Abstract: The device for displaying time in selectable display patterns includes a storage device, an interface, a housing, display elements, and a controller. The storage device stores selectable display patterns. The interface receives an input to select a display pattern. The housing contains a display area that displays the selected display pattern. The display elements may include hour display elements, minute display elements, second display elements, day display elements, date display elements, and/or month display elements. Time is displayed by the amount of display elements in the exhibiting state.

Abstract: A device for traversing optical pickup of a disc drive comprises: an optical pickup unit slidably installed at a guide shaft; a lead screw adjacently and parallel installed to the guide shaft; and a feed guide fixed to the optical pickup unit to be engaged with the lead screw using an elastic force of a plate spring.

Abstract: A disk recorder/player (1) including a skew adjusting means of a thin design is provided which includes a base (101), a disk rotation driving mechanism (102) for an optical disk (4), an optical pickup (103), first and second guide shafts (105, 106) to support the optical pickup (103) at opposite ends of the latter, an optical pickup moving means (104) guided by the first and second guide shafts (105, 106) in moving the optical pickup (103) radially of the optical disk (4), an elastic member (126) put in contact with the first and second guide shafts (105, 106) to force the first and second guide shafts (105, 106) in a direction generally perpendicular to the main side of the optical disk (4), an adjusting screw (127) put into contact with the first and second guide shafts (105, 106) from the opposite side of the elastic member (126) to move the first and second guide shafts (105, 106) in a direction opposite to the direction of forcing by the elastic member (126), and a skew adjusting means (109) which adjust

Abstract: A disk recorder/player (1) including a skew adjusting means of a thin design is provided which includes a base (101), a disk rotation driving mechanism (102) for an optical disk (4), an optical pickup (103), first and second guide shafts (105, 106) to support the optical pickup (103) at opposite ends of the latter, an optical pickup moving means (104) guided by the first and second guide shafts (105, 106) in moving the optical pickup (103) radially of the optical disk (4), an elastic member (126) put in contact with the first and second guide shafts (105, 106) to force the first and second guide shafts (105, 106) in a direction generally perpendicular to the main side of the optical disk (4), an adjusting screw (127) put into contact with the first and second guide shafts (105, 106) from the opposite side of the elastic member (126) to move the first and second guide shafts (105, 106) in a direction opposite to the direction of forcing by the elastic member (126), and a skew adjusting means (109) which adjust

Abstract: A pickup drive unit is provided including at least a rack portion provided thereon with gear teeth to be engaged with grooves of a lead screw; a plate-shaped connecting portion made of a flexible material for connecting the rack portion to a fixing portion tightened to a pickup and for supporting the rack portion in a cantilever fashion to be deformable in a direction of either bringing close to, or removing from, the lead screw; and a compressed coil spring for applying a force pressing the rack portion against the lead screw; in which the distance on the plate-shaped connecting portion from an end on the side of the fixing portion to the contact portion between the gear teeth and the lead screw is made smaller than the distance from an end on the side of said fixing portion to another end on the side of the rack portion.

Abstract: There is provided a micromirror device, which is provided with a mirror layer including a mirror surface which is supported to be rotatable around a first axis passing through a center of the mirror surface, and an upper substrate having transparency including a first upper electrode part and a second upper electrode part arranged on its surface facing the mirror layer to face each other via a first upper boundary passing through a center of the surface and parallel to the first axis, and a lower substrate including a first lower electrode part and a second lower electrode part arranged on its surface facing the mirror layer to face each other via a first lower boundary passing through a center of the surface and parallel to the first axis.

Abstract: An urging structure for an output shaft of a drive motor of the invention is configured by a pressing plate 31 which abuts against an end face 24a of an output shaft 24, and an urging spring 36 which urges the pressing plate in the axial direction of the output shaft 24. In the pressing plate 31, a fixing portion 32 in one end is fixed onto a chassis 21 in the vicinity of the output shaft 24, and an abutting portion 34 is disposed on the tip end of a flexible arm portion 33. A spring holding portion 35 with which an end portion of the urging spring 36 that is fixed to a spring boss 37 is to be engaged is disposed on the rear face of the abutting portion 34.

