Abstract:
Disclosed herein is an optical disk drive device comprising an spindle motor rotating a turntable on which an optical disk is safely placed; a clamper adhering the optical disk to the turntable to clamp the optical disk into the turntable; and an upper case provided with a hollow part so opened as to make the clamper face the turntable, and a support part contacting and supporting the clamper as an edge of the hollow part, the support part being inclined against the turntable.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119 of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2009-0068690, filed on Jul. 28, 2009, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
       FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to an optical disk drive device. 
       DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART 
       [0003]    Generally, an ‘optical disk drive device’ refers to a device configured to write or reproduce data in an optical disk adapted to read or write any data by the illumination of light, for example CDs, DVDs, blue-ray DISCs, etc. 
         [0004]    The optical disk drive device includes an optical pickup for illuminating light onto an optical disk and processing an optical signal reflected from the optical disk, a main PCB processing the signal inputted/outputted from the optical pickup, a spindle motor for safely placing and rotating the optical disk, and a sled motor feeding the optical pickup in a radial direction of the optical disk. 
         [0005]    The optical pickup can accurately access a track that records optical disk data through a focus servo action to move an object lens in the upward/downward direction and a tracking servo action to move the object lens in the radial direction. 
         [0006]    On the one hand, energy force for the clamping or unclamping an optical disk to the optical disk drive device is produced by the magnetic force acting between a clamper and a turntable, and in a case the clamper approaches the turntable, the optical disk is clamped onto the turntable by the magnetic force, and the state of the optical disk is released by compulsively detaching the turntable from the clamper. 
         [0007]    However, in a case the magnetic clamping force is overpowered, it takes considerable energy to detach the clamper from a spindle motor during unclamping, resultantly disturbing the normal operation of the optical disk drive device. On the other hand, in a case the magnetic force acting between the clamper and the spindle motor is reduced to perform a smooth unclamping, the clamping force decreases to make it difficult to keep a concentric status to the optical disk and the spindle motor. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY 
       [0008]    The present invention provides an optical disk drive device configured to dispense with an excessive burden onto a deck during unclamping, and to smoothly detach the clamper from a spindle motor through improvement of an unclamping structure. 
         [0009]    In one embodiment, an optical disk drive device of the present invention includes a spindle motor rotating a turntable on which the optical disk is safely placed; a clamper clamping the turntable into the optical disk; and an upper case provided with a hollow part so opened as to allow the clamper to face the turntable and a support part supportively contacting the clamper as an edge of the hollow part, wherein the support part is inclined against the turntable. 
         [0010]    In another embodiment, an optical disk drive device of the present invention includes a deck installed with a spindle motor rotating a turntable on which an optical disk is safely placed; and an upper case adapted to support a clamper, the clamper clamping the optical disk to the turntable by adhering it to the turntable with magnetic force, wherein a first side corresponding to a lowermost end of the clamp first faces the turntable in a case the deck starts to ascend, the clamp is detached from the upper case in a case the deck stops ascending, and the clamper is detached from the turntable in a case the deck ascends by a second side opposite to the first side contacting and interfering with the upper case. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view showing an optical disk drive device according to the present invention; 
           [0012]      FIGS. 2 and 3  are lateral cross-sectional views according to imaginary embodiments to compare with an embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0013]      FIGS. 4 and 5  are lateral cross-sectional views showing the loading and unloading actions of an optical disk drive device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]      FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view illustrating an optical disk drive device of the invention. 
         [0015]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , the optical disk drive device includes a main frame  10 , an upper part case  70  coupled to an upper part of the main frame  10 , and a tray  60  for transporting a disk D into the optical disk drive device. 
         [0016]    The disk D transported by the tray  60  is safely placed on a turntable  40  installed at the upper part of a spindle motor  30 . The turntable  40  is coupled to the rotation shaft of the spindle motor  30  and rotates the disk D while rotating together with the rotation shaft. The spindle motor  30  is installed at the deck  20  coupled to the main frame  10 , and an optical pickup  50  is installed at the deck  20 . 
