IP Library Granted Patent US 7,840,973
Granted Patent B2
US 7,840,973 · App. 11/814,289 · Granted Nov 23, 2010

Optical disc device having improved disc detection

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,840,973
App. No.
11/814,289
Granted
Nov 23, 2010
Kind
B2
Abstract

An optical disc device capable of sensing exactly whether or not a disc is present is provided. In an optical disc device includes a main body having a disc slot, and a carrying roller for carrying a disc between the disc slot and a disc loading position of the main body, a swinging lever whose base end is supported turnably in an inside of the main body by a supporting shaft and to which a disc arriving switch is fixed, and a sensing lever whose base end is supported turnably by the supporting shaft and whose top end contacts the outer periphery of the disc, which is loaded in the disc loading position, to operate the disc arriving switch are provided.

Claims (12)

1. An optical disc device, comprising:

a main body which has a disc slot;

a carrying roller which carries a disc between the disc slot and a disc loading position of the main body at a predetermined speed;

a swinging lever whose base end is turnably supported in an inside of the main body by a supporting shaft and to which a disc arriving switch is fixed;

a sensing lever whose base end is supported turnably to the supporting shaft so that a relative position of the sensing lever and the swinging lever is changeable; and

a lever driving system which drives the swinging lever and the sensing lever,

wherein the swinging lever and the sensing lever are simultaneously swung around the support shaft by the lever driving system,

wherein a top end of the sensing lever contacts an outer periphery of the disc, which is loaded in a disc loading position, to operate the disc arriving switch during a swinging operation of the swinging lever and the sensing lever,

wherein the sensing lever pushes the disc arriving switch, and

wherein the lever driving system drives the swinging and sensing levers to retreat them away from the disc according to the operation of the disc arriving switch by the sensing lever.

2. The optical disc device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the disc arriving switch is pushed and operated by the sensing lever which is swung when the sensing lever contacts the outer periphery of the disc, so that it is sensed whether or not the disc is present.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Nov 11, 2008
From: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
To: PANASONIC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 021818/0725 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 19, 2007
From: HASEGAWA, KAZUNORI; NAKAYAMA, TSUKASA; NISHIDA, HIROTO; NAKADE, ISAMU; URUSHIHARA, KENJI; HASHIMOTO, MASATAKA
To: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 020269/0709 →