CN1950890A

CN1950890A - Device for locking an optical pickup unit of an optical drive

Info

Publication number: CN1950890A
Application number: CNA2005800148436A
Authority: CN
Inventors: K·C·罗
Original assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics NV
Current assignee: Arima Devices Corp; Koninklijke Philips NV
Priority date: 2004-03-17
Filing date: 2005-03-14
Publication date: 2007-04-18
Also published as: EP1756813A1; TW200539158A; KR20060127260A; JP2007529840A; WO2005091276A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to an optical drive comprising an optical pickup unit; a linear drive motor; and a follower (12) coupled to said optical pickup unit and cooperatively engaged with said motor, such that operation of said motor causes linear movement of said follower (12) and optical pickup unit during normal operation. Said optical drive further comprises a stop member (26) arranged and configured such that during normal operation of said optical drive, movement of said follower (12) is permitted by said stop member (26) and locking means (18,28a-28b) for causing movement of said follower (12) relative to said stop member (26) at a predetermined drive position to a locked position in which movement thereof is restricted or prevented by said stop member (26).

Description

Be used to lock the equipment of the optical pick-up unit of optical drive

Technical field

Relate generally to of the present invention is used for information being write optical storage medium and/or being used for from the optical drive of optical storage medium reading of data, and the equipment that more specifically relates to the optical pick-up unit that is used for locating optical drive writes optical storage medium with information and/or is used for from the optical storage medium reading of data being used for.The example of such storage medium for example is CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD, Blu-Ray etc.In these examples, optical storage medium has disc-like shape.

Background technology

As known well in the art, CD comprises that at least one can contain the session of writing data within it.Dish may be embodied as read-only disk: dish is fabricated to and has the data that are recorded in the session, and these data can only read from dish.Yet, allow the user also known at the compact disc rocordable of disc recording data; In the case, dish will normally be fabricated to blank disc, and promptly dish has track structure but do not have the data that are recorded in the session.

Similarly, CD drive can be designed as read-only device, promptly can only read the equipment of information from the dish that has write down.Yet CD drive also can be designed as and is used to write information in the session of recordable disc.Yet in all cases, CD drive comprises and is used to receive CD and is used for device with predetermined rotational speed rotary CD.CD drive further comprises shaven head or optical pick-up unit (OPU), it comprises light beam generator, typically is laser instrument, is used for the surperficial guided laser bundle to the dish of rotation, coiled the reflecting bundle that reflects to receive, and the reflecting bundle that is used for receiving is converted to electric signal.

Therefore, optical pickup units comprise light beam generator, be used for to the CD lead beam optical system, be used for that light is converted to the photodetector of electric signal and be used to receive reflected light and be used for guiding this catoptrical optical system to photodetector.Optical system can focus on light beam on the session of CD, and further folded light beam can be focused on the photodetector.Optical system is movable can compensate the variation of optical path length along optical axis (Z direction).The servo-drive system that optical lens system is relevant is suitable for keeping the focusing of requirement therewith.

The problem that optical pickup apparatus has is that photodetector must very accurately be located with respect to light beam.In the tolerance of the position of photodetector on the Z direction on about 100 microns order of magnitude.At direction (directions X: radial direction perpendicular to the Z direction; The Y direction: the session direction), tolerance is on 10 microns the order of magnitude.Yet, extremely difficultly guarantee in the life-span of optical pickup apparatus, to keep this bearing accuracy, consider that optical pickup apparatus may suffer the mechanical shock or the collision of not operation, for example by the transportation of optical drive or transport institute and cause, as its as a result OPU may strike in the optical drive mechanism and damage.

At present, add a piece of paper plate or analog to optical drive mechanism, to help during transportation mobile of restriction OPU in the packing that is used for transporting.Yet this cardboard will for good and all remove from mechanism in the control desk in case mechanism has been installed in, make can not limit again OPU move and any strong collision at control desk surface level place also may damage OPU.

