Camera actuator and camera module comprising same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12368940-B2
Application number	US-202418644869-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 24, 2024
Priority date	Nov 29, 2019
Publication date	Jul 22, 2025
Grant date	Jul 22, 2025

Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention discloses a camera actuator comprising: a housing; a mover disposed in the housing and including protrusions on one surface which protrude toward the housing; and a driving unit disposed in the housing and rotating the mover on the basis of a first direction or a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, wherein the protrusions comprise: a first protrusion disposed on the one surface; a second protrusion spaced apart from the first protrusion; and a third protrusion separated from the first protrusion by a distance greater than from the second protrusion, and wherein the housing comprises: a groove in which the first protrusion is seated on an inner surface corresponding to the one surface; a first hole through which the second protrusion passes; and a second hole through which the third protrusion passes, wherein a side surface of the second protrusion is spaced apart from the first hole, and the housing includes a protruding part disposed on a side of the second hole and extending toward the third protrusion.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A camera actuator comprising:
a housing;
a mover disposed in the housing;
a tilting plate disposed between the housing and the mover;
a ball part including a first ball disposed between the housing and the tilting plate and a second ball disposed between the tilting plate and the mover; and
a driving unit that is disposed in the housing and configured to drive the mover,
wherein the tilting plate includes a base, a first extension part extending from the base to the mover, and a second extension part facing the first extension part,
wherein the mover is tilted in a first axis with respect to the first ball pressing a first groove formed in the housing, and
wherein the mover is tilted in a second axis perpendicular to the first axis with respect to the second ball pressing a second groove formed in the mover.

2. The camera actuator of claim 1 ,
wherein the driving unit is configured to rotate the mover in a first direction or a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

3. The camera actuator of claim 2 ,
wherein the first ball includes a (1-1)th ball and a (1-2)th ball arranged side by side in the first direction,
wherein the second ball includes a (2-1)th ball and a (2-2)th ball overlapping each other in the second direction.

4. The camera actuator of claim 3 ,
wherein the (1-1)th ball and the (1-2)th ball are located on an outer surface of the base.

5. The camera actuator of claim 3 ,
wherein the (2-1)th ball is located on an inner surface of the first extension part.

6. The camera actuator of claim 3 ,
wherein the (2-2)th ball is located on an inner surface of the second extension part.

7. The camera actuator of claim 3 ,
wherein the second groove includes a (2-1)th groove on which the (2-1)th ball is seated and a (2-2)th groove on which the (2-2)th ball is seated.

8. The camera actuator of claim 7 ,
wherein the (2-1)th ball at least partially overlaps the (2-1)th groove in the first direction.

9. The camera actuator of claim 7 ,
wherein the (2-2)th ball at least partially overlaps the (2-2)th groove in the first direction.

10. The camera actuator of claim 7 ,
wherein the driving unit includes a driving magnet and a driving coil,
wherein the driving magnet includes a first magnet, a second magnet, and a third magnet,
wherein the driving coil includes a first coil, a second coil, and a third coil.

11. The camera actuator of claim 10 ,
wherein the first magnet and the second magnet are arranged to be symmetrical to each other on the mover in the first direction.

12. The camera actuator of claim 10 ,
wherein the first coil and the second coil are arranged to be symmetrical to each other between the housing and the mover in the first direction.

13. The camera actuator of claim 10 ,
wherein the third magnet is disposed on a bottom surface of the mover.

14. The camera actuator of claim 10 ,
wherein the third coil is disposed on a bottom surface of the housing.

15. The camera actuator of claim 10 ,
wherein the (2-1)th groove is disposed between the first magnet and the base.

16. The camera actuator of claim 10 ,
wherein the (2-2)th groove is disposed between the second magnet and the base.

17. The camera actuator of claim 1 ,
wherein the housing includes a coupling member disposed in a housing side part facing the base.

18. The camera actuator of claim 17 ,
wherein the coupling member and the tilting plate are made of a magnetic material and generate an attractive force.

19. The camera actuator of claim 17 ,
wherein an attractive force is formed between the coupling member and the first ball.

20. The camera actuator of claim 1 , comprising,
a lubricant disposed in the first groove and the second groove.

Assignees

• Lg Innotek Co Ltd

Inventors

• Jang Young Bae
• Kim Chan Joong
• Park Jeung Ook
• Lee Sung Guk

Classifications

• H04N23/686

  with a variable apex prism · CPC title

• H04N23/54

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

• H04N23/57

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

• G02B27/646

  compensating for small deviations, e.g. due to vibration or shake (movement of one or more optical elements for control of motion blur in cameras, projectors or printers G03B2205/0007; image stabilisation in cameras peculiar to the presence or use of an electronic image sensor H04N23/68) · CPC title

• G02B7/09

  adapted for automatic focusing or varying magnification · CPC title