Having Centering Patents (Class 720/704)
  • Patent number: 8850462
    Abstract: A disk drive apparatus able to prevent jamming of a disk and abutting parts having a rotary table fit on a shaft of a brushless motor and carrying a disk and a centering part elastically biased in an axial direction away from a center hole of this rotary table and fit in a center through hole of the disk to center and hold the disk, the centering part having inelastic abutting parts sticking out from a center taper part in radial directions and abutting against an inner circumferential edge of the center through hole and having outer circumferential groove parts forming clearances from the inner circumferential edge between the inelastic abutting parts adjoining each other in the circumferential direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Nidec Corporation
    Inventor: Tsuyoshi Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 8826310
    Abstract: Disclosed is a spindle motor, the spindle motor including a turntable coupled to a rotating shaft and supporting the rotating shaft and a disc, a centering unit fitted over the rotating shaft and supporting an inner circumference of the disc, and a coil spring interposed between the turntable and the centering unit to elastically support the centering unit, wherein a first end of the coil spring is brought into contact with a spring hanging portion protruding from a side surface of the centering unit, and a second end opposite to the first end of the coil spring is supported by a spring support portion formed in the turntable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: LG Innotek Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yongjoo Kim
  • Patent number: 8726302
    Abstract: A spindle motor is disclosed, characterized by: a rotation shaft rotated by a stator and a rotor; a turn table rotated by the rotation shaft and accommodated by an optical disk; and a center cone moved along an axial direction of the rotation shaft for being brought into contact with an inner periphery of the optical disk to align a rotation center of the optical disk with a rotation center of the rotation shaft, wherein the center cone contacting the inner periphery of the optical disk is formed with a rise prevention unit configured to reduce a contact area with the inner periphery of the optical disk and to tightly contact the optical disk to the turn table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: LG Innotek Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jaehyun Park, Yongjoo Kim
  • Publication number: 20140068643
    Abstract: Disclosed is a spindle motor, the spindle motor including a turntable coupled to a rotating shaft and supporting the rotating shaft and a disc, a centering unit fitted over the rotating shaft and supporting an inner circumference of the disc, and a coil spring interposed between the turntable and the centering unit to elastically support the centering unit, wherein a first end of the coil spring is brought into contact with a spring hanging portion protruding from a side surface of the centering unit, and a second end opposite to the first end of the coil spring is supported by a spring support portion formed in the turntable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2013
    Publication date: March 6, 2014
    Applicant: LG INNOTEK CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yongjoo KIM
  • Publication number: 20140040925
    Abstract: A turn table of a spindle motor is provided, wherein an outer diameter of a vertical portion at the disk insertion unit facing an inner periphery of a small-diameter disk is smaller by 0.01% to 0.15% than the inner periphery of the small-diameter disk to enable a chucking of the small-diameter disk having an inner diameter of an inner periphery smaller than 15 mm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2013
    Publication date: February 6, 2014
    Applicant: LG INNOTEK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jae Hyun PARK, Cheong Un HAN
  • Patent number: 8490122
    Abstract: Provided are a disc chucking method of preventing mis-chucking from occurring according to a state and direction of a disc loaded onto a tray when the tray is closed, and a disc driving apparatus for performing the disc chucking method. The method include: opening a tray on which a disc in which a first magnet is installed is loadable; moving a feeding unit to a position where attraction between a second magnet installed in the feeding unit and the first magnet is relatively low; and if the tray is closed, placing a center of the disc in a turn table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jong-cheol Kim, Chung-ung Kim, Ki-ju Lee, Jong-jin Park, Dong-hwi Cho, Su-bong Bae
  • Patent number: 8438588
    Abstract: A turntable for a storage disk drive apparatus includes a plate member made of a ferromagnetic material and a central resin member arranged at the center of the plate member and formed into a single member by injection-molding a resin. The plate member includes a peripheral plate portion and a central plate portion positioned higher than the peripheral plate portion. The central plate portion includes a plate center hole defined at the center of the plate member. The central resin member includes a resinous cylinder portion extending through the plate center hole and defining a resin central through-hole, a disk guide portion arranged to guide a disk center hole, and a resinous connector portion arranged above the central plate portion to interconnect the resinous cylinder portion and the disk guide portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: Nidec Corporation
