JPH11185420A - Cleaning device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To clean an optical pickup without trouble. SOLUTION: A signal-less section 13 whose width in a radial direction is approximately 2 mm is provided between a lead-in TOC region 12 in which medium identification information data indicating the type of a disc (recording/ reproducing disc or exclusibely reproducing disc) and medium basic information data such as a recording power, a recording time, etc., are recorded and a user TOC region 14 in which management information data (indices, etc.), by which recorded information data are managed are recorded in a disc medium 10. A brush 20 is formed in the signal-less section 13 by planting bristles in spot formes.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a cleaning device for cleaning (an objective lens of) an optical pickup of a magneto-optical disk drive or an optical disk drive.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Magneto-optical disks as well as optical disks are rapidly spreading. For an optical disk, it is necessary to appropriately clean the optical pickup. Similarly, for a magneto-optical disk, it is necessary to clean the optical pickup and the magnetic head. The technology for cleaning the optical pickup of the optical disk can be used for cleaning the optical pickup of the magneto-optical disk, and the technology for cleaning the magnetic head of a magnetic disk, a so-called floppy disk can be used for cleaning the magnetic head.

[0003] As magneto-optical disks, there are mini-disks proposed and commercialized by Sony Corporation as recording media for music signals, in addition to those used as external storage devices of computers from the beginning. This mini disk employs a magneto-optical recording method, and uses both a magnetic head and an optical pickup for recording, but uses only the optical pickup for reproduction.

As a cleaning device for cleaning both a magnetic head and an optical pickup of a magneto-optical disk drive, a polishing sheet for lightly polishing the magnetic head surface is attached to a disk medium surface facing the magnetic head, and the optical pickup is mounted on the optical pickup. A configuration in which a brush is implanted on the facing disk medium surface is known (for example, see Patent Application Publication No. 6430 and Patent Application Publication No. 6431 in 1995). As a cleaning device for cleaning an optical pickup (object lens) of a disk cartridge type, a configuration in which a brush or the like is implanted on a surface of a disk medium facing the optical pickup is well known (for example, a patent application published in 1996). No. 34008).

In a conventional optical pickup cleaning disk,
The brush for cleaning the optical pickup is generally planted in an area for recording information. Then, the operation of reading the recording signal in the vicinity of the flocking position of the brush or the recording signal on the outer peripheral side from the flocking position causes the optical pickup to cross the position of the brush, and at this time, the objective lens of the optical pickup is cleaned. I have.

[0006]

However, in the conventional example,
The brush for cleaning the optical pickup is generally planted in an area for recording information. Thus, the brush can interfere with signal reading and cause disk errors. In the event of a disk error, the disk will no longer work and you will have to remove the cleaning disk. Naturally, it becomes impossible to clean the magnetic head alone.

[0007] If a brush or the like is made small enough not to cause a signal reading error, a desired cleaning effect cannot be obtained.

An object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning device which does not cause such inconvenience.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning apparatus which can clean an optical pickup by a simple operation such as only a disk loading operation.

[0010]

According to the present invention, in a disk medium, a medium basic information recording area for recording medium basic information and a management information recording area for recording management information for managing the recorded information are separated from each other. . Then, an optical pickup cleaning member for cleaning the optical pickup is disposed between the medium basic information recording area and the management information recording area on the surface of the disk medium facing the optical pickup.

[0011] Thus, since the optical pickup cleaning member is disposed in an area where no signal is to be provided between the medium basic information recording area and the management information recording area, the possibility of a signal reading error can be greatly reduced. As a result, the cleaning member of the optical pickup can be relatively enlarged, and the cleaning effect can be easily obtained.

When a disc is loaded into a reproducing apparatus or a recording / reproducing apparatus, first, the medium basic information recorded in the medium basic information recording area is read, and then the management information recording area is read. The pickup will be cleaned. That is, when the apparatus is loaded and the recording or reproduction can be started normally, the cleaning of the optical pickup has already been completed, and the cleaning is completed by an extremely simple operation.

The disk medium is, for example, a magneto-optical disk or an optical reproduction disk. In the minidisk system, the medium identification information is included in an area called a lead-in TOC, and the management information recording area is included in an area called a user TOC.

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a half sectional structure of a disk medium according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows a plan view of a medium surface on which an optical pickup cleaning member is disposed.

On the disk medium 10, a predetermined margin, a lead-in TOC area 12, a no-signal section 13, a user TOC area 14 for recording management information (such as a list) for managing recording information, and a recorded area 16 and an unrecorded area 18. In the lead-in TOC area 12,
Medium identification information indicating the type of the disk (for recording / reproduction / reproduction only), medium basic information such as recording power and recording time are recorded. For read-only discs, lead-in TOC
Lead-in T including area 12 and user TOC area 14
Although sometimes called OC, these are always distinguished in the present embodiment.

