GB2620342A - Actuator assembly - Google Patents

Actuator assembly Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2620342A
GB2620342A GB2316186.2A GB202316186A GB2620342A GB 2620342 A GB2620342 A GB 2620342A GB 202316186 A GB202316186 A GB 202316186A GB 2620342 A GB2620342 A GB 2620342A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
actuator assembly
resilient portion
movable part
support structure
bearing arrangement
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Pending
Application number
GB2316186.2A
Other versions
GB202316186D0 (en
Inventor
Howarth James
matthew bunting Stephen
Eddington Robin
Ooi David
Hart Oliver
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Cambridge Mechatronics Ltd
Original Assignee
Cambridge Mechatronics Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Cambridge Mechatronics Ltd filed Critical Cambridge Mechatronics Ltd
Publication of GB202316186D0 publication Critical patent/GB202316186D0/en
Publication of GB2620342A publication Critical patent/GB2620342A/en
Pending legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F03—MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS; WIND, SPRING, OR WEIGHT MOTORS; PRODUCING MECHANICAL POWER OR A REACTIVE PROPULSIVE THRUST, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F03G—SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS; MECHANICAL-POWER PRODUCING DEVICES OR MECHANISMS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR OR USING ENERGY SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F03G7/00—Mechanical-power-producing mechanisms, not otherwise provided for or using energy sources not otherwise provided for
    • F03G7/06—Mechanical-power-producing mechanisms, not otherwise provided for or using energy sources not otherwise provided for using expansion or contraction of bodies due to heating, cooling, moistening, drying or the like
    • F03G7/061—Mechanical-power-producing mechanisms, not otherwise provided for or using energy sources not otherwise provided for using expansion or contraction of bodies due to heating, cooling, moistening, drying or the like characterised by the actuating element
    • F03G7/0614—Mechanical-power-producing mechanisms, not otherwise provided for or using energy sources not otherwise provided for using expansion or contraction of bodies due to heating, cooling, moistening, drying or the like characterised by the actuating element using shape memory elements
    • F03G7/06143—Wires
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F03—MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS; WIND, SPRING, OR WEIGHT MOTORS; PRODUCING MECHANICAL POWER OR A REACTIVE PROPULSIVE THRUST, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F03G—SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS; MECHANICAL-POWER PRODUCING DEVICES OR MECHANISMS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR OR USING ENERGY SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F03G7/00—Mechanical-power-producing mechanisms, not otherwise provided for or using energy sources not otherwise provided for
    • F03G7/06—Mechanical-power-producing mechanisms, not otherwise provided for or using energy sources not otherwise provided for using expansion or contraction of bodies due to heating, cooling, moistening, drying or the like
    • F03G7/067—Safety arrangements
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B7/00—Mountings, adjusting means, or light-tight connections, for optical elements
    • G02B7/02—Mountings, adjusting means, or light-tight connections, for optical elements for lenses
    • G02B7/04—Mountings, adjusting means, or light-tight connections, for optical elements for lenses with mechanism for focusing or varying magnification
    • G02B7/08—Mountings, adjusting means, or light-tight connections, for optical elements for lenses with mechanism for focusing or varying magnification adapted to co-operate with a remote control mechanism
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
    • G03B—APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OR FOR PROJECTING OR VIEWING THEM; APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS EMPLOYING ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR
    • G03B3/00—Focusing arrangements of general interest for cameras, projectors or printers
    • G03B3/10—Power-operated focusing
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
    • G03B—APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OR FOR PROJECTING OR VIEWING THEM; APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS EMPLOYING ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR
    • G03B2205/00—Adjustment of optical system relative to image or object surface other than for focusing
    • G03B2205/0053—Driving means for the movement of one or more optical element
    • G03B2205/0076—Driving means for the movement of one or more optical element using shape memory alloys
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
    • G03B—APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OR FOR PROJECTING OR VIEWING THEM; APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS EMPLOYING ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR
    • G03B30/00—Camera modules comprising integrated lens units and imaging units, specially adapted for being embedded in other devices, e.g. mobile phones or vehicles

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Optics & Photonics (AREA)
  • Vibration Prevention Devices (AREA)
  • Support Of The Bearing (AREA)

Abstract

An actuator assembly (1) comprising a support structure (2); a movable part (10) movable relative to the support structure; a bearing arrangement (20) supporting the movable part on the support structure and arranged to guide helical movement of the movable part with respect to the support structure about a helical axis (H), wherein the bearing arrangement includes at least one flexure (22) which is arranged to flex to cause said guiding; and at least one actuator component connected between the support structure and the movable part and arranged, on contraction, to drive rotation of the movable part around the helical axis, said rotation being converted into helical movement around the helical axis by the bearing arrangement, wherein the actuator assembly includes a resilient portion (41a, 41b), the resilient portion being configured not to deform during normal operation of the assembly, and which is such that, when the assembly is subject to external loads exceeding those of normal operation, the resilient portion is arranged to deform and to thereby permit movement of the movable part relative to the support structure in a plane orthogonal to the helical axis.

