Apparatus of the generic type are known which serve for information carriers, such as compact disks or diskettes for example, to be removed from/deposited in disk holders and are part of players/recorders or archiving equipment.
Such an apparatus for a compact disk (CD) to be removed from and/or returned to a disk holder of a player/recorder is shown in WO-94/27293 and has a pick-off head with three L-shaped pick-off elements. The pick-off elements are arranged with the ends of their long limb portions in a suspended, swivelling condition and in circular-arc spacing of 120 degrees at the lower end of a connecting rod mounted in the vertical central axis of the pick-off head. The ends of the short limb portions of the L-shaped pick-off elements point radially away from the central axis of the pick-off head and, when the connecting rod is in the lower end position, form a diameter smaller than that of the central hole of the CD. To remove a CD from a disk holder having a through opening, the pick-off head is inserted with its pick-off elements into the central hole by means of a pneumatically acting, first lifting cylinder. In an upward movement of the connecting rod, by means of a pneumatically acting, second lifting cylinder forming part of an actuating device and provided at the upper end of the connecting rod, the pick-off elements are swivelled with their lower ends radially outwardly away from the central axis and are also drawn axially upwards. As a result, the CD is lifted out of the disk holder by means of the short L-shaped limb portions, is centered on the long limb portions and is urged against stop means provided above the CD on the pick-off head.
An apparatus for a compact disk (CD) to be removed from and/or returned to a disk holder of a player/recorder is shown in DE-A-43 34 866. This apparatus has a pick-off head in the form of a clamping device with two pick-off elements, each in the form of a semicircular clamping segment arranged at the lower end and around the central axis of the pick-off head. The first clamping segment is stationary and the second one is movable radially with respect to the central axis of the pick-off head and both segments have a diameter smaller than that of the central hole of the CD. To remove a CD from the disk holder having a through opening, the movable segment is drawn towards the stationary segment by means of a motor-driven spring-lever system of an actuating device in such a way that the CD is force-lockingly clamped at the inner wall of its central hole by the segments. The pick-off head carrying the CD is lifted by a separate motor-driven lifting device.
Drawbacks encountered with the described apparatus are in one respect their elaborate design, presenting a large overall height and large unit volume and separate drive assemblies for the device lifting the pick-off head and device actuating the pick-off elements. In another respect, the force-locking engagement of the disk-shaped objects, particularly the information carriers, leads to distortion, warping and hence to damage of the information carriers.