GB2189922A - A sound reproducing device for reproducing any of a plurality of record discs - Google Patents

Abstract

Any one of a plurality of record discs 4 carried by rotatable indexing table 17 can be fixed at a position facing turntable 10 carrying a pickup. The casing 1 carries starting means 14 and means 21 (Figs. 3, 4) for terminating reproduction upon arrival of the pickup (5) (Figs. 2,3,7) of tone arm 7 at the end point of sound reproduction, and turntable 10 has speaker diaphragm (11) therewithin (Fig. 3), coupled to sound transmitting member (12) and tone arm. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A sound reproducing device for reproducing any of a plurality of record discs This invention relates to a sound reproducing device capable of carrying and reproducing any selected one of a plurality of record discs.

Heretofore, sound reproducing devices capable of exchanging and reproducing a plurality of record discs have been provided (for example, as disclosed by Japanese Patent Publications Nos 57-31201 and 57-589).

Simplified sound reproducing devices of such type are provided on their turntable with a tone arm having an upwardly facing sound reproducing stylus, and the turntable which carries the tone arm is advanced or retracted so that the sound reproducing stylus can engage with or retract away from a record disc to be loaded or mounted on the tone arm.

However, in the sound reproducing devices of such type, each of the record discs is prepared and handled as an independent and separate sheet to be loaded on or mounted to a sound reproducing device, which is inconvenient for operation. Accordingly, there were problems that they did not satisfy a user's desire for instantaneously playing a desired item subsequent to mechanical indexing, or his interest attained by a desired manner of speedy operation.

According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a sound reproducing device capable of reproducing a plurality of record discs, comprising: a casing; record discs disposed in the casing and each having a recorded face facing the interior of the casing; a pivotable tone arm carrying a sound reproduction stylus directed toward the recorded face of a record disc to be reproduced and movable between a starting point and an end point of sound reproduction of the record disc, the tone arm being urged by a return spring toward the starting point of sound reproduction; a turntable urged by a stylus force spring in axial direction; a speaker diaphragm disposed within the turntable; a sound transmitting member connected to the speaker diaphragm and to the tone arm for transmitting reproduced vibration of the tone arm to the speaker diaphragm; a reproduction terminating means for retracting the turntable against the biasing force of the stylus force spring; a starting means for advancing the turntable by means of the stylus force spring; an electric motor for driving the turntable; and electrical contact means for supplying electric power when actuated by the starting means and for cutting off electric power when actuated by the reproduction terminating means, the record discs being rotatably received by the casing and carried by an indexing table arranged to fix any selected record disc at a position at which the record disc is confronted by the turntable.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a sound reproducing device comprising a turntable carrying a tone arm having a stylus, a support carrying a plurality of recorded items and rotatable for moving a selected recorded item to a position facing the turntable, and means for urging the turntable and the support towards each other.

It is thus possible to provide a sound reproducing device comprising a single means constructed as an integral unit capable of holding a plurality of record discs and reproducing any desired disc out of the held discs. It is also possible to provide a simplified sound reproducing device wherein the indexing operation of the device can be made in such a ready manner that the operator can enjoy his indexing operation.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of record discs are rotatably supported by a casing of the reproducing device through a single indexing table carrying thereon the record discs, wherein the specific record disc selected for playing is fixedly located at a position where it can confrorit with a turntable which carries a pickup.

Means for terminating sound reproduction of the device may comprise a bar disposed in the casing of the device and swingably supported at the halfway point of its lengthwise direction, one end of the bar extending upto a pulley groove formed on the turntable and urged by a spring so that it urges a flange constituting the pulley groove toward its retracting direction thereby pushing the turntable against a stylus force spring. Also, a starting member may be attached so as to be related to the other end of the bar, so that the user's manipulation thereof makes the bar of the reproduction terminating means move against the biasing force thereby allowing the turntable to be advanced by the stylus force spring.

