IP Library Granted Patent US 7,640,559
Granted Patent B2
US 7,640,559 · App. 11/643,770 · Granted Dec 29, 2009

Objective lens actuator

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,640,559
App. No.
11/643,770
Granted
Dec 29, 2009
Kind
B2
Abstract

An objective lens actuator is provided which includes two objective lenses mounted on a movable body, and which is capable of preventing the movable body from coming into contact or collision with a disk and whose thickness becomes thinner. When a light beam is concentrated and focused on a high-density optical disk, D 1 represents the distance between the disk surface and the part of the movable body in the closest position to the disk; when a light beam is concentrated and focused on a CD, D 2 represents the distance between the disk surface and the part of the movable body in the closest position to the disk; when a light beam is concentrated and focused on a DVD, D 3 represents the distance between the disk surface and the part of the movable body in the closest position to the disk; and the following relational expression (1) is satisfied, D1<D2<D3  (1).

Claims (29)

1. An objective lens actuator which is mounted on an optical head that concentrates a light beam on an optical disk, comprising:

a movable body including a first objective lens used for concentrating the light beam on a recording surface of a high-density optical disk having a recording density higher than a DVD, a second objective lens used for concentrating the light beam on a recording surface of a CD or a DVD, and a lens holder holding both objective lenses;

a base; and

a support member supporting the movable body on the base so that the movable body can move in a focusing direction and in a tracking direction,

wherein: when a light beam is concentrated and focused on the high-density optical disk, D 1 represents a distance between a disk surface and a part of the movable body in a closest position to the disk; when a light beam is concentrated and focused on the CD, D 2 represents a distance between a disk surface and the part of the movable body in the closest position to the disk; when a light beam is concentrated and focused on the DVD, D 3 represents a distance between a disk surface and the part of the movable body in the closest position to the disk; and the following relational expression (1) is satisfied,

D1<D2<D3  (1).

2. The objective lens actuator according to claim 1 , wherein:

the movable body includes a collision avoidance portion which has a part in a position closer to the optical disk than the first objective lens and the second objective lens are;

when a light beam is concentrated and focused on the high-density optical disk, the distance D 1 is a distance from the disk surface up to this part;

when a light beam is concentrated and focused on the CD, the distance D 2 is a distance from the disk surface up to this part; and

when a light beam is concentrated and focused on the DVD, the distance D 3 is a distance from the disk surface up to this part.

3. The objective lens actuator according to claim 1 , wherein the first objective lens has a numerical aperture of 0.85 and has a characteristic of converging a laser beam whose wavelength is 405 nm upon the recording surface of the high-density optical disk.

4. The objective lens actuator according to claim 1 , wherein the distance D 2 is longer than 0.4 mm.

5. The objective lens actuator according to claim 1 , wherein a difference between the distance D 2 and the distance D 1 and a difference between the distance D 3 and the distance D 2 are both 0.2 mm or above and 0.4 mm or below.

6. An objective lens actuator which is mounted on an optical head that concentrates a light beam on an optical disk, comprising:

a movable body including a first objective lens used for concentrating the light beam on a recording surface of a first high-density optical disk having a base-material thickness of substantially 0.1 mm and a recording density higher than a DVD, using a bluish-violet laser, a second objective lens used for concentrating the light beam on a recording surface of a CD, a recording surface of a DVD or a recording surface of a second high-density optical disk having a base-material thickness of substantially 0.6 mm and a recording density higher than a DVD, using a bluish-violet laser, and a lens holder holding both objective lenses;

a base; and

a support member supporting the movable body on the base so that the movable body can move in a focusing direction and in a tracking direction,

wherein: when a light beam is concentrated and focused on the first high-density optical disk, D 1 represents a distance between a disk surface and a part of the movable body in a closest position to the disk; when a light beam is concentrated and focused on the CD, D 2 represents a distance between a disk surface and the part of the movable body in the closest position to the disk; when a light beam is concentrated and focused on the DVD, D 3 represents a distance between a disk surface and the part of the movable body in the closest position to the disk; when a light beam is concentrated and focused on the second high-density optical disk, D 4 represents a distance between a disk surface and the part of the movable body in the closest position to the disk; and the following relational expression (2) is satisfied,

D1<D2<D3≈D4  (2).

7. The objective lens actuator according to claim 6 , wherein:

the movable body includes a collision avoidance portion which has a part in a position closer to the optical disk than the first objective lens and the second objective lens are;

when a light beam is concentrated and focused on the first high-density optical disk, the distance D 1 is a distance from the disk surface up to this part;

when a light beam is concentrated and focused on the CD, the distance D 2 is a distance from the disk surface up to this part;

when a light beam is concentrated and focused on the DVD, the distance D 3 is a distance from the disk surface up to this part; and

when a light beam is concentrated and focused on the second high-density optical disk, the distance D 4 is a distance from the disk surface up to this part.

8. The objective lens actuator according to claim 6 , wherein the first objective lens has a numerical aperture of 0.85 and has a characteristic of converging a laser beam whose wavelength is 405 nm upon the recording surface of the first high-density optical disk, and the second objective lens has a numerical aperture of 0.65 and has a characteristic of converging a laser beam whose wavelength is 405 nm upon the recording surface of the second high-density optical disk.

9. The objective lens actuator according to claim 6 , wherein the distance D 2 is longer than 0.4 mm.

10. The objective lens actuator according to claim 6 , wherein a difference between the distance D 2 and the distance D 1 , a difference between the distance D 3 and the distance D 2 and a difference between the distance D 4 and the distance D 2 are all 0.2 mm or above and 0.4 mm or below.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Nov 20, 2008
From: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
To: PANASONIC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 021897/0534 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 2, 2007
From: WAKABAYASHI, KANJI; KOMMA, YOSHIAKI; SANO, KOUSEI; WADA, HIDENORI; MATSUZAKI, KEIICHI; TANAKA, TOSHIYASU
To: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 019101/0276 →