Patent Publication Number: US-2007104084-A1

Title: External optical disk stabilizer and method of use

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates to external optical disk stabilizers, and in particular, an external optical disk stabilizer adapted to be applied over the non-recording side and/or recording side of a single-sided optical disk to stabilize the optical disk for improved performance when rotated at high speeds.  
      2. General Background  
      Optical data storage media with higher densities are highly desirable. Accordingly, to access the data, the speed of disk drivers are increasing thus increasing the rotational speed of single-sided or double-sided optical disks. For example, rotational speeds may increase to or above 3000 rpms with a trend to increase to much higher speeds.  
      Improved optical data storage media include read only disks, write once disks, magneto-optical disks, rewritable disks, double-sided recording disks, etc. The operation of the drivers for each optical data storage media differs based on the type of disk and all have been well established in the industry. For the sake of illustration, one driver will be described briefly below.  
      A write once/read many driver uses a laser beam to make a permanent mark on a thin film of the recording side on the disk to write and store data. The stored data is then read out as a change in the optical properties of the disk, such as reflectivity or absorbance. When optical disks are rotated at high rotational speeds, the drivers have problems reading from and recording (writing) to such optical disks as the result of vibrational forces. Vibrational forces cause the optical disks to vibrate or wobble resulting in tracking problems for the laser device of the driver to direct the laser beam to make the mark or read the mark.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention contemplates an external optical disk stabilizer, for use in stabilizing an optical disk when the optical disk is rotated, comprising: a self-adhesive viscous material coated on and set to a non-recording or recording side of an optical disk substrate forming one or more layers of dampening material.  
      The present invention contemplates an external optical disk stabilizer that can sandwich the optical disk therebetween.  
      The present invention also contemplates a method of stabilizing an optical disk for high speed rotation comprising the steps of:  
      coating a self-adhering material to a non-recording or recording side of an optical disk substrate;  
      setting the self-adhering material to form one or more external layers of dampening material on the optical disk substrate; and,  
      stabilizing said optical disk during high speed rotation via the external layer(s) of the dampening material.  
      The self-adhering material includes silicon gel, epoxy, Teflon or the like.  
      Furthermore, the present invention contemplates an external stabilizing device that includes at least one layer of dampening material that can be used with either single-sided or double-sided recording optical disks.  
      The at least one layer of dampening material comprises dried self-adhering material coating a thin sheet of dampening material.  
      The above and other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the drawings, the description given herein, and the appended claims. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      For a further understanding of the nature, objects, and advantages of the present invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals denote like elements.  
       FIG. 1A  illustrates an exploded perspective view of the external optical disk stabilizer over a non-recording side of an optical disk in accordance with the present invention.  
       FIG. 1B  illustrates an exploded perspective view of the external optical disk stabilizer over a recording side of an optical disk in accordance with the present invention.  
       FIG. 1C  illustrates an exploded perspective view of an external optical disk stabilizer sandwiching an optical disk therebetween in accordance with the present invention.  
       FIG. 2  illustrates the external optical disk stabilizer applied to an optical disk with a portion of the stabilizer removed (shown hatched) in accordance with the embodiment of  FIG. 1A .  
       FIG. 3  illustrates an exploded perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the external optical disk stabilizer over an optical disk in accordance with the present invention.  
       FIG. 4  illustrates an exploded perspective view of another alternate embodiment of the external optical disk stabilizer over an optical disk in accordance with the present invention with a portion of the first layer removed (shown hatched).  
       FIG. 5  illustrates an exploded perspective view of a still further alternate embodiment of the external optical disk stabilizer over an optical disk in accordance with the present invention with a portion of the first layer removed.  
       FIG. 6  illustrates an exploded perspective view of a still further alternate embodiment of the external optical disk stabilizer over the recording and non-recording sides of an optical disk in accordance with the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
      Referring now to  FIGS. 1A and 2 , the external optical disk stabilizer of the present invention is referenced by the numeral  20  with the optical disk reference by the numeral  10 . The optical disk  10  is defined by a substrate having a center aperture  12 . The optical disk  10  includes a non-recording side  14  and a recording side  16  with a data storage area confined within the area designated by DA. The industry specifications on optical disks  10  are generally detailed in ANSI specifications and are well established. Thus, no further description related to optical disks is necessary. Although, the embodiments illustrated herein show an optical disk with a circular substrate, other substrate shapes may be used.  
      The external optical disk stabilizer  20  is an even layer  22  of dampening material dimensioned to cover the substrate area of the non-recording side  14 . For illustrative purposes, a portion of the layer  22  of dampening material has been removed forming hole  26  to expose the surface of the non-recording side  14  (shown hatched in  FIG. 2 ).  
      With reference to  FIG. 1B , the external optical disk stabilizer  20 ′ is an even layer  22 ′ applied to cover the substrate area of the recording side  16 . Nevertheless, external optical disk stabilizer  20 ″ (as best seen in  FIG. 1C ) may be employed wherein an even layer  22   a  is applied to the non-recording side and even layer  22   b  is applied to the recording side so that the optical disk  10  is sandwiched therebetween.  
      In the exemplary embodiment, the stabilizer  20  extends from the outer perimeter edge of the optical disk  10  to or just before the interior edge of the center aperture  12 . Accordingly, when the layer  22  of dampening material is applied a center aperture  24  is formed.  
