JP2005129169A - Cleaning device of optical pickup - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make the cleaning of an objective lens possible without providing another cleaning mechanism for exclusive use. <P>SOLUTION: The objective lens 9 of an optical pickup 7 is cleaned with a cleaning means 22 such as a brush 23 and a fan provided on a turn table 3 by rotating the table 3. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a cleaning device for an objective lens of an optical pickup in an optical disk device.

In an optical disk apparatus that records and / or reproduces data on an optical disk medium such as an optical disk or a magneto-optical disk by an optical pickup, dust or cigarette dust may adhere to and accumulate on the surface of the objective lens of the optical pickup. If so, the transparency of the light beam is degraded, and the accuracy of data recording (writing) and / or reproduction (reading) is significantly hindered. In particular, this problem is remarkable in an in-vehicle optical disc apparatus.
Therefore, in the optical disk apparatus, it is necessary to periodically clean the surface of the objective lens of the optical pickup.

  Therefore, conventionally, as a method for periodically cleaning the objective lens, a cleaning-dedicated disk having a cleaning brush attached to the lower surface (flocked) is loaded onto the turntable, and the cleaning-dedicated disk is driven to rotate by the turntable. By doing so, there is one that cleans dust that adheres and accumulates on the surface of the objective lens so as to be wiped off by a cleaning brush of a cleaning disk (for example, Patent Document 1).

  In addition, a cleaning brush is placed in the middle of the path for detouring the optical pickup from the lower side to the upper side of the double-sided optical disc. There exists what cleans so that dust which adheres and accumulates may be wiped off with a brush only for cleaning (for example, patent documents 2).

In addition, a lens-dedicated cover with a large area is attached to the outer periphery of the spindle motor's rotation shaft so that it can rotate freely. During recording / playback of optical discs, the turntable of the spindle motor is driven to rotate in a specified direction. The cover is rotated from the position covering the objective lens to the retracted position to open the objective lens. On the other hand, after recording / reproducing the optical disk, the spindle motor is temporarily rotated in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction to rotate the lens-dedicated cover from the retracted position to the position covering the objective lens, and the objective lens is rotated. There is a lens (for example, Patent Document 3) that makes it difficult for dust to adhere to and accumulate on the surface of the lens.
JP 2002-92920 A JP-A-06-111352 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 07-235074

  The problem to be solved is that, in any case, a special mechanism for cleaning and dust prevention such as a cleaning disk, a cleaning brush and a lens cover is newly added. The assembly man-hour increases and the cost of the optical disk apparatus increases. In particular, the method of cleaning an objective lens using a cleaning disk requires loading and unloading of the cleaning disk every time the cleaning is performed, which is not workable.

  In the present invention, in order to be able to clean the objective lens without newly adding a mechanism exclusively for cleaning the objective lens, the objective lens cleaning means is attached to the turntable, and the cleaning means is turned. The objective lens is cleaned by being driven to rotate integrally with the table.

  In the optical pickup cleaning device of the present invention, since the objective lens cleaning means is attached to the turntable for rotating the optical disk medium by the spindle motor, the turntable can also be used as the cleaning means. In addition, the objective lens can be cleaned without increasing the number of assembly steps.

  The purpose of reliably wiping off dust that has adhered to and accumulated on the surface of the objective lens was realized with a brush or fan attached to the turntable.

  The purpose of more effectively wiping off dust that has adhered to and accumulated on the surface of the objective lens was realized by simultaneously vibrating the objective lens up and down, left and right, etc. by a vibrating means during cleaning.

  A cover (shutter) member on the objective lens so that dust does not easily accumulate on the surface of the objective lens after completion of the objective lens cleaning operation and when waiting for recording and / or reproduction of the optical disk medium. The purpose of making it possible to use as an objective lens is realized by making the objective lens stand by at the lower position of the turntable after the completion of the objective lens cleaning operation.

  When cleaning, the spindle motor diameter is set to the length in the axial direction for the purpose of allowing the thread with the objective lens of the optical pickup to enter under the outer periphery of the turntable and cleaning it with the cleaning means of the turntable. This can be realized by making it smaller than the above, or by making the rotation axis of the spindle motor long and forming a gap between the spindle motor and the turntable.

