JP2018106168A - Driving mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a driving mechanism for driving an optical element comprising a housing module, hollow holder, and electromagnetic driving assembly.SOLUTION: A driving mechanism for driving an optical element is provided, comprising: a housing module; a hollow holder movably disposed in the housing module for holding the optical element and provided with a sidewall portion that forms a through hole; and an electromagnetic driving assembly including first and second magnetic elements, the first magnetic element being disposed on the holder and exposed to an inner side of the holder via the through hole, and the second magnetic element being connected to the housing module and configured to move the holder relative to the housing module in cooperation with the first magnetic element.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1A

Description

  This application claims priority to US Provisional Patent Application No. 62/438787, filed December 23, 2016, and Chinese Patent Application No. 201711293803.0, filed December 8, 2017. All of which are incorporated herein by reference.

  The present invention relates to a drive mechanism, and more particularly, to a drive mechanism that moves an optical element using electromagnetic force.

  With the development of technology, cameras are widely used in portable electronic devices such as mobile phones and tablet computers. In order to achieve high image quality of the camera, an electromagnetic drive mechanism is used to quickly adjust the position of the camera lens module, and a clear image is obtained by the photo sensor. Therefore, the camera auto-focus and auto-zoom control are facilitated.

  Due to the trend toward miniaturization of camera lens modules, the size of the drive mechanism has been reduced, so that the drive mechanism may be damaged due to insufficient structural strength of the drive mechanism. Therefore, it is an important issue to reduce the size of the drive mechanism and to provide sufficient structural strength.

  A drive mechanism for driving an optical element including a housing module, a hollow holder, and an electromagnetic drive assembly is provided.

  In view of this, one object of the present invention is to provide a drive mechanism for driving an optical element including a housing module, a hollow holder, and an electromagnetic drive assembly. The holder is movably disposed in the housing module and accommodates the optical element, and the holder has a side wall portion that forms a through hole. The electromagnetic drive assembly includes a first magnetic element and a second magnetic element. The first magnetic element is disposed on the holder and exposed to the inside of the holder through the through hole. Is coupled to the housing module and moves the holder relative to the housing module corresponding to the first magnetic element.

  In accordance with some embodiments of the present invention, the housing module has a cover having an upper portion and a plurality of sidewalls, the upper portion forming an opening extending to at least one of the sidewalls.

  According to some embodiments of the present invention, the opening has a shape that is close to circular and forms a protruding region that extends to at least one of the side walls.

  According to some embodiments of the present invention, the cover includes a metallic material.

  In accordance with some embodiments of the present invention, the housing module has a polygonal structure and the second magnetic element is disposed at a corner of the polygonal structure.

  According to some embodiments of the invention, a portion of the first magnetic element contacts a circular arc along the inner surface of the side wall.

  In accordance with some embodiments of the present invention, the first magnetic element includes a magnet or a coil.

  According to some embodiments of the present invention, the first magnetic element includes a coil formed in the FPC and surrounds the holder.

  According to some embodiments of the present invention, the housing module has a cover and a base connected to each other, and the cover has an integrally molded metal member and a plastic body.

  In accordance with some embodiments of the present invention, the metal member forms a rod portion at a corner of the metal member, and the plastic body has an embedded portion in which the rod portion is embedded.

  According to some embodiments of the present invention, the metal member and the plastic body are integrally formed by an insert molding process.

  In accordance with some embodiments of the present invention, the housing module has a cover and a base coupled to each other, the cover includes a metal member, the base includes a plastic material, and the cover and the base are integrally molded. The

  According to some embodiments of the invention, the cover forms a rod portion at the corner of the cover and the base forms an embedded portion with the rod portion embedded therein.

  According to some embodiments of the present invention, the cover and base are integrally molded by an insert molding process.

  According to some embodiments of the present invention, the outer surface of the sidewall portion forms a recess communicating with the through hole, and the first magnetic element is disposed in the recess.

