JP2001006324A - Optical disk driving device and cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a storage device capable of providing good dust resistance and high reliability regarding a medium changeable storage device, recording a great deal of information, and satisfying various requests as to a portable information processor in a small driving device. SOLUTION: In a cartridge 1, at least an optical disk 2, a spindle motor 3, an optical head assembly 4, a seeking mechanism 6 are provided to form a hermetically sealed structure, and in a driving device, a cartridge guiding member, an optical assembly, a cartridge locking mechanism, and others are provided. Thus, low costs are realized even while the dust resistance of a cartridge is increased, a small driving device is provided, and a storage device corresponding to various uses including a portable equipment is provided.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical disk drive device and an optical disk cartridge, which are media-replaceable storage devices used for recording and reproducing information.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a storage device for large-capacity information processed by a video camera or a computer, a media-exchangeable storage device such as a tape or an optical disk is mainly used. In the former, a magnetic tape medium contained in a cartridge is loaded into a drive device, and data is sequentially recorded as the tape is wound. By increasing the length of the tape, the recording area is increased, and the storage capacity is increased.

In the latter case, an optical disk cartridge utilizing the magneto-optical effect or phase change is standardized by ISO or the like. These optical disc cartridges have a limited recording area of the media, and therefore have a storage capacity inferior to tape media. However, they can arbitrarily access recorded information and can quickly respond to reproduction of desired information. is there.

The optical disk cartridge has a structure in which a shutter is opened and the optical disk is exposed when the optical disk cartridge is inserted into the apparatus, thereby enabling access to an optical head or chucking by a spindle motor.

[0005]

In recent years, the amount of information to be processed has been dramatically increased due to remarkable improvements in the performance of CPUs and peripheral components of computers, and the sophistication and complexity of software. Furthermore, digitalization of TV broadcasts and video cameras is progressing, and video information is taken in and processed by computers. In such a situation, the storage device using a tape cannot arbitrarily access recorded information, and is not suitable for processing such as editing information.

A conventional storage device using an optical disk cartridge is advantageous in terms of arbitrary access to recorded information. However, due to the structure in which the optical disk surface is exposed, dust, oil mist, water vapor, bacteria, and other minute particles in the air are exposed. Particles are sucked into the device and enter the gap between the optical head and the optical disk surface, which impairs the recording / reproducing function.
For optical disks, to increase the storage capacity,
The optical head must be very close to the optical disk surface, and any minute foreign matter should be prevented from entering.

Further, opening and closing of a shutter of a cartridge,
In addition, a mechanism for chucking the disk on the spindle motor is required, which causes problems such as an increase in the size of the drive device, an increase in cost, and a decrease in reliability.

The present invention has been made based on the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to realize an optical disk cartridge excellent in dust resistance, and at the same time, to realize a large-capacity, low-cost, high-reliability storage device.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above object, in an optical disk drive device and a cartridge according to the present invention, an optical disk, a spindle motor for rotatably holding the optical disk, and a surface of the optical disk are provided inside the cartridge. An optical head that can be accessed, an optical head assembly including at least one seek mechanism for positioning the optical head to a designated track on the optical disk, and a drive unit of the spindle motor and the optical head assembly electrically connected to the outside of the cartridge. A first connector, a window formed of a transparent member allowing transmission of a light beam is provided on the cartridge housing, and the housing is provided with a guide member of an optical head which is a component of the seek mechanism. Parts to the outside and the inside of the cartridge from the outside The drive device has a cartridge guide member for guiding the cartridge to a predetermined position in the device, and optical elements necessary for generating, forming, and detecting a light beam used for recording and reproducing information. An optical assembly accommodating a light beam position adjusting mechanism; and, when the cartridge is used, engaging the guide member of the optical head to guide the cartridge to a predetermined position inside the apparatus, and holding the cartridge. The cartridge is provided with a cartridge lock mechanism for discharging the cartridge out of the apparatus, and a second connector which is engaged with the first connector on the cartridge to be electrically connected.

The above-mentioned optical disk has a recording medium for information formed on a substrate made of aluminum, glass, plastic, ceramic, or the like. An eccentric error between a track on the disk and the center of rotation is applied to a rotor of a flat spindle motor. Keeping it to a minimum is fixed. The optical head has a head housing that moves while maintaining a constant gap of about several μm to 1 mm from the disk surface, at least one lens including an objective lens provided on the housing, and an optical head provided near the lens. And a reflection member for the light beam.

[0011] The optical head, with the rotation of the disk,
A slider that glides with a minute gap of several μm or less from the disk surface or is always in contact with the disk surface, and needle-like light formed by an objective lens or glass fiber provided on the slider It may be constituted by a stylus, a reflecting member provided near the slider, an elastic member that applies a constant pressing force to the slider against the disk surface, and an arm that supports the elastic member and the reflecting member. Good. The elastic member is formed of a metal plate, a metal wire, a plastic plate, a plastic wire, or the like having a spring property.