    Inventors: Kosuke Nakanishi, Shinya Tabata, Toshihide Sonoda, Yoshihisa Kitamura
  • Patent number: 8355301
    Abstract: A disc transportation mechanism for a disc processing device holds and transports discs by gripping the center hole of the disc. The disc transportation mechanism has a hole position detector and a position adjustment mechanism. The hole position detector detects the position of the center hole in a disc discharged to a disc transfer position from a label printer. The position adjustment mechanism can change the position of the gripping mechanism on the arm. After moving the arm to the disc transfer position, the transportation mechanism control unit controls the arm moving mechanism and/or position adjustment mechanism based on the detected position of the center hole to move the gripping mechanism to a picking position where it can grip the disc. The gripping mechanism can therefore correctly grip the disc even when the disc is not correctly discharged to the disc transfer position, and label damage can therefore be prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Koichi Ebina, Atsushi Nishioka
  • Patent number: 8352974
    Abstract: A disk holding device is for use with a disk having a center hole. A disk holding mechanism with coupling levers is movable between a holding position and a release position, for engagement with an edge of the center hole when in the holding position, and for coming away from the edge when in the release position. A solenoid shifts the disk holding mechanism, to hold the disk by setting the disk holding mechanism in the holding position, and to enable loading or unloading of the disk by setting the disk holding mechanism in the release position. A separating projection is opposed to the edge when inserted in the center hole, for receiving the edge while the disk holding mechanism moves to the release position, to ensure separation of the disk from the disk holding mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: TEAC Corporation
    Inventor: Satoru Inoue
  • Patent number: 8352975
    Abstract: A chucking device includes a turntable fixed to a shaft having a central axis and a cone arranged axially above the turntable. An annular yoke is arranged above a sliding portion of the cone and fixed to the shaft, and a clamp magnet is fixed to the yoke through an adhesive agent. The yoke includes an upper surface having an annular recess defined in a concentric relationship with the central axis, the adhesive agent being applied on a region of the upper surface existing radially inwards of the recess. The recess includes a radial outer wall parallel to the central axis and a radial inner wall inclined radially inwards and axially upwards. The angle between the radial outer wall and a lower surface of the clamp magnet is greater than the angle between the radial inner wall and the lower surface of the clamp magnet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Nidec Corporation
    Inventors: Haruhiko Ito, Toshihide Sonoda, Daisuke Tsunashima, Takuya Yamane, Shigeo Kawamura, Yoshihisa Kitamura, Hisakazu Motomochi
  • Patent number: 8261298
    Abstract: A disk loading device of a slot-in optical disk drive comprises two loading levers to load and eject a disk, wherein the two loading levers are connected to a pivot pin; and a guide slot having a right recess and a left recess, wherein the pivot pin is moveable along the guide slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Philips & Lite-On Digital Solutions Corp.
    Inventors: Chien-Wei Huang, Ta-Hsiang Wang, Sheng-Hsiung Chou, Chia-Hsing Chao
  • Publication number: 20120180078
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a disc chucking apparatus having claws that horizontally move and provide elasticity to improve performance in centering and chucking a disc. The disc chucking apparatus includes: a centering base to which an inner circumferential surface of a disc is fixed; a plurality of chuck chips arranged at regular intervals along an outer circumferential surface of the centering base; and a plurality of elastic support parts disposed to be opposite to the chuck chips on the centering base, rotating horizontally when the disc is mounted, and pressing the inner circumferential surface of the disc in an outer diameter direction thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2011
    Publication date: July 12, 2012
    Inventors: Viatcheslav Smirnov, Chang Keun Jun
  • Patent number: 8146113
    Abstract: A disk unit is disclosed wherein a disk inserted by a pivoting arm is loaded to the interior of the disk unit or a disk accommodated in the interior of the disk unit is unloaded to the exterior of the disk unit, the disk unit including a plurality of arms able to convey two types of disks different in diameter while supporting an outer periphery edge of each of the disks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: TEAC Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichi Fujisawa, Satoru Inoue
  • Publication number: 20120066701
