Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
194 words
An optical head including a substrate (1), an optical waveguide (3) formed on the substrate, a light source (4) formed on a portion of the substrate, a collimator lens (5) for converting light from the light source into parallel light rays, an objective lens (8) for focusing light from the collimator lens on a recording medium (16) and for converting reflected light from the recording medium into parallel light rays, a beam splitter (9) for dividing light from the objective lens into two parts to send out one of the parts in a predetermined direction, a coupling lens (11) for focusing light from the beam splitter on a position, and a photodetector (10) for detecting light from the coupling lens, wherein the collimator lens (5), the objective lens (8), the beam splitter (9), the coupling lens (11) and the photodetector (10) are integrated on the substrate (1), and at least one of the collimator lens (5) and an objective lens supporting part is made flexible to vary the position of the focus of at least one of the collimator lens (5) and the objective lens (8) by piezoelectric elements (29, 30; 55a to 55d).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
194 words
An optical head including a substrate (1), an optical waveguide (3) formed on the substrate, a light source (4) formed on a portion of the substrate, a collimator lens (5) for converting light from the light source into parallel light rays, an objective lens (8) for focusing light from the collimator lens on a recording medium (16) and for converting reflected light from the recording medium into parallel light rays, a beam splitter (9) for dividing light from the objective lens into two parts to send out one of the parts in a predetermined direction, a coupling lens (11) for focusing light from the beam splitter on a position, and a photodetector (10) for detecting light from the coupling lens, wherein the collimator lens (5), the objective lens (8), the beam splitter (9), the coupling lens (11) and the photodetector (10) are integrated on the substrate (1), and at least one of the collimator lens (5) and an objective lens supporting part is made flexible to vary the position of the focus of at least one of the collimator lens (5) and the objective lens (8) by piezoelectric elements (29, 30; 55a to 55d).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
68 words
An optical head according to Claim 1, wherein the collimator lens (5) is formed of a flexible disk which can be convex downwardly or upwardly, and a piezo-electric element (29) mounted on a central portion of the collimator lens (5) and another piezo-electric element (30) mounted on a peripheral portion of the collimator lens (5) are so operated as to be opposite in driving polarity to each other.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
59 words
An optical head according to Claim 1, wherein a portion of the substrate (1) is made thin so that a flexible supporting part is formed around the objective lens (8), and inner and outer piezo-electric elements (55b, 55c; 55a, 55d) mounted on the flexible supporting part are so operated as to be opposite in driving polarity to each other.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
An optical head according to Claim 1, wherein the objective lens (8) is formed of a curved grating having a blaze angle.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
39 words
An optical head according to Claim 1, wherein a surface acoustic wave element (45) is mounted on a portion of the substrate (1) to form an optical deflector (6), thereby deflecting light which passes through the optical waveguide (3).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
40 words
An optical head according to Claim 1, wherein light emitted from the light source (4) is converted by a second-order higher harmonic generator (60) into light having a shorter wavelength, to increase the recording density in the recording medium (16).