JPH0322275A - Cleaning cassette - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To stably remove a foreign matter such as dust and trash on an objective lens by generating an air current toward an optical system facing the surface of a cassette when the cassette is rotated. CONSTITUTION:A disk 1A is housed in the internal part of a cleaning cassette 1 and on a surface in the lower side of the disk 1A, plural grooves 1B are formed to be radially extended in the outer peripheral direction of the disk 1A. Thus, when the foreign matter such as the dust and trash, etc., is stuck to the part of an upper surface 5A of an objective lens 5 and information can not be recorded or reproduced on the disk 1A by normal laser power, the cassette 1 is used. By rotating the disk 1A which is provided in the internal part of this cassette 1 and fixed to a turn table 9, an air current 20 is generated by the grooves 1B on a disk surface 1C facing the optical head 6 and the foreign matter such as the dust and trash, etc, stuck to the upper surface 5a of the lens 5 are blown off.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention is directed to an optical information recording and reproducing apparatus installed in an optical information recording and reproducing apparatus that records and/or reproduces information by directing a light beam onto the surface of an information recording medium. This relates to a cleaning cassette that cleans the lens surface of the system. [Prior Art] Generally, in an optical disk device, middle 1 to
Information bits of 2 μm length and 1 to 3 μm are recorded. To read information from this information bit, first a light beam is focused onto a minute spot using an objective lens, and then irradiated onto the information bit. At this time, the reflected light or transmitted light from the recording medium changes optically depending on the presence or absence of information. By electrically detecting this change with a photodetector, a reproduced signal corresponding to the information bit can be obtained.

In such an optical disk device, it is extremely important that the minute spot always accurately scan the information bit string on the recording medium. For this reason, autofocus is required to correct the focus shift caused by the warping of the recording medium, and autotracking is required to correct the irradiation position shift due to eccentricity of the recording medium. As a method for realizing the sharp focus function and the sharp tracking function, there is an objective lens driving device that moves the objective lens in the sharp focus direction and the auto tracking direction. Since this device has a strong magnetic circuit and sliding bearings that are machined with high precision, a dustproof case is usually attached to the device to prevent foreign matter such as dirt and dust from entering from outside. [Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, the objective lens is exposed as an opening in the upper surface of the objective lens of the dustproof case and in the movable range in the tracking direction. For this reason, if dust from the outside adheres to the top surface of the objective lens, it will no longer be possible to irradiate six laser spots with accurate laser power on the disk surface, resulting in information recording/reproducing failures. Ta.
[Purpose] The present invention has been made in view of the problems of the prior art described above, and its purpose is to stably remove foreign matter such as dust, dirt, and cigarette tar from an objective lens, and to prevent laser bow damage due to adhesion of foreign matter. An object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning cassette that prevents malfunctions in recording, reproducing, and erasing information due to deterioration, etc., and enables a highly reliable optical information recording and reproducing device. [Means for Solving the Problems] According to the present invention, the above-mentioned object is a cassette loaded into a disk drive device, and when rotated by a spindle motor provided in the drive device, the cassette surface is This is achieved by a cleaning cassette characterized in that it has means inside the cassette by means of which a flow of air is generated towards the optical system.

[Example] Hereinafter, an example according to the present invention will be described specifically and in detail based on the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the cleaning cassette of the present invention, and FIG. 2(a). (b). (c)
, (d) is a side sectional view showing the operation of the cleaning cassette of the present invention in a disk drive device. Figure 1 and Figure 2 (a). (b). (c) , (d
), l indicates a cleaning cassette according to the present invention which is similar in appearance to a cassette for protecting a disc for normal recording and reproduction. 2 indicates a disk drive device into which the cleaning cassette I can be loaded. 3
is a cassette insertion port for inserting the cassette l into the disk drying device 2.