  According to some embodiments of the present invention, the housing module has a base having a protrusion extending along the optical axis of the optical element, and the second magnetic element is fixed to the protrusion, and the first Corresponds to the magnetic element.

  In accordance with some embodiments of the present invention, the housing module has a quadrilateral base with two protrusions extending along the optical axis of the optical element, the protrusions being two diagonals of the base. Each corner is disposed and corresponds to an electromagnetic drive assembly.

  In accordance with some embodiments of the present invention, the drive mechanism further includes two springs, the base further includes two couplings at the other two corners of the base, the two springs being coupled. Each part is connected to a holder.

  In accordance with some embodiments of the present invention, the holder includes a metal frame and a plastic body coupled to the metal frame.

  According to some embodiments of the present invention, the first magnetic element is a coil having a winding portion, and the plastic body has a flat plate supporting portion for supporting the winding portion.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide a drive mechanism for driving an optical element including a cover, a hollow holder, and an electromagnetic drive assembly. The cover has an upper portion and an extending portion, and the upper portion forms an opening, and the extending portion extends from the inner edge portion of the opening along the optical axis of the optical element. The holder is movably disposed on the cover so as to accommodate the optical element, the holder has a side wall portion that forms a through hole, and the extending portion is exposed to the inside of the holder through the through hole. The electromagnetic drive assembly includes a first magnetic element and a second magnetic element, wherein the first magnetic element is disposed on the holder, the second magnetic element is coupled to the cover, and the first magnetic element In response to the above, the holder is moved relative to the cover.

  According to some embodiments of the present invention, the holder further includes an upper surface and a restriction groove formed on the upper surface, the restriction groove communicates with the through hole, and the extending portion extends into the restriction groove. .

For a more complete understanding of the embodiments and the advantages thereof, reference is made to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of a drive mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1B shows a perspective view of the drive mechanism of FIG. 1A. FIG. FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view along line AA in FIG. 1B. FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view along line BB in FIG. 1B. The cross section figure of a part of coil C which touches the circular arc in alignment with the arc-shaped inner surface of the side wall part 201 is shown. FIG. 4 shows an exploded view of a drive mechanism according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2B shows a perspective view of the drive mechanism of FIG. 2A after assembly. 2C shows a cross-sectional view of the drive mechanism of FIG. 2B. FIG. 4 shows an exploded view of a drive mechanism according to another embodiment of the present invention. The perspective view of the plastic body 40 and the metal member 50 of FIG. 3A is shown. 3B shows a cross-sectional view of the plastic body 40 and metal member 50 of FIG. 3B after assembly. FIG. 4 shows an exploded view of a drive mechanism according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4B is a perspective view of the cover 10 and the base 30 of FIG. 4A. 4B shows a cross-sectional view of the cover 10 and base 30 of FIG. 4B after assembly. FIG. 4 shows an exploded view of a drive mechanism according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5B shows a cross-sectional view of the drive mechanism of FIG. 5A after assembly. FIG. 4 shows an exploded view of a drive mechanism according to another embodiment of the present invention. The perspective view of the two lower springs S2 respectively connected to the two connecting portions 33 of the base 30 is shown. Fig. 5 shows an exploded view of the holder 20 and the coil C according to another embodiment of the present invention. 7B shows a perspective view of the holder 20 and coil C of FIG. 7A after assembly. FIG.

  Although the invention has been described in connection with various aspects, it will be understood that the invention is capable of further modifications. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using the general principles of the invention. Furthermore, this application is intended to include departures from this disclosure as are known in the art to which this invention belongs or fall within the scope of conventional practice.

  In the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings of the invention and specific examples in which the invention may be practiced are shown by way of example. From this point of view, terms indicating directions such as “top”, “bottom”, “front”, “rear”, and the like are used with reference to the directions of the drawings to be described. The components of the present invention can be arranged in many different directions. As such, the terminology is used for illustrative purposes and is in no way limiting.

