OBJECTIVE LENS DEVICE, OPTICAL PICKUP DEVICE, OPTICAL-DISC DRIVING DEVICE AND DRIVING METHOD OF OBJECTIVE LENS

• US 20080279060A1
• Filed: 10/12/2007
• Published: 11/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Kenji, Miyagi, Takahiro, Nakano, Fumiaki, NISHI, Noriaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,889,621 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 369/44.37
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/021 for more than one lens
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/023 permitting adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2007/0006 adapted for scanning different types of carrier, e.g. CD & DVD
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/0933 Details of stationary parts
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/0935 Details of the moving parts
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/121 Protecting the head, e.g. against dust or impact with the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/123 Integrated head arrangements, e.g. with source and detectors mounted on the same substrate
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/1275 Two or more lasers having different wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/1374 Objective lenses optical objectives per se G02B9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/22 Apparatus or processes for the manufacture of optical heads, e.g. assembly

Abstract

An objective lens device includes: a first objective lens having a first numerical aperture, which can condense light into a disc-shaped first optical recording medium including a first cover layer of first thickness; a second objective lens having a second numerical aperture which is smaller than the first numerical aperture, which can condense light into a disc-shaped second optical recording medium including a second cover layer of second thickness which is thicker than the first thickness; a third objective lens having a third numerical aperture which is smaller than the second numerical aperture, which can condense light into a disc-shaped third optical recording medium including a third cover layer of third thickness which is thicker than the second thickness; and a lens holder configured to integrally hold the first, second, and third objective lenses.

Claims

1. An objective lens device comprising:

a first objective lens having a first numerical aperture, which can condense light into a disc-shaped first optical recording medium including a first cover layer of first thickness;

a second objective lens having a second numerical aperture which is smaller than said first numerical aperture, which can condense light into a disc-shaped second optical recording medium including a second cover layer of second thickness which is thicker than said first thickness;

a third objective lens having a third numerical aperture which is smaller than said second numerical aperture, which can condense light into a disc-shaped third optical recording medium including a third cover layer of third thickness which is thicker than said second thickness; and

a lens holder configured to integrally hold said first, second, and third objective lenses.

2. The objective lens device according to claim 1, wherein said first objective lens includes a first focal length and a first lens principal point;

and wherein said second objective lens includes a second focal length and a second lens principal point;

and wherein said third objective lens includes a third focal length and a third lens principal point;

and wherein said lens holder holds said second objective lens such that said second lens principal point is disposed at a position apart by distance equivalent to the difference (A−

D) between a first focal length difference (A) which is the difference between said second focal length and said first focal length, and a first cover thickness difference converted into distance in the air (D) which is an optical path length in the air equivalent to the difference between said second thickness and said first thickness;

and wherein said lens holder holds said third objective lens such that said third lens principal point is disposed at a position apart by distance equivalent to the difference (C−

F) between a second focal length difference (C) which is the difference between said third focal length and said first focal length, and a second cover thickness difference converted into distance in the air (F) which is an optical path length in the air equivalent to the difference between said third thickness and said first thickness.

3. The objective lens device according to claim 1, wherein at least two of said first, second, and third objective lenses are configured by integral molding.

4. The objective lens device according to claim 1, wherein said first numerical aperture is 0.8 through 0.9;

and wherein said second numerical aperture is 0.6 through 0.7;

and wherein said third numerical aperture is 0.45 through 0.55.

5. The objective lens device according to claim 1, wherein when a mechanical vibration system including said first objective lens, second objective lens, third objective lens, and said lens holder resonates, said third objective lens is disposed at a position near the anti-node of vibration of the vibration system as compared with said first objective lens and said second objective lens.

6. The objective lens device according to claim 5, wherein said third objective lens is disposed between said first objective lens and said second objective lens.

7. The objective lens device according to claim 1, wherein said lens holder holds said first, second, and third objective lenses such that the necessary minimum stroke range of said second objective lens, and the necessary minimum stroke range of said first objective lens are included in the necessary minimum stroke range of said third objective lens.

8. The objective lens device according to claim 1, wherein the working distance of said second objective lens and said third objective lens is 0.2 through 0.5 mm.

9. The objective lens device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a protector, which is provided in said lens holder, configured to prevent said first, second, or third optical recording medium from coming into contact with at least one of said first, second, and third objective lenses.

10. The objective lens device according to claim 9, wherein said protector is provided at the outer circumferential side in the radial direction of said first, second, or third optical recording medium in said lens holder.

11. The objective lens device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said first, second, and third objective lenses includes a self-aperture portion.

