Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Shoji Goto

Hiroshi Yamamoto

Ichiro Kawamura

Kazuo Momoo

Tetsuo Saimi

Benichi Miyazaki

Goro Naoki

Akihiro Sakata

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 objective lens actuator for an optical storage drive includes a cross-sectionally L-shaped torsion plate spring which is fixed at its central portion to an objective lens holder and at its opposite ends to free ends of a pair of parallel spaced, cantilevered plate springs. The torsion plate spring is caused to twist to displace the objective lens holder and an objective lens mounted thereon in the tracking direction. The parallel spaced plate springs are caused to bend to displace the objective lens holder and the objective lens in the focusing direction.

Object lens holder and driving device

An optical unit actuator for an optical information recording/reproducing apparatus includes an electromagnetic drive mechanism composed of a coil and a magnet cooperative to drive an objective lens mounted on an optical unit. One of the coil and the magnet is secured to the optical unit. The other of the coil and the magnet is held on a fixed unit with an elastic support member disposed therebetween, the fixed unit being immovable as against the movable optical unit. The elastic support member substantially dampens or takes up vibration caused by a reaction force creased as a result of acceleration of the objective lens when the objective lens is driven to follow a dynamic radial runout and an axial deflection of an optical disk. With the elastic support member thus provided, an optical component, a photo-electric transducer or the optical disk which is disposed on the side of the fixed unit is isolated from vibration. The control characteristics of a system including an optical head, the optical disk and a control circuit for the optical head can, therefore, be improved.

Optical unit actuator for information recording/reproducing apparatus

An optical head for recording and reproducing information on an optical disk includes a box-like cover carrying thereon a semiconductor laser unit and a detector, and a substantially planar base on which various optical components are bonded, the base being made of the same material as the box-like cover and secured to the box-like cover to close an open end of the latter. By the use of the planar base, the optical components and the base can be bonded efficiently with utmost ease.

Optical head

A head transfer apparatus includes a magnetic substance disposed on a movable unit assembly driven by a magnetic circuit in a tracking direction. The magnetic substance is operative, under the force of a leakage flux of the magnetic circuit, to produce a magnetic force to urge a bearing of the movable unit assembly against a guide, thereby controlling a clearance between the bearing and the guide or lowering a bearing pressure imposed on the bearing by the weight of the movable unit assembly.

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Osaka, Japan

Shoji Goto