Reference numeral 5 denotes an objective lens that focuses the laser beam onto the disk. Reference numeral 6 denotes an optical head equipped with an objective lens, its driving device, and an optical unit, and the head is movable by a linear motor 7 in the radial direction of the disk. 8 is a spindle motor that rotates the disk. 9 is a turntable that holds and rotates the disc.

Next, Figure 3(a). (This will be explained using FIG. 3.Al is a side sectional view of the cleaning cassette L of the present invention, and FIG. 3(BL is a perspective view of the disk IA according to the present invention.) As shown in 1a), the cleaning cassette l
A disk IA is housed inside the disk IA, and the lower surface of the disk IA has a full IB extending radially in the outer circumferential direction of the disk IA, as shown in FIG.
Multiple are formed. With the above configuration, the upper surface 5a of the objective lens 5. Chili in the part,
If foreign matter such as dust has adhered to the disk, which is the recording medium, and information cannot be recorded or reproduced using normal laser power, use an objective lens cleaning cassette l as shown in Figure 3. Here, the disk IA inside the cleaning cassette l
As mentioned above, there is a disk surface 1c facing the optical head.
, a plurality of radial full IBs are provided. By inserting and loading the cleaning cassette l having such a structure into the drive device 2,
When it reaches a predetermined position (FIG. 2(b)) as shown in FIG. 2, it is further lowered and fixed until it reaches a predetermined distance from the turntable 9 and objective lens 5. (Fig. 2(b)) Next, the optical head 6 is moved by a linear motor to initialize it from the spindle motor center, that is, any position A from the disk center to position B, which is the innermost data recording area of the disk. Move by 7. (Figure 2(d)
)) Next, the disk IA provided inside the cleaning cassette l and fixed to the turntable 9 is rotated by the spindle motor 8. As the disk IA rotates, a plurality of IBs provided on the disk surface IC facing the optical head 6 cause an air flow 20 as shown in FIG.
By blowing away foreign matter such as dirt and dust that has occurred in the outer circumferential direction of the objective lens 5 and attached to the upper surface 5a of the objective lens 5, the foreign matter on the upper surface of the lens is removed, and information can be normally recorded and reproduced by laser power onto the recording medium again. Make it possible. Incidentally, FIG. 4 is a side view showing the actual usage state of the disk IA according to the present invention. Incidentally, in the above-mentioned embodiment, air flow is generated by providing grooves in the disk and rotating the disk.
As another embodiment, the present invention also includes a method using a member 30 having a plurality of fins (vanes) instead of the fins provided on the disk. (Figure 5.) [Effects of the Invention] As explained above, information can be stably recorded, reproduced, and erased by removing foreign matter adhering to the top surface of the objective lens using a dedicated cleaning cassette. ．． In addition, when removing foreign matter from the top of the objective lens, the air flow blows it away without contacting it, so it does not scratch the anti-reflection coating on the top of the objective lens, making lens cleaning safer.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an actual example of the cleaning cassette of the present invention, and FIG. 2 (al. fbl. tel.
id) is a side sectional view showing the operation of the cleaning cassette of the present invention in a disk drive device, FIG.
3 is a partial side sectional view of the cleaning cassette of the present invention.
Fig. fb) is a perspective view of the disc according to the invention, Fig. 4 is a side view showing the disc according to the invention in actual use, and Fig. 5 is a member having a plurality of fins according to another embodiment of the invention. FIG. In the figure, 1: cleaning cassette, 1A: disk, 2: disk drive device.

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) A cassette loaded into a disk drive device, which when rotated by a spindle motor provided in the drive device generates a flow of air toward an optical system facing the cassette surface. A cleaning cassette characterized in that it has means for cleaning inside the cassette. (2) The means for generating the air flow is a disk in which a plurality of grooves are formed on the surface of the disk body, the grooves extending radially in the direction of the outer circumference of the disk body. A cleaning cassette according to claim (1). (3) The cleaning cassette according to claim (1), wherein the means for generating the air flow is a member having a plurality of fins.