Optical Disc Drive and Electronic Device

Abstract

The present invention provides an optical disc drive that can maintain the contact between the optical disc and the transfer roller while reducing the number of components. The transfer roller (20) includes a right roller (21R) rotatable about an axis (CR) and a left roller (21L) rotatable about an axis (CL), and the right roller and the left roller are arranged in the left-right direction. The right end portion of the right roller portion (21R) or the left end portion of the left roller portion (21L) can move in the up-down direction relative to the other without changing the relative position between the axis (CR) and the axis (CL).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an optical disc drive and an electronic device. Background Art

[0002] Patent Documents 1 and 2 listed below both disclose an optical disc drive that can be installed in an electronic device such as a game machine, a personal computer, or an audio-visual (AV) device. The optical disc drive includes a transport roller that contacts an optical disc inserted through an insertion port formed in the front surface of the optical disc drive and transports the optical disc to a position of a spindle motor, and a clamping pulley that magnetically fixes the optical disc that has reached the position of the spindle motor to the spindle motor.

[0003] [Citation List]

[0004] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2015-022780A

[0006] [Patent Document 2] JP 2015-022779A Summary of the Invention

[0007] [Technical Problem]

[0008] When one or both ends of the transport roller are movable in the vertical direction, the transport roller can keep contact with an optical disc inserted through the insertion port. However, even when contact is maintained between the transport roller and the optical disc as described above, the optical disc drive is desired to include as few components as possible to suppress an increase in the manufacturing cost of the optical disc drive.

[0009] An object of the present invention is to provide an optical disc drive that can maintain contact between the optical disc and the transport roller while reducing the number of components.

[0010] [Solution to the Problem]

[0011] The optical disc drive according to the present invention includes a transport roller that includes a right roller portion configured to be rotatable about a first axis and a left roller portion configured to rotate about a second axis, the right roller portion and the left roller portion being arranged in a lateral direction, and a transport roller drive mechanism configured to rotate the transport roller. A first end corresponding to one of a right end portion of the right roller portion and a left end portion of the left roller portion is configured to move in the vertical direction relative to a second end corresponding to the other of the left end portion of the left roller portion and the right end portion of the right roller portion, and the relative positions of the first axis and the second axis remain unchanged. According to the present invention, contact between the optical disc and the transport roller can be maintained, and the number of components of the optical disc drive can be reduced. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0012] Figure 1Is an exploded perspective view of the optical disc drive 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] Figure 2A Is a top view of the chassis.

[0014] Figure 2B Is a perspective view of the chassis.

[0015] Figure 2C Is along Figure 2A The cross-sectional view taken along the line c-c shown.

[0016] Figure 3 Is an exploded perspective view depicting the top frame and the components arranged in the top frame.

[0017] Figure 4 Is a perspective view showing the constituent parts of the transfer mechanism.

[0018] Figure 5 Is a rear view of the transfer roller and the roller bracket.

[0019] Figure 6 Is a partial enlarged view of the right side of the chassis.

[0020] Figure 7 Is an exploded perspective view showing the loading motor and the gears.

[0021] Figure 8 Is a left side view of the gears and the roller bracket.

[0022] Figure 9A Is a left side view of the slider, the gears and the roller bracket, depicting the slider in the first sliding position.

[0023] Figure 9B Is a left side view of the slider, the gears and the roller bracket, depicting the slider in the second sliding position.

[0024] Figure 10A Is a top view of the top frame, showing the case where there is no optical disc in the optical disc drive.

[0025] Figure 10B Is along Figure 10A The cross-sectional view taken along the line b-b.

[0026] Figure 11 Is a top view of the top frame, showing the case where the optical disc is inserted into the insertion opening of the optical disc drive.

[0027] Figure 12A Is a top view of the top frame, showing the case where the optical disc is placed at the driving position of the optical disc drive.

[0028] Figure 12B Is along Figure 12A The cross-sectional view taken along the line b-b shown.

[0029] Figure 13 It is a perspective view showing the back sides of the switching arm and the rotating arm.

[0030] Figure 14 It is a perspective view of the base frame and the top frame.

[0031] Figure 15 It is an exploded perspective view of the base frame.

[0032] Figure 16A It is a bottom view of the bottom case.

[0033] Figure 16B It is along Figure 16A The sectional view taken along the line b-b shown. Detailed implementation mode

[0034] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 It is an exploded perspective view of the optical disc drive 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the following description, Figure 1 X1 and X2 depicted in are described as the left direction and the right direction, Y1 and Y2 represent the front direction and the rear direction, and Z1 and Z2 represent the upper direction and the lower direction. In the present embodiment, on the axis CB (refer to Figure 10B , Figure 12B ) of the spindle motor 11 described later, in the state where the optical disc is placed on the spindle motor 11, the direction from the spindle motor 11 toward the optical disc is assumed to be "upward", and the opposite direction is assumed to be "downward". In addition, among the directions perpendicular to the axis CB of the spindle motor 11, the direction in which the insertion port is provided with respect to the installation position of the spindle motor 11 is assumed to be "forward", and the opposite direction is considered to be "backward". In addition, the plane perpendicular to the axis CB of the spindle motor 11 is assumed to be a horizontal plane. In addition, in the members (components), the uppermost position, the lowermost position, the leftmost position, the rightmost position, the foremost position, and the rearmost position are respectively assumed to be the upper end, the lower end, the left end, the right end, the front end, and the rear end. In addition, a part of the member including at least the upper end, the lower end, the left end, the right end, the front end, or the rear end is respectively assumed to be the upper end portion, the lower end portion, the left end portion, the right end portion, the front end portion, or the rear end portion.

[0035] <1. Structure of the optical disc drive>

[0036] The optical disc drive 1 is housed in a casing provided in an electronic device such as a game machine, a personal computer, an AV device, etc. As Figure 1 shown, the optical disc drive 1 includes a base frame 2 (base unit). The base frame 2 is generally plate-shaped, and the optical disc is placed on the base frame 2. The base frame 2 includes a spindle motor 11 that serves as a turntable for rotating the optical disc. The spindle motor 11 rotates around an axis CB perpendicular to the upper surface of the base frame 2 (see Figure 10B and12B ) Rotation. In addition, the chassis 2 includes a circuit board for mounting the spindle motor 11, an optical pickup (optical element), a motor for moving the optical pickup in the front-rear direction, etc.

[0037] Note that the optical disc is, for example, a compact disc (CD), a digital versatile disc (DVD), a Blu-ray Disc (registered trademark), etc. The optical disc drive 1 described in this embodiment corresponds to an optical disc with a diameter of 12 cm.

[0038] In addition, the optical disc drive 1 includes a chassis 3. As Figure 1 shown, the chassis frame 3 is box-shaped, and various components such as the chassis 2 are arranged inside the chassis 3. In addition, the optical disc drive 1 includes a top frame 4 attached to the upper side of the chassis 3. The top frame 4 is generally plate-shaped and attached to the chassis 3 to form an inner shell together with the chassis 3 for accommodating the chassis 2, the transfer roller 20, the roller bracket 50, the loading motor 60, and the gears 61a - 61g (refer to Figure 7 ). The chassis 3 and the top frame 4 may include resin.

[0039] Figure 2A is a top view of the chassis 3, Figure 2A is a perspective view of the chassis 3. Figure 2A and 2B depict the chassis 3 in which various components are arranged. As Figure 2A and 2B shown, the chassis 2 and the roller bracket 50 to which the transfer roller 20 is attached are arranged inside the chassis 3. In addition, a slider 70 is arranged outside the chassis 3.

[0040] The chassis 3 is box-shaped and includes a rectangular cutout portion 31 at the front upper edge of the chassis 3. The cutout portion 31 and the lower edge (substantially plate-shaped) of the front end portion of the top frame 4 form an insertion port into which the optical disc is inserted. The optical disc inserted into the insertion port is placed between the chassis 3 and the top frame 4. More specifically, the optical disc is placed between the transfer roller 20 located inside the chassis 3 and the top frame 4, conveyed by a conveying mechanism A (such as the transfer roller 20), and thus placed between the chassis 2 arranged inside the chassis 3 and the top frame 4.

[0041] Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view depicting the top frame 4 and the components arranged in the top frame 4. As Figure 3 shown, the clamping pulley 12, the switch board 15, the switching arm 80, the rotating arm 90, the first limiting arm 110, the second limiting arm 120, and a plurality of springs 85, 96, and 116 are arranged in the top frame 4. Each component will be described in detail below.

[0042] In addition, as Figure 1As shown, the optical disc drive 1 includes a bottom case 5 and a cover 6 which are constituent parts of the case corresponding to the outermost case of the optical disc drive 1. The bottom case 5 is box-shaped, and the inner cases including the bottom frame 3 and the top frame 4 are accommodated within the bottom case 5. In this way, the case (bottom case 5 and cover 6) covers the entire inner case (bottom frame 3 and top frame 4), thereby suppressing dust from entering the interior of the optical disc drive 1 or the interior of the bottom frame 3. In addition, the bottom case 5 and the cover 6 can be formed of metal. This allows suppressing electromagnetic waves from entering the interior of the optical disc drive 1 and leaking from the optical disc drive 1.

[0043] A rectangular hole portion H is formed in the front surface of the bottom case 5. When the optical disc drive 1 is viewed from the front, the hole portion H overlaps with the cutout portion 31 formed in the bottom frame 3 and together with the cutout portion 31 constitutes an insertion port for the optical disc drive. In other words, the optical disc drive 1 includes the bottom case 5 corresponding to the member provided with the insertion port and the bottom frame 3.

