Linear-tracking pick-up arm drive assembly for audio or video disc player

Claim 2

A linear-tracking pick-up arm drive assembly for a disc player, comprising horizontally elongated, stationary first and second guide bars spaced apart substantially in parallel from each other; a movable unit supported in weight transmitting relationship on said guide bars and movable along the guide bars, said movable unit carrying thereon a linear-tracking pick-up arm having a leading end and rotatable with respect to said movable unit about a substantially horizontal axis substantially perpendicular to the direction of elongation of said pick-up arm; electromagnetic drive means for driving said movable unit along said guide bars; and pick-up arm lifting means engageable with said pick-up arm for turning said pick-up arm upwardly about said horizontal axis with respect to said movable unit, said lifting means including a lifting member supported by said movable unit and vertically movable with respect to said movable unit and said pick-up arm, and drive means for vertically driving said lifting member, said pick-up arm having a first projection and a second projection, said projection and said second projection being spaced from one another in the direction of elongation of said pick-up arm and projecting downward toward said lifting member, said first projection being remoter from said leading end of the pick-up arm than said second projection, said lifting member being formed with an open-ended groove positioned below said first projection and adapted to capture said first projection when said lifting member is brought into engagement with said pick-up arm.

Claim 3

A linear-tracking pick-up arm drive assembly as set forth in claim 1, in which said pick-up arm has a predetermined position longitudinally extending at a predetermined angle to the direction in which said magnet-carrying movable unit is movable along said guide bars, wherein said groove in said lifting member is horizontally elongated in a vertical plane containing the center axis of the pick-up arm in said predetermined position.

Claim 4

A linear-tracking pick-up arm drive assembly as set forth in claim 2, in which said groove has a substantially V-shaped cross section.

Claim 5

A linear-tracking pick-up arm drive assembly as set forth in claim 3, in which said groove has a bottom line contained in said vertical plane.

Claim 6

A linear-tracking pick-up arm drive assembly as set forth in claim 1, in which said lifting means further comprises biasing means urging said lifting member to move downwardly away from said pick-up arm.

Claim 7

A linear tracking pick-up arm drive assembly for a disc player, comprising horizontally elongated, stationary first and second guide bars spaced apart substantially in parallel from each other; a movable unit supported in weight transmitting relationship on said guide bars and movable along the guide bars, said movable unit carrying thereon a linear-tracking pick-up arm having a leading end and rotatable with respect to said movable unit about a substantially horizontal axis substantially perpendicular to the direction of elongation of said pick-up arm; electro-magnetic drive means for driving said movable unit along said guide bars; and pick-up arm lifting means engageable with said pick-up arm for turning the pick-up arm upwardly about said horizontal axis with respect to said movable unit, one of said guide bars being rotatable about a predetermined axis substantially parallel to said horizontal axis, said lifting means including drive means operative for turning said rotatable guide bar in two opposite directions through a predetermined angle about said predetermined axis, an abutment member secured to said rotatable guide bar and rotatable therewith about said predetermined axis, and a lifting member supported by said movable unit and veritcally movable with respect to said movable unit and said pick-up arm, said abutment member being engageable with said lifting member when said rotatable guide bar is caused to rotate in a predetermined direction about said predetermined axis, said lifting member being engageable with said pick-up arm and being brought into upwardly pressing engagement with said pick-up arm when engaged by said abutment member.

Claim 8

A linear tracking pick-up arm drive assembly for a disc player, comprising horizontally elongated, stationary first and second guide bars spaced apart substantially in parallel from each other; a movable unit supported in weight transmitting relationship on said guide bars and movable along the guide bars, said movable unit carrying thereon a linear-tracking pick-up arm having a leading end and rotatable with respect to said movable unit about a substantially horizontal axis substantially perpendicular to the direction of elongation of said pick-up arm; electro-magnetic drive means for driving said movable unit along said guide bars; and pick-up arm lifting means engageable with said pick-up arm for turning the pick-up arm upwardly about said horizontal axis with respect to said movable unit, one of said guide bars being rotatable about a predetermined axis substantially parallel to said horizontal axis, said lifting means including drive means operative for turning said rotatable guide bar in two opposite directions through a predetermined angle about said predetermined axis, an abutment member secured to said rotatable guide bar and rotatable therewith about said predetermined axis, and a lifting member supported by said movable unit and veritcally movable with respect to said movable unit and said pick-up arm, said abutment member being engageable with said lifting member when said rotatable guide bar is caused to rotate in a predetermined direction about said predetermined axis, said lifting member being engageable with said pick-up arm and being brought into upwardly pressing engagement with said pick-up arm when engaged by said abutment member.

Claim 9

A linear-tracking pick-up arm drive assembly as set forth in claim 6, in which said pick-up arm has a first projection and a second projection, said first projection and said second projection being spaced from one another in the direction of elongation of said pick-up arm and projecting downwardly toward said lifting member, said first projection being remoter from said leading end of the pick-up arm than said second projection, said lifting member being formed with an open-ended groove positioned below said first projection and adapted to capture said first projection when said lifting number is brought into engagement with said pick-up arm.

Claim 10

A linear-tracking pick-up arm drive assembly as set forth in claim 7, in which said lifting means further comprises a frictional layer which intervenes between said lifting member and said abutment member when the abutment member is in engagement with the lifting member.

Claim 11

A linear-tracking pick-up arm drive assembly as set forth in claim 8, in which said frictional layer is securely attached to said lifting member.

Claim 12

A linear-tracking pick-up arm drive assembly as set forth in claim 8, in which said frictional layer is securely attached to said abutment member.

Claim 13

A linear-tracking pick-up arm drive assembly as set forth in claim 7, in which said abutment member has a longitudinal portion elongated throughout the distance of strokes of said movable unit and engageable with said lifting member throughout said distance.

Claim 14

A linear-tracking pick-up arm drive assembly as set forth in claim 9, in which said abutment member has a longitudinal portion elongated throughout the distance of strokes of said movable unit and engageable with said lifting member throughout said distance.

Claim 15

A linear-tracking pick-up arm drive assembly as set forth in claim 10, in which said abutment member has a longitudinal portion elongated throughout the distance of strokes of said movable unit and engageable with said lifting member throughout said distance.