JPH0419880A - Cleaning cartridge for optical disk device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To clear away the dust stuck to an objective lens by attaching a cleaning cartridge to an optical disk device in place of an optical disk and blowing the air against the objective lens by means of a blasting fan. CONSTITUTION:A cleaning cartridge 20 is attached to an optical disk device in place of an optical disk and a spindle motor is driven. Thus a blast fan 6 is revolved. Then the clean air supplied into the cartridge 20 through an air filter 21 is blown against an objective lens 19 through a nozzle 22. Thus the dust stuck to the lens 19 is cleared away by the clean air. In such a way, the dust is removed out of the surface of the lens 19.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a cleaning cartridge for an optical disc device.

(Prior Art) In an optical disc device, an optical head optically records/reproduces/erases information on an optical disc. In this optical disc device, if dust adheres to the surface of the objective lens provided in the optical head, both the amount of laser light reaching the optical disc and the amount of reflected light returning from the optical disc to the optical system decreases. As a result, the reliability of recorded information and reproduced information deteriorates. For this reason, conventional measures have been taken to remove dust adhering to this objective lens to ensure reliability of recorded/reproduced information. As an example of this measure, for example, JP-A-62-4
There is one described in Publication No. 0641.

In this optical head dust removal device, a blower fan directly connected to a spindle motor is installed at the base of the optical disk device, and clean air from this blower is blown out near the objective lens of the optical head. .

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) In a conventional optical head dust removal device, a blower is directly connected to a spindle motor, and is constantly driven to rotate by the spindle motor. For this reason, the spindle motor constantly rotates the blower in addition to the optical disk.
There is a problem in that the drive current of the spindle motor increases, which inevitably increases the temperature inside the optical disc device and the power consumption during normal operation of the optical disc device. In addition, in this case, the dust that adheres to the objective lens gradually adheres to the objective lens, and does not accumulate suddenly and affect the optical system, so it must be constantly cleaned. It is sufficient to remove dust only when there is a large amount of dust adhering to the objective lens.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning cartridge that does not constantly remove dust from an objective lens, but removes dust when it adheres to the objective lens.

(Means for Solving the Problems) The present invention has been made to solve the above conventional problems, and includes a spindle shaft that rotationally drives an optical disk, and an optical head that performs at least playback on the optical disk. An optical disc device comprising: a cleaning cartridge mounted on the spindle shaft in place of the optical disc, the cleaning cartridge comprising: a blower fan connected to the spindle shaft; and a cleaning cartridge that directs clean air from the blower fan to the objective lens of the optical head. A cleaning cartridge for an optical disc device includes a nozzle that ejects water onto the surface of the cleaning cartridge.

(Function) When a cleaning cartridge is installed in place of an optical disc in the optical disc device and the spindle shaft is driven, the blower fan inside the cleaning cartridge operates and air is blown from the nozzle toward the objective lens, cleaning the objective lens. .

(Embodiment) An embodiment of the present invention will be described below based on FIGS. 1 and 2.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 20 indicates a cleaning cartridge, and this cleaning cartridge 20 is provided with a blower fan 6. As shown in FIG. The blower fan 6 is
It is connected to a spindle shaft 5a of a spindle motor via a hub (chucking member) 4. A nozzle 22 that blows clean air from the blower fan 6 near the objective lens 19 is provided in a portion of the cleaning cartridge 20 that faces the objective lens 19 . The code 21 is
Showing the air filter.

When the cleaning cartridge 20 is attached to the optical disk device instead of an optical disk and the spindle motor is rotated, the blower fan 6 is rotated and the clean air supplied into the cleaning cartridge 20 via the air filter 21 is sent to the nozzle. 22 is blown onto the objective lens 19, and the dust attached to the objective lens 19 is blown away by the clean air.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described based on FIGS. 3 to 5.

