Importance

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Abstract

A disk player receives a disk through an insertion aperture and supports the disk opposite contact points on its edge, between laterally movable left and right-side disk guides. The disk's left side contacts a belt revolved on the left-side disk guide causing the disk to roll along the right side disk guide. An outwardly opening flap hinged at the top of the insertion aperture is held open when the disk player is prepared to receive a disk. As the disk is inserted the disk guides begin moving apart which causes the flap, urged by a spring, to drop to the back surface of the disk. The disk holds the flap partly open until a trailing edge of the disk passes inside at which point the flap's closure is detected and the flap locked in the closed position to prevent irregular insertion of additional disks. The closure of the flap registers the precise position of the disk. The disk is positioned within the player using an encoder which measures cumulative displacement of the disk relative to the registration position. If misalignment of the disk is detected, the disk is driven back to the insertion aperture, the flap is opened, the disk is drawn back in, the flap dropped, the disk drawn in again to repeat the registration. To protect disks, the flap is covered with a soft slippery material such as that used to line floppy disk holders.

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First Claim