Environmental Control Patents (Class 720/648)
  • Patent number: 8776099
    Abstract: There is provided a disk device that prevents entering of foreign matters, and that forms an opening/closing lid using an inclined surface of a front wall so that the disk device has a design according to which the thickness is not noticeable. A front wall 1a of an outer case 1 includes an inclined surface whose front part is inclined downward. An opening portion 1b is provided to the front wall 1a of the outer case 1, and a lid 2 that covers the opening portion 1b while allowing it to be opened or closed is provided. The lid 2 is configured to move, by rotating about a rotation shaft provided in a direction crossing a disk conveyance direction, between a closed lid position 2A in which the lid is flush with the inclined surface such that a disk insertion opening 1c is not exposed to the outside and an open lid position 2B in which the disk insertion opening 1c is exposed to the outside and a disk 200 is guided to the disk insertion opening 1c.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Norikatsu Yoshida, Yasue Chihara, Masanori Ohnishi
  • Patent number: 8677380
    Abstract: A laser diode assembly for an optical pickup includes a laser diode, a holding member, and a position adjustment member. The holding member has a housing portion formed therein. The laser diode is housed in the housing portion. The position adjustment member is disposed between the laser diode and an inner wall of the housing portion and configured to adjust a mounting position of the laser diode by abutting the inner wall and the laser diode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Akutsu, Takao Fukumoto, Yasukazu Imaizumi
  • Patent number: 8570757
    Abstract: A lightweight radio/CD player for vehicular application is virtually “fastenerless” and includes a case and frontal interface formed of polymer based material that is molded to provide details to accept audio devices such as playback mechanisms (if desired) and radio receivers, as well as the circuit boards required for electrical control and display. The case and frontal interface are of composite structure, including an insert molded electrically conductive wire mesh screen that has been pre-formed to contour with the molding operation. The wire mesh provides EMC, RFI, BCI and ESD shielding and grounding of the circuit boards via exposed wire mesh pads and adjacent ground clips. The PCB architecture is bifurcated into a first board carrying common circuit components in a surface mount configuration suitable for high volume production, and a second board carrying application specific circuit components in a wave soldered stick mount configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Chris R. Snider, Vineet Gupta, Michael G. Coady
  • Patent number: 8549549
    Abstract: Provided is an optical disk device, including a top case and a bottom case which constitute a housing having a substantially box shape in which: the top case includes, on one side thereof, a hook which engages with the bottom case; the bottom case includes an engaging portion which is provided with a cutout which engages with the hook; and a shielding portion for preventing an air flow passing through the cutout is provided in an inside of the cutout.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi-LG Data Storage, Inc.
    Inventors: Koji Matsumoto, Yosuke Ishizuka
  • Patent number: 8516511
    Abstract: An optical pickup having a case made of a resin material reinforced with glass fiber, inorganic filler or the like with polyphenylene sulfide as a base material, and a metal plate formed of a material having a linear expansion coefficient within a range of a linear expansion coefficient of the case in a direction between bearings when a fiber orientation of the case is along the direction between the bearings or random. The metal plate has two rising members bended to the case side at both ends in the direction between the bearings. Two walls of the outer hull of an opening of the case at both ends in the direction between the bearings and the two rising members of the metal plate are alternately opposed, and the opposed walls of the case and the rising members of the metal plate are fixed using adhesives.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi Media Electronics Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Manabu Ochi, Junichi Senga, Takehiro Hayama
  • Publication number: 20130212605
    Abstract: There is provided a disk device that prevents entering of foreign matters, and that forms an opening/closing lid using an inclined surface of a front wall so that the disk device has a design according to which the thickness is not noticeable. A front wall 1a of an outer case 1 includes an inclined surface whose front part is inclined downward. An opening portion 1b is provided to the front wall 1a of the outer case 1, and a lid 2 that covers the opening portion 1b while allowing it to be opened or closed is provided. The lid 2 is configured to move, by rotating about a rotation shaft provided in a direction crossing a disk conveyance direction, between a closed lid position 2A in which the lid is flush with the inclined surface such that a disk insertion opening 1c is not exposed to the outside and an open lid position 2B in which the disk insertion opening 1c is exposed to the outside and a disk 200 is guided to the disk insertion opening 1c.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2011
