. The disc playback unit 400 is slidable along the line of the discs 201 and has a 500, a disc transferring mechanism 600 and a disc playback mechanism 700. The disc playback unit 400 is located at a selected piece of the discs 201 by a given disc access information. The disc transferring mechanism 600 picks up and transfers the selected disc 201 into the disc playback mechanism 700, then the disc playback mechanism 700 playbacks the selected disc 201. After a playback of the selected disc 201 the disc transferring mechanism 600 transfers the disc 201 back to the position the selected disc 201 stored previously.

Referring now to Figs. 3(a), 3(b) and 3(c), the tray 200 is described in detail. The tray 200 is reccessed its upper part a plurarity of disc holding grooves 202 divided from each other by partition walls 203. Each of the disc holding grooves 202 has a bottom corresponding to the peripheral of the disc 201 and expanding about a quarter arc of the periphral. The tray 200 has further a slitted flange 204 in its front end along the longitude direction of the tray 200 (see Fig. 3(b)).

The slitted flange 204 is formed a plurarity of slits 205 corresponding to the disc holding grooves 202. The tray 200 has a disc falling out prevention lever 206 which is rockably mounted to the tray 200. The disc falling out prevention lever 206 has a cross-bar portion 206A along the longitude direction of the tray 200 and a pair of side portions 206B which extend parallelly from the end of the cross-bar portion 206A in the same direction and are rockably mounted to a side wall of the tray 200. The side portions 206B are formed respectively flanges 206C which are protrud ing outward from the side portions 206B. The disc falling out prevention lever 206 is biased by a spring 207 mounted between the end of the side portion 206B and the side wall of the tray 200 in the clockwise direction in the drawing (in Fig. 3(a), the disc falling out prevention lever 206 is shown in a state rocked against the spring 207). Each of the side wall of the tray 200 is formed a guide groove 208. The slits 205 are, as shown in Fig. 3(c), so formed that the discs 201 can be inserted or removed practically perpendicu larly to the disc holding grooves 202.

Referring now to Figs. 4(a), 4(b) and 4(c), the disc holding grooves 202 and the parti tion walls 203 dividing the grooves from each other are described in detail hereunder. The discs 201 are partitioned along the bottom of the grooves 202, so that the separation between the discs 201 in about the same as their thickness dimension, by pairs of partition walls 203 with prescribed height. Surfaces of the pair of partition walls 203 incline toward the upper ends thereof so as to gradually separate from each other. The surface of one partition wall 203, which faces an unrecorded face 201A of the disc 201; is formed a plurality of positioning ribs 203A extending approximately perpendicularly to the bottom of the groove 202.The surface of the other partition wall 203, which faces a recorded face of the disc 201, is formed a perpendicular part 203B corresponding to a peripheral unrecorded area of a recorded face of the disc 201. Further, a pair of V-shaped disc gripping parts 203C are formed at the far end the groove 202 where the partition walls 203 are ternimated. It should be noted that the positioning ribs 203A, the perpendicular part 203B and V-shaped disc gripping parts 203C are of course respetively formed on the partition walls 203 of each of the disc holding grooves 202 in the tray 200.

Therefore, when for example a disc 201 is received in the direction of the arrow (E) along the bottom of the disc holding groove 202, the movement of the disc 201 is controlled as its unrecorded surface 201A and the unrecorded peripheral area od the recorded surface 201 B respectively coming into sliding contact with the positioning ribs 203A of one of the partition walls 203 and the perpendicu lar part 203B of the other partition wall 203.

However, during tis movement, the disc 201 is accommodated in such a way that its signal recorded face 201 B is protected from contact.

So when this disc acommodating process is completed, its tip is gripped by the gripping parts 203C, and held approximately vertically.

By this means, even discs which have an error in the prescribed thickness dimension, arising for example in the molding process, can be securely located in their proper position when they are received between the gripping parts 203C.