As explained above, OPU is movable can compensate the variation of optical path length along optical axis (Z direction).The relevant servo-drive system of optical lens system is suitable for keeping the focusing of requirement therewith.Such servo-drive system usually comprises having the step motor that can be attached to the lead screw on the OPU follower communicatively.OPU is attached to follower, make the OPU follower because of the displacement of the operation of step motor such as requirement ground cause the corresponding displacement of OPU.Yet any mechanical shock that is applied to optical drive or collision are because the excessive power that is caused by the acceleration of consequent OPU also can cause the damage to step motor.Therefore, any strong collision in the control desk surface level can damage OPU and sledge motor.

Summary of the invention

Now designed improved configuration; and the purpose of this invention is to provide the equipment that is used for the optical pick-up unit of optical drive is positioned at specific drive location, knocking in each optical drive mechanism and for example during collision or vibration are applied to step motor, also protecting step motor in the transportation of each equipment or during transporting to prevent optical pick-up unit.

According to the present invention, the equipment that is used for the optical pick-up unit of optical drive is positioned at predetermined drive location place is provided, described equipment comprises linear motor drive and is attached to the follower that also engages with described motor to cooperation on the described optical pick-up unit, make the operation of described motor cause moving in the linearity of described follower of normal operation period and optical pick-up unit, described equipment comprises stopper element, normal operation period at described optical drive is arranged and be constructed so that to stopper element, described stopper element allows moving of described follower, equipment further comprises locking device, locking device is used for causing described follower to move to latched position with respect to described stopper element at described predetermined drive location place, limits or prevent moving of follower at the described stopper element in the position of locking.

In one embodiment of the invention, motor comprises the lead screw of prolongation, lead screw has the helicla flute to the screw thread of small part that defines along its length, follower comprises the projection that at least one engages with groove, causes the rotation of lead screw and the corresponding linear of follower to move with the operation of this motor.In an embodiment of the present invention, follower comprises at least two projections, and two projections engage with two longitudinally isolated parts of described spiral fluted respectively.

Described follower moves realization to moving valuably by follower of described latched position from the linearity of primary importance to the second, latched position.This is linear move can be manually or the operation by motor realize, to cause the corresponding rotation of lead screw.In an embodiment of the present invention, be provided with at least one medial launder in lead screw its main part between the longitudinally isolated part of two vicinities of spiral fluted of the screw thread that defines described lead screw, cause this at least one projection to engage with medial launder to realize latched position.Follower comprises under the situation of two projections therein, and lead screw comprises two other medial launders of branch, causes described two projections to engage with two other medial launders of branch to realize latched position.

Therefore, prevent that by OPU being locked in latched position OPU from knocking and having protected in addition linear motor drive in mechanism, it for example is a step motor.

In an embodiment of the present invention, motor is installed on the support with substrate, and stopper element projects upwards from the plane of substrate.Stopper element can integrally form with substrate.Support can comprise from the isolated end wall of stopper element, makes to be limited between end wall and the stopper element at the latched position follower.

In an embodiment of the present invention, locking device be arranged so that follower with respect to stopper element to realize the moving on of described latched position substantially perpendicular to direction at the linear moving direction of normal operation period follower.

The present invention also extends to the optical drive that comprises such positioning equipment.

Obvious and set forth among the embodiment that these and other aspect of the present invention will be described from here with reference to embodiment described herein.

Description of drawings

Now will be only by example and embodiments of the present invention will be described by referring to the drawings, each figure is:

Fig. 1 a is the diagrammatic plan view of optical drive mechanism that comprises the positioning equipment of the exemplary embodiments according to the present invention;

Fig. 1 b is the perspective schematic view of the mechanism of Fig. 1 a;

Fig. 2 is the perspective side elevation view that is used in the motor unit in the mechanism of Fig. 1 a;

Fig. 3 a is the diagrammatic plan view of the mechanism of Fig. 1 a when follower and OPU forward original position move;

Fig. 3 b is the perspective schematic view of the mechanism of Fig. 2 a;

Fig. 4 a is the diagrammatic plan view of the mechanism of Fig. 1 a when follower is locked in original position; With

Fig. 4 b is the perspective schematic view of the mechanism of Fig. 4 a.

Embodiment

The purpose of this invention is to provide improved configuration, wherein the optical pick-up unit of optical drive can as manually or electrically be locked in specific drive location with requiring.