    Abstract: Disclosed is a spindle motor, the spindle motor including a rotating shaft, a turntable including a body into which a through hole is formed for coupling with the rotating shaft and which supports an optical disk and rotates along with the rotating shaft, and a centering unit which is fitted over the rotating shall, moves in an axial direction of the rotating shaft, and aligns a rotating center of the optical disk with a rotating center of the rotating shaft, wherein the turntable includes a reinforcing part that protrudes from the body along a periphery of the rotating shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2011
    Publication date: March 15, 2012
    Applicant: LG Innotek Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: YONGJOO KIM
  • Publication number: 20120054782
    Abstract: An apparatus for rotating a disc is disclosed, wherein the apparatus for rotating the disc includes a rotation shaft; a turn table coupled to the rotation shaft and having a felt that makes contact with a disc; a center guide member inserted into the rotation shaft and coupled to an inner face of the disc; a clamp magnet sucking a clamp unit that is faced with the turn table and makes contact with an upper face of the disc toward the felt; an elastic member interposed between the turn table and the center guide member and the elastic member elastically supporting the center guide member in an axial direction of the rotation shaft, wherein an anti-slip torque that is applied to the upper face of the disc by using the clamp unit and the elastic member is stronger than a rotation torque that is generated by the turn table to prevent slipping of the optical disc from the turn table.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2010
    Publication date: March 1, 2012
    Applicant: LG Innotek Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jaehyun Park
  • Publication number: 20110321068
    Abstract: There is provided a disk chucking device including a disk chucking device including a centering case to which an inner circumferential surface of a disk is fixed, chucking members received in insertion holes formed in the centering case, and an elastic member connecting the centering case and the chucking members to each other in such a manner as to elastically support the inner circumferential surface of the disk, when the disk is mounted on the centering case, the elastic member having at least two bent portions by which displacements and restoring forces have a quadratic function relationship.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2011
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRO-MECHANICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kyung Su Park, Pyo Kim
  • Patent number: 8082558
    Abstract: A slot-in optical disk drive includes a power unit to drive a sliding component to rotate a loading bar, so as to process loading procedure of the slot-in optical disk drive. A base covers on a main board disposed on a rear side of a casing of the slot-in optical disk drive. A first linking bar is pivoted to a center of the base. An end of the first linking bar is driven by the sliding component, and a haul slot is for driving a right positioning bar. The other end of the first linking bar is pivoted to a second linking bar of the base. The second linking bar is for driving the unloading bar pivoted to the base. The end of the unloading bar is close to a lateral side of the casing, so as to keep away from a breach on the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: Quanta Storage Inc.
    Inventors: Yao-Ching Tsai, Jen-Chen Wu
  • Publication number: 20110265108
    Abstract: There is provided a disk chucking apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, including: a centering case fixed on the inner peripheral surface of a disk; and a claw formed in the centering case and including a contact unit which rotates in a horizontal direction at the time of mounting the disk and is introduced into the centering case to elastically support the inner peripheral surface of the disk.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2010
    Publication date: October 27, 2011
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRO-MECHANICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Viatcheslav Smirnov, Kyung Seob Shin, Sang Kyu Lee
  • Patent number: 8037490
    Abstract: A spindle motor is provided. The spindle motor includes a rotation shaft rotatably installed, a stator around the rotation shaft, a rotor coupled to the rotation shaft, a turntable rotated with the rotation shaft, and a center guide member comprising a body coupled to the rotation shaft and a support rim extending from the body, the support rim can comprise a first sloped surface extending from an outer surface of the body and making an angle of about 47° to 53° with an imaginary vertical line parallel with the rotation shaft, and a second sloped surface extending from an end of the first sloped surface and making an angle of about 16° to 22° with an imaginary vertical line parallel with the rotation shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: LG Innotek Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jae Hyun Park
  • Publication number: 20110247024