Referring now to Fig. 5, operations of the loading and unloading of the tray 200 is explained. A pair of tray supporters 253 and 254 are mounted on the main chassis 106 at the left and right sides. The tray supporters 253 and 254 are mounted tray guide pins 255, upper engaging pins 256 and lower engaging pins 257 respectively facing with each other on the opposite side tray supporter (in Fig. 5, the pins 255, 256 and 257 on the right side tray supporter 254 are not seen in hidden behind the right side tray supporter 253). The upper engaging pins 256 extend longer than the lower engaging pins 257. The tray supporters 253 and 254 are further formed tray guide rails 258.The upper engaging pin 256 extends for a length to interfere with the side portion 206B of the disc falling out prevention lever 206, while the lower engaging pin 257 extends for a length to interfere with the flange 206C but fails to interfere with the side portion 206B.

Before loading of the tray 200, the disc falling out prevention lever 206 is rocked toward the front side of the tray 200 by the biasing force of the spring 207. As a result, all of the discs 201 are prevented from falling off the tray 200 by the cross-bar portion 206A of the disc falling out prevention lever 206. At a loading operation of the tray 200 into the disc storage section 101 along the arrow D in Fig. 5, the flange 206C comes into engage with the upper lock pin 256.

Then the disc falling out prevention lever 206 is rocked in the direction of the arrow H in the drawing to the position indicated by a twodots broken line.

During the loading operation of the main tray 200, the flange 206C on left side comes into engage with the upper engaging pin 256 and rocked in the direction of the arrow H in the drawing. The disc falling out prevention lever 206 is more rocked in the direction of the arrow H and the flange 206C passes between the engaging pins 256 and 257.

The flange 206C passes the upper engaging pin 256 so that the disc falling out prevention lever 206 is a little rocked in the direction of the arrow G due to the biasing force of the spring 207 (see Fig. 3 or 5). Finally, the upper engaging pin 256 comes into engage with a step between an edge of the side portions 206B and the foremost end of the flange 206C along the side portion 206B. In this condition, the tray 200 is stably locked in the disc storage section 101 as shown in Fig.

2 and prevented from unwilling movement relative to the tray supporters 253 and 254.

Therefore, in the final state shown in Fig. 2, the disc 201 stored in the tray 200 are free from the disc falling out prevention lever 206 to allow the disc transferring mechanism 600 carrying a selected disc 201 to the disc playback mechanism 700 of the disc playback unit 400.

The unloading operation of the tray 200 is started by manually pressing down the crossbar portion 206A of the disc falling out prevention lever 206 against the biasing force of the spring 207 and pulling the tray 200 in the direction of the arrow C in Fig. 2. When the disc falling out prevention lever 206 is pressed down, the flange 206C engages with the lower engaging pin 257. When the tray 200 is further pulled in the direction of the arrow C in Fig. 2, the flange 206C is foorced to rock in the direction of arrow G by the lower engaging pin 257. Therefore immediately after the operator has started the unloading operation, the rocking movement of the disc falling out prevention lever 206 in the direction of the arrow G makes the operator to detach his finger from the cross-bar portion 206A.After the flange 206C passsed the lower engaging pin 257, the disc falling out prevention lever 206 is rocked to the position indicated in Fig. 5 according to the biasing force of the spring 207.

Referring again back to Fig. 2, a second disc falling out prevention mechanism for the disc 201 in the tray 200 loaded in the disc storage section 101 is explained. A wire 401 is layed to rollers 402 and 403 pivotted on the left-side chassis 107 and rollers 404 and 405 pivotted on the right-side chassis 108.

One end of the wire 401 is fixed to the disc playback unit 400 directly and the other end is fixed to the disc playback unit 400 via a spring 406. The wire 401 runs in accordance with the movement of the disc playback unit 400 in the directions of arrows A and B along the longitude direction of the tray 200 loaded in the disc storage section 101. Therefore, the wire 401 is sure to interfere the front of the tray 200 and prevents the disc 201 unwillingly falling off from the tray 200, in any position where the disc playback unit 400 is located. While a selected disc 201 is, of course, allowed to be transferred to the disc playback mechanism 700 of the disc playback unit 400.

Referring now to Fig. 6, the disc temporary loading mechanism 300 is explained in detail.

