Optical unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12007622-B2
Application number	US-202117486933-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2021
Priority date	Sep 29, 2020
Publication date	Jun 11, 2024
Grant date	Jun 11, 2024

Abstract

An optical unit including a reflection portion, a movable body, a fixed body; and a rotation support mechanism that rotates the movable body with respect to the fixed body in an axial direction as a rotation axis, in which the rotation support mechanism has a U-shaped spring member disposed between the fixed body and the movable body in the axial direction and applies a force in a direction that widens the space between the fixed body and the movable body, the spring member has a rotation-axis first forming member, the movable body has a rotation-axis second forming member, and the rotation-axis first forming member and the rotation-axis second forming member are arranged at positions where a rotation axis passes through a center of gravity position of the movable body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optical unit comprising:
a reflection portion, configured to reflect an incident light flux incident from outside in a reflection direction from an incident direction to an imaging element on a reflection surface;
a movable body, configured to support the reflection portion;
a fixed body; and
a rotation support mechanism, configured to rotate the movable body with respect to the fixed body with an axial direction crossing the incident direction and the reflection direction as a rotation axis, wherein
the rotation support mechanism has: a spring member in a U-shape that is disposed between the fixed body and the movable body in the axial direction and applies a force in a widening direction to widen a space between the fixed body and the movable body in the axial direction;
the spring member has a rotation-axis first forming member that constitutes the rotation axis;
the movable body has a rotation-axis second forming member that constitutes the rotation axis together with the rotation-axis first forming member; and
the rotation-axis first forming member and the rotation-axis second forming member are disposed at positions where the rotation axis passes through a center of gravity position of the movable body.

2. The optical unit according to claim 1 , wherein
one of the rotation-axis first forming member and the rotation-axis second forming member has a convex spherical surface, and
the other of the rotation-axis first forming member and the rotation-axis second forming member has a concave spherical surface on which the convex spherical surface slides.

3. The optical unit according to claim 2 , wherein
the convex spherical surface is formed by fixing, to a base having a hole, a spherical body having a diameter larger than the hole.

4. The optical unit according to claim 1 , wherein
the spring member is fixed at a fixed position of the fixed body by being inserted in an insertion direction crossing the axial direction in the space and has a protruding portion that protrudes in a direction opposite to the insertion direction and is displaceable in a displacement direction crossing the insertion direction; and
the fixed body has a hooking portion on which the protruding portion is displaced in the displacement direction and hooked as the spring member is inserted into the fixed position.

5. The optical unit according to claim 1 , wherein
the movable body has a groove in an arc-shape with a center of rotation of the rotation axis as the center of rotation; and
the spring member has a convex portion that is inserted into the groove.

6. The optical unit according to claim 5 , wherein
the groove has such a length that the groove and the convex portion are not in contact with each other in an arc direction even when the movable body is rotated at the maximum as the movable body is rotated with respect to the fixed body.

7. The optical unit according to claim 1 , wherein
the spring member is fixed at a fixed position of the fixed body by being inserted in the insertion direction in the space, and
a contact position with the fixed body in the widening direction is a position aligned with the rotation axis.

8. The optical unit according to claim 1 , wherein
the fixed body has a depression or an opening formed on an extension line in a direction of movement accompanying a rotation of the movable body.

Assignees

• Nidec Sankyo Corp

Inventors

• Arai Tsutomu
• Minamisawa Shinji
• Sue Takeshi

Classifications

• H04N23/55

  Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof · CPC title

• H04N23/51

  Housings · CPC title

• G02B7/026

  using retaining rings or springs (G02B7/027 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G03B17/12

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

• G02B7/003

  Alignment of optical elements (G02B7/001, G02B7/002 take precedence; for mirrors G02B7/1822) · CPC title