Dynamic information storage or retrieval – Dynamic mechanism subsystem – Having power driven transducer assembly
Reexamination Certificate
1998-07-10
2001-02-13
Davis, David (Department: 2754)
Dynamic information storage or retrieval
Dynamic mechanism subsystem
Having power driven transducer assembly
Reexamination Certificate
active
06188665
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an optical disk device for use in driving an optical disk, such as compact disk (CD), digital versatile disk (DVD), or the like.
In order to make a highly integrated optical disk, a laser beam spot is made small in size by shortening a wavelength of the laser beam and making (NA) of an objective lens large. For example, high integration is thereby achieved in a recently normalized DVD based on a normalization of CD which is widely used nowadays. Such a DVD and a CD have the same diameters and thickness of the disks therebetween. It is possible that a driving unit for rotating the disks and a loading unit for containing the disks are commonly used between the DVD and the CD. From the perspectives of a manufacturing cost and a mounting space, it is desirable that an optical disk device be applied not only to the DVD but also to the CD. Moreover, it is further desirable that an optical disk device can be commonly applied to different disks which are similar to each other in disk diameters, wavelength of lazer beams, and writing systems thereof. For this purpose, various techniques are proposed conventionally. Within the techniques, the highest compatibility is provided by such an optical disk device having a plurality of optical heads applicable to differently normalized optical disks, respectively.
An example of such a conventional optical disk device having a plurality of optical heads is disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication 297909/1996. The conventional optical disk device disclosed in the above-referenced paper comprises a rotating and driving unit for supporting and driving an optical disk, a plurality of optical heads applicable to differently normalized optical disks, respectively to write and read the optical disks, guiding members equal to the optical heads in number for guiding each optical head along different radial directions of the optical disks, and a pushing member for pushing a guiding operation by each guiding member. In the optical disk device, the pushing member moves to a predetermined position so as to bring each optical head to a desired position.
However, the conventional optical disk device inevitably becomes large in size, since the guiding members therein are required to be equal in number to the optical heads.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an optical disk device which is compact in size and which has a single guiding member commonly applicable to a plurality of optical heads.
Other objects of the present invention will become clear as the description proceeds.
According to an aspect of this invention, there is provided an optical disk device which is for use in recording and reproducing an optical disk and which is capable of being applied to a plurality of optical disks differently normalized from each other, including: rotation driving means which support the optical disk and which drive rotation of the optical disk, a plurality of optical heads which are applicable to the a plurality of differently normalized optical disks, respectively, single guiding means for guiding each of the a plurality of optical heads in a radial direction of the optical disk supported by the rotation driving means, pushing means for pushing the each of the a plurality of optical heads along the single guiding means, container means for containing all of the a plurality of optical heads, and optical head moving means for moving one of the a plurality of optical heads from the container means toward the single guiding means or from the single guiding means toward the container means.
The container means may include a plurality of containers for the a plurality of optical heads, respectively, the optical head moving means including a connecting portion for selectively connecting the container with the single guiding means, and a pushing portion for pushing a move of the one of the a plurality of optical heads between each of the containers and the single guiding means.
The container means may further include a predetermined rotation axis. Each of the containers may be located at a distance equal to each other from the rotation axis, the connecting portion rotates the container around the rotation axis so as to connect the container with the single guiding means.
The single guiding means may include a first straight guide rail located in a radial direction of the optical disk, the a plurality of containers may include a plurality of second straight guide rails each having a length which is at least greater than a width of a moving direction of the optical head, respectively, the a plurality of second straight guide rails being located in parallel to the first straight guide rail, respectively, the connecting portion rotating each of the second straight guide rails around the rotation axis consisting of a part of each of the second straight guide rail in the direction parallel to the first straight guide rail so as to make the each of the second straight guide rails be positioned on the same line as that of the first straight guide rail.
The single guiding means may include first straight guide rail and the a plurality of second straight guide rails comprise rods, respectively having the same cross-sectional shape as each other, both of the rods being fixed at one end, and free ends of the rods being opposite to each other, the connecting portion supporting the second straight guide rails on the same surface simultaneously, the connecting portion being rotatable around the rotation axis, a first distance from the rotation axis to the first straight guide rail and a second distance from the rotation axis to the each second straight guide rail being equal to each other, a third distance from the surface to the free end of the first straight guide rail being substantially equal to a length of the each second straight guide rail.
The single guiding means may include a first straight guide rail located in a radial direction of the optical disk, the a plurality of containers include a plurality of second straight guide rails each having a length which is at least greater than a width of a moving direction of the optical head, respectively, the a plurality of second straight guide rails being located radially around a direction perpendicular to an elongated line of the first straight guide rail, the connecting portion rotating each of the second straight guide rails around the rotation axis consisting of the radially formed central portion so as to make the each of the second straight guide rails be positioned on the same line as that of the first straight guide rail.
The single guiding means may include first straight guide rail and the a plurality of second straight guide rails may comprise rods, respectively having the same cross-sectional shape as each other, both of the rods being fixed by their one ends, the connecting portion supporting the second straight guide rails on the same surface including the first straight guide rail simultaneously, the connecting portion being rotatable around the rotation axis, a primary distance from the rotation axis to a free end of the first straight guide rail and a secondary distance from the rotation axis to a free end of the each second straight guide rail being equal to each other.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5600623 (1997-02-01), Miyazaki et al.
patent: 5719848 (1998-02-01), Ikegame
patent: 5748605 (1998-05-01), Lee
patent: 5848049 (1998-12-01), Yokota et al.
patent: 8-297909 (1996-11-01), None
Davis David
Kupstas Tod
McGinn & Gibb, P.C.
NEC Corporation
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