Abstract: A sled apparatus for an optical head frame of an optical disk drive comprises a lead screw, an elastic element and two opposing racks located on an upper side and a lower side of the lead screw. The racks have respectively one end fixedly fastened to the optical head frame and another end engaged with each other through the elastic element for the two racks to clamp the lead gear and engage with screw threads of the lead gear such that two ends of the lead screw subject to reduced pre-load force and friction force incurred to the lead screw during rotation also decreases. As a result, rotation can be transmitted to the lead screw smoothly and reliably to move the optical head frame rapidly and smoothly.

Abstract: An engaging head implemented in a movement converting mechanism to engage with a screwed rod comprises an attachment body, a gear part, and a resilient pre-loading element. The attachment body has a pushing sidewall. The gear part has an inner surface facing the pushing sidewall of the attachment body, and an opposite outer surface provided with gear teeth. The resilient pre-loading element is mounted between the pushing sidewall of the attachment body and the inner surface, and has a side abutting against the pushing sidewall and another side abutting against the inner surface of the gear part. Being compressed between the pushing sidewall and the inner surface, the resilient pre-loading element thereby exerts a pre-loaded engagement pressure that results in a deflection of the gear part to ensure an adequate engagement of the gear teeth with the screwed rod.

Abstract: A screw axis and a guide axis are provided in parallel in a base plate, and both sides of an optical pickup are supported by the screw axis and the guide axis. The base plate is provided with a first supporting portion for supporting one end portion of the screw axis in a side of a driven gear, and a second supporting portion for supporting another end portion of the screw axis. The first supporting portion has a first elastic member which presses the screw axis in an axial direction of a turn table, and the second supporting portion is provided with a second elastic member and a tilt adjusting screw which are opposed to each other with holding a collar therebetween in the axial direction of the turn table. One end portion of the screw axis is rotatably fitted to the collar, and the collar is pressed toward the tilt adjusting screw by the second elastic member.

Abstract: An optical pickup unit feeding apparatus for moving an optical pickup unit by rotation of a lead screw with a spiral groove in an optical disc drive, including a guide member combined with the optical pickup unit, the guide member including one or more contact parts engaging the spiral groove formed on the lead screw, applying a force to the optical pickup unit in response to the rotation of the lead screw, wherein the force moves the optical pickup; and an elastic member having a first elastic section elastically engaging the contact parts to the spiral groove, and a second elastic section forcing the contact parts not to separate from the spiral groove, wherein a spring constant of the second elastic section is greater than a spring constant of the first elastic section.

Abstract: An engaging head implemented in a movement converting mechanism to engage with a screwed rod comprises an attachment body, a gear part, and a resilient pre-loading element. The attachment body has a pushing sidewall. The gear part has an inner surface facing the pushing sidewall of the attachment body, and an opposite outer surface provided with gear teeth. The resilient pre-loading element is mounted between the pushing sidewall of the attachment body and the inner surface, and has a side abutting against the pushing sidewall and another side abutting against the inner surface of the gear part. Being compressed between the pushing sidewall and the inner surface, the resilient pre-loading element thereby exerts a pre-loaded engagement pressure that results in a deflection of the gear part to ensure an adequate engagement of the gear teeth with the screwed rod.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a pickup feed mechanism in which the joint and the feed screw can engage with each other in a desirable manner. The joint (23) is fastened at one end to a slide member (21) that holds a pickup. The joint (23) has, at the other end, an engagement part (231) that is shaped like a projection. The engagement part (231) is located between a top cover (32) and the feed screw (24) and engaged with the screw portion (241) of the feed screw (24). The joint (23) also has, as the other end, a projection (232) that protrude away from the engagement part (231). The projection (232) abuts on the top cover (32) before the engagement part (231) disengages from the screw portion (241), when the joint (23) moves away from the screw portion (241) as it receive vibration or an impact. Thus, the engagement part (231) is prevented from coming out of the screw portion (241).

Abstract: A sled apparatus for an optical head frame of an optical disk drive consists of a lend screw, an elastic element and two opposing racks located on an upper side and a lower side of the lend screw. The racks have respectively one end fixedly fastened to the optical head frame and another end engaged with each other through the elastic element for the two racks to clamp the lend gear and engage with screw threads of the lend gear such that two ends of the lend screw subject to reduced pre-load force and friction force incurred to the lend screw during rotation also decreases. As a result, rotation can be transmitted to the lend screw smoothly and reliably to move the optical head frame rapidly and smoothly.

