Patent ID: 7515524

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: a pickup unit having an object lens and adapted to read or record signals from or to a recording medium; a driving unit for rotating the recording medium, the recording medium having first and second surfaces, wherein the second surface faces the object lens during a reading or writing operation of the apparatus, a clamping area including first and second clamping areas, wherein the first clamping area is associated with mounting the recording medium on a spindle such that the first surface faces the object lens, a center hole for receiving the spindle therein, and a recording layer disposed in a lower portion with respect to a center plane of the first and second surfaces, and being in a closer proximity to the second surface, wherein the first clamping area at least partially protrudes away from the first surface, so that the first surface of the recording medium is raised from the spindle when the recording medium is inserted by placing the first clamping area in the spindle; and a controller for controlling the driving unit and the pickup unit.