Drive unit for optical memory device with portion of drive means mounted outside a sealing means

Claim 1

In a drive unit for an optical memory device, which includes a housing for receiving therein a recording medium, an optical head for reading out data from said recording medium, first drive means for linearly moving said optical head, second drive means for rotatably driving said recording medium, and a drive circuit board for controlling said first and second drive means, the improvement comprising: sealing means arranged inside of said housing and defining an area covering in a nearly sealed condition said recording medium, said optical head, said first drive means, and only a part of a rotating shaft of said second drive means, said area covered by said sealing means having an internal space; first and second apertures in said housing; at least said drive circuit board is arranged in a space external of the area covered by said sealing means, at least said drive circuit board being arranged in a space between a surface of said sealing means and an inner surface of said housing; said sealing means having an opening at a section thereof corresponding to a slot in a front panel of said housing; and means for opening and closing said opening as a recording medium is loaded or unloaded via said slot wherein when said opening is open, air flow via said slot into the internal space of the area covered by said sealing means as well as into said housing external of the area covered by said sealing means are both allowed, and when said opening is closed, only the air flow into the internal space of the area covered by said sealing means is prevented.