Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.

Chiaki Asakawa

Mitsuhiro Hiruma

Minoru Sato

Kiyotaka Eizumi

Provided is an optical pickup apparatus using a reduced number of parts. An optical pickup apparatus () of the present invention includes: a laser unit () for emitting a laser beam complying with the BD standards; a laser unit () for emitting a laser beam complying with the DVD standards and a laser beam complying with the CD standards; and a PDIC (B) for receiving and detecting the laser beams complying with the respective standards. Because the laser beam complying with the DVD standards and the laser beam complying with the BD standards are received by one photo detector provided in the PDIC (B), the number of parts needed for the optical pickup apparatus () can be reduced, and the costs of the apparatus can be decreased.

Optical pickup apparatus

An optical pickup apparatus comprising: a laser light source configured to emit a laser beam; an objective lens configured to apply the laser beam to an optical recording medium; and a beam splitter including a first reflective film configured to reflect the laser beam so as to be directed to the objective lens, the beam splitter interposed in an optical path between the laser light source and the objective lens, an incidence polarization angle of the laser beam relative to the first reflective film being set such that a P-polarization component is greater than an S-polarization component in linear polarization components of the laser beam incident on the first reflective film.

In an optical pickup apparatus, a major part of an optical path of a laser beam emitted from a first semiconductor laser device and an optical path of a laser beam emitted from a second semiconductor laser deviceare shared. The first laser beam is transmitted through a quarter wavelength plate and a second reflecting mirror and is reflected by a first reflecting mirror. With this structure, the number of parts of optical systems disposed in the optical pickup apparatus is reduced, an attachment operation of the parts becomes easier, and a time required for adjusting an optical axis is reduced. Thus, an operational efficiency is greatly improved.

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Gunma, Japan

Chiaki Asakawa