Abstract: A motor has a stator and a rotor, the stator having cores and drive coils which generate magnetic fields for rotating the rotor. The stator also has a yoke surrounding the rotor and the rotor is positioned such that it is closer to one part of the outer periphery of the yoke than another part of the outer periphery of the yoke. Such a motor is particularly suitable for use in a disk drive unit as a spindle motor for rotating the disk. Then an actuator for moving a head may be located adjacent the part of the outer periphery of the yoke which is closest to the rotor. This permits the head to approach closely the axis of rotation of the disk without the spindle motor interferring with the movement of the head. The continuous yoke prevents magnetic flux leakage from the spindle motor interferring with the actuator. The actuator may itself have a yoke integral with the yoke of the spindle motor, and/or other components in common.

Abstract: A linear actuator for e.g. a disk drive has a fixed member and a movable member. One of those members carries at least one track of permanent magnets extending in the direction in which the movable member is to move, with adjacent permanent magnets having alternate magnetic polarity. The other member has first and second drive parts, each having at least one pair of opposing sets of teeth. The moveable member or each track passes between those teeth. Each pair of teeth is associated with a corresponding drive coil giving the teeth a magnetic polarity so that there is a magnetic alignment between a polarity of the teeth and the permanent magnets. The drive parts are arranged so that, for any given relative position of the first and second members, the magnetic alignment of the teeth of one drive part is out of phase with the magnetic alignment of the teeth of the other part.

Abstract: An information recording and erasing method and apparatus of an optical memory medium including a substrate, a guard film, and an intermediate layer portion so disposed between said substrate and said guard film as to include at least a recording material layer having a phase changing with temperature and include at least one good conductor layer, comprising the steps of supplying magnetic flux varying relatively to said good conductor layer to generate eddy currents within said good conductor layer, and heating said recording material layer with heat generated in said good conductor due to the eddy current loss to effect information recording and erasing with respect to said recording material layer.

Abstract: An electrostatic actuator includes a stationary element and a movable element. The stationary element has a surface which faces a surface of the moving element. Both the surface of the stationary element and the surface of the moving element have electrode lines disposed thereon, including a first set of parallel electrode lines and a second set of parallel electrode lines which are perpendicular to the lines in the first set. By facing the stationary surface and the movable surface towards each other such that the electrode lines of such surfaces are aligned, the movable element can be moved along either of two perpendicular axes when a voltage is applied to the electrode lines.

Abstract: An actuator suitable for use in a joint device for driving a robot arm or in a subject follow-up device in a video camera, etc., is designed to have a mobility of a freedom of two degrees or more and is adapted to drive a movable part directly using first piezoelectric motor elements each of which consists of piezoelectric elements having a non-ring-like configuration and an elastic body and second piezoelectric motor elements each of which consists of at most one ring-like piezoelectric element and an elastic member. The actuator exhibits a simplified structure, is small and lightweight, provides a powerful driving power and has a wide range of mobility.

Abstract: The A phase stator and the A phase stator are opposed each other winding same phase coil thereat. The B phase stator and the B phase stator are opposed each other winding same phase coil thereat. The A phase stator and the A phase stator, and the B phase stator and the B phase stator sandwich the mover, respectively. The mover fixes the permanent magnets having small magnetized pitch on the both surfaces thereof. The permanent magnets on both surfaces of the mover comprises the first permanent magnets and the second permanent magnets. The first permanent magnets having one polarity and a predetermined interval each other along the longitudinal direction of the mover are fixed previously on the mover. The second permanent magnets are inserted to the intervals on the mover.

Abstract: The present invention provides a large-thrust stepping motor improved in thrust constant by provision of slots at equal intervals between adjacent N and S poles of a permanent magnet disposed on a movable member of the motor or by division of the winding for each phase of a stator of the motor into two or more sections to pass currents independently through the divisional sections in accordance with the speed of the motor.Further, the invention provides a large-thrust stepping motor using a field magnet having large magnetomotive force, the field magnet being formed by combination of a magnet substrate and permanent magnets independent from the magnet substrate.

Abstract: A laser light flux is divided and synthesized so that its light intensity distribution is changed from a Gaussian distribution to a non-Gaussian distribution. When a laser light flux having a Gaussian distribution is irradiated onto a dividing prism, it is divided into a left part and a right part which are refracted right and left inversely from each other. When the right and left parts are incident on a synthesizing prism, they are refracted again and travel to be overlapped with each other on a recording medium. The light intensity distribution on a segment at the apex of the synthesizing prism is weaker at the central part and stronger at the peripheral part. This is because the light fluxes resulting from the division are inverted in their position so that the central part of the Gaussian distribution is separated left and right while the peripheral part with a weaker light intensity is centered.

Abstract: In the present invention, a micro Fresnel lens in the shape of a thin film is used. A lens driving member constructed of piezoelectric transducers or of magnets and coils is disposed around the lens. The focus of the lens is adjusted by controlling applied voltages to the piezoelectric transducers or the coils.

Abstract: A film of a crystal - crystal phase transformation type optical recording alloy is formed on an insulating substrate. Information is erased from the alloy film by heating it with an expedient other than a laser beam. Information is read by sensing reflected light of light projected on the alloy film.

Abstract: The present invention employs as a recording medium a metal or alloy which exhibits an intercrystalline transition before and after writing. In the present invention, two light beams of unequal wavelengths are used so as to write information with the light beam of the longer wavelength and to erase information with the light beam of the shorter wavelength. In changing a written content, a wavelength with which the reflection rate of the recording medium increases is used.