Abstract: A spindle structure for an optical disc and an optical disc drive employing the spindle structure are provided. The spindle structure includes a spindle motor having a rotation axis, a spindle that is coupled to the rotation axis, and a sliding cone coupled to the spindle and inserted into a center hole of the optical disc. The sliding cone includes a plurality of hook-shaped guide rods extended toward the spindle, and the spindle includes guide holes, to which the plurality of hook-shaped guide rods are inserted into and coupled.

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.

Abstract: The clamping device of spindle motor is disclosed, wherein a case portion contacted by the other distal end of the arms is inclined due to depression of a distal end of the arms by the disk, such that the arms linearly moves into the case to allow the other distal end to further rotate upwards, whereby the disk can be easily inserted into the case regardless of size of the inner diameter of the disk.

Abstract: A data storage medium support member is produced by resin molding. The data storage medium support member includes an accommodating portion, a guide portion, and a gate cut portion. The accommodating portion accommodates a magnetic member around a central axis. The guide portion has a guide surface for guiding an inner edge of a disc, and is arranged radially outward of the accommodating portion. The gate cut portion is formed on a rear surface of the guide portion. The data storage medium support member can be produced by the resin molding while securing space for accommodating the magnetic member and preventing an increase in the axial dimension of the data storage medium support member.

Abstract: A chuck pin and a disk chucking device equipped with the chuck pin are disclosed. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the chuck pin fastening a disk by compressing an inner circumference of the disk includes a protruding part, which presses against the disk, and a body, in which a front part of the body is coupled to the protruding part and an inclined part is formed on a lower surface of the body such that the front part of the body can be rotated about a back part of the body as a pivot when pressure is applied to an upper surface of the protruding part. With this configuration, the chuck pin is kept from floating when the disk rotates, and the chuck pin can be easily tilted downward when the disk is loaded.

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 tip end portion, a disk holding surface positioned axially below the tip end portion for holding the disk in place, and a recessed sliding portion formed substantially at a circumferential center region of the disk holding surface, the sliding portion serving to guide movement of the claw member. Rest portions are formed in the center case in a facing relationship with the respective sliding portions, the rest portions serving to support the respective sliding portions by contacting therewith. Each of the rest portions has an upwardly convex curved surface with which the corresponding sliding portion makes contact.

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. The center case has a cylindrical portion coaxial with the center axis, a cover portion for covering an axial upper side of the cylindrical portion of the center case and a base portion fixed to the shaft-fixed portion of the rotor holder; resilient members received within the center case; and claw members remaining in contact with the respective resilient members, the claw members being movable radially to hold the disk in place. The center case is spaced apart from the rotor holder except for the base portion contacting with the shaft-fixed portion of the rotor holder.

Abstract: A chucking mechanism according to the present invention includes a claw member which retains a discoid disk and is arranged between a plurality of claw portions which put a radial force outwardly to a central opening portion of the disk and a plurality of claw portions, a receiving portion and a sliding portion.

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 tip end portion, a disk holding surface positioned axially below the tip end portion for holding the disk in place, and a recessed sliding portion formed substantially at a circumferential center region of the disk holding surface, the sliding portion serving to guide movement of the claw member. Rest portions are formed in the center case to face the respective sliding portions, the rest portions serving to support the respective sliding portions by contacting therewith. The sliding portions are designed to make contact with the respective rest portions when the disk is mounted to the chucking device.

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.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a turntable assembly. The turntable assembly includes a turntable for mounting the optical disk thereon, and a chucking member which is contracted toward a center of an optical disk and holds the optical disk. A spring elastically biases the chucking member in a direction away from the center of the optical disk. An elastic support member supports the chucking member in a direction opposite an inserting direction, so that at least part of the elastic support member supporting the chucking member is elastically deformed in the inserting direction of the optical disk. A housing accommodates the chucking member, the spring, and the elastic support member therein. The elastic support member includes a support part which is spaced apart from the turntable to undergo elastic deformation in the inserting direction, and supports the chucking member.