[0044] In addition, the optical disc drive 1 includes a transport mechanism A for transporting the optical disc, a centering mechanism B for aligning the optical disc, a clamping mechanism C for fixing the optical disc, and a vibration suppression mechanism D for suppressing the vibration of the optical disc drive 1. The transport mechanism A is configured to transport the optical disc inserted through the insertion port of the optical disc drive 1 to the position of the spindle motor 11 and transport the optical disc placed on the spindle motor 11 to the outside of the insertion port. The centering mechanism B is a mechanism for positioning the optical disc such that the center position of the optical disc aligns with the position of the axis CB corresponding to the rotation center of the spindle motor 11 (hereinafter also referred to as the drive position). The clamping mechanism C is a mechanism for fixing the optical disc at the drive position. The vibration suppression mechanism D is a mechanism for suppressing the vibration occurring in the base frame 2 when the optical disc rotates at the drive position from being transmitted to the inner case (bottom frame 3 and top frame 4) and the outer case (bottom case 5 and cover 6). In the present embodiment, the transport mechanism A is provided on the bottom frame 3, the centering mechanism B is provided on the base frame 2 and the top frame 4, C is provided on the top frame 4, and the vibration suppression mechanism D is provided in the base frame 2, the bottom frame 3, and the bottom case 5. The transport mechanism A, the centering mechanism B, the clamping mechanism C, and the vibration suppression mechanism D will be described below.

[0045] <2. Transport Mechanism>

[0046] The transport mechanism A will be described. The transport mechanism A includes a transport roller 20 that transports the optical disc inserted through the insertion port of the optical disc drive 1 to the position of the spindle motor 11. The transport roller 20 is arranged to contact the optical disc inserted into the insertion port of the optical disc drive 1 (the space between the cutout portion 31 of the bottom frame 3 and the top frame 4). In the present embodiment, the transport roller 20 is located below the transport path through which the optical disc passes. Therefore, the transport roller 20 contacts the lower surface of the optical disc and transports the optical disc in the front-rear direction.

[0047] The base frame 2 is disposed inside the chassis 3. The main shaft motor 11 installed in the base frame 2 is disposed behind the cutout 31 that forms the insertion port of the chassis 3 and is away from the cutout. Further, inside the chassis 3, the transfer roller 20 attached to the roller bracket 50 is disposed in front of the base frame 2.

[0048] As Figure 2B shown, the optical disc drive 1 includes a spring 25 configured to bias the transfer roller 20 in a direction (in this case, upward) toward the transfer path through which the optical disc passes. The spring 25 is attached to a hole portion 53 formed on the left side of the roller bracket 50 with respect to the center of the roller bracket 50. The spring 25 biases the roller bracket 50 and the transfer roller 20 to place the transfer roller 20 in the transfer position. This causes the transfer roller 20 (the left roller 21L and the right roller 21R described below) to contact the lower surface of the optical disc.

[0049] The transfer mechanism A operates by power received from the loading motor 60. In a state where the transfer roller 20 is in the transfer position in contact with the lower surface of the optical disc, the transfer roller 21 is rotated by the power from the loading motor 60 to transfer the optical disc inserted through the insertion port (the cutout 31 of the chassis 3) toward the position of the main shaft motor 11. The transfer roller 20 can move between the transfer position (the first roller position) where the transfer roller 20 contacts and transfers the optical disc and the retracted position (the second roller position) away from the transfer position by a transfer roller position operating mechanism described later. The retracted position is a position where the transfer roller 20 is located below the transfer path of the optical disc, away from the transfer path of the optical disc, and does not contact the optical disc.

[0050] Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the constituent members of the transfer mechanism A. As Figure 4 shown, the transfer roller 20 includes a left roller 21L (left roller portion) rotatable about an axis CL (first axis) and a right roller 21R (right roller portion) rotatable about an axis CR (second axis), and the left roller 21L and the right roller 21R are arranged in the lateral direction. The left roller 21L and the right roller 21R are tubular members formed separately. Therefore, the left roller 21L and the right roller 21R of the separate members as described above can be easily formed.

[0051] The transfer roller 20 is disposed below the top frame 4. As Figure 3 shown, the top frame 4 includes openings 41L and 41R at positions corresponding to the left roller 21L and the right roller 21R that constitute the transfer roller 20, respectively. When the transfer roller 20 is in the transfer position, outer portions of the left roller 21L and the right roller 21R are respectively placed in the openings 41L and 41R.

[0052] As Figure 4As shown, the left roller 21L has a shaft portion 22L at its left end and a coupling portion 23L at its right end. Similarly, the right roller 21R has a shaft portion 22R at its right end and a coupling portion 23R at its left end. The left roller 21L and the right roller 21R are coupled by the coupling portions 23L, 23R. The coupling portion 23L is fixed to the left roller 21L, and the top end of the coupling portion 23L is formed in a frame shape. Similarly, the coupling portion 23R is fixed to the right roller 21R, and the top end of the coupling portion 23R is formed in a frame shape. At the center position of the conveying roller 20, the coupling portions 23L, 23R are coupled to each other by fitting the top end of one of the coupling portions 23L, 23R into the frame of the other. The left roller 21L and the right roller 21R may have the same frame shape.

[0053] By connecting the coupling portions 23L, 23R to each other, the first end corresponding to one of the left end of the left roller 21L and the right end of the right roller 21R can be moved in the vertical direction relative to the second end corresponding to the other end, and the relative positions of the axes CL and CR remain unchanged. In this case, when the coupling portions 23L, 23R are respectively fixed to the support portions 51Lb, 51Rb and the angle between the axes CL, CR remains unchanged, the first end can be moved in the vertical direction relative to the second end. Therefore, when the user inserts the optical disc, even if the optical disc is not horizontally aligned, the left end of the left roller 21L or the right end of the right roller 21R moves in the vertical direction and the angle between the rollers is maintained. Therefore, the left roller 21L and the right roller 21R contact the optical disc at a predetermined area of the optical disc, allowing the state where the optical disc is held to be maintained. In addition, for example, compared with a structure in which the left roller 21L and the right roller 21R move independently to change the relative positions of the axes CL and CR, the present embodiment that maintains the relative positions of the axes CL and CR has a simple structure and can reduce the number of components of the optical disc drive 1.

[0054] The left roller 21L and the right roller 21R constituting the conveying roller 20 are attached to a single roller bracket 50 and are rotatably supported by the roller bracket 50. As described above, one roller bracket 50 supports the left roller 21L and the right roller 21R, and this structure can reduce the number of components of the optical disc drive 1 compared with a structure in which, for example, two brackets respectively support the left roller 21L and the right roller 21R.

[0055] Figure 5 is a rear view of the conveying roller 20 and the roller bracket 50. As Figure 4 and Figure 5 shown, the roller bracket 50 includes a support portion 51La that supports the shaft portion 22L of the left roller 21L, a support portion 51Lb that supports the coupling portion 23L of the left roller 21L, a support portion 51Ra that supports the shaft portion 22R of the right roller 21R, and a support portion 51Rb that supports the coupling portion 23R of the right roller 21R. As Figure 4 and as described below Figure 8As shown, the support portion 51La is annular. In addition, the support portions 51Lb and 51Rb are arcuate with upward openings. The shaft portions 22L and the coupling portions 23L and 23R are assembled inside the support portions 51Lb and 51Rb. Further, the support portion 51Ra is a protrusion that is fitted into a hole formed at the right end of the shaft portion 22R of the right roller 21R.

[0056] The support portions 51Lb and 51Rb that support the coupling portion 23L of the left roller 21L and the coupling portion 23R of the right roller 21R are located below the support portions 51La and 51Ra of the shaft portion 22L of the left roller 21L and the shaft portion 22R of the right roller 21R. Accordingly, the axis CL of the left roller 21L and the axis CR of the right roller 21R are inclined with respect to the horizontal plane (a plane perpendicular to the axis CB of the spindle motor 11). As Figure 5 shown, the disc-shaped optical disc O is inserted into the insertion port of the optical disc drive 1 along the horizontal plane and conveyed to the position of the spindle motor 11. Thereby, the axis CL of the left roller 21L and the axis CR of the right roller 21R are inclined with respect to the optical disc O placed on the conveying roller 20.

[0057] The axis CL of the left roller 21L is inclined such that the distance between the axis CL and the optical disc O gradually increases from the left end portion of the conveying roller 20 toward the central portion of the conveying roller 20. Similarly, the axis CR of the right roller 21R is inclined such that the distance between the axis CR and the optical disc O gradually increases from the right end portion of the conveying roller 20 toward the central portion of the conveying roller 20. Since the axes CL and CR of the left roller 21L and the right roller 21R are inclined as described above, the left roller 21L and the right roller 21R can come into contact with the optical disc O, except for the data recording area of the optical disc O (a circular area having a radius corresponding to a predetermined distance from the center of the optical disc O).

[0058] One of the left end portion and the right end portion of the roller bracket 50 can move relative to the other in the vertical direction. Accordingly, one of the left end portion of the left roller 21L and the right end portion of the right roller 21R (the first end portion) can move relative to the other end portion (the second end portion) in the vertical direction. In the present embodiment, the shaft portion 22R corresponding to the right end portion of the right roller 21R can move relative to the shaft portion 22L corresponding to the left end portion of the left roller 21L in the vertical direction.

[0059] The left end portion and the right end portion of the roller bracket 50 are supported by the chassis 3. As Figure 4 shown, the roller bracket 50 has a shaft portion 52L at the left end portion and a shaft portion 52R at the right end portion. The roller bracket 50 includes an axis CA in the lateral direction and is rotatable about the axis CA. The shaft portions 52L and 52R are cylindrical protrusions that project leftward and rightward from the roller bracket 50, respectively, are located on the axis CA of the roller bracket 50, and are separated from each other in the lateral direction. As Figure 2BAs shown, the shaft portion 52L formed at the left end portion of the roller support 50 is fitted into the bearing portion 33L formed in the chassis 3. In addition, the shaft portion 52R formed at the right end portion of the roller support 50 is fitted into the bearing portion 33R formed in the chassis 3. As Figure 4 shown, the axis CA of the roller support 50 is located in front of the transfer roller 20 and away from the transfer roller 20. Therefore, when the roller support 50 rotates about the axis CA, the transfer roller 20 attached to the roller support 50 rotates and moves about the axis CA. This movement allows the transfer roller 20 to move between the transfer position where the transfer roller 20 (left roller 21L and right roller 21R) contacts the optical disc and the retracted position located below and away from the transfer position.

