Abstract: An optical pick-up apparatus for writing and/or reading information on and/or from an optical record medium including a light source, an objective lens projecting a light beam emitted by the light source onto the optical record medium, a holding member holding the objective lens movably in a focusing direction to perform a focusing control, a carriage to which the holding member is secured, a supporting mechanism for supporting the carriage movably in a tracking direction to effect a tracking control as well as an access control, and a driving member moving a movable member including the objective lens, holding member and carriage in the tracking direction. The supporting mechanism includes guide rails extending in the tracking direction and slide bearings formed in the carriage and coupled with the slide bearings. A coefficient of static friction of the movable member is set to a value not larger than 0.25.

Abstract: The optical system supporting device of the present invention comprises an optical element, a holding member for holding the optical element, a supporting member for displaceably supporting the holding member and a driving means for driving the holding member in a predetermined direction, wherein a holding part for gelatinous damping materials is provided on at least one place of the supporting member and a gelatinous damping material is disposed in the holding part. This optical system supporting device is small and light, and is excellent in cotrollability.

Abstract: The optical system supporting device of the present invention comprises an optical element, a holding member for holding the optical element, a supporting member for displaceably supporting the holding member and a driving means for driving the holding member in a predetermined direction, wherein a holding part for gelatinous damping materials is provided on at least one place of the supporting member and a gelatinous damping material is disposed in the holding part. This optical system supporting device is small and light, and is excellent in controllability.

Abstract: An optical pickup records data on, and reproduces data from, an optical disk contained in a cartridge having a window. The pickup comprises a movable assembly including an objective lens, a support mechanism supporting the movable assembly to allow the movable assembly to move in a radial direction of the optical disk, and drive mechanism for driving the movable assembly in the radial direction of the optical disk. One part of the movable assembly, and one part of the support mechanism and/or the drive mechanism are arranged within the window of the cartridge.

Abstract: An optical pickup system for supporting a plurality of objective lenses, which irradiate light spots on an optical disc having tracks, to guide and move the objective lenses in a tracking and a focus direction, comprises a first and a second optical pickups each having an objective lens, the two objective lenses arranged in order along tracks of the optical disc, and first to third support mechanisms, the first and second support mechanisms cooperating to support the objective lens of the first optical pickup, the second and third support mechanisms cooperating to support the objective lens of the second optical pickup.

Abstract: An optical system driving apparatus including a holder 2 supporting an objective lens 1, resilient supporting members 29a, 29b for supporting the holder movably in a focusing direction Z perpendicular to a record medium, and focusing coils 4a, 4b secured to the holder 2 by means of viscoelastic members 3a and 3b. The focusing coils 4a, 4b and a viscoelastic members 3a, 3b serve as a dynamic damper so that undesired resonance can be effectively suppressed without narrowing a control frequency range.

Abstract: The optical system supporting device of the present invention comprises an optical element, a holding member for holding the optical element, a supporting member for displaceably supporting the holding member and a driving means for driving the holding member in a predetermined direction, wherein a holding part for gelatinous damping materials is provided on at least one place of the supporting member and a gelatinous damping material is disposed in the holding part. This optical system supporting device is small and light, and is excellent in cotrollability.

Abstract: A linear guide apparatus includes a base, a movable member movable to the base, first and second guide receptacles on the movable member, first and second linear guide members, being parallel to each other and received by the first and second receptacles to guide movements of the first and second receptacles, the first guide being fixed on the base and the second guide being arranged on the base, and a pre-load adjusting unit, provided on the base, for supporting the second guide to be movable in parallel to the first guide and for adjusting a distance between the first and second guides, thereby adjusting a pre-load applied between the guides and the receptacles of the movable member. The adjusting unit has a stationary projection fixed on the base, a pre-load block, and pivot angle adjusting mechanism.

Abstract: An optical system supporting device in which an optical system holding member is supported by springs to be movable in focusing and tracking directions; and each of the springs has at least one portion which is oriented parallel with a tangential direction and one bending portion which is bent toward an optical axis of the optical system. Therefore, the holding member is made small in width with respect to the tracking direction; and thus the holding member can be made light in weight such that the driving sensitivity of the holding member is improved.

Abstract: An apparatus for supporting an optical system, in which one of the springs for supporting an objective lens holder is positioned in an incident/reflected light beam extended in a direction parallel to an information recording surface of an information recording medium to close up an objective lens and the light beam, so that the apparatus as a whole can be made compact and thin in a focusing direction. Since the height of the apparatus becomes low, and the members for driving the lens holder, i.e. magnets, etc., can be arranged in an upper side of the apparatus, the moving sensitivity of the apparatus can be improved.

