Abstract: A lens driving device includes: a lens carrier for fixing a lens barrel to the inside thereof; a driving unit for moving the lens carrier along the optical axis direction of the lens barrel; and an upper leaf spring and a lower leaf spring attached to the lens carrier in a manner that a surface of the each upper leaf spring and lower leaf spring is oriented orthogonal to the optical axis direction at an upper part and a lower part of the lens carrier and so that the lens carrier is supported in a manner to move freely in the optical axis direction of the lens barrel; wherein the lens carrier has an opening through which the lens barrel can be inserted from the direction intersecting the optical axis direction of the lens barrel.

Abstract: A suspension system is provided for an objective lens housing. The objective lens housing is supported by the suspension system and is moved in either a tracking direction Y or focusing direction Z by an electro-magnetic actuator. The objective lens housing is supported by upper and lower suspension springs. The suspension springs are moveable in the tracking direction by flexing the suspension springs and are moveable in a focusing direction by compressing a front portion and a back portion to fold the suspension spring at bends formed in an intermediate portion of the suspension springs.

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.

Abstract: An optical pickup, having an optical pickup housing made of resin, for maintaining the heat radiation performance or capacity of a semiconductor laser, also an objective lens driving mechanism, and further a driver IC for the semiconductor laser, while keeping small-size and light-weight thereof, comprises a pickup housing, in which an optical part and a semiconductor laser are fixed; an objective lens, which is attached within the pickup housing; and an objective lens driving mechanism, which is configured to drive the objective lens, further comprising: a metal-made bottom cover, which is configured to cover a lower surface of the pickup housing and a side surface of an inner periphery of an optical disc, wherein the metal-made bottom cover and the semiconductor laser are thermally connected with each other.

Abstract: Provided is an actuator for a pickup, in which end parts of a plurality of suspensions (550A to 550F) of five or more are positioned on a virtual circle (X) formed on a plane by being projected onto the plane including both a focusing direction and a tracking direction. A rolling center (O) defined as a center of the virtual circle (X) is made to coincide with all three, two, or one of a center (Os) of the gravity of a lens holder (600), a center (Os) of the drive force of the lens holder (600), and a center (Os) of the translational force of the suspensions (550A to 550F). Since the rolling center (O) coincides with all three, two, or one of those centers (Os), a rotational moment is not generated on the lens holder (600) and, therefore, generation of unnecessary resonance can be prevented.

Abstract: An information processing device is provided. The device includes an upper enclosure; a lower enclosure which supports the upper enclosure with a varied attitude and on which the upper enclosure may be superposed; a disk drive device stored in the upper or lower enclosure and having a disk mounting part on which a disk-shaped recording medium is detachably mounted; and an enclosure moving mechanism setting a disk storage region to have a first thickness with the upper enclosure allowed to have a distance from the lower enclosure when the disk drive device is used and setting the disk storage region to have a second thickness smaller than the first thickness with the upper enclosure allowed to come close to the lower enclosure to reduce the disk storage region when the disk drive device is not used.

Abstract: Provided is an actuator for a pickup, in which end parts of a plurality of suspensions (550A to 550F) of five or more are positioned on a virtual circle (X) formed on a plane by being projected onto the plane including both a focusing direction and a tracking direction. A rolling center (O) defined as a center of the virtual circle (X) is made to coincide with all three, two, or one of a center (Os) of the gravity of a lens holder (600), a center (Os) of the drive force of the lens holder (600), and a center (Os) of the translational force of the suspensions (550A to 550F). Since the rolling center (O) coincides with all three, two, or one of those centers (Os), a rotational moment is not generated on the lens holder (600) and, therefore, generation of unnecessary resonance can be prevented.

Abstract: A lens drive apparatus for use in an optical pick-up apparatus, in which a bending mirror reflects an incident light flux from a light source and an objective lens converges the reflected light flux onto an optical disc through an objective lens, the lens drive apparatus includes: a base; a holder which holds the objective lens, being capable of moving with respect to the base; a pair of coils provided to interpose the objective lens held by the holder; and a pair of magnets attached to the base to face the pair of coils, respectively. The holder includes at least one surface which faces the incident light flux from the light source, among surfaces opposing to the pair of magnets, is shifted inwardly with respect to a surface of the holder that is close to the objective lens.

Abstract: An optical pickup device includes an objective lens (1) for focusing a light flux onto an information layer of a disk-shaped medium, an objective lens driving unit that drives the objective lens (1) in a focus servo direction and in a tracking servo direction, a correction lens (14) disposed on the same optical axis as the objective lens (1), and a correction lens driving unit that drives the correction lens (14) in the same direction as the focus servo direction to control the condition of the light flux incident on the objective lens.

