Apparatus for optically recording and reproducing information from an optical recording medium

An apparatus for optically reproducing information from an optical recording medium comprising:

• beam-generating means for generating a light beam;
• splitting means, including a refractor having a light-incidence surface on which said light beam generated by said beam-generating means is incident, and first, second and third light-emerging surfaces, for splitting the light beam incident on the light-incidence surface into a first light beam and a second light beam, the first light beam emerging from the first emerging surface;
• guide means for guiding the first light beam emerging from the first emerging surface to the optical recording medium, for returning the first light beam after being reflected by the optical recording medium to the first emerging surface, the first light beam returned to the first emerging surface being directed to and emerging from the second emerging surface;
• signal-generating means, responsive to the first light beam emerging from the second emerging surface, for generating a reproduction signal;
• reflecting/converging means, secured to the splitting means, for reflecting and converging the second light beam split by the splitting means and directing the converged second light beam to the third emerging surface to emerge from said third emerging surface;
• and
• driving means, responsive to the converged second light beam emerging from the third emerging surface, for driving the beam-generating means, so as to control an intensity of the light beam.