The device may also comprise an engaging means for holding the bar against the biasing means at its forward position having been advanced upto the turntable by manipulating the starting means.

The device may further comprise a cancelling means for releasing the engaging means, which cancelling means may be constructed in such a manner that one end of the tone arm opposite to a reproducing stylus projects outside beyond the outer periphery of the turntable, so that the engaging means is placed out of engagement by the collision of the projecting end of the tone arm with the bar, upon arrival of the reproduction stylus at the end point of sound reproduction.

The indexing table may have a plurality of notches around its rotatable outer periphery, with which an engaging member being normally biased toward the outer periphery can engage.

A part of the engaging member may extend below the bar, and each of the bar and the engaging member may be provided with a male and a female coupling member, respectively. The male and female coupling members can mutually engage to fix the notch and the engaging member in a state of mutual engagement only when the bar is put in its manipulated state by the starting member. Depression of the starting means by the operator, after the record disc has been disposed at a desired position by turning the indexing table, with the bar retaining the turntable at its retracted position by its biasing means, releases the retention force applied to the turntable so that the turntable is allowed to advance. At the same time, electric current is supplied to a motor which rotates the turntable, resulting in rotation of the turntable.The reproducing stylus engages the recorded face of the record disc accompanying sound reproduction of the selected recorded item. This state of the starting means being depressed in operation can normally be continued until the termination of the sound reproduction, by virtue of the engaging means to retain the state of engagement.

Upon completion of the reproduction of the specific item, a cancelling means incorporated in the tone arm projects radially outwardly beyond the outer periphery of the turntable and impinges against the reproduction terminating means thereby releasing the above-mentioned retaining action of the engaging means. By virtue of this motion, the bar is returned to its initial position by a biasing means, thereby urging the turntable to retract against the stylus force spring. A resiliently biased engaging member enters for engagement into one of the notches formed around the indexing table.

A resiliently urged engaging member engages the notch of the indexing table.

The indexing table can be rotated against the biasing force imparted by the engaging member and is able to locate the record disc carried thereon at a desired position of sound reproduction. However, once the sound reproduction has taken place by the starting means, since a male female coupling means formed between the bar and the engaging member has been brought into coupling to restrain further movement of the coupling member, the coupling member is held fixed in engagement with the notch so that, when the reproduction stylus engages with the recorded face of the record disc, the indexing table is locked at its indexed position.

The invention will be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a sound reproducing device constituting a preferred embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the device of Figure 1 with its cover removed and a part thereof fragmented; Figure 3 is a cross sectional side view taken along line 3-3 of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a partial plan view showing a relation between an indexing table, turntable, cancelling means, reproduction terminating means, bar, engaging means, electrical contacts, etc; Figures 5 and 6 are side views, showing correlation between the male female coupling members, reproduction terminating member, engaging member, upright post, manual reproduction terminating rod, etc during a sound reproduction state and non-operating state, respectively; and Figure 7 is a front view showing locational correlation between the turntable, the bar, electrical contact and the reproduction stylus during the non-operable state of the sound reproducing device.

As shown in Figure 1, a casing 1 consists of a housing 1a and a cover 1b covering the housing 1a. The cover 1b in this embodiment is fabricated of transparent plastics material and is formed to be capable of being opened or closed by a hinge 1c.

A boss 30 for pivotal mounting is disposed facing upwards as shown in Figure 2, and an indexing shaft 31 is disposed upright at the position corresponding to the boss 30. The cover 1 b has a guide recess 32 formed therein.

An indexing table 17 is rotatably mounted on the indexing shaft 31 while being guided by the guide recess 32 with the cover 1 b having been opened, as shown in Figure 1. In this condition, the indexing shaft 31 is inserted into the boss.