12. The objective lens device according to claim 1, wherein at least two of said first, second, and third objective lenses are integral-type objective lenses which are integrally molded;

and wherein said integral-type objective lenses include a self-aperture portion.

13. The objective lens device according to claim 3, wherein said first, second, and third objective lenses are configured by integral molding.

14. An optical pickup device comprising:

a light source configured to emit a first laser beam including a first wavelength, a second laser beam including a second wavelength which is longer than said first wavelength, and a third laser beam including a third wavelength which is longer than said second wavelength;

a first objective lens having a first numerical aperture, which can condense said first laser beam into a disc-shaped first optical recording medium including a first cover layer of first thickness;

a second objective lens having a second numerical aperture which is smaller than said first numerical aperture, which can condense said second laser beam into a disc-shaped second optical recording medium including a second cover layer of second thickness which is thicker than said first thickness;

a third objective lens having a third numerical aperture which is smaller than said second numerical aperture, which can condense said third laser beam into a disc-shaped third optical recording medium including a third cover layer of third thickness which is thicker than said second thickness;

a lens holder configured to integrally hold said first, second, and third objective lenses; and

an actuator configured to drive said lens holder.

15. The optical pickup device according to claim 14, wherein when assuming that the difference between the stroke center positions of said first and second objective lenses in the focusing direction is Δ

ST1, and the optical path length in the air equivalent to the difference between said first thickness and said second thickness is L1, which is driven by said actuator, said lens holder holds said first and second objective lenses so as to satisfy

Δ

ST1<

L1.

16. The optical pickup device according to claim 14, wherein when assuming that the difference between the stroke center positions of said second and third objective lenses in the focusing direction is Δ

ST2, and the optical path length in the air equivalent to the difference between said second thickness and said third thickness is L2, which is driven by said actuator, said lens holder holds said second and third objective lenses so as to satisfy

Δ

ST2<

L2.

17. The optical pickup device according to claim 14, wherein when assuming that the difference between the stroke center positions of said third and first objective lenses in the focusing direction is Δ

ST3, and the optical path length in the air equivalent to the difference between said third thickness and said first thickness is L3, which is driven by said actuator, said lens holder holds said third and first objective lenses so as to satisfy

Δ

ST3<

L3.

18. The optical pickup device according to claim 14, further comprising:

a mirror, which is a plate shaped or triangular-prism shaped, and disposed so as to face said first objective lens, configured to reflect said first beam so as to enter said first laser beam emitted from said light source into said first objective lens.

19. The optical pickup device according to claim 18, further comprising:

a first dichroic mirror, which is disposed so as to face said second objective lens, configured to transmit said first laser beam, of said first laser beam and said second laser beam, and reflect said second laser beam so as to enter said second laser beam into said second objective lens; and

a second dichroic mirror, which is disposed so as to face said third objective lens, configured to transmit said first and second laser beams, of said first, second, and third laser beams, and reflect said third laser beam so as to enter said third laser beam into said third objective lens.

20. The optical pickup device according to claim 19, further comprising:

a prism including said first dichroic mirror and said second dichroic mirror; and

a wavelength plate, which is provided in said prism, configured to change the polarization states of said first, second, and third laser beams.

21. An optical-disc driving device comprising:

a rotational driving mechanism configured to rotationally drive a disc-shaped first optical recording medium including a first cover layer of first thickness, a disc-shaped second optical recording medium including a second cover layer of second thickness which is thicker than said first thickness, or a disc-shaped third optical recording medium including a third cover layer of third thickness which is thicker than said second thickness;

a first objective lens including a first numerical aperture, which can condense light into said first optical medium;

a second objective lens including a second numerical aperture which is smaller than said first numerical aperture, which can condense light into said second optical recording medium;

a third objective lens including a third numerical aperture which is smaller than said second numerical aperture, which can condense light into said third optical recording medium;

a lens holder configured to hold said first, second, and third objective lenses integrally;

an actuator configured to drive said lens holder; and

a recording/playback processing unit configured to record a signal in said first, second, or third optical recording medium which is rotationally driven by said rotational driving mechanism, or to play a signal recorded therefrom.

22. An objective lens driving method comprising the steps of:

condensing light into a disc-shaped optical recording medium including a first cover layer of first thickness using a first objective lens including a first numerical aperture;

condensing light into a disc-shaped second optical recording medium including a second cover layer of second thickness which is thicker than said first thickness, using a second objective lens including a second numerical aperture which is smaller than said first numerical aperture;

condensing light into a disc-shaped third optical recording medium including a third cover layer of third thickness which is thicker than said second thickness using a third objective lens having a third numerical aperture which is smaller than said second numerical aperture; and

driving a lens holder configured to integrally hold said first, second, and third objective lenses to record or play a signal.