  As shown in FIGS. 1A-1D, FIG. 1A is an exploded view showing a drive mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1B is a perspective view showing the drive mechanism of FIG. 1A. 1C is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1B, and FIG. 1D is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 1B. As shown in FIGS. 1A to 1B, the driving mechanism is used to drive an optical element such as an optical lens, and mainly includes a cover 10, a hollow holder 20, a base 30, a coil C, and at least one upper spring. S1, at least one lower spring S2, and at least one magnet M.

  The holder 20 is used to receive an optical element (for example, an optical lens). In this embodiment, the drive mechanism is disposed in a portable electronic device such as a mobile phone or a tablet computer, and is electrically connected to a circuit unit (not shown) to adjust the position of the optical element. Therefore, the light beam passing through the optical element can be accurately focused on the optical sensor (not shown). In some embodiments, the drive mechanism can be a voice coil motor (VCM) that provides autofocus and / or zoom.

  As shown in FIGS. 1A to 1D, the cover 10 and the base 30 are connected to each other to form a housing module, and the holder 20, the coil C, the upper and lower springs S1 and S2, and the magnet M are all in the housing module. Be contained. The coil C (first magnetic element) may include a coil formed in the FPC and can surround the holder 20. In particular, the coil C, the holder 20, and the optical element accommodated therein are movably connected to the cover 10 and / or the base 30 via the upper spring S1 and / or the lower spring S2, which are in the housing module. And is movable along the Z-axis. Here, the cover 10 has a polygonal structure, and the magnet M (second magnetic element) is fixed to the corner of the cover 10 and corresponds to the coil C on the holder 20.

  In this embodiment, the coil C and the corresponding at least one magnet M can constitute an electromagnetic drive assembly. When an electric current flows through the coil C, a magnetic force is generated between the coil C and the magnet M, and the coil C, the holder 20, and the optical element therein are driven to move along the Z axis with respect to the housing module. Therefore, autofocus and / or zoom can be realized. It should be noted that the positions of the coil C and the magnet M are interchangeable. In other words, the magnet M can be arranged in the holder 20 as a first magnetic element, and correspondingly, the coil C (for example, a coil formed in the FPC) can be used as the second magnetic element in the cover 10. Or it can be fixed to the base 30, so that a magnetic force is generated and the coil C, the holder 20, and the optical elements therein are driven to move along the Z axis with respect to the cover 10 and the base 30. Can do.

  In order to reduce the dimensions of the drive mechanism along the X direction and the Y direction, the holder 20 of the present embodiment forms a through hole 21 corresponding to the magnet M on the side wall 201. As shown in FIG. 1C and FIG. 1D, the coil C is disposed close to the inner surface of the side wall portion 201, and at least a part of the coil C is exposed to the inside of the holder 20 through the through hole 21. . FIG. 1D clearly shows that the two sets of through-holes 21 on the opposite side of the holder 20 define two extension lines L1 and L2. The drawing lines L1 and L2 are parallel to the X axis and the Y axis, respectively, which are substantially perpendicular to the optical axis O of the optical element. It should be noted that when the outside is observed from the inside (optical axis O) of the drive mechanism, the drawing lines L1 and L2 are drawn from the optical axis O, and sequentially pass through the optical element, the coil C, and the cover 10. The coil C and the cover 10 directly face each other with a gap D formed between them (FIG. 1D). That is, no magnet is disposed between the coil C and the cover 10. Since the holder 20 can mount different types of optical elements with a compact drive mechanism, the convenience in terms of use and design is greatly improved. Also, based on the configuration of this embodiment, space utilization can be more efficient, and the dimensions of the coil C and the holder 20 along the horizontal direction (XY plane) are also reduced, thereby reducing the size of the drive mechanism. Can be achieved.