    Publication date: August 15, 2013
    Inventors: Norikatsu Yoshida, Yasue Chihara, Masanori Ohnishi
  • Patent number: 8477509
    Abstract: A lightweight radio/CD player for vehicular application is virtually “fastenerless” and includes a case and frontal interface formed of polymer based material that is molded to provide details to accept audio devices such as playback mechanisms (if desired) and radio receivers, as well as the circuit boards required for electrical control and display. The case and frontal interface are of composite structure, including an insert molded electrically conductive wire mesh screen that has been pre-formed to contour with the molding operation. The wire mesh provides EMC, RFI, BCI and ESD shielding and grounding of the circuit boards via exposed wire mesh pads and adjacent ground clips. The PCB architecture is bifurcated into a first board carrying common circuit components in a surface mount configuration suitable for high volume production, and a second board carrying application specific circuit components in a wave soldered stick mount configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Chris R. Snider, Vineet Gupta, Michael G. Coady, Curtis Allen Stapert, Jeffrey T. Bell, Robert L. Vadas, Donald G. Moeschberger, Allen E. Oberlin, Edgar Glenn Hassler, Kip R. Piel, Tim A. Kenworthy, Paul A. Uglum, Michael E. Fye, Philip M. Scott
  • Publication number: 20130152110
    Abstract: The present application discloses an optical drive system, including: a cartridge with a wall portion which defines a storage room to store a rotatable record medium with a light receiving surface scanned by light; and a drive device with a rotary driver, which rotates the record medium, an optical element, which irradiates the light, and a movement driver, which moves the optical element between inner and outer positions. The wall portion is provided with an outlet at the outer position. Air in the storage room is exhausted from the outlet by air flow resulting from rotation of the record medium. The outlet is divided into first and second opening regions by a movement track of the optical element. The first opening region is larger than the second opening region at an upstream position of the first opening region in a rotational direction of the record medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2012
    Publication date: June 13, 2013
    Inventors: Hideki Nakata, Kousei Sano
  • Patent number: 8464282
    Abstract: An optical disc apparatus, presenting recording quality without degradation by an extreme temperature rise in an objective-lens drive mechanism in an optical pickup, includes a mechanical chassis on which a disc rotation mechanism, an optical pickup, and a transfer mechanism are mounted, a decorative plate that is a plate-shaped member located between the disc and the optical pickup and fixed on the mechanical chassis, a disc tray for loading and removing the disc, a circuit board for operation control, and an apparatus housing containing the components. A recess is formed in an indented shape in a portion of the mechanical chassis facing an outer peripheral region of the disc recording surface. An incline is formed in a position close to an opening of the disc tray for mounting the mechanical chassis and opposite the outer peripheral region of the disc recording surface, and slopes gently down to the recess.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignees: Hitachi Consumer Electronics Co., Ltd., Hitachi-LG Data Storage, Inc.
    Inventors: Takayuki Fujimoto, Makoto Ibe, Seiji Hamaie, Nozomu Harada, Shinya Asano, Yoshiaki Yamauchi
  • Patent number: 8422351
    Abstract: An optical disc apparatus records information onto plural disc shaped mediums of different standards or reproduces information from the plural disc shaped mediums. The optical disc apparatus includes an optical pickup equipped with a spherical aberration correcting unit using a movable lens, and a disc insertion unit for inserting and ejecting the disc shaped mediums. The spherical aberration correcting unit starts the movement of the movable lens to an initial position while the disc insertion unit inserts or ejects the disc shaped medium. As such, the present invention discloses the optical disc apparatus with a reduced disc recognition time for improving user convenience and a driving method thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi-LG Data Storage, Inc.
    Inventor: Hideki Maruyama
  • Patent number: 8365209
    Abstract: An optical disc drive is disclosed. The optical disc drive comprises a housing including an upper housing and a lower housing; and a herringbone pattern that is protruded toward the inner space of the housing on the inner surface of the upper housing and causes an air flow generated by the rotation of an optical disc to be switched to the direction of the optical disc. The herringbone pattern comprises at least one inflection point, and makes an acute angle at the inflection point relative to the direction of the air flow formed along the inner surface of the upper housing. Accordingly, the optical disc can be stably chucked and rotated by switching the air flow generated by the rotation of the optical disc to the direction of the optical disc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi-LG Data Storage Korea, Inc.
