The present invention relates to a disc loading apparatus for a disc player.
There are a wide variety of apparatuses for loading discs such as CD, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, Laser disc, DVD, DVD-ROM, Video disc, Analog record and the like, into disc players. One example of a disc loading apparatus has a disc insertion opening with a continuous slope in order to prevent a disc from being scratched due to contact with the opening (disclosed in Japanese Utility Patent Examined Publication, No. H03-33977). Among disc loading apparatuses having a lid for the disc insertion opening for preventing dust from entering into a disc player, one type has an opening which is closed by a lid made of shielding material formed of soft felt, so that a disc is inserted into the disc player by passing between an upper part and a lower part of the lid made of the soft shielding material, while being in contact with the lid. Also, there is a type in which a disc is inserted into the disc player by pushing the lid open with a non-recorded surface of the disc.
However, the disc loading apparatus for which a disc is inserted into the disc player by passing between two divided parts of the soft shielding lid, while keeping the disc in contact with the lid, causes fine scratches on a recorded surface of the disc even with the soft shielding material. With the disc loading apparatus for which a disc is inserted by pushing the lid open with a non-recorded surface of the disc, there is also a likelihood of scratching a recorded surface, if the disc is inadvertently inserted upside down, or if data is recorded on both sides.
A disc loading apparatus of the present invention includes a frame member having a disc insertion opening formed therein, and an elongated opening lid movably mounted to the frame member for movement between a closed position covering the disc insertion opening and an open position allowing the disc to be inserted through the disc insertion opening along a disc insertion path. The opening lid has two longitudinal ends, first and second longitudinally extending edges (sides) and first and second opposite faces. One of the first and second faces faces the disc insertion opening when the lid is in the closed position, and the other face faces away from the opening when the lid is in the closed position. The first longitudinally extending edge of the lid is sloped from each longitudinal end toward a center of the lid in a direction toward the second longitudinally extending edge of the lid. The foregoing structure can realize a disc loading apparatus for a disc player, in which a disc can be inserted by pushing against the opening lid to cause it to open without causing scratches on either surface of the disc.
In a preferred form of the invention, the sloped edge of the lid is a continuously curved edge that extends from both ends toward a center thereof in a direction toward the other longitudinal extending edge of the lid. The foregoing structure, wherein the continuously curved edge is provided makes only a point-contact or a linear contact between the curved edge of the opening lid and an edge of the disc when the disc is inserted by pushing the opening lid to open. Accordingly, the foregoing structure can provide an effect of preventing the disc from being in surface-contact with the opening lid, and avoiding scratches on the surface of the disc.
Further, the opening lid is provided with a sloped (e.g. continuously curved) surface that extends from both ends toward a center of the opening lid in a direction toward the other surface of the lid, in other words toward an inside of the disc loading apparatus. The foregoing structure can provide an effect of preventing the disc from being in surface-contact with the opening lid, and avoiding scratches on the surface of the disc, since the opening lid and the disc make only point-contact or linear contact when the disc is inserted by pushing the opening lid to the open position.