Patent ID: 6445660
Filing Date: 2002-09-03
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
An apparatus for at least reproducing information from an optical record disk, said apparatus comprising:a spindle motor for rotating said optical record disk; a movable member having said spindle motor secured thereto and being arranged to be movable in a direction toward said optical record disk as well as in a direction away from said optical record disk, said optical record disk and said spindle motor being coupled with each other under a condition that said movable member has been moved into a predetermined position; an optical head including at least an objective, lens for projecting at least one light beam onto said optical record disk for at least reading said information from said optical record disk under said condition that said movable member has been moved into said predetermined position; a movable member driving mechanism for moving said movable member such that after moving said movable member into said predetermined position, said movable member is stopped at said predetermined position at least during a reading operation for reading said information from said optical record disk; a position detector for detecting said condition in which said movable member has been moved into said predetermined position; a control means for initiating a rotation of said spindle motor after said position detector detects said condition that said movable member has been moved into said predetermined position; and a carriage having said optical head arranged thereon and being movable between innermost and outermost positions within a movable range over which said carriage is moved in a radial direction of said optical record disk by a controlled drive, initial irradiation of said light beam onto said optical record disk being performed in a condition in which said carriage has been positioned in said innermost position of said movable range.