Claims (31)

Claims
1. An actuator assembly comprising a support structure; a movable part movable relative to the support structure; a bearing arrangement supporting the movable part on the support structure and arranged to guide helical movement of the movable part with respect to the support structure about a helical axis, wherein the bearing arrangement includes at least one flexure which is arranged to flex to cause said guiding; and at least one actuator component connected between the support structure and the movable part and arranged, on actuation, to drive rotation of the movable part around the helical axis, said rotation being converted into helical movement around the helical axis by the bearing arrangement during normal operation of the assembly, wherein the actuator assembly includes a resilient portion, the resilient portion being configured not to deform during normal operation of the assembly, and which is such that, when the assembly is subject to external loads exceeding those of normal operation, the resilient portion is arranged to deform and to thereby permit movement of the movable part relative to the support structure.
2. The actuator assembly of claim 1, wherein the bearing arrangement comprises a plurality of flexures arranged between the movable part and the support structure to guide helical movement of the movable part with respect to the support structure about the helical axis.
3. The actuator assembly of claim 2, comprising a plurality of resilient portions, each resilient portion being arranged in mechanical series with a respective flexure of the bearing arrangement, each resilient portion being configured not to deform during normal operation of the assembly, and which is such that, when the assembly is subject to external loads exceeding those of normal operation, the resilient portion is arranged to deform and to thereby permit movement of the movable part relative to the support structure.
4. The actuator assembly of claim 3, wherein the plurality of resilient portions comprises resilient portions between each flexure and the support structure and resilient portions between each flexure and the movable part.
5. The actuator assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the or each resilient portion is part of the bearing arrangement, preferable wherein the or each resilient portion is integrally formed with the bearing arrangement.
6. The actuator assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the bearing arrangement is integrally formed from sheet material, preferably sheet metal.
7. The actuator assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the bearing arrangement comprises a movable plate that is formed as an annulus connected to one end of the or each flexure, wherein the annulus comprises the resilient portion and is attached to the movable part at angular positions that are offset from the connection to the or each flexure.
8. The actuator assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the resilient portion is arranged in mechanical series with the or each flexure.
9. The actuator assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the resilient portion is arranged in mechanical series with the bearing arrangement.
10. An actuator assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the resilient portion is arranged between the bearing arrangement and the movable part and/or between the bearing arrangement and the support structure.
11. An actuator assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the resilient portion is arranged to deform so as to permit movement of the movable part relative to the support structure in a manner which is not permitted by normal operation of the bearing arrangement.
12. The actuator assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the or each resilient portion is configured to deform is a plane orthogonal to the helical axis.
13. The actuator assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the or each resilient portion is configured to deform in a direction parallel to the helical axis.
14. The actuator assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the resilient portion is arranged to deform to allow movement of the movable part in at least two opposite directions.
15. The actuator assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the resilient portion is arranged to deform to allow movement of the movable part in at least two orthogonal directions.
16. The actuator assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the or each resilient portion is pre-loaded, such that it does not deform until it is subjected to a force exceeding a pre-determined amount.
17. The actuator assembly of claim 16, wherein the resilient portion is pre-loaded in the plane orthogonal to the helical axis.
18. The actuator assembly of claim 16 or 17, wherein the resilient portion is pre-loaded by biasing the resilient portion in a direction opposite to a direction of movement permitted by the resilient portion.
19. The actuator assembly of claim 16, 17 or 18, wherein the resilient portion is pre- loaded against a surface of the movable part or against a surface of the support structure.
20. The actuator assembly of claim 16, wherein the resilient portion is pre-loaded in the plane orthogonal to the helical axis.
21. The actuator assembly of any preceding claim, wherein at least one flexure in the bearing arrangement has a first end portion at one end of the flexure and a second end portion at the other end of the flexure to the first end portion and said first and second end portions comprise the resilient portion.
22. The actuator assembly of claim 21, wherein the first end portion is formed such that it is biased towards the movable part and the second end portion is formed such that it is biased towards the support structure.
23. The actuator assembly of claim 21 or 22, wherein the end portions are biased due to being fastened to the apparatus such that they are bent away from their unstressed configuration.
24. The actuator assembly of claim 23, wherein the end portions are arranged such that a force causing tension in the flexure causes one of said end portions to deform and a force causing compression in the flexure causes the other of said end portions to deform.
25. The actuator assembly of any one of claims 16 to 24, wherein the resilient portion is pre-loaded by releasable attachment to the actuator assembly, the releasable attachment being such that under normal operation the resilient portion is attached to the actuator assembly, and when subjected to a force above the pre-determined amount, the resilient portion is released from the attachment.
26. The actuator assembly of any preceding claim, further including a guide mechanism arranged to guide one or more of: the movable part, the bearing arrangement, the flexure or the resilient portion back to a normal position after the resilient portion has deformed.
27. The actuator assembly of any preceding claim, further including an end stop which is arranged to prevent movement of the movable part in at least one direction, wherein the bearing arrangement is configured such that the movable element does not contact the end stop during the normal range of movement of the movable element, further wherein the resilient portion is configured to allow the movable element to move so as to contact the end stop when the assembly is subject to external loads exceeding those of normal operation.
28. The actuator assembly of any preceding claim, further including a damping element which is arranged to increase the resilience of the flexure when the assembly is subjected to external loads exceeding those of normal operation, such that the resilient element deforms in preference to deformation of the flexure.
29. The actuator assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the actuator component comprises at least one SMA wire connected between the support structure and the movable part and arranged, on contraction, to drive rotation of the movable part around the helical axis.
30. A camera apparatus comprising: the actuator assembly of any preceding claim; and an image sensor that is fixed relative to the support structure of the actuator assembly; wherein the movable part of the actuator assembly comprises a lens assembly having one or more lenses that is configured to focus an image onto the image sensor.
31. The camera apparatus of claim 30, further including a controller arranged to control the position of the lens assembly relative to the image sensor by controlling the actuator component.
GB2316186.2A 2021-03-22 2022-03-22 Actuator assembly Pending GB2620342A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GBGB2103940.9A GB202103940D0 (en) 2021-03-22 2021-03-22 Actuator assembly
PCT/GB2022/050713 WO2022200779A1 (en) 2021-03-22 2022-03-22 Actuator assembly