First, a first embodiment of the optical pickup cleaning device in the optical disc apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
The optical disk apparatus 1 horizontally chucks an optical disk medium 2 such as an optical disk or a magneto-optical disk indicated by a one-dot chain line in FIG. 1 on an upper surface 3 a of the turntable 3, and the turntable 3 is rotated by a spindle motor 4. The optical disk medium 2 is rotationally driven by being rotationally driven by 5.
A thread 8 that is an optical system moving unit of the optical pickup 7 that records and / or reproduces data (information) on the optical disk medium 2 is disposed below the optical disk medium 2. An objective lens 9 of an optical system is mounted on the thread 8 by a biaxial actuator 10 in an upward vertical shape.

  The optical disk apparatus 1 rotates the optical disk medium 2 integrally with the turntable 3 in the direction of arrow a by a spindle motor 4 at a constant speed, and a light beam such as a laser beam is applied to the lower surface of the optical disk medium 2 by an objective lens 9. Data (information) is transferred to the optical disk medium 2 in such a manner that the thread 4 is horizontally transferred in the direction of arrows b and c that are radial directions of the optical disk medium 2 by the thread transfer mechanism 11 in a state of being vertically converged from below. Is configured to be able to record and / or reproduce.

Next, in the first embodiment of the cleaning device 21 for the optical pickup 7, a brush (brush) 23, which is an example of the cleaning means 22, is attached downward (flocked) to the outer periphery 3 c side of the lower surface 3 b of the turntable 3. . The brush 23 is attached in a concentric area 24 on the lower surface 3 b of the turntable 3.
Then, by configuring the length A of the rotating shaft 5 of the spindle motor 4 to be sufficiently longer than the vertical thickness B of the sled 8, the sled 8 can be moved in and out of the turntable 3 in the directions of arrows b and c. A lower space 26 is formed.
Then, the thread 8 of the optical pickup 7 moves the objective lens 9 from the innermost peripheral position of the recording and / or reproduction area of the optical disk medium 2 (however, outside the outer periphery 3c of the turntable 3) P1 from the outer periphery 3c of the turntable 3. It is configured to be able to enter and exit in the directions of arrows b and c up to the cleaning position P2 that has entered the lower side.

According to the cleaning device 21 of the optical pickup 7 configured as described above, the cleaning mode of the objective lens 9 is set in advance at a predetermined time interval, or is arbitrarily set by the user (the cleaning switch is turned on arbitrarily). Etc.), dust (dust) adhering to and accumulated on the upper surface of the objective lens 9 is automatically cleaned.
That is, when the cleaning mode is set, the turntable 3 is rotationally driven in the direction of arrow a by the spindle motor 4 at a predetermined speed. At the same time or subsequently, the thread 8 of the optical pickup 7 is transported from the outer position of the turntable 3 to the lower space 26 of the turntable 3 in the direction of arrow a by the thread transport mechanism 11.

Then, the objective lens 9 passes through the innermost circumferential position P2 of the recording and / or reproducing area in the direction of the arrow b, or is moved from the innermost circumferential position P2 to the cleaning position P3 below the turntable 3 and stopped. The
In this state, the turntable 3 is rotated at a predetermined speed for a predetermined time, so that the dust adhered to and deposited on the surface of the objective lens 9 by the downward brush 23 rotated integrally with the turntable 3. The dust cleaning to be wiped off is automatically performed.
When the cleaning mode is set, the sled 8 is transferred from the outer position of the turntable 3 into the lower space 26 in the direction of arrow a, and the objective lens 9 is moved to the cleaning position P3. The objective lens 9 can also be cleaned with the brush 23 by rotationally driving the turntable 3 in the direction of arrow a at a predetermined speed.

Next, Embodiment 2 of the cleaning device 21 will be described with reference to FIG. 3. In this case, the brush 23, which is an example of the cleaning means 22, is moved from the outer periphery 3 c of the turntable 3 or a position near it to the outside of the turntable 3. It is attached by being inclined obliquely downward, which is the lower side.
As described above, when the brush 23 is attached obliquely below the turntable 3, the cleaning position P3 of the objective lens 9 is set to the innermost peripheral position P2 of the recording and / or reproducing area or a position in the vicinity thereof. can do.