    Inventors: Jaesung Lee, Moonho Choi, Seunghon Yoo, Yoonchul Rhim, Hyeonggi Kim
  • Patent number: 8205220
    Abstract: An optical disc drive to prevent entry of dust through a front side of a tray and includes a housing including a first opening, a shielding member disposed to shield the first opening at a distance from a front side of the housing, and including a second opening, and a tray inserted in the first and the second openings to shield the second opening and loaded into and unloaded from the housing. Thus, since sponge or padding is not dedicatedly used, cost can be saved. In addition, since the manufacturing process is simplified, productivity can be improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: SAMSUNG Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tae Myun Kim, Jae Yong Eum, Hong Kyun Yim
  • Publication number: 20120102508
    Abstract: A disk drive that includes a noise reduction unit, and a method of reducing noise by using the disk drive. The disk drive includes a main chassis; a tray operatively coupled to the main chassis such that the tray is slidable relative to the main chassis, the tray including a disk accommodation portion configured to accommodate a storage medium such that the storage medium is rotatable relative to the disk accommodation portion; and a noise reduction unit configured to reduce a pressure concentration on an end portion of the storage medium as the storage medium rotates to reduce noise.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2011
    Publication date: April 26, 2012
    Inventors: Min-shik Roh, Se-yoon Kim, Bo-won Hwang, Byung-yeob Park, Dong-ha Jung, Ji-won Jung, Min-seok Ha
  • Patent number: 8132192
    Abstract: In a prior art slim-type high speed rotation optical disk apparatus, the side wall of the bottom chassis is bent at a bending point toward the side of the optical disk according to the configuration of the corner air window section of the chassis. According to the present invention, this bent side wall is formed so as to have a first vertical wall which is adjacent to the bending point and a second vertical wall which is adjacent to and lower than the first vertical wall. This constitutes an L-shaped vertical wall in the air window section of the bottom chassis, resulting in reduced noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi-LG Data Storage, Inc.
    Inventors: Seiji Hamaie, Nozomu Harada, Shinya Asano
  • Publication number: 20110304973
    Abstract: An optical drive dust guard can include an elongated strip of silicone having a front surface, a back surface and an adhesive along one of the surfaces, an elongated slit formed along and through a center portion of the elongated strip, and one or more elongated notches formed along the elongated strip. The elongated notches result in at least a portion of the elongated strip becoming hinged to another portion of the elongated strip about the notches, so as to allow a hinged frontwards or backwards passage of an optical media therethrough. The elongated slit can be formed after the silicone dust guard is already installed in the host device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2010
    Publication date: December 15, 2011
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Houtan R. Farahani, Matthew D. Rohrbach
  • Patent number: 8063533
    Abstract: An electronic device having a piezoelectric pump. The electronic device includes: an audio input section; an audio recording section recording input sound from the audio input section; a piezoelectric pump cooling air by a piezoelectric element; a drive circuit driving the piezoelectric element; and a control circuit monitoring and controlling operation of the audio input section, the audio recording section, and the drive circuit, wherein when an operation mode being monitored is an audio recording mode, in which the input sound is used for recording by the audio recording section, the control circuit controls the drive circuit to decrease the amount of air flow exhausted outside from the piezoelectric pump, and when the operation mode being monitored is another mode without audio recording, the control circuit maintains the amount of the air flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Keiji Osano
  • Publication number: 20110239236
    Abstract: An optical disc drive is disclosed. The optical disc drive comprises an optical pickup base including an optical pickup movable in the radius direction of an optical disc; and a main base holding the optical pickup base, wherein the main base comprises a guide rib protruding from the main base and guiding the air flow generated by the rotation of the optical disc to the optical pickup. Further, the optical pickup comprises an air spoiler for preventing contamination of an objective lens included in the optical pickup. The optical disc drive is able to control the temperature of an optical pickup unit by guiding the air flow generated by the rotation of an optical disc to the optical pickup. Moreover, the optical disc drive can reduce contamination of the objective lens of the optical pickup due to the air flow generated by the rotation of the optical disc.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2011
    Publication date: September 29, 2011
    Applicant: HITACHI-LG DATA STORAGE KOREA, INC.
