Abstract: An optical disk apparatus in which a head is accommodated in a movable part which moves the head along a guide shaft in a radial direction of an optical disk. The guide shaft is engageable with the movable part and extends in the radial direction of the optical disk. The optical disk apparatus has a guide shaft compression mechanism which applies a compression force toward the movable part, which force is distributed, approximately uniformly, along the radial direction of the optical disk, to the guide shaft so that the movable part can be properly engaged with the guide shaft so as to move smoothly and stably along the guide shaft in the radial direction of the optical disk.

Abstract: An optical head for recording, reproducing or erasing data by emitting a light beam irradiated from a light source onto a recording medium. To reduce the height of the optical head, an optical axis shifting device is disposed between a light beam emitting device and a condensing device for condensing the light beam onto the recording medium. This optical axis shifting device shifts the first optical axis of the light beam from the light beam emitting device to a second optical axis positioned in parallel and spaced apart from each other. As the optical axis shifting device, there is preferable employed a prism having two reflecting faces lying in parallel, and the optical axis, after shifting is to be positioned downwardly of the position of the optical axis before shifting, thereby reducing the height of the optical head.

Abstract: A motor stopping apparatus detects a rotation frequency of a motor to which a load is attached, and applies break power in accordance with the rotation frequency to the motor until the motor is approximately stopped. The apparatus may be provided in a disk storage.

Abstract: An apparatus for applying a magnetic field has a permanent magnet, pivotally supported, which has an approximate cylindrical shape, respective semicircles of a circular section thereof being magnetized as N and S poles, and a driving coil, located in the vicinity of the permanent magnet so that the permanent magnet can partially penetrate inside the loops of the driving coil, the rotation and the positioning of the permanent magnet being controlled by the strength and/or directions of current flow in the driving coil. The apparatus is used for a magneto-optical disk storage. Since the driving coil is close to the permanent magnet, the pivoting of the permanent magnet can be controlled with a fast response. In addition, the apparatus can be made relatively small.

Abstract: A disk storage device includes a head part which writes data into a storage disk loaded into the disk storage device and reads data from the storage disk, a linear actuator moving the head part in radial directions of the storage disk, an eject member which is operated when the storage disk is ejected, and a movement mechanism which moves the storage disk to an eject portion in response to an operation of the eject member and which moves the storage disk to a read/write position. A lock part, which has a lock member cooperating with the movement mechanism, keeps, in response to the operation of the eject member, the head part stationary at the eject position by the lock member which engages with one of the head part and the linear actuator.

Abstract: The present invention discloses an optical disc cartridge housing therein a magneto optical disc, wherein, a second opening for a magnetic head of the case to access is formed joining with a notch formed at an end surface of the case, and also a notch coordinating with the second opening is formed at a shutter when the shutter is at a position for opening. Thereby, it is unnecessary for the magnetic head to rise and fall in such a case where the optical disc cartridge is inserted into the optical disc driving unit, and the magnetic head accesses the magneto optical disc.

Abstract: A magneto-optical disk storage has an erroneous insertion preventing mechanism which projects into a holder so that it can touch the magneto-optical disk cartridge in order to prevent the same from being inserted. The erroneous insertion preventing mechanism mechanically engages with the magneto-optical disk cartridge and moves in a direction approximately vertical to the recording suface of the magneto-optical disk to allow the magneto-optical disk cartridge to be inserted only if the magneto-optical disk cartridge is being inserted into the holder with a correct orientation.