Patent ID: 7987475

Claim:
A chucking mechanism operable to detachably set thereon a discoid disk including a central opening portion, the chucking mechanism comprising: a rotor portion including a disk mounting portion concentric with a predetermined central axis and making contact with the disk; a plurality of claw members, each arranged to move in a radial direction and make contact with the central opening portion of the disk to retain the disk; a plurality of elastic members providing a force in the radial direction to each of the claw members; and a plurality of receiving portions arranged axially opposite to each of the claw members to guide each of the claw members inwardly in the radial direction when each of the claw members is pressured from the central opening portion, wherein each of the claw members comprising: a tip portion located at an outermost portion of each of the claw members in the radial direction; a plurality of first claw portions , each of the first claw portions has a first claw surface located at a first inward and axially downward portion of the tip portion, the first claw surface pressuring the central opening portion of the disk outwardly in the radial direction, and a sliding portion having a sliding surface arranged between the first claw portions to make contact with each of the receiving portions, the sliding surface being axially higher than the first claw portions.