Normally, the user TOC area 14 is arranged following the lead-in TOC area 12, but in this embodiment,
Between the lead-in TOC area 12 and the user TOC area 14, a non-signal section 13 of about 2 mm in the radial direction is provided. In this no-signal section 13, a brush 20 for cleaning the optical pickup 30 is implanted in a spot shape. Brush 2
No. 0 is composed of one or several fibers having a diameter of about 1 mm or less and a round cross section. Since the brushes 20 are implanted in the no-signal section 13, a signal reading error hardly occurs.

A magnetic head cleaning sheet 22 for cleaning the magnetic head 32 is attached to almost the entire surface of the disk medium 10 facing the magnetic head 32. The magnetic head cleaning sheet 22 is generally made of a sheet material coated with a nonwoven fabric, a synthetic fiber flocking, or an abrasive. However, the magnetic head cleaning sheet 22 can clean the magnetic head 32 without significantly damaging the head surface. Other materials may be used if desired. The magnetic head cleaning sheet 22 need not cover the entire surface of the disk medium but may cover at least the unrecorded area 18. By sticking the magnetic head cleaning sheet 22 over the entire surface in the circumferential direction, unevenness does not occur in the circumferential direction. By sticking the magnetic head cleaning sheet 22 to the end in the radial direction, even if the user forgets the cleaning end operation from the start of the cleaning in the recording mode, during the recording operation to the end,
The magnetic head 32 does not bounce at the step portion at the end of the magnetic head cleaning sheet 22.

In the recorded area 16, for example, a voice message indicating the end of cleaning of the optical pickup and a voice message of usage are recorded.

At the center of the disk medium 10, a metal center plate 24 is mounted.

The method of use of this embodiment and the operation during use will be described.

When the recording / reproducing apparatus is loaded with the cleaning device of the present embodiment, the recording / reproducing apparatus operates as an optical pickup 30.
When the lead-in TOC area 12 of the disk medium 10 is read and the medium identification information and the like of the lead-in TOC area 12 can be read normally, the optical pickup 30 is moved to the outer circumference in the radial direction to read the user TOC area 14 next.
Are sequentially moved. At this time, since the light passes through the non-signal section 13, the brush 20 cleans the objective lens surface of the optical pickup 30. Since there is no signal, a signal reading error is unlikely to occur.

When the user TOC area 14 is read normally, the apparatus enters a standby state waiting for a user operation. When the user instructs reproduction of the track # 1, a voice message in the recorded area 16 is reproduced and output, and the user is notified that cleaning of the optical pickup has been completed and how to use the optical pickup.

When it is desired to clean the magnetic head 32, a recording mode may be set and recording may be started. Then, the magnetic head 32 approaches the position where it contacts the medium surface of the disk medium 10 (actually, the magnetic head cleaning sheet 20), and starts the recording operation. During the recording operation, since the magnetic head 32 is in contact with the magnetic head cleaning sheet 20, it is cleaned during this time.

The mini disc is also used as an auxiliary storage device of a computer. In such a case, the cleaning start message and the cleaning end message may be recorded as data signals having similar contents instead of voice.

As long as the magnetic head 32 can be cleaned without damaging the head surface of the magnetic head 32, a sheet material other than the magnetic head cleaning sheet 20, for example, nonwoven fabric or synthetic fiber flocking may be used.

Although a mini disk has been described as an example, the present embodiment can be applied to other magneto-optical disks for cleaning both the magnetic head and the optical pickup.

[0028]

As can be easily understood from the above description, according to the present invention, it is possible to finish cleaning the optical pickup by the initial operation accompanying the loading into the disk drive, eliminating the need for complicated operations. Become. That is, the optical pickup can be almost automatically cleaned. In addition, the possibility of a disk reading error can be greatly reduced, so that the user does not needlessly worry.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an arrangement of a brush 20 of the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10: Disk medium 12: Lead-in TOC area 13: No signal section 14: User TOC area 16: Recorded area 18: Unrecorded area 20: Brush 22: Magnetic head cleaning sheet 24: Center plate 30: Optical pickup 32: Magnetic head

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A medium basic information recording area for recording medium basic information of a disk medium and a management information recording area for recording management information for managing the recording information are arranged apart from each other. On the facing surface,
A cleaning device, wherein an optical pickup cleaning member for cleaning the optical pickup is disposed between the medium basic information recording area and the management information recording area. 2. The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the disk medium is a magneto-optical disk. 3. The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the disk medium is an optical reproduction disk. 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the medium identification information is a lead-in TOC.
The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the management information recording area is included in an area called a user TOC.