Abstract: When the position of the pickup 14 is normalized, a lead screw 29 is rotated by a stepping motor to move the pickup 14 to the outermost circumferential position, whereby a preset counter is preset to the maximum value CTout corresponding to the outermost circumferential position. The counter counts proportionally to the number of driving pulses to be supplied to the stepping motor, the lead screw 29 rotates till the counting value of the counter gets “0”, so that the pickup 14 moves near the outermost circumferential track of the optical disk in the lead-in area to make the set up. The shape of the tooth flank of the lead screw 29 and the inclination of the engaging projections 27, 28 are designed such that the step out is caused between the engaging projections 27, 28 and the lead screw 29, when the pickup 14 is moved to the outermost circumferential position. Even if this step out is caused, the engaging projections 27, 28 only engage strongly with the lead screw 29.

Abstract: In order to provide a head transfer mechanism capable of absorbing a play of a head assembly not only in a thrust direction but also in a radial direction as well as a head actuator assembly and a tape drive using the same, the head transfer mechanism comprises a lead screw with a thread ridge, a head elevation guiding member, a preload bushing arranged in a hollow opened portion of a head lift, and a compression coil spring for applying the head lift with a pressing force in an axial direction of the lead screw. The head elevation guiding member comprises as an integral structure a head lift on which the head assembly is mounted and a head guide having a thread groove engaged with the lead screw and serving to move the head lift up and down along a rotation center axis following the rotation of the lead screw. In the head elevation guiding member, the head assembly is given a biasing load in a radial direction of the lead screw.

Abstract: A disk device including a movable portion which supports pivotally and enably to swing a feed screw axis, a thread motor to drive a small gear and the like which engage with a gear interlocked in an end portion of the feed screw axis thereby to rotate the feed screw axis, and a control screw to perform a height control of the movable portion.

Abstract: A power transmitting device for a stepping motor comprises: a stepping motor commonly serving as a power source for a pickup moving mechanism of a light load and a power source for a disk transferring mechanism of a heavy load; switching mechanism for a switching path for transmitting the power from the motor between the first path, via which the power is transmitted to the pickup moving mechanism, and a second path, via which the power is transmitted to the disk transferring mechanism via power transmitting gear mechanisms; and transmission prohibiting mechanism for prohibiting the transmission of the power from the stepping motor to the disk transferring mechanism at the beginning of the power transmission via the second path.

Abstract: The optical pickup moving mechanism includes: a feed screw and a guide shaft, which are arranged in parallel with each other, for movably supporting an optical pickup; and a drive motor for giving a drive force to the feed screw so that the optical pickup can be moved along a recording medium. The skew adjusting mechanism of the optical pickup for adjusting a skew of the optical pickup adjusts a skew of the optical pickup when the feed screw and the guide shaft are respectively moved and adjusted.

Abstract: A recording medium driving apparatus can adjust the position of a linear driving means with respect to a turntable with high precision, so that a direction in which the head apparatus is moved by the linear driving means matches a predetermined radial direction with respect to a rotational center axis of the turntable. The recording medium driving apparatus includes a chassis 70, a rotating plate 63 that is rotatably provided on the chassis 70, a rotational center determining means 61 that determines the rotational center of the rotating plate 63 with respect to the chassis 70, and a rotational driving means 62 for rotating the rotating plate 63 around the rotational center.

Abstract: A head driving apparatus is disclosed which allows smooth movement of a pickup head even if the parallelism between the guide rails for guiding the pickup head and a lead screw for moving the pickup head is deteriorated. A toothed member is mounted for pivotal motion on a Z-X coordinate plane perpendicular to an X-Y coordinate plane on which the pickup head is moved around a pivot formed from a boss and a bush against the frictional force by a tooth spring. The pivotal motion of the toothed member is allowed only within a range within which both of claw portions can rock in slits. When the toothed member is pivotally moved to a position at which the drag is smallest, the teeth of the toothed member are directed to an angle same as the flank angle of the screw threads of the lead screw and are automatically corrected so that the teeth and the screw threads of the lead screw enter into an appropriate meshing engagement state.