[0060] The supported portion (shaft portion 52L or shaft portion 52R) is formed at one of the right end portion and the left end portion of the roller support 50, and the support portion (bearing portion 33L or bearing portion 33R) supports the supported portion and is formed by the chassis 3. The supported portion and the support portion can be formed to allow the supported portion to move in the vertical direction. Therefore, one of the left end portion and the right end portion of the roller support 50 can move in the vertical direction relative to the other, and one of the left end portion of the left roller 21L and the right end portion of the right roller 21R (first end portion) can move in the vertical direction relative to the other end portion (second end portion). In other words, according to the state of the inserted optical disc, one of the left end portion and the right end portion of the roller support 50 is displaced in the vertical direction relative to the other, so that one of the left end portion of the left roller 21L and the right end portion of the right roller 21R (first end portion) moves in the vertical direction relative to the other end portion (second end portion). This makes it possible to maintain an appropriate connection state between the optical disc and the roller according to the state of the optical disc.

[0061] Figure 6 is a partial enlarged view of the right side surface of the chassis 3. As Figure 2A 、 Figure 2B 、 Figure 6 shown, in the present embodiment, the chassis 3 has a right side wall portion 32R that constitutes the right end portion (right frame portion of the box) of the chassis 3. In the right side wall portion 32R, the bearing portion 33R is formed. When the roller support 50 is biased upward by the spring 25, a gap d extending in the vertical direction is formed between the shaft portion 52R of the roller support 50 and the bearing portion 33R of the chassis 3. The gap d allows the right end portion (shaft portion 52R) of the roller support 50 to move in the vertical direction inside the bearing portion 33R. Note that in Figure 6 the bearing portion 33R is formed as a notch, but the bearing portion 33R can also be a vertically elongated groove.

[0062] In addition, as Figure 2BAs shown, the chassis 3 includes a left side wall portion 32L that constitutes the left end portion (the left frame portion of the box) of the chassis 3. Further, inside the chassis 3, a left inner wall portion 34 is formed. The left inner wall portion 34 has a flat plate shape and is parallel to the left side wall portion 32L. A left bearing portion 33L is formed in the left inner wall portion 34 such that the shaft portion 52L of the roller support 50 is fitted in the bearing portion 33L. Inside the bearing portion 33L, the movement of the left end portion (shaft portion 52L) of the roller support 50 in the vertical direction is restricted.

[0063] The conveying mechanism A includes a conveying roller drive mechanism that rotates the conveying roller 20. The roller drive mechanism can be coupled to one (the second end portion) of the left end portion of the left roller 21L or the right end portion of the right roller 21R whose movement in the vertical direction is restricted. As described above, when the roller drive mechanism is provided at the second end portion where the movement in the vertical direction is restricted, it is possible to easily couple the roller drive mechanism to the conveying roller. In the present embodiment, the bearing portion 33L of the chassis 3 restricts the movement of the left end portion (shaft portion 52L) of the roller support 50 in the vertical direction, thereby restricting the movement of the shaft portion 22L corresponding to the left end portion of the left roller 21L in the vertical direction. Further, as Figure 4 shown, a gear 24 is attached to the shaft portion 22L corresponding to the left end portion of the left roller 21L, and a conveying roller drive mechanism (a gear 61e described later) is coupled to the gear 24. The rotation center axis of the gear 24 is located on the axis CL of the left roller 21L. Note that no gear to which the conveying roller drive mechanism is attached is attached to the shaft portion 22R corresponding to the right end portion (the first end portion) of the right roller 21R that allows movement in the vertical direction.

[0064] Figure 7 is an exploded perspective view showing the loading motor 60 and the gears 61a to 61g. Figure 8 is a left side view of the gears 61b to 61g and the roller support 50. The gear 61a is a worm gear and is fitted on the rotation shaft of the loading motor 60 and meshes with the gear 61b. The gear 61 that is configured as a worm gear allows a certain reduction ratio with respect to the rotation speed of the shaft of the loading motor 60. Further, as Figure 8 shown, the gear 61b meshes with the gears 61a and 61c. The gear 61c meshes with the gears 61b, 61d, and 61f. The gear 61d meshes with the gears 61c and 61e. The gear 61e meshes with the gear 61c and the gear 24 coupled to the left roller 21L. The gear 61f meshes with the gears 61c and 61g.

[0065] As part of a conveyance roller drive mechanism that rotates the conveyance roller 20, the conveyance mechanism A includes a first transmission mechanism that transmits the rotation of the loading motor 60 to the conveyance roller 20. In the present embodiment, the gears 61a to 61e correspond to the first transmission mechanism. That is, the rotation of the loading motor 60 is transmitted to the gear 24 via the first transmission mechanism corresponding to the gears 61a to 61e. Then, the gear 24 rotates clockwise or counterclockwise so that the left roller 21L to which the gear 24 is attached and the right roller 21R coupled to the coupling portion 23L of the left roller 21L via the coupling portion 23R rotate in the same direction (clockwise or counterclockwise) as the rotation of the gear 24 at the same speed as the rotation of the gear 24. As Figure 8 shown, at least a part of the loading motor 60 is located behind the gear 61e that forms the front end of the first transmission mechanism. Note that the first transmission mechanism is not limited to gears and may include a belt or the like.

[0066] In addition, the conveyance mechanism A includes a roller bracket 50 and a slider 70 as a conveyance roller position manipulation mechanism that moves the position of the conveyance roller 20. As Figure 2B shown, the slider 70 is mounted on the left end portion (left side wall portion 32L) of the chassis 3. The slider 70 serves as a conveyance roller operation member that moves the conveyance roller 20 to a conveyance position (first roller position) where the conveyance roller 20 contacts the optical disc and a position (second roller position) away from the conveyance position and where the conveyance roller 20 is separated from the optical disc.

[0067] Figure 9A and 9B are left side views of the slider 70, the gear, and the roller bracket 50. At the left end portion of the chassis 3, the slider 70 can move between a first sliding position (first operation member position) and a second sliding position (second operation member position), and the second sliding position is located in front of and away from the first sliding position. Figure 9A shows the case where the slider 70 is located at the first sliding position, while Figure 9B shows the case where the slider 70 is placed at the second sliding position in front of the first sliding position. As Figure 9A shown, when the slider 70 is located at the first sliding position, the conveyance roller 20 is located at the conveyance position. In addition, as Figure 9B shown, when the slider 70 is in the second sliding position, the conveyance roller 20 is located at a retracted position below the conveyance position.

[0068] As Figure 2B shown, the front end portion of the slider 70 is fitted into a guide hole 35 formed in the left end portion (left side wall portion 32L) of the chassis 3. A guide surface 71 that faces forward and is inclined downward is formed at the front end portion of the slider 70, and as Figure 4As shown, the guided portion 54 is formed at the left end of the roller bracket 50. The guided portion 54 projects leftward from the roller bracket 50. When the slider 70 moves from the first sliding position to the second sliding position, within the chassis 3 or within the guide hole 35, the guided portion 54 of the roller bracket 50 contacts the guide surface 71 of the slider 70 and is lifted by the guide surface 71. At this time, the roller bracket 50 rotates about the axis CA to move the transfer roller 20 located behind the axis CA to the retracted position (see Figure 9B ).

[0069] The front end portion of the roller bracket 50 constitutes a shielding portion 55 that shields the insertion port of the optical disc drive 1. The roller bracket 50 is pushed by the slider 70 and rotates about the axis CA, so it is located in front of the axis CA. At this time, the shielding portion 55 is placed above the transfer roller 20 to block the insertion port of the optical disc drive 1. Therefore, when placing an optical disc on the spindle motor 11, it is possible to prevent a user from attempting to further insert another optical disc into the insertion port.

[0070] As a transfer roller position control mechanism for moving the position of the transfer roller 20, the transfer mechanism A includes a loading motor 60 and a second transmission mechanism that transmits the rotation of the loading motor 60 to the slider 70 as a transfer roller operating member. As Figure 9B shown, an operable portion 72 in the form of a rack extending in the front-rear direction is formed inside the slider 70, and the operable portion 72 meshes with the gear 61g. In the present embodiment, the gears 61a to 61c, 61f, 61g correspond to the second transmission mechanism. As the gear 61g rotates and the gear 61 meshes with the operable portion 72, the slider 70 moves forward or backward. As Figure 2B and 7 shown, at least a part of the loading motor 60 is located in front of the gear 61g that constitutes the rear end of the second transmission mechanism. Note that the second transmission mechanism is not limited to gears and may include a belt or the like.

[0071] Furthermore, the transfer mechanism A includes a distribution mechanism that engages with each of a first transmission mechanism that transmits the rotation of the loading motor 60 to the transfer roller 20 and a second transmission mechanism that transmits the rotation of the loading motor 60 to the slider 70 used as a transfer roller operating member, and the distribution mechanism distributes the rotation of the loading motor 60 to the first transmission mechanism and the second transmission mechanism. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the lengthening of the transmission path of the rotation of the loading motor 60. In the present embodiment, as Figure 8 shown, the distribution mechanism includes an intermediate gear 61c, which is a member different from the gear 61a (worm gear) corresponding to the component directly attached to the loading motor 60. The gear 61c serving as the distribution mechanism meshes with the gear 61d included only in the first transmission mechanism and the gear 61f included only in the second transmission mechanism.

