Actuator for camera

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016349596-A1
Application number	US-201615093862-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 8, 2016
Priority date	May 25, 2015
Publication date	Dec 1, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An actuator for camera which drives a lens unit of a camera includes an outer frame, an inner frame which houses and holds the lens unit and is positioned inside the outer frame, a plurality of first supporting members which are provided between the outer frame and the inner frame and support the inner frame with respect to the outer frame so that the inner frame is displaceable in an optical axis direction of the lens unit, a first driving coil which is attached on an outer circumferential surface of the inner frame and drives the inner frame in the optical axis direction, and permanent magnets which are attached to the outer frame in a manner to be opposed to the first driving coil. The first supporting members are made of elastomer and have a shape of which a center line is a straight line which connects mutually opposed portions of the outer frame and the inner frame. An actuator for camera which is superior in productivity, reliability, and durability can be obtained.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An actuator for camera which drives a lens unit of a camera, the actuator for camera comprising:
an outer frame; an inner frame which houses and holds the lens unit and is positioned inside the outer frame; a plurality of first supporting members which are provided between the outer frame and the inner frame and support the inner frame with respect to the outer frame so that the inner frame is displaceable in an optical axis direction of the lens unit; a first driving coil which is attached on an outer circumferential surface of the inner frame and drives the inner frame in the optical axis direction; and permanent magnets which are attached to the outer frame in a manner to be opposed to the first driving coil; wherein the first supporting members are made of elastomer and have a shape of which a center line is a straight line which connects mutually opposed portions of the outer frame and the inner frame.

2 . The actuator for camera according to claim 1 , wherein the first supporting members have a bar shape and a plurality of first supporting members are provided on each of a front side and a rear side of the inner frame in the optical axis direction.

3 . The actuator for camera according to claim 1 , wherein
the inner frame has a square shape, and the center line is an extended line of a diagonal line of the square shape and each corner portion of the square shape is supported by the first supporting members.

4 . The actuator for camera according to claim 2 , wherein
the inner frame has a square shape, and the center line is an extended line of a diagonal line of the square shape and each corner portion of the square shape is supported by the first supporting members.

5 . The actuator for camera according to claim 1 , wherein
the outer frame is supported by a plurality of second supporting members of which one ends are fixed on a substrate and which are made of elastomer so that the outer frame is displaceable in first and second directions which are orthogonal to the optical axis direction and are orthogonal to each other, and a plurality of second driving coils which are opposed to the permanent magnets in the optical axis direction and drive the outer frame in the first and second directions are formed on the substrate.

6 . The actuator for camera according to claim 2 , wherein
the outer frame is supported by a plurality of second supporting members of which one ends are fixed on a substrate and which are made of elastomer so that the outer frame is displaceable in first and second directions which are orthogonal to the optical axis direction and are orthogonal to each other, and a plurality of second driving coils which are opposed to the permanent magnets in the optical axis direction and drive the outer frame in the first and second directions are formed on the substrate.

7 . The actuator for camera according to claim 3 , wherein
the outer frame is supported by a plurality of second supporting members of which one ends are fixed on a substrate and which are made of elastomer so that the outer frame is displaceable in first and second directions which are orthogonal to the optical axis direction and are orthogonal to each other, and a plurality of second driving coils which are opposed to the permanent magnets in the optical axis direction and drive the outer frame in the first and second directions are formed on the substrate.

8 . The actuator for camera according to claim 4 , wherein
the outer frame is supported by a plurality of second supporting members of which one ends are fixed on a substrate and which are made of elastomer so that the outer frame is displaceable in first and second directions which are orthogonal to the optical axis direction and are orthogonal to each other, and a plurality of second driving coils which are opposed to the permanent magnets in the optical axis direction and drive the outer frame in the first and second directions are formed on the substrate.

9 . The actuator for camera according to claim 5 , wherein the first supporting members and the second supporting members are integrally molded.

10 . The actuator for camera according to claim 6 , wherein the first supporting members and the second supporting members are integrally molded.

11 . The actuator for camera according to claim 7 , wherein the first supporting members and the second supporting members are integrally molded.

12 . The actuator for camera according to claim 8 , wherein the first supporting members and the second supporting members are integrally molded.

13 . The actuator for camera according to claim 9 , wherein the outer frame and the inner frame are made of resin and the first and second supporting members are formed on the outer frame and the inner frame by secondary molding.

14 . The actuator for camera according to claim 10 , wherein the outer frame and the inner frame are made of resin and the first and second supporting members are formed on the outer frame and the inner frame by secondary molding.

15 . The actuator for camera according to claim 11 , wherein the outer frame and the inner frame are made of resin and the first and second supporting members are formed on the outer frame and the inner frame by secondary molding.

16 . The actuator for camera according to claim 12 , wherein the outer frame and the inner frame are made of resin and the first and second supporting members are formed on the outer frame and the inner frame by secondary molding.

17 . The actuator for camera according to claim 9 , wherein the first and second supporting members have conductivity.

18 . The actuator for camera according to claim 10 , wherein the first and second supporting members have conductivity.

19 . The actuator for camera according to claim 11 , wherein the first and second supporting members have conductivity.

20 . The actuator for camera according to claim 12 , wherein the first and second supporting members have conductivity.

21 . The actuator for camera according to claim 13 , wherein the first and second supporting members have conductivity.

22 . The actuator for camera according to claim 14 , wherein the first and second supporting members have conductivity.

23 . The actuator for camera according to claim 15 , wherein the first and second supporting members have conductivity.

24 . The actuator for camera according to claim 16 , wherein the first and second supporting members have conductivity.

Assignees

• Japan Aviation Electronics Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Yamaji Takahiro
• Matsunaga Akihiro
• Akimoto Hiroshi
• Ibaraki Kazuaki
• Ono Fuminobu
• SHINDOU Jun

Classifications

• G03B13/36 Primary

  Autofocus systems · CPC title

• G02B7/09 Primary

  adapted for automatic focusing or varying magnification · CPC title

• G02B27/646 Primary

  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

• H02K5/04

  Casings or enclosures characterised by the shape, form or construction thereof · CPC title

• H02K41/0356

  moving along a straight path · CPC title