    Inventor: Jaesung LEE
  • Publication number: 20110239237
    Abstract: An optical disc drive is disclosed. The optical disc drive comprises a housing including an upper housing and a lower housing; and a herringbone pattern that is protruded toward the inner space of the housing on the inner surface of the upper housing and causes an air flow generated by the rotation of an optical disc to be switched to the direction of the optical disc. The herringbone pattern comprises at least one inflection point, and makes an acute angle at the inflection point relative to the direction of the air flow formed along the inner surface of the upper housing. Accordingly, the optical disc can be stably chucked and rotated by switching the air flow generated by the rotation of the optical disc to the direction of the optical disc.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2011
    Publication date: September 29, 2011
    Applicant: HITACHI-LG DATA STORAGE KOREA, INC.
    Inventors: Jaesung LEE, Moonho CHOI, Seunghon YOO, Yoonchul RHIM, Hyeonggi KIM
  • Publication number: 20110202938
    Abstract: This disk device includes a rotating portion holding and rotating a disk and a cover member provided to cover a surface of the disk, while the cover member includes a protrusion protruding from a lower surface of the cover member toward the disk, and the protrusion has a substantially sectorial shape including a pair of side portions broadening from a portion closer to a rotation center axis of the rotating portion toward a radial outer side and an outer periphery in plan view.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2011
    Publication date: August 18, 2011
    Applicant: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazumasa NASU, Kazutoshi Takemi
  • Patent number: 7966629
    Abstract: An optical disc device includes a conductive member of a bezel assembly with openings formed by a plurality of parting lines, and gaskets are attached to the upper and lower sides of the conductive member using conductive adhesion bond.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2011
    Assignee: Toshiba Samsung Storage Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Iwama, Takashi Ishii, Kunio Omi, Tsuneo Suzuki, Kouzou Ohno
  • Publication number: 20110072445
    Abstract: An optical drive includes a drive chassis and a front panel. The drive chassis includes a single sleeve unit having a top panel, a first side panel, a second side panel, a bottom panel, and a back panel. The single sleeve unit is a single piece of material such that the top panel, the first side panel, the second side panel, the bottom panel, and the back panel are continuous. Additionally, the single piece of material is bent at an intersection of each of the top, first side, second side, bottom, and back panels. The front panel is snap fitted onto the top panel, the first side panel, the second side panel, and the bottom panel of the single sleeve unit of the drive chassis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2009
    Publication date: March 24, 2011
    Applicant: DELL PRODUCTS, LP
    Inventors: Quoc Hoai Nguyen, William Barclay
  • Patent number: 7911732
    Abstract: A sealed head disk assembly has a base casting for providing attachment points for the major components of the head disk assembly. The base casting has a semi-hermetic seal encompassing an outer perimeter of the base casting and allows the semi-hermetic seal to be juxtaposed to at least one complementary surface on the cover. The cover for enclosing the major components of the head disk assembly has a hermetic seal outside a perimeter of the complementary surface for the semi-hermetic seal thus allowing the hermetic seal to be juxtaposed to at least one complementary surface on the base casting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies, Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Michael R. Hatchett, Kirk Price
  • Patent number: 7836463
    Abstract: An optical disk drive which includes a main frame, an upper case coupled to an upper portion of the main frame, and a tray slidably installed on the main frame to carry a disk. The optical disk drive also includes a plurality of projections arranged on at least a top surface of the tray to remove dust contained in air flowing inside the optical disk drive, and a dust adsorbing filter is attached to a surface of each of the projections to adsorb and/or collect dust contained in air passing through an area where the projections are arranged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Myung-ryul Choi, Young-won Lee, Jae-soo Lee
  • Patent number: 7757301
