Patent ID: 7299481

Claim:
A supporting mechanism for an optical pickup for movably supporting a member to be supported along a supporting shaft having a peripheral surface, comprising: a plurality of supporting members provided on the member to be supported, each of said supporting members contacting with the supporting shaft on at least two contact points so as to be movable on the supporting shaft, the at least two contact points being apart from each other; and a pressing device for pressing the plurality of supporting members against the supporting shaft so that the contact points of each supporting member simultaneously come into contact with the supporting shaft; each of said contact points included in the supporting member coming into contact with the peripheral surface of said supporting shaft, and said contact points being placed so that tangential lines including said contact points intersect at right angles, wherein the supporting shaft has an outer circumferential surface on which a threaded portion is formed to move the member to be supported, and the pressing device is fixed to the member to be supported and includes a rack gear engaging with the threaded portion so as to move the member along the supporting shaft.