Patent ID: 6782543
Filing Date: 2004-08-24
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
An optical disc driving apparatus for driving an optical disc employing a caddy, comprising:a base plate adapted to receive the caddy when inserted onto the base plate, the caddy being detachable from the bass plate; a deck base; optical disc rotation means mounted on the base plate, for rotating the optical disc; an optical device mounted on the base plate, to record and/or reproduce information on/from the optical disc; means for guiding the movement of the base plate, to an optical disc loading position at which a user loads the optical disc on the caddy and a chucking position at which the optical disc is chucked onto the optical disc rotation means while the base plate is moved by a physical force exerted on the caddy for insertion into the deck base; means for locking the bass plate which is moved to the optical disc loading and chucking positions; and ejection means for ejecting the caddy from the deck base, wherein: the physical force is an artificial pressing force exerted by a user; the optical disc rotation means is a spindle motor; and the optical device is a pickup unit having an optical head the base plate locking means comprises: a locking groove formed at a side surface of the base plate; a locker having a locking lever selectively inserted into the locking groove, and a pin to pivotally mount the locker to the deck base; and a spring disposed at the pin, to elastically support the locker in a given rotation direction, the base plate has a pair of locking projections formed at a rear portion thereof and which contact a rear end surface of the caddy upon the caddy being inserted into the deck base; and the ejection means comprises: means for unlocking the base plate when the base plate is at the chucking position, and elastic means for elastically supporting the base plate to return the base plate to the loading position from the chucking position in response to the unlocking of the base plate by the unlocking means, wherein the rear end surface of the caddy separates from the pair of locking projections formed at the rear portion of the base plate so that the caddy is withdrawn while the base plate is moved to the loading position.