    Abstract: A storage device assembly includes a sealed housing having a base and a cover. A storage medium is disposed within the sealed housing. A security feature within the housing is adapted to damage at least a portion of the storage medium if the sealed housing is opened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Michael Miller, Zine-Eddine Boutaghou
  • Publication number: 20100115539
    Abstract: An optical disk drive, which includes a main frame, an upper case coupled to an upper portion of the main frame, a tray slidably installed on the main frame, having a door, and adapted to carry a disk, and a front panel coupled to a front end portion of the main frame and having an aperture through which the tray passes, including an air discharging passage between the main frame and the front panel to discharge air and dust introduced into the optical disk drive through a gap between the door and the front panel to an outside of the optical disk drive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2009
    Publication date: May 6, 2010
    Applicant: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Myung-ryul Choi, Young-won Lee, Jae-soo Lee
  • Patent number: 7707595
    Abstract: To provide a disk drive capable of being prevented from rattling due to vibrations by a motor or eccentricity of a disk, support arms formed at both sides of a U-shaped traverse holder of a traverse unit have ribs protruding therefrom. Shaft portions protrude outward from front ends of the arms while bearing portions are provided on sidewalls of a chassis. The bearing portion has an axial hole formed in the side wall and a flexibly deformable, resilient arm extending forward spaced from the sidewall by a given distance, the axial hole having a front portion and a rear portion, the front portion being smaller in height than the rear portion, and the height of the front portion of the axial hole being slightly larger than outside diameter of the shaft portions. The shaft portions are fitted in the axial holes. The ribs are squeezed within the resilient arms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: Orion Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takeshi Makino
  • Patent number: 7681211
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a mechanism for guiding airflows within an optical disc drive, in which the optical disc drive comprises a chassis having a side wall and a tray for loading or unloading a disc. The guide mechanism of the present invention includes at least one guide passage which is protruded outwardly from the side wall of the chassis and has two guiding oblique surfaces at its both ends. Further, the guide passage is positioned on an extended line of a diameter of the disc normal to the side wall of the chassis. The airflows produced by the revolving disc is guided to flow through the guide passage. According to the guide mechanism the shocks, jarring, and noise of the optical disc drive is minimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Lite-On It Corporation
    Inventors: Wen Hong Wang, Jui Nan Chuang, Jeng Jiun Chen, Yu Feng Chien
  • Patent number: 7644418
    Abstract: An optical disk drive, which includes a main frame, an upper case coupled to an upper portion of the main frame, a tray slidably installed on the main frame, having a door, and adapted to carry a disk, and a front panel coupled to a front end portion of the main frame and having an aperture through which the tray passes, including an air discharging passage between the main frame and the front panel to discharge air and dust introduced into the optical disk drive through a gap between the door and the front panel to an outside of the optical disk drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Myung-ryul Choi, Young-won Lee, Jae-soo Lee
  • Patent number: 7640558
    Abstract: Increases in the data transfer rates of optical disc drives have resulted in problems such as increases in optical disc vibrations due to higher rotation speeds or increases in heat generation due to increases in the output of motors for rotating the optical discs and in the output of laser diodes. To solve such problems, an optical pickup is provided with an air duct therein, and a space that is formed between the optical disc and a top case of a casing and that has negative pressure during rotation of the optical disc is connected to the air duct in the optical pickup via a tube, at least part of the tube being deformable. The optical pickup is cooled by the air flow through the air duct induced by pressure difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2009
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi-LG Data Storage, Inc.
