Voice coil motor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9341810-B2
Application number	US-201314398359-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 8, 2013
Priority date	May 9, 2012
Publication date	May 17, 2016
Grant date	May 17, 2016

Abstract

An exemplary embodiment of the present invention a rotor including a lens and formed with a first driving unit, a stator formed with a second driving unit driving the rotor in response to electromagnetic interaction with the first driving unit, and a base on which the stator is fixed, wherein the rotor is brought into contact with the base, in a case the lens is in a UP posture, and the rotor is distanced from the base, in a case the lens is in a DOWN posture.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A VCM (Voice Coil Motor), the VCM comprising:
a rotor including a bobbin and a first driving unit disposed at a periphery of the bobbin;
a stator including a second driving unit opposite to the first driving unit;
a case disposed at an upper side of the stator;
an elastic member disposed at an upper side of the case; and
an interference prevention unit disposed between the case and the elastic member;
wherein the elastic member comprises an outer elastic unit, an inner elastic unit coupled to the bobbin, and an elastic connection unit connected to the outer elastic unit and the inner elastic unit;
wherein the outer elastic unit is disposed on the interference prevention unit, and
wherein the interference prevention unit forms a space in which the elastic connection unit is disposed when the inner elastic unit is moved to a position lower than that of the outer elastic unit.

2. The VCM of claim 1 , wherein the interference prevention unit is configured to inhibit the elastic connection unit of the elastic member from interfering with the case.

3. The VCM of claim 1 , further comprising a base,
wherein the case is coupled to an upper surface of the base accommodates the rotor and the stator,
wherein the interference prevention unit is disposed between the outer elastic unit of the elastic member and an upper plate of the case.

4. The VCM of claim 3 , wherein the interference prevention unit is coupled to the upper plate of the case.

5. The VCM of claim 3 , wherein the elastic connection unit of the elastic member is opposite to the upper plate of the case.

6. The VCM of claim 3 , wherein the rotor is distanced from the base by the elastic member, in a case no driving signal is applied to the first and second driving units.

7. The VCM of claim 6 , wherein the rotor is bi-directionally driven to a direction distancing from the base or to a direction facing the base in response to the driving signal.

8. The VCM of claim 3 , wherein the interference prevention unit is configured to form a gap between the elastic connection unit of the elastic member and the upper surface of the case.

9. The VCM of claim 3 , wherein the interference prevention unit is formed with a guide hole for arranging the interference prevention unit at a designated position of the case.

10. The VCM of claim 1 , further comprising a cover member disposed at an upper side of the case,
wherein the elastic member is coupled to the cover member.

11. The VCM of claim 10 , wherein each of the interference prevention unit and the cover member is formed as a separated member.

12. The VCM of claim 1 , further comprising an additional elastic member coupled to a lower portion of the rotor.

13. The VCM of claim 1 , wherein a guide portion is disposed at an edge portion of an upper plate of the case, and
wherein the guide portion is configured to guide the interference prevention unit to be disposed at a predetermined position on the upper plate of the case.

14. A VCM(Voice Coil Motor), the VCM comprising:
a base;
a rotor including a bobbin and a first driving unit disposed at a periphery of the bobbin;
a stator including a housing disposed outside the bobbin. and a second driving unit disposed at the housing and facing the first driving unit;
an elastic member disposed at an upper side of the housing; and
an interference prevention unit configured to inhibit a part of the elastic member from interfering with an upper surface of the housing;
wherein the elastic member comprises an outer elastic unit, an inner elastic unit coupled to the bobbin, and an elastic connection unit connected to the outer elastic unit and the inner elastic unit,
wherein the interference prevention unit is configured to form a gap between the elastic connection unit of the elastic member and the upper surface of the housing, and
wherein the interference prevention unit forms a space in which the elastic connection unit is disposed when the inner elastic unit is moved to a position lower than that of the outer elastic unit.

15. The VCM of claim 14 , wherein the interference prevention unit is disposed between the outer elastic unit of the elastic member and the upper surface of the housing.

16. The VCM of claim 14 , wherein the interference prevention unit is coupled to the upper surface of the case.

17. The VCM of claim 14 , wherein the elastic connection unit of the elastic member is facing to the upper surface of the housing.

18. The VCM of claim 14 , further comprising an additional elastic member coupled to a lower portion of the rotor.

19. The VCM of claim 14 , wherein the rotor is distanced from the base by the elastic member, in a case no driving signal is applied to the first and second driving units.

20. The VCM of claim 19 , wherein the rotor is bi-directionally driven to a direction distancing from the base or to a direction facing the base in response to the driving signal.

21. The VCM of claim 14 , wherein a guide portion is disposed at an edge portion of an upper plate of the case, and
wherein the guide portion is configured to guide the interference prevention unit to be disposed at a predetermined position on the upper plate of the case.

22. The VCM of claim 14 , wherein the first driving unit includes a magnet, and the second driving unit includes a coil.

23. A camera module, the camera module comprising:
a rotor including a bobbin and a first driving unit disposed at a periphery of the bobbin;
a stator including a second driving unit opposite to the first driving unit;
a case disposed at an upper side of the stator;
an elastic member disposed at an upper side of the case; and
an interference prevention unit disposed between the case and the elastic member;
wherein the elastic member comprises an outer elastic unit, an inner elastic unit coupled to the bobbin, and an elastic connection unit connected to the outer elastic unit and the inner elastic unit;
wherein the outer elastic unit is disposed on the interference prevention unit, and
wherein the interference prevention unit forms a space in which the elastic connection unit is disposed when the inner elastic unit is moved to a position lower than that of the outer elastic unit.

Assignees

• Lg Innotek Co Ltd

Inventors

• Park Sang Ok
• Cho Hyun Rae
• Lee Seong Min
• Lee Jun Taek

Classifications

• H02K41/0356

  moving along a straight path · CPC title

• G03B13/36

  Autofocus systems · CPC title

• G02B7/09 Primary

  adapted for automatic focusing or varying magnification · CPC title

• H02K33/18

  with coil systems moving upon intermittent or reversed energisation thereof by interaction with a fixed field system, e.g. permanent magnets · CPC title

• G02B7/08 Primary

  adapted to co-operate with a remote control mechanism · CPC title