The seek mechanism is formed integrally with the optical head, is supported directly on the same housing as the housing supporting the spindle motor, and drives the optical head linearly. The driving means is a voice coil combining a permanent magnet and an electromagnetic coil, or an ultrasonic actuator combining a piezoelectric element with a pressure plate, etc., and has sufficient positioning accuracy and frequency response characteristics to follow the track of a rotating disk. are doing. If necessary, the seek mechanism has a plurality of driving units having different positioning accuracy, and a higher-precision seek mechanism is provided near the objective lens, and the objective lens is directly driven, thereby further improving track following ability. Can be increased.

The first connector inside the cartridge is provided on the front side in the approach direction when the cartridge is inserted into the apparatus, and can be automatically connected to the second connector in the apparatus when the insertion operation is completed. desirable.

The window through which the light beam passes is formed of glass having excellent light transmission properties or a plastic material such as PMMA or polycarbonate, and is emitted from an optical assembly in the apparatus when the cartridge is stored in the apparatus. Is configured to receive a light beam.

The housing of the cartridge is constituted by a bottom cover and an upper cover formed by injection molding of a plastic material or a metal material such as aluminum, and is hermetically sealed by fastening with screws or the like, or fixing with ultrasonic bonding or an adhesive. And Alternatively, a packing made of an elastic material such as rubber may be provided on the joint surface between the bottom cover and the top cover in order to further improve the degree of sealing.

The cartridge is slidably held near the left and right side surfaces of the housing by a rail-shaped guide member provided in the apparatus, and is guided to a predetermined position. After the cartridge is stored in the apparatus, it is desirable to close the opening of the apparatus with the housing of the cartridge and also serve as a lid.

The optical assembly includes, for example, a laser diode for generating a light beam, a beam splitter for splitting the light beam, a collimating lens for correcting the shape of the light beam, a photodiode for detecting a shift in the position of the light beam returning from the disk surface, and further an assembly. It is composed of a fine actuator for driving an appropriate optical element for finely adjusting the position of the light beam emitted from the device. Fine adjustment of the light beam position may be performed by attaching a fine actuator to the housing of the assembly and finely adjusting the position of the entire assembly.

When the cartridge is stored in the apparatus, the positioning member provided in the apparatus is fitted to a part of the guide member of the optical head exposed to the outside of the cartridge housing when the cartridge is stored in the apparatus. Positioning means for accurately guiding the cartridge to a predetermined position, and a hook-shaped lock member biased by a spring are engaged with a hook-shaped portion formed on the outer periphery of the housing or a part of the housing. ,
A fixing means for fixing the cartridge in the apparatus, a releasing means such as an electromagnetic solenoid for releasing the fixing means when the cartridge is instructed to be discharged out of the apparatus, and a means for discharging the cartridge out of the apparatus. It is composed of an urging means formed of an elastic member such as a spring for urging. The cartridge lock mechanism may reduce the number of parts and eliminate assembly errors by forming a part of the housing of the optical assembly as a positioning member.

The second connector in the device connected to the first connector is desirably held by the holding member with a degree of freedom in order to reduce impact or mechanical wear when the cartridge is inserted.

Further, in order to easily guide the light beam incident from the window to the optical head, light formed by a combination of highly transparent glass fiber, plastic fiber, an optical element for reflecting or refracting light, or the like. The guide member may be provided between the vicinity of the window and the vicinity of the objective lens or the optical stylus of the optical head.

Further, in order to adjust the deviation of the light beam due to the individual difference between the cartridges, a reflection plate is provided around a light path through which the light beam is to be transmitted, in a window formed of a transparent member,
The optical beam deviated from the optical path may be reflected and returned to the optical assembly, and the amount of the deviation may be detected by a photodiode in the assembly. The reflector is a metal plate such as aluminum with good light reflectivity, a metal plate such as aluminum adhered or vapor-deposited plate-shaped member, or a metal film such as aluminum directly adhered or vapor-deposited on a transparent member forming a window. It is.

A small amount of dust remaining on each part at the time of manufacture, or a spindle motor,
A filter member may be provided to collect oil mist generated from the bearing part of the seek mechanism, water vapor, bacteria, other fine particles, and the like. The filter member is a woven or net-like material formed of natural fiber, synthetic fiber, or the like, and may include activated carbon, ceramic, an adhesive material, or may be formed of a dielectric material having positive or negative electricity. .

