Adjustable positioning device for an optical pickup of an optical disc apparatus

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6795971
  • Patent Number
    6,795,971
  • Date Filed
    Wednesday, April 10, 2002
    22 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, September 21, 2004
    20 years ago
Abstract
An adjustable positioning device for an optical pickup of an optical disc apparatus, including four bar holders, connected to a traverse; two sliding bars, each with opposing ends inserted into a receiving chamber of two bar holders respectively; and an optical pickup head with lateral ends slidably sleeved on each of the two sliding bars respectively and which is movable back and forth on the sliding bar. The bar holder is integrally formed and provided with an elastic support capably against the sliding bar.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




1. Field of the Invention




The present invention relates to an optical disc apparatus, and more particularly to an adjustable positioning device for an optical pickup of an optical disc apparatus.




2. Description of Related Art




An optical pickup generally located in an optical disc apparatus is used to read data stored on an optical disc or to store data onto an optical disc. Referring to FIG.


1


and

FIG. 2

, a base


10


of a general optical disc apparatus is provided with three adjustable bar holders


20


and one stationary bar holder


21


; an optical pickup


11


, installed on an optical pickup head


12


which has both lateral ends respectively sleeved on a sliding bar


13


so that the optical pickup head


12


is movable back and forth on the sliding bar


13


, to read data from or store data to the optical disc positioned above. Both ends of one sliding bar


13


are respectively connected to the stationary bar holder


21


and the opposite adjustable bar holder


20


, and both ends of the other sliding bar


13


are respectively connected to two relative adjustable bar holders


20


. The adjustable bar holder


20


, shown in

FIG. 2

, comprises a top plate


22


, a lower base seat


23


and a spring


24


. The lower base seat


23


is provided with a receiving chamber


231


in which the spring


24


is installed and the sliding bar


13


is inserted. The top plate


22


and the lower base seat


23


are respectively fastened at lateral ends thereof to the base


10


with a fixing screw


25


. An adjustable screw


26


connects the top plate


22


and the lower base seat


23


together and extends into the chamber


231


of the lower base seat


23


to push against the sliding bar


13


to adjust a height of the sliding bar


13


. A turning table


14


shown as

FIG. 1

is connected on the base


10


to spin an optical disc rotated. Both parallelism of the optical pickup


11


and height of the optical pickup


11


relative to the turning table


14


are adjustable when the height of each sliding bar


13


is adjusted by adjusting the adjustable screw


26


inside the three adjustable bar holders


20


.




It is difficult to assemble the spring


24


with the adjustable bar holder


20


, because the spring


24


is a tiny and small part that must be positioned within the receiving chamber


231


of the adjustable bar holder


20


.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




The invention provides an adjustable positioning device for an optical pickup of an optical disc apparatus with less working parts to reduce cost of manufacture and to make assembly easier.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS




The invention is description in detail with reference to the following drawings, wherein like numerals represent like elements:





FIG. 1

is an illustrated drawing to show the structure of a conventional traverse of optical disc apparatus.





FIG. 2

is a cross-sectional drawing of a adjustable bar holder of the conventional traverse of optical disc apparatus illustrated on FIG.


1


.





FIG. 3

is an illustrated drawing to show the structure of the traverse of the invention capably used on an optical disc apparatus.





FIG. 4

is a solid diagram of a bar holder of the traverse of the invention illustrated on FIG.


3


.





FIG. 5

is a cross-sectional drawing of a bar holder of the traverse of the invention illustrated on FIG.


3


.





FIG. 6

is a cross-sectional drawing of a bar holder of the traverse of another embodiment of the invention.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT




Referring to

FIG. 3

, a base


30


of the optical disc apparatus is provided with four bar holders


40


. An optical pickup head


32


is installed with each of two lateral ends being slidably sleeved on one sliding bar


33


respectively, and each said sliding bar


33


is connected at opposing ends thereof to each of two bar holders


40


respectively.




Referring to FIG.


4


and

FIG. 5

, each bar holder


40


is integrally formed with a top that is an elastic support


41


. A receiving chamber


42


is formed under the elastic support


41


and a recess


43


passing through said receiving chamber


42


is formed at a front end of the bar holder


40


. Both ends of the sliding bar


33


are inserted through the recess


43


into said receiving chamber


42


of said bar holder


40


shown as FIG.


