Abstract: According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator including a cabinet in which a storage compartment is formed; a refrigerator door for opening and closing the storage compartment; a door opening device having a push rod which may move from an initial position to a door opening position for opening the refrigerator door and a motor for providing power to the push rod; and a controller controlling the motor, wherein the controller controls the push rod to move to the door opening position while in close contact with the cabinet or the refrigerator door in order to open the refrigerator door, and controls voltage supply to the motor so that a time period when the push rod is moved to the door opening position is maintained for a certain time.

Abstract: According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator including a cabinet in which a storage compartment is formed; a refrigerator door for opening and closing the storage compartment; a door opening device having a push rod which may move from an initial position to a door opening position for opening the refrigerator door and a motor for providing power to the push rod; and a controller controlling the motor, wherein the controller controls the push rod to move to the door opening position while in close contact with the cabinet or the refrigerator door in order to open the refrigerator door, and controls voltage supply to the motor so that a time period when the push rod is moved to the door opening position is maintained for a certain time.

Abstract: According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator including a cabinet in which a storage compartment is formed; a refrigerator door for opening and closing the storage compartment; a door opening device having a push rod which may move from an initial position to a door opening position for opening the refrigerator door and a motor for providing power to the push rod; and a controller controlling the motor, wherein the controller controls the push rod to move to the door opening position while in close contact with the cabinet or the refrigerator door in order to open the refrigerator door, and controls voltage supply to the motor so that a time period when the push rod is moved to the door opening position is maintained for a certain time.

Abstract: A disc device includes a first cam gear 13 having a cam groove 13d, and engaged with and released from one gear of a power transmission system, and a second cam gear 14 having a hole portion 14d corresponding to the cam groove 13d, laid on the first cam gear 13 and rotatably supported relative to the first cam gear 13, and engaged with and released from one gear of the power transmission system.

Abstract: A disc device has a sliding member 16 that operates in response to a rotational force of the first partially toothless gear 13 to disconnect a power transmission system from a disc conveying roller, and a protruding portion 16a disposed on this sliding member 16 is brought into contact with a rising portion 17b of a rotary lever 17 at an initial position of the sliding member before the sliding member starts operating, so as to restrict a rotation of the rotary lever 17 in such a way that a pin 17a does not come into contact with a wall surface of a cam groove 13d.

Abstract: The present invention is to provide a pickup feed device to accurately position an optical pickup in place with miniaturization. The pickup device includes a lead screw attached to a movable chassis, a pickup portion, a rack member, a torsion coil spring, a projection portion, and a recess portion. The pickup portion has a case receiving the pickup. The rack member is fixed to the case. The rack portion disposed on a rack one end portion and a case one end portion are engaged with the lead screw. A rack another end portion has the abut portion abutting an inner edge portion of the movable chassis. The torsion coil spring urges the abut portion toward a case another end portion. The projection portion is disposed on the abut portion and the recess portion is disposed on the case another end portion.

Abstract: An optical disc drive for reducing impact forces in driving an optical pick-up unit is provided. The optical disc drive for driving an optical disc includes an optical pick-up unit, a guide bar, a rack, and a driving unit. The optical pick-up unit is configured for reading data from or writing data to the optical disc. The guide bar penetrates through the optical pick-up unit for supporting the optical pick-up unit. The rack engagably receives a part of the optical pick-up unit. The rack defines a slot therein. The slot extends along a direction substantially parallel with an extending direction of the guide bar. The driving unit is mechanically coupled to the rack. The driving unit drives the rack and the optical pick-up unit to move along a radial direction of the optical disc to track the optical disc.

Abstract: A thread motor is disclosed. The thread motor includes: a cylindrical rotor; a ring-shaped gear provided at an outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical rotor; and a flange portion provided at the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical rotor, opposed to the gear with a predetermined clearance.

Abstract: A lever having an end rotatably supported by a rack is disposed, a long groove is formed in either another end of the lever or a base chassis and extends in a direction approximately perpendicular to a direction of transporting an optical pickup, a fulcrum member is disposed in either the base chassis or the other end and is rotatably and slidably engaged with the long groove, and to slide along the long groove when the optical pickup is transported, and a spring that always exerts a pushing force in a direction of rotating the lever with the other end being a fulcrum and with the end being a point of action to exert a pushing force of bringing the rack into contact a gear series upon the rack is disposed between a predetermined position of the base chassis and an intermediate position of the lever.