A disc temporary loader 301 is formed a disc holding groove 302 along the longitude direction of the disc temporary loader 301 for holding a piece of disc 201 upright. The disc temporary loader 301 is slidably supported on a guide rail 303 and a guide rod 304. The guide rail 303 is mounted on the main chassis 106 along the directions of the arrows C and D in the drawing. Also the guide rod 304 is mounted on the right side chassis 108 along the directions C and D. The disc temporary loader 301 is driven its slide movement along the guide rail 303 and the guide rod 304 by a disc temporary loader driving mechanism 350.The disc temporary loader driving mechanism 350 has a motor 351 which drives the disc temporary loader 301 through a worm gear 352 mounted on a driving shaft of the motor 351, idler gears 353 and a rack 305 formed on the disc temporary loader 301 along the directions C and D. When the disc temporary loader 301 is extending out the front of the housing 1 00, the disc 201 held in the disc holding groove 302 is prevented from falling out the disc holding groove 302 by a disc falling off preventionlever 306. The disc falling off prevention lever 306 is pivotted to the disc temporary loader 301 and normally biased in the direction of the arrow M to interfere the front of the disc holding groove 302.When, therefore, the disc temporary loader 301 has been driven to the position extending in the front of the housing 101, the disc falling off prevention lever 306 is rocked in the direction of the arrow M, so that the disc falling off prevention lever 306 prevents the falling off of the disc 201 from the disc holding groove 302.

Referring now to Fig. 7 which illustrates diagramatically a control circuit for the disc playback unit 400, a series of operations of the disc playback unit 400, for a playback of any disc 201 held in the tray 2001 or the disc temporary loading mechanism 300 which is subjected to the playback operation, are explained. The control circuit 900 is coupled to the disc temporary loader driving mechanism 350, the disc search driving mechanism 500, the disc transferring mechanism 600 and the disc playback mechanism 700 of the disc playback unit 400. The control circuit 900 controls them in accordance with signals from the operation control section 103 on the front panel of the housing 100.The display section 104 on the front panel of the housing 100 (see Fig. 1) is connected to the operation control section 103 and the control circuit 900 to display a various information from the operation control section 103 and the control circuit 900. An address signal from the control circuit 900 is applied to the disc search driving mechanism 500. The disc search driving mechanism 500 drives the disc playback unit 400 across the tray 200 and the disc temporary loading mechanism 300 so as to searches any disc 201 which is subjected to the playback. After the completion of the search operation of the disc search driving mechanism 500, the disc transferring mechanism 600 takes up the subjected disc 201 from the tray 200 or the disc temporary loading mechanism 300 and transfers the disc 201 to the disc playback mechanism 700 under the control of the control circuit 900.

Then the disc playback mechanism 700 holds the disc 201 for playback operation under the control of the control circuit 900. The control circuit 900 also controls the disc playback mechanism 700 and the disc transferring mechanism 600 of the disc playback unit 400 to return the disc 201 playbacked to its original place or other suitable place newly addressed by the control circuit 900.

Referring now to Fig. 8, a mechanical structure of the disc playback unit 400 is explained. The disc search operation driving mechanism 500 is mounted to a flame 410 in front of the tray 200 loaded in the housing 100. The disc search operation driving mechanism 500 has a disc lifting mechanism 510. Over the disc lifting mechanism 510, the disc transferring mechanism 600 is mounted to the flame 410. Behind the disc search operation driving mechanism 500 and the disc transferring mechanism 600, the disc playback mechanism 700 is mounted to the flame 410. The bottom part of the flame 410 has a bearing 411 and a slider 412. The bearing 411 and the slider 412 are slidably fitting to a guide rod 413 and a guide rail 414 mounted in the housing 100 along the longitude direction of the tray 200 loaded in the housing 100 as shown in Fig. 5.A slit detector 420 comprised of a pair of photo couplers is mounted on the flame 410 near the disc search operation driving mechanism 500. The slit detector 420 fases the slitted flange 204 of the tray 200 loaded in the housing 100 (see Fig. 3) and detects the given slit 205 corresponding to the disc holding groove 202 where the disc 201 subjected to the playback is held to locate the disc playback unit 400 in an exact position for the disc 201. The pair of the photo couplers of the slit detector 420 diferentially detect the exact position of the slit 205.

