JPH11339421A - Optical pickup cleaning apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To assure simplified cleaning of an optical pickup. SOLUTION: A disk medium 10 is provided, sequentially from the internal side, with a margin 12, a read-in 14, a recording area 16 for recording a music or the like and a read-out 18. In the read-in 14, a medium identifying information indicating a class of disk medium 10 (for recording/reproducing operation/ reproducing operation only) and a medium basic information such as the reproducing power and recording time or the like are recorded. To the surface opposing to the optical pickup 20 of the disk medium 10, a brush 22 for cleaning the optical pickup 20 is implanted. The brush 22 is arranged on the inner most circumference side in the inside of the read-in 14.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to an optical pickup cleaning device, and more particularly, to an optical pickup cleaning device for cleaning (an objective lens of) an optical pickup of an optical disk drive and a magneto-optical disk drive.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art 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. A configuration in which a brush is implanted on the surface of the disk medium facing the pickup is known (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6430 and 1995 Patent Application No. 6431).

As a magneto-optical disk, there is a mini-disk proposed and commercialized by Sony Corporation as a recording medium for music signals, in addition to a disk used as an external storage device of a computer. 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.

A brush for cleaning an optical pickup is usually planted in an area where music signals, programs and data are recorded. Then, by instructing the reproduction of a specific track recorded on the outer peripheral side from the flocking position of the brush, the optical pickup moves beyond the brush in the circumferential direction, and at that time, the lens surface of the optical pickup is cleaned. .

[0005]

The recorded signal is of course destroyed in the portion of the brush where the brush is planted. Since the tip of the brush interferes with the reproduction laser beam directed to the disk medium surface and the laser beam reflected from the disk medium surface, the recording signal around the brush cannot be read normally, and errors frequently occur.

[0006] There is no problem if the playback device does not check the playback state when it simply passes through the brush portion. However, there are playback devices in which a playback error in the brush portion causes playback to stop. When the reproduction is stopped, it becomes impossible to clean the optical pickup, and the power is usually turned on again.

An object of the present invention is to provide an optical pickup cleaning device for cleaning an optical pickup more reliably and safely.

[0008]

According to the present invention, an optical pickup cleaning member for cleaning the optical pickup is disposed at the innermost side of the lead-in on the surface of the disk medium facing the optical pickup. Thus, the optical pickup is automatically cleaned by the lead-in reading operation which is always read at the time of loading. Since the optical pickup cleaning member is arranged on the innermost side of the lead-in, the optical pickup passes through the optical pickup cleaning member from a position where the signal cannot be read, and enters an area where the signal can be normally read by the lead-in.
The apparatus ignores reading errors by the optical pickup cleaning member.

The optical disk medium may be a read-only medium.
For mini-discs, the disc medium has a diameter of 64 mm and a lead-in radius of 14.5 mm.
Is set in a range of 16 mm to 16 mm. In that case, the optical pickup cleaning member has a radius of 14.5 mm to a radius of 15 m.
m.

[0010]

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 the embodiment.

A disk medium 10 having the same physical shape as a mini-disc read-only disk includes, in order from the inside, a margin 12, a lead-in 14, a recording area 16 for recording music and the like, and a lead-out 18. Lead-in 1
4 stores medium identification information indicating the type of the disk medium 10 (for recording / reproduction / reproduction only), medium basic information such as reproduction power and recording time. The medium basic information is recorded in plural pieces with the same contents in consideration of the reproduction accuracy of the reproduction apparatus and the like. The recording area 1 is located on the outer side of the medium management information.
6 records management information such as music.
In the recording area 16, for example, the track # 1, a message indicating usage, cleaning start, cleaning completion, and the like are recorded as voice or data.

The optical pickup 20 of the disk medium 10
A brush 22 for cleaning the optical pickup 20 is implanted on the surface facing the surface. The brush 22 has a round cross section having a diameter of about 1 mm or less. In this embodiment, the brush 22 is implanted on the innermost side inside the lead-in. The brush consists of one or several fibers. For example, in a mini-disc, the lead-in 14 has a radius of 14.
5 mm to a radius of 16 mm, in which case the brush 22 has a radius of 14.5 mm to a radius of 15 mm.
The hairs are implanted with holes (not necessarily penetrating) at the positions where they enter, or by cutting grooves.

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 reproducing apparatus (or the recording / reproducing apparatus) is loaded with the cleaning apparatus of this embodiment, the apparatus moves the optical pickup 20 inward from the lead-in 14, and then adjusts the focus on the medium surface of the disk medium 10. Then, the information of the lead-in 14 is read while moving in the outer peripheral direction. At this time, the brush 22 is
To clean.

Immediately after the optical pickup 20 enters the lead-in 14, a reading error occurs due to the brush 22.
However, since a signal is originally read from a position where no signal is recorded and a reading error occurs, this error does not become apparent. Complete management information is also duplicated and recorded in the remaining portion of the lead-in 14, and if it cannot be read correctly, an error becomes apparent.

That is, in this embodiment, since the brush 22 is implanted in a portion which always passes when the device is loaded into the apparatus, the cleaning of the optical pickup 20 is completed without any special operation. In the lead-in 14, management information is redundantly recorded. Even if one or more of the management information is destroyed, if there is management information that can be completely read, it is ignored without causing a fatal error. In the present embodiment, this can be realized by positioning the brush 22 inside the lead-in 14.

After reading the information of the lead-in 14, the apparatus reproduces the signal of the track # 1 automatically or in response to the reproduction instruction of the track # 1. Therefore, track # 1
, A message indicating that cleaning has been completed normally may be recorded. Of course, a message indicating the usage may be recorded.

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 are recorded as data signals having similar contents instead of voice.

Although a mini disk has been described as an example, the present invention can be applied to other optical magnetic disks for cleaning an optical pickup.

In FIG. 2, the brush 22 is implanted at only one place. However, a plurality of brushes may be implanted at the same radial position.

[0023]

As can be easily understood from the above description, according to the present invention, the cleaning of the optical pickup can be completed simply by loading the optical pickup into the apparatus, and the user's labor is greatly reduced.

[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 of the present embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10: Disk medium 12: Margin 14: Lead-in 16: Recording area 18: Lead-out 20: Optical pickup 22: Brush 24: Center plate

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An optical pickup cleaning device, comprising: an optical pickup cleaning member for cleaning the optical pickup, disposed on the inner side of the lead-in on the surface of the disk medium facing the optical pickup. 2. The optical pickup cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the optical disk medium is a read-only medium. 3. The disk medium has a diameter of 64 mm, the lead-in has a radius of 14.5 mm to 16 mm, and the optical pickup cleaning member has a radius of 1 mm.
The optical pickup cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the optical pickup cleaning device is located at a position within a radius of 15 mm from 4.5 mm.