Optical disk apparatus having laminated diaphragm springs structure

• US 5,361,243 A
• Filed: 12/09/1993
• Issued: 11/01/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Kasahara, Akihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Psitos, Aristotelis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Edun, Muhammad N.
• Application Number:
  US08/163,728
• Time in Patent Office: 327 Days
• Field of Search: 369/44.14, 369/44.15, 369/44.16, 369/44.22, 359/813, 359/814, 359/823, 359/824, 307/66, 318/441, 310/330, 310/333, 310/355, 267/161, 267/162, 267/164, 267/165
• US Class Current: 369/44.15
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/08582 Sled-type positioners
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/0932 Details of sprung supports
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/22 Apparatus or processes for the manufacture of optical heads, e.g. assembly

Abstract

In an optical disk apparatus, an objective lens 29 is suspended movably along its optical axis by diaphragm structures and mounted on a carrier. The carrier is movably mounted on guide rails by a pair of support structures. In each of the support structures, two pair of rollers are rotatably fixed on first and second blocks, respectively, which are fixed to both ends of a leaf spring. The center portion of the leaf spring is fixed to the side surface of the carrier and gaps are provided between both ends of the leaf spring and the side surface of the carrier.

Claims

1. An apparatus for moving an object linearly along a certain axis of an optical head, comprising:

a lamination structure, including a plurality of metal diaphragm springs of the same shape and size, for supporting an object, each diaphragm spring comprising an inner frame section defining a center hole in which the object is situated with the axis of the object passing through the center of the center hole, an outer peripheral frame section for fixing the lamination structure, and deformable spring segments coupled to said inner frame section and the outer peripheral frame section in a predetermined phase, said lamination structure being constructed such that inner frame portions, outer peripheral portions and center axes of the respective diaphragm springs cooperate with one another and the diaphragm springs are rotated about the center axes to prevent the deformable spring segments from contacting one another; and

moving force generating means for generating a moving force for moving the object on the lamination structure along said axis.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said moving force generating means includes a coil for generating a magnetic field, said coil being fixed, along with the object, to the lamination structure, and a permanent magnet for generating a magnetic field interlinked with the magnetic field generated by the coil.

3. An apparatus for moving an object linearly along a certain axis of an optical head, comprising:

a lamination structure, including a plurality of metal diaphragm springs for supporting an object, each diaphragm spring comprising an inner frame section defining a center hole in which the object is situated with the axis of the object passing through the center of the center hole, an outer peripheral frame section for fixing the lamination structure, and deformable spring segments coupled to said inner frame section and the outer peripheral frame section in a predetermined phase, said lamination structure being constructed such that inner frame portions, outer peripheral portions and center axes of the respective diaphragm springs cooperate with one another and the diaphragm springs are rotated about the center axes to prevent the deformable spring segments from contacting one another; and

moving force generating means for generating a moving force for moving the object on the lamination structure along said axis.