A first sensor switch 440 is mounted on the top plate 41 or of the flame 410. The first sensor switch 440 senses the start loading position (i.e. the unloading-completed position) of the first and second disc transfer sections 650 and 630. The first sensor switch 440 is provided opposite to the guide rails 670 on the top plate 41 or of the flame 410.

The first sensor switch 653 detects when the first disc transfer section 650 has been shifted to its furthest position in the K2 direction and turns off the loading drive motor, so that the disc unloading operation can be completed.

Further, a fixed guide 550 is provided on the front of the flame 410. As shown in Fig.

9 in more detail, the fixed guide 550 is defined a disc withdrawal/insertion aperture, i.e., disc inlet 551 which is for example approximately V-shaped. A restricting part 552 for preventing feeding of plural discs at the same time, and a buffer part 553 consisting of a shock-absorbing material such as brush or felt for protecting and restricting the disc are provided on the fixed guide 550 on one side of the disc inlet 551 that is opposite to the recorded face 201 B of the disc 201 passing through the disc inlet 551.

The restricting part 552 is arranged midway along the disc inlet 551 below approximately the center of the disc 201 in the tray 200 as shown for example in Fig. 10. A tip end of the restricting part 552 projects further inwards in the direction of the tray 200, than the maximum periphery of the disc 201, and extending to a position opposite to the partition walls 203 of the tray 200. With respecat to the direction of the other side of the disc inlet 551, the restricting part 552 corre sponds to a part of the bottom of the disc inlet 551, i.e., about a half of the thickness dimension (1.2 mm) of the disc 201.Thus, if another disc in sticking to the recorded side 201 B of the prescribed selected disc 201 would be inserted into the disc inlet together with the selected disc 201, the restricing part 552 comes into contact with the other disc, i.e., the unselected disc and prevents its entry into the disc inlet 551 so that the other disc returns to its orginal disc holding groove 202 in the tray 200.

Referring now to Figs. 11 (a) and 11(b), the almost discs 201 are given a specular finish on their recorded sides 201 B in a disc manufacturing process, while on the peripheral of the other sides, i.e., the non-recorded sides 201 A, a slight projection or so-called "burr" is formed along the peripheral. Consequently, as shown in Figs. 12(a) and 12(b), a part of the peripheral of the recorded face 201 B of the disc 201 held in the tray 200 is apt to be catched by the projection 201C of the adjacent disc 201. Therefore, the adjacent disc, i.e., the unselected disc is also carried to the disc playback mechanism 700 in accompanying with the prescribed selected disc 201.

However, the restricting part 552 provided on the fixed guide 550 is able to prevent the insertion of the unselected disc into the disc inlet 551.

Referring now to Figs. 13(a) and 13(b), the buffer part 553 is provided in projecting to interfere the middle of the disc inlet 551, corresponding to the neighbourhood of the middle of the discs 201 that pass through it.

The free end of the buffer part 553 is directed more towards the bottom of the disc inlet 551 than to the other side of the disc inlet 551.

As shown in Fig. 13(b), the base of the buffer part 651C is supported in the fixed guide 550 in such a way that its rigidity becomes lower in its transverse direction (the loading direciton). Thus, when a disc 201 passes the disc inlet 551, its recorded face 2018 slides over the buffer part 553, so that damage due to the disc abutting the disc inlet 551 etc. is prevented.