    Abstract: A compact disc centering apparatus of a compact disc player includes carrying rollers which are disposed within a compact disc entry on the opposite sides thereof and a compact disc guiding; a pair of detection rods capable of synchronized rotating, which is disposed between a support plate and the compact disc entry. The apparatus also includes a control device and a trigger device, wherein, an engaging portion is disposed on the control device and extends along the direction in which the control device moves, and an engaged portion is disposed on the trigger device and engages with the engaging portion. When the engaged portion is located in the engaging portion, the contact between the engaging portion and the engaged portion makes the trigger device rotate and stop at a position such that the center of the compact disc is coincident with the center of the support plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2011
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Inventor: Yung Ta CHEN
  • Patent number: 7992157
    Abstract: A disk transport apparatus is disclosed which can transport a disk appropriately. First and second arms are mounted for pivotal motion in first and second directions in which they are spaced from each other around second ends thereof to transport the disk. A link pivots the first or second arm in response to pivotal motion of the second or first arm. The first arm and the link have teeth and meshing portions which mesh with each other. The first arm has a blocking portion which blocks, when the second arm is pivoted in the second direction with the disk contacting only with the second arm, meshing engagement between the meshing portions to block pivotal motion of the arms in the first and second directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
    Inventor: Aki Yoguchi
  • Patent number: 7979874
    Abstract: A spindle motor and a mounting device for mounting a disk in a spindle motor are provided. The mounting device allows for a reduced number of parts, a reduction in product cost, a disk to be smoothly slid and securely mounted to a turntable, and prevents deforming of a disk during mounting. A center guide member is formed of a plastic material, into which the rotating shaft is inserted at an upper end of the turntable, so that it is capable of rising and descending thereon. The center guide member supports the disk. A back yoke is fixed at an upper side of the center guide member on the rotating shaft, to prevent disengaging of the center guide member from the rotating shaft. An outer portion of the center guide member gradually widens toward a lower end thereof, so that the disk can be inserted more securely.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: LG Innotek Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jae Hyun Park, Jin Seung Yoo
  • Publication number: 20110016478
    Abstract: A spindle clamp for supporting a disk includes a radial control member that is in contact with an opening through a jaw and that has a contour such that radial expansion of the jaw is induced during initial movement of the jaw toward a registration surface for seating the disk. However, the contour is such that further movement of the jaw toward the registration surface is an axial motion, rather than a combination of axial and radial motion. In one preferred embodiment, the jaw is unitary, but is configured to enable the radial expansion while having sufficient rigidity to reliably clamp a data disk seating on the registration surface. The jaw may include a lip which is configured to contact the major surface of the disk opposite to its contact with the registration surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2009
    Publication date: January 20, 2011
    Inventor: Donald L. Ekhoff
  • Patent number: 7856641
    Abstract: A disk drive device includes a device main body in which a disk slot for inserting and removing a disk-like recording medium is provided, a disk holding unit that rotatably holds the disk-like recording medium, a main chassis that supports the disk holding unit and a base unit, an arm unit rotatably supported on one or the other side in a plane parallel to the disk-like recording medium, an urging arm that urges the disk-like recording medium, a first centering member that supports the side of the disk-like recording medium, and a second centering member that supports the side of the disk-like recording medium. The first centering member and the second centering member are regulated in positions to support the side of the disk-like recording medium. The first centering member and the second centering member support the disk-like recording medium in a centering position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Omori, Noriyoshi Ishii, Hideaki Tsutsumi, Shigeru Tamura, Katsunori Takahashi, Yuji Suzuki, Yoichiro Mitsumoto, Manabu Obata
  • Patent number: 7802272
    Abstract: A chucking device comprises a retainer section for retaining a disc, a guiding section for guiding the disc to the retainer section, and a supporter for supporting the retainer section and the guiding section. The guiding section has a small enough angle for a guiding section side angle of inclination ?1 so as not to make contact with a upward facing disc, of a multilayer disc, thereby reducing a disc loading force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: Nidec Corporation
    Inventors: Rentaro Kanzawa, Takayuki Oe, Yoshiki Okayama
  • Patent number: 7725909