         [0017]    The optical disk drive device is provided with a clamping device clamping the disk D to the turntable  40  to inhibit the disk D from slipping on the rotation of the turntable  40 . 
         [0018]    As a clamping device, the clamper  80  fixing the disk D to the upper surface of the turntable  40  is liftably installed at the upper case  70 . 
         [0019]    A hollow part  71  is penetratingly formed at the center part of the upper case  70 , and a support part  72  protruding from the lower side of the upper case  70  is provided along the edge of the hollow part  71 . The clamper  80  is inserted into the hollow part  71  in a state supported by the support part  72 , and the upper part of the hollow part  71  is covered with a cover plate  73 . 
         [0020]    A magnet  42  is installed at the inner side part of the turntable  40 , and a metal plate correspondingly is installed at the clamper  80 . Alternatively, a metal plate may be installed at the inner part of the turntable  40  and a magnet may be installed at the clamper  80 . The disk D is clamped by magnetic force acting between the magnet  42  and the metal plate  82 . 
         [0021]    The disk D is placed upon the tray  60 , and in a disk seated state the tray  60  is loaded into the inside of the optical disk drive device. When the loading is completed by fully inserting the tray  60 , the deck  20  elevates, and in a case the spindle motor  30  approaches the clamper  80  along the deck  20  ascent, the disk D clamping is completed by pressing down an upper side of the disk D by the clamper  80  with magnetic force between the clamper  80  and the turntable  80 . Successively, the spindle motor  30  rotates and the optical pickup  50  inputs/outputs an optical signal into/from a data record surface of the disk D. 
         [0022]    The turntable  40  is coupled to the spindle motor  30  and the spindle motor  30  is fixed to the deck  20  so that the ascent and descent of the turntable  40  is performed according to the ascent and descent of the deck  20 . The ascent and descent of the deck  20  may be done according to an embodiment (not shown) in which the deck itself rises and falls vertically. And the spindle motor  30  ascends or descends on the other side of the deck  20  rotating in forward/backward directions about a rotation centre CO where any one clamper is fastened according to an embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0023]      FIGS. 2 and 3  are lateral cross-sectional views according to imaginary embodiments to compare with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0024]    First, referring to  FIG. 2 , before the turntable  40  is raised, the clamper  80  stays connected with a support part  72  by its own weight. In a case the turntable  40  is raised to approach the clamper  80 , the turntable  40  is initially contacted with the clamper  80 . 
         [0025]    Although not shown, when the turntable  40  continuously rises in a state the clamper  80  contacts the support part  72 , the clamper  80  is detached from the support part  72 , where such a position of the clamper  80  is defined as ‘clamping position’. At this time, even if the spindle motor  30  rotates, the clamper  80  may freely rotate in a state the clamper  80  does not contact and interfere with the support part  72 . 
         [0026]    Next, referring to  FIG. 3 , the turntable  40  starts descending for clamping. The clamper  80  descends down to contact the support part  72  after being detached from the support part  72 . In a case the turntable continuously descends while the clamper  80  contacts the support part  72 , the clamper  80  is separated from the turntable  40 . For the sake of convenience, the position of the clamper  80  as shown in  FIG. 3  is defined as ‘unclamping position’. 
         [0027]    However, in a case there is no step difference in the height of the support part  72  as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the clamper  80  contacts the support part  72  in its entire outer appearance and the clamper  80  and the turntable  40  are detached from each other over all the contact area right prior to being in the unclamping position, whereby considerable load is needed for descending the turntable  40  during unclamping. 
         [0028]    At this time, magnetic force acting between the clamper  80  and the turntable reaches a peak load that concentratively acts for a short time (this is called a ‘clamping force’ or an ‘unclamping force’). To smoothly perform the unclamping of the clamper  80  and the turntable  40 , a descending force for separation of the turntable  40  should be large enough to suppress the peak load. 
