Push-button video disc hub

Claim 1

A hub assembly for releasably securing a centrally apertured record disc for rotation in a disc player, said apparatus comprising: a disc supporting base member havng an aperture and further having means comprising an upstanding rim surrounding said base member aperture adapted to index a record disc; a hollow sleeve formed of elastic material and deformable from a quiescent upright position for admitting a record disc to said base member to a compressed operative position for securing such a disc; said sleeve having a footing received within said aperture and coupled to said base member, a substantially cylindrical portion contiguous to said footing and disposed adjacent said indexing means of said base member, a conical portion contiguous to said cylindrical portion and tapered to a dimension less than the diameter of said cylindrical porton, said cylindrical portion of said sleeve having a wall thickness significantly thinner than the wall of said conical portion; a core member disposed within said tapered sleeve portion for preserving the contour of said tapered portion when said sleeve is compressed to its operative position; an actuator, extending through said sleeve and said core member, engageable with said tapered sleeve portion and displaceable with said sleeve along the central axis of said sleeve from a quiescent position in which said sleeve is maintained in an upright position to an operating position in which said actuator compresses said sleeve to first collapse said cylindrical sleeve portion in a direction normal to said central axis and over said indexing rim and then drive said collapsed portion against the upper inner peripheral surface of an indexed record disc positioned upon said base member to effect a uniform clamping of the record against said base member, said actuator further having a section having a detent groove; a latch spring embracing said actuator section and engageable with said actuator detent groove, when said actuator is displaced to said operating position, for retaining said actuator in its operative position; means in said base member for retaining said latch spring; and axially displaceable release means centrally disposed within said actuator and comprising a tapered trip member for disengaging said latch spring from said actuator detent groove to permit said compressed sleeve and said actuator to return to their quiescent positions thereby freeing said record disc.