    Abstract: A turntable for an optical storage drive comprises a fitting member (4) consisting of a stationary yoke and a movable yoke (40) carrying a sliding cam (40a). A plurality of inwardly directed, equally spaced, resiliently deformable fingers (12) extend from a disc setting surface (3) at a location radially inward from the periphery of the turntable. In the rest position, there is no contact between the sliding cam (40a) and the fingers (12). However, after a disc (101) has been positioned on the turntable, the movable yoke is lifted and the sliding cam (40a) provides a locking effect on the fingers (12), thereby improving the centering force thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventor: Kum Chung Loh
  • Publication number: 20100125863
    Abstract: A disk holding device is for use with a disk having a center hole. A disk holding mechanism with coupling levers is movable between a holding position and a release position, for engagement with an edge of the center hole when in the holding position, and for coming away from the edge when in the release position. A solenoid shifts the disk holding mechanism, to hold the disk by setting the disk holding mechanism in the holding position, and to enable loading or unloading of the disk by setting the disk holding mechanism in the release position. A separating projection is opposed to the edge when inserted in the center hole, for receiving the edge while the disk holding mechanism moves to the release position, to ensure separation of the disk from the disk holding mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2009
    Publication date: May 20, 2010
    Applicant: TEAC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Satoru Inoue
  • Patent number: 7716692
    Abstract: A disc device includes the following: a traverse base 5 that can be moved between a recording/reproducing position and a standby position, on which an optical pickup 2 and a turntable 1 are mounted; a front cover 3 including a disc carrying surface 3a that carries a disc 4 and an aperture 3b that is formed in the disc carrying surface 3a and allows the turntable 1 to pass through when the traverse base 5 is moved between the recording/reproducing position and the standby position; and centering members 8 for holding and shifting the disc 4 to a position where the center of the disc 4 is aligned with the center of the turntable 1. The loading of a disc can be performed in an easy and highly flexible manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Yuji Ariyoshi, Naohisa Tanabe
  • Publication number: 20100077419
    Abstract: A disk drive apparatus able to prevent jamming of a disk and abutting parts having a rotary table fit on a shaft of a brushless motor and carrying a disk and a centering part elastically biased in an axial direction away from a center hole of this rotary table and fit in a center through hole of the disk to center and hold the disk, the centering part having inelastic abutting parts sticking out from a center taper part in radial directions and abutting against an inner circumferential edge of the center through hole and having outer circumferential groove parts forming clearances from the inner circumferential edge between the inelastic abutting parts adjoining each other in the circumferential direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2009
    Publication date: March 25, 2010
    Applicants: SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD., SANYO SEIMITSU CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Tsuyoshi YAMAGUCHI
  • Patent number: 7685614
    Abstract: An optical disk drive is adapted for reading data from an optical disk. The optical disk drive includes a housing, a tray, and a read module. The tray is disposed in the housing and is adapted for ejecting from the housing. The read module is adapted for reading data from an optical disk. The read module includes a turntable and an optical read head. The turntable includes a number of engaging springs, in which at least one of the engaging springs include added material for superposing the center of the optical disk and the center of the turntable. Furthermore, the optical read head is adapted to move along a tracking path for reading data from the optical disk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: LITE-ON IT Corporation
    Inventors: Chun-Lung Ho, Yi-Cheng Tsao
  • Publication number: 20090125932
    Abstract: A turntable device and a disk driving device having the same are disclosed. The turntable device, for detachably securing a disk, may include: a centering part, in an inner perimeter of which slots are formed along a circumferential direction that provide an elastic force; and a base, on which a conical extension part is formed that is configured to slidably support an inner perimeter of the centering part. The turntable device can improve alignment between the centers of rotation of the motor and the disk, even for high-speed rotations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2008
    Publication date: May 14, 2009
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRO-MECHANICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Viatcheslav Smirnov, Nam-Seok Kim, Pyo Kim
  • Patent number: 7480926
