Playback apparatus with structure for preventing wrong-insertion of recording medium

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a playback apparatus with a structure for preventing wrong-insertion of a recording medium such as a CD-ROM.

2. Description of the Related Art

Hitherto, apparatuses that play back a recording medium such as a CD-ROM are widely known as in-vehicle audio equipment (playback apparatuses).

Such audio equipment has, as shown in FIG. 7 , a playback apparatus 3 including a playback device 1 , serving as a casing, and a control panel 2 . A shutter base 5 is fixed using screws 4 to the rear side of the control panel 2 . A shutter member 6 is pivotably mounted on the shutter base 5 .

The playback device 1 , which can receive a plurality of CD-ROMs, encases a CD-ROM receiving mechanism, a selector for selecting a designated CD-ROM, a pickup device for playing back the selected CD-ROM, and associated parts (none of which are shown). Also, the playback device 1 has an opening 1 a into which the CD-ROM is inserted and a lever 7 for pivoting the shutter member 6 with its forward movement, the tip of the lever 7 projecting from the opening 1 a.

The control panel 2 is attached to the playback device 1 and various selectable switches are provided on the front face of the control panel 2 . The control panel 2 also has a display 2 b , a cassette tape loading slot 2 c , and so on, as well as a CD-ROM loading slot 2 a , which is aligned with the opening 1 a.

The shutter base 5 has a passage 5 a for the CD-ROM to pass through between the loading slot 2 a and the opening 1 a , and a shaft 5 b (only one end is shown) for pivotably supporting the shutter member 6 . A pin 5 c for retaining one end of a spring 8 protrudes from the shutter base 5 .

The shutter member 6 has a pin 6 a for retaining the other end of the spring 8 , a shutter blade 6 b for blocking the spatial communication between the loading slot 2 a and the passage 5 a with the elastic force of the spring 8 , and an arm 6 c , which is contactable with the tip of the lever 7 . When the lever 7 moves toward the front of the playback apparatus 3 and the tip of the lever 7 pushes the arm 6 c , the arm 6 c causes the shutter blade 6 b to pivot.

In such a configuration described above, for example, when the CD-ROM is played back or when the mechanism for sequentially receiving a plurality of CD-ROMs is being driven, it is necessary to prevent another CD-ROM from being loaded into the playback device 1 . To this end, the shutter blade 6 b is moved by the elastic force of the spring 8 , so as to block the spatial communication between the loading slot 2 a and the passage 5 a.

When loading of a CD-ROM is permitted, the lever 7 moves toward the front of the playback apparatus 3 and pushes the arm 6 c in order to pivot the shutter member 6 to overcome the elastic force of the spring 8 , thus again allowing the spatial communication between the loading slot 2 a and the passage 5 a.

In a playback apparatus with a structure for preventing wrong-insertion of a recording medium constructed as described above, when the CD-ROM is inserted at an upward angle from a lower position, as shown in FIG. 8B , while the shutter member 6 blocks the spatial communication between the loading slot 2 a and the passage 5 a , as shown in FIG. 8A , the leading edge of the CD-ROM abuts against a part around the center in the width direction of the shutter blade 6 b , because the CD-ROM is a thin disc.

At this time, due to the load applied by the inserted CD-ROM and the fact the shutter blade 6 b is wide, as shown in FIG. 8C , flexing of the shutter blade 6 b may occur as a result, so that the central part thereof is displaced toward the passage 5 a . Any additional load may cause the CD-ROM to enter into the space between the uppermost edge of the shutter blade 6 b and the shutter base 5 , resulting in the shutter blade 6 b unintentionally pivoting. Accordingly, there is the possibility that the CD-ROM may be accidentally inserted into the playback apparatus.

When the CD-ROM is inserted at a downward angle from an upper position while the shutter member 6 blocks the spatial communication between the loading slot 2 a and the passage 5 a , as shown in FIG. 9A , there is the possibility that the load applied by the inserted CD-ROM may cause the shutter blade 6 b to unintentionally pivot, as shown in FIG. 9 B.