  In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1E, in order to further reduce the dimensions of the coil C and the holder 20 along the horizontal direction (XY plane) as much as possible, a portion of the coil C may have a sidewall portion. It can touch the circular arc along the inner side surface of 201, and facilitates downsizing of the drive mechanism.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 1A to 1D, the cover 10 has an upper portion 11 and four side walls 12. The upper portion 11 forms a substantially circular aperture H, which has at least one protruding region R that extends to at least one sidewall 12. It should be noted that the cover 10 of the present embodiment includes a metal and can have a quadrilateral structure, and the opening H can be formed by punching. Here, the four projecting regions R are respectively extended to the four side walls 12 along the X, −X, Y, and −Y directions, and the cover 10 is formed by an excessively short distance between the opening H and the edge of the side wall 12. Insufficient structural strength can be prevented. In addition, when the size of the cover 10 along the horizontal direction (XY plane) can be efficiently reduced, downsizing of the drive mechanism can also be achieved.

  2A, 2B, and 2C illustrate another embodiment of a drive mechanism. 1A to 1D is different from the embodiment of FIG. 1D in that the holder 20 of this embodiment forms at least one through hole 21 and another through hole 22, and the cover 10 is an extended portion connected to the upper portion 11. 101 is to be formed. Here, the extending portion 101 extends downward (−Z direction) from the inner edge portion of the opening H along the optical axis of the optical element, and partially or completely blocks the through hole 22. The extending portion 101 is exposed to the inside of the holder 20 through the through hole 22.

  2A, 2B, and 2C, at least one restricting groove 23 is formed on the upper surface of the holder 20 and communicates with the through hole 22. It should be noted that the extending portion 101 is inserted into the restriction groove 23 during assembly. Here, the extending portion 101 can be used as a stopper that comes into contact with the inner surface of the restriction groove 23, and the holder 20 can be restricted within a movement / rotation range along the horizontal direction (XY plane). Therefore, damage to the drive mechanism due to unintended collision and particles generated from the holder 20 can be prevented.

  3A, 3B, and 3C show another embodiment of the drive mechanism. Unlike the embodiment of FIGS. 1A to 1D, the cover 10 of the embodiment of the present invention includes a plastic body 40 and a metal member 50 which are integrally molded. As shown in FIGS. 3B and 3C, the plastic body 40 forms at least one embedded portion at the corner, and the metal member 50 forms a rod portion 51 corresponding to the embedded portion 41 at the corner. . During the manufacturing process, the rod portion 51 can be formed in advance, and then the plastic body 40 is formed on the metal member 50 by insert molding or other plastic forming process, and the rod portion 51 is in the embedded portion 41. (FIG. 3C).

  As described above, the cover 10 of this embodiment is substantially constituted by the plastic body 40 and the metal member 50. It should be noted that the plastic body 40 can be used on top of the cover 10 instead of a metal material, so that the opening H does not form the protruding region R shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. It can have a perfect circular shape. Therefore, the problem of insufficient structural strength of the cover 10 due to the too short distance between the opening H and the edge of the side wall of the cover 10 is efficiently avoided.

  4A, 4B, and 4C illustrate another embodiment of a drive mechanism. The difference from the embodiment of FIGS. 3A to 3C is that the base 30 of the present invention is integrally formed with the metal member 50 of the cover 10. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 4C, the base 30 can include a plastic material, forming at least one embedded portion 31 at its corner, and the metal member 50 at the embedded portion 31 at its corner. A corresponding at least one rod portion 52 is formed. During the manufacturing process, the rod portion 52 can be preformed, and then the plastic base 30 is formed on the metal member 50 by insert molding or other plastic forming process, and the rod portion 52 is in the embedded portion 31. Embedded (FIG. 4C), the structural strength between the cover 10 and the base 30 can be improved efficiently.

  5A and 5B show another embodiment of the drive mechanism. A difference from the embodiment of FIGS. 1A to 1D is that the positions of the coil C and the magnet M are exchanged in this embodiment. That is, the magnet M is disposed in the holder 20 as the first magnetic element, and the coil C (for example, a coil formed in the FPC) is fixed to the base 30 and corresponds to the magnet M as the second magnetic element. In particular, at least one recess 211 is formed on the inner outer surface of the side wall 201 of the holder 20, communicates with the through hole 21, and the magnet M (first magnetic element) is accommodated in the recess 211, and the through hole It is exposed to the inside of the holder 20 through 21.

