Patents by Inventor Sojiro Kirihara

Sojiro Kirihara has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8893162
    Abstract: In an optical disc drive, a degradation of traveling performance of an optical pickup under hard acceleration or hard deceleration in a random access operation or the like results in a degradation of recording/reproducing performance. Groove structure is provided between two gears of a guide feed provided in an optical pickup, and the groove forms bending structure. Thus, the engagement state between a screw gear and the gears of the guide feed is stabilized. This makes it possible to prevent tooth jumping and step-out from occurring in the gears during the traveling of the optical pickup, achieving stable traveling. In consequence, the recoding/reproducing performance of the optical disc drive can be improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignees: Hitachi Consumer Electronics Co., Ltd., Hitachi-LG Data Storage, Inc.
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Yamauchi, Tatsuya Yamasaki, Nozomu Harada, Sojiro Kirihara, Ikuo Nishida
  • Patent number: 8296788
    Abstract: A printed circuit board (PCB) is attached on a surface of a tray that is opposed to a chassis main or a bottom plate of a housing. On the tray and in a vicinity of a position where the PCB is disposed, a first protruding portion is formed to protrude toward the chassis main, on which a second protruding portion is formed at a position to be opposed to the first protruding portion. Between the first protruding portion and the second protruding portion is a clearance while the tray is accommodated in the housing. When the tray deforms, the second protruding portion supports the first protruding portion to prevent further deformation of the tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi-LG Data Storage, Inc.
    Inventors: Sojiro Kirihara, Hiroshi Yamagishi, Yousuke Ishizuka
  • Patent number: 8250591
    Abstract: A tray of an optical disk device and an optical disk device including the tray are provided. In a tray rear portion located at a higher level than a tray bottom portion, a first tapered surface as a draft taper and a second tapered surface sloping more gently than the first tapered surface are formed. An upper end of the second tapered surface is located farther from a center of rotation of an optical disk than a lower end, and thus air in a peripheral portion of the optical disk generated during rotation of the disk is introduced along the tapered surface to a rear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi-LG Data Storage, Inc.
    Inventors: Sojiro Kirihara, Hiroshi Yamagishi, Koji Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 8136128
    Abstract: An optical disc apparatus for enabling reduction of fluid noises accompanying with disc rotation, effectively, comprises a tray 5 provided to be able to comes in/out into/from said housing freely, a unit mechanism 5 provided together with the tray, in one body, a turntable 9a provided on the unit mechanism and configured to support a disc thereon, to be rotatable freely, a plural number of wall portions 5b to 5d formed on the tray surrounding the disc supported on the turntable from an outer periphery thereof, each of which has configuration like an arc around a rotation center of the turntable, a pickup 10 for doing straight-line motion within along a radius direction of a disc 4, and an opening 56, which is provided on the wall portion 5e locating at the position on the moving track of the pickup, for maintaining movement of the pickup, wherein the wall portion 5e is moved or stepped back to a side of an outer periphery of the turntable comparing to other wall portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignees: Hitachi Consumer Electronics Co., Ltd., Hitachi-LG Data Storage, Inc.
    Inventors: Mitsutaka Shizuya, Shinya Tsubota, Hiroshi Yamagishi, Sojiro Kirihara
  • Patent number: 8074237
    Abstract: An optical disk device includes: a disk motor for rotating an optical disk D inserted into a package; an optical pickup that moves in a radial direction of the optical disk, for controlling recording information on the optical disk or reading information from the optical disk; a chassis that is a base for supporting the disk motor and the optical pickup to chuck the optical disk directly inserted into the package to the disk motor; a motor plate that secures the disk motor to the base and that has one side, where the optical pickup is not located, supported by the base and the other side overhanging; and a raised portion for buffering elastic deformation of the optical pickup side of the disk motor plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi-LG Data Storage, Inc.