      In the embodiment of  FIGS. 1A and 2 , the layer  22  of dampening material is formed by the application or coating of a self-adhering viscous material or gel onto the non-recording side  14 . Silicon gel is but one example of a self-adhering viscous material. The silicon gel can be spread, applied or coated on the non-recording side  14  of optical disk  10  to form an even layer. Thereafter, the silicon gel is left to set or, otherwise, dry for a predetermined time until the self-adhering viscous material can no longer be spread or applied. After the silicon gel is set, the layer  22  of dampening material is formed over the non-recording side  14 . Thus, the optical disk  10  can then be place in the optical disk driver (NOT SHOWN).  
      The self-adhering viscous material is set when touching the material does not subsequently self-adhere to another contacting surface, item, finger, etc.  
      Another example of a self-adhering viscous material or rapidly drying self-adhering material is epoxy and Teflon. The epoxy is applied, spread or coated and then left to set. Furthermore, when applying the self-adhering material care should be taken to prevent application thereof to the recording side  16  of the optical disk  10 . The thickness of the layer  22  of dampening material should not exceed the maximum allowable optical disk thickness of the ANSI specifications or other specifications for use in optical disk drivers.  
      The method of stabilizing an optical disk  10  for high speed rotation includes: 1) applying, spreading or coating a self-adhering viscous material to the non-recording side of the optical disk  10 ; 2) setting or drying the viscous material to form an external layer  22  of dampening material; and 3) stabilizing said optical disk  10  during high speed rotation via the layer  22  of dampening material.  
      I have determined that the use of a self-adhering viscous material, such as silicon gel, enhances the recording and reading capability of the driver as it stabilizes the optical disk  10 , especially for high fidelity recordings. While not wishing to be bound by theory, other self-adhering viscous materials or rapidly drying self-adhering material may be substituted.  
      Referring now to  FIG. 3 , in an alternate embodiment, the external optical disk stabilizer  100  is a thin membrane, film or sheet  102  of dampening material adapted to be place non-permanently over the non-recording side  14  of the optical disk  10 . In this embodiment, the external optical disk stabilizer  100  is adapted to be removed. Therefore, the thin membrane, film or sheet  102  of dampening material can be used with single-sided recording or double-sided recording optical disks. When recording using a double-sided recording optical disk, the optical disk stabilizer  100  is simply placed over that side deemed the non-recording side  14  in the driver.  
      The external optical disk stabilizer  100  extends from the outer perimeter edge of the optical disk  10  to or just before the interior edge of the center aperture  12 . Accordingly, the thin membrane, film or sheet  102  of dampening material has a center aperture  124  formed therein.  
      Referring now to  FIG. 4 , the external optical disk stabilizer  120  includes two layers  122   a  and  122   b  of dampening material, each with center aperture  124 . In this embodiment, the two layers  122   a  and  122   b  may be separate or non-attached to the other. In this case, the two layers  122   a  and  122   b  each would comprise the thin membrane, film or sheet  102  of dampening material, as set forth in  FIG. 3 . The bottom layer  122   b  is adapted to be non-permanently place over the non-recording side  14  of the optical disk  10 .  
      Alternately, one layer (bottom layer  122   b ) would comprise the thin membrane, film or sheet of dampening material, as set forth in  FIG. 3 . The second layer (top layer  122   a ) is a layer of dampening material formed by the application of a self-adhering viscous material directly to the top of the bottom layer  122   b.    
      In these two embodiments related to  FIG. 4 , the external optical disk stabilizer  120  is adapted to be removed. Therefore, the external optical disk stabilizer  120  can be used with single-sided recording or double-sided recording optical disks. When recording using a double-sided recording optical disk, the optical disk stabilizer  120  is simply placed over the non-recording side  14 .  
      In the embodiment of  FIG. 4 , the layer of dampening material formed by the application of a self-adhering viscous material is applied to the second layer  120  in the manner as described above in relation to  FIGS. 1A and 2 . For illustrative purposes only, the hole  126  formed in the top layer  122   a  exposes the second layer  122   b  (shown hatched).  
      Referring now to  FIG. 5 , the external optical disk stabilizer  200  includes two layers  210 ,  230  of dampening material and an adhesive layer  220  for attachment of the second bottom layer  230  (a thin membrane, film or sheet of dampening material) permanently over the non-recording side  14  of the optical disk  10 .  
      The thickness of the thin membrane, film or sheet  102  of dampening material may be the thickness of one sheet of paper, two sheets of paper or less than the thickness of a sheet of paper.  
      The thin membrane, film or sheet  102  of dampening material may include Teflon, vinyl, PVC, epoxy or silicon.  
      Referring now two  FIG. 6 , the external optical disk stabilizer  300  includes two layers  310 ,  320  of dampening material arranged such that the optical disk  10  is sandwiched therebetween. As can be appreciated, layer  310  can be permanently or non-permanently affixed to the non-recording side  14 .  
      Because many varying and differing embodiments may be made within the scope of the inventive concept herein taught and because many modifications may be made in the embodiments herein detailed in accordance with the descriptive requirement of the law, it is to be understood that the details herein are to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.