Patent ID: 7610593

Claim:
An optical disk apparatus of a slot-in type for writing or reading information by moving an optical pickup in approximately a radial direction of an optical disk, said apparatus comprising: a lead screw member having a feed screw which applies an approximately radial moving force to said optical pickup in said radial direction of said optical pickup by rotating; a disk motor for drivingly rotating said optical disk in a chucked condition thereof; a feed motor disposed at a position external to a midpoint position in a radial direction of said chucked optical disk, said position of said feed motor being in a vicinity of a slot of a front panel of said apparatus through which said optical disk is directly loaded and unloaded without a tray and in a projection region of said optical disk, said feed motor being directly-coupled to said lead screw member so as to drivingly rotate said lead screw member; a first base as an apparatus base; a second base on which said lead screw member, said feed motor, and said optical pickup are mounted, wherein said second base pivotally moves about at least one supporting point disposed more externally relative to a midpoint position in said radial direction of said chucked optical disk; and a lifter provided on a side of said second base facing said first base; wherein, when said optical disk is chucked, said optical disk is loaded into a desired internal position of said apparatus and then said lifter moves said second base about said at least one supporting point by applying a pivotal moving force to said second base.