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB202316186D0 GB202316186D0 (en) 2023-12-06
GB2620342A true GB2620342A (en) 2024-01-03

Family

ID=75689865

Family Applications (2)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GBGB2103940.9A Ceased GB202103940D0 (en) 2021-03-22 2021-03-22 Actuator assembly
GB2316186.2A Pending GB2620342A (en) 2021-03-22 2022-03-22 Actuator assembly

Family Applications Before (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GBGB2103940.9A Ceased GB202103940D0 (en) 2021-03-22 2021-03-22 Actuator assembly

Country Status (3)

Country Link
CN (1) CN117083457A (en)
GB (2) GB202103940D0 (en)
WO (1) WO2022200779A1 (en)

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2628607A (en) * 2023-03-30 2024-10-02 Cambridge Mechatronics Ltd Actuator assembly

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2007113478A1 (en) * 2006-03-30 2007-10-11 1...Limited Camera lens actuation apparatus
WO2010089526A2 (en) * 2009-02-09 2010-08-12 Cambridge Mechatronics Limited Shape memory alloy actuation apparatus
WO2019034860A1 (en) * 2017-08-17 2019-02-21 Cambridge Mechatronics Limited Sma actuator wire optical assembly

Family Cites Families (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP3810932A1 (en) 2018-06-21 2021-04-28 Cambridge Mechatronics Limited Shape memory alloy actuation apparatus

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2007113478A1 (en) * 2006-03-30 2007-10-11 1...Limited Camera lens actuation apparatus
WO2010089526A2 (en) * 2009-02-09 2010-08-12 Cambridge Mechatronics Limited Shape memory alloy actuation apparatus
WO2019034860A1 (en) * 2017-08-17 2019-02-21 Cambridge Mechatronics Limited Sma actuator wire optical assembly

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB202103940D0 (en) 2021-05-05
CN117083457A (en) 2023-11-17
WO2022200779A1 (en) 2022-09-29
GB202316186D0 (en) 2023-12-06

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