Dynamic information storage or retrieval – Dynamic mechanism subsystem – Having power driven transducer assembly
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-18
2002-02-12
Hudspeth, David (Department: 2651)
Dynamic information storage or retrieval
Dynamic mechanism subsystem
Having power driven transducer assembly
C369S044210, C369S249100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06347069
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an optical pickup device for use in an optical record/reproduction apparatus such as a compact disk player.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In a compact disk, an information signal is recorded in a track continuously formed from an inside circumference to an outside circumference of the disk. In order to continuously reproduce the signal from the rotating disk, such an arrangement is required that an optical pickup mounted to the optical pickup device is adapted to move radially reciprocally over a base stand. For this, the base stand has a guide section disposed thereon for guiding the optical pickup radially of the compact disk whereas the optical pickup has an engagement portion which slidably engages with the guide section. Further disposed on the base stand is a drive means for reciprocally driving the optical pickup along the guide section. This optical pickup device is arranged as shown in
FIGS. 7 and 8
.
In
FIGS. 7 and 8
, a reference numeral
20
denotes the optical pickup;
5
the drive means for driving the optical pickup
20
radially of the compact disk (a drive shaft portion thereof is shown in FIG.
7
);
4
the base stand;
10
a rack provided to the optical pickup
20
; and
6
and
7
relay gears for reduction transfer of drive force to the rack
10
. A guide shaft
23
is retained by retaining portions
25
,
26
disposed on the base stand
4
, and is fixed in position by means of a fixing screw
27
. A guide section
24
extends on the base stand
4
in a parallel and opposed relation to the guide shaft
23
. The guide shaft
23
extends through an engagement portion
21
of the optical pickup
20
whereas the guide section
24
is engaged with an engagement portion
22
of the optical pickup
20
.
In this arrangement, the drive means
5
controlled by a servo circuit (not shown) causes, via the relay gears
6
and
7
, the optical pickup
20
to reciprocate radially of a compact disk for reproducing a signal recorded in the compact disk.
More recently, a demand exists for compact disk reproduction apparatuses featuring even lower costs and higher reliability. Above all, there is a need for an optical pickup device of low-cost type, the device accounting for a particularly great cost ratio of the compact disk reproduction apparatus.
However, the conventional optical pickup device is arranged such that the guide shaft
23
extends through the engagement portion
21
of the optical pickup
20
. Accordingly, the device is assembled in a manner that the guide shaft
23
penetrating the engagement portion
21
is firstly assembled to the retaining portions
25
,
26
placed on the base stand
4
and then the retaining portion
25
is fixed in position by the fixing screw
27
for fixedly retaining the guide shaft on the base stand
4
. This arrangement requires not only the base stand
4
provided with the retaining portions
25
,
26
but also the guide shaft
23
and the fixing screw
27
for guiding the engagement portion
21
of the optical pickup
20
. Hence, the large number of components are required and the assembly operation becomes complicated. This poses a problem that it is difficult to offer a low-cost optical pickup device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing, an object of the invention is to provide an optical pickup device featuring a reduced number of components and improved workability in order for realizing cost reduction and improved product quality.
For achieving the above object, an optical pickup device according to the invention comprises an object lens, an actuator for movably retaining the object lens, a mount base for tiltably retaining the actuator relative to an optical axis passing through a central portion of the object lens, a base stand on which the actuator and the mount base are mounted, a first guide section having a sectional form to stand upright from the base stand and extending along a radial direction of an optical disk for guiding the mount base radially of the optical disk, a second guide section having a sectional form to stand upright from the base stand and extending along the radial direction of the optical disk for guiding the mount base radially of the optical disk, a first engagement portion which provided on the mount base and adapted to engage with the first guide section for sliding along the radial direction of the optical disk, a second engagement portion provided on the mount base and adapted to engage with the second guide section for sliding along the radial direction of the optical disk, and drive means for reciprocally driving the mount base radially of the compact disk, characterized in that the mount base is arranged to move radially of the compact disk with the first and second engagement portions thereof being positioned to face an end of the first guide section and an end of the second guide section, respectively, so that the first and second engagement portions of the mount base can be brought into engagement with the first and second guide sections of the base stand.
This reduces the number of components and improves the workability, and thereby provide the optical pickup device featuring the reduced costs and improved product quality.
In a first aspect of the invention, the optical pickup device comprises an object lens; an actuator for movably retaining the object lens; a mount base for inclinably retaining the actuator relative to an optical axis passing through a central portion of the object lens; a base stand on which the actuator and the mount base are mounted; a first guide section having a sectional form to stand upright from the base stand and extending along a radial direction of an optical disk for guiding the mount base radially of the optical disk; a second guide section having a sectional form to stand upright from the base stand and extending along the radial direction of the optical disk for guiding the mount base radially of the optical disk; a first engagement portion which is provided at the mount base and engages with the first guide section for sliding movement radially of the optical disk; a second engagement portion which is provided at the mount base and engages with the second guide section for sliding movement radially of the optical disk; and drive means for reciprocally driving the mount base radially of the compact disk, wherein the mount base has a mountable arrangement in which the mount base is positioned to present its first and second engagement portions to an end of the first guide section and an end of the second guide section of the base stand, respectively, and moved radially of the compact disk for bringing the first and second engagement portions of the mount base into engagement with the first and second guide sections.
This arrangement permits the base stand with the first and second guide sections mounted thereon to be assembled together with the mount base, thereby simplifying the assembly operation.
In a second aspect of the invention, the optical pickup device according to the first aspect is characterized in that the first and second guide sections are integrally formed with the base stand into one body.
This arrangement contributes to reducing the number of components and dispenses with the step for attaching the first and second guide sections to the base stand. Thus, the assembly operation is further simplified.
In a third aspect of the invention, a production method of pickup device components for use in an optical pickup device, which include: a mount base for tiltably retaining an actuator; a base stand on which the actuator and the mount base are mounted; a first guide section having a sectional form to stand upright from the base stand and extending along a radial direction of an optical disk for guiding the mount base radially of the optical disk; a second guide section having a sectional form to stand upright from the base stand and extending along the radial direction of the optical disk for guiding the mount base radially of the optical disk; a first engagement portion
Ishioka Kiyoshi
Onishi Masanori
Tanaka Toru
Wakikawa Masanao
Chu Kim-Kwok
Hudspeth David
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co, LTD
Parkhurst & Wendel L.L.P
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