US 4,794,581 A · Lens support system enabling focussing and tracking motions employing a unitary lens holder

Abstract

A focus and tracking support includes a pair of bender beams extending parallel to a track to be scanned. The bender beams are cantilevered from a mounting block carried by a head carriage. Disposed intermediate and pivotally secured to the distal ends of the bender beams is a lens holder having two pairs of oppositely-extending, pivotally-secured support arms connected to the distal ends. The arrangement is such that when the bender beams are moved in the same direction tracking functions are performed while when the bender beams are moved in opposing directions, focussing functions are performed. The arms and lens holder are formed from a plastic unitary member. When the bender beams are piezo-electric beams, electrical signals for focus and tracking controls are superposed for effecting simultaneous focus and tracking functions.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A focussing and tracking support system for a lens in an optical record medium player for providing to an objective lens a first degree of freedom to and from a recording surface of a record medium along an axis perpendicular to the medium and a second degree of freedom in a direction transverse to record tracks on the medium;

the improvement, including in combination:
a headarm movable orthogonally to the record tracks on the medium, a mounting block mounted on the headarm, first and second bender beams mounted on the mounting block on opposite faces thereof and extending from the mounting block in a direction along the length of a record track to be scanned on the record medium, said bender beams being spaced apart a predetermined distance;
a lens holder disposed intermediate the distal ends of said bender beams for carrying an objective lens having an optical axis orthogonal to the recording surface of said record medium;
and
two pairs of arms respectively pivotally secured to the bender beam long edges thereof bending parallel to the record track to be scanned and to the lens holder on pivot lines parallel to the longitudinal extent of the record track to be scanned.

2 more elements

A lens holder system for use in an optical record medium player comprising

a unitary body having an aperture extending along an optical axis of a lens to be supported by the untiary body and having first and second oppositely-facing support surfaces, each surface having first and second end portions spaced along the optical axis of a lens to be supported, first and second support arms attached to a first of said oppositely-facing surfaces respectively at said first and second end portions and being disposed at a predetermined acute angle with respect to said support surfaces, a web joining the distal ends of said first and second arms, bender beam support flaps integrally formed at the juncture of said web and said first and second arms for holding a free distal end of a support beam;
third and fourth amrs disposed respectively at the first and second end portions of said second outwardly-facing support surface and extending at an acute angle with respect to said second support surface, a web joining the distal ends of said third and fourth support arms and having bender beam support means integrally formed with the web for retainingly receiving a distal end of a support beam, such support beam being disposed in a substantailly parallel relationship to the first-mentioned support beam;
and
each of the arms having a first necked-down portion extending parallel to the respective support surfaces and closely-spaced thereto for providing a first pivot line for each of the respective arms and a second mecked-down portion extending parallel to each of the first necked-down portions for forming a pivot line immediately adjacent the respective web.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Lens support system enabling focussing and tracking motions employing a unitary lens holder

Life of this patent

Lens support system enabling focussing and tracking motions employing a unitary lens holder

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims10