KR20090086526A - Actuator - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is an actuator which can be reduced in size and thickness while keeping the moving distance of a mechanical element or an optical element sufficient. The unidirectional displacement, as outputted from a drive member (1) such as a piezoelectric element, is transmitted, while being enlarged in displacement, to a movable member (3) by a displacement enlarging mechanism (2) of a specific constitution, which includes a plurality levers (20a and 20b) arranged along the displacement transmitting direction, stationary portions (21a and 21b) for supporting those levers (20a and 20b), fulcrum joint portions (22a and 22b) made elastically deformable for forming the fulcrums of the levers, and elastically deformable joint portions (23a and 23b) for establishing the points of force of the levers. Although the size and thickness are reduced, the actuator can retain a large extent of movement for the movable member (3). ® KIPO & WIPO 2009

Description

Actuator {ACTUATOR}

The present invention relates to an actuator that is very suitable as a driving means such as a mechanical element or an optical element of a small precision instrument.

The camera module incorporated in a portable terminal such as a cellular phone requires a high-speed, high-precision autofocus function and a zoom function similarly to a normal electronic camera (digital camera).

In order to realize these functions, it is necessary to move the lens group of the camera module at high speed and high precision in the optical axis direction, and a mechanism and driving means for it are required. For this reason, miniaturization and thinning are also required for the said camera module and its components.

It is generally known that an actuator for lens movement of a camera module is provided with a screw-rotating mechanism. However, this type of mechanism has a large energy loss due to mechanical sliding, and also wears due to friction. There is an easy difficulty. In addition, there are structural restrictions that it is difficult to reduce the size and thickness. For this reason, it cannot be applied to the lens shift mechanism for the portable terminal of recent years which requires power saving, high precision, miniaturization, and thinning.

For example, Patent Literature 1 supports a movable part supporting a lens in a cantilever shape so as to be movable up and down through an elastic member such as a leaf spring with respect to the fixed part, and between the movable part and the fixed part. An actuator provided with a shape memory alloy to deform the elastic member is disclosed.

In addition, Patent Document 2 discloses that a lens holder is formed to be movable along a guide shaft and a drive shaft arranged in parallel with a lens optical axis, and a piezoelectric element mounted on the lens holder is excited to provide a drive shaft. An actuator is disclosed in which a lens holder is moved along a guide shaft and a drive shaft by applying a driving force (a traveling wave due to bending vibration).

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-130114

[Patent Document 2] Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-106797

(Initiation of invention)

(Tasks to be solved by the invention)

However, the actuators disclosed in Patent Literatures 1 and 2 both have a large device thickness (actuator height) in the lens moving direction in order to sufficiently secure the moving distance of the lens due to structural limitations. There is a problem that it cannot sufficiently cope with the required miniaturization and thinning.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an actuator that can be miniaturized and thinned while sufficiently securing a moving distance of a mechanical element or an optical element when applied to a drive means such as a mechanical element or an optical element of a small precision instrument. .

(Means to solve the task)

MEANS TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM As a result, when the present inventors apply to the drive means, such as a mechanical element and an optical element of a small precision apparatus, as a result of the examination about the actuator mechanism which can be reduced in size and thickness while ensuring sufficient moving distance of a mechanical element or an optical element, The said subject by transmitting unidirectional displacement output from drive members, such as a piezoelectric element, to a movable member with the displacement expansion mechanism of the specific structure provided with the some lever (row lever) arrange | positioned along the displacement transmission direction. Found that can be solved.

This invention is made | formed based on such recognition, and makes the following a summary.

[1] A drive member 1 which deforms into a deformation amount corresponding to the amount of energy input and outputs the deformation as a displacement in the uniaxial direction, and a movable member while the displacement output from the drive member 1 is expanded. An actuator provided with a displacement expanding mechanism (2) for transmitting up to 3) and displacing the movable member (3),

The displacement expansion mechanism 2 includes a plurality of levers 20 arranged along the displacement transmission direction, and a fixing portion 21 supporting the levers 20,

Each lever 20 is supported by the fixing part 21 by being coupled to the fixing part 21 through the elastically deformable support point coupling part 22 which forms the support point of a lever, and is adjacent to the adjacent lever 20. And an elastically deformable coupling point 23 for forming a point of force of the lever between the most upstream lever 20 in the displacement transmission direction and the displacement output portion 100 of the driving member 1. ),

The front end side portion of the most downstream lever 20 in the displacement transfer direction is connected or engaged with the movable member 3 so that the movable member 3 is displaced by the displacement of the most downstream lever 20. Actuator characterized in that.

[2] In the actuator according to the above [1], the most upstream side lever 20 in the displacement transmission direction has its proximal end portion coupled to the fixed portion 21 via a coupling portion 22 for the support point, It is coupled to the displacement output part 100 of the drive member 1 via the coupling part 23, and the lever 20 other than the said upstream lever 20 is the base end part, The coupling part for supporting points ( Actuator, characterized in that coupled to the fixing portion (21) through the 22, and coupled to the front end side portion of the other lever (20) adjacent through the anti-spot coupling portion (23).

[3] In the actuator according to the above [2], the support point engaging portion 22 and the reverse coupling portion 23 coupled to the proximal end portion of at least one lever 20 of the plurality of levers 20 are: An actuator having a length of at least 1/4 of the length of the lever (20).

[4] The actuator according to any one of the above [1] to [3], wherein the displacement expanding mechanism (2) is formed of a molded body and / or a laminated body made of metal or / and resin.

[5] The actuator of any one of the above [1] to [4], wherein the coupling portion 22 for the support point and the reverse point are coupled to the lowest lever 20 in the displacement transmission direction among the plurality of levers 20. The actuator in the parallel direction of the engaging part 23 is orthogonal to the displacement surface of the lever 20 on the upstream side than the said downstreammost lever 20. An actuator characterized by the above-mentioned.

[6] The actuator according to the above [5], wherein the driving member (1) and the displacement expanding mechanism (2) are arranged in a state of enclosing the movable member (3) in the plane.

