Optical unit with shake correction function

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9933629-B2
Application number	US-201414892437-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 13, 2014
Priority date	May 30, 2013
Publication date	Apr 3, 2018
Grant date	Apr 3, 2018

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

The invention claimed is:

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;
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;
a first swing support part provided between the first corner part and the fixed body comprises a first protruded part provided in one of the movable frame and the fixed body and a first receiving part in a concave shape in the other of the movable frame and the fixed body structured to receive a tip end side of the first protruded part;
a second swing support part provided between the second corner part and the optical module comprises a second protruded part provided in one of the movable frame and the optical module and a second receiving part in a concave shape in the other of the movable frame and the optical module structured to receive a tip end side of the second protruded part;
a third swing support part provided between the third corner part and the fixed body comprises a third protruded part provided in one of the movable frame and the fixed body and a third receiving part in a concave shape in the other of the movable frame and the fixed body structured to receive a tip end side of the third protruded part; and
a fourth swing support part provided between the fourth corner part and the optical module comprises a fourth protruded part provided in one of the movable frame and the optical module and a fourth receiving part in a concave shape in the other of the movable frame and the optical module structured to receive a tip end side of the fourth protruded part.

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 a receiving part side tip end face of one of the first protruded part, second protruded part, third protruded part, and fourth protruded part comprises a hemispheric shape.

4. The optical unit with a shake correction function according to claim 3 , wherein a surface of one of the first protruded part, second protruded part, third protruded part, and fourth protruded part is structured of a spherical body.

5. The optical unit with a shake correction function according to claim 1 , 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
the first protruded part and the first receiving part, the second protruded part and the second receiving part, the third protruded part and the third receiving parts, and the fourth protruded part and the fourth receiving part are respectively 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.

6. The optical unit with a shake correction function according to claim 5 , 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.

7. The optical unit with a shake correction function according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first protruded part, the second protruded part, the third protruded part, and the fourth protruded part is provided on the movable frame.

8. The optical unit with a shake correction function according to claim 7 , wherein the first protruded part, the second protruded part, the third protruded part, and the fourth protruded part are located in a same plane intersecting the optical axis.

9. The optical unit with a shake correction function according to claim 7 , wherein
the first protruded part, the second protruded part, the third protruded part, and the fourth protruded part are provided on an inner side of the movable frame,
the first receiving part and the third receiving 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
the second receiving part and the fourth receiving 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.

10. The optical unit with a shake correction function according to claim 9 , wherein
the first receiving part and the third receiving 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 second receiving part and the fourth receiving 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.

11. The optical unit with a shake correction function according to claim 9 , wherein
the first receiving part and the third receiving part are respectively formed in a plate-shaped member which is fixed to the fixed body, and
the second receiving part and the fourth receiving part are respectively formed in a plate-shaped member which is fixed to the optical module.

12. The optical unit with a shake correction function according to claim 9 , 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.

13. The optical unit with a shake correction function according to claim 1 , wherein
the fixed body comprises:
two wall faces interposing each of first protruded part and third protruded part from both sides; and
two wall faces interposing each of first protruded part and the third protruded part from both sides in the optical axis direction; and

the optical module comprises:
two wall faces interposing each of the second protruded part and the fourth protruded part from both sides; and
two wal

Assignees

• Nidec Sankyo Corp

Inventors

• Minamisawa Shinji

Classifications

• H04N23/55

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

• H04N23/687

  by shifting the lens or sensor position · CPC title

• H04N23/60

  Control of cameras or camera modules · CPC title

• H04N23/57

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

• H04N5/2254

  Electricity · mapped topic