Abstract: An optical scanning device (1) for reading data stored on a rotating recording medium (2) having a scanning head (10); at least one guide device (11) for guiding the scanning head (10) along a predefined track; at least one bearing device (12) connected to the scanning head (10) for supporting the at least one guide device (11) and having at least one elastic prestressing device (13) to provide a static prestress on the at least one guide device (11) to prestress the same and the at least one bearing device (12) connected to the scanning head (10) against each other to eliminate a relative displacement.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for connecting a transmission device to an optical pick-up. The transmission device includes a connecting unit and a lead screw and a driving unit. The connecting unit includes a main portion, an elastic portion, a tooth-like portion and a restriction portion. The restriction portion limits the elastic portion to move within a range of a first value. The lead screw engages with the tooth-like portion. A maximum engagement depth between the lead screw and the tooth-like portion is a second value. The second value is larger than the first value to prevent the lead screw and the tooth-like portion from disengaging.

Abstract: An optical-pickup feeding device includes a chassis, a guide shaft supported on the chassis, a feeding motor on a main shaft of which a lead screw is formed, a connecting member fitted in the lead screw, a frame, mounted on the chassis, for supporting the feeding motor, and an optical pickup. The connecting member is fixed on one side of the optical pickup, and another side of the optical pickup is anchored on the guide shaft. The optical pickup is driven in a direction parallel to the guide shaft and the lead screw by the feeding motor via the connecting member. The device also includes a meshing feed member, fixed to the optical pickup or the connecting member, having a tooth in mesh engagement with a screw portion of the lead screw.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to simplify a structure for alternatively transmitting power to a pickup moving mechanism and a disk loading mechanism by a common motor. A worm gear is attached to the rotary shaft of a motor, a worm wheel meshing this worm gear is supported on a mobile plate 8 that is movable along the rotary shaft of the motor, and first and second gears which are positioned in right and left of the worm wheel to be alternatively capable to engage with the worm wheel are arranged. The pickup moving mechanism is operated by the mesh of the first gear and the worm wheel, and the disk loading mechanism is operated by the mesh of the second gear and the worm wheel.

Abstract: A tray ejection apparatus for a disk drive which comprises a casing, a tray adapted to be movable into and out of said casing, a lead screw mounted for rotation on said tray, a pickup unit operatively engaged with said lead screw, driving means operatively connected to said lead screw for rotating said lead screw which in turn moves the pickup unit back and forth along said lead screw, a tray stopper extending from the casing, an ejection lever rotationally installed at the tray and in biased engagement with said tray stopper, and an ejection gear operatively engaged with said lead screw for rotation therewith, wherein upon the inputting of an ejection signal, the advance of the pickup unit is discontinued whereby the ejection gear engages the ejection lever, freeing it from the tray stopper and releasing the tray from the casing.

Abstract: A stepping motor (5) for rotating a screw (14) for driving a pickup (3) for axial movement is disposed near the inner circumference of a disk (100) with its axis aligned with that of the screw (14). The stepping motor (5) has a thickness of 7 mm or below.

Abstract: A mechanical transmission of an optical pick-up head is disposed inside the casing of an optical disk drive for sliding the optical head between a worm shaft and a pressing block, which has a flexible embedded section; wherein the pressing block has a pair of elastic arms and the front end of the elastic arm has an embedded section for embedding the worm shaft; an elastic plate, with one of its end being pressed against the embedding section, and the other end being pressed by the embedded section, by means of the elasticity, the embedded section is also embedded into the worm shaft by elastic pressing. In the sliding movement of the optical head, or the rotating worm shaft brings the embedded section into movement until it ends its journey, the pressing embedded section is detached from the worm shaft. Alternatively, when the worm shaft reverses its rotation, the embedded section will be embedded into the warm shaft again by pressing.