The indexing table 17 carries thereon four record discs 4 with their recorded faces 3 being directed toward the interior of the housing 1a (Figure 3). The reverse face of each record disc faces the upper face of the casing as shown in Figure 1, and carries a pattern corresponding to the recorded item and visible through transparent cover 1 b. Notches 22 corresponding in number to the number of the record discs carried on the- indexing table are formed around the periphery of the indexing table.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, an engaging member 23 formed in a crank shape is disposed inside the housing 1a and is capable of pivoting in a horizontal plane. one end of the engaging member 23 is normally biased tow ward the outer periphery face of the indexing table 17 by a spring 33, as shown in Figure 2.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, a bar 18 is disposed in a pivotal manner within the housing 1a of the casing 1. In Figure 3, 34 is a fulcrum. The bar 18 has a curved and bifurcated head portion and a substantially Tshaped straight trunk and branched transverse leg portion. Since the straight trunk and leg portion of the bar 18 is normally urged upwards at its lower side by a biasing means such as a coil spring 35, the bifurcated head portion is natural Disposed at the central part of the housing 1a is a turntable 10 rotatably received in the housing. The turntable 10 is rotatably journalled on a centre pin 36, as shown in Figure 3, and is supported at its lower part by a stylus force spring 8 so as to be movable, to some extent, in the axial direction. The resilient force of the stylus force spring 8 is somewhat weaker than the resilient force imparted to the bar 18.

The turntable 10 comprises a downwardly facing speaker diaphragm 11 in its interior, and an acoustic cylinder 37 formed on the top thereof projects slightly above beyond the top face of the turntable 10. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the outer periphery of the turntable 10 has a pair of circular flanges F provided at the upper and lower axial ends to define an annular pulley groove 19 therebetween.

Spanning transversely above and almost in the diametrical direction of the turntable 10, a rod shaped sound transmitting member 12 is disposed with one end floating in the air and is supported at its middle portion by contacting the upper end of the acoustic cylinder 37.

Above the turntable 10, a tone arm 7 having an upwardly projecting sound reproduction stylus 5 at its forward end is pivotably received at its rear end, while the forward end thereof carrying the reproduction stylus 5 is swingably movable between the outer periphery and the central part of the turntable 10.

The forward end of the tone arm 7 is supported at the portion under the reproduction stylus 5 by slidably contacting the sound transmitting member 12. A return spring 6 is wound around the swivel point of the tone arm 7, so that the forward end carrying the reproduction stylus 5 is normally urged toward the outer margin of the turntable 10, namely, the starting point of the record disc 4.

At a portion opposite the forward portion having the reproduction stylus 5, there is disposed means 21 for cancelling a selected item. The cancelling means 21 is disposed in such a manner that it protrudes radially outwards by passing over the outer margin of the turntable 10, at the moment the forward portion having the reproduction stylus 5 arrives at the central part of the turntable 10, namely the end point of sound reproduction (refer to Figure 4). In Figures 2 and 3, 15 denotes an electric motor coupled to the turntable 10 by extending a belt between the motor and around the pulley groove 19.

The bifurcated and curved portion of the bar extends into the pulley groove 19 defined between the flanges, so that axial movement of the portion slightly toward the direction of retraction of the turntable 10 urges the flange at the retraction side and thereby causes the turntable 10 to retract against the force of the stylus force spring 8.

The engaging member 23 formed in a crank-shape extends to the lower part of the one end of the T-shaped portion of the bar 18, where a male female coupling means including an upwardly facing projection is provided. The part of the bar 18 corresponding to the projection is provided with a small hole 24a. The coupling member 24 of the engaging member 23 is situated just below the small hole 24a when the engaging member 23 engages one of the notches 22 formed in the indexing table 17.

An electric contact 16 constituting an electrical circuit to the motor 15 is attached onto the reverse face of the bar 18, and the electric contact 16, shown in Figures 5 to 7, is arranged to be closed when the trunk and leg portion of the bar is lowered and open when it is raised upwards.

Each of the drawings shows starting means 14 formed as a pushing rod which can be depressed from outside the casing to contact the upper face of the trunk and leg portion of the bar when depressed.

