Optical Unit with Shake Correction Function

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016124242-A1
Application number	US-201414892437-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 13, 2014
Priority date	May 30, 2013
Publication date	May 5, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Provided is an optical unit with a shake correction function, said optical unit being capable of ensuring a space wherein a drive mechanism and the like are positioned between a side surface of an optical module and a side surface of a stationary body, even when the optical module is supported by a gimbal mechanism in such a manner as to be able to swing with respect to the stationary body. In the optical unit, a gimbal mechanism is disposed by utilizing corners of an optical module and corners of a square tube-shaped body section of a stationary body. In other words, the optical unit is configured in such a manner that: a rectangular movable frame is positioned between a rectangular second frame of the optical module and a rectangular frame secured to the square tube-shaped body section); and a first corner and a third corner of the movable frame are swingably supported by corners of the rectangular frame. The optical unit is further configured in such a manner that a second corner and a fourth corner of the moveable frame swingably support corners of the second frame.

First claim

1 . An optical unit with a shake correction function comprising:
an optical module; a fixed body having a body part which surrounds the optical module; a gimbal mechanism structured to swingably support the optical module around a first axial line intersecting an optical axis direction and swingably support the optical module around a second axial line intersecting the optical axis direction and the first axial line; and a shake correction drive mechanism structured to drive the optical module around the first axial line and the second axial line; wherein the gimbal mechanism comprises a rectangular movable frame comprising a first corner part, a second corner part adjacent to the first corner part, a third corner part separated in a direction of the first axial line from the first corner part, and a fourth corner part separated in a direction of the second axial line from the second corner part around an optical axis; and wherein the first corner part and the third corner part of the movable frame are swingably supported by the fixed body, and the second corner part and the fourth corner part of the movable frame swingably support the optical module.

2 . The optical unit with a shake correction function according to claim 1 , the shake correction drive mechanism comprises wherein a coil and a magnet disposed in a space between a side face of the optical module and a side face of the body part.

3 . The optical unit with a shake correction function according to claim 1 , wherein in the gimbal mechanism,
a swing support part provided between the first corner part and the fixed body and a swing support part provided between the third corner part and the fixed body respectively comprise a protruded part provided in one of the movable frame and the fixed body and a receiving part in a concave shape provided in the other of the movable frame and the fixed body for receiving a tip end side of the protruded part, and a swing support part provided between the second corner part and the optical module and a swing support part provided between the fourth corner part and the optical module respectively comprise a protruded part provided in one of the movable frame and the optical module and a receiving part in a concave shape provided in the other of the movable frame and the optical module for receiving a tip end side of the protruded part.

4 . The optical unit with a shake correction function according to claim 3 , wherein a tip end face of the protruded part located on a receiving part side is formed in a hemispheric shape.

5 . The optical unit with a shake correction function according to claim 4 , wherein the protruded part is structured of a spherical body.

6 . The optical unit with a shake correction function according to claim 3 , wherein
in the movable frame, a first connecting part connecting the first corner part with the second corner part, a second connecting part connecting the second corner part with the third corner part, a third connecting part connecting the third corner part with the fourth corner part and a fourth connecting part connecting the fourth corner part with the first corner part are elastically deformable, and in all of the first corner part, the second corner part, the third corner part and the fourth corner part, the protruded parts and the receiving parts are elastically contacted with each other by elasticities of the first connecting part, the second connecting part, the third connecting part and the fourth connecting part.

7 . The optical unit with a shake correction function according to claim 6 , wherein each of the first connecting part, the second connecting part, the third connecting part and the fourth connecting part is provided with a meandering part which meanders in a direction intersecting the optical axis direction.

8 . The optical unit with a shake correction function according to claim 3 , wherein each of a plurality of the protruded parts is provided on the movable frame.

9 . The optical unit with a shake correction function according to claim 8 , wherein all of the plurality of the protruded parts are located in a same plane intersecting the optical axis.

10 . The optical unit with a shake correction function according to claim 8 , wherein
all of the plurality of the protruded parts are provided on an inner side of the movable frame, two receiving parts provided in the first corner part and the third corner part are formed in portions which are protruded in the optical axis direction from a side of the fixed body so as to be located on an inner side of the movable frame, and two receiving parts provided in the second corner part and the fourth corner part are formed in portions which are protruded in the optical axis direction from a side of the optical module so as to be located on an inner side of the movable frame.

11 . The optical unit with a shake correction function according to claim 10 , wherein
the two receiving parts provided in the first corner part and the third corner part are formed in portions which are protruded from one side position in the optical axis direction relative to the movable frame to the other side in the optical axis direction so as to be located on the inner side of the movable frame, and the two receiving parts provided in the second corner part and the fourth corner part are formed in portions which are protruded from the other side position in the optical axis direction relative to the movable frame to the one side in the optical axis direction so as to be located on the inner side of the movable frame.

12 . The optical unit with a shake correction function according to claim 10 , wherein
the two receiving parts provided in the first corner part and the third corner part are respectively formed in a plate-shaped member which is fixed to the fixed body, and the two receiving parts provided in the second corner part and the fourth corner part are respectively formed in a plate-shaped member which is fixed to the optical module.

13 . The optical unit with a shake correction function according to claim 3 , wherein
the fixed body comprises:
two wall faces interposing each of the two protruded parts provided in the first corner part and the third corner part from both sides; and
two wall faces interposing each of the two protruded parts provided in the first corner part and the third corner part from both sides in the optical axis direction; and
the optical module comprises:
two wall faces interposing each of the two protruded parts provided in the second corner part and the fourth corner part from both sides; and
two wall faces interposing each of the two protruded parts provided in the second corner part and the fourth corner part from both sides in the optical axis direction.

14 . The optical unit with a shake correction function according to claim 10 , wherein in the movable frame,
the first corner part is protruded to an outer side relative to extended lines of connecting parts which are adjacent to the first corner part on both sides, and the third corner part is protruded to an outer side relative to extended lines of connecting parts which are adjacent to the third corner part on both sides.

15 . The optical unit with a shake correction function according to claim 1 , wherein
the first corner part and the third corner part of the movable frame are supported by corner parts of a fixed body side rectangular frame which is fixed to an inner face of the body part, and the second corner part and the fourth corner part of the movable frame support corner parts of a module side rectangular frame which

Assignees

• Nidec Sankyo Corp

Inventors

• Minamisawa Shinji

Classifications

• H04N23/60

  Control of cameras or camera modules · CPC title

• H04N23/55

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

• H04N23/57

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

• H04N23/687

  by shifting the lens or sensor position · CPC title

• H04N5/2254

  Electricity · mapped topic