Next, a third embodiment of the cleaning device 21 will be described with reference to FIG. 4. In this case, a fan 31 as an example of a wind generating unit which is an example of the cleaning unit 22 is attached to the outer periphery 3c of the turntable 3 or a position in the vicinity thereof. Is.
As described above, when the cleaning unit 22 is configured as the fan 31, the wind 32 generated by the fan 31 is wiped on the surface (upper surface) of the objective lens 9 by the rotation of the turntable 3, and the surface of the objective lens 9 is wiped. The adhered and accumulated dust can be cleaned in a non-contact state.

  Next, Embodiment 4 of the cleaning device 21 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2, 3, and 4. In this case, when the surface of the objective lens 9 is cleaned by the brush 23 and the fan 31, the vibration device 2 is used. By rotating the objective lens 9 up and down (in the direction of arrow e) and left and right (in the direction of arrow f) simultaneously by the shaft actuator 10, dust attached to and deposited on the surface of the objective lens 9 can be wiped off more effectively. It is comprised as follows.

  Next, Embodiment 5 of the cleaning device 21 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. In this case, after the cleaning operation of the surface (upper surface) of the objective lens 9 is completed, the objective lens 9 is moved to the turntable 3. Is configured to wait at the cleaning position P3 or the like, which is the lower position of the objective lens 9, so that after the cleaning operation of the objective lens 9 is finished, the surface of the objective lens 9 is in standby for recording and / or reproduction of the optical disc medium 2. The turntable 3 can be used as a cover (shutter) member on the objective lens 9 so that dust or the like does not easily accumulate on the (upper surface).

  Next, a sixth embodiment of the cleaning device 21 will be described with reference to FIG. 5. In this case, the diameter C of the spindle motor 4 is made smaller than the length D in the axial direction, so that the lower part of the turntable 3 is moved. A lower space 26 in which the thread 8 can be moved in and out in the directions of arrows a and b is formed.

  In the first to sixth embodiments described above, the optical disk apparatus that records and / or reproduces data on the optical disk is shown. However, the present invention can also be applied to a magneto-optical disk apparatus that records and / or reproduces data on the magneto-optical disk.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing Embodiments 1 and 5 of the optical pickup cleaning device. It is a side view of FIG. It is the side view which showed Example 2 and 4 of the cleaning apparatus of an optical pick-up. It is the side view which showed Example 3 of the cleaning apparatus of an optical pick-up. It is the side view which showed Example 6 of the cleaning apparatus of an optical pick-up.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Optical disk apparatus 2 Optical disk medium 3 Turntable 3a Upper surface of turntable 3b Lower surface of turntable 3c Outer periphery of turntable 4 Spindle motor 5 Rotating shaft 7 Optical pick-up 8 Thread 9 Objective lens 10 Biaxial actuator 11 which is vibration means 11 Thread transfer mechanism 21 Cleaning device 22 Cleaning means 23 Brush 26 Lower space 31 Fan

Claims (8)

An optical disk medium is mounted on a turntable and rotated by a spindle motor.
In an optical disc apparatus for recording and / or reproducing data with an optical pickup on the optical disc medium,
An optical pickup having an objective lens cleaning unit attached to the turntable, wherein the cleaning unit is rotationally driven integrally with the turntable to clean the objective lens. Cleaning device. 2. The cleaning device for an optical pickup according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning means comprises a brush attached to the turntable. 2. The cleaning device for an optical pickup according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning means comprises a fan attached to the turntable. 2. The optical pickup cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a vibration unit that vibrates the objective lens when the objective lens is cleaned by the cleaning unit. The optical pickup cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the objective lens is waited at a lower position of the turntable after completion of the cleaning operation of the objective lens. The cleaning position of the objective lens by the cleaning means is a position where the recording table and / or reproducing area outside the outer periphery of the turntable enters from the innermost position to the lower side of the turntable, the innermost position, or the The optical pickup cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the optical pickup cleaning device is set in a vicinity of an innermost peripheral position. 2. The optical pickup cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein a space in which a part of the thread can enter is formed in a lower part of the turntable by configuring a long rotation shaft of the spindle motor. . A space in which a part of the thread can enter is formed in the lower part of the turntable by configuring the spindle motor to have a smaller diameter than the axial length of the spindle motor. The optical pickup cleaning device according to claim 1.

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