The trunk and leg portion of the bar 18 is provided with an upright post 41 having a stepped side face 40, and a reproduction terminating means 13 is disposed within the housing 1a and alongside the upright post 41.

The reproduction terminating means 13 is pivotably supported halfway along its horizontally extending bent lever portion so as to pivot in a horizontal plane. A torsion spring 42 of relatively weak force is provided at the supporting point, so that the lever portion is biased to rotate in a clockwise direction.

One end of the lever of the reproduction terminating means 13 extends slightly above the turntable by passing over the peripheral margin of the turntable 10, while the other end of the lever contacts the side face of the upright post 41 under resilient force imparted by the torsion spring 42. In this way, the other end of the lever and the stepped side face of the upright post 41 constitute an engaging means 20. In other words, the other end of the lever forming a trunk and leg portion will engage the stepped face 40, when the trunk and leg portion of the bar 18 is lowered, thereby causing the engaging means 20 to take its position of engagement and make the bar 18 retain, against the resilient force imparted by the biasing means 35, both the other end thereof at its lowered position and the one end thereof at its raised position.

As an optional means supplemental to the reproduction terminating means 13 of this embodiment, a manual terminating rod 44 is provided. This rod is formed, as shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, as a pushing rod which can be manually depressed down from outside the casing 1 and is attached to a projection 48 having a downwardly facing slant face 47.

The slant face 47 can engage the inside edge of the bent lever of the reproduction terminating means 13 and urges the lever to turn in an anti-clockwise direction. This results in disengagement of the engaging means 20 during, eg halfway through, sound reproduction, thereby lowering the bifurcated end of the bar 18 and giving rise to the retraction of the turntable 10.

Figure 7 shows a state of the device, where the turntable 10 is at its retracted position in the case when it is actuated either by the cancelling means 21 or by depressing the manual pushing rod 44.

Operation of the device is as follows.

First, an indexing table 17 carrying a desired item or items is rotatably placed around the indexing shaft 31 of the casing 1. Next, the indexing table 17 is turned in such a manner that the record disc 4 carrying the desired item is placed beneath the transparent cover Ib, and thus indexed. At this moment, the engaging member 23 which resiliently contacts the indexing table 17 falls into one of the notches 22 and thereby tentatively fixes the indexed position. The starting means 14 is pushed to cause the bifurcated head portion of the bar 18 to be raised and the trunk and leg portion to be lowered. By this movement, the turntable 10 which has been retained at its retracted position against the resilient force of the stylus force spring 8 is released from the retaining force applied thereto and begins to advance.

At the same time, the electrical contact 16, which is attached on the reverse face of the trunk and leg portion of the bar 18 and which was open before the bar 18 was depressed down by the starting means 14, is closed so that the motor starts to rotate and rotates the turntable.

The reproduction terminating means 13 contacts the stepped side face 40 and retains the bar 18 at its lowered position. The male coupling member 24 is inserted into the small hole 24a of the bar 18 formed as a female coupling member so that the engaging member 23 is placed in its fixed state being coupled to the notch 22 giving rise to a completely fixed indexing position.

As the turntable 10 proceeds upwardly, the reproduction stylus 5 normally urged by the return spring 6 toward the starting point of sound reproduction engages the recorded face 3 of the record disc 4 at the starting point and traces the record groove following the rotation of the turntable 10 until it reaches the end point of sound reproduction. During the period when the reproduction stylus 5 is tracing the recorded face 3 of the record disc 4, the stepped side face 40 formed on the upright post 41 of the bar 18 is still kept restrained, as shown in Figure 5, by the engaging member 20 against the biasing force imparted by the biasing means 35.

When the reproduction stylus 5 arrives at the end point of sound reproduction, the cancelling means 21 projects radially outwards beyond the peripheral margin of the turntable 10 and, as the turntable 10 rotates further, it impinges on the end part of the lever of the terminating means 13, thereby causing the lever to rotate in an anticlockwise direction and release the engaging member 20 from the engagement with the stepped face 40 of the upright post 41. The moment the engaging member is released, the bar loses its support and begins to retract the turntable 10, thereby detaching the reproduction stylus 5 away from the recorded face 3 of the record disc 4.