Abstract: A disk drive 1 of the invention has through holes 27 formed in a turntable 4 in such a manner as to surround circumferentially a spindle 5, dislodgement preventive portions 28 provided to extend from a lower surface of a disk holding portion 9 towards a base portion 2 through the through holes 27, a hook locking portion 29 formed on an outer circumferential wall of a bearing holding portion 15 and hook portions 30 formed on distal end portions of the dislodgement preventive portions 28 which lie to a side of the base portion 2. In addition, the base portion 2 of the disk drive 1 of the invention includes a plurality of openings into which respective coils 20 are partially inserted and is configured such that an outer circumferential portion of a stator core 19a and the base portion 2 are spaced apart from each other at a predetermined interval.

Abstract: A recordable data storage disc comprises a substrate having a spirally or concentrically shaped groove pattern. A groove depth of the groove pattern is greater than 90 nanometers, and a track pitch provided by the groove pattern is less than 500 nanometers. The data storage disc further comprises a write-once recording layer formed on the groove pattern, and a reflector layer formed on the recording layer opposite the substrate. The groove depth of greater than 90 nanometers allows a thicker coating of dye to be used for the recording layer compared to other recordable data storage discs with a groove pattern with a groove depth of 90 nanometers or less. The thicker coating of dye allows a lower write power, better modulation when reading a data signal from the disc. The groove depth of greater than 90 nanometers may also allow for more precise push-pull tracking.

Abstract: A disk drive comprising a turntable 10 which has a ring-like disk receiving surface 11 on which a disk 40 is placed, a disk holding mechanism 20 which holds the disk 40 on the turntable 10, a disk-retaining abutment member 30 which has projections 34 and 35 provided at an outer periphery of the hole 31 and projecting toward the turntable 10, and a moving mechanism which allows the disk-retaining abutment member 30 and the turntable 10 to relatively approach each other and separate from each other, wherein the projections 34 and 35 are formed by a first deformed portion formed at a position opposed to the disk receiving surface 11 and a second deformed portion formed at a location closer to an inner peripheral side than the disk receiving surface 11, the projection 34 or 35 formed by the second deformed portion most projects toward the turntable 10.

Abstract: The disk-chucking device includes a chuck base having a plurality of arranging parts recessed along an outer periphery of the chuck base and formed at the center of the chuck base with a central boss connected to the motor, a plurality of chuck pins respectively assembled to the arranging parts, a plurality of spring members elastically supporting a rear end of the chuck pins forwardly such that a leading end of the chuck pins can be exposed to an outer surface of the chuck base, and a rigid frame contacting the spring members and formed with a central hole such that the central hole has an inner diameter larger than an outer diameter of the central boss, thereby providing a degree of freedom, which allows the rigid frame to be moved in a horizontal direction within an allowable range.

Abstract: A clamp/alignment mechanism has: a turntable on which a recording medium is mounted, the turntable being rotated by a rotation driving device; a holding device for holding the recording medium mounted on the turntable; an aligning device for aligning the recording medium mounted on the turntable; and a driving device for driving both the holding device and the alignment device. The driving device is configured to drive the aligning device in an aligning direction along which the recording medium is subjected to alignment thereof, in cases where the holding device is driven in a holding direction in which the recording medium is to be held.

Abstract: A clamp device for an optical disc is disclosed. The clamp device includes a cover frame having a receiving space and an opening at its bottom surface; a holder chuck which is received at its upper part in the receiving space of the cover frame and rotatably and movably supported thereby, the holder chuck being provided at its lower surface a downward projection and provided at its lower surface with a center ring seating recess tapered upward, the center ring seating recess being centrally provided with a center post; a spring disposed between the cover frame and the holder chuck to bias the holder chuck downward; and a plate chuck coupled to a lower surface of the holder chuck, which is centrally formed with a through hole, through which the projection of the holder chuck passes.

Abstract: A disk clamping device for a disk drive having a hub insertable into a central hole of a disk which is capable of preventing the slip of the disk, even in a high speed rotation of the disk, by increasing the frictional force between a hub and the disk, wherein the disk clamping device includes a plurality of clamping grooves formed at the hub in a radial direction and respectively placed at regular angles and intervals centering around the hub, a plurality of springs respectively inserted into the plurality of clamping grooves, a plurality of balls respectively inserted into the plurality of clamping grooves, pushed toward the outer circumference of the hub by the plurality of springs and contacting to the disk when the hub is inserted into the central hole of the disk and a fluid provided inside the plurality of clamping grooves in order to increase the frictional force between the plurality of balls and the disk in accordance with the rotation of the disk and the hub.