Patent ID: 8549547

Claim:
A disk clamping mechanism comprising: a turntable fixed on a rotational shaft of a spindle motor to rotate a flexible thin optical disk; a tray-stabilizer combined member configured to suppress a run-out of the flexible thin optical disk by applying an aerodynamic force to the rotating flexible thin optical disk so as to stabilize the run-out of the rotating flexible thin optical disk, and configured to support the flexible thin optical disk during loading and unloading of the flexible thin optical disk; and a clamper movably supported in a center of the tray-stabilizer combined member in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the flexible thin optical disk, wherein the flexible thin optical disk is sandwiched between the turntable and the clamper so that the turntable and the clamper rotate the flexible thin optical disk sandwiched therebetween, and wherein the disk clamping mechanism further comprises: a shaft portion provided at a lower part of the clamper to match a center of the damper for supporting the clamper; and a supporting member configured to pivotally and rotationally support the shaft portion of the clamper, wherein the damper that is suspended by the supporting member is attached to the tray-stabilizer combined member, such that the damper is movable from a first position to a second position relative to the tray-stabilizer combined member, the tray-stabilizer combined member is configured to support the flexible thin optical disk when the clamper is in the first position, and the clamper is configured to support the flexible thin optical disk when the damper is in the second position.