Accordingly, in order to solve the problems described above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a playback apparatus with a structure for preventing wrong-insertion of a recording medium, which apparatus can prevent an unintentional pivotal movement of the shutter member due to the load applied when the recording medium is inserted while the loading slot is closed by the shutter member.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a playback apparatus with a structure for preventing wrong-insertion of a recording medium. The apparatus includes a main unit having a loading slot for the recording medium in the front thereof and a shutter member pivotably mounted on a portion of the main unit behind the loading slot for opening and closing the loading slot. The shutter member includes a shutter blade. A recess is provided on the front face of the shutter blade that can be seen from the loading slot, for guiding the recording medium in the closing direction of the shutter member by a load applied to the recording medium when the recording medium is inserted from the loading slot while the loading slot is closed by the shutter member. Such an apparatus can prevent an unintentional pivotal movement of the shutter member due to the load applied when the recording medium is inserted while the loading slot is closed by the shutter member, particularly an unintentional pivotal movement of the shutter member when the recording medium is inserted at an upward angle from a lower position.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, a playback apparatus with a structure for preventing wrong-insertion of a recording medium is provided. The apparatus includes a main unit having a loading slot for the recording medium in the front thereof and a shutter member pivotably mounted on a portion of the main unit behind the loading slot for opening and closing the loading slot. The shutter member includes a shutter blade. A shoulder is formed on a portion of the main unit at a position behind the shutter blade, which shoulder normally allows the shutter member to pivot and engages with a portion of the shutter member that is flexed by a load applied to the recording medium when the recording medium is inserted from the loading slot while the loading slot is closed by the shutter member. Such an apparatus can prevent an unintentional pivotal movement of the shutter member due to the load applied when the recording medium is inserted while the loading slot is closed by the shutter member.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, a playback apparatus with a structure for preventing wrong-insertion of a recording medium is provided. The apparatus includes a main unit having a loading slot for the recording medium in the front thereof and a shutter member pivotably mounted on a portion of the main unit behind the loading slot for opening and closing the loading slot. The shutter member includes a shutter blade. A protrusion is formed on a portion of the main unit at a position behind the shutter blade, which protrusion normally allows the shutter member to pivot and engages with a portion of the shutter member that is flexed by a load applied to the recording medium when the recording medium is inserted from the loading slot, while the loading slot is closed by the shutter member, to restrict a pivotal movement of the shutter member in the opening direction thereof. Such an apparatus can prevent an unintentional pivotal movement of the shutter member due to the load applied when the recording medium is inserted while the loading slot is closed by the shutter member, particularly an unintentional pivotal movement of the shutter member when the recording medium is inserted at a downward angle from an upper position.

According to any combination of the preceding aspects of the present invention, a playback apparatus with a structure for preventing wrong-insertion of a recording medium is provided. Such an apparatus can prevent an unintentional pivotal movement of the shutter member due to the load applied when the recording medium is inserted while the loading slot is closed by the shutter member, particularly an unintentional pivotal movement of the shutter member when the recording medium is inserted at an upward or downward angle from a lower or upper position.

The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become clear from the following description of the preferred embodiment taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is an enlarged vertical sectional view showing the main part of a playback apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention with a structure for preventing wrong-insertion of a recording medium;

FIG. 2A is an enlarged vertical sectional view showing a shutter base thereof;

FIG. 2B is an enlarged vertical sectional view showing a shutter member thereof;

FIG. 3A is a plan view showing the shutter base;

FIG. 3B is a left-side view showing the shutter base;

FIG. 3C is a front view showing the shutter base;

FIG. 3D is a right-side view showing the shutter base;

FIG. 4A is a plan view showing the shutter member;

FIG. 4B is a left-side view showing the shutter member;

FIG. 4C is a front view showing the shutter member;

FIG. 4D is a right-side view showing the shutter member;

FIG. 5A is a vertical sectional view, in which a CD-ROM as the recording medium is inserted at an upward angle from a lower position;

FIG. 5B is a vertical sectional view, in which a pivotal movement of the shutter member is restricted;

FIG. 6A is a vertical sectional view, in which the CD-ROM as the recording medium is inserted at a downward angle from an upper position;

FIG. 6B is a vertical sectional view, in which a pivotal movement of the shutter member is restricted;

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective external view of a CD changer with a conventional structure for preventing wrong-insertion of a recording medium;

FIG. 8A is a vertical sectional view showing the main part of the CD changer with the conventional structure for preventing wrong-insertion of the recording medium;

FIG. 8B is a vertical sectional view, in which the CD-ROM as the recording medium is inserted at an upward angle from a lower position;

FIG. 8C is a vertical sectional view, in which the shutter blade flexes;

FIG. 9A is a vertical sectional view showing the main part of the CD changer with the conventional structure for preventing wrong-insertion of the recording medium, in which the CD-ROM as the recording medium is inserted at a downward angle from an upper position; and

FIG. 9B is a vertical sectional view, in which the shutter blade flexes.