[0072] In addition, some components constituting the first transmission mechanism are arranged in a first direction with respect to the distribution mechanism, while some components constituting the second transmission mechanism are arranged in a second direction opposite to the first direction with respect to the distribution mechanism. As Figure 8 shown, in front of the gear 61c constituting the distribution mechanism, there are arranged gears 61d and 61e included in the components constituting the first transmission mechanism but not the second transmission mechanism, and gears 61f and 61g are arranged behind the gear 61c. The gears 61f and 61g are included in the components constituting the second transmission mechanism but not the first transmission mechanism. Therefore, compared with the case where, for example, the components constituting only the first transmission mechanism and the components constituting only the second transmission mechanism are arranged in the same direction in front of the distribution mechanism, this embodiment allows the two path transmission mechanisms of the first transmission mechanism and the second transmission mechanism to be shortened. As a result, the entire optical disc drive 1 can be miniaturized, and the torque loss caused by the lengthening of the transmission path can be reduced.

[0073] As Figure 7 shown, the optical disc drive 1 includes a holder 62 that holds the first transmission mechanism, the second transmission mechanism, and the loading motor. The loading motor 60 is assembled in the holder 62, and the gears 61c to 61g are supported by the holder 62. As Figure 2B and 7 shown, the loading motor 60 and the gears 61a to 61g constituting the first and second transmission mechanisms are held by the holder 62 and are arranged at the inner left end portion of the substantially box-shaped chassis 3. In this regard, the transfer roller 20 is provided in front of the loading motor 60, the gears 61a to 61g, and the holder 62. In other words, the transfer roller 20 is arranged closer to the insertion port of the optical disc than the loading motor 60, the gears 61a to 61g, and the holder 62. Therefore, near the insertion port, the optical disc is conveyed backward, facilitating the insertion of the optical disc.

[0074] In addition, the first transmission mechanism and the second transmission mechanism are provided inside the chassis 3, and a slider 70 serving as a transfer roller operating member is provided outside the chassis 3. The slider 70 is arranged on the left side of the left side wall portion 32L of the substantially box-shaped chassis 3 and is arranged adjacent to the gears 61a to 61g with the left side wall portion 32L therebetween. By arranging the slider 60 outside the chassis 3 as described above, when the slider 60 moves in the front-rear direction, interference between the internal components of the chassis 3 and the slider 60 can be prevented.

[0075] Figure 10A 、 Figure 11 、 Figure 12A are top views showing the state of arranging various components on the top chassis 4. Figure 10A depicts the case where there is no disc in the optical disc drive 1, Figure 11 shows the case where the optical disc O is placed (inserted) into the insertion port of the optical disc drive 1, Figure 12AIllustrates the situation where the optical disc drive 1 is placed in the driving position. In addition to the loading motor 60 and the gears 61a to 61e (the first transmission mechanism), the conveying roller drive mechanism that rotates the conveying roller 20 further includes a switch board 15 and a switching arm 80 provided in the top frame 4.

[0076] As Figure 10A shown, the switch board 15 is provided at positions corresponding to the left end portion and the rear end portion of the top frame 4. The switch board 15 includes a start switch 15a and a stop switch 15b described below, which are respectively arranged at the right end portion and the left end portion of the switch board 15. The switch board 15 is electrically connected to the loading motor 60 through wiring or the like. The start switch 15a and the stop switch 15b are configured to control the driving cycle of the loading motor (the cycle of driving the loading motor). More specifically, the start switch 15a and the stop switch 15b are configured to detect the position of the optical disc and control the rotation of the loading motor 60 according to the detected position of the optical disc. The start switch 15a is pressed to start the rotation of the loading motor 60 (see Figure 11 ). In addition, when the stop switch 15b is pressed while the start switch 15a is pressed, the rotation of the loading motor 60 stops (see Figure 12A ).

[0077] As Figure 2A and 12A shown, when viewed from the direction of the rotation axis (axis CB) of the spindle motor 11, the loading motor 60 is provided at a position where the loading motor 60 overlaps the optical disc O placed at the position of the spindle motor 11. Therefore, for example, compared with the case where the loading motor 60 is provided behind the optical disc O placed at the position of the spindle motor 11, this embodiment allows shortening the path of the first transmission mechanism along which the rotation of the loading motor 60 is transmitted to the conveying roller 20. This can reduce the torque loss caused by the long transmission path for the rotation of the loading motor 60.

[0078] In addition, as Figure 12A shown, the switch board 15 is equipped with a start switch 15a and a stop switch 15b for controlling the driving cycle of the loading motor. When viewed from the direction of the rotation axis (axis CB) of the spindle motor 11, the switch board is located behind the optical disc O placed at the position of the spindle motor 11. Therefore, for example, compared with the case where the switch board 15 is provided at a position where the switch board 15 overlaps the optical disc O placed at the position of the spindle motor 11, this embodiment allows the optical disc drive 1 to be miniaturized in the vertical direction.

[0079] The switching arm 80 also serves as a centering mechanism B for positioning the optical disc at the position transmitted to the spindle motor 11. In the present embodiment, one switching arm 80 is provided. The switching arm 80 is disposed at a position corresponding to the right side and the rear side of the top frame 4 and has a shape that bends along the outer edge of the top frame 4. One end (front end portion) of the switching arm 80 extends to the insertion port of the optical disc, and the other end (rear end portion) of the switching arm 80 extends to the left side and the rear side of the top frame 4. The switching arm 80 includes a tubular supported portion 81 attached to the top frame 4. The switching arm 80 can rotate about an axis (rotation center axis) extending in the vertical direction through the center of the supported portion 81. As Figure 12A shown, the rotation center axis of the switching arm 80 is disposed at a position corresponding to the right side of the first plane (the plane including Figure 12A the line b-b in ) and the rear side of the second plane (the plane including Figure 12A the line b'-b' in ) (the side opposite to the following contact portion 82a), the first plane extends in the front-rear direction through the rotation center axis (axis CB) of the spindle motor 11, and the second plane is perpendicular to the first plane and extends through the rotation center axis (axis CB) of the spindle motor 11. When the rotation center axis of the switching arm 80 is disposed behind the spindle motor 11 as described above, the switching arm 80 can be provided with a certain length from the rotation center axis to the front end, allowing the front end portion of the switching arm 80 to have a certain movable range in the lateral direction.

[0080] As Figure 3 shown, a spring 85 is attached to the switching arm 80. In Figure 10A the top view of the top frame 4 shown, the spring 85 biases the switching arm 80 clockwise. In addition, the switching arm 80 includes a leaf spring portion 86 that contacts the internal structure of the top frame 4.

[0081] The front end portion of the switching arm 80 reaches the area in front of the transfer roller 20 (formed in the opening 41R of the top frame 4) within the top frame 4. As Figure 3 shown, the switching arm 80 includes two contact portions 82a and 82b that protrude downward. The contact portion 82a is formed at the front end portion of the switching arm 80, and the contact portion 82b is formed between the contact portion 82a and the supported portion 81. In addition, the openings 42a and 42b that extend obliquely with respect to the lateral direction are formed on the right side of the top frame 4. The openings 42a and 42b are formed side by side in the front-rear direction with the opening 41R interposed therebetween. The contact portions 82a and 82b of the switching arm 80 penetrate the openings 42a and 42b formed in the top frame 4 in the vertical direction. The top end portions of the contact portions 82a and 82b each reach the transfer path located within the bottom frame 3 and through which the optical disc passes.

[0082] The switching arm 80 includes a switch operating portion 83 formed at the rear end portion of the switching arm 80 to operate the start switch 15a and the stop switch 15b. Inside the top frame 4, the switch operating portion 83 is adjacent to the switch board 15 in the lateral direction. As Figure 10A shown, when there is no optical disc O in the optical disc drive 1, the switch operating portion 83 neither pushes the start switch 15a nor the stop switch 15b. As Figure 11 shown, when the optical disc O is inserted into the insertion port of the optical disc drive 1, the edge of the optical disc O pushes the contact portion 82a to the right, causing the switching arm 80 to move counterclockwise with respect to the rotation center axis (the center of the supported portion 81). The switch operating portion 83 thus only pushes the start switch 15a. Thereby, the loading motor 60 starts to rotate, and the rotation is transmitted to the transfer roller 20 via the first transmission mechanism (gears 61a to 61e). Then, the transfer roller 20 rotates to transfer the optical disc O placed on the transfer roller 20 to the position of the spindle motor 11.

[0083] Furthermore, when the optical disc O is transferred to the position of the spindle motor 11, the edge of the optical disc O pushes the contact portion 82b to the right. Accordingly, the switching arm 80 further moves counterclockwise with respect to the rotation center axis (the center of the supported portion 81), and the switch operating portion 83 pushes both the start switch 15a and the stop switch 15b. Then, the rotation of the loading motor 60 stops, and the rotation of the transfer roller 20 rotating via the first transmission mechanism also stops. As described above, when the optical disc O is transferred to the position of the spindle motor 11, the rotation of the loading motor 60 stops, so that the power consumption of the optical disc drive 1 can be reduced.

[0084] The transfer roller position manipulating mechanism that moves the position of the transfer roller 20 includes, in addition to the roller bracket 50, the loading motor 60, the gears 61a to 61c, 61f, and 61g (the second transmission mechanism), and the slider 70, a rotating arm 90 (a movable member) disposed on the top frame 4. As Figure 3 shown, the rotating arm 90 includes a disk-shaped base portion 91, which is located inside the top frame 4, in front of the switch board 15, and adjacent to the switch board 15 in the front-rear direction. The rotating arm 90 includes a tubular supported portion 92, which is located at the central position of the base portion 91 and attached to the top frame 4. The rotating arm 90 rotates about the rotation center axis extending in the up-down direction at the center of the supported portion 92. A spring 96 is attached to the inside of the rotating arm 90. In a top view of the top frame 4 ( Figure 10A ), the spring 96 biases the rotating arm 90 clockwise with respect to the rotation center axis (the center of the supported portion 92).