[7] The actuator of [6], wherein the displacement magnification mechanism 2 includes first and second levers 20, and the movable member 3 includes a drive member 1 and a first lever 20. And at least three sides are surrounded by the second lever (20).

[8] The actuator of any one of the above [1] to [4], wherein the parallel direction of the support point engaging portion 22 and the reverse point engaging portion 23 coupled to each of the plurality of levers 20 corresponds. An actuator, which is parallel to the displacement plane of the lever 20 on the upstream side of the lever 20.

[9] The actuator according to the above [8], wherein the displacement expanding mechanism 2 includes first and second levers 20, and the first and second levers 20 and the driving member 1 include: Actuator, characterized in that surrounding the fixing portion (21) coupled to the support portion coupling portion 22 of the second lever (20) in three directions.

[10] The actuator of any one of [1] to [9], wherein the longitudinal center p1 of the lever 20 and the longitudinal center of the coupling point 22 for the support point engaged with the lever 20 are p2. The sum total of all the levers of the length of the straight line L which connects) is more than the length in the displacement output direction of the drive member 1, The actuator characterized by the above-mentioned.

[11] A drive member 1 which deforms into a deformation amount corresponding to an input energy amount and outputs the deformation from both ends as a displacement in one axial direction, and moves the displacement output from the drive member 1 while expanding the displacement amount. An actuator provided with a displacement expanding mechanism (2) for transmitting to the member (3) and displacing the movable member (3),

The displacement expansion mechanism 2 includes a pair of lever groups X and Y made up of a plurality of levers 20 arranged along the displacement transmission direction, a fixing portion 21 supporting the levers 20, and And a connecting member 24 which is elastically deformable in the longitudinal direction connecting the lowest lever 20 and the movable member 3 in the displacement transmission direction of both lever groups X and Y,

Each lever 20 is supported by the fixing part 21 by being coupled to the fixing part 21 through the elastically deformable support point coupling part 22 which forms the support point of a lever, and is adjacent to the adjacent lever 20. And between the most upstream lever 20 in the displacement transmission direction and the displacement output portion 100 of the drive member 1 with an elastically deformable coupling portion 23 that forms an inversion of the lever,

The distal end portion of the lowest lever 20 in the displacement transfer direction of the pair of lever groups X and Y and the movable member 3 are connected by the connecting member 24, and both the most downstream levers 20 are connected. And the movable member (3) is displaced through the connecting member (24) by the displacement of the actuator.

[12] In the actuator according to the above [11], in any one of the following (i) to (v), the tip of the most downstream side lever 20 in the displacement transfer direction of the pair of lever groups X and Y; An actuator, characterized in that the side portion and the movable member (3) are connected by a connecting member (24).

(Iv) A pair of connecting members 24 connect the both side portions of the movable member 3 and the tip side portions of the two most downstream levers 20, respectively, and the tip side of the two most downstream levers 20, respectively. The movable member 3 is displaced by performing displacement in which parts approach and separate.

(Ii) while the connecting member 24 connects the front end side portions of both of the most downstream lever levers 20, the intermediate portion of the connecting member 24 is coupled to the movable member 3, and the two most downstream levers ( The movable member 3 is displaced by displacing the tip portions of 20) to approach and separate.

(Iii) A pair of connecting members 24 are hypothesized at the distal end portions of the fixed portion 21 and the two most downstream levers 20, respectively, and the intermediate portions of both connecting members 24 are movable members. The movable member 3 is displaced by connecting or engaging the two side portions of (3), respectively, and displacing the tip-side portions of the two most downstream levers 20 toward and away from the fixing portion 21. Operation.

[13] In the actuator according to the above [11] or [12], in each lever group (X, Y), the most upstream side lever 20 in the displacement transmission direction has a proximal end portion of a support point engaging portion ( 22 is coupled to the fixed portion 21, and through the reverse point coupling portion 23, respectively coupled to the respective displacement output portion 100 on both ends of the drive member (1), other than the most upstream lever 20 Lever 20 has a proximal end portion thereof coupled to the fixed portion 21 via a support point coupling portion 22, and a tip of the other lever 20 adjacent to each other via a backlash coupling portion 23. Actuator, characterized in that coupled to the side portion.

[14] In the actuator according to the above [13], in each lever group (X, Y), a support point coupling portion 22 engaged with a proximal end portion of at least one lever 20 of the plurality of levers 20 is used. ) And the focus point coupling portion (23) has a length of 1/4 or more of the length of the lever (20).

[15] The actuator according to any one of [11] to [14], wherein the displacement expanding mechanism 2 except for the displacement expanding mechanism 2 or the connecting member 24 includes a molded body made of metal or resin and / or And / or a laminate.

[16] The actuator of any one of [11] to [15], wherein the pair of lever groups X and Y have a planar shape and arrangement of the plurality of levers 20 in line or symmetry. Actuator.

[17] The actuator of any one of the above [11] to [16], in each of the lever groups (X, Y), for a tip portion p1 of the lever 20 and a support point coupled to the lever 20. An actuator, characterized in that the total of all the levers of the length of the straight line L connecting the longitudinal centers p2 of the engaging portion 22 is equal to or greater than the length in the displacement output direction of the drive member 1.

[18] The actuator according to any one of [1] to [17], wherein the drive member 1 is any one of a piezoelectric element, a magnetoscrictive element, and a shape memory alloy material. .

[19] The distal end of the lowermost lever 20 in the displacement transfer direction is connected to or engaged with the lens holder 3 to displace the lens holder 3 by the displacement of the lowest downstream lever 20. The lens actuator using the actuator as described in said [1]-[18] characterized by the above-mentioned.

(Effects of the Invention)

Since the actuator of the present invention is a structure that transmits the displacement in the uniaxial direction output from the drive member to the movable member with a displacement expanding mechanism having a specific structure having a plurality of levers disposed along the displacement transmission direction, the actuator is compact or thin. In addition, a large amount of movement of the movable member can be secured. For this reason, it can be set as the actuator which can be reduced in size and thickness, while ensuring the moving distance of a mechanical element, an optical element, etc. sufficiently. In addition, since the displacement expansion mechanism has no mechanical contact, there is almost no wear, and the energy loss is small, so that the life of the actuator and the improvement of energy efficiency can also be realized.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The whole perspective view which shows one Embodiment of the actuator of this invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 1. FIG.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the movable member in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1. FIG.