Abstract: According to one aspect, an optical read/write device for reading and/or writing an optical disc includes a base, optical pickup head, and a driving mechanism for slidably driving the optical pickup head. The driving mechanism includes a worm gear, a motor for rotating the worm gear, and a rack disposed between the worm gear and the optical pickup head for transferring motion from the worm gear to the optical pickup head. The rack includes a fastening portion for fixing the rack to the optical pickup head, a mesh portion for engaging with the worm gear, a restricting portion connected to the mesh portion for being blocked by the gear seat when the mesh portion is pressed by the worm gear to prevent the mesh portion from disengaging from the worm gear, and a connecting portion for connecting the fastening portion with the restricting portion.

Abstract: A disk device of the present invention includes a first cam mechanism, a disk transfer mechanism, a second cam mechanism, a slider positioning mechanism and a positioning release mechanism. The slider positioning mechanism prevents movement of a slider in a reverse direction by engaging the slider when the slider is at a forward limit position. The positioning release mechanism operates the slider positioning mechanism so as to release an engagement of the slider positioning mechanism with the slider in conjunction with a return of an optical pickup.

Abstract: An energy delivery mechanism includes a first driven gear, a second driven gear, and a connecting member for interconnecting the first driven gear and the second driven gear. The connecting member is secured to the first driven gear, and detachably engaged with the second driven gear. The connecting member is prevented from rotating relative to the second driven gear by static friction existing between the connecting member and the second driven gear.

Abstract: A disk drive unit for a disk includes a mounting plate, a spindle motor assembly, a slide mechanism provided with a slide, a pickup unit mounted on the slide, a first transmission member operatively connected with the slide, and a second transmission member. The first transmission member is positioned such that it is in engagement with the second transmission member when the pickup unit is in its read and/or write position, and such that the first transmission member is out of engagement with the second transmission member when the pickup unit is in its home position. In order to bring the first and second transmission members into engagement, the transmission members are provided with engagement members. As a result, a limit switch assembly is no longer necessary.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to a compact, portable, external optical disc drives. In one embodiment of the present invention, an optical disc drive is comprised of one or more substrates having a width smaller than the diameter of an optical disc and that covers and protects one or more data recording surfaces of the optical disc. The optical disc drive may also include an external connector that is capable of plugging into an outlet of an electrical device so that the optical disc drive extends beyond an external sidewall of the electrical device and is electronically interconnected to the electrical device.

Abstract: A disc drive apparatus is composed of a disc carrying mechanism, a turntable (1), a pickup unit (2), a pickup transport mechanism, a reversible motor (7), a first transmission system (8A), a second transmission system (8B), and a transmission route changing mechanism. The pickup transport mechanism is further composed of a screw shaft (5) and a driven body (6) linking to the screw shaft (5) and the pickup unit (2). The driven body (6) moves reciprocally and linearly in a transport direction of the pickup unit (2) by reversible rotation of the reversible motor (7), and moves with being accompanied by the pickup unit (2) within a movable range (L) of the pickup unit (2), and moves independently out of the movable range (L).

Abstract: The invention relates to a drive system for a scanning device of an information recording or reproduction device, with a carriage coupled to a toothed rack, a gear wheel mechanism driving the toothed rack and a gear housing. It achieves the object of designing a drive system of this type alternatively and in such a way that it ensures a high speed and positioning accuracy of the carriage. For this purpose, the gear wheel mechanism is secured on a supporting element and the gear housing, the gear housing consisting of a dimensionally stable material and being pivotable with the gear wheel mechanism about a spindle which is arranged perpendicularly with respect to the toothed rack.

Abstract: The present invention eliminates variations in the engagement between a rack and a pinion, which drive a recording head, to enable the head to move speedily and smoothly. A head driver includes a rack provided on a recording head that slidingly moves over a recording disc and a pinion engaged with the rack and rotated by a drive motor, wherein there are provided a concave groove, provided on the rack and running in parallel with rack tooth, and a swing arm with which a rigid guide, guided by the concave groove, is integrated and on which a rotation axis of the pinion is provided. When the rack is at a slant with the movement direction, the swing arm swings, following the slant of the rack to keep constant the spacing between the rack and the pinion.