[0085] Figure 13 is a perspective view showing the rear sides of the switching arm 80 and the rotating arm 90. As Figure 13As shown, on the base 91 of the rotary arm 90, a contact portion 93 that protrudes downward is formed at a position away from the supported portion 92. In addition, as Figure 3 shown, an opening 43 that extends in an arc shape in the lateral direction is formed on the left side of the top frame 4. The contact portion 93 of the rotary arm 90 penetrates the opening 43 of the top frame 4 in the vertical direction. The tip of the contact portion 93 reaches the conveyance path that is located within the bottom frame 3 and through which the optical disc passes. As Figure 13 shown, the contact portion 93 of the rotary arm 90 is located behind the contact portions 82a and 82b of the switching arm 80. In other words, the contact portions 82a and 82b of the switching arm 80 are located in front of the contact portion 93 of the rotary arm 90.

[0086] The rotary arm 90 moves in response to a collision with an optical disc at a position close to the spindle motor 11. In Figure 11 the top view, during the process of conveying the optical disc O inserted into the insertion port of the optical disc drive 1 to the position of the spindle motor 11, the contact portion 93 formed on the rotary arm 90 is pushed leftward by the edge of the disc, causing the rotary arm 90 to rotate counterclockwise with respect to the rotation center axis (the center of the supported portion 92).

[0087] In addition, as Figure 3 shown, the rotary arm 90 is provided with a groove portion 94 that extends from the output edge portion of the rotary arm 90 (more specifically, the protruding portion 98 described below) toward the supported portion 92. As Figure 2B shown, the slider 70 includes a cover portion 75 that covers a part of the left side wall portion 32L of the bottom frame 3 and a shaft portion 76 that is formed at the right end portion of the cover portion 75 and extends in the vertical direction. An opening 44 that extends in the front-rear direction is formed on the left side of the top frame 4, and the shaft portion 76 of the slider 70 penetrates the inside of the opening 44. That is, the tip of the shaft portion 76 is provided within the top frame 4.

[0088] As Figure 4 shown, the shaft portion 76 formed on the slider 70 is assembled into the groove portion 94 formed on the rotary arm 90. In this state, the counterclockwise rotation of the rotary arm 90 causes the position of the groove portion 94 to move forward. In this regard, the edge of the groove portion 94 pushes the shaft portion 76 forward, thereby also moving the slider 70 forward. When the slider 70 is in Figure 9AWhen in the first sliding position shown, the rack-shaped operated portion 72 formed inside the slider 70 does not engage with the gear 61g constituting the second transmission mechanism. In this regard, the rotary arm 90 rotates by being pushed by the optical disc inserted into the optical disc drive 1, and the groove portion 94 of the rotary arm 90 pushes the shaft portion 76 of the slider 70 forward, causing the operated portion 72 inside the slider 70 to engage with the gear 61g. Subsequently, the slider 70 pushes the roller bracket 50 downward to place the transfer roller 20 in the retracted position. As described above, during the process of transferring the optical disc to the position of the spindle motor 11, the slider 70 starts to move, so that after the optical disc is placed on the spindle motor 11, the transfer roller 20 can move to the retracted position.

[0089] <3. Centering mechanism>

[0090] Now, the structure of the centering mechanism B that aligns the center position of the optical disc conveyed by the conveying mechanism A with the center position (driving position) of the spindle motor 11 will be described. Figure 14 is a perspective view of the base frame 2 and the top frame 4. The centering mechanism B is realized by the base frame 2 and the switching arm 80 provided in the top frame 4.

[0091] As Figure 14 shown, the base frame 2 that holds the spindle motor 11 is provided with a plurality of stoppers 26a and 26b that contact the outer edge of the optical disc that has reached the position of the spindle motor 11 and restrict the backward movement of the optical disc. Each of the stoppers 26a and 26b is in the shape of a column extending upward from the upper surface of the base frame 2 and is integrally formed with the base frame 2. By integrally forming the stoppers 26a and 26b on the base frame 2 that holds the spindle motor 11, as described above, the positional change of the stoppers 26a and 26b relative to the spindle motor 11 can be suppressed, and thus the misalignment between the center position of the optical disc and the driving position can be suppressed. In addition, as Figure 2A shown, the two stoppers 26a and 26b are arranged away from each other in the rotational direction of the optical disc. In addition, the two stoppers 26a and 26b may be integrally formed on the base frame 2 to which the spindle motor 11 is attached, or may be fixedly provided at a predetermined position relative to the spindle motor 11. With the plurality of stoppers 26a and 26b as described above, the center position of the optical disc can be stably placed at the driving position. Note that the number of stoppers integrally formed on the base frame 2 may be one, or three or more.

[0092] In addition, the centering mechanism B includes a switching arm 80 that serves as a biasing member. The switching arm 80 includes contact portions 82a and 82b that contact the outer edge of the optical disc that moves toward the position of the spindle motor 11. The switching arm 80 aligns the center of the optical disc with the position of the spindle motor 11 using the contact portions 82a and 82b. The switching arm 80 serves as a biasing member biased by a spring 85 such that the contact portions push the optical disc toward the stopper portions 26a and 26b. The switching arm 80 and the contact portions 82a and 82b are used to allow the center position of the optical disc to be guided to a driving position corresponding to the rotation center of the spindle motor 11. In addition, since one switching arm 80 is provided in the present embodiment, the number of components of the optical disc drive 1 can be reduced compared to the case where a plurality of biasing members are provided.

[0093] As Figure 12A shown, the contact portions 82a and 82b formed on the switching arm 80 are provided on the side opposite to the stopper portions 26a and 26b across the optical disc reaching the position of the spindle motor 11. The contact portions 82a and 82b are provided on one of the right side and the left side of the first plane (including the plane including the line b-b in Figure 12A ). In the present embodiment, the contact portions 82a and 82b are provided only on the right side of the first plane described above. In addition, the contact portions 82a and 82b are provided on the front side of the second plane (including the plane including the line b'-b' in Figure 12A ).

[0094] In addition, as Figure 2A shown, in the base frame 2, the stopper portion 26b is provided on the other side (the left side in the present embodiment) of the first plane (including the plane including the line b-b in Figure 2A ), and each of the stopper portions 26a and 26b is arranged on the rear side of the second plane (including the plane including the line b'-b' in Figure 12A ). When the contact portions 82a and 82b and the stopper portions 26a and 26b are provided as described above, the optical disc transferred to the position of the spindle motor 11 can be pushed in the front-rear direction and the lateral direction, allowing the optical disc to be aligned in these two directions.

[0095] As described above, during the transfer of the optical disc to the position of the spindle motor 11, the rotating arm 90 rotates in response to a collision with the optical disc. In this regard, the rotating arm 90 includes a first protruding portion 97a that is a portion that engages with the switching arm 80. The first protruding portion 97a protrudes upward and is provided at the end of the arm portion 91a extending from the base portion 91 formed in a disc shape. The groove portion 94, the arm portion 91a, and a second protruding portion 97b described later formed on the rotating arm 90 are spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction of the disc-shaped base portion 91.

[0096] As Figure 13As shown, a groove portion 84 is formed on the lower surface of the rear end portion of the switching arm 80. The switching arm 80, which serves as a member constituting the centering mechanism B, is coupled to the rotating arm 90 through the groove portion 84. Specifically, the centering mechanism B includes the switching arm 80 that serves as a member coupled to the rotating arm 90 acting as a movable member. The rotating arm 90 is engaged with the switching arm 80 via the first protrusion 97a. When the optical disc reaches the position of the spindle motor 11, the rotating arm 90 moves the switching arm 80 so that the contact portions 82a and 82b of the switching arm 80 move away from the optical disc. When the rotating arm 90 rotates in response to a collision with the optical disc, the first protrusion 97a of the rotating arm 90 is fitted into the groove portion 84 of the switching arm 80 to push the edge of the groove portion 84 forward, thereby moving the switching arm 80. Therefore, the switching arm 80 moves in a direction opposite to the biasing direction of the spring 85 ( Figure 11 the counterclockwise direction in Figure 12A ), and the contact portions 82a and 82b formed on the switching arm 80 move away from the optical disc placed at the position of the spindle motor 11 (in the driving position). As

[0097] <4. Clamping mechanism>

[0098] Now, the clamping mechanism C for fixing the optical disc at the central position (in the driving position) of the spindle motor 11 will be described. As Figure 3 shown, the clamping mechanism C includes a clamping pulley 12. The clamping pulley 12 is a member for fixing the optical disc to the spindle motor 11 and is capable of moving between a position where the clamping pulley 12 is located above the spindle motor 11 and away from the spindle motor (the first pulley position) and a position where the clamping pulley 12 approaches and holds the optical disc between the clamping pulley 12 and the spindle motor 11 (the second pulley position). The clamping pulley 12 includes a magnet 13 at the inner central portion of the clamping pulley 12. In addition, a fixing member 14 for fixing the magnet 13 is attached to the inner side of the clamping pulley 12. The clamping pulley 12 is adsorbed to the inner side of the clamping pulley 12 by the magnetic force of the magnet 13.

[0099] Figure 10B And Figure 12B are diagrams showing the operation of the clamping mechanism C. Figure 10B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line b-b of Figure 10A . Figure 12B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line b-b of Figure 12A . Figure 10A And 10B shown, the clamping pulley 12 is placed at the first pulley position, Figure 12A And Figure 12BThe clamping pulley 12 therein is placed at a second pulley position below and in front of the first pulley position. When the clamping pulley 12 is at the second pulley position, a magnetic force is applied between the clamping pulley 12 and the spindle motor 11 to hold the optical disc therebetween. Thus, the optical disc rotates integrally with the spindle motor 11.