Abstract: An urging structure for an output shaft of a drive motor of the invention is configured by a pressing plate 31 which abuts against an end face 24a of an output shaft 24, and an urging spring 36 which urges the pressing plate in the axial direction of the output shaft 24. In the pressing plate 31, a fixing portion 32 in one end is fixed onto a chassis 21 in the vicinity of the output shaft 24, and an abutting portion 34 is disposed on the tip end of a flexible arm portion 33. A spring holding portion 35 with which an end portion of the urging spring 36 that is fixed to a spring boss 37 is to be engaged is disposed on the rear face of the abutting portion 34.

Abstract: A supporting mechanism for movably supporting a member to be supported along a supporting shaft, comprises supporting members and a pressing device. The supporting members are provided on the member to be supported. Each of the supporting members comes into contact with the supporting shaft on at least two contact points so as to be movable on the supporting shaft. The at least two contact points are apart from each other. The pressing device presses the supporting members against the supporting shaft so that the contact points of each supporting member simultaneously come into contact with the supporting shaft.

Abstract: When the position of the pickup 14 is normalized, a lead screw 29 is rotated by a stepping motor to move the pickup 14 to the outermost circumferential position, whereby a preset counter is preset to the maximum value CTout corresponding to the outermost circumferential position. The counter counts proportionally to the number of driving pulses to be supplied to the stepping motor, the lead screw 29 rotates till the counting value of the counter gets “0”, so that the pickup 14 moves near the outermost circumferential track of the optical disk in the lead-in area to make the set up. The shape of the tooth flank of the lead screw 29 and the inclination of the engaging projections 27, 28 are designed such that the step out is caused between the engaging projections 27, 28 and the lead screw 29, when the pickup 14 is moved to the outermost circumferential position. Even if this step out is caused, the engaging projections 27, 28 only engage strongly with the lead screw 29.

Abstract: An optical pickup sending device comprises: an optical pickup for reading information from an information recording medium; a rack member provided in connection with the optical pickup; and a screwed shaft engaged with the rack member for sending the optical pickup along the screwed shaft. In particular, the rack member is formed with a plurality of curved teeth each having a radius of curvature larger than that of the screwed shaft.

Abstract: An optical disk player simplifies the mechanism of an emergency ejecting device for manually ejecting a tray, and includes a pickup unit which ejects the tray by virtue of the driving power of a pickup motor in a read-in area, without separately using an ejecting driving motor. The optical disk player is provided with a tray ejecting device for ejecting the tray on which a disk is placed by which the feeding power of the pickup motor for driving the pickup unit is converted to the ejecting power when the pickup unit is in the read-in area, and an emergency tray ejecting device for manually ejecting the tray.

Abstract: An optical pickup feed device for feeding an optical pickup in a radial direction of an optical disc, includes guide rods enabling the optical pickup to move in a predetermined radial direction of an optical disc, and a driving system for producing a driving force to the optical pickup. The driving system comprises: a feed screw arranged in parallel with a direction in which the optical pickup moves, and is rotatable by a driving force from a driving motor; a nut engaging on the feed screw for moving the optical pickup, said nut including an engaging portion engageable with the feed screw and a bank portion provided on either side of the engaging portion, said bank portion being protruding toward the feed screw.

Abstract: The head driving device of the invention is provided with a head unit guided by a guide member, which is provided movably along a recording medium, a screw shaft provided along a moving direction of the head unit, a driving unit for giving a torque to the screw shaft, and a spirally engaging member supported by the head unit, which is spirally engaged with the screw shaft. In the this construction, the spirally engaging member is formed of a first engagement member supported by the head unit, which is engaged with the screw shaft, and a second engagement member engaged with the screw shaft at a position different from the position of the first engagement member, which keeps a relatively movable position with the first engagement member. Further the spirally engaging member is provided with an energizing member that gives suppression forces each having the opposite direction to the other in the axial direction of the screw shaft to the first engagement member and the second engagement member.

Abstract: A head feeding mechanism used for an apparatus for recording and/or reading information signals on/from such a recording medium as an optical disk comprises a head mechanism, a feed screw, a rotation driving mechanism, a base, and a forcing mechanism. The feed screw is engaged with the head mechanism and rotated to feed the head mechanism. The rotation driving mechanism drives the feed screw to rotate. On the base is arranged the rotation driving mechanism. The base includes a pair of bearings used for the feed screw. At least one of the pair of bearings is a thrust bearing. The forcing mechanism is provided on the base and butts against one end of the feed screw. The forcing mechanism applies a force working on the feed screw both in the thrust direction and in the direction orthogonal to the thrust direction.