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Isoshima, Takayuki Fujimoto, Yoshiaki Yamauchi, Seiichi Katou, Ikuo Nishida, Youichi Narui
  • Patent number: 7565667
    Abstract: A recording-medium driving apparatus includes a loading unit in which a removable recording medium is loaded, an access unit that accesses the recording medium loaded in the loading unit, a detector that detects the relationship between the recording medium and the loading unit, an air-direction adjustment controller that determines to which of the loading unit and the access unit air is sent, on the basis of the detection performed by the detector, and a blower that sends the air to one of the loading unit and the access unit on the basis of the determination made by the air-direction adjustment controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2009
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Takeshi Matsui
  • Patent number: 7565669
    Abstract: An optical disc drive include a turntable for mounting an optical disc, a driving unit rotating the turntable, and an optical disc heating member for heating a center portion of the optical disc. In the optical disc drive, an inner circumference temperature of the optical disc is maintained to be higher than a peripheral temperature of the optical disc by at least 50° C. According to this, a growth of a crack generated at a periphery of a hole of the optical disc is restrained thereby to effectively prevent a damage of the optical disc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2009
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Jong-Man Kim, Hyo-Kune Hwang, Byung-Ju Dan, Nam-Woong Kim
  • Patent number: 7565668
    Abstract: An optical disc apparatus includes a cage, a frame, a main body, a circuit board, and an electrical connector. The frame is received in the cage and includes a first chamber and a second chamber. The first chamber and the second chamber are separated from each other. The main body is installed in the first chamber of the frame and is adapted for reproducing information from the optical disc. The circuit board is attached to the frame. The electrical connector is installed on the circuit board and is received in the second chamber of the frame. The electrical connector is capable of outputting reproduced information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2009
    Assignees: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (ShenZhen) Co., Ltd., Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Bin-Hai Guo
  • Patent number: 7559069
    Abstract: A tray unit is slidably attached to a frame. The tray unit comprises a disc tray which slides with respect to the frame, and a pickup unit supported by a damper to the disc tray. The pickup unit includes a shutter for closing an opening through which an optical pickup is exposed when the disc tray is drawn out of the frame. The shutter is opened or closed according to a condition of contact between a tip of a shutter opening/closing lever projecting from a side wall of the disc tray and a cam fixed on the frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2009
    Assignee: TEAC Corporation
    Inventor: Naotoka Sekita
  • Patent number: 7555759
    Abstract: To provide an optical pickup device and optical disk device which can have a sufficient heat radiating effect without a new member for radiating heat, an optical pickup device includes a laser light source that emits laser light onto an optical disk; a power supply that supplies electric power to the laser light source; an upper surface cover that has a first opening section which introduces the wind generated by the rotation of the optical disk toward the power supply and that covers the power supply; and a side surface that is provided with a second opening section which discharges the wind introduced from the first opening section through the power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2009
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuyuki Matsumura
  • Patent number: 7538972
    Abstract: Internally replenished gas-containing enclosures are described. Such enclosures include a replenishing gas source internal to the enclosure, wherein the gas source comprises a gas contained within a permeable membrane. Exemplary gas sources include a plurality of bubbles and pouches. Materials useful for the permeable membrane include glass, glass ceramics, metals, metal oxides, polymeric films, as well as combinations of such materials. The gas source may be located within the enclosure or it may be incorporated into a resin (e.g., an adhesive or a gasket) positioned between sections of an enclosure. Methods of internally replenishing an enclosure are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2009
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Ellen Burts-Cooper, Robert C. Fitzer, Daniel B. Pendergrass, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7536700
    Abstract: A disc drive unit capable of preventing occurrence of errors in a recording system such as a CD or a DVD, using an optical head for recording data on a disc or reproducing data recorded on the disc. A disc tray is adapted to accommodate the disc, and load and unload the disc. A top cover is arranged above the disc. The top cover is formed therein with a concave and convex part for avoiding positioning a node of each of vibration modes (0, n) (where n=2, 3, 4) caused by a critical rotating speed of the disc, at a position right above the optical head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi-LG Data Storage, Inc.