4 is a plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

It is explanatory drawing which shows the function (operation form) of embodiment of FIG.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the actuator of the present invention.

7 is a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 6.

It is a perspective view of the state which attached the movable member in embodiment of FIG.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the actuator of the present invention.

10 is a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 9.

It is a perspective view of the state which attached the movable member in embodiment of FIG.

It is a perspective view which shows another embodiment of the actuator of this invention.

FIG. 13 is a plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 12.

14 is a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 12.

It is a top view which shows another embodiment of the actuator of this invention.

It is a top view of the state which attached the movable member in embodiment of FIG.

It is a schematic side view of the state which attached the movable member in embodiment of FIG.

It is a perspective view which shows another embodiment of the actuator of this invention.

19 is a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 18.

It is a perspective view of the state which attached the movable member in embodiment of FIG.

It is a perspective view which shows another embodiment of the actuator of this invention.

22 is a plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 21.

It is a perspective view of the state which attached the movable member in embodiment of FIG.

24 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the actuator of the present invention.

25 is a plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 24.

It is a perspective view of the state which attached the movable member in embodiment of FIG.

(Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawing)

1: drive member

2: displacement expansion mechanism

3: movable member

4 connection member

5, 6: pressing spring

7: gas

20a, 20b: lever

21, 21a to 21j: fixed part

22a, 22b: coupling portion for the support point

23a, 23b: coupling part for power point

24: connection member

25: part

30: main body

31, 32, 33: Attachment

100: displacement output unit

200: end

201: first edge part

202: second edge part

220, 221: side hook

240: high rigidity part

241: flat part

242 support

243: rigid member

245: main body

246: support plate

X, Y: Lever group

1 to 5 show an embodiment of the actuator of the present invention, and show a case where the present invention is applied to a lens actuator incorporated in a lens module of a portable terminal. 1 is an overall perspective view, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view, FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which a movable member is removed, FIG. 4 is a plan view similarly, and FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing a function (operation form). In the drawing, reference numeral 3 denotes a movable member to which the actuator is to be displaced, and in this embodiment is a lens holder.

The actuator deforms to the amount of deformation in accordance with the amount of energy input, and outputs the deformation as a displacement in the uniaxial direction, and the movable member while expanding the amount of displacement output from the drive member 1. Displacement expansion mechanism 2 which transmits to (3) and displaces movable member 3 is provided.

In this embodiment, in order to make the actuator as thin as possible, the structure in which the drive member 1 and the displacement expansion mechanism 2 surround the movable member 3 in the plane, in other words, the movable member 3 The drive member 1 and the displacement enlargement mechanism 2 are arrange | positioned at the outer peripheral part of the structure. In such a structure, the center space can be used as the accommodation space of the movable member 3, and the actuator can be thinned, and the length of the lever (lever) constituting the displacement expanding mechanism 2 can be sufficiently secured. Therefore, it is advantageous in obtaining a large displacement expansion amount. In addition, for example, when applied to a lens actuator, since there is no member that obstructs the optical axis of the lens, it is particularly advantageous for miniaturization and thinning.

The drive member 1 is not particularly limited as long as it deforms into a deformation amount corresponding to the amount of energy input, and the deformation can be output as a displacement in the uniaxial direction. For example, piezoelectric elements, magnetostrictive elements, shapes Memory alloy materials and the like. Piezoelectric elements are elements that generate dimensional distortion in accordance with an applied driving voltage, and magnetostrictive elements are elements that generate displacement by applying a magnetic field from the outside. These drive members can be deformed to the amount of deformation in accordance with the amount of energy such as electricity or heat and output as a displacement in the uniaxial direction. However, among these, a piezoelectric element is especially preferable at the point which has a drive structure which takes out a displacement directly from electricity, and the drive member 1 of this embodiment is also comprised from a piezoelectric element.

The drive member 1 (piezoelectric element) of the present invention has a rectangular columnar shape, causes dimensional distortion (displacement) in the longitudinal direction thereof, and outputs the dimensional distortion from the displacement output part 100 at the tip end in the uniaxial direction. For example, when using the magnetostrictive element as the drive member 1, the same effect | action can be acquired by providing the mechanism which generate | occur | produces a magnetic field separately.

In addition, the drive member 1 is fixed to the fixing part 21a mentioned later, or it is fixed to the base body which supports the whole actuator.

The amount of displacement in the uniaxial direction which can be output from the micro piezoelectric element applied to the camera module of the portable terminal is usually several hundred ppm in the stacking type. It aims at transmitting and displacing the movable member 3.

Although the said displacement expansion mechanism 2 is equipped with the some lever 20 arrange | positioned along the displacement transmission direction, and the fixing part 21 which supports this lever 20, the displacement expansion mechanism 2 of this embodiment ) Is the first lever 20a (upstream side lever) connected to the tip (displacement output part) of the drive member 1 in a horizontal direction in a 90 ° relationship with respect to the longitudinal direction of the drive member 1. And a second lever 20b (lowest-side lever) connected at a distal end of the first lever 20a in a 90 ° relationship with respect to the longitudinal direction of the lever 20a, and the movable member 3 is driven. By the member 1, the 1st lever 20a, and the 2nd lever 20b, three sides are surrounded by the c-shape.

Moreover, as the said fixing | fixed part 21, the fixed part 21a provided in parallel with the drive member 1 in the outer position of the drive member 1, and parallel to the lever 20b under the 2nd lever 20b. The fixed part 21b provided so that it may be formed is provided, and these fixed parts 21a and 21b are fixed to the base body which supports the whole actuator.

In each embodiment of the present invention described below, including the present embodiment, each lever 20 constituting the displacement expanding mechanism 2 has a plate-shaped engaging portion 22 for supporting points and an inverted point that are elastically deformable. Although the structure is supported and displaced by the engaging portion 23, since both of the supporting portion coupling portion 22 and the reverse coupling portion 23 are plate-shaped, when the lever 20 is operated, Since there is little lateral vibration, it can make it possible to stably transmit and enlarge the displacement by the displacement expansion mechanism 2.

