Dynamic information storage or retrieval – Dynamic mechanism subsystem – Having power driven transducer assembly
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-18
2001-01-16
Klimowicz, William (Department: 2754)
Dynamic information storage or retrieval
Dynamic mechanism subsystem
Having power driven transducer assembly
C369S215100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06175545
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related with an optical pickup apparatus used for an optical disk recording and/or reproducing apparatus, which can reproduce different types of optical disks by selectively moving two types of optical pickups on one or two moving paths.
2. Description of the Related Art
As can be seen in Japanese Utility Model Application Laying Open (KOKAI) No. Hei-1-78323, there is a compatible player which can selectively reproduce two types of record media. This compatible player is intended to selectively reproduce an optical disk and a needle type disk. The optical pickup and the needle type pickup corresponding respectively to these two types of disks are fixed and held at free edges of U-shaped brackets, respectively. In a case of reproducing the optical disk, the optical disk is scanned by removing the U-shaped bracket from a turn table, rotating it by 180 degrees around a horizontal axis and moving the optical pickup upward so as to scan the optical disk. In a case of reproducing the needle type disk, the needle type disk is scanned by again removing the U-shaped bracket from the turn table, rotating it by 180 degrees around the horizontal axis and moving the needle type pickup upward so as to scan the needle type disk.
Further, as can be seen in Japanese Patent Application Laying Open (KOKAI) No. Hei 2 66731, there is a disk reproducing apparatus which can reproduce both surfaces of a disk by moving a single optical pickup on two moving paths.
However, the reproducing apparatus in accordance with the Japanese Utility Model Application Laying Open (KOKAI) No. Hei-1-783233 is intended to reproduce a CD and a record, and the reproducing apparatus in accordance with the Japanese Patent Application Laying Open (KOKAI) No. Hei-2-66731 is intended to reproduce one type of a disk. Thus, they cannot reproduce different types os optical disks.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an optical pickup apparatus used for an optical disk recording and/or reproducing apparatus, which can reproduce different types of optical disks.
The above object of the present invention can be achieved by a first optical pickup apparatus for an optical disk recording and/or reproducing apparatus, which records and/or reproduces information on an information record surface of an optical disk loaded thereto. The first optical pickup apparatus is provided with: two types of optical pickups for at least two types of optical disks respectively; first and second guiding rails arranged substantially parallel to each other such that the information record surface of the loaded optical disk is disposed between the first and second guiding rails, for respectively guiding the optical pickups along the information record surface of the loaded optical disk in a radial direction of the loaded optical disk; first and second retracting rails respectively connected to the first and second guiding rails, for retracting thereonto the optical pickups from the first and second guiding rails through linkages with the first and second guiding rails respectively; a rotator frame for holding the first and second retracting rails; and a rotating mechanism for rotating the rotator frame around an axis parallel to the first and second retracting rails and for swapping the first and second retracting rails to each other.
According to the first optical pickup apparatus, the optical pickups are respectively guided by the first and second guiding rails along the information record surface of the loaded optical disk in a radial direction of the loaded optical disk. The optical pickups are retracted onto the first and second retracting rails from the first and second guiding rails through the linkages respectively. The rotator frame holding the first and second retracting rails is rotated by the rotating mechanism around an axis parallel to the first and second retracting rails, and the first and second retracting rails are swapped to each other by the rotating mechanism. After that, by moving back the optical pickups from the swapped retracting rails through the linkages onto the guiding rails, one of the two types of optical pickups, which corresponds to the type of the loaded optical disk, can be guided by desirable one of the first and second guiding rails, so that different types of optical disks can be recorded and or reproduced by use of this corresponding one of the optical pickups in the first optical pickup apparatus.
In one aspect of the first optical pickup apparatus, both of the optical pickups are commonly guided by at least one of the first and second guiding rails.
According to this aspect, a centering adjustment for said at least one of the first and second guiding rails can be completed by a centering adjustment with respect to just one of the two optical pickups. For example, once the centering adjustment of the guiding rail for the optical pickup of three beam type is completed, it is not necessary any more to perform the centering adjustment of the guiding rail for the optical pickup of one beam type. Accordingly, the centering adjustment operation process can be simplified and there is needed only one centering adjustment mechanism, so that the number of constitutional elements of the optical pickup apparatus, and the number of processes for assembling the optical pickup apparatus can be diminished.
In another aspect of the first optical pickup apparatus, the rotating mechanism rotates the rotor frame after the optical pickups are retracted from the guide rails to the first and second retracting rails as home positions for the optical pickups.
According to this aspect, since the optical pickups are already retracted on the first and second retracting rails when the rotating mechanism rotates the rotor frame, it is possible to protect flexible cables etc. of the optical pickups from being twisted or distorted, and the damage or rupture thereof.
In another aspect of the first optical pickup apparatus, the first and second retracting rails are arranged such that the optical pickups respectively on the first and second retracting rails are opposed to each other with the axis as a center point.
According to this aspect, every time the rotating mechanism rotates the rotator frame for swapping the first and second retracting rails, the direction of the optical pickups on one of the first and second retracting rails after rotation can be speedily made appropriate for the first and second guiding rails.
In another aspect of the first optical pickup apparatus, one of the optical pickups is guided by one of the first and second guiding rails to move along the information record surface of the loaded optical disk so as to record and/or reproduce the information while the other of the optical pickups is guided to be positioned away from the loaded optical disk in standby.
According to this aspect, it is possible to prevent one of the optical pickups from contacting the loaded optical disk when the other of the optical pickups is guided along the information record surface so as to record and/or reproduce the loaded optical disk. Thus, the scratch of the loaded optical disk due to the unused optical pickup can be prevented, and the loading and unloading of the optical disk can be speedily performed.
The above object of the present invention can be achieved by a second optical pickup apparatus for an optical disk recording and/or reproducing apparatus, which records and/or reproduces information on an information record surface of an optical disk loaded thereto. The second optical pickup apparatus is provided with: a first optical pickup for a first optical disk of one type; a second optical pickup for a second optical disk of another type, the first optical disk having the information record surface inwardly wider than the second optical disk; and a first guiding rail arranged substantially parallel to the information record surface of the loaded optical disk, for guiding the optical pickups along the informati
Akama Yusuke
Ishikawa Tomonari
Kenmotsu Isami
Tanimoto Katsuhiko
Yagisawa Osamu
Klimowicz William
Morgan & Lewis & Bockius, LLP
Pioneer Electronic Corporation
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