Abstract: The invention can obtain an excellent linear property in a focusing direction and a tracking direction and can obtain a stable operation, in an objective lens driving means of an optical pickup. In an optical pickup reading and writing an information with respect to an optical disc by using an objective lens, a movable portion mounting the objective lens thereon is supported by a support member constituted by a pair of flexible printed circuit boards respectively curved in opposite directions in a parallel direction to an optical axis of the objective lens so as to be movable with respect to a fixed portion, in both side surfaces of the movable portion facing with holding the objective lens therebetween.

Abstract: An optical pickup actuator including a multi-conductive suspension. The optical pickup actuator may include a base, a holder fixed to the base, a bobbin holding an object lens and having a plurality of driving coils, and a plurality of suspensions connected between the bobbin and the holder and movably supporting the bobbin toward the holder, wherein each of the suspensions may be a multi-conductive suspension including a flexible substrate and a plurality of wires, formed on the flexible substrate, applying currents to the coils.

Abstract: In order to obtain a preferred recording/reproducing characteristic in an apparatus for optical disks having higher density, an objective lens drive is provided for driving an objective lens (1) in the optical axis direction, a direction perpendicular to the optical axis, and a tilting direction along the radius of an optical disk, by which operating sensitivity is improved and a stable operating characteristic is realized. Sections of two (7b, 7e) of six fixing portions (7a to 7f) for supporting six support members (6a to 6f) which support a movable part (5), are set lower in stiffness than another sections of the other four fixing portions (7a, 7c, 7d, 7f), thereby improving the operating sensitivity of the movable part (5) and stabilizing the operation of the movable part (5).

Abstract: An optical pickup device comprises a semiconductor laser that causes outgoing of laser beam used for reproduction and recording of information on an optical disk, and an objective lens that conducts the laser beam outgoing from the semiconductor laser to the optical disk. The objective lens is driven by a yoke, a focusing coil, a tracking coil, etc. These elements are accommodated in a pickup housing. First and second bearing portions supporting the pickup housing to make the same movable are attached to the pickup housing and arranged on both sides with the objective lens therebetween. The yoke is thermally connected to the first bearing portion positioned on an opposite side of the yoke to the semiconductor laser.

Abstract: In an objective lens driving apparatus which includes a lens holder (22) provided with a plurality of coils (23, 24) and swingably supported by a suspension wire (28), and a magnet (27) for supplying a driving force to the lens holder by an electromagnetic action produced between the magnet and the coils, the center (Mc) of the magnet in a height direction is located above the center (Dc) of driving of the lens holder.

Abstract: An optical pickup apparatus is described which includes a movable unit with an objective lens, a focus servo coil for moving the moveable unit containing the objective lens in the optical-axis direction, and tracking servo coils for moving the moveable unit containing the objective lens in the horizontal directions, and a liquid crystal element disposed for correcting the refractive index. Springs simultaneously provide support for the moveable unit and feed power to the liquid crystal element, the focus servo coil, and the tracking servo coils. A method for making said optical pickup apparatus is described. Two sheets, each having four springs extending across an opening formed by punching, are disposed parallel to each other at a predetermined distance. On these sheets, a fixed unit and a movable unit are formed by insert-molding. Excess portions of the metal sheets are removed, and a through-hole is formed so that connected portions of the wirings, lying side by side, are disconnected.

Abstract: A lens module using electromagnetic force to drive the focus-adjusting lens is disclosed. The lens module includes a base, two steel plates, four springs, a bottom plate, a lens holder, a coil, a lens, a top plate, two magnets, a magnet housing and a top cover. The lens holder, the coil and the top plate are disposed outside the circumference of the lens to form a linked body and the coil is clipped between the lens holder and the top plate so as to reduce diameter and volume of the coil. By the two arc magnets disposed on right and left sides of the coil instead of general circular magnets, volume of the magnets is reduced. By the four springs vertically hooked between four corners of two steel plates respectively and four corresponding brackets of the lens holder, the lens is provided with axial traction for focus adjustment. Therefore, the lens with smaller volume moves steadily to adjust the focus.

Abstract: An optical pick-up device having cheap and simple structure capable of precisely positioning members assembled upon an actuator base makes use of respective flush screw members for a magnet holder and for a printed-circuit board eccentrically positioned between an actuator base and a magnet holder, together with between the printed-circuit board and the support member. The flush screw member is inserted through the holder hole, firmly secured into the screw hole, and thereby prevents the pick-up device from being loosened, because of being provided with a predetermined eccentric distance between center axles of the screw hole and the holder hole. Likewise, a triangle-shape opening of the printed-circuit board is adapted to receive the board flush screw, so that a slant tapered surface of a board flush head of the board flush screw acts as an eccentrically fastener for fixture and positioning of the support member and the printed-circuit board.

Abstract: An optical disk drive includes an optical pick-up unit having a fixed part with at least a light source, and a movable part mounted on a guide. The movable part includes a mirror, a focusing lens, and lens-moving elements. The movable part is adapted to move a focused beam along the disk. A single PCB is provided having a signal connection to the lens-moving elements on the movable part of the pick-up unit though flexible wires. The PCB serves as a mounting base for the fixed part of the optical pick-up unit, the guide, and the drive motor.