In the present embodiment, the first lever 20a has a rectangular columnar shape, and the fixing portion (a) is provided through a plate-shaped support point-coupling portion 22a that is elastically deformable, the proximal end portion of which forms a support point of the lever. It is coupled to the tip of 21a) and is thus supported by the fixing portion 21a. In addition, the position between the proximal end portion of the lever 20a and the displacement output portion 100 (drive member tip) of the drive member 1 is slightly lower than the engagement position of the support point engaging portion 22a. And an elastically deformable plate-shaped inverse coupling portion 23a forming the inverse of the lever.

The support point coupling portion 22a and the reverse point coupling portion 23a have a relatively short plate shape, and are coupled at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the first lever 20a, respectively.

The second lever 20b also has a rectangular pillar shape, and the proximal end portion thereof is coupled to the lower fixing portion 21b through the support point coupling portion 22b and through the reverse point coupling portion 23b. It is engaged with the front end side part of the said 1st lever 20a.

The supporting point coupling portion 22b and the anti-point coupling portion 23b have a relatively long plate shape, and each end portion thereof is coupled to the proximal end portion of the lever 20b along the longitudinal direction of the lever 20b. . In addition, the other end of the coupling portion 23b for power point is coupled at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the lever 20a, and the other end of the coupling portion 22b for the support point is coupled to the fixing portion 21b.

In the displacement magnification mechanism 2 of the present invention, the coupling point 22 for support point and the coupling point 23 for power point, which are coupled to the proximal end portion of at least one lever 20 of the plurality of levers 20, are provided. It is preferred to have a length of at least 1/4, preferably at least 1/3, more preferably at least 1/2 of the length of the lever 20. By sufficiently increasing the lengths of the support point coupling part 22 and the anti-point coupling part 23 in this manner, a large deformation amount can be obtained while securing the rigidity of these coupling parts, and further, the displacement expansion amount of the displacement expanding mechanism 2. Because it can be enlarged. In the present embodiment, the support point engaging portion 22b and the anti-pointing engaging portion 23b coupled to the proximal end portion of the second lever 20b have a length of about 1/2 of the length of the lever 20b. have.

Here, the displacement expansion mechanism 2 of this embodiment converts the horizontal displacement of the drive member 1 to a vertical direction, and transmits it to the movable member 3, in order to change this displacement direction. The parallel direction (arrow (α) direction in FIG. 3) of the support point engaging portion 22b and the reverse coupling portion 23b coupled to the lever 20b (lowestmost lever in the displacement transmission direction) corresponds to the lever. It is a structure orthogonal to the displacement surface (displacement surface in the arrow (beta) direction of FIG. 3) of the lever 20a of the upstream of 20b.

The front end side portion of the second lever 20b (lowest-side lever in the displacement transmission direction) is connected to or engaged with the movable member 3 to displace the movable member 3 by the displacement of the lever 20b. It is supposed to be. In this embodiment, the lens holder which is the movable member 3 is formed by the plate-shaped attachment part 31 protruding from the upper end of the ring-shaped main body 30, and this attachment part 31 is the lever 20b. Both sides are connected by clamping by the U-shaped connecting member 4 (plate spring) in the state which abuts on the upper surface of the (). In addition, reference numerals 5 and 6 are pressing springs for pressing the upper and lower portions of the movable member 3 (lens holder) to support them.

In the displacement magnification mechanism 2 of the present invention, in order to increase the displacement magnification amount as much as possible, it is preferable to lengthen the entire length of the plurality of levers 20, specifically, as shown in FIG. 4. , The longitudinal center of the support point coupling portion 22 (22a, 22b) coupled to the distal end p1 of each lever 20 (20a, 20b) and the proximal end portion of each lever 20 (20a, 20b). It is preferable that the sum total of all the levers of the length of the straight line L which connects (p2) is more than the length in the displacement output direction of the drive member 1.

The displacement expansion mechanism 2 is composed of a molded body and / or a laminate made of metal (for example, stainless steel) or resin. This laminate is a laminate of thin plates. Although the displacement expansion mechanism 2 may be comprised by the molded object and laminated body which integrally formed the whole, in this embodiment, the main part of the fixing part 21a and the 1st lever 20a is comprised by the integrally molded object or integral laminated body, The fixed part 21b, the part 25 of the front end side of the 2nd lever 20b, and the 1st lever 20a consists of an integral molded object or an integral laminated body, and the part 25 is connected to the front end side of the lever 20a. By fixation, the displacement magnification mechanism 2 is comprised.

Three or more levers constituting the displacement expanding mechanism 2 may be formed along the displacement transmission direction. For example, in the example of the present embodiment, the first lever 20a and the second lever 20b are provided. ), One or more levers having the same principle as the first lever 20a may be formed.

5 shows the function (operation mode) of the actuator of the present embodiment.

When a predetermined driving voltage is applied to the piezoelectric element, which is the driving member 1, it extends in the direction of the arrow A due to the dimensional distortion, so that the displacement in the uniaxial direction from the displacement output portion 100 causes the inverse coupling portion 23a to move. Is output to the first lever 20a (ie, the lever 20a is pressed). As a result, the first lever 20a rotates in the direction of the arrow B with the support point 22a as the support point while deforming the engaging portion 22a for the support point. By the rotational movement of the first lever 20a, the stationary engaging portion 23b of the second lever 20b is tensioned in the direction of the arrow C, whereby the second lever 20b is engaged with the supporting point. While deforming the portion 22b, it is rotated (rotated upward) in the direction of the arrow D using this as the support point. Therefore, the movable member 3 connected to the distal end of the second lever 20b is also displaced upward. Naturally, when the piezoelectric element which is the drive member 1 shrinks in the direction of the arrow A, the movable member 3 is displaced (falls) downward by the operation opposite to the above. And in the process of the displacement transmission by the displacement expansion mechanism 2 as mentioned above, the displacement output from the drive member 1 expands (amplifies), and is several ten times or more of the output displacement amount of the drive member 1 (in the case of Therefore, the displacement amount of 100 times or more is transmitted to the movable member.

