PURPOSE: To properly control the driving torque of a loading motor without adding a new circuit to an optical disk device using an exchangeable optical disk housed in a cartridge as a recording medium.

CONSTITUTION: This device comprises a cartridge loading/unloading mechanism 18 for loading an optical disk 10 housed in a cartridge 12 inserted from outside on the rotation axis 16 of a spindle motor 14 and unloading by taking the optical disk 10 out of the rotation axis 16 of the spindle motor 14 and ejecting the cartridge outside. Concerning the optical disk device which executes the loading operation for the cartridge loading/unloading mechanism 18 by rotating the loading motor 20 in one direction and the unloading operation for the cartridge loading/unloading mechanism 18 by rotating in the reverse direction, a torque controlling means 22 for adjusting a driving torque by turning on and off the driving current of the loading motor 20 in a short period is provided.