Referring now to Fig. 14, the operation of the disc transferring mechanism 600 as constructed above is explained in detail. In a start of the disc loading operation into the disc playback mechanism 700, the disc transferring mechanism 600 is located in the forefront of the disc playback unit 400. Prior to the operation of the disc transferring mecha nism 600, the disc 201 is lifted by the disc search operation driving mechanism 500 from a position 0 held in the tray 200 (0, indicates the center of the disc 201 in the position, hereinafter the same as follows) to a position 02. In the position 02, the disc 201 engages with the disc transferring mechanism 600.In more detail, the peripheral of the disc 201 is engages with the roller 652 of the first disc transfer section 650 and the roller 631 of the second disc transfer section 630 to gether. Then the motor 605 rotates the rollers 652, 631 in the unti-clockwise direction in the drawing and also rotates the first gear 606 in the unti-clockwise direction. Therefore, the disc transferring mechanism 600 drives the disc 201 lifted in the position 03 to roll out from the tray 200 through the rotations of the rollers 652, 631 and transfers the disc 201 to positions 03, 04 in succession according to the drive of the first gear 606.After the disc 201 rolled over a bank 450 formed in a disc transfer path of the disc playback unit 400, the disc 201 rolls into the position 05 in the disc playback mechanism 700 due to its own weight. When the disc 201 passes the bank 450, a disc passage detector 451 mounted on the flame 410 in front of the disc transfer path detects the passage of the disc 201 and activates the disc playback mechanism 700 to playback the disc 201. After the completion of the playback of the disc 201, the motor 605 rotates the rollers 652, 631 and the first gear 606 in the clockwise direction contrary to the aforesaid operation for transferring the disc 201 into the disc Playback mechanism 700.Therefore, the disc transferring mechanism 600 engages with the peripheral of the disc 201 at the rollers 652, 631 and transfers the disc 201 into the tray 200 in making the disc 201 to roll in the unti-clockwise direction.

Thus the disc autochanger is provided with the buffer part 553 on one side of the disc inlet 551 of the fixed guide 550, so as to slide over the recorded side 201 B of the discs 201 8 of the discs 201 that pass through it, thus imposing a positional limitation on them.

The discs 201 are thus given an effective protection during disc loading and unloading operations, preventing their becoming damaged etc., and enabling the reliability of operation to be improved.

The buffer part according to the invention is not limited to the foregoing embodiment.

Practically the same effectiveness is obtained if a pair of buffer parts 553A and 553B can be provided, as shown in Fig. 15, on both sides of the disc inlet 551, opposite the recorded face 201 B and the non-recorded face 201A of the disc 201. In this case, better effectiveness may be anticipated by increasing the rigidity, by for example differentiating materials or dimensions of the pair of buffer parts 553A, 553B. The protection imposed on the disc 201 is thereby increased.

About the same effectiveness can be anticipated if, as shown in Fig. 16(a), the fixed guide 550 is defined a disc inlet 551A which is approximately tubular, and provided with a plurality of pairs of buffer parts 553A, 553B facing each other opposite both the recorded face 201B and the non-recorded face 201A of the discs 201. Improved effectiveness of protection may be anticipated if the plurality of pair of buffer parts 553A, 553B are given a separation W as shown in Fig. 16(b), somewhat narrower than the thickness dimension (1.2 mm) of the discs 201, and or if the ridigity of the material of the buffer parts 553A, 553B is increased.

As described in detail above, this invention provides an excellent disc autochanger wherein reliability of operation is promoted by a simple construction so that the number of discs accommodated can be increased, and wherein the discs can be effectively protected.

Claims (4)

1. An autochanger type disc player for automatically accessing, playing and restoring a predetermined disc or a number of discs stored therein, the autochanger type disc player comprising: a disc storage section capable of storing a plurality of discs upright and in parallel with each other therein, said section being comprised of a plurarity of disc holding portions and portions for allowing discs to go out or come into said disc holding portions; a disc playback section; a disc transferring section movable along said disc holding portions of said disc storage section for transferring a disc between a predetermined disc holding portion of said said disc storage section and said disc playback section, said disc transferring section having a disc guide which is defined a disc inlet for allowing the disc to pass therethrough; and a buffer part provided on said disc guide in extending into said disc inlet, said buffer part preventing a disc passing through said disc inlet from its recorded side coming into contact with objects in said disc player.

2. An autochanger type disc player according to claim 1, further comprising second buffer part which is provided on said disc guide in opposite to said first buffer part, said second buffer part preventing a disc passing through said disc inlet from its non-recorded side coming into contact with objects in said disc player.

3. An autochanger type disc player according to claim 2, further comprising a pair of third and fourth buffer parts which are provided on said disc guide apart from said pair of first and second buffer parts, said pair of third and fourth buffer parts preventing a disc passing through said disc inlet from its recorded and non-recorded sides both coming into contact with objects in said disc player toghether with said pair of first and second buffer parts.

4. An autochanger type disc player, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.