Hitachi-LG Data Storage Assigned Patent

Hitachi-LG Data Storage, Inc., Tokyo, Japan, has been assigned a patent (8,266,642) developed by six co-inventors for an "optical disk mechanism with shaped roller and double beam mount."

The co-inventors are Amir H. Torkaman, Sunnyvale, CA, Michael Szelong, Cupertino, CA, Kyquang Son, Dublin, CA, Ravender Goyal, Saratoga, CA, Paul R. Swan, Alameda, CA, and Michael Umansky, San Francisco, CA.

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: "An optical disk mechanism has a housing with at least one disk entry/exit aperture. A disk guide, such as a plate, is aligned with and guides an optical disk through the disk entry/exit aperture. Two beams rotatably support at least one roller and a drive mechanism. Flexing and biasing the roller towards the disk, the two beams maintain a rotational axis of the roller parallel to the disk and accommodate varying separation between the roller and the disk guide. The two beams are closely spaced and non-coplanar, and may be part of a double-beam mount. The double-beam mount attaches the two beams to the housing and to a frame, which positions the roller near the disk guide and the disk entry/exit aperture. Sliding the disk along the plate or other disk guide, the roller is reversible to drive the disk in or out through the disk entry/exit aperture."

The patent application was filed on Jan. 6, 2010 (12/683,334).