    Inventors: Sojiro Kirihara, Yoshiaki Yamauchi
  • Publication number: 20110252436
    Abstract: A printed circuit board (PCB) is attached on a surface of a tray that is opposed to a chassis main or a bottom plate of a housing. On the tray and in a vicinity of a position where the PCB is disposed, a first protruding portion is formed to protrude toward the chassis main, on which a second protruding portion is formed at a position to be opposed to the first protruding portion. Between the first protruding portion and the second protruding portion is a clearance while the tray is accommodated in the housing. When the tray deforms, the second protruding portion supports the first protruding portion to prevent further deformation of the tray.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2011
    Publication date: October 13, 2011
    Inventors: Sojiro KIRIHARA, Hiroshi Yamagishi, Yousuke Ishizuka
  • Publication number: 20110197211
    Abstract: In an optical disc drive, a degradation of traveling performance of an optical pickup under hard acceleration or hard deceleration in a random access operation or the like results in a degradation of recording/reproducing performance. Groove structure is provided between two gears of a guide feed provided in an optical pickup, and the groove forms bending structure. Thus, the engagement state between a screw gear and the gears of the guide feed is stabilized. This makes it possible to prevent tooth jumping and step-out from occurring in the gears during the traveling of the optical pickup, achieving stable traveling. In consequence, the recoding/reproducing performance of the optical disc drive can be improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2011
    Publication date: August 11, 2011
    Inventors: Yoshiaki YAMAUCHI, Tatsuya Yamasaki, Nozomu Harada, Sojiro Kirihara, Ikuo Nishida
  • Publication number: 20110197210
    Abstract: An optical disc drive with low vibration and low noise without risk of damage to components and injury caused by ejection of the disc tray with the rotating optical disc from a housing is provided by simple structure. In a disc-tray scheme of the optical disc drive, a brake member attached to the inside of the housing is placed to be in contact with the optical disc sliding thereon when the disc tray is in a predetermined position except the disc recording/reproducing position and the disc loading/unloading position, and to be connected to the disc tray when the disc tray is in the disc recording/reproducing position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2011
    Publication date: August 11, 2011
    Inventors: Tatsuya YAMASAKI, Yoshiaki Yamauchi, Nozomu Harada, Sojiro Kirihara, Ikuo Nishida
  • Publication number: 20110191793
    Abstract: There is provided an optical disc drive comprising: a chassis assembly formed in a box shape, including a chassis; and a tray on which an optical disc is loaded, wherein: the tray is able to move between a close state in the chassis assembly and a open state ejecting form the chassis assembly; the optical disc drive further comprises a flexible wiring member for connecting a first circuit board mounted on the chassis and a second circuit board mounted on the tray; the flexible wiring member includes a thicker reinforced part in a part of the flexible wiring member than in the other part of the flexible wiring member; and the reinforced part has a width which is narrower at an end on the chassis side than the other part of the reinforced part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2011
    Publication date: August 4, 2011
    Inventors: Yosuke ISHIZUKA, Sojiro Kirihara, Hiroshi Yamagishi
  • Publication number: 20110107361
    Abstract: In an optical disc device, the device effectively reduces noise generated during the time of optical disc revolution and at the same time prevents a tray and an optical disc placed on the tray from coming into contact with each other or a circuit board mounted on the tray from undergoing electrostatic destruction. A circuit board for controlling a spindle motor and a pickup is mounted on a tray for placing an optical disc on the reverse side of the rear area. There are formed through-holes crookedly piercing through the tray in the thickness direction in the rear area of the tray. The through-holes are so constructed that their openings on tray's reverse side are invisible from their openings on tray's face side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2010
    Publication date: May 5, 2011
    Inventors: Sojiro KIRIHARA, Koji MATSUMOTO, Hiroshi YAMAGISHI
  • Patent number: 7827571
    Abstract: A disk drive device has a configuration in which one of stepped parts defined by a circular recess for guiding a disc, formed in a disc tray is substantially flush with the bottom surface of the circular recess even in an area beyond the outer peripheral part of a disc so that no air cavity part facing the outer peripheral side surface of the disc is induced around the disc. Thereby, it is possible to aim at lowering cavity noise caused by the air cavity during high speed rotation and fluid noise caused by turbulence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi-LG Data Storage, Inc.
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Yamauchi, Hideyuki Onuma, Kuniyuki Kimura, Sojiro Kirihara, Shinya Tsubota
  • Publication number: 20100058368
    Abstract: A protrusion is formed by bending a part of a skirt at the periphery of a TRV mechanism, or a protrusion is formed at the periphery of a traverse cover, and the protrusion faces a disc tray forming a slight gap in between. When impact is imposed, the protrusion is brought into contact with the disc tray and thereby the TRV mechanism is prevented from largely deforming without adding another part in order to enhance the resistance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2009
    Publication date: March 4, 2010
    Inventors: Sojiro Kirihara, Hiroshi Yamagishi
  • Publication number: 20100031277
    Abstract: A tray of an optical disk device and an optical disk device including the tray are provided. In a tray rear portion located at a higher level than a tray bottom portion, a first tapered surface as a draft taper and a second tapered surface sloping more gently than the first tapered surface are formed. An upper end of the second tapered surface is located farther from a center of rotation of an optical disk than a lower end, and thus air in a peripheral portion of the optical disk generated during rotation of the disk is introduced along the tapered surface to a rear.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2009
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: HITACHI-LG DATA STORAGE, INC.
    Inventors: Sojiro Kirihara, Hiroshi Yamagishi, Koji Matsumoto
  • Publication number: 20100023957
    Abstract: An optical disc apparatus for enabling reduction of fluid noises accompanying with disc rotation, effectively, comprises a tray 5 provided to be able to comes in/out into/from said housing freely, a unit mechanism 5 provided together with the tray, in one body, a turntable 9a provided on the unit mechanism and configured to support a disc thereon, to be rotatable freely, a plural number of wall portions 5b to 5d formed on the tray surrounding the disc supported on the turntable from an outer periphery thereof, each of which has configuration like an arc around a rotation center of the turntable, a pickup 10 for doing straight-line motion within along a radius direction of a disc 4, and an opening 56, which is provided on the wall portion 5e locating at the position on the moving track of the pickup, for maintaining movement of the pickup, wherein the wall portion 5e is moved or stepped back to a side of an outer periphery of the turntable comparing to other wall portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2009
    Publication date: January 28, 2010
    Inventors: Mitsutaka SHIZUYA, Shinya TSUBOTA, Hiroshi YAMAGISHI, Sojiro KIRIHARA
  • Patent number: 7644419
    Abstract: The heat dissipation of a pickup is improved in an optical disc apparatus of a slot-in type. A unit cover 16 on a disc-facing side of a unit mechanism 6 includes a circumferential plate 21, a lever supporting plate 22, a disc guiding plate 23, a flexible printed circuit board holding plate 24, a reinforcing plate 25, a driving part covering plate 27, ventilating openings near sub guiding shaft 28, an extended notch near sub guiding shaft 30, an outer extended notch 31, and an extended notch near main guiding shaft 32. With this configuration, plenty of air flow induced by the rotation of a disc 5 can be introduced to a pickup 9 also through the unit cover 16, greatly improving heat dissipation capability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi-LG Data Storage, Inc.
