Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Panasonic Corporation

Toru Kawabata

Yoshihiro Mushika

Masayoshi Shioya

Makoto Maruoka

In one embodiment of a data storage device, the inside of its housingis divided into first and second spacesandby a chassis. The data storage device includes at least one optical pickupthat writes data on a storage medium and a heat radiating memberwhich is thermally coupled to the optical pickupto transfer the heat generated by the optical pickup. The optical pickupand the heat radiating memberare arranged in the first and second spacesand, respectively.

Data storage device

The present invention provides a movement mechanism that is capable of easily releasing a bite-in state of a feed screw and a rack without increasing the size or the cost of an apparatus and without breaking the movement mechanism. A movement mechanism according to the present invention linearly moves a movement object, and includes: a feed screw; a drive motor for rotating the feed screw; a drive section for supplying a drive pulse to the drive motor; a movement member for linearly moving the movement object along with the rotation of the feed screw by the drive motor, the movement member being engaged with the feed screw; a detection section for detecting a situation in which the movement object is not moving; and a control section for, when the detection section has detected a situation in which the movement object is not moving, causing the drive section to output a drive pulse that causes the drive motor to rotate and vibrate.

Movement mechanism and optical disc apparatus

An information recording/reproducing device is provided with a tray () having holders () for holding a disc () on a disc placing part () by permitting the disc to overhang on a part of the disc placing part () in a vertically laid status. The information recording/reproducing device is provided with a means for detecting an abnormally mounted status, wherein the disc () is placed on the disc placing part () through the holding holders (), by comparing a number of rotations or load torque measured at a prescribed time after a rotating means () is started, a measured time required for the number of rotations to reach a fixed number of rotations or a drive current measured when the number of rotations became the prescribed umber of rotations, with a previously stored threshold value. Thus, detection of the abnormally mounted status can be completed for the disc prior to starting recording or reproducing operation.

Optical disc device configured to detect abnormal loading status

A motor controller includes DC motor, driving mechanism, voltage generator circuit and control unit. The driving mechanism moves an object having a predetermined mass against a load applied to the object and by transmitting a rotational force of the motor to the object. The voltage generator circuit generates first and second voltages. The first voltage is high enough to rotate the motor to such a degree as to get the object moved by the driving mechanism. The second voltage has the same polarity as the first voltage and has such amplitude as to prevent the motor from rotating either in a backward direction due to a cogging torque or in a forward direction. The control unit controls the voltage generator circuit in such a manner that the voltage generator circuit applies the second voltage to the motor after having applied the first voltage to the motor.

Disk drive including means for preventing rotation

Motor controller and method of driving DC motor

A brushless motor apparatus includes a motor section including delta-connected three-phase coils; a switching section electrically connected to the motor section via a line; and a driving section for controlling an ON state and an OFF state of the switching section so as to drive the motor section. In the brushless motor apparatus, r1&plus;r2<2R, where r1 is an internal resistance of the switching section in an ON state, r2 is a resistance of the line connecting the motor section and the switching section, and R is a direct current resistance of each of the three-phase coils.

Brushless motor apparatus

According to a control device for a stepping motor of the present invention, in a first operation mode, a microstep driving section,is selected, and an output of this microstep driving section,is applied to a driving section,through a command selector,, whereby a stepping motor,is microstep driven by this driving section,. Furthermore, in a second operation mode, a forced driving section,is selected, and an output of this forced driving section,is applied to the driving section,through the command selector,, whereby the stepping motor,is forced driven by this driving section,, i.e., a high-speed rotation of a rotor,is started from any rotation angle with the microstep driving. Furthermore, in a third operation mode, a driving pattern generating section,is selected, an output of this driving pattern generating section,is applied to the driving section,through the command selector,, whereby a high-speed rotation driving of the stepping motor,is continued by this driving section

Growing community of inventors

Osaka, Japan

Toru Kawabata