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Yamauchi, Keiji Sasao, Ikuo Nishida, Hisahiro Miki, Kouhei Takita
  • Patent number: 7530082
    Abstract: A disk recording and/or reproducing apparatus includes a main body, a cover, a closable opening, at least one disrupting portion and at least one guiding portion. The main body includes a motor being accommodated therein for rotating a disk. The cover is coupled with the main body. The opening is defined between the cover and the main body for the disk to be loaded therethrough. The disrupting portion protrudes from the cover towards the main body for disrupting airflow generated by the rotating disk. The guiding portion protrudes from the cover towards the main body for guiding the airflow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2009
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chin-Chia Chang
  • Publication number: 20090013341
    Abstract: A lens holder for an optical pickup comprising: a holding portion for holding an objective lens which concentrates a light beam on a recording surface of an optical recording medium; a protector for preventing the collision between the optical recording medium and the objective lens; a protector placing surface on which the protector is placed. The protector placing surface has on its partial region a protruding portion which protrudes outward, and a part of the protector which is placed on the protector placing surface and formed of a resin sheet protrudes along the protruding portion except the circumferential portion of the protector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2008
    Publication date: January 8, 2009
    Inventors: Sotaro Hayashi, Yuichi Kamioka
  • Patent number: 7475411
    Abstract: A cleaner (C1) for an magneto-optical disk device includes a cartridge (4), a disk (1), an adhesive sheet (2) stuck to the disk (1), a clamping disk (3), and a shutter (5). The clamping disk (3) is stored rotatable in the cartridge (4), and the disk (1) is fixed to the cartridge (4) at a position apart from the clamping disk (3). By this means, it becomes possible to safely clean an optical head (17). Also, dust can be prevented from scattering to the magneto-optical disk device (P1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2009
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Kiyoto Matsui, Tohru Fujimaki
  • Publication number: 20080301724
    Abstract: A disk recording and/or reproducing device includes a disk tray having a concave disk housing portion for putting in and taking out a disk-like recording medium; a tray housing case supporting the disk tray so as to be movable in a direction in which the disk tray is inserted and ejected; and a disk cover mounted to the tray housing case and covering over the disk housing portion of the disk tray when the disk tray is housed in the tray housing case. The disk cover includes an annular contact portion at an outer periphery thereof, extending outwardly and continuous in a circumferential direction thereof, a dimension of a width of the annular contact portion is larger than that of a thickness of the disk cover, and the annular contact portion is brought into contact with an entire periphery of the disk housing portion of the disk tray.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2008
    Publication date: December 4, 2008
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Takeharu Takasawa
  • Patent number: 7457226
    Abstract: A heat source having a device emitting heat, a case protecting and supporting the device, and a thermoelectric element absorbing the heat emitted from the device and dissipating the heat to an outside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2008
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Won-Ik Cho, Pyong-yong Seong, Dong-ryeol Lee, Ki-bok Kim
  • Patent number: 7448052
    Abstract: A protection device for the optical recording/reproducing apparatus includes at least one cover, a front panel fixed to the cover at a front opening, and at least one blocking strip extending down from a front of the cover. A clasping portion defining a first clasping hole extends from a front of the cover. A first latch engageable in the first clasping hole is formed on the front panel. The blocking strip prevents debris of an optical disk from flying out and causing damage to the optical recording/reproducing apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2008
    Assignees: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd., Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Li-Ming Wan, Bin-Hai Guo
  • Patent number: 7441256
    Abstract: An optical disk drive, which includes a main frame, an upper case coupled to an upper portion of the main frame, a tray slidably installed on the main frame, having a door, and adapted to carry a disk, and a front panel coupled to a front end portion of the main frame and having an aperture through which the tray passes, including an air discharging passage between the main frame and the front panel to discharge air and dust introduced into the optical disk drive through a gap between the door and the front panel to an outside of the optical disk drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Myung-ryul Choi, Young-won Lee, Jae-soo Lee
  • Publication number: 20080244630
    Abstract: A DVD data drive (2) includes a disc drive housing (4) that includes a DVD cartridge (16) and an optical pick-up unit (10) joined to the DVD cartridge (16) such that sensitive parts of the OPU (10) may extend within the DVD cartridge (16) and are shielded from the inner environment (6) of the disc drive housing (4). A fan (22) and air inlet provide (20) for cooling the OPU (10) and DVD cartridge (16) by the forced convection of unfiltered cooling air directed through the disc drive housing (4). The OPU (10) and DVD cartridge (16) are joined by a dust seal (30) that ensures that the cooling air directed through the disc drive housing (4) is shielded from sensitive parts of the OPU (10) which remains dust-free.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2005
    Publication date: October 2, 2008
    Applicant: Koninklijke Philips Electronic, N.V.