    Inventors: Mitsutaka Shizuya, Shinya Tsubota, Yoshiyuki Tanaka, Sojiro Kirihara
  • Patent number: 7610593
    Abstract: In an optical disk apparatus, a feed motor for moving an optical pickup in approximately the radial direction of a disk is provided on a base, such as unit mechanism mounting member, that pivotally moves about a supporting point together with the optical pickup and a disk motor, and on the base, the feed motor is disposed at an outer circumferential position of the optical disk or at a position near the supporting point, in the projection region of the optical disk in its chucked condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Assignee: Hitachi-LG Data Storage, Inc.
    Inventors: Hideyuki Onuma, Seiji Hamaie, Sojiro Kirihara
  • Patent number: 7526779
    Abstract: An optical disk apparatus, enabling to reduce noises, the wind sounds generated due to rotation of a disk, with certainty, irrespective of an increase in rotation speed of the disk, comprises a disk motor 12 for rotating the optical disk 100 loaded into an inside thereof, an optical pickup 15 for recording or reproducing information from or onto the optical disk rotated, and a tray 10 for loading the optical disk therein, wherein the tray has a flat surface 10c, being nearly circular in the shape, on which the optical disk is disposed, and a peripheral portion 10d formed surrounding a periphery thereof, and the peripheral portion is nearly equal to an upper surface of the optical disk, and further a distance from a tip portion of the optical disk to be loaded within the apparatus is equal to 1.8 mm or larger than that and equal to 4.0 mm or smaller than that, in particular, preferably it is equal to 2.0 mm or larger and equal to 2.7 mm or smaller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2009
    Assignee: Hitachi-LG Data Storage, Inc.
    Inventors: Sojiro Kirihara, Seiji Hamaie, Hideyuki Onuma
  • Patent number: 7434238
    Abstract: An optical disc apparatus includes, as a raising/lowering mechanism for moving a second base constituting a unit mechanism portion pivotally about a fulcrum so as to raise or lower the second base with respect to a first base as a base of the optical disc apparatus, a cam mechanism which is provided pivotably on the first base side within an orthographic projection area of the optical disc that is in a chucked state and which has a cam surface formed around and in the direction of a pivot shaft. In addition, a cam pin provided on the second base side is brought into engagement with the cam surface. When the optical disc inserted into the optical disc apparatus is chucked onto a turntable so as to be rotatable, the cam mechanism is pivoted about the pivot shaft by a cam drive section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2008
    Assignee: Hitachi-LG Data Storage, Inc.
    Inventors: Sojiro Kirihara, Yoshiyuki Tanaka, Shinya Tsubota
  • Publication number: 20080244626
    Abstract: An optical disk device includes: a disk motor for rotating an optical disk D inserted into a package; an optical pickup that moves in a radial direction of the optical disk, for controlling recording information on the optical disk or reading information from the optical disk; a chassis that is a base for supporting the disk motor and the optical pickup to chuck the optical disk directly inserted into the package to the disk motor; a motor plate that secures the disk motor to the base and that has one side, where the optical pickup is not located, supported by the base and the other side overhanging; and a raised portion for buffering elastic deformation of the optical pickup side of the disk motor plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2007
    Publication date: October 2, 2008
    Inventors: Sojiro Kirihara, Yoshiaki Yamauchi
  • Patent number: 7421722
    Abstract: An optical disc apparatus includes position restricting component for restricting the position of a unit mechanism portion in a disc plane direction when the unit mechanism portion is in a raised state. The position restricting component includes a first portion that restricts the position of a base of the unit mechanism portion when the base is at a height position for write or read of information to or from an optical disc and a second portion that cancels the position restriction on the base of the unit mechanism portion in the disc plane direction or makes the position restriction easier than in the first portion when the base is at a height position corresponding to a chucked portion of the optical disc onto the turntable. At the height position where the optical disc is chucked the position restricting component makes the turntable displaceable in the disc plane direction so that the axis of the turntable becomes nearly coincident with the center of a center hole formed in the optical disc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2008
    Assignee: Hitachi-LG Data Storage, Inc.
    Inventors: Sojiro Kirihara, Yoshiyuki Tanaka, Shinya Tsubota