Compact disk cleaner

Claim 1

Cleaning apparatus for a compact disc comprising a housing having a hingedly coupled base and cover; a drive wheel disposed in the base of the housing and having a first axis of rotation rotatably supporting the compact disk, said drive wheel having external gear teeth; a rotatable carrier fixed to the cover and having a second axis of rotation, said rotatable carrier having external gear teeth and further having a cleaning pad fastened thereto which is adapted to contact the surface of the compact disk to clean the same; and drive means coupled to the wheel and the carrier for driving the drive wheel and the carrier to rotate about their first and second axes of rotation, respectively, so that the drive wheel supporting the compact disk and the cleaning pad cleaning the compact disk rotate at approximately the same speed; said drive means including a first gear system having first and second unitarily rotatable gear means and also including means to drive said first gear system, the first gear means being in direct meshing engagement with the external gear teeth of said drive wheel to rotate the drive wheel in a first direction, and a second gear system having third and fourth unitarily rotatable gear means, the third gear means being in direct meshing engagement with the second gear means and the fourth gear means being in direct meshing engagement with the external gear teeth of said carrier to rotate the carrier in a second direction opposite to said first direction.