Dynamic information storage or retrieval – Dynamic mechanism subsystem – Specified detail of transducer assembly support structure
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-15
2003-10-21
Korzuch, William (Department: 2653)
Dynamic information storage or retrieval
Dynamic mechanism subsystem
Specified detail of transducer assembly support structure
Reexamination Certificate
active
06636473
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical disc unit with an optical disc loaded therein for recording or reproducing information.
2. Description of the Related Art
An optical disc unit, with an optical disc loaded therein, if for allowing laser beam to be incident on an information recording surface of the optical disc to record information onto the information recording surface or reproducing the recorded information.
FIG. 6
is a perspective view of a conventional optical disc unit
100
. The optical disc unit
100
is mainly made up of a generally rectangular chassis
101
formed by sheet metal working and having cutout portions formed partially in its outer edge, a spindle motor
103
mounted on the chassis
101
and with a turntable
102
fixed thereto coaxially, guide shafts
104
and
105
disposed in parallel with each other, an optical pickup
106
disposed between the guide shafts
104
and
105
, provided with an objective lens
106
a
and having a generally rectangular external form, and a feed mechanism for feeding the optical pickup
106
in the longitudinal direction of the guide shafts
104
and
105
, which feed mechanism will be described later.
Now, a detailed description will be given below about the construction of the optical disc unit
100
.
First, centrally of the chassis
101
is formed a generally square hole
101
a
. On one of edge sides of the hole
101
a
opposed to each other in the longitudinal direction of the chassis
101
, the spindle motor
103
is mounted and fixed onto the surface of the chassis
101
. In the hole
101
a
, on both transverse sides of the chassis
101
are disposed guide shafts
104
and
105
which extend longitudinally of the chassis. One end portion on the turntable
102
side of the guide shaft
104
, which end portion will hereinafter be referred to simply as “one end portion of the guide shaft
104
,” is positioned in both longitudinal and radial directions by positioning pieces
101
b
and
101
c
which are formed by projecting and bending a part of the chassis
101
, and is mounted and fixed to the chassis with screw
107
. An opposite end portion of the guide shaft
104
is also positioned by a positioning piece
101
d
and is urged to the chassis
101
elastically by means of a plate spring
108
as an elastic member fixed to the chassis
101
with screw
111
, and is supported thereby. On the other hand, both end portions of the guide shaft
105
are also positioned by positioning pieces
101
e
,
101
f
, and
101
g
,
101
h
, respectively, and are urged to the chassis
101
elastically by means of plate springs
109
and
110
as elastic members fixed to the chassis
101
with screws
112
and
113
and are supported thereby.
The guide shaft
104
is inserted through circular holes
106
e
and
106
f
formed in bent pieces
106
c
and
106
d
, respectively, which are provided at one longitudinal end of the optical pickup
106
, and a cutout slot
106
h
formed in a bent piece
106
g
which is provided at an opposite end portion opposite to the circular holes
106
e
and
106
f
, is supported slidably by the guide shaft
105
, whereby the optical pickup
106
is guided movably in the longitudinal direction of the guide shafts
104
and
105
(radially of the optical disc).
In order for an optical axis of the objective lens
106
a
of the optical pickup
106
to extend in a direction orthogonal to the information recording surface of the optical disc (not shown), the opposite end portion of the guide shaft
104
is moved in H
1
direction nearly perpendicular to the surface of the chassis
101
, while both end portions of the guide shaft
105
are moved in H
2
and H
3
directions respectively, and the guide shafts
104
and
105
are inclined for adjustment relative to the surface of the chassis
101
, whereby the posture of the optical pickup
106
can be changed. Regarding how to adjust the guide shafts
104
and
105
, it will be described later.
At one end portion on the bent pieces
106
c
and
106
d
side of the optical pickup
106
a nut member
114
is mounted integrally with the optical pickup and a nut portion
114
a
thereof is elastically urged and locked to a thread root of a lead screw
115
which is disposed substantially in parallel with the guide shaft
104
and rotatably about an axis thereof. On the other hand, to an end portion of the lead screw
115
on the side opposite to the turntable
102
is fixed a spur gear
116
coaxially for integral rotation with the lead screw. Further, a spur gear
117
, which is in mesh with the spur gear
116
, is fixed onto a rotary shaft of a feed motor
118
. With rotation of the feed motor
118
, the lead screw
115
rotates at a gear ratio determined by both spur gears
116
and
117
and the optical pickup
106
with the nut member
114
fixed thereto is fed radially of the optical disc.
The optical disc is put on the turntable
102
and is rotated by the spindle motor
103
. Laser beam emitted from the objective lens
106
a
of the optical pickup
106
is focused onto the information recording surface of the optical disc and a return beam which has been reflected in accordance with information from the information recording surface passes through the objective lens
106
a
and is received within the optical pickup
106
, whereby information can be read or recorded to or from the information recording surface of the optical disc. Following the information recording surface of the optical disc, the optical pickup
106
is controlled longitudinally of the guide shafts
104
and
105
.
Now, with reference to
FIG. 7
, the following description is provided about how to adjust the inclination of the guide shafts
104
and
105
.
FIG. 7
is a sectional view taken on line
7
-
7
in FIG.
6
.
As shown in
FIG. 7
, at the position of the opposite end portion of the guide shaft
105
which is urged by the plate spring
110
, a downwardly projecting recess
101
i
is formed in the chassis
101
. Below an abutment face of the plate spring against the guide shaft
105
and centrally of the recess
101
i
, an adjust screw
119
is disposed rotatably so as to project from below to above the chassis
101
. The opposite end portion of the guide shaft
105
is put on a tip end face
19
a
of the adjust screw
119
which is disposed beforehand at a predetermined height. Further, with the right-hand side in the figure of the guide shaft
105
abutted against an abutment face
101
h
′ of the positioning piece
101
h
see FIG.
6
), an urging face
110
a
of the plate spring
110
urges the guide shaft
105
obliquely, whereby the opposite end portion of the guide shaft
105
is urged and supported elastically by both screw tip end face
119
a
and abutment face
101
h
′.
In this construction, by turning the adjust screw
119
, the opposite end portion of the guide shat
105
moves in H
3
direction in the figure. More specifically, if the adjust screw
119
is turned clockwise, the opposite end portion of the guide shaft
105
can be adjusted to an upward H
3
′ direction, while if the adjust screw is turned counterclockwise, the opposite end portion of the guide shaft can be adjusted in a downward H
3
″ direction.
The above construction illustrated in
FIG. 7
also applies to the positions of the other plate springs
108
and
109
. Adjust screws disposed at the positions of the plate springs
108
and
109
are here identified by numerals
120
and
121
, respectively. With this construction, the posture of the optical pickup
106
can be adjusted by turning the adjust screws
119
,
120
and
121
and thereby changing the inclination of the guide shafts
104
and
105
. For example, with reference to
FIG. 6
, if the adjust screws
119
and
121
(the positions of the plate springs
110
and
109
, respectively) are turned at the same angle in the same direction and if both end portions of the guide shaft
105
are thereby moved the same distance in the same H
3
′, H
2
′ direction (
Asano Takahiro
Kagaya Hiroyuki
Alps Electric Co. ,Ltd.
Beacham C R
Beyer Weaver & Thomas
Korzuch William
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