An embodiment of a playback apparatus with a structure for preventing wrong-insertion of a recording medium of the present invention, which is applied to an in-vehicle CD autochanger, will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. A general view of the CD autochanger is omitted here.

Referring to FIG. 1 , the playback apparatus according to the present invention has a main unit, which includes the CD autochanger 10 . The CD autochanger has a control panel 11 , a shutter base 13 fixed on the inner side of the control panel 11 by means of screws 12 , and a shutter member 14 rotatably mounted on the shutter base 13 .

The control panel 11 is attached to a playback device (not shown), which is part of the main unit. Various selectable switches are provided on the front face of the control panel 11 . The control panel 11 also has a display, a cassette tape loading slot, and so on (none of which are shown), as well as a CD-ROM loading slot 11 a , which is aligned with an opening of the playback device.

The shutter base 13 has, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 3A to 3 D. a passage 13 a for the CD-ROM to pass through between the loading slot 11 a and the opening of the playback device, a shaft 13 b for pivotably supporting the shutter member 14 , and a pin 13 c for supporting one end of a spring (not shown). The end of the shutter base 13 defining the inlet end of the passage 13 a is partly stepped to provide a shoulder 13 d and a protrusion 13 e.

The shoulder 13 d is formed at least on the lower part of the end edge at the side where the CD-ROM is inserted into the shutter base 13 . The protrusion 13 e is positioned below the shoulder 13 d.

The shutter member 14 has, as shown in FIGS. 2B and 4A to 4 D, a pin 14 a for supporting the other end of the spring, a shutter blade 14 b for blocking the spatial communication between the loading slot 11 a and the passage 13 a with the elastic force of the spring, and an arm 14 c , which is contactable with the tip of a lever 7 for causing the shutter blade 14 b to open and close.

Further, a recess 14 d having a predetermined width centering around the widthwise midpoint of the shutter blade 14 b , which is positioned in the upper part of the shutter blade 14 b , is formed on the front face of the shutter blade 14 b.

In such a configuration, for example, when the CD-ROM is played back or when the mechanism for sequentially receiving a plurality of CD-ROMs is being driven, it is necessary to prevent another CD-ROM from being loaded into the playback device. To this end, the shutter blade 14 b is moved by the elastic force of the spring, so as to block the spatial communication between the loading slot 11 a and the passage 13 a.

When loading of a CD-ROM is permitted, the lever 7 moves toward the front of the CD autochanger indicated by the left arrow in FIG. 1 and pushes the arm 14 c in order to pivot the shutter member 14 to overcome the elastic force of the spring, thus again allowing the spatial communication between the loading slot 11 a and the passage 13 a.

On one hand, as shown in FIG. 5A , when the CD-ROM is inserted at an upward angle from a lower position while the shutter member 14 blocks the spatial communication between the loading slot 11 a and the passage 13 a , the leading edge of the CD-ROM slides into the recess 14 d on the shutter blade 14 b owing to the surface configuration of the shutter blade 14 b.

When the CD-ROM is further inserted into the CD autochanger in such a condition, as shown in FIG. 5B , the shutter blade 14 b abuts against the upper portion of the passage 13 a while flexing due to the load applied by the inserted CD-ROM, so that the flexure of the shutter blade 14 b is restricted. This prevents the CD-ROM from being further inserted or from sliding into the space between the shutter blade 14 b and the shutter base 13 . The shoulder 13 d may be formed all around the edge of the passage 13 a to further ensure restriction of the deformation of the shutter blade 14 b when flexed.

On the other hand, when the CD-ROM is inserted at a downward angle from an upper position while the shutter member 14 blocks the spatial communication between the loading slot 11 a and the passage 13 a , as shown in FIG. 6A , the shutter blade 14 b abuts against the shoulder 13 d while flexing due to the load applied by the inserted CD-ROM, as shown in FIG. 6 B. In such a condition, even when the shutter blade 14 b attempts to pivot owing to the load applied by the inserted CD-ROM, the shutter blade 14 b abuts against the protrusion 13 e , thus preventing an unintentional pivotal movement.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described using specific terms, this description is for illustrative purposes only, and it is to be understood that changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the following claims.