  In some embodiments, in order to further reduce the dimension of the holder 20 along the horizontal direction (XY plane) as much as possible, some of the magnets M may touch an arc along the inner surface of the side wall 201. This facilitates downsizing the drive mechanism.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, a plurality of coils are shown in this embodiment, including coils formed on the FPC that are respectively disposed on several elongated segments P1 of the flexible circuit board P. Can do. In addition, the base 30 forms several protrusions 32 extending along the optical axis of the optical element (Z direction). During assembly, the protrusion 32 can be used as a support structure that supports the stretched segment P1 of the flexible circuit board P mounted thereon. In this arrangement, cracks in the flexible circuit board P can be avoided when an unintended collision occurs, and intrusion of particles into the drive mechanism can also be prevented and blocked by the flexible circuit board P.

  In some embodiments, the coil C can be disposed in the recess 211 as a first magnetic element, and the magnet M is fixed to the base 30 as a second magnetic element, corresponding to the coil. Can do. When an electric current flows through the coil C, a magnetic force is generated between the coil C and the magnet M, and the coil C, the holder 20, and the optical element therein move along the Z axis with respect to the cover 10 and the base 30. Therefore, autofocus and / or zoom can be realized.

  As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, this embodiment is different from the embodiment of FIGS. 3A to 3D in that only two protrusions 32 are formed at two diagonal corners of the base 30 in this embodiment. The remaining space can be saved to accommodate other components, for example, the lower spring S2. As shown in FIG. 6B, the first ends of the two lower springs S2 can be respectively connected to the connecting portion 33 at two diagonal corners of the base 30, and the first ends of the two lower springs S2 can be connected. The end and the second end opposite to the first end can be connected to the holder 20 (not shown), and the height of the connecting portion 33 is lower than the height of the protruding portion 32. Therefore, space utilization is more efficient, and a reduction in the size of the drive mechanism can be achieved.

  It should be noted that the holder 20 of the above-described embodiment can include two or more members made of different materials. As shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, in this exemplary embodiment, the holder 20 is substantially composed of a plastic body 20A and a metal frame 20B. In practice, the metal frame 20B can be preformed, and then the plastic body 20A is formed on the metal member 50 by insert molding or other plastic forming process to provide sufficient structural strength of the holder 20. To ensure.

  It should be noted that the coil C (first magnetic element) may include a coil formed in the FPC and can surround the holder 20. The coil C is exposed to the inside of the holder 20 through the through hole 21. 7A and 7B, at least one winding part C1 of the coil C is arranged corresponding to a first supporting part S of the flat plate of the metal frame 20B, and the winding part C1 of the drive mechanism. Can be firmly supported.

  As described above, the through hole 21 needs to be formed on the holder 20 in order to further reduce the dimension of the holder 20 along the horizontal direction (XY plane) as much as possible. For at least this reason, the holder 20 is constituted by the plastic body 20A and the metal frame 20B, and can not only improve the mechanical strength but also improve the electromagnetic force generated by the magnet M and the coil C. Further, the through hole 21 can be covered with a flexible and annular coil C, and it is possible to prevent the penetration of particles and the overflow of the adhesive through the through hole 21.

