Voice coil motor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12335592-B2
Application number	US-202318390300-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 20, 2023
Priority date	Jan 3, 2014
Publication date	Jun 17, 2025
Grant date	Jun 17, 2025

Abstract

A camera module according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is proposed, the camera module including a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) mounted with an image sensor, a housing member arranged at an upper surface of the PCB, a bobbin movably positioned at an inner side of the housing member, an upper elastic member connected to an upper surface of the housing member and to an upper surface of the bobbin, and a space forming part formed at one side of the housing member to provide a moving space to the upper elastic member when the bobbin makes a relatively vertical movement to the housing member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A VCM (Voice Coil Motor) comprising:
a base;
a housing member disposed on the base and comprising an upper plate and a lateral plate extending from the upper plate;
a bobbin disposed in the housing member;
a coil disposed on the bobbin;
a magnet disposed between the coil and the lateral plate of the housing member;
a spacer member coupled to an inner surface of the housing member; and
an upper elastic member comprising a first fixing part coupled with the spacer member, a second fixing part coupled with the bobbin, and a connection part connecting the first fixing part and the second fixing part,
wherein the spacer member comprises a protruding part protruding between the lateral plate of the housing member and the first fixing part of the upper elastic member,
wherein a lower surface of the spacer member faces the magnet,
wherein the protruding part of the spacer member protrudes from the lower surface of the spacer member toward the base, and the protruding part is attached to the magnet,
wherein the first fixing part of the upper elastic member is disposed on the lower surface of the spacer member such that the first fixing part is between the lower surface of the spacer member and the magnet, and
wherein the magnet is bonded to the housing member.

2. The VCM of claim 1 , wherein, in an optical axis direction, the spacer member is not disposed between the first fixing part of the upper elastic member and the magnet.

3. The VCM of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the connection part of the upper elastic member is disposed between the magnet and the upper plate of the housing member in an optical axis direction.

4. The VCM of claim 1 , wherein the connection part of the upper elastic member is configured to move to a position lower than the first fixing part of the upper elastic member, when the bobbin moves downwards.

5. The VCM of claim 1 , wherein the housing member comprises an inner yoke bent to a direction parallel with an optical axis from the upper plate of the housing member to an inner side at four corner areas of the housing member,
wherein at least a portion of the inner yoke is disposed between the bobbin and the coil, and
wherein at least a portion of the connection part of the upper elastic member is overlapped with the protruding part of the spacer member and the inner yoke in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis and outward from the optical axis, when the connection part of the upper elastic member moves to a position lower than the first fixing part of the upper elastic member.

6. The VCM of claim 1 , wherein there is a gap between the first fixing part of the upper elastic member and the protruding part of the spacer member in a section perpendicular to an optical axis.

7. A VCM (Voice Coil Motor) comprising:
a base;
a housing member disposed on the base and comprising an upper plate and a lateral plate extending from the upper plate;
a bobbin disposed in the housing member;
a coil disposed on the bobbin;
a magnet disposed between the coil and the lateral plate of the housing member;
a spacer member coupled to an inner surface of the housing member; and
an upper elastic member comprising a first fixing part coupled with the spacer member, a second fixing part coupled with the bobbin, and a connection part connecting the first fixing part and the second fixing part,
wherein the spacer member comprises a protruding part protruding between the lateral plate of the housing member and the first fixing part of the upper elastic member,
wherein a lower surface of the spacer member faces the magnet,
wherein the protruding part of the spacer member protrudes from the lower surface of the spacer member toward the base, and the protruding part is attached to the magnet,
wherein the first fixing part of the upper elastic member is overlapped with the protruding part of the spacer member in a direction perpendicular to an optical axis direction,
wherein the first fixing part of the upper elastic member is disposed on the lower surface of the spacer member such that the first fixing part is between the lower surface of the spacer member and the magnet,
wherein there is a gap between the first fixing part of the upper elastic member and the protruding part of the spacer member in a section perpendicular to an optical axis, and
wherein the magnet is bonded to the housing member.

8. The VCM of claim 7 , wherein the protruding part of the spacer member is not overlapped with the upper elastic member, when viewed in the optical axis.

9. The VCM of claim 8 , wherein a width of the protruding part of the spacer member in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction is constant from between the lateral plate of the housing member and the first fixing part of the upper elastic member to a lower end of the protruding part.

10. The VCM of claim 7 , wherein, in the optical axis direction, the spacer member is not disposed between the first fixing part of the upper elastic member and the magnet.

11. The VCM of claim 8 , wherein, in a section perpendicular to the optical axis, the protruding part of the spacer member is disposed between the lateral plate of the housing member and the first fixing part of the upper elastic member.

12. The VCM of claim 8 , wherein the protruding part of the spacer member is coupled with the magnet.

13. The VCM of claim 8 , wherein the magnet is disposed on the lateral plate of the housing member.

14. The VCM of claim 8 , wherein the protruding part of the spacer member protrudes from an outer edge of the spacer member and extending downwards along the lateral plate of the housing member.

15. The VCM of claim 8 , wherein the first fixing part of the upper elastic member comprises a hole,
wherein the spacer member comprises a support protrusion disposed on the hole of the upper elastic member.

16. The VCM of claim 15 , wherein the protruding part and the support protrusion are spaced apart from each other.

17. The VCM of claim 15 , wherein at least a portion of the first fixing part of the upper elastic member is disposed between the protruding part and the support protrusion.

18. The VCM of claim 15 , wherein a lower surface of the protruding part of the spacer member is disposed on an upper surface of the magnet,
wherein a lower surface of the support protrusion of the spacer member is disposed on the upper surface of the magnet, and
wherein the first fixing part of the upper elastic member is spaced apart from the upper surface of the magnet.

19. The VCM of claim 15 , wherein the first fixing part of the upper elastic member is fixed to the support protrusion of the spacer member by an adhesive.

20. A camera module, comprising:
a PCB (Printed Circuit Board);
an image sensor disposed on the PCB;
the VCM of claim 6 disposed on the PCB; and
a lens coupled with the bobbin of the VCM.

Assignees

• Lg Innotek Co Ltd

Inventors

• Park Sang Ok
• Lee Seong Min
• Lee Jun Taek

Classifications

• H02K41/0354

  Lorentz force motors, e.g. voice coil motors · CPC title

• H04N23/55

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

• H04N23/54

  Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils · CPC title

• H04N23/51

  Housings · CPC title

• H04N23/57 Primary

  Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices · CPC title