Abstract: An optical element drive apparatus includes an objective lens for applying a light beam spot to a recording surface of an optical disc and a holder for holding the objective lens. The objective lens is supported to be movable in the focusing direction and the tracking direction by a carriage through the holder. The objective lens is moved by first drive mechanism including focusing and tracking coils and a magnetic circuit magnetically acting on the coils. The magnetic circuit is partly constituted by the carriage. The carriage is supported by a support mechanism and moved in the tracking direction by second drive mechanism.

Abstract: An apparatus for supporting an objective lens of an optical head including a lens holder for holding the objective lens, a movable member for supporting the lens holder, and a supporting member for supporting the movable member movably in focusing and tracking directions. The supporting member includes four leaf springs and each of the leaf springs has a main beam portion, first and second end portions for securing the supporting member to the movable member and a stationary member and a flexure portion which is provided in the vicinity of the second end portion and includes a beam element which is aligned with the main beam portion, two first projecting elements which extend from the beam element in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the main beam portion on respective sides of the beam element and two second projecting elements which extend in parallel with the beam element from the second end portion.

Abstract: An optical pick-up for reading information recorded on an optical record carrier as tracks including a light source emitting a light beam, a collimator lens for converting the light beam into a parallel light beam, a swingable tracking mirror for reflecting the parallel light beam, an objective lens for projecting the light beam reflected by the tracking mirror onto the record carrier, and a plano-parallelo plate arranged rotatably between the collimator lens and the tracking mirror. The plano-parallelo plate is rotated in accordance with the rotation angle of the tracking mirror such that the light beam reflected by the record carrier propagates along the same light path as that along which the light beam is made incident upon the record carrier and any off-set in the tracking error signal can be removed.

Abstract: Apparatus for recording opto-magnetically information on an opto-magnetic record medium in the form of the direction of the magnetization stored in a magnetic layer including an objective lens for projecting a laser light beam onto the magnetic layer of the opto-magnetic record medium, a device for generating a bias magnetic field which is applied to the magnetic layer in a direction perpendicular thereto, a supporting device for supporting the objective lens movably in a focusing direction parallel to an optical axis of the objective lens as well as in a tracking direction perpendicular both to the optical axis and an information track direction, and a driving device for moving the objective lens in the focusing and tracking directions to perform the focusing and tracking control.

Abstract: An apparatus for supporting an objective lens projecting a light beam upon an optical record disc having a data track recorded therein, movably in a focusing direction parallel to an optical axis of the objective lens as well as in a tracking direction perpendicular both to the optical axis and to the track in order to effect focusing and tracking servo controls, including four resilient wires arranged between a lens holder and a stationary base member, said resilient wires being not in parallel with each other. Two resilient wires provided nearer to the optical record disc are arranged such that extensions of these wires intersect with each other at a first point to make a first apex angle and the remaining two wires are arranged such that extensions of these wires intersect with each other at a second point to form a second apex angle, the first and second points being aligned in the focusing direction and the first apex angle being smaller than the second apex angle.

Abstract: An apparatus for driving an objective lens in focusing and tracking directions for projecting a light beam upon an information track on an optical record medium, including a lens holder for holding the objective lens, resilient wires for supporting the lens holder movably in the focusing and tracking directions, a focusing coil wound on the lens holder, two pairs of tracking coils secured to opposite side walls of the lens holder, said opposite side walls being aligned in a track direction, permanent magnets each arranged to be faced to respective side walls, and a yoke having upright portions arranged to face respective magnets. In order to suppress an undesired rolling resonance, forces generated at first portions of tracking coils in the tracking direction are selectively increased or forces generated at second portions of tracking coils in the focusing direction are selectively decreased.

Abstract: An objective lens for optical disks comprises a first lens component and a second lens component and, when the distance on an optical axis from an entrance face of the first lens component disposed in a position farthest from an optical disk to the center of gravity of the objective lens is taken as gc, the overall length of the objective lens as .SIGMA. d, and the focal length as f, the following conditions are satisifed and any of surfaces of the lens components is configured as an aspherical surface:g c<.SIGMA.d<0.50.9<.SIGMA.d/f<2.2Thus, the use of the objective lens makes it possible to reduce the load to a driving device for moving the objective lens and to provide the driving device small in size and light in weight.