Patent ID: 6501713
Filing Date: 2002-12-31
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
An apparatus for recording and/or reproducing information on and/or from an optical record disk, said apparatus comprising:an optical head including a semiconductor laser for emitting a laser beam, an objective lens for projecting said laser beam emitted from said semiconductor laser onto said optical record disk, and a photo-detecting means for receiving laser light reflected by said optical record disk to produce an information signal, a movable member which is movable between a first position close to a surface of said optical record disk and a second position away from the surface of said optical record disk, said movable member including a first guide portion which restricts a rotation of said movable member relative to a stationary member about an imaginary axis perpendicular to an imaginary plane parallel with the surface of said optical record disk; a movable member driving means for generating a driving force for moving said movable member between said first and second positions; a transmission means for transmitting the driving force generated by said movable member driving means to said movable member, said transmission means including a second guide portion arranged in a substantially perpendicular plane to said imaginary plane parallel with the surface of said optical record disk and including first and second portions which extend in parallel with said imaginary plane and a third inclined portion connecting said first and second portions with each other, and a third guide portion for restricting a movement of said second guide portion in a direction perpendicular to said imaginary plane; a disk driving means including a turntable and a spindle motor secured to said movable member and having a driving shaft coupled with said turntable for rotating said turntable together with said optical record disk; an optical head driving means for driving a least said objective lens of said optical head in a radial direction of said optical record disk; and a control means for driving said spindle motor to rotate said optical record disk together with said turntable under a condition such that said movable member has been moved into said first position and said optical head is positioned on an inner side of the optical record disk, and for initiating focus search after irradiating the laser beam emitted from said semiconductor laser onto said optical record disk.