Fig. 1 a at first with reference to the accompanying drawings and Fig. 1 b, positioning equipment according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention comprises the optical pick-up unit OPU 10 that is installed in the follower mechanism 12, follower mechanism 12 can be attached to the lead screw 14 of step motor 16 communicatively by follower teeth 18, and follower teeth 18 engages in the groove 20 of the screw thread that defines lead screw 14.As to those skilled in the art with obvious, lead screw 14 is attached to rotor 14 (not shown) of motor 16, makes the operation of motor 16 cause lead screw 14 rotations, this rotation is converted into follower 12 and OPU 10 and moves along the linearity of the length of lead screw 14.Therefore, in the example that illustrates, the step motor rotation of (arrow B) in the counterclockwise direction is converted into follower and the linearity of OPU on the direction indicated by arrow A moves, and this direction will be called " direction resets " below.

Fig. 2 with reference to the accompanying drawings, motor 16 are installed in to have on substrate 23 and the support 22 perpendicular to the prolongation of the end wall 24 of substrate, and lead screw 14 extends to end wall 24 along the length of support 22 from motor 16, goes out as shown in FIG..Support 22 provides stopper element 26 near end wall 24, stopper element 26 projects upwards from the plane of substrate 23, and the plane with substrate 23 meets at right angles substantially.In this typical embodiment, stopper element 26 integrally forms with substrate 23, and with the L shaped substantially structure of qualification, but this is optional.Lead screw 14 further provides two medial launder 28a and 28b in two main parts that are respectively adjacent to that screw thread limited by lead screw 14, go out as shown in FIG..

With reference now to Fig. 3 a and Fig. 3 b of accompanying drawing,, for the OPU 10 of the part that is locked as optical drive mechanism with transportation or transport optical drive mechanism, OPU 10 must return so-called " original position ".For realizing returning " original position ", make motor (arrow B) operation in the counterclockwise direction by applying electric pulse, make to cause follower 12 and to be installed in OPU 10 on the follower 12, in follower teeth 18 is bonded on the groove 20 of two last vicinities that the screw thread by lead screw 14 limits the moving of the direction that resets (arrow A).When follower 12 contacted with the end wall 24 of motor bracket 22, OPU 10 considered to be in " original position ", illustrated in Fig. 3 of accompanying drawing a and Fig. 3 b.Above-mentioned reset routine no any mechanical slip and stopping between the pitch of follower and lead screw.This can realize with the current amplitude that is reduced to motor at reseting period.To recognize, because the shape of follower 12 and its position with respect to motor bracket 22, and by the degree of depth of the groove that screw thread limited 20 of lead screw 14, at normal operation period, the stopper element 26 that follower 12 freely projects upwards by the substrate 23 from support 22 (seeing Fig. 3 b), promptly when follower 12 is in normal position with respect to lead screw 14, it is by stopper element 26, and does not cause the obstruction to sliding system.

With reference to figure 4a and Fig. 4 b,, then can send " locking " order (in response to order) from control desk from the user in case follower and OPU are in original position.Such order will cause motor to continue to rotate further in the counterclockwise direction half-turn, make to force follower teeth 18 to enter in medial launder 28a, the 28b of lead screw 14.With obvious, to come the angular position of control step motor be relatively easy by applying correct step size to those skilled in the art.The electric current that is applied to motor need be higher than the electric current that is used to realize normal operation, so that the rank of desired power in medial launder 28a, the 28b that follower teeth 18 is pushed into to be provided.The degree of depth of considering medial launder 28a, 28b is less than the practical work by the degree of depth of the groove that screw thread limited 20 of lead screw 14, push following device 12 on the direction of OPU 10, make to be locked by stopper element 26, illustrated in Fig. 4 of accompanying drawing b at its reposition follower 12.Therefore, in a word for OPU is locked in original position, the OPU follower is pushed to OPU by the medial launder in the motor lead screw, and the stopper element that makes new follower position cause follower to be projected upwards from motor bracket locks.

Be release OPU 10, can cause motor to continue to be further rotated in the counterclockwise direction half-turn, making causes follower teeth 18 to turn back to its normal position in the groove 20 that the screw thread by lead screw 14 limits, cause follower 12 to turn back to its normal position with this, make moving of follower 12 do not limited by stopper element 26 with respect to motor bracket 22.