[0023]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described based on embodiments with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an internal configuration of a cartridge 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which an upper cover (not shown) of a housing is removed, and by closing the upper cover, the inside of the cartridge is completely sealed. You. The optical disk 2 is partially cut away for explanation, and is fixed on a rotor of a spindle motor 3 provided on a bottom cover 1A of a housing.

The optical head assembly 4 has a housing bottom cover 1A.
It is supported by guide members 5A and 5B fixed above so as to be able to move linearly, and is driven by a seek mechanism 6 using a linear actuator composed of a piezoelectric element, a back plate, an urging spring, and the like.

The connector 7 is electrically connected to a linear actuator of the spindle motor 3 and the seek mechanism 6 by a printed circuit board (not shown). The bag-shaped notch 8 is formed on the bottom lid 1A of the housing and functions as a part of a cartridge lock mechanism.

The light beam passes through a transparent member 10 provided so as to cover the window 9 on the bottom cover 1A of the housing, enters the cartridge, and the light beam reflected on the disk surface passes through the same path. Out of the cartridge.

The filter 11 collects a small amount of dust remaining on each part at the time of manufacture, or oil mist generated from a bearing portion of a spindle motor or a seek mechanism, or water vapor, bacteria, or other fine particles. This is provided to maintain the cleanliness inside the cartridge for a long period of time. The filter 11 is, for example, a woven or net-like material formed of natural fibers, synthetic fibers, or the like, and includes activated carbon, ceramic, an adhesive material, or a dielectric material having positive or negative electricity. .

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the optical disk 2 and the optical head assembly 4. The light beam 12 transmitted through the transparent member 10 provided in the window 9 on the bottom lid 1A of the housing is reflected by the reflecting member 13 and guided to the objective lens 14. The light beam reflected by the optical disk 2 exits the cartridge through the same path.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the cartridge. The bottom cover 1A and the top cover 1B of the housing are bonded and fixed to each other with no gap therebetween by means of ultrasonic welding or the like, so that the inside of the cartridge 1 is air-tightly closed. Case bottom lid 1
The window 9 provided in A is configured such that an opening is closed by a transparent member 10 formed of a transparent material such as a plate-like glass or plastic, and only light can be transmitted. The connector 7 is provided on a side surface in front of the direction of insertion of the cartridge 1 into the drive device, and automatically engages with a connector (not shown) provided in the drive device when the insertion of the cartridge is completed. Electrically join. The optical head guide member 5 also exposed on the front side surface
A, 5B and the bag-shaped notch 8 provided on the same side engage with members provided on the drive device, respectively, and constitute a cartridge lock mechanism for holding the cartridge 1 at a predetermined position in the drive device.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the structure of an optical disk drive according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which a top cover (not shown) of the drive has been removed. When the cartridge 1 is inserted into the drive device 20, the cartridge 1 is slidably guided by cartridge guide members 22A and 22B provided on both inner side surfaces of the base plate 21, and is guided to a predetermined position in the drive device 20.

The drive unit is provided with a connector 23, a lock arm 27, and positioning members 33A and 33B. Further, an optical assembly 40 that accommodates optical elements necessary for generating, forming, and detecting the light beam and a mechanism for adjusting the position of the light beam is provided.

FIG. 5 is a partial sectional view for explaining the operation of the cartridge lock mechanism and the connector. When the insertion of the cartridge into the drive device is completed, the connector 2 in the drive device is connected to the connector 7 provided on the bottom cover 1A of the housing.
3 are engaged, and the respective contacts 7A and 23A come into contact to establish an electrical connection. The connector 23 is slidably supported by a sliding shaft 24, and the sliding shaft 24 is fixed to a support plate 25 provided on a base plate of the drive device.
In order to make the engagement operation of the connector smooth, a suitable play is provided in the sliding portion between the connector 23 and the sliding shaft 24. In addition, an elastic material is used to absorb a shock when the cartridge is inserted. The formed damper 26 is provided between the connector 23 and the support plate 25.

The lock arm 27 is rotatably supported by an arm shaft 28. The tip on the cartridge side is formed in a hook shape, and the other end is urged in one direction by a spring 29 and has a stopper. 30 locks in place. Further, it is attracted by the electromagnetic solenoid 31 in a direction opposite to the direction of bias by the spring 29.
The electromagnetic solenoid 31 is fixed to a support plate 32 provided on a base plate of the drive device. When the cartridge is inserted, the lock arm 27 is guided by the inclined portion of the hook-shaped portion at its tip and rotates counter to the biasing direction of the spring 29, and when the insertion operation is completed, the hook-shaped portion is inserted into the bag-shaped notch. 8
To return to the original position.