    Abstract: A deviation adjustment mechanism for spindle motor and pickup head of optical disk drives includes an optical disk drive dock for holding a pickup head and a motor holding seat for holding a spindle motor. The motor holding seat has a retaining flange on one edge. The optical disk drive dock and the motor holding seat are connected by an elastic element to move the motor holding seat in one direction in normal conditions. An adjusting member is provided to press the retaining flange to move the motor holding seat towards another side to adjust the deviation of the spindle motor and the pickup head of the optical disk drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2009
    Assignee: Micro-Star Int'l Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yi-Wei Lu
  • Publication number: 20090019465
    Abstract: An optical disk drive is adapted for reading data from an optical disk. The optical disk drive includes a housing, a tray, and a read module. The tray is disposed in the housing and is adapted for ejecting from the housing. The read module is adapted for reading data from an optical disk. The read module includes a turntable and an optical read head. The turntable includes a number of engaging springs, in which at least one of the engaging springs include added material for superposing the center of the optical disk and the center of the turntable. Furthermore, the optical read head is adapted to move along a tracking path for reading data from the optical disk.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2008
    Publication date: January 15, 2009
    Applicant: LITE-ON IT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Chun-Lung Ho, Yi-Cheng Tsao
  • Publication number: 20090013343
    Abstract: A motor (2) for rotating a disk; a head (3) for recording/reproducing information of the disk; a tray (1) on which a first cartridge and a second cartridge that accommodate the disk respectively and have different outside shapes can be mounted selectively; a transferer (7, 1k) for transferring the tray (1); a detector (4) for detecting an outside shape difference between the respective cartridges; a disk cartridge guide (1d) for positioning the respective cartridges such that, when mounting the respective cartridges on the tray (1), centers of the respective disks accommodated in the respective cartridges do not coincide with each other; and a transferring distance changer (5, 10a, 1g, 1h, 1i) that can change a transferring distance of the tray (1) of the transferer (7, 1k) based on a result of the detector (4), and can transfer the tray (1) to a position where the centers of the respective disks accommodated in the respective cartridges coincide with a substantial center of the motor (2) are provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2005
    Publication date: January 8, 2009
    Applicant: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Goro Naoki, Masahiro Inata, Tetsuro Tanaka, Yoshito Saji
  • Publication number: 20080307448
    Abstract: A restraining element 70 to be inserted into a center hole 102 in an optical disk 100 to restrain movement of the optical disk 100 in its radial direction is placed on a central portion 61 of an optical-disk-facing surface 52 of a rotor casing 53 for a disk motor 50; a supporting element 65 for supporting an optical disk surface 101 of the optical disk 100 is placed on a radially outer portion 62 of the optical-disk-facing surface 52; and flow paths 65A to 65C are provided in the supporting element 65, and extend from the outer circumference of the supporting element 65 to its inner circumference to allow the air inside this optical disk device to flow through.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2008
    Publication date: December 11, 2008
    Inventors: Yoshihiro FUKAGAWA, Shinya Tsubota
  • Publication number: 20080301726
    Abstract: A turntable for an optical storage drive comprises a fitting member (4) consisting of a stationary yoke and a movable yoke (40) carrying a sliding cam (40a). A plurality of inwardly directed, equally spaced, resiliently deformable fingers (12) extend from a disc setting surface (3) at a location radially inward from the periphery of the turntable. In the rest position, there is no contact between the sliding cam (40a) and the fingers (12). However, after a disc (101) has been positioned on the turntable, the movable yoke is lifted and the sliding cam (40a) provides a locking effect on the fingers (12), thereby improving the centering force thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2005
    Publication date: December 4, 2008
    Applicant: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS, N.V.
    Inventor: Kum Chung Loh
  • Patent number: 7461391
    Abstract: Disclosed is a spindle motor comprising: an integral turntable including: a table on which a rotating body to be installed, and an inner side wall and an outer side wall formed to be recessed upwards at a portion therebetween on a lower surface of the table so that a predetermined hollow is formed, a surface of thereof being formed slant; a ball cover for covering a ball inserted into the hollow and the hollow; a rotation shaft an upper portion of which is inserted into a center of the integral turntable; a bearing supporting a lower portion of the rotation shaft; a coil formed on an outside of the rotation shaft; and a magnet formed on an outside of the coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2008
    Assignee: LG Innotex Co. Ltd.
