International Business Machines Corporation

Walter E Broom, Jr

Michael Henry

William J Schaffer

John R Bertschy

A front-loading optical disk drive is disclosed that registers an optical disk about the spindle precisely relative to the optical head. First, the spindle and the corresponding clamping assembly have means to accurately register the disk onto the spindle. Second, the critical components of the optical disk drive such as the spindle, the clamping assembly, the optical head, and the guides and stops for the optical disk, are all positioned relative to a single point in the disk drive. This eliminates the build up of manufacturing tolerances between the critical components. By precisely registering the optical disk onto the spindle, and precisely positioning all the critical components relative to a single point, the optical disk will be precisely registered to the optical head.

Optical disk drive apparatus with means for accurate disk positioning

In continuous flow ink jet printers, over 95% of the ink in the ink reservior is recirculated each time the volume of ink in the reservoir is cycled through the printer. The apparatus herein provides a very low evaporation rate for the recirculating ink. With a low evaporation rate, the ink may be replenished with ink alone rather than having to supply ink concentrate and solvent to readjust the ink composition. The low evaporation rate is achieved by keeping the temperature of the ink in the reservoir and at the print head near ambient temperature of the printer's environment and by minimizing the air flow through the reservoir. In addition, the ink in the reservoir is replenished as it is consumed.

Growing community of inventors

Boulder, CO, United States of America

Walter E Broom, Jr