Abstract: A lens drive device in which a lens holder forming a moving unit and connection wires for connecting a plurality of drive coils electrically are integrally molded, and a method for manufacturing the lens drive device. This lens drive device is constructed to include: an actuator unit in which four wire-form elastic members made of a metal are molded integrally with the lens holder and an actuator base and in which connection wires for connecting a printed circuit board A coil and a printed circuit board B coil are integrally molded; and a suspension base having a pair of yokes fixing a pair of magnets arranged to confront each other through a predetermined magnetic space.

Abstract: The apparatus and methods of the present invention provide for a biaxial actuator, an optical pickup device, and an information optical processing device, in which the biaxial actuator is favorably mounted using a single structure. The mounting structure includes first fastening portions protruding from a bottom plate affixed to a substrate. Connecting portions are provided in the first fastening portions through first stress concentration points. The connecting portions are also provided in second fastening portions through second stress concentration points. A mounting portion is provided between the second fastening portions and yokes are formed on the bottom plate to establish a magnetic circuit. A fixing portion of the biaxial actuator is mounted on the mounting portion. By deforming each stress concentration point, a reference state of the objective lens can be determined at an arbitrary position.

Abstract: An optical actuator according to this invention includes a focusing lens for focusing a laser beam on a information disk, a lens holder for holding the focusing lens, a focusing coil for driving the focusing lens in an axial direction of the laser beam, a tracking coil for driving the focusing lens in a radial direction of the information disk, a tilting coil for pivotally rotating the focusing lens on an axis along the tangential direction of the disk and a pair of supporting members each disposed on each opposing sides of the lens holder. Each of the supporting members having at least three fixing elements disposed in an approximately circular arc, and a plurality of linear elastic members are connected to each of the fixing elements.

Abstract: An optical pickup device includes a lens for projecting a light onto a recording medium, a lens holder elastically supported by a frame and holding said lens, an actuator mounted in and driving said lens holder, and a weight part balanced with a weight of said actuator.

Abstract: A light emitting unit A includes a base member 1, a holder 3 for holding a laser diode 7 and a coupling tool 5 which is a leaf spring material. A pair of circular surfaces 32, 32 of the holder 3 are respectively abutted on a pair of flat surfaces 14, 14 of the base member 1 on the overlapping place of the base member 1 and the holder 3. The center axis line of the circular surfaces 32, 32 coincides with a center axis line O passing the light emission point P of the laser diode 7. Projected pieces 55, 55 of the coupling tool are elastically contacted with the laser diode at the back of the center axis line O.

Abstract: In an objective lens driving device for an optical disk, a plurality of elastic supporting members supporting an objective lens have bent portions bent approximately in the focus direction and are arranged in parallel approximately in the focus direction to cause expansion/contraction of the elastic supporting members in the direction offsetting a moment M. With this structure, a tilt correction method of the movable portion, a tilt correction method of an objective lens for an optical disk, and an objective lens driving device for an optical disk can be provided capable of reducing the size of the movable portion, minimizing tilt of the objective lens in the focus direction to provide enhanced optical performance, and restraining a resonance peak by the elastic supporting members.

Abstract: In high-speed high-density recording, heat generation becomes a problem as high-frequency modulation and a strong magnetic field of a magnetic head are realized. A transducer supporting structure is provided including a thermally coupling contact portion extended from a part of a suspension and brought into contact with a magnetic core. Heat generated in a coil is dissipated to the suspension via the magnetic core and the thermally coupling contact portion.

Abstract: The apparatus and methods of the present invention provide for a biaxial actuator, an optical pickup device, and an information optical processing device, in which the biaxial actuator is favorably mounted using a single structure. The mounting structure includes first fastening portions protruding from a bottom plate affixed to a substrate. Connecting portions are provided in the first fastening portions through first stress concentration points. The connecting portions are also provided in second fastening portions through second stress concentration points. A mounting portion is provided between the second fastening portions and yokes are formed on the bottom plate to establish a magnetic circuit. A fixing portion of the biaxial actuator is mounted on the mounting portion. By deforming each stress concentration point, a reference state of the objective lens can be determined at an arbitrary position.

Abstract: A relay lens driving device provided in an optical head moves a relay lens in the direction of an optical axis thereof to correct a spherical aberration that may be caused by an error in the thickness of a cover layer of an optical disk. The relay lens driving mechanism has a lens to correct spherical aberrations, a lens holder which holds the lens, a first parallel plate spring which supports the lens holder at one end thereof, an intermediate member attached to the other end of the first parallel plate spring, a second parallel plate spring arranged to extend from the intermediate member to the lens holder to support the intermediate member at one end thereof, and a fixing member which fixes the other end of the second parallel plate spring.

Abstract: In high-speed high-density recording, heat generation becomes a problem as high-frequency modulation and strong magnetic field of a magnetic head are realized.