Integrated camera lens suspension

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9541769-B2
Application number	US-201514951573-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 25, 2015
Priority date	Dec 2, 2014
Publication date	Jan 10, 2017
Grant date	Jan 10, 2017

Abstract

A camera lens suspension assembly comprises a support member including a support metal base layer formed as single piece of metal, a moving member including a moving metal base layer formed as a single piece of metal, a plurality of bearings and smart shape memory alloy wires. The bearings are between the support member and the moving member, to enable movement of the moving member with respect to the support member. Each of the shape memory alloy wires is attached to and extends between a static wire attach structure formed in the support metal base layer and a moving wire attach structure formed in the moving metal base layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A suspension assembly, comprising:
a support member including a support metal base layer formed as single piece of metal, comprising:
a bearing plate portion in the support metal base layer; and
a static wire attach structure in the support metal base layer;

a moving member including a moving metal base layer formed as a single piece of metal and mounted to the support member, comprising:
a moving plate portion in the moving metal base layer;
flexure arms in the moving metal base layer extending from the moving plate portion and coupled to the support member; and
a moving wire attach structure in the moving metal base layer;

a bearing between and engaging the bearing plate portion of the support member and the moving plate portion of the moving member, to enable movement of the moving member with respect to the support member; and
a shape memory alloy wire attached to and extending between the static wire attach structure of the support member and the moving wire attach structure of the moving member.

2. The suspension assembly of claim 1 wherein:
the support member includes a plurality of static wire attach structures;
the moving member includes a plurality of moving wire attach structures, and
the suspension assembly includes a plurality of shape memory alloy wires, each wire attached to and extending between one of the plurality of static wire attach structures and one of the plurality of moving wire attach structures.

3. The suspension assembly of claim 2 wherein:
the support member includes four static wire attach structures;
the moving member includes four moving wire attach structures; and
the suspension assembly includes four shape memory alloy wires.

4. The suspension assembly of claim 3 wherein:
the four static wire attach structures are arranged as two pairs of adjacent static wire attach structures, and wherein the pairs of static wire attach structures are spaced from one another about a first axis; and
the four moving wire attach structures are arranged as two pairs of adjacent moving wire attach structures, and wherein the pairs of moving wire attach structures are spaced from one another about a second axis, and wherein the second axis is perpendicular to the first axis.

5. The suspension assembly of claim 4 wherein the static wire attach structures and the moving wire attach structures comprise crimps.

6. The suspension assembly of claim 1 wherein the static wire attach structure and the moving wire attach structure comprise crimps.

7. The suspension assembly of claim 1 and including a printed circuit on the support metal base layer of the support member.

8. The suspension assembly of claim 7 wherein the printed circuit includes a trace extending to the static wire attach structure.

9. The suspension assembly of claim 1 wherein the bearing movably engages both the bearing plate portion in the support metal base layer and the moving plate portion in the moving metal base layer.

10. The suspension assembly of claim 9 wherein the bearing comprises a ball.

11. The suspension assembly of claim 9 and further including a plurality of bearings, and wherein each bearing movably engages both the bearing plate portion in the support metal base layer and the moving plate portion in the moving metal base layer.

12. The suspension assembly of claim 11 wherein the bearings comprise balls.

13. The suspension assembly of claim 1 wherein the flexure arms of the moving member are elongated members extending from a periphery of the moving plate portion.

14. The suspension assembly of claim 13 wherein:
the flexure arms include mount regions on ends opposite the moving plate portion;
the bearing plate portion of the support member includes mount regions; and
the mount regions of the flexure arms are attached to the mount regions of the support member.

15. The suspension assembly of claim 14 and further including welds attaching the mount regions of the flexure arms to the mount regions of the support member.

16. The suspension assembly of claim 14 wherein the mount regions of the flexure arms are mechanically and electrically coupled to the mount regions of the support member.

17. A camera lens suspension assembly, comprising:
a support member including a support metal base layer formed as single piece of metal, comprising:
a bearing plate portion in the support metal base layer;
a plurality of static wire attach structures in the support metal base layer;
a plurality of mount regions on the support metal base layer; and
a printed circuit on the support metal base layer, including traces extending to each static wire attach structure;

a moving member including a moving metal base layer formed as a single piece of metal, comprising:
a moving plate portion in the moving metal base layer;
a plurality of elongated flexure arms in the moving metal base layer extending from a periphery of the moving plate portion and including mount regions on ends opposite the moving plate portion; and
a plurality of moving wire attach structures in the moving metal base layer;

a plurality of bearings between and engaging the bearing plate portion of the support member and the moving plate portion of the moving member, to enable movement of the moving member with respect to the support member; and
shape memory alloy wires attached to and extending between each static wire attach structure of the support member and one of the moving wire attach structures of the moving member.

18. The suspension assembly of claim 17 wherein the static wire attach structures and the moving wire attach structures comprise crimps.

19. The suspension assembly of claim 17 wherein the bearings movably engage both the bearing plate portion in the support metal base layer and the moving plate portion in the moving metal base layer.

20. The suspension assembly of claim 19 wherein the bearings comprise balls.

21. The suspension assembly of claim 17 and further including welds attaching the mount regions of the flexure arms to the mount regions of the support member.

22. The suspension assembly of claim 21 wherein the mount regions of the flexure arms are mechanically and electrically coupled to the mount regions of the support member.

23. The suspension assembly of claim 22 wherein the bearings comprise balls movably engaging both the bearing plate portion in the support metal base layer and the moving plate portion in the moving metal base layer.

24. The suspension assembly of claim 23 wherein the static wire attach structures and the moving wire attach structures comprise crimps.

25. A support member for a suspension assembly of the type configured to have a moving member mounted to the support member, comprising:
a support metal base layer formed as single piece of metal;
a bearing plate portion in the support metal base layer;
a plurality of static wire attach structures in the support metal base layer;
a plurality of mount regions on the support metal base layer configured to be mounted to flexure arm mount regions of the moving member; and
a printed circuit on the support metal base layer, including traces extending to each static wire attach structure.

26. A moving member for a suspension assembly of the type configured to have a support member mounted to the moving member, comprising:
a moving metal base layer formed as a single piece of meta

Assignees

• Hutchinson Technology

Inventors

• Ladwig Peter F
• Miller Mark A
• Jenneke Richard R

Classifications

• G02B7/023

  permitting adjustment · CPC title

• H05K1/028

  Bending or folding regions of flexible printed circuits (H05K1/0283 takes precedence) · 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

• G02B7/08

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

• G02B7/02

  for lenses {(supports for magnifying lenses G02B25/002)} · CPC title