Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Goro Naoki

Ichiro Kawamura

Kozo Ezawa

Hiroshi Yamamoto

Teruyuki Takizawa

Kazuo Momoo

Masahiro Inata

Yoshito Saji

Yoshio Umeda

Ryoichi Imanaka

Takeo Santo

Makoto Fujita

Yukio Morioka

Yukinori Okazaki

Yasuhisa Fukushima

Masuo Maruyama

Shoji Goto

Tadashi Kuroda

A disk drive includes a plurality of optical heads corresponding to a plurality kind of disks, and a disk distinction device for distinguishing whether a set disk is a first disk or a second disk when a disk is set on a disk tray, a first disk tray conveying mechanism for the first disk and/or the second disk tray conveying mechanism for the second disk conveys the disk tray to a first tray position in which recording and/or reproducing is performed on the first tray or the second tray position in which recording and/or reproducing is performed on the second tray, according to a result distinguished by the disk distinction device, thereby, an optical head corresponding to a disk set to the disk tray is selected correctly and a recording or reproducing operation is performed on the disk.

Disk drive

An automatic disk changer has a recording/reproducing device capable of operating a reproducing-only disk and a recording/reproducing possible disk, disk trays that can be placed on the recording/reproducing device, and each of which has a disk-type discriminating means able to discriminate as to whether the disk could be a reproducing-only disk or a recording/reproducing possible disk, a tray storage holding the disk trays, and a tray carrier able to pullout/insert the disk trays from/into the tray storage and able to transport the disk tray to/from the recording/reproducing device.

Automatic disk change apparatus and disk tray for the apparatus

A cleaning cartridge for use with an optical recording apparatus cleans from outside of the apparatus, an object lens of an optical disc recording apparatus or the like having a separation type optical system and glass covers for covering projection windows through which lasers are projected. A brush (28)for use on an object lens and a brush (26) for cleaning the glass covers (18)can be moved from outside. In order to effect operation of the cleaner, the transfer base (movable portion including the object lens of the head) is adapted to be transferred by the magnet, the inclined face or a transfer means within the apparatus.

Cleaning cartridge for an optical recording apparatus

An optical disk drive of the type having a fixed optical unit having a light transmitting hole from which a laser beam is emitted, and a movable head having a light receiving hole from which the laser beam is received, wherein the respective outer edges of the light emitting and receiving holes are surrounded by a pair of annular projections. The annular projections are engageable with each other to provide a seal therebetween when the head is displaced toward the fixed optical unit. The annular projections are preferably made of a cushioning material in which instance they also serve as a cushioning or shock-absorbing member.

Optical disk drive including dust-proofing annular projections

An apparatus for generating a bias magnetic field to a magneto-optical disk includes a movable magnet which serves to generate a bias magnetic field. A suitable device serves to generate a drive magnetic field to move the magnet. A stopper is engageable with the magnet to stop the magnet at a predetermined position.

Bias magnetic field generating apparatus for magneto-optical recording

A shutter opening and device includes movable components such as a lever, an actuating pin and a spring all disposed in a guide channel of a cartridge holder into which a disk cartridge is inserted. The device of this construction is low in profile and compact in size and makes it possible to reduce the overall size of a disk drive in which the device is incorporated. With the combination of a straight guide groove and an oblique guide groove formed in the cartridge holder, the actuating pin is movable along a substantially straight path. This enables the user to insert the disk cartridge into the cartridge holder smoothly with a small muscular effort.

Device for opening and closing a shutter of a disk cartridge

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Osaka, Japan

Goro Naoki