Damper arrangement for actuator damping

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12483789-B2
Application number	US-202217662309-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 6, 2022
Priority date	Mar 29, 2017
Publication date	Nov 25, 2025
Grant date	Nov 25, 2025

Abstract

Various embodiments include a damper arrangement that may be used to dampen motions of a dynamic component. In some embodiments, the damper arrangement may be used in a camera module that includes a stationary component and a dynamic component. For instance, the dynamic component may hold a lens such that the lens moves together with the dynamic component. In various examples, the damper arrangement may include an interface member that extends from the stationary component or the dynamic component to at least partially into a viscoelastic material within a pocket configured in the stationary component, the dynamic component, or both. The interface member may be configured to traverse within the viscoelastic material to dampen motion of the dynamic component, for example, during operation of a lens actuator to move the dynamic component along an optical axis of the lens.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A device, comprising:
a stationary component of an actuator for an optical system; a dynamic component of the actuator, wherein the dynamic component is configured to hold one or more optical elements and move the one or more optical elements; and an interface member partially disposed within a viscoelastic material, located in a pocket, so as to dampen motion of the dynamic component during operation of the actuator, wherein the interface member comprises:
a first portion extending, in a first direction, between the stationary component and the dynamic component; and
a second portion extending, in a second direction different than the first direction, between the first portion and an end of the second portion, the end terminating in the viscoelastic material in the pocket.

2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein:
the pocket is defined by one or more surfaces of the dynamic component; and movement of the dynamic component during operation of the actuator is restricted, based at least in part on the interface member and the viscoelastic material, to a range of motion such that at least a minimum clearance is maintained, across the range of motion, between the portion of the interface member that terminates within the viscoelastic material and the one or more surfaces of the dynamic component that define the pocket.

3 . The device of claim 1 , wherein:
the pocket is defined by one or more surfaces of the stationary component; and the interface member extends from the dynamic component such that a portion of the interface member is disposed within the viscoelastic material.

4 . The device of claim 1 , wherein:
the actuator comprises a voice coil motor (VCM) actuator that includes:
one or more magnets; and
one or more coils; and
the stationary component is a magnet holder configured to hold at least one of the one or more magnets.

5 . The device of claim 1 , wherein:
the device is a mobile multifunction device; and the device further includes:
a display;
a camera module, including:
the one or more optical elements;
an image sensor configured to capture light passing through the one or more optical elements and covert the captured light into image signals; and
the actuator; and

one or more processors configured to:
cause the actuator to move the dynamic component along an optical axis of the optical system; and
cause the display to present an image based at least in part on one or more of the image signals from the image sensor.

6 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the interface member is a rigid member.

7 . A camera module, comprising:
one or more optical elements; an image sensor; and an actuator, including:
a stationary component; and
a dynamic component, wherein the dynamic component is configured to hold the one or more optical elements and move the one or more optical elements; and
an interface member partially disposed within a viscoelastic material, located in a pocket, so as to dampen motion of the dynamic component during operation of the actuator, wherein the interface member comprises:
a first portion extending, in a first direction, between the stationary component and the dynamic component; and
a second portion extending, in a second direction different than the first direction, between the first portion and an end of the second portion, the end terminating in the viscoelastic material in the pocket.

8 . The camera module of claim 7 , wherein: the first portion has a first cross-sectional area; and
the second portion has a second cross-sectional area that is different than the first cross-sectional area.

9 . The camera module of claim 7 , wherein:
the interface member is one of a plurality of interface members of a damper arrangement comprising the plurality of interface members; and the plurality of interface members include:
a first pair of interface members; and
a second pair of interface members opposite the first pair of interface members relative to the one or more optical elements.

10 . The camera module of claim 9 , wherein:
the damper arrangement further includes respective viscoelastic material portions disposed within respective pockets; and each interface member of the plurality of interface members includes a respective portion that is disposed within a respective pocket of the respective pockets.

11 . The camera module of claim 9 , wherein:
each interface member of the first pair of interface members includes a first portion that is disposed within the viscoelastic material and that has a first cross-sectional shape; and each interface member of the second pair of interface members has a second portion that is disposed within the viscoelastic material and that has a second cross-sectional shape that is different than the first cross-sectional shape.

12 . The camera module of claim 9 , wherein:
the first pair of interface members are arranged in a first orientation; and the second pair of interface members are arranged in a second orientation that is different than the first orientation.

13 . The camera module of claim 9 , wherein:
the first pair of interface members includes:
a first interface member that has a first cross-sectional shape and a first orientation; and
a second interface member that has a second cross-sectional shape and a second orientation;
wherein at least one of:
the first cross-sectional shape is different than the second cross-sectional shape; or
the first orientation is different than the second orientation.

14 . The camera module of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of interface members further include:
a third pair of interface members; and a fourth pair of interface members opposite the third pair of interface members relative to the one or more optical elements.

15 . The camera module of claim 7 , wherein:
the actuator comprises a voice coil motor (VCM) actuator that includes:
one or more magnets; and
one or more coils;
the stationary component is a magnet holder configured to hold at least one of the one or more magnets; the dynamic component holds at least one of the one or more coils proximate the at least one of the one or more magnets; the pocket is defined by one or more surfaces of the dynamic component; the interface member extends from the stationary component such that a portion of the interface member is disposed within the viscoelastic material; and movement of the dynamic component during operation of the actuator is restricted, based at least in part on the interface member and the viscoelastic material, to a range of motion such that at least a minimum clearance is maintained, across the range of motion, between the portion of the interface member that is disposed within the viscoelastic material and the one or more surfaces of the dynamic component that define the pocket.

16 . The camera module of claim 7 , wherein at least one of the actuator or another actuator of the camera module is configured to:
move the dynamic component, relative to the image sensor, in one or more directions orthogonal to an optical axis of the one or more optical elements; or move the image sensor, relative to the dynamic component, in the one or more directions orthogonal to an optical axis of the one or more optical elements.

17 . A system, comprising:
one or more optical elements; an actuator, including:
a stationary component;
a dynamic component, wherein the dynamic component is configured to hold the one or more optical elements and move the one or more optical

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Xu Bin
• Yang Qiang
• Takase Yoshiyuki
• Hubert Aurelien R

Classifications

• H04N23/67

  Focus control based on electronic image sensor signals · CPC title

• H04N23/57

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

• H04N23/55

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

• G02B7/09

  adapted for automatic focusing or varying magnification · CPC title

• G03B2205/0015

  by displacing one or more optical elements normal to the optical axis · CPC title