In FIGS. 3 and 4, the same members as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and the explanation thereof will be omitted. Reference numeral 120 indicates a cleaning force-tridge,
A blower fan 16 is provided inside. The blower fan 16 is connected to a spindle shaft 5a of a spindle motor 5 of an optical disc device via a hub (chucking member) 4. In addition, the same cleaning cartridge 12
0 is provided with an air chamber 23 for storing clean air from the blower fan 16, and furthermore, in a portion facing the objective lens 19, the clean air in the air chamber 23 is transferred to the surface of the objective lens. An on-off valve 122 is provided to cause the water to be ejected. Inside the air chamber 23, there is a pressure sensor 25 that detects the pressure inside the air chamber 23, a pressure detection circuit 26 that converts the value detected by the pressure sensor 25 into an electrical signal, and a clean air sensor detected by the pressure detection circuit 26. Compare the air pressure P and the preset set pressure PD,
Based on the comparison result, an on-off valve control circuit 27 is provided to control the opening and closing of the on-off valve 122.

Before the cleaning cartridge 120 is installed in the optical disc device, the on-off valve 122 is controlled to be closed. In this state, the cleaner cartridge 12
0 is attached to the optical disk device and the spindle motor is rotated, the spindle shaft 5a rotates and the blower fan 16 rotates. When the blower fan 16 rotates, clean air begins to be supplied to the air chamber 23 via the air filter 21, and the pressure P of the clean air in the air chamber 23 begins to rise as shown in FIG. The pressure P of the air chamber 23 detected by the pressure detection circuit 26 is compared with the preset opening/closing valve opening/closing pressure Pd for opening/closing the opening/closing valve 122, and when the pressure P reaches the set pressure Pd, the opening/closing valve is controlled. The operation of the circuit 27 opens the on-off valve 122. The clean air in the air chamber 23 passes through the on-off valve 122 and is blown onto the objective lens 19, removing dust attached to the surface of the objective lens 19.
Blown away by clean air.

Clean air from the air chamber 23 is blown out,
The pressure P of the clean air inside the air chamber 23 decreases to atmospheric pressure Po. When the pressure sensor 25 and the pressure detection circuit 26 detect that the pressure P of the clean air has decreased to the atmospheric pressure PO, the on-off valve control circuit 27 is operated based on the result, and the on-off valve 122 is closed. Then, clean air begins to be stored in the air chamber 23 again, and the intermittent air injection operation is repeated.

Due to the intermittent dust removal operation by the cleaning cartridge 122, more powerful lean air is blown onto the objective lens 19 as shown in FIG. 5, making it possible to more effectively remove dust from the objective lens.

In this embodiment, the on-off valve 122 is opened and closed using the detection sensor 25, the pressure detection circuit 26, and the on-off valve control circuit 27. It may be a safety valve type on-off valve that automatically opens and closes each time the situation occurs.

(Effects of the Invention) The cleaning cartridge of the present invention is installed in an optical disc device in place of an optical disc, and rotates a blower fan to blow clean air near the objective lens to remove dust attached to the surface of the objective lens. Since the spindle motor is used to blow away dust and remove dust, the spindle motor does not constantly rotate the fan other than the optical disc, and no extra load is applied to the spindle motor. , the problem of increased power consumption is eliminated.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a cleaning cartridge showing one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front sectional view of the same as above, and FIG. 3 is a plan view of a cleaning cartridge showing another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 is a front sectional view of the same as above, and Figure 5 is
It is an operation explanatory diagram same as the above. 2... Optical disk, 5a... Spindle shaft, 6, 1
6...Blower fan, 19...Optical head, 20,1
20...Cleaning cartridge, 22...Nozzle, 23...Air chamber, opening/closing valve...122° (other) Chigen 2θ Kuichi 4 Kui Airtemamba Ichiriki

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. In an optical disc device comprising a spindle shaft that rotationally drives an optical disc, and an optical head that performs at least playback on the optical disc, a cleaning cartridge is mounted on the spindle shaft in place of the optical disc. A cleaning cartridge for an optical disk device, comprising: a blower fan connected to the spindle shaft; and a nozzle that blows clean air from the blower fan onto a surface of an objective lens of the optical head. 2. In an optical disc device comprising a spindle shaft that rotationally drives an optical disc and an optical head that performs at least playback on the optical disc, a cleaning cartridge that is attached to the spindle shaft instead of the optical disc, a blower fan connected to the spindle shaft; an air chamber that compresses and stores clean air supplied from the blower fan; and an air chamber that is opened and closed each time the clean air in the air chamber reaches a predetermined pressure, and the clean air is transferred to the A cleaning cartridge for an optical disc device, comprising: an on-off valve that sprays air onto the surface of an objective lens of an optical head;