    Inventors: Roland Arthur Van Es, Gerardus J.C. Van Miert
  • Patent number: 7430750
    Abstract: An optical disc drive including a main frame in which a turntable is provided; a tray on which the optical disc is mounted and which is slidable in the main frame; a cover, which covers a top surface of the main frame and includes a clamper to fix the optical disc in the turntable; and a noise reducer, which is disposed in the cover and causes air generated by rotation of the optical disc circulate from an inner circumference to an outer circumference of the optical disc and from the outer circumference to the inner circumference thereof, thereby reducing noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2008
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sang-yun Lee, Myung-ryul Choi, Eun-hyoung Cho, Suk-il Oh
  • Patent number: 7428741
    Abstract: In an optical storage, a base is defined in a bottom of a space which receives a disk. A drive unit is mounted on the base for turning the disk around a drive axis. A shroud is defined in a side of the space, and a cover is defined in a top of the space. The cover has a slanted line extended from a central portion of the cover toward the shroud at an upward inclination with respect to a disk plane when seen in a cross-section taken along a line perpendicular to the disk plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2008
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Joong El Kim, Jun Kun Choi
  • Patent number: 7428122
    Abstract: An assembly structure low in height and suitable for downsizing and for high hermeticity sealing in a micro hard disk drive is provided. Burrings projecting toward a top cover and having an internal thread cut are formed on a base plate where the top cover is screw-fastened to the base plate, the base plate accommodating a functional unit such as a disk and a head. Burrings are formed extendedly upward on flat portions of recesses at certain corners of the top cover. These burrings have a diameter larger than that of the burrings of the base plate. The burrings of the base plate are fitted into the burrings to be screw-fastened with top cover fastening screws. After attaching the top cover to the base plate, a covering seal is applied to cover the respective top faces of the top cover, base plate, and the top cover screws.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2008
    Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Shinichi Kimura, Hiroki Kitahori, Hirofumi Nozaki
  • Publication number: 20080229346
    Abstract: The invention relates to a disk drive unit for use in a device for reading and/or writing data on a disk. It comprises a housing (2, 5, 6) which accommodates a disk drive (3, 8-12, 14-17) and a tray (4, 7, 13) for disk transport into and from the housing (2, 5, 6). The tray (4, 7, 13) is movable through an opening (5) in a wall (6) of the housing (2, 5, 6) between an opened position and a closed position. The disk drive (3, 8-12, 14-17) comprises a turntable (8-10) to rotate the disk around a turntable axis (10) and a pickup unit (11), which is mounted to a sledge (11, 12, 14). The sledge (11, 12, 14) is movable within an opening (13) in the tray (4, 7, 13) substantially in radial direction with respect to the turntable axis (10) so as to allow the pickup unit (11) to read and/or write data on the disk.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2006
    Publication date: September 18, 2008
    Applicant: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS, N.V.
    Inventor: Pippinus Maarten Robertus Wortelboer
  • Patent number: 7426740
    Abstract: An optical recording/reproducing apparatus includes a frame defining a space therein to receive operational components of said apparatus, a tray movably received in said space for accepting an optical disc therein; an upper cover attached to said frame beside said space so as to have said accepted optical disc sandwiched between said cover and said tray in said space; a front panel attached to said frame beside said cover and said space, and having an opening formed in a moving path of said tray to have said tray movable through said opening; and a blocking strip firmly attached to said frame and separate from said cover and said panel, a lower edge of said blocking strip is nearly close with a top surface of the tray, said blocking strip extending beside said moving path of said tray along a direction essentially perpendicular to said moving path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2008
    Assignees: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (Shenxhen) Co., Ltd., Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Bin-Hai Guo, Li-Ming Wan, Zhi-Guo Chen
  • Patent number: 7421720
    Abstract: An optical disk device includes: an optical disk drive mechanism disposed in a housing-shape drive case (2), the optical disk drive mechanism including an optical head (7) on which a semiconductor laser (5) is mounted, a rotary driver for driving an optical disk (8), and a transfer mechanism for transferring the optical head (7); and an agitating fan (12) for making air in the drive case (2) flow. In the optical disk device, a wind path is formed so that the air in the drive case (2) flows in a manner in which it is drawn toward an agitating fan (12) side and the drawn air is discharged toward the optical head (7) or the semiconductor laser (5) by rotation of the agitating fan (12). Therefore, a rise in temperature of the semiconductor laser (5) can be suppressed effectively, while the dust proofing is ensured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2008
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kanji Wakabayashi, Masuo Maruyama, Yoshito Saji