Dynamic optical information storage or retrieval – Dynamic mechanism optical subsystem – Optical storage medium support
Reexamination Certificate
2002-01-15
2004-11-30
Klimowicz, William (Department: 2652)
Dynamic optical information storage or retrieval
Dynamic mechanism optical subsystem
Optical storage medium support
C369S264000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06826771
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a disk holding device for holding a disk in an optical disk drive or the like.
BACKGROUND ART
In recent years, a compact, lightweight, and slim optical disk drive has been increasingly developed so that the optical disk drive can be contained in a notebook type personal computer. With the development of such optical disk drive, a disk holding device, which is slimed down by self-locking a disk on a turntable, has also been developed.
Japanese Published Patent Application No. Hei.10-188418 discloses a conventional disk holding device in which a disk holding mechanism and a disk centering mechanism are integrated into a turntable unit so that a single spindle motor unit can hold every optical disk as well as simultaneously adjust the center position of the optical disk (hereinafter, referred to as centering).
FIGS. 5 through 7
illustrate a disk holding device for holding a bonded disk (a DVD disk) which has been recently developed.
FIG. 5
is a cross-sectional view of the disk holding device in the state where the disk is not loaded.
FIG. 6
is a cross-sectional view of the disk holding device in the state where the disk is loaded.
FIG. 7
is a top view of the disk holding device.
Hereinafter, the conventional disk holding device will be described with reference to the drawings.
A spindle motor
32
is mainly divided into a turntable unit
33
which holds a disk
23
and a driving unit
37
which rotates the disk
23
. First of all, claw-shaped members
26
which interfere with an edge of an internal diameter portion of the disk
23
are provided in at least three positions on the turn table
21
to hold the disk
23
. Each claw-shaped member
26
is pressed by an elastic member
27
, and ribs
26
a
on both sides of each claw-shaped member
26
are supported by a straight guide (not shown) of a center hub
25
. The driving unit
37
is a component which mainly makes up a magnetic circuit, and it comprises a rotor yoke
34
, a magnet
35
, a coil
36
, a base plate
39
, a metal bearing unit
38
which supports a spindle shaft
24
forcibly inserted into the turntable
21
, and the like. The spindle shaft
24
slides on a thrust bearing
40
. Further, a Hall element
41
is disposed on a flexible printed circuit, FPC
42
.
Next, holding of the conventional disk and the operation of a centering ring will be described.
When the disk
23
is loaded, the disk
23
is put on the turntable
21
while slope portions
26
b
of the claw-shaped members
26
arranged in at least three positions are being pressed down from above. At this time, each claw-shaped member
26
slides along a guide (not shown) in the center hub
25
while giving a repulsive force to the elastic member
27
, and hides in the center hub
25
. Further, an under-internal-diameter edge portion
23
a
, which is a lower edge portion of the internal diameter portion of the disk
23
, is engaged with an inclined portion
28
a
of the centering ring
28
just before the disk
23
adheres to a slip sheet
22
bonded on the turntable
21
, and the disk
23
is held by the claw-shaped members
26
arranged in at least three positions while being pressed by the elastic members
27
again. At this time, since a force always acts in the direction in which the disk
23
is pushed up by three elastic members
29
, the centering ring
28
can center the disk
23
.
However, since, in this conventional structure, the centering ring
28
is arranged under the center hub
25
, the timing at which the disk
23
is engaged with the inclined portion
28
a
of the centering ring
28
and the timing at which the disk
23
adheres to the slip sheet
22
bonded on the turntable
21
to be held by the claw-shaped members
26
are almost simultaneous. Therefore, if the disk
23
is obliquely inserted, the edge portion
23
a
under the internal diameter of the disk
23
is not correctly engaged with the inclined portion
28
a
of the centering ring
28
, resulting in deterioration of centering accuracy.
Further, in order to slim down the products, the elastic members
29
for pushing up the centering ring
28
must be arranged at every 120°, i.e., in three positions, on the turntable
21
, whereby the number of parts and the amount of assembly work are increased, resulting in increased costs of the products.
The present invention is made to solve the above-described problems and has for its object to provide a disk holding device which can slim down the products, can perform holding and centering of a disk with reliability, and further can reduce the number of parts and the amount of assembly work.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
A disk holding device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a turntable which is provided rotatably by a driving mechanism; a center hub which generally engages with the internal diameter of a disk provided on the turntable; plural claw-shaped members which are contained in the center hub; elastic members which energize the plural claw-shaped members in the direction of the radius of the disk; a centering ring for adjusting the center position of the disk, which centering ring is positioned beneath the center hub and is movable in the direction vertical to the disk surface; an elastic member which energizes the centering ring in the direction along which the disk is pushed up; and an inclined portion which is provided in the centering ring and engages with the internal diameter of the disk; wherein the inclined portion is positioned on the periphery of the center hub, and engages with the internal diameter of the disk before a cylindrical portion of the internal diameter of the disk gets over the claw-shaped members.
According to the disk holding device constructed as described above, centering of the disk is performed before the disk is held on the turntable by the claw-shaped members, and thereafter the disk is held, whereby more accurate holding and centering of the disk can be realized.
According to the present invention, in the disk holding device as discussed above, the centering ring and the elastic member which energizes the centering ring in the direction along which the disk is pushed up are arranged in a space between a coil of the driving mechanism which rotates the turntable, and a bearing metal unit which supports a spindle shaft forcibly inserted into the turntable.
According to the disk holding device constructed as described above, vertical strokes of the centering ring can be increased without increasing the thickness of the products, and the inclined portion of the centering ring which centers the disk can be arranged on the peripheral side surface of the center hub, and further, the number of parts can be reduced, thereby realizing cost reduction.
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Klimowicz William
Wenderoth , Lind & Ponack, L.L.P.
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