Patent ID: 6501720
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-detector for receiving a return laser beam reflected by said optical record disk to produce an information signal; a rotating means including a rotatable member arranged to be rotatable about an imaginary straight line which is perpendicular to an imaginary plane substantially parallel with a plane of said optical record disk, said rotatable member having an inclined recess formed therein, said inclined recess being constituted by two parallel portions which are parallel with said imaginary plane and an inclined portion bridging said two parallel portions, and extending over an angel not larger than 180Â°; a movable member arranged movably between a first position closer to said optical record disk and a second position far from said optical record disk, and including a projection which extends in a direction substantially in parallel with said imaginary plane of said optical record disk and is brought into contact with said inclined recess of the rotatable member; a driving means including a turntable secured to said movable member and supporting said optical record disk, and a spindle motor 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 at least said objective lens in a radial direction of said optical record disk; a position detecting means for detecting a position of said movable member to derive a position signal which is changed in accordance with the movement of said movable member to detect a condition that said rotatable member has been driven into said first position; and a control means for initiating a rotation of said spindle motor after said position signal has been changed.