5


.




Each said bar holder


40


is secured on said base


30


with a fixing screw


44


. An adjustable screw


45


used to adjust a height of said sliding bar


33


is screwed through said base


30


into said receiving chamber


42


of said bar holder


40


and against said sliding bar


33


to keep an optical pickup


31


with proper parallelism and distance relative to a turning table


34


shown as FIG.


3


.




Referring to

FIG. 6

, another embodiment of said bar holder


40


of the invention, wherein the elastic support is used for leveling rather than said adjustable screw to adjust the height of said sliding bar


33


. The sliding bar


33


is directly set on a top end


431


of said recess


43


and securely positioned by the elasticity of said elastic support


41


.




Accordingly, said bar holder


40


of the invention may satisfy the demand for working parts and cost reduction due to said elastic support


41


being integrally


25


formed therein as a substitute for said spring


24


used in the conventional adjustable bar holder


20


shown as FIG.


2


. Said bar holder


40


of the invention is more easily made and assembled than the conventional adjustable bar holder


20


. Therefore, the manpower and cost may also be saved.




In additional, said bar holder of the invention and one conventionally used stationary bar holder


21


shown as

FIG. 1

can be used together to secure both ends of said sliding bar. Under this kind of combination, the height of said sliding bar is still adjustable due to adjusting said adjustable screw of said bar holder located at one ends of said sliding bar. Moreover, said bar holder of the invention and said base may be integrally formed as one piece of working parts to save more assembling cost.




The scope of this disclosed invention is not limited to the embodiment illustrated as above. Which scope explained and defined by claims may include all changeable equivalents more particularly only changed in easy amendment or variation.



Claims
  • 1. An adjustable positioning device for an optical pickup of an optical disc apparatus comprising:a) a base; b) four bar holders connected to the base, at least one of the bar holders having: i) an elastic support located on a top thereof; ii) a receiving chamber located below the elastic support; and iii) a recess located on a front of the at least one bar holder and communicating with the receiving chamber and an exterior of the at least one bar holder, wherein the elastic support, the receiving chamber and the recess are integrally formed as a single piece; c) two sliding bars, each end of each of the two sliding bars being connected to one of the four bar holders, at least one end of one of the two sliding bars being inserted into the receiving chamber and pressed by the elastic support against the recess, the four bar holders positioning the two sliding bars in parallel; and d) an optical pickup head with an optical pickup, the optical pickup head being slidably connected to each of the two sliding bars.
  • 2. The adjustable positioning device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one bar holder is connected to the base by a fixing screw.
  • 3. The adjustable positioning device according to claim 1, wherein the base and the at least one bar holder are integrally formed as a single piece.
  • 4. The adjustable positioning device according to claim 1, further comprising an adjusting screw connected to the base and protruding into the receiving chamber of the at least one bar holder, the adjusting screw adjustably pressing against and adjusting a height of one of the two sliding bars.
  • 5. The adjustable positioning device according to claim 2, further comprising an adjusting screw connected to the base and protruding into the receiving chamber of the at least one bar holder, the adjusting screw adjustably pressing against and adjusting a height of one of the two sliding bars.
  • 6. The adjustable positioning device according to claim 5, further comprising an adjusting screw connected to the base and protruding into the receiving chamber of the at least one bar holder, the adjusting screw adjustably pressing against and adjusting a height of one of the two sliding bars.
US Referenced Citations (12)
Number Name Date Kind
5615204 Watanabe et al. Mar 1997 A
5761183 Ikegame Jun 1998 A
5963535 Yamakawa et al. Oct 1999 A
5995478 Park Nov 1999 A
6285649 Bessho et al. Sep 2001 B1
6366551 Wu Apr 2002 B1
6385160 Jeon May 2002 B1
6445673 Park Sep 2002 B2
6512734 Chang et al. Jan 2003 B1
6636473 Kagaya et al. Oct 2003 B1
6639891 Katagiri Oct 2003 B1
6667945 Omori Dec 2003 B2