[0100] The clamping mechanism C includes a pulley position manipulating mechanism configured to manipulate the position of the clamping pulley 12. As Figure 3 , Figure 10A and Figure 12A shown, the pulley position manipulating mechanism includes a first limiting arm 110 (manipulating arm) that engages with the clamping pulley 12 and moves the position of the clamping pulley 12. In addition, the first limiting arm 110 and the rotating arm 90 that constitute the pulley position manipulating mechanism are provided on a common support plate (top frame 4), and the rotating arm 90 is a movable member that rotates in response to a collision with the optical disc and moves the first limiting arm 110. Inside the top frame 4, the first limiting arm 110 is provided on the left side of the top frame 4 and in front of the rotating arm 90. Specifically, the first limiting arm 110 that constitutes the pulley position manipulating mechanism and the rotating arm 90 serving as a movable member are provided on the side opposite to the switching arm 80 (the left side in this embodiment) across the above-mentioned first plane ( Figure 10A and Figure 12A the line b-b in). As described above, by providing the pulley position manipulating mechanism on the side opposite to the switching arm 80 inside the top frame 4, the internal space of the top frame 4 can be effectively utilized.

[0101] In addition, a second limiting arm 120 is provided at the central position of the top frame 4. The second limiting arm 120 and the first limiting arm 110 together support the outer peripheral portion of the clamping pulley 12. As Figure 3 shown, an opening 45 is formed at the central position of the top frame 4. The second limiting arm 120 is provided inside the opening 45. The second limiting arm 120 includes shaft portions 121L, 121R provided at the rear end portion of the second limiting arm and extending in the lateral direction. The second limiting arm 120 can rotate in the vertical direction about an axis CE passing through the center of the shaft portions 121L, 121R extending in the lateral direction. The second limiting arm is biased upward by a spring (not shown).

[0102] The first limiting arm 110 includes a sector-shaped base portion 111 and a supported portion 112 located at the central position of the sector-shaped base portion 111. The first limiting arm 110 can rotate about an axis CC (see Figure 10B and 12B ), and the axis CC serves as a rotation center axis extending in the vertical direction through the center of the supported portion 112. In addition, a spring 116 is attached to the first limiting arm 110. The first limiting arm 110 is biased counterclockwise about the axis CC by the elastic force of the spring 116.

[0103] In addition, the clamping pulley 12 includes two flange portions 12a and 12b that are provided on the outer peripheral portion of the clamping pulley 12 and project radially. The two flange portions 12a and 12b are spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction. The first and second limiting arms 110 and 120 respectively include support portions 113 and 122 that support the clamping pulley 12. As Figure 10A shown, the support portion 113 is formed at the end of an arm portion 111a that extends outward from the fan-shaped base portion 111 of the first limiting arm 110, and the support portion 113 extends rearward from the end. The support portion 122 is formed on the second limiting arm 120 and is located between the shaft portions 121L and 121R in the lateral direction and in front of the axis CE. When the clamping pulley 12 is placed in the first pulley position, the support portions 113 and 122 are placed between the two flange portions 12a and 12b arranged in the vertical direction, as Figure 10B shown. The support portions 113 and 122 are thus captured at the flange portion 12a. The support portion 113 of the first limiting arm 110 is stuck at the front end of the flange portion 12a, while the support portion 122 of the second limiting arm 120 is stuck at the rear end of the flange portion 12a. Therefore, the support portions 113 and 122 support the clamping pulley 12 against gravity and the magnetic force of the magnet 13.

[0104] A rear end portion of the support portion 122 of the second limiting arm 120 is provided with a guide wall 122b that projects upward from the upper surface 122a of the support portion 122 and an inclined surface 122c that extends forward and downward from the upper surface 122a. As Figure 10B shown, when the clamping pulley 12 is located in the first pulley position, the clamping pulley 12 is pushed rearward by the support portion 113 of the first limiting arm 100, and the rear edge of the flange portion 12a contacts the guide wall 122b. Thereby, the backward movement of the clamping pulley 12 toward the support portion 122 can be suppressed, and the detachment of the clamping pulley 12 from the support portions 113 and 122 can be suppressed.

[0105] As Figure 10A shown, the second limiting arm 120 includes a left arm portion 123L that extends forward from the left side of the support portion 122 and a right arm portion 123R that extends forward from the right side of the support portion 122. The left and right arm portions 123L and 123R are spaced apart from each other in the lateral direction. A cutout portion 124 is formed between the left and right arm portions 123L and 123R and opens downward. The support portion 122 located behind the cutout portion 124 projects upward relative to the left and right arm portions 123L and 123R. The clamping pulley 12 is assembled between the left and right arm portions 123L and 123R (inside the cutout portion 124). The diameters of the flange portions 12a and 12b formed on the clamping pulley 12 are larger than the cutout portion 124 (refer to Figure 3)The width in the lateral direction, and the flange portions 12a and 12b overlap the left and right arm portions 123L and 123R in the vertical direction. This allows suppressing the clamping pulley 12 from falling off from the inside of the cutout portion 124 formed in the second limiting arm 120.

[0106] In addition, as Figure 10A shown, the first limiting arm 110 includes a protruding portion 114 that protrudes outward from the fan-shaped base portion 111. The protruding portion 114 overlaps the pressed portion 126 located at the front end portion of the left arm portion 123L of the second limiting arm 120, thereby pushing down the pressed portion 126. As described above, the protruding portion 114 pushes down the front end portion (pressed portion 126) of the second limiting arm 120, thereby restricting the second limiting arm 120 from tilting upward due to the elastic force of the spring. As Figure 10B shown, when the clamping pulley 12 is located at the first pulley position, the second limiting arm 120 is placed along the horizontal plane (a plane perpendicular to the axis CB of the main spindle motor 11) by the protruding portion 114. In this case, as Figure 10B shown, the support portion 122 of the second limiting arm 120 is placed at the position (hereinafter referred to as the support position) where the support portion 122 supports the flange portion 12a of the clamping pulley 12, and the upper surface 122a of the support portion 122 is placed at a position along the horizontal surface.

[0107] In addition, the first limiting arm 110 protrudes outward from the fan-shaped base portion 111 and includes a concave portion 115 with its center cut out. The arm portions 111a provided with the support portion 113, the protruding portion 114, and the concave portion 115 are separately provided from each other in the rotational direction of the first limiting arm 110. As Figure 12A shown, the first limiting arm 110 serving as a member constituting the clamping pulley operating mechanism is connected to the rotating arm 90 via the concave portion 115. In other words, the clamping pulley operating mechanism includes the first limiting arm 110 serving as a member connected to the rotating arm 90 acting as a movable member. More specifically, the concave portion 115 formed in the first limiting arm 110 corresponds to the shape of the second protruding portion 97b formed on the rotating arm 90, and the first limiting arm 110 is directly connected to the second protruding portion 97b of the rotating arm 90 via the concave portion 115 and is interlocked with the rotating arm 90. When the slider 70 moves to the second sliding position to rotate the rotating arm 90 counterclockwise relative to the rotation center axis (the center of the support portion 92), the concave portion 115 of the first limiting arm 110 engages with the second protruding portion 97b of the rotating arm 90. The first limiting arm 110 also rotates clockwise around the axis CC in a manner pulled by the second protruding portion 97b. Therefore, the support portion 113 formed on the arm portion 111a of the first limiting arm 110 moves forward and is removed from the flange portion 12a of the clamping pulley 12.

[0108] As Figure 13As shown, the rotating arm 90 has a protrusion 98 that projects outward from the outer edge of the base 91. In addition, as Figure 10A shown, a protrusion 125 that projects to the left is formed on the left surface of the left arm portion 123L of the second limiting arm 120. As Figure 12A shown, when the rotating arm 90 rotates counterclockwise, the protrusion 98 of the rotating arm 90 overlaps the protrusion 125 of the second limiting arm 120 to push the protrusion 125 downward. Therefore, the second limiting arm 120 located on the horizontal plane is further pushed downward and inclined downward relative to the horizontal plane. In this case, the support portion 122 of the second limiting arm 120 is placed at the Figure 12B position shown below (hereinafter referred to as the release position), and the upper surface 122a of the support portion 122 is located at a position along the direction inclined relative to the horizontal plane.

[0109] As Figure 12B shown, when the support portion 122 is located at the release position, the upper surface 122a of the support portion 122 is inclined relative to the horizontal plane, and the support portion 113 of the first limiting arm 110 is away from the flange portion 12a of the clamping pulley 12. Therefore, when the support portion 122 moves to the release position, the flange portion 12a moves from the upper surface 122a of the support portion 122 to a position closer to the main shaft motor 11 so as to slide on the inclined surface 122c located in front of the flange portion 12a. The flange portion 12a is thus placed at the second pulley position where the flange portion 12a holds the optical disc between the flange portion 12a and the main shaft motor 11. At this time, before the clamping pulley 12 is attracted to the main shaft motor 11 by the magnetic force of the magnet 13, the flange portion 12a contacts the left and right arm portions 123L and 123R of the second limiting arm 120. This enables the impact generated when the clamping pulley 12 is attracted to the main shaft motor 11 to be reduced, thereby preventing the clamping pulley 12 from moving out of the second pulley position due to the impact.

[0110] In addition, the clockwise rotation of the rotating arm 90 in the Figure 12A state shown releases the engagement between the second protrusion 97b of the rotating arm 90 and the recess 115 of the first limiting arm 110, causing the first limiting arm 110 to rotate counterclockwise under the elastic force of the spring 116. Then, the support portion 113 of the first limiting arm 110 pushes the clamping pulley 12 placed at the second pulley position backward. The flange portion 12a of the clamping pulley 12 moves on the inclined surface 122c formed on the second limiting arm 12 and is placed on the support portion 122. Thereby, the clamping pulley 12 is pushed upward from the second pulley position to the first pulley position located behind and above the second pulley position, enabling the optical disc to be conveyed (ejected) from the drive position to the outside of the insertion port. As described above, the support portion 122 of the second limiting arm 120 can move between the Figure 10B support position shown and the Figure 12B release position shown.