  Although the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of preferred embodiments, the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. On the contrary, various modifications and similar arrangements obvious to those skilled in the art are covered. Accordingly, the appended claims are to be accorded the broadest interpretation and should include all such modifications and similar arrangements.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Cover 11 Upper part 12 Side wall 101 Extending part 20 Hollow holder 20A Plastic body 20B Metal frame 21, 22 Through-hole 211 Recess 23 Reducing groove 201 Side wall part 30 Base 31 Embedding part 32 Protruding part 33 Connecting part 40 Plastic body 41 Embedding part 50 Member 51, 52 Rod part C Coil C1 Winding part D Gap H Open hole L1, L2 Drawing line M Magnet O Optical axis P Flexible circuit board P1 Segment R Protrusion area S Support part S1 Upper spring S2 Lower spring

Claims (20)

A drive mechanism for driving the optical element,
Housing module,
A hollow holder movably disposed in the housing module containing the optical element and having a side wall forming a through hole; and a first magnetic element and a second magnetic element, the first magnetic element comprising: The second magnetic element is disposed on the hollow holder and exposed to the inside of the hollow holder through the through hole. The second magnetic element is connected to the housing module and corresponds to the first magnetic element. An electromagnetic drive assembly for moving the hollow holder relative to the housing module.   The drive mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the housing module has a cover having an upper portion and a plurality of side walls, and the upper portion forms an opening extending to at least one of the side walls.   The drive mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the opening has a substantially circular shape and forms a protruding region extending to at least one of the side walls.   The drive mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the cover includes a metal material.   The drive mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the housing module has a polygonal structure, and the second magnetic element is disposed at a corner of the polygonal structure.   The drive mechanism according to claim 1, wherein a part of the first magnetic element is in contact with an arc along the inner surface of the side wall portion.   The drive mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the hollow holder includes a metal frame and a plastic body connected to the metal frame.   The drive mechanism according to claim 7, wherein the first magnetic element is a coil having a winding part, and the metal frame has a flat plate support part that supports the winding part.   The drive mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the housing module includes a cover and a base that are connected to each other, and the cover includes an integrally formed metal member and a plastic body.   The drive mechanism according to claim 9, wherein the metal member has a rod portion formed at a corner portion of the metal member, and the plastic body has an embedded portion in which the rod portion is embedded.   The drive mechanism according to claim 9, wherein the metal member and the plastic body are integrally formed by an insert molding process.   2. The housing module according to claim 1, wherein the housing module has a cover and a base connected to each other, the cover includes a metal member, the base includes a plastic material, and the cover and the base are integrally molded. Drive mechanism.   The drive mechanism according to claim 12, wherein the cover forms a rod portion at a corner portion of the cover, and the base forms an embedded portion in which the rod portion is embedded.   The drive mechanism according to claim 12, wherein the cover and the base are integrally formed by an insert molding process.   2. The drive mechanism according to claim 1, wherein an outer surface of the side wall portion forms a recess communicating with the through hole, and the first magnetic element is disposed in the recess.   The housing module includes a base having a protrusion extending along an optical axis of the optical element, and the second magnetic element is fixed to the protrusion and corresponds to the first magnetic element. Item 2. The drive mechanism according to Item 1.   The housing module has a quadrilateral base having two protrusions extending along the optical axis of the optical element, and the protrusions are disposed at two diagonal corners of the base, respectively. The drive mechanism of claim 1 corresponding to a drive assembly.   18. The apparatus further comprises two springs, and the base further includes two connecting parts at the other two corners of the base, and the two springs connect the connecting parts to the hollow holder, respectively. The drive mechanism described in 1. A drive mechanism for driving the optical element,
A cover having an upper portion and an extending portion, wherein the upper portion forms an opening, and the extending portion extends from an inner edge portion of the opening along the optical axis of the optical element;
A hollow holder that is movably disposed on the cover so as to receive the optical element, has a side wall portion that forms a through hole, and the extending portion is exposed to the inside through the through hole; and The first magnetic element is disposed on the hollow holder, the second magnetic element is connected to the cover, and is connected to the first magnetic element. Correspondingly, a drive mechanism comprising an electromagnetic drive assembly that moves the hollow holder relative to the cover.   The hollow holder further includes an upper surface and a restriction groove formed on the upper surface, the restriction groove communicates with the through hole, and the extending portion extends into the restriction groove. Drive mechanism.

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