    Inventor: Jin Seung Yoo
  • Publication number: 20080250440
    Abstract: A holding portion includes at least three pressing members which are operable to press an inner peripheral of a hole formed on the medium. The pressing members are movable between first positions where the pressing members do not come in contact with the inner peripheral and second positions where the pressing members come in contact with and press the inner peripheral. Each of the pressing members is adapted to interlockingly move with each other when moving toward the first positions and to press the inner peripheral independently from the other members when positioning the second positions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2008
    Publication date: October 9, 2008
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Mitsuhiko Nebashi
  • Publication number: 20080235720
    Abstract: In a motor including a chucking device for detachably holding a disk, the chucking device has a center case to which a central opening of the disk is inserted; resilient members received within the center case; and claw members for holding the disk in place. Each of the claw members has a claw portion having a disk holding surface for holding the disk in place and a pair of wing portions extending radially inwardly from the claw portion. Further, each of the wing portions has a spherical contact surface contacting with a underlying part arranged axially below the wing portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2008
    Publication date: September 25, 2008
    Applicant: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hitoshi TAKAKI, Yusuke IWAI, Satoru KURAMOTO, Tatsuya TATARA
  • Publication number: 20080134227
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an optical disc apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention has a loading arm. The loading arm has two projections provided, respectively, at a distal end and at a position prescribed in accordance with a difference in diameter between optical discs. The loading arm can rotate in a direction in which an optical disc is inserted. It rotates when the optical disc contacts at least the projection provided at the distal end. It positions the optical disc when it is rotated through an angle prescribed in accordance with the difference in diameter between the optical discs, by using the two projections spaced apart by a distance prescribed in accordance with the difference in diameter between the optical discs. When the loading arm is rotated in the opposite direction, the optical disc is ejected from the optical disc apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2007
    Publication date: June 5, 2008
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventor: Naoki EGUCHI
  • Patent number: 7363641
    Abstract: An aligning device for a disk recording medium capable of reducing eccentricity using a simple structure, without an increase in cost, is provided. An aligning member has a tapered portion that contacts with a center hole of a disk, and fits with a guide portion that is fixed to a turntable with a sliding gap therebetween. The sliding gap between the aligning member and the guide portion is formed such that a leading end side sliding gap of the turntable in the sliding direction of the aligning member differs from a trailing end side sliding gap of the disk side in the sliding direction. The leading end side sliding gap is formed smaller than the trailing end side sliding gap. The amount of eccentricity of the disk becomes smaller according to this structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shinnosuke Torii
  • Patent number: 7356825
    Abstract: The disk carrying apparatus includes a lifting portion which carries a disk onto a turntable, a chuck which holds the carried disk on the turntable, and a third switch which detects an intermediate position between a holding operation start position where the chuck starts a disk holding operation and a holding operation end position where the chuck finishes the disk holding operation. After completion of an initial disk holding operation, the chuck returns to the intermediate position detected by the third switch and retries the disk holding operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2008
    Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
    Inventors: Yukinari Makisaka, Hitoshi Ueno
  • Publication number: 20080052736
    Abstract: There is provided a disk loading apparatus capable of improving the stability in the centering operation at low cost only by changing the shape of the guide groove without adding extra parts or complicated structures. The disk loading apparatus includes a feed roller 2, a disk arm 4 adapted to move back and forth between an initial position where a disk 100 that is drawn by the feed roller 2 is received and a retracted position that corresponds to a chucking position for the disk, and a guide groove 5. The feed roller 2 has a function of centering the disk 100. The guide groove 5 includes slant wall surfaces 57 with the groove width therebetween decreasing progressively in the retracting direction of the disk arm 4, and receiving surfaces 58 for limiting the tilt angle of the disk arm 4.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2007
    Publication date: February 28, 2008
    Applicant: FUNAI Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kunio Sawai, Kazumasa Nasu, Katsuya Sakagami
  • Patent number: 7313800
    Abstract: A disk centering system includes: a disk mount portion having a disk mount surface on which a disk form recording medium is to be mounted, the disk mount portion being provided with a predetermined reference point; and at least three disk centering portions for pressing the outer circumferential edge of the disk form recording medium, the disk centering portions being located in radial directions with the reference point as a center, wherein each of the disk centering portions can be moved between a centering position at which the disk centering portion makes contact with the outer circumferential edge of the disk form recording medium mounted on the disk mount surface to thereby center the disk form recording medium and a stand-by position located on the outer side relative to the centering position, and the centering positions are located at an equal distance from the reference point in the radial directions with the reference point as a center.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Akihisa Inatani, Yasuo Osada, Toshimasa Takahashi, Yasuhiro Suda, Hiromu Watanabe, Yutaka Shimada, Shuji Koseki, Yuji Sudo