6 to 8 show another embodiment of the actuator of the present invention, and show a case where the present invention is applied to a lens actuator incorporated in a lens module of a portable terminal. FIG. 6 is a perspective view, FIG. 7 is a side view, and FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a state in which a movable member is attached. In the drawing, reference numeral 3 denotes a movable member to which the actuator is to be displaced, and in this embodiment is a lens holder.

1 to 5 exemplified above have a structure in which the driving member 1 and the displacement expanding mechanism 2 are arranged on the outer circumference of the movable member 3 in order to reduce the actuator to be as thin as possible. Although it is one thing, in this embodiment, in order to make the installation area of an actuator as small as possible, it was made to be vertical, and it was made to transmit and enlarge on the same surface with displacement.

The actuator is also deformed into a deformation amount corresponding to the amount of energy input, and the drive member 1 outputs this deformation as a displacement in the uniaxial direction, and the displacement output from the drive member 1 is expanded while the displacement amount is increased. It is provided with the displacement expansion mechanism 2 which transmits to the member 3, and makes the movable member 3 displace operation.

The said drive member 1 is comprised with the piezoelectric element like embodiment of FIGS. The drive member 1 (piezoelectric element) has a rectangular columnar shape, causes dimensional distortion (displacement) in the longitudinal direction thereof, and outputs the dimensional distortion from the displacement output part 100 at the tip end in the uniaxial direction.

The displacement expanding mechanism 2 includes a plurality of levers 20 arranged along the displacement transmission direction, and a fixing portion 21 supporting the levers 20. This fixing | fixed part 21 has the up-and-down horizontal fixing | fixed part 21c, 21d with a suitable space | interval, and the fixed part 21e which connects these fixing | fixed part 21c, 21d by the one part. The drive member 1 of this embodiment is located between the upper and lower fixing parts 21c and 21d, and is supported by the fixing part 21e in a horizontal shape through the rear end part. The said fixing | fixed part 21c, 21d forms a clearance gap with the drive member 1, and is located in parallel in the upper and lower sides of the drive member 1, respectively. The upper fixing part 21c is longer in length than the drive member 1. In addition, the fixing part 21 is fixed to the base body which supports the whole actuator.

Displacement expansion mechanism 2 of this embodiment is connected to the front-end | tip (displacement output part) of drive member 1 in 90 degree with respect to the longitudinal direction of drive member 1 in the longitudinal direction, and is upwards. The 1st lever 20a (upstream-side lever) which extends, and the tip of this 1st lever 20a are connected by 90 degrees with respect to the longitudinal direction of the lever 20a, and the drive member 1 It is provided with the 2nd lever 20b (lowest-side lever) extended horizontally in the substantially parallel state.

The first lever 20a is relatively short, and its proximal end portion is coupled to the distal end of the fixing portion 21d via an elastically deformable plate-shaped support point engaging portion 22a forming a support point of the lever. This is supported by the fixing part 21d. In addition, the position between the proximal end portion of the lever 20a and the displacement output portion 100 (drive member tip) of the drive member 1 is slightly lower than the engagement position of the support point engaging portion 22a. And an elastically deformable plate-shaped inverse coupling portion 23a forming the inverse of the lever.

The support point coupling part 22a and the anti-point coupling part 23a are respectively coupled at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the first lever 20a.

The second lever 20b has a relatively long rectangular pillar shape and is disposed above the fixing portion 21c. The second lever 20b has its proximal end portion coupled to the distal end of the fixed portion 21c via the support point engaging portion 22b, and the first lever (20b) through the inverse coupling part 23b. It is engaged with the front end side part of 20a).

The supporting point coupling portion 22b and the anti-point coupling portion 23b have a relatively long plate shape, and each end portion thereof is coupled to the proximal end portion of the lever 20b along the longitudinal direction of the lever 20b. . In addition, the other end of the coupling portion 23b for power point is coupled at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the lever 20a, and the other end of the coupling portion 22b for the support point is coupled to the fixing portion 21c. In the present embodiment, the support point engaging portion 22b and the reverse coupling portion 23b coupled to the proximal end portion of the second lever 20b have a length of 1/2 or more of the length of the lever 20b. .

The second lever 20b, the support point engaging portion 22b and the reverse point engaging portion 23b coupled to the second lever 20b are arranged in parallel with the gap between the fixed portion 21c.

Here, the displacement expansion mechanism 2 of this embodiment is a coupling part for support points engaged with the 2nd lever 20b (lowest-side lever of a displacement transmission direction) so that a displacement may be transmitted and expanded on the same surface. The parallel direction of 22b and the inverse coupling part 23b is a structure parallel to the displacement surface of the lever 20a of the upstream of the said lever 20b. Moreover, in this structure, the fixing part 21c in which the 1st lever 20a, the 2nd lever 20b, and the drive member 1 were couple | bonded with the engagement part 22b for the support point of the 2nd lever 20b. ) Is a compact structure (foldable structure) enclosed in three directions while forming a gap.

The tip side portion of the second lever 20b (lowest-side lever in the displacement transmission direction) is connected to or engaged with the movable member 3 to displace the movable member 3 by the displacement of the lever 20b. It is supposed to work. In this embodiment, in the lens holder which is the movable member 3, the attachment part 32 protrudes and is formed in the upper end of the plate-shaped main body 30 which has a lens attachment hole in the center, The attachment part 32 Is connected (fixed) to the upper surface of the lever 20b.

Three or more levers constituting the displacement expanding mechanism 2 may be formed along the displacement transmission direction. For example, in the example of the present embodiment, the first lever 20a and the second lever 20b are provided. ), One or more levers having the same principle as the first lever 20a may be formed.

In addition, about the other structure regarding the drive member 1, the displacement expansion mechanism 2, etc., it is the same as that of embodiment of FIGS. 1-5, and since it is as above-mentioned, detailed description is abbreviate | omitted.

