System for reproducing mechanically stored signals including carrier having deformable means coacting with pressure-sensitive pickup means

Claim 2

In combination: a. a carrier having deformable means by which signals are stored in mechanical form, said deformable means being arranged along a path; b. pressure-sensitive pickup means capable of converting changes in mechanical pressure into electrical signals, said pickup means having a surface portion for engaging said deformable means; and c. means for causing relative movement of said pickup means along said path and for maintaining said surface portion of said pickup means and said deformable means in engagement with each other while said surface portion of said pickup means is maintained substantially immovable in the direction of the force acting to maintain said surface portion of said pickup means and said deformable means in engagement with each other, in consequence of which when there is relative movement of said pickup means along said path, said deformable means are deformed and said pickup means put out electrical signals which correspond to the signals that are stored in mechanical form.

Claim 3

The combination defined in claim 1, wherein said pressure-sensitive pickup means include a transducer body, said surface portion of said pickup means being constituted by a surface of said transducer body.

Claim 4

The combination defined in claim 1, wherein said pressure-sensitive pickup means include a transducer body and a contact element rigidly coupled to said transducer body, said surface portion of said pickup means being constituted by a surface of said contact element.

Claim 5

The combination defined in claim 1, wherein said deformable means of said carrier are constituted by a series of projections extending from the surface of said carrier, and wherein the height of said series of projections measured along the direction of said force which maintains said surface portion of said pickup means and said deformable means in engagement with each other varies along said path of said relative movement in correspondence with the signals stored in the respective projections.

Claim 6

The combination defined in claim 1, wherein said deformable means of said carrier are constituted by a series of projections extending from the surface of said carrier, and wherein the area of said surface of said projections against which there is applied said force which maintains said surface portion of said pickup means and said deformable means in engagement with each other varies along said path of said relative movement in correspondence with the signals stored in the respective projections.

Claim 7

The combination defined in claim 1, wherein said deformable means are constituted by a continuous web having an upper surface extending along said path, said upper surface of said web being contacted by said surface portion of said pickup means, the width of said web varying along said path of said relative movement in correspondence with the signals stored in said web.

Claim 8

The combination defined in claim 1, wherein said pressure-sensitive pickup means include a piezoelectric transducer.

Claim 9

The combination defined in claim 1, wherein said pressure-sensitive pickup means include a magnetostrictive transducer.

Claim 10

The combination defined in claim 1, wherein said pressure-sensitive pickup means include a pressure-sensitive semiconductor element.

Claim 11

The combination defined in claim 1, wherein said deformable means of said carrier are constituted by a series of projections extending from the surface of said carrier, and wherein said surface portion of said pickup means extends a distance, in the direction of said relative movement, which is greater than the maximum distance between any two consecutive ones of said series of projections.

Claim 12

The combination defined in claim 1, wherein said surface portion of said pickup means has a front side and a rear side, the edge of said front side and the edge of said rear side formed by a cross section through said surface portion taken perpendicular to the surface of said carrier and in the direction along said path of said relative movement being of unequal steepness with respect to said surface of said carrier.

Claim 13

The combination defined in claim 1, wherein said deformable means of said carrier are constituted by a series of projections extending from the surface of said carrier, and wherein each of said series of projections corresponds to a carrier signal which is amplitude modulated by the signal stored in the respective projection.

Claim 14

The combination defined in claim 1, wherein said deformable means of said carrier are constituted by a series of projections extending from the surface of said carrier, and wherein each of said series of projections corresponds to a carrier signal which is frequency modulated by the signal stored in the respective projection.

Claim 15

The combination defined in claim 1, wherein at least the portion of said carrier which constitutes said deformable means thereof is made of a material of such composition that said force which maintains said surface portion of said pickup means and said deformable means in engagement with each other effects a deformation thereof which is substantially greater than the movement which said surface portion of said pickup means undergoes upon reaction to the deformation of said deformable means.

Claim 16

The combination defined in claim 14, wherein said material and the dimensions of said deformable means are so chosen that the deformation of said material caused by said surface portion of said pickup means, for a given speed of said relative movement, will lie substantially within the elastic limit of said material.

Claim 17

The combination defined in claim 1, wherein said deformable means of said carrier are constituted by a series of projections extending from the surface of said carrier, and wherein the amplitude of each of said series of projections, for a given amplitude of the signal stored in each respective projection is substantially independent of the frequency of such stored signal.