[0111] <5. Overall movement>

[0112] The movement of the mechanism that occurs when a disc is inserted into the insertion opening of the disc drive 1 will be described. As Figure 11 shown, in the top view of the top rack 4, the contact portion 82a of the switching arm 80 is pushed to the right by the edge of the disc, causing the switching arm 80 to rotate counterclockwise with respect to the rotation center axis (the center of the supported portion 81). The switch operation portion 83 formed at the rear end of the switching arm 80 pushes the start switch 15a of the switch plate 15. This starts the rotation of the loading motor 60, and the transfer roller 20 rotates through the first transmission mechanism (gears 61a to 61e) and the gear 24 (see Figure 2B ). In this case, in addition to the gears 61a to 61e that constitute the first transmission mechanism, the gears 61f and 61g that constitute the second transmission mechanism also rotate. At the transfer position, the transfer roller 20 contacts the lower edge of the disc. Therefore, when the transfer roller 20 that constitutes the transfer mechanism A rotates, the disc is transferred toward the spindle motor 11.

[0113] During the process of transferring the disc, the edge of the disc contacts the contact portion 93 that protrudes downward from the rotating arm 90 (see Figure 13 ), and in the top view of the top rack 4 ( Figure 11 ), the rotating arm 90 rotates counterclockwise. As a result, the pressed portion 73 of the slider 70 that engages with the groove portion 94 of the rotating arm 90 is pushed forward, and the rack-shaped operated portion 72 formed inside the slider 70 (refer to Figure 9A ) meshes with the gear 61g that constitutes the second transmission mechanism. In Figure 9A , due to the rotation of the loading motor 60, the gear 61g rotates clockwise. Therefore, the operated portion 72 meshes with the gear 61g, thereby transferring the slider 70 to the second sliding position in front of the first sliding position (see Figure 9B ). Then, the guiding surface 71 formed at the front end of the slider 70 contacts the guided portion 54 formed at the left end of the roller bracket 50 (see Figure 4 ), pushing the roller bracket 50 downward. Therefore, the transfer roller 20 is placed in the retracted position below and away from the disc transfer path.

[0114] The switching arm 80 is biased by the elastic force of the spring 85 of the switching arm 80. The contact portions 82a and 82b formed on the switching arm 80 thus push the transferred disc to the position of the spindle motor 11, guiding the center position of the disc to the position of the rotation axis (axis CB) of the spindle motor 11 (the driving position). In addition, the switch operation portion 83 formed at the rear end of the switching arm 80 pushes the stop switch 15b of the switch plate 15, thereby stopping the rotation of the loading motor 60 (see Figure 12A ).

[0115] Meanwhile, during the process of transferring the slider 70 to the second sliding position by the loading motor 60 and the second transmission mechanism (gears 61a to 61c and gears 61f and 61g), the rotating arm 90 engaged with the slider 70 via the groove portion 94 further rotates clockwise in the top view of the top frame 4. However, as Figure 12A shown, the second protruding portion 97b of the rotating arm 90 engages with the concave portion 115 of the first limiting arm 110, and the first limiting arm 110 rotates clockwise. Therefore, the supporting portion 113 of the first limiting arm 110 disengages from the flange portion 12a of the limiting pulley 12. In addition, the protruding portion 98 of the rotating arm 90 pushes down the protruding portion 125 of the second limiting arm 120, and the supporting portion 122 of the second limiting arm 120 inclines downward. Therefore, the limiting pulley 12 supported at the first pulley position is placed at the second pulley position, and a magnetic force is applied between the magnet 13 and the spindle motor 11 to hold the optical disc between the limiting pulley 12 and the spindle motor 11. This enables the optical disc to rotate integrally with the spindle motor 11.

[0116] In addition, when the optical disc reaches the position of the spindle motor 11, the first protruding portion 97a formed on the rotating arm 90 pushes the edge of the groove portion 84 formed in the switching arm 80 (see Figure 13 ) to separate the contact portions 82a and 82b of the switching arm 80 from the optical disc. This allows for smooth rotation of the optical disc.

[0117] <6. Vibration suppression mechanism>

[0118] Finally, the vibration suppression mechanism D will be described. Figure 15 is an exploded perspective view of the base frame 2. Figure 16A is a bottom view of the bottom case 5 that constitutes the housing. As Figure 15 and 16A shown, the vibration suppression mechanism D is implemented by a plurality (three in this embodiment) of first dampers 130 and a plurality (four in this embodiment) of second dampers 140. The first and second dampers 130 and 140 include an elastomer such as rubber.

[0119] As Figure 15 shown, the first damper 130 has a dual structure, including a cylindrical outer tube portion 131 and a cylindrical inner tube portion 132 having a diameter smaller than that of the outer tube portion 131. The inner tube portion 132 is disposed at the central position 2 inside the outer tube portion 131. A plurality (six in this embodiment) of spoke portions are formed between the outer tube portion 131 and the inner tube portion 132. The spoke portions are arranged at regular intervals along the diameter of the outer edge portion 131 to connect the outer tube portion 131 and the inner tube portion 132. The spoke portions elastically bend between the outer tube portion 131 and the inner tube portion 132 to absorb vibration, thereby suppressing the transmission of vibration between the member attached to the outer tube portion 131 and the member attached to the inner tube portion 132.

[0120] As described above, the chassis 2 includes a spindle motor 11 and optical elements corresponding to the optical pickup. The chassis 2 is accommodated in an inner case including a bottom frame 3 and a top frame 4. The bottom frame 3 is in the shape of a box with an upward opening and supports the transport rollers 20 serving as the transport mechanism A. The chassis 2 is disposed in the bottom frame 3. In this regard, the chassis 2 is fixed in the inner case (bottom frame 3 and top frame 4) by the first damper 130. In the present embodiment, the chassis 2 is fixed to the bottom frame 3 by the first damper 130.

[0121] In addition, the inner case (bottom frame 3 and top frame 4) is fixed in the outer case (bottom case 5 and cover 6) accommodating the inner case via the second damper 140. As described above, the bottom case 5 is similar in shape to the bottom frame 3 and is in the shape of a box with an upward opening, and the inner case (bottom frame 3 and top frame 4) is fixed to the bottom case 5. In the embodiment, the bottom frame 3 is fixed to the bottom case 5 by the second damper 140.

[0122] In many cases, the center of gravity of the optical disc is slightly deviated from the center position of the optical disc. Therefore, when the spindle motor 11 rotates the optical disc, the chassis 2 including the spindle motor 11 vibrates. In this regard, the first damper 130 and the second damper 140 are respectively provided in the inner case and the outer case, so that the vibration of the chassis 2 can be suppressed from being transmitted to the outer case, effectively preventing the vibration from being transmitted to other components provided outside.

[0123] As Figure 15 shown, a plurality of first dampers 130 are assembled in a plurality of first damper attachment portions 27 formed in the outer peripheral portion of the chassis 2 and having a shape corresponding to the shape of the outer peripheral portion of the first damper 130. In this regard, the first damper attachment portion 27 is an arcuate cut formed in the chassis 2 and has a size sufficient to surround half or more of the outer peripheral portion of the first damper 130. As described above, the first damper 130 is attached to the cut in the outer peripheral portion of the chassis 2, so there is no need to provide an arrangement space for the first damper 130 inside the chassis 2. This allows avoiding an increase in the size of the chassis 2.

[0124] Figure 2C is a cross-sectional view taken along the line c-c in Figure 2A . As Figure 2C shown, the first damper 130 includes a groove portion 131a provided on the outer surface of the outer tube portion 131 in the circumferential direction, and the first damper attachment portion 27 of the chassis 2 is assembled in the groove portion 131a. The groove portion 131a is provided in a portion in contact with the first damper attachment portion 27, that is, more than half of the outer peripheral portion of the first damper 130. In addition, the bottom frame 3 includes a first protruding portion 36 protruding upward from the bottom frame 3 (see Figure 1)。The first protruding portion 36 is fixed to the first damper 130 by being inserted into the inner tube portion 132 of the first damper 130. The first protruding portion 36 is tubular, has an opening at the upper end of the tube, and includes a rivet 135 inserted into the opening. This allows suppressing the first damper 130 from detaching from the first protruding portion 36 of the chassis 3. In addition, since the first protruding portion 36 includes an opening at its upper end, the rivet 135 can be inserted from above the chassis 3.

[0125] As described above, the first damper 130 is attached to the base frame 2 in the lateral direction or / and the front-rear direction (plane direction), while the first damper 130 is attached to the chassis 3 in the up-down direction (vertical direction). The first damper 130 is attached in a manner that is elastically deformable in the plane direction with respect to the base frame 2, and the first damper 130 is attached in a manner that is elastically deformable in the vertical direction with respect to the chassis 3. This allows suppressing the vibration of the base frame 2 from being transmitted to the chassis 3 that constitutes the inner shell.

[0126] As Figure 1 shown, the bottom case 5 includes a plurality of second damper attachment portions 56, and a plurality of second dampers 140 are attached to the plurality of second damper attachment portions 56. In the present embodiment, the second damper attachment portion 56 is formed as a circular hole portion and is disposed within a circular recess that is recessed upward toward the chassis 3. As described above, by forming the second damper attachment portion 56 within the recess of the bottom case 5, it is possible to restrict the second damper 140 from protruding downward from the bottom case 5.