In the actuator of the present embodiment, when a predetermined driving voltage is applied to the piezoelectric element that is the driving member 1, the actuator extends in the direction of the arrow A due to dimensional distortion, and the displacement in the uniaxial direction from the displacement output section 100 is used for the reverse point. It is output to the 1st lever 20a through the engaging part 23a (that is, presses the lever 20a). As a result, the first lever 20a rotates in the outward direction (arrow (B) direction) while deforming the engaging portion 22a for the supporting point as the supporting point. By the rotational movement of the first lever 20a, the stationary joint 23b of the second lever 20b is tensioned in the direction of the arrow C, whereby the second lever 20b is coupled to the support point. While deforming the portion 22b, this is rotated upwardly (in the direction of the arrow D) with this as the support point. Therefore, the movable member 3 connected to the distal end of the second lever 20b is also displaced upward. Naturally, when the piezoelectric element which is the drive member 1 shrinks in the direction of the arrow A, the movable member 3 is displaced (falls) downward by the operation opposite to the above. And in the process of the displacement transmission by the displacement expansion mechanism 2 as mentioned above, the displacement output from the drive member 1 expands (amplifies), and is several ten times or more of the output displacement amount of the drive member 1 (in the case of Therefore, the displacement amount of 100 times or more is transmitted to the movable member.

9-11 shows another embodiment of the actuator of the present invention and is a modification of the embodiment of FIGS. 6-8. FIG. 9 is a perspective view, FIG. 10 is a side view, and FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a state in which a movable member is attached.

This embodiment is characterized by the structure of the 2nd lever 20b and the fixing part 21d which supports this with respect to embodiment of FIGS. 6-8. That is, the second lever 20b has a length longer than the embodiment of Figs. 6 to 8 and has a length equal to or greater than the length of the drive member 1. An end portion 200 is formed at an upper portion of the middle portion (nearly the center portion in the longitudinal direction in this embodiment) of the lever 20b, and the longitudinal middle portion on which the end portion 200 is formed and the tip of the first lever 20a. The side part is joined by the emphasis point coupling part 23b. On the other hand, the length of the fixing portion 21c is considerably shorter than the length of the driving member 1 (preferably about 2/3 to 1/2 of the length of the driving member 1), The tip end and the proximal end portion of the lever 20b are engaged by a coupling point 22b for a support point that is substantially parallel to the lever 20b.

In this embodiment, since the second lever 20b is long, and the power point coupling portion 23b and the support point coupling portion 22b are sufficiently long (around 1/2 of the length of the lever 20b), the displacement There is an advantage that the amount of enlargement can be large.

Although not as compact as the embodiment of FIGS. 6 to 8, the first and second levers 20a, 20b and the drive member 1 also include the displacement expanding mechanism 2 according to the present embodiment. The fixed part 21c to which the support part coupling part 22b of the 2 lever 20b was couple | bonded is made into the compact structure (foldable structure) which enclosed in three directions, forming a clearance gap.

Other configurations and basic functions are the same as those in the embodiments of FIGS. 6 to 8.

12-14 shows another embodiment of the actuator of the present invention and is a modification of the embodiment of FIGS. 1-5. 12 is a perspective view, FIG. 13 is a plan view, and FIG. 14 is a side view.

Also in this embodiment, in order to make the actuator as thin as possible, the structure in which the drive member 1 and the displacement expansion mechanism 2 surround the movable member 3 in the plane, that is, of the movable member 3 It has a structure which arrange | positioned the drive member 1 and the displacement expansion mechanism 2 to an outer peripheral part.

In addition, the drive member 1 is fixed to the fixed part 21a mentioned later, or fixed to the base body which supports the whole actuator.

Although the said displacement expansion mechanism 2 is equipped with the some lever 20 arrange | positioned along the displacement transmission direction, and the fixing part 21 which supports this lever 20, the displacement expansion mechanism 2 of this embodiment ) Is the first lever 20a (upstream side lever) connected to the tip (displacement output part) of the drive member 1 in a horizontal direction in a 90 ° relationship with respect to the longitudinal direction of the drive member 1. And a second lever 20b (lowest-side lever) connected to the distal end of the first lever 20a in a 90 ° relationship to the longitudinal direction of the lever 20a, and the movable member 3 is driven. By the member 1, the 1st lever 20a, and the 2nd lever 20b, three sides are surrounded by the c-shape.

Moreover, as the said fixing | fixed part 21, the fixed part 21a provided in parallel with the drive member 1 in the inner position of the drive member 1, and in parallel with the lever 20b inside the 2nd lever 20b. The fixing part 21b provided so that it may be formed is fixed, and the fixing part 21 containing these fixing parts 21a and 21b is fixed to the base body which supports the whole actuator.

The first lever 20a has a rectangular columnar shape, and its proximal end portion is provided at the tip end of the fixing portion 21a through an elastically deformable plate-shaped support point engaging portion 22a forming a support point of the lever. And are thus supported by the fixing portion 21a. Moreover, at the position of the lever rear-end part rather than the engagement position of the support part coupling part 22a, between the base end side part of the lever 20a, and the displacement output part 100 (drive member tip) of the drive member 1, Is coupled by a plate-shaped reinforcement engaging portion 23a that is elastically deformable to form the reinforcement point of the lever. The engagement position relationship between the support point engaging portion 22a and the reverse point engaging portion 23a with respect to the lever 20a as described above is opposite to the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 5. The support point coupling portion 22a and the reverse point coupling portion 23a have a relatively short plate shape, and are coupled at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the first lever 20a, respectively.

The second lever 20b also has a rectangular columnar shape, and the proximal end portion thereof is coupled to the end portion of the lever 20a side of the fixing portion 21b via the coupling point coupling portion 22b, and is coupled to the reverse point. It is coupled to the front end side part of the said 1st lever 20a via the part 23b.

The supporting point coupling portion 22b and the anti-point coupling portion 23b have a relatively long plate shape, and each end portion thereof is coupled to the proximal end portion of the lever 20b along the longitudinal direction of the lever 20b. . In addition, the other end of the coupling portion 23b for power point is coupled at a right angle with respect to the longitudinal direction of the lever 20a, and the other end of the coupling portion 22b for the support point is laterally hooked to the fixing portion 21b. Combined through).