Therefore, the invention provides OPU therefore can reduce because of the risk of colliding or vibrations are broken down with the mechanism of its locking in any inoperative situation.One that can cancel the major advantage that comprises cardboard and exemplary embodiments of the present invention described above during packaging process is that OPU can be by the electrical control step motor, promptly arrive motor and the locking and unlocking, though will recognize that the OPU lock program can manually be carried out with hand in alternate embodiment by applying suitable current impulse.

In the simplest structure of exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it can realize to the step motor of known configurations by adding two new feature portions, promptly the medial launder in the motor lead screw and in motor bracket or on stopper element.In some cases, can require to consider the new size of follower, make that it can pass through stopper element at normal operation period, if and requirement then can require other algorithm to carry out this locking/unlocking program in control system by the electrical control execution locking/unlocking program of the angular position of step motor.

Below only described embodiments of the invention, and can make amendment and change and do not depart from described embodiment obvious for those skilled in the art by the subsidiary scope of the present invention that claims limited by example.In addition, in claims, any reference symbol in bracket will be not interpreted as the restriction claim.Term " comprises " not getting rid of and is different from element or those elements of step or the existence of listing in the claims of step.Term " a " or " an " do not get rid of a plurality of.The present invention can realize by the hardware that comprises the element that several are unique, and the computer realization by being programmed suitably.In having enumerated the equipment claim of several devices, several such devices can be implemented by the identical project of hardware.Only practical work that measure is narrated in different mutually dependent claims does not indicate the combination of these measures advantageously not use.

Claims

1. be used for the optical pick-up unit (10) of optical drive is positioned at the equipment of predetermined drive location, described equipment comprises:

-linear motor drive (16);

-be attached to the follower (12) that described optical pick-up unit (10) is gone up and cooperation ground engages with described motor (16), make the operation of described motor (16) cause moving in the linearity of described follower of normal operation period (12) and optical pick-up unit (10);

-stopper element (26), it is arranged and is constructed so that at the described stopper element of the normal operation period of described optical drive (26) and allows moving of described follower (12); With

-locking device (16,18,28a-28b), it is used for causing described follower (12) to move to latched position with respect to described stopper element (26) at described predetermined drive location place, limits or prevent moving of follower (12) at the described stopper element in position (26) that locks.

2. equipment according to claim 1, wherein said motor (16) comprises the lead screw (14) of prolongation, lead screw (14) has the helicla flute (20) to the screw thread of small part that defines along its length, follower (12) comprises the projection (18) that at least one engages with groove (20), causes the rotation of lead screw (14) and the corresponding linear of follower (12) to move with the operation of this motor (16).

3. equipment according to claim 2, be provided with at least one medial launder (28a, 28b) in the main part of the lead screw (14) of wherein said lead screw (14) between the longitudinally isolated part of two vicinities of helicla flute (20), cause this at least one projection (18) of described follower (12) to engage with this at least one medial launder (28a, 28b) to realize latched position.

4. equipment according to claim 1, wherein said motor (16) are installed on the have substrate support (22) of (23), and stopper element (26) projects upwards from the plane of substrate (23).

5. equipment according to claim 4, wherein said stopper element and described substrate (23) integrally form.

6. equipment according to claim 4, wherein said support (22) comprise from the isolated end wall of stopper element (26) (24), make to be limited between end wall (24) and the stopper element (26) at latched position follower (12).

7. equipment according to claim 1, wherein locking device arrange and be constructed so that follower (12) with respect to stopper element (26) to realize the moving on of described latched position substantially perpendicular to direction at the linear moving direction (A) of normal operation period follower (12).

8. equipment according to claim 1, wherein said follower (12) moves realization to the follower (12) that moves through of described latched position from the linearity of primary importance to the second, latched position.

9. equipment according to claim 1, wherein said follower (12) enter and go out from moving through of described latched position the electrical control of described motor (16) is realized.

10. optical drive, it comprises:

-optical pick-up unit (10);

-linear motor drive (16);

-be attached to the follower (12) that described optical pick-up unit (10) and cooperation ground engages with described motor (16), make the operation of described motor (16) cause moving in the linearity of described follower of normal operation period (12) and optical pick-up unit (10);