[0127] Figure 16B is a cross-sectional view taken along line b-b in Figure 16A . As Figure 16B shown, the second damper 140 includes a groove portion 141a provided on the outer surface of the outer tube portion 141 in the circumferential direction, and the edge of the hole portion corresponding to the second damper attachment portion 56 of the bottom case 5 is fitted within the groove portion 141a. In addition, the diameter of the portion of the outer tube portion 141 located below the groove portion 141a is smaller than the diameter of the portion of the outer tube portion 141 located above the groove portion 141a, and the outer edge of the lower end of the outer tube portion 141 is inclined upward. The shape of the outer tube portion 141 enables the second damper 140 to be pushed into the hole portion corresponding to the second damper attachment portion 56 of the bottom case 5 from above.

[0128] In addition, as Figure 16BAs shown, the chassis 3 includes a second protruding portion 37 that protrudes downward from the chassis 3. The second protruding portion 37 is fixed to the second damper 140 by being inserted through the inside of the inner tube portion 142 of the second damper 140. The second protruding portion 37 is tubular, has an opening at the lower end of the tube, and includes a rivet 145 inserted into the opening. This allows preventing the second damper 140 from detaching from the second protruding portion 37 of the chassis 3. In addition, since the second protruding portion 37 includes an opening at its lower end, the rivet 145 can be inserted from below the chassis 3 and the bottom case 5.

[0129] As described above, the second damper 140 is attached to the bottom case 5 in the lateral direction or / and the front-rear direction (planar direction), while the second damper 140 is attached to the chassis 3 in the up-down direction (vertical direction). The second damper 140 is attached in a manner that is elastically deformable in the planar direction with respect to the bottom case 5, while the second damper 140 is attached in a manner that is elastically deformable in the vertical direction with respect to the chassis 3. Thereby, vibration transmission of the inner case including the chassis 3 to the bottom case 5 constituting the outer case can be suppressed. As described above, the first damper 130 and the second damper 140 are respectively provided inside and outside the chassis 3, so that vibration transmission of the base 2 to the bottom case 5 can be effectively prevented.

[0130] <7. Effect>

[0131] As described above, the optical disc drive 1 includes a gear 61c serving as a distribution mechanism, which meshes with each of the gears 61a to 61e and each of the gears 61a to 61c, 61f, and 61g. The gears 61a to 61e serve as a first transmission mechanism for transmitting the rotation of the loading motor 60 to the transfer roller 20. The gears 61a to 61c, 61f, and 61g serve as a second transmission mechanism for transmitting the rotation of the loading motor 60 to the slider 70 serving as a transfer roller operation member. The distribution mechanism distributes the rotation of the loading motor 60 to the first transmission mechanism and the second transmission mechanism. As described above, in this embodiment, a distribution mechanism for distributing the rotation of the loading motor 60 to two mechanisms is provided, which can suppress an increase in the length of the rotation transmission path of the loading motor 60, and thereby can reduce torque loss generated during rotation transmission. For example, compared with the case where independent paths are provided for the first transmission mechanism for transmitting the rotation of the loading motor 60 to the transfer roller 20 and the second transmission mechanism for transmitting the rotation of the loading motor 60 to the transfer roller operation member (slider 70).

[0132] In addition, the transfer roller 20 includes a left roller 21L and a right roller 21R. A first end corresponding to one of the left end of the left roller 21L and the right end of the right roller 21R is movable in the vertical direction relative to a second end corresponding to the other end, and the relative position between the axis CL and the axis CR remains unchanged. Therefore, even when the position of the optical disc inserted into the insertion port of the optical disc drive 1 is misaligned in the lateral direction, the left end of the left roller 21L or the right end of the right roller 21R moves in the vertical direction, allowing the contact between the optical disc and the left and right rollers 21L, 21R to be maintained. In addition, compared with a transfer roller in which, for example, the left roller 21L and the right roller 21R move independently, the transfer roller 20 has a simple structure and can reduce the number of components of the optical disc drive 1.

[0133] In addition, the switching arm 80 serving as a biasing member constituting the centering mechanism B pushes the optical disc that has reached the position of the spindle motor 11 toward the stopper portions 26a and 26b using the contact portions 82a and 82b formed on the switching arm 80. Therefore, the center position of the optical disc can be aligned with the position of the rotation center axis of the spindle motor 11 (driving position). In addition, one switching arm 80 including the contact portions 82a and 82b is sufficient. Therefore, compared with a case where, for example, a plurality of biasing members are used to push the optical disc, the present embodiment can reduce the number of components of the optical disc drive 1.

[0134] In addition, the rotating arm 90 is a movable member that moves in response to a collision with an optical disc approaching the position of the spindle motor 11, and constitutes a transfer roller position manipulation mechanism that moves the position of the transfer roller 20 via the slider 70 and the roller bracket 50. Then, at least one of the centering mechanism B and the clamping pulley operation mechanism includes a member coupled to the rotating arm 90 serving as a movable member. In the present embodiment, the centering mechanism B and the clamping pulley operation mechanism respectively include a switching arm 80 and a first limiting arm 110 as members coupled to the rotating arm 90. As described above, the rotating arm 90 is shared by the transfer roller position manipulation mechanism, the centering mechanism B, and the clamping pulley operation mechanism. Such a structure can reduce the number of components of the optical disc drive 1 compared with a case where the rotating arm 90 is not shared.

[0135] In addition, the chassis 2 is fixed in the inner case including the base frame 3 and the top frame 4 by the first damper 130. The inner case is fixed in the outer case including the base case 5 and the cover 6. The outer case houses the inner case by the second damper 140. This allows restricting the vibration of the chassis 2 from being transmitted to the outer case, effectively preventing the vibration from being transmitted to other components provided outside. In addition, compared with the case where the damper is formed only in one of the inner case and the outer case, this embodiment eliminates the need to increase the size of the first or second damper 130 or 140, allowing avoiding increasing the size of the optical disc drive 1. In addition, compared with the case where the second damper 140 is not provided in the outer case, this embodiment enables miniaturization of the first damper 130, so that when the optical disc drive 1 is placed vertically (when the optical disc drive 1 is placed such that one of the left and right side surfaces of the optical disc drive 1 is on top of the other), the misalignment between the chassis 2 and the transport mechanism A supported by the base frame 3 can be reduced.

[0136] <8. Variant Example>

[0137] The present invention is not limited to the above-described optical disc drive 1, and various modifications can be made to the present invention. For example, one aspect of the present invention may include a structure that is laterally symmetric with respect to the structure of the above-described optical disc drive 1. In other words, the lateral positional relationship may be reversed. In this case, "left", "right", "clockwise", and "counterclockwise" in the description may be replaced with "right", "left", "counterclockwise", and "clockwise", respectively. For example, the loading motor 60, the gears 24 and 61a to 61g, the gear holder 62, and the slider 70 provided inside the base frame 3 may be provided on the right side of the plane extending in the front-rear direction through the rotation center axis (axis CB) of the spindle motor 11. In addition, the vertical movement may be restricted by the right shaft portion 52R of the roller bracket 50, and the vertical movement may be allowed by the left shaft portion 52L of the roller bracket 50. Further, inside the top frame 4, the switch board 15 and the first limit arm may be provided on the right side, while the switching arm 80 may be provided on the left side. The contact portions 82a and 82b formed on the switching arm 80 may be exclusively arranged on the left side of the plane extending in the front-rear direction through the rotation center axis (axis CB) of the spindle motor 11.

[0138] In addition, at least one of the centering mechanism B and the clamping pulley operating mechanism may include a member (a movable member constituting the transport roller position manipulating mechanism) coupled to the rotating arm 90. Compared with the case where the rotating arm 90 is not shared by the centering mechanism B and the clamping pulley operating mechanism, this configuration can also reduce the number of components of the optical disc drive 1.

Claims

1. An optical disc drive, comprising: a transfer roller including a right roller portion configured to rotate about a first axis and a left roller portion configured to rotate about a second axis, the right roller portion and the left roller portion being arranged in a lateral direction; and a transfer roller drive mechanism configured to rotate the transfer roller, wherein a first end corresponding to one of a right end of the right roller portion and a left end of the left roller portion is configured to move in a vertical direction relative to a second end corresponding to the other of the right end of the right roller portion and the left end of the left roller portion, and a relative position between the first axis and the second axis remains unchanged, a bracket configured to support the right roller portion and the left roller portion, wherein one of a right end and a left end of the bracket is configured to be able to move in a vertical direction relative to the other of the right end and the left end of the bracket, a frame configured to support the right end and the left end of the bracket, wherein a supported portion is formed at one of the right end and the left end of the bracket, the frame includes a support portion configured to support the supported portion, the supported portion and the support portion are formed to allow the supported portion to move in a vertical direction.

2. The optical disc drive according to claim 1, wherein the right roller portion and the left roller portion are separately formed members and are coupled to each other.

3. The optical disc drive according to claim 1, wherein the transfer roller drive mechanism is coupled to a second end of the right end of the right roller portion and the left end of the left roller portion.

4. An electronic device, comprising: a housing configured to accommodate the optical disc drive, the optical disc drive including: a transfer roller including a right roller portion configured to rotate about a first axis and a left roller portion configured to rotate about a second axis, the right roller portion and the left roller portion being arranged in a lateral direction; and a transfer roller drive mechanism configured to rotate the transfer roller, wherein a first end corresponding to one of a right end of the right roller portion and a left end of the left roller portion is configured to move in a vertical direction relative to a second end corresponding to the other of the right end of the right roller portion and the left end of the left roller portion, and a relative position between the first axis and the second axis remains unchanged, a bracket configured to support the right roller portion and the left roller portion, wherein one of a right end and a left end of the bracket is configured to be able to move in a vertical direction relative to the other of the right end and the left end of the bracket, a frame configured to support the right end and the left end of the bracket, wherein a supported portion is formed at one of the right end and the left end of the bracket, the frame includes a support portion configured to support the supported portion, the supported portion and the support portion are formed to allow the supported portion to move in a vertical direction.

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