Optical unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11899355-B2
Application number	US-202117473959-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 13, 2021
Priority date	Sep 14, 2020
Publication date	Feb 13, 2024
Grant date	Feb 13, 2024

Abstract

An optical unit includes an optical element, a holder, a first support portion, a second support portion, a first swing mechanism, and a second swing mechanism. The holder holds the optical element. The first support portion supports the holder so as to be swingable about a first swing axis. The second support portion supports the first support portion so as to be swingable about the second swing axis. The second swing mechanism includes a second magnet and a second coil. The second magnet is arranged on the first support portion. The second coil is arranged on the second support portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optical unit, comprising:
an optical element that changes a traveling direction of light;
a holder that holds the optical element;
a first support portion that supports the holder so as to be swingable about a first swing axis;
a second support portion that supports the first support portion so as to be swingable about a second swing axis intersecting the first swing axis;
a first swing mechanism that swings the holder about the first swing axis with respect to the first support portion;
a second swing mechanism that swings the first support portion about the second swing axis with respect to the second support portion;
a first pre-load portion that is arranged on at least one of the holder and the first support portion and applies a pre-load in an axial direction of the first swing axis to at least a remaining one of the holder and the first support portion; and
a second pre-load portion that is arranged on at least one of the first support portion and the second support portion and applies a pre-load in an axial direction of the second swing axis to at least a remaining one of the first support portion and the second support portion, wherein
the first swing mechanism includes
a first magnet arranged on the holder, and
a first coil arranged on the second support portion, and

the second swing mechanism includes
a second magnet arranged on the first support portion, and
a second coil arranged on the second support portion.

2. The optical unit according to claim 1 , wherein
the optical element has a reflective surface that reflects the light, which travels to one side in a first direction, to one side in a second direction intersecting the first direction,
the first swing axis is an axis extending along a third direction intersecting the first direction and the second direction, and
the second swing axis is an axis extending along the first direction.

3. The optical unit according to claim 2 , wherein
the first support portion supports the holder in the third direction, and
the second support portion supports the first support portion in the first direction.

4. The optical unit according to claim 1 , wherein
the first pre-load portion is arranged on the first support portion,
the first pre-load portion includes:
a pair of side surface portions sandwiching the holder in the axial direction of the first swing axis; and
a connection portion connecting the pair of side surface portions to each other, and

the pair of side surface portions and the connection portion are formed of a single member.

5. The optical unit according to claim 4 , wherein
the pair of side surface portions are inclined with respect to a direction perpendicular to the connection portion, and
a distance between the pair of side surface portions decreases as a distance from the connection portion increases.

6. The optical unit according to claim 4 , wherein
one of the first support portion and the connection portion has a fitting protrusion that protrudes toward a remaining one of the first support portion and the connection portion, and
the remaining one of the first support portion and the connection portion has a fitting hole to be fitted to the fitting protrusion.

7. The optical unit according to claim 4 , wherein
the optical element has a reflective surface that reflects the light, which travels to one side in a first direction, to one side in a second direction intersecting the first direction,
a side surface portion of the pair of side surface portions has an axial protrusion that protrudes toward the holder on the first swing axis,
the holder has a pair of opposing side surfaces opposing the pair of side surface portions, respectively, a groove arranged in an opposing side surface of the pair of opposing side surfaces, and an axial recess arranged inside the groove,
the groove is recessed toward an inside of the holder and extends to another side in the second direction, and
the axial recess is recessed toward the inside of the holder on the first swing axis and accommodates at least a part of the axial protrusion.

8. The optical unit according to claim 7 , wherein
the axial protrusion has at least a part of a spherical surface, and
the axial recess has at least a part of a concave-shaped spherical surface.

9. The optical unit according to claim 1 , wherein
the second pre-load portion includes:
a third magnet arranged on one of the first support portion and the second support portion; and
a magnetic member arranged on a remaining one of the first support portion and the second support portion.

10. The optical unit according to claim 1 , wherein
the holder has an opposing surface which opposes the optical element, and three support protrusions which protrude from the opposing surface toward the optical element to support the optical element.

11. The optical unit according to claim 1 , wherein
the optical element has a reflective surface that reflects the light, which travels to one side in a first direction, to one side in a second direction intersecting the first direction,
the first magnet is arranged at an end of the holder on another side in the second direction,
the first coil is arranged at an end of the second support portion on the other side in the second direction,
the second magnet is arranged at an end of the first support portion in a third direction intersecting the first direction and the second direction, and
the second coil is arranged at an end of the second support portion in the third direction.

12. An optical unit, comprising:
an optical element that changes a traveling direction of light;
a holder that holds the optical element;
a first support portion that supports the holder so as to be swingable about a first swing axis;
a second support portion that supports the first support portion so as to be swingable about a second swing axis intersecting the first swing axis;
a first swing mechanism that swings the holder about the first swing axis with respect to the first support portion; and
a second swing mechanism that swings the first support portion about the second swing axis with respect to the second support portion, wherein
the first swing mechanism includes
a first magnet arranged on the holder, and
a first coil arranged on the second support portion, the second swing mechanism includes
a second magnet arranged on the first support portion, and
a second coil arranged on the second support portion,

one of the first support portion and the second support portion has at least three axial center protrusions protruding toward a remaining one of the first support portion and the second support portion,
the at least three axial center protrusions are arranged on an identical circumference centered on the second swing axis,
the remaining one of the first support portion and the second support portion has an axial center recess that is recessed in a direction opposite to an axial center protrusion of the at least three axial center protrusions and forms a part of a circle centered on the second swing axis, and
the axial center recess is in contact with the axial center protrusion.

13. The optical unit according to claim 12 , wherein
the second support portion has the axial center protrusion, and
the first support portion has the axial center recess.

Assignees

• Nidec Corp

Inventors

• Iwase Takayuki
• Egawa Tomohiro
• Otsubo Keishi

Classifications

• G03B5/06 Primary

  Swinging lens about normal to the optical axis · CPC title

• G02B26/0816

  by means of one or more reflecting elements · CPC title

• G03B17/12

  with means for supporting objectives, supplementary lenses, filters, masks, or turrets · CPC title

• G03B2205/0023

  by tilting or inclining one or more optical elements with respect to the optical axis · CPC title

• G03B2205/0069

  using electromagnetic actuators, e.g. voice coils · CPC title