Abstract: A head carriage of a disk drive apparatus includes a carriage main body for supporting a first magnetic head; and a head arm which is rotatably provided in the carriage main body, and supports a second magnetic head. The head carriage has an engaging projection engaged with the lead screw and is moved by a distance in proportion to the rotation of the lead screw driven by a stepping motor. A restraining member that is detached from the spiral groove of the lead screw and restrains; relative displacement of the head carriage with respect to the lead screw. The restraining member is provided in the carriage main body.

Abstract: A head positioning apparatus for a magnetic drive for positioning the head of the tape drive relative to the several tracks on the magnetic tape. The positioning apparatus includes a lead screw driven by a stepper motor, a half nut on a carriage carrying the head and threadably engaging the lead screw, and a spring clip secured at its opposite ends to the half nut and embracing the lead screw and acting to urge the lead screw laterally relative to the rotational axis of the lead screw into positive threaded cooperation with the threads of the half nut so as to preclude lost motion between the lead screw and the carriage during movement of the head between adjacent tracks and so as to preclude movement of the head following arrival of the head at a specific track unless and until the lead screw is again rotated by energization of the motor.

Abstract: This invention provides a small-sized and easy assembling head positioning apparatus having a coarse moving mechanism and fine moving mechanism, by which the desired fine moving accuracy is easy to attain. A head positioning apparatus has a first stepping motor, a lead screw, and a cylindrical rack for coarse moving. The cylindrical rack is formed by rotating a rack around the axis of the lead screw and is provided with the lead screw. The head positioning apparatus has a second stepping notor and gears for reducing the speed of the rotation of the second stepping motor for fine moving means, and fine moving is carried out by moving the cylindrical rack by the gear. The lead screw is provided so that the first stepping motor could be moved in a X1, X2 direction in the fixed moving range.

Abstract: A head feeding device includes a screw shaft having a thread groove formed with a predetermined pitch, a driver for turning the screw shaft, a head guided in the axial direction of the screw shaft by a shaft bearing sliding on a surface of the screw shaft, and an engagement member that engages in the thread groove of the screw shaft and converts the turning force of the screw shaft into the axial head moving force. A second groove for containing a lubricant is formed on the screw shaft having the same pitch as that of the thread groove. The second groove retains lubricant scraped out of the thread groove by the engagement member. Therefore, lubricant is reliably supplied to the sliding surfaces between the screw shaft and the shaft bearing, thereby eliminating problems caused by increased friction or seizure, and thereby improving the head feeding accuracy.

Abstract: An improved disc drive is capable of compensating the relative positional shift of a head caused mainly by a temperature change. The disc drive includes a frame having a disc holder for rotatably driving a disc, a head for reading information recorded in the disc, a head carriage which is movable in a predetermined radial direction of the disc, a rotation shaft extending in parallel with the radial direction, a driving mechanism for moving the head carriage in the radial direction by engaging with the rotation shaft, an adjustment mechanism for compensating the positional shift of the head due to a change of ambient temperature by providing an additional deformation of the adjustment mechanism to the carriage.

Abstract: A head driving device comprises a head arranged to record or reproduce information on or from a rotating disk-shaped recording medium, a head carriage arranged to carry the head and to be movable in a radial direction of the recording medium, a guide bar arranged to movably support the head carriage, a lead screw arranged to drive the head carriage, a motor arranged to drive and rotate the lead screw, and a plurality of lead pins fixed to the head carriage and arranged to engage a lead groove formed in the lead screw.

Abstract: This invention provides a small-sized and easy-assembling head positioning apparatus having a coarse moving mechanism and fine moving mechanism, by which the desired fine moving accuracy is easy to attain. A head positioning apparatus has a first stepping motor, a lead screw, and a cylindrical rack for coarse moving. The cylindrical rack is formed by rotating a rack around the axis of the lead screw and is provided with the lead screw. The head positioning apparatus has a second stepping motor and gears for reducing the speed of the rotation of the second stepping motor for fine moving means, and fine moving is carried out by moving the cylindrical rack by the gear. The lead screw is provided so that the first stepping motor could be moved in a X1, X2 direction in the fixed moving range.