  • Patent number: 7308694
    Abstract: A high-precision positioning apparatus includes a fine driving unit for producing horizontal and small movements of a flat recording medium relative to an optical system, the medium being used for optically recording and reproducing information. The fine driving unit includes a frame-shaped unit body, a first driving frame inside the unit body, and a second driving frame inside the first driving frame and secured at a position adjacent to a magnetized portion of the recording medium. The first driving frame is movable relative to the unit body by fine driving devices in the horizontal direction of the recording medium, while the second driving frame is movable relative to the first driving frame by other fine driving devices in the horizontal direction of the recording medium and in the direction substantially orthogonal to the moving direction of the first driving frame, thereby producing horizontal and small movements of the recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignee: ALPS Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Someno
  • Patent number: 7231645
    Abstract: A disk recording and/or reproducing apparatus has a disk centering member having a disk abutment assembly and an operating member, and angularly movably supported at a portion thereof between the disk abutment assembly and the operating member by a shaft, wherein when a transferred disk abuts against the disk abutment assembly to press the disk abutment assembly, the disk centering member is angularly moved about the shaft, and then prevented from being angularly moved by a stopper, centering the disk, and a gear switching mechanism operable by being pressed by the operating member. The disk abutment assembly has a first disk abutment for angularly moving the disk centering member by a predetermined angular interval, and a second disk abutment for angularly moving the disk centering member by an angular interval, which is substantially the same as the angular interval of the first disk abutment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2007
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kenichi Hirano, Takeshi Suzuki, Shinji Ito
  • Patent number: 7228554
    Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a technology which has high compatibility and can provide users with conveniences. A new system recording medium 100 has a center hole 112 formed on a recording disk 110 and a center hole 121 formed on a center hub 120, so that the recording medium 100 can respond to both an old system driving unit having a centering member coupling with the center hole 112 and a new system driving unit 300 having a second centering member 313 coupling with the center hole 121. Moreover, the old system recording medium is a recording medium providing a recording disk having a center hole incorporated in a cartridge having a center hub, and has a structure where the center hole is coupled both with a first centering member 312 of the new system driving unit 300 and with the centering member of the old system driving unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2007
    Assignees: Hitachi Maxell, Ltd., Mitsubishi Kagaku Media Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshinori Sugiyama, Kenjirou Kiyono
  • Patent number: 7073186
    Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a technology which has high compatibility and can provide users with conveniences. A new system recording medium 100 has a center hole 112 formed on a recording disk 110 and a center hole 121 formed on a center hub 120, so that the recording medium 100 can respond to both an old system driving unit having a centering member coupling with the center hole 112 and a new system driving unit 300 having a second centering member 313 coupling with the center hole 121. Moreover, the old system recording medium is a recording medium providing a recording disk having a center hole incorporated in a cartridge having a center hub, and has a structure where the center hole is coupled both with a first centering member 312 of the new system driving unit 300 and with the centering member of the old system driving unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2006
    Assignees: Hitachi Maxell, Ltd., Mitsubishi Kagaku Media Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshinori Sugiyama, Kenjirou Kiyono
  • Patent number: 7036135
    Abstract: Disclosed is a centering device of a spindle motor. The centering device includes a body portion which is disposed on the rotor of the spindle motor, and which is provided with a central hole for accommodating the shaft of the spindle motor; and a plurality of centering elastic finger units, located along the periphery of the body portion. Each centering elastic finger unit includes at least two elastic fingers. Each elastic finger includes a free end which extends from the body portion in the circumferential direction of the rotor, and which has a contact portion adapted to urge against an optical disk to guide the centering of the optical disk with respect to the shaft of the spindle motor. Preferably, the contact portion is formed into an arc surface so as to reduce the contact area and thus the friction between the elastic fingers and the disk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2006
    Assignee: Delta Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Jin-juh Hsu, Ming-tung Chuang, Atsushi Okada
  • Patent number: 6993776
    Abstract: It is sought to simplify a disc centering device. Stopper portions for centering a small-size disc are provided on disc sensors, and guide portions are provided, which, when the disc sensors are moved with insertion of a large-size disc, engage with the disc sensors to move the stopper portions to the outside of a disc transport path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2006
    Assignee: Tanashin Denki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Yamanaka, Toshio Yoshimura