         [0029]    As such, although a force holding the optical disk becomes stronger in proportion to the clamping force, there occurs a fault incapable of separating the clamper  80  and the turntable  40  due to the action of magnetic force, or considerable force is consumed in unloading the tray  60  to the outside of the optical disk drive device, in a case the tray  60  is transferred in a backward course of the loading direction in a ‘no disc’ state in which the optical disk is not safely placed. 
         [0030]    Also, in a case the tray  60  is inserted into the optical disk drive device in the loading direction, the clamper  80  and the turntable  40  instantly stick each other, which can cause noise. 
         [0031]    On the other hand, it is not allowed to greatly set the upper limit value of the clamping force, so that there are some constraints in increasing the clamping force for improvement of centering performance. 
         [0032]    Furthermore, it is difficult to managing an intensity range of the magnet  42  installed at the clamper  80  or the turntable  40 . 
         [0033]    By comparison,  FIGS. 4 and 5  are lateral cross-sectional views diagrams showing the loading and unloading actions of an optical disk drive device according to the present invention. 
         [0034]    In the present invention shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , in a case the support part  72  has a step differences L 1  and the tray  60  is unloaded into the exterior of the optical disk drive device under no disk state, the clamper  80  and a second side C 2 , which is one side of the turntable  40  are initially separated to decrease the unclamping force, whereby separation by small force is possible. 
         [0035]    As a result, it is preferable that the support part  72  be 3˜45° inclined against the upper part case  70 . 
         [0036]    On the other hand, in a case the tray  60  is loaded to the inside of the optical disk drive device under no disc state, a first side, which is the other side of the clamper  80  and the turntable  40  are initially contacted, thereby suppressing the clamping noise. 
         [0037]    Therefore, even if the magnet  42  intensity installed in the clamper  80  or the turntable  40  is made stronger, there is no overstrain in the loading and unloading action of the optical disk drive device, and even though the intensity range of the magnet  42  has a certain degree of deviation, it is possible that excessive load may not act on the optical disk drive device. 
         [0038]    According to the present invention mentioned above, the upper case  70  is provided with the hollow part  71  and the support part  72 , the hollow part  71  is open for the clamper  80  to face the turntable  40 , and the support part  72  is a curved part to contact and support the clamper  80  as the edge of the hollow part  71 , and the support part  72  is inclined against the turntable  40 . 
         [0039]    The hollow part  71  is cut in a curved form from a part of the upper case  70 , and the support part  72  has an ‘L’ shaped cross section in which the edge of the hollow part  71  is curved toward the spindle motor  30 . 
         [0040]    That is, in order that detached distances between the support part  72  and the turntable  40  differ from each other, a step height L 1  is formed at the support part  72 . According to this, a detachment distance between the support part  72  and the turntable  40  on the upstream of the loading direction of an optical disk is more distanced than a detached distance between the support part  72  and the turntable  40  on the downstream of the optical disk loading direction by step height L 1 . 
         [0041]    In a loading or clamping of the optical disk, the deck  20  is rotated, and the support part  72  has a shape in which the second side C 2 , i.e. the farther side from the rotation center CO of the deck  20 , is more distanced from the turntable  40  than the first side C 1 , that is the nearer side from that of the deck  20 . 
         [0042]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 ,  4  and  5 , the first side C 1  corresponding to the lowermost of the clamper  80  first faces the turntable  40  when the deck  20  starts to ascend, and the clamper  80  is detached from the upper part case  70  in a case the deck  20  completes the ascending, and during descent of deck  20  the second side C 2  of the clamper  80 , opposite to the first side C 1 , first contacts and interferes with the support part  72  of the upper part case  70  so that the clamper  80  is detached from the turntable  40 . 
         [0043]    While embodiments according to the present invention have been described above, these are only by way of example and it would be understood by those skilled in the art that any embodiment of various modifications and equivalents can be made thereto. Thus, the genuine technical scope of the present invention should be defined from the accompanying claims.