Abstract: A portable-type disk apparatus for a 3.5-inch or less optical disk implemented in a thin, light-weight and miniaturized structure having a vibration-withstanding capability. An optical head assembly is disposed stationarily while an optical disk and a spindle motor for rotating the optical disk are disposed movably in a diametrical direction of the optical disk. The spindle motor is constituted by a brushless motor of a substantially semi-circular form in cross section and having a laterally truncated portion. The optical head assembly including an optical head and a laser circuit is disposed at the side of the laterally truncated portion.

Abstract: A head drive mechanism associated with a disk drive device is provided for driving to rotate a magnetic disk. A magnetic head is driven and a signal is recorded on the magnetic disk or a signal already recorded on the disk is reproduced. The head is mounted on a carriage, on which a protrusion is provided, and is driven in a direction parallel to the surface of the disk with the protrusion being engaged with a lead screw when the lead screw is rotated. When the carriage abuts against a stopper located at a predetermined position, the movement of the head in the radial direction of the disk is prevented. A control system further controls rotation of the screw in the direction parallel to the surface of the disk such that the carriage is held abutting against the stopper. Since the protrusion is forced against the thread portion of the screw, the head is moved away from the disk.

Abstract: A pick-up mechanism for a disk-type record medium reproduction apparatus is disclosed. This mechanism is suitable for use in a compact disk player and employs a plate spring to connect a nut mounted on a pick-up moving screw with the pick-up unit. Pressure contacts mounted on the outer surface of the nut and on the front end of the plate spring, steady the nut and eliminate gaps between the nut and the pick-up screw. By eliminating these gaps, information can be read from the disk with increased precision.

Abstract: A carriage movable on a pair of parallel guide members radially towards and away from a disk carrying surface of a turntable of a disk player, is constituted by first and second carrying members rotatably mounted to each other with the rotation axis of the second carrying member positioned perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the guiding members and parallel to a guide plane containing the pair of guiding members so as to pass through a point where the second carrying member is in contact with the other guiding member. The carriage is provided with a differential screw screwed to the first and second carrying members to adjust the relative angular positioning between them. The carriage supporting an optical pickup is driven by a half nut provided on the carriage and a worm screwed to the half nut with the half nut movable within a plane containing the respective axes of the guiding members and the worm, relative to the carriage.

Abstract: A magnetic head and disc tester imitates motions of the head on a hard disc drive and comprises a stationary base (22), a slide mechanism (24) which can be installed in any required position on the base (22) with respect to a center of rotation of a magnetic disc (D). The disc (D) is rotatingly supported by a spindle unit (42) fixed to the stationary base (22). A magnetic head (52) to be tested is attached to the end of an arm (16) which is pivotally supported on a slide (36) of the slide mechanism. The angular position of the longitudinal axis of the magnetic disc with respect to a tangent to a given track of magnetic disc (52) , i.e., a skew angle, can be adjusted and the head can be fixed in the adjusted position. For measuring the parameters of the head or the disc, the slide (36) is moved linearly and carries the magnetic head over the disc in a linear direction, the head being installed at a required skew angle by means of the above-mentioned angular adjustment.

Abstract: An optical system moving apparatus having first and second driving motors, transmitting screws coupled to the first and second driving motors, and a moving table on which an optical system is mounted and which is coupled through the transmitting screws to the first and second driving motors, wherein the moving table is driven by a combined output of the first and second driving motors.

Abstract: A high density spiral track forming apparatus according to the present invention a linear motion mechanism for moving an optical recording system in a radial direction of a disk-shaped substrate, and a length measurement machine for detecting the distance travelled by the optical recording system in the radial direction of the substrate disk. The apparatus further includes a velocity computing device for detecting the travel velocity of the optical recording system according to the detected result of the length measurement instrument, and a velocity control device which detects the difference between the travel velocity of the optical recording system which is detected by the velocity computing device and a predetermined velocity, and controls the linear motion mechanism so as to eliminate that difference.