In the present embodiment, the support point engaging portion 22b and the reverse point engaging portion 23b coupled to the proximal end portion of the second lever 20b have a length equal to or greater than the length of the lever 20b.

In addition, similar to the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 5, the displacement expanding mechanism 2 of the present embodiment converts the horizontal displacement of the drive member 1 in the vertical direction and transmits it to the movable member 3. In order to change the displacement direction, the parallel direction of the support point engaging portion 22b and the reverse point engaging portion 23b coupled to the lever 20b (lowest-side lever in the displacement transmission direction) corresponds. It has a structure orthogonal to the displacement surface of the lever 20a on the upstream side of the lever 20b.

The front end side part of the said 2nd lever 20b (lowest-side lever of a displacement transmission direction) is connected or engaged with the movable member 3 similarly to embodiment of FIGS. 1-5, and this lever ( The movable member 3 is displaced by the displacement of 20b).

Three or more levers constituting the displacement expanding mechanism 2 may be formed along the displacement transmission direction. For example, in the example of the present embodiment, the first lever 20a and the second lever 20b are used. You may provide one or more levers of the same principle as the 1st lever 20a between ().

In addition, about the other structure regarding the drive member 1, the displacement expansion mechanism 2, etc., it is the same as that of embodiment of FIGS. 1-5, and since it is as above-mentioned, detailed description is abbreviate | omitted.

In the actuator of the present embodiment, when a predetermined drive voltage is applied to the piezoelectric element that is the drive member 1, the actuator extends in the direction of the arrow A by dimensional distortion, and the displacement in the uniaxial direction from the displacement output unit 100 is inverted. It outputs to the 1st lever 20a through the dragon coupling part 23a (that is, presses the lever 20a). Here, since the inverse coupling portion 23a is coupled to the rear end side of the lever than the coupling portion coupling portion 22a, the first lever 20a deforms the support portion coupling portion 22a and uses the inner side thereof as a supporting point. Rotate in the direction (arrow (B) direction). By the rotational movement of the first lever 20a, the inverse coupling portion 23b of the second lever 20b is pushed in the direction of the second lever 20b (arrow (C) direction), whereby the second The lever 20b rotates upwards (arrow D direction) using this as the support point while deforming the engaging portion 22b for the support point. Therefore, the movable member 3 connected to the distal end of the second lever 20b is also displaced upward. Naturally, when the piezoelectric element which is the drive member 1 shrinks in the direction of the arrow A, the movable member 3 is displaced (falls) downward by the operation opposite to the above. And in the process of the displacement transmission by the displacement expansion mechanism 2 as mentioned above, the displacement output from the drive member 1 expands (amplifies), and is several ten times or more of the output displacement amount of the drive member 1 (in the case of Therefore, the displacement amount of 100 times or more is transmitted to the movable member.

15 to 17 show another embodiment of the actuator of the present invention and show a case where the present invention is applied to a lens actuator incorporated in a lens module of a portable terminal. FIG. 15 is a plan view, FIG. 16 is a plan view of the movable member attached, and FIG. 17 is a schematic side view of the movable member attached. In the drawing, reference numeral 3 denotes a movable member to which the actuator is to be displaced, and in this embodiment is a lens holder.

The actuator is also deformed into a deformation amount corresponding to the amount of energy input, and the drive member 1 outputs this deformation as a displacement in the uniaxial direction, and the displacement output from the drive member 1 is expanded while the displacement amount is increased. Although it comprises the displacement expansion mechanism 2 which transmits to the member 3 and displaces the movable member 3, this displacement expansion mechanism 2 is provided with the several lever 20 arrange | positioned along the displacement transmission direction. A pair of lever groups (X, Y), a fixing portion (21) supporting the lever (20), and the lowest lever (20) in the displacement transfer direction of both lever groups (X, Y). The connecting member 24 which can be elastically deformed in the longitudinal direction which connects the member 3 is provided.

1 to 5, the driving member 1 and the displacement expanding mechanism 2 planarly move the movable member 3 from the outside in order to reduce the thickness of the actuator as much as possible. The drive member 1 and the displacement expansion mechanism 2 are arranged in an outer circumferential portion of the movable member 3. As described above, in such a structure, not only can the actuator be thinned by using the center space as the accommodation space of the movable member 3, but also the length of the lever (lever) constituting the displacement expanding mechanism 2. Since it is possible to secure sufficiently, it is advantageous in obtaining a large displacement enlargement amount. In addition, when applied to a lens actuator, for example, there is no member that obstructs the optical axis of the lens, which is particularly advantageous for miniaturization and thinning.

On the other hand, the characteristic of the actuator of this embodiment with respect to each embodiment illustrated above is that the movable member 3 can be stably supported and displaced by having the left and right pair of lever groups X and Y, Since not only the lever 20 but also the elastically deformable connection member 24 has a displacement enlargement function, the point which can enlarge the whole displacement enlargement by that much is mentioned.

The drive member 1 is as described in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 5, and the drive member 1 of the present embodiment is also composed of a piezoelectric element. The drive member 1 (piezoelectric element) of the present invention has a rectangular columnar shape, causes dimensional distortion (displacement) in the longitudinal direction thereof, and outputs the dimensional distortion from the displacement output unit 100 at both ends in the uniaxial direction. Moreover, this drive member 1 is fixed to the base body which supports the whole actuator.

The fixing part 21 is provided in the center part of the actuator, and the movable member 3 is arrange | positioned above it. The drive member 1 is arranged on the side of the fixing part 21. This fixing part 21 is fixed to the base body which supports the whole actuator.

The pair of lever groups X and Y have a planar shape and arrangement of the plurality of levers 20 in line symmetry with respect to the center of the actuator, and the lowermost lever 20 is connected to the movable member 24 through the connecting member 24. 3) is supported from both sides.