Thus, one sound reproduction cycle of the device is terminated in this way. However, if it is desired to stop the reproduction halfway through reproduction, pushing down of the manual terminating rod effects stopping of the device in the same way as the cancelling means.

When the reproduction stylus leaves the recorded face 3 of the record disc 4, the electrical contact 16 is opened as shown in Figure 7 so that the motor 15 and the turntable 10 stop.

As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the male coupling member 24 leaves the small female hole 24a of the bar 18, thus releasing the engaging member allowing free rotation of the indexing table 17.

The indexing table carries a plurality of record discs and can be rotated to allow indexing and reproduction of the record disc carrying a desired item. This is very convenient for selecting a plurality of record discs and is full of interest in its way of indexing and reproducing the same, particularly when this device is used in a toy or toys for educational purpose.

Claims (9)

1. A sound reproducing device capable of reproducing a plurality of record discs, comprising: a casing; record discs disposed in the casing and each having a recorded face facing the interior of the casing; a pivotable tone arm carrying a sound reproduction stylus directed toward the recorded face of a record disc to be reproduced and movable between a starting point and an end point of sound reproduction of the record disc, the tone arm being urged by a return spring toward the starting point of sound reproduction; a turntable urged by a stylus force spring in axial direction; a speaker diaphragm disposed within the turntable; a sound transmitting member connected to the speaker diaphragm and to the tone arm for transmitting reproduced vibration of the tone arm to the speaker diaphragm; a reproduction terminating means for retracting the turntable against the biasing force of the stylus force spring; a starting means for advancing the turntable by means of the stylus force spring; an electric motor for driving the turn table; and electrical contact means for supplying electric power when actuated by the starting means and for cutting off electric power when actuated by the reproduction terminating means, the record discs being rotatably received by the casing and carried by an indexing table arranged to fix any selected record disc at a position at which the record disc is confronted by the turntable.

2. A sound reproducing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the indexing table has notches on the circumferential outer periphery thereof corresponding in number to that of the record discs carried thereon, there being provided an engaging member normally urged toward the circumferential outer periphery for engaging any one of the notches so as to fix the indexing table.

3. A sound reproducing device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the turntable has a pulley groove defined between a pair of flanges and is rotatably connected to the motor by a belt drive system, the reproduction terminating means comprising a first part of a bar disposed within the casing, swingably supported at its middle, and extending into the pulley groove so that the bar is arranged to retract the turntable against the resilient force exerted by the stylus force spring, the Starting means being arranged to cooperate with the other end of the bar so that depression of the starting means urges the bar against the biasing force to advance the turntable, the starting means comprising an engaging means arranged to hold the bar against biasing means of the bar, the engaging means further comprising a cancelling means comprising an end of the tone arm opposite the sound reproduction stylus, the said end of the tone arm being urged so as to project outwards from the circumferential periphery of the turntable for disengaging the engaging means by collision of the cancelling means with the reproduction terminating means.

4. A sound reproducing device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the engaging member extends beneath the bar, the bar and the coupling member having cooperating male and female coupling means for fixing the engaging member in a selected one of the notches when the bar has been actuated by the starting means.

5. A sound reproducing device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the engaging member is disposed to constitute an inner angle of less than 90 with respect to the circumferential periphery if the indexing table.

6. A sound reproducing device as claimed in claim 4 or 5, wherein the casing comprises a hinged portion capable of swinging open and closed so that the indexing table is placable in its operating position by opening the hinged portion.

7. A sound reproducing device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

8. A sound reproducing device comprising a turntable carrying a tone arm having a stylus, a support carrying a plurality of recorded items and rotatable for moving a selected recorded item to a position facing the turntable, and means for urging the turntable and the support towards each other.

9. A toy including a sound reproducing device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.