The positioning members 33A and 33B are formed integrally with the housing of the optical assembly 40. When the cartridge is inserted, the positioning members 33A and 33B engage with a part of the guide members 5A and 5B of the optical head exposed outside the cartridge, and Is positioned after being guided to a predetermined position. The ejector 34
A spring 35 is slidably supported by the positioning members 33A and 33B, and is also provided on the positioning members 33A and 33B.
Powered by When ejecting the cartridge out of the drive device, the electromagnetic solenoid 31 is excited to suck the end of the lock arm 27. The lock arm 39 rotates by a predetermined angle and releases the hook-shaped portion at the other end from the bag-shaped notch 8. The unlocked cartridge is
5 is pushed out of the drive device through the ejector 34 by the urging force.

FIG. 6 is an external perspective view showing a state where the cartridge is mounted on a computer 50 provided with a drive device. Since the cartridge includes the spindle motor and the seek mechanism, it is possible to put the cartridge in use by simply inserting a part of the cartridge into the computer.

[0036]

Since the present invention is configured as described above, it has the following effects.

An optical disk, an optical head,
By providing a seek mechanism, providing an optical assembly having a high cost ratio in the drive device, and dividing the optical system, the structure of the cartridge can be simplified and the cost can be reduced.

Further, by providing a spindle motor in the cartridge, the chucking mechanism of the optical disk when the optical disk is mounted on the drive device can be omitted. By making the cartridge a sealed structure, the optical disk and the optical disk can be protected from dust in the air. In addition to protecting the optical head and ensuring excellent reliability, it is possible to provide a structure suitable for increasing the capacity by future technological innovation.

Further, the information storage device is usable only by inserting a part of the cartridge into the drive device, and is suitable for a very small notebook computer or a video information storage device such as a video camera, which is important for portability. Media can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of the optical disk and optical head assembly of FIG. 2;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the cartridge.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of an optical disk drive device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a partial sectional view showing a cartridge lock mechanism and a connector.

FIG. 6 is an external perspective view showing a state in which the cartridge is mounted on a computer.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Cartridge 2 Optical disk 3 Spindle motor 4 Optical head assembly 5A, 5B Optical head guide member 6 Seek mechanism 7, 23 Connector 8 Bag-shaped notch 9 Window 11 Filter 14 Objective lens 20 Drive device 22A, 22B Cartridge guide member 27 Lock arm 33A , 33B Positioning member 40 Optical assembly

Claims (6)

[Claims] At least one optical disk, a spindle motor rotatably holding the optical disk, an optical head capable of accessing the optical disk surface, and at least one positioner for positioning the optical head to a designated track on the optical disk are provided in a cartridge. An optical head assembly comprising two seek mechanisms, and a first connector for electrically connecting the spindle motor and the drive section of the optical head assembly to the outside of the cartridge are provided, and light beams can be transmitted through the cartridge housing. A window formed of a transparent member is provided, and the housing exposes a part of the guide member of the optical head, which is a component of the seek mechanism, to the outside,
A cartridge guide member for guiding the cartridge to a predetermined position in the device, and
An optical element necessary for generating, forming, and detecting a light beam used for recording and reproducing information, and an optical assembly containing a mechanism for adjusting a position of the light beam; and engaging with a guide member of the optical head when the cartridge is used. Guides the cartridge to a predetermined position inside the apparatus, holds the cartridge, and discharges the cartridge to the outside of the apparatus when not in use. The cartridge lock mechanism is electrically connected to the first connector on the cartridge. An optical disk drive device and a cartridge provided with a second connector. 2. An optical path switching mechanism in which a plurality of cartridge guide members, the cartridge lock mechanism, and the second connector are provided in a drive device so that a plurality of cartridges can be accommodated and a light beam is guided to a designated cartridge. The optical disk drive device and the cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the optical disk drive device is provided in the drive device. A plurality of cartridge guide members, a plurality of cartridge locking mechanisms, and a plurality of second connectors provided in the drive device so that a plurality of cartridges can be accommodated, and the optical assembly is moved to a predetermined position corresponding to each cartridge. The optical disk drive device and cartridge according to claim 1, wherein a mechanism for moving the optical disk is provided in the drive device. 4. A light guide member for guiding a light beam to an optical head from a window formed of a transparent member on a cartridge housing is provided inside the cartridge.
An optical disk drive device and a cartridge as described in the above. 5. In a cartridge, near a window formed of a transparent member on a cartridge housing, near a window formed of a transparent member, reflects a peripheral portion of a light beam of a light beam that has entered through the window, and passes through the window again to return to the cartridge. 2. The optical disk drive device and cartridge according to claim 1, further comprising a reflection plate for guiding to the outside. 6. The optical disk drive device and cartridge according to claim 1, wherein a filter member for collecting dust, oil mist, water vapor, bacteria, and other fine particles is provided inside the cartridge.