Claim 18

The combination defined in claim 16, wherein said series of projections are arranged in substantially parallel grooves iN the surface of said carrier, the distance between center lines of adjacent ones of said grooves being substantially constant over the length of said grooves.

Claim 19

The combination defined in claim 1, wherein said deformable means of said carrier are constituted by a series of projections extending from the surface of said carrier, and wherein the amplitude of each of said series of projections, for a given amplitude of the signal stored in each respective projection, is approximately proportional to the frequency of such stored signal.

Claim 20

The combination defined in claim 18, wherein said series of projections are arranged in substantially parallel grooves in the surface of said storage element, the width of said grooves and the distance between the center lines of adjacent ones of said grooves being proportional to the frequency of the stored signals.

Claim 21

For use with pressure-sensitive pickup means for converting changes in mechanical pressure into electrical signals and having a surface portion, a carrier having deformable means by which signals are stored in mechanical form, said deformable means being arranged along a path over which there is to be relative movement between the pickup means and the deformable means for subjecting the pickup means to different pressures as the pickup means move along the path while in engagement with said deformable means, in consequence of which, upon such relative movement of said pickup means along the path, with the surface portion of the pickup means engaging said deformable means and with the surface portion of the pickup means remaining in substantially constant spatial relationship with the undeformed position of said deformable means, the latter are deformed and the pickup means put out electrical signals which correspond to the signals that are stored in mechanical form.

Claim 22

For use with pressure-sensitive pickup means for converting changes in mechanical pressure into electrical signals and having a surface portion, a carrier having deformable means by which signals are stored in mechanical form, said deformable means being arranged along a path over which there is to be relative movement between the pickup means and the deformable means for subjecting the pickup means to different pressures as the pickup means move along the path while in engagement with said deformable means, in consequence of which, upon such relative movement of said pickup means along the path, with the surface portion of the pickup means engaging said deformable means and with the surface portion of the pickup means remaining in substantially constant spatial relationship with the undeformed position of said deformable means, the latter are deformed and the pickup means put out electrical signals which correspond to the signals that are stored in mechanical form.

Claim 23

The carrier defined in claim 20, wherein the material of which the portion of the carrier which constitutes said deformable means thereof is made, and the dimensions of said deformable means, are so chosen that the deformation of said deformable means caused by the surface portion of the pickup means, for a given speed of the relativement, will lie substantially within the elastic limit of the material.

Claim 24

The carrier defined in claim 20, wherein said deformable means store signals which are those of a television picture.

Claim 25

The carrier defined in claim 20, said carrier being in the form of a disc.

Claim 26

The carrier defined in claim 23, said carrier having a groove forming said path and said deformable means being arranged in said groove.

Claim 27

For use with a carrier having deformable means by which signals are stored in mechanical form and which deformable means are arranged along a path, a playback device comprising, in combination: a. means for receiving the carrier to be played back; b. pressure-sensitive pickup means capable of converting changes in mechanical pressure into electrical signals, said pickup means having a surface portion; and c. means for causing relative movement of said pickup means along the path defined by the deformable means of a carrier received by said receiving means and for maintaining said surface portion of said pickup means in engagement with the deformable means of such carrier such that said surface portion of said pickup means remains in substantially constant spatial relationship with the undeformed portion of said deformable means, in consequence of which when there is relative movement of said pickup means along the path, the deformable means of the carrier are deformed and said pickup means put out electrical signals which correspond to the signals that are stored in mechanical form.

Claim 28

For use with a carrier having deformable means by which signals are stored in mechanical form and which deformable means are arranged along a path, a playback device comprising, in combination: a. means for receiving the carrier to be played back; b. pressure-sensitive pickup means capable of converting changes in mechanical pressure into electrical signals, said pickup means having a surface portion; and c. means for causing relative movement of said pickup means along the path defined by the deformable means of a carrier received by said receiving means and for maintaining said surface portion of said pickup means in engagement with the deformable means of such carrier such that said surface portion of said pickup means remains in substantially constant spatial relationship with the undeformed portion of said deformable means, in consequence of which when there is relative movement of said pickup means along the path, the deformable means of the carrier are deformed and said pickup means put out electrical signals which correspond to the signals that are stored in mechanical form.