Each lever group X and Y is the 1st lever 20a (uppermost side lever) connected to the one end (displacement output part) of the drive member 1, and this 1st lever 20a in a horizontal direction. The 2nd lever 20b (lowest-side lever) connected to the front-end | tip of this invention is provided.

The first lever 20a is formed in an L shape in the longitudinal direction (in the drawing, 201 is an L-shaped first side, 202 is a second side similarly), and L of both lever groups X and Y The magnetic lever 20a is arranged to form a gate shape. In each lever group (X, Y), the 1st lever 20a has the said fixed part (a base part side part) through the engaging part 22a of the plate-shaped support point which can be deformed and forms the support point of a lever. 21, and is thus supported by the fixing portion 21. Further, at a position slightly behind the lever than the engagement position of the support point engaging portion 22a, between the proximal end portion of the lever 20a and the displacement output portion 100 of each stage of the driving member 1, the lever An elastically deformable plate-shaped inverse coupling portion 23a for forming the inversion is coupled.

The support point coupling portion 22a and the anti-point coupling portion 23a have a relatively short plate shape, and are respectively coupled at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the L-shaped first edge portion 201 of the first lever 20a. have.

The said 2nd lever 20b is arrange | positioned in parallel with a part of the said 1st edge part inside the 1st edge part 201 of the 1st lever 20a in a horizontal direction, The base end part is for a support point It is coupled to the fixed portion 21 through the engaging portion 22b, and is coupled to the front end side portion of the first lever 20a through the inverse coupling portion 23b.

The support point coupling portion 22b and the anti-point coupling portion 23b have a relatively long plate shape and are disposed in parallel with the second edge portion 202 inside the second edge portion 202 of the first lever 20a. Each end portion is coupled to the proximal end portion of the lever 20b at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the lever 20b. In addition, the other end of the coupling portion 23b for power point is coupled to the tip of the lever 20a via the side hook portion 221, and the other end of the coupling portion 22b for the support point is different from the driving member 1. It is engaged with the side part of the fixing part 21 of the opposite side.

The support point coupling part 22b and the anti-point coupling part 23b coupled to the proximal end portion of the second lever 20b have a length substantially the same as the length of the lever 20b.

The front end side portion and the movable member 3 of the second lever 20b (lowest-side lever in the displacement transmission direction) of each lever group X and Y are connected to the connecting member 24 which is elastically deformable in the longitudinal direction, respectively. The movable member 3 is supported from both sides by the lever 20b and the connecting member 24.

The connecting member 24 is composed of an elastically deformable member such as a leaf spring, and a high rigid portion 240 (a portion having higher rigidity than other portions) for preventing buckling is formed in the middle portion of the longitudinal direction. Thus, both sides of the high rigidity portion 240 are mainly configured to elastically deform. In the present embodiment, the movable member 3 is elastically deformed while the connecting member 24 is elastically deformed by performing a displacement in which the front end side portions of the most downstream lever 20b of both lever groups X and Y are approached and separated. Push up or down to move the movable member 3 up and down.

Also in this embodiment, in each lever group X and Y, the support couple | bonded with the front-end | tip part p1 of each lever 20 (20a, 20b), and the base end side part of each lever 20 (20a, 20b). It is preferable that the sum total of all the levers of the length of the straight line L connecting the longitudinal center p2 of the spot engagement part 22 (22a, 22b) is more than the length in the displacement output direction of the drive member 1. .

In addition, you may form three or more levers 20 which comprise the lever group X, Y of the displacement expansion mechanism 2 along a displacement transmission direction, For example, in the example of this embodiment, it is 1st One or more levers having the same principle as the first lever 20a may be formed between the lever 20a and the second lever 20b.

In addition, about the other structure regarding the drive member 1, the displacement expansion mechanism 2, etc., it is the same as that of embodiment of FIGS. 1-5, and since it is as above-mentioned, detailed description is abbreviate | omitted.

In the actuator of the present embodiment, when a predetermined driving voltage is applied to the piezoelectric element that is the driving member 1, the actuator extends in the direction of the arrow A due to dimensional distortion, and thus, from the displacement output unit 100 across the driving member 1. Displacement in the uniaxial direction is outputted to the 1st lever 20a of both lever groups X and Y, respectively (that is, presses the lever 20a) via the inverse coupling part 23a. In this case, since the inverse coupling portion 23a is coupled to the rear end side of the lever than the coupling portion coupling portion 22a, the first lever 20a deforms the coupling portion 22a for the supporting point, and makes the support point in the inward direction. Rotate in the direction of the arrow (B). By the rotational movement of the first lever 20a, the stationary engaging portion 23b of the second lever 20b is tensioned in the direction of the arrow C, whereby the second lever 20b is engaged with the supporting point. While deforming the portion 22b, it is rotated in the outward direction (arrow (D) direction) as the support point. Since both connecting members 24 are pulled outward by this, the movable member 3 supported by this connecting member 24 displaces (falls) downward. Naturally, when the piezoelectric element which is the drive member 1 shrinks in the direction of the arrow A, the movable member 3 is displaced (rising) upward by the operation opposite to the above. And in the process of the displacement transmission by the displacement expansion mechanism 2 as mentioned above, the displacement output from the drive member 1 expands (amplifies), and is several times more than the output displacement amount of the drive member 1 (in some cases, 100 times or more) is transmitted to the movable member.

18 to 20 show another embodiment of the actuator of the present invention, and show a case where the present invention is applied to a lens actuator incorporated in a lens module of a portable terminal. 18 is a perspective view, FIG. 19 is a side view, and FIG. 20 is a perspective view showing a state in which a movable member is attached. In the drawing, reference numeral 3 denotes a movable member to which the actuator is to be displaced, and in this embodiment is a lens holder.

Similarly to the embodiment of FIGS. 15 to 17, the actuator also deforms to a deformation amount corresponding to the input energy amount, and outputs this deformation as a displacement in the uniaxial direction, and this driving member 1 The displacement expansion mechanism 2 further comprises a displacement magnification mechanism 2 which transfers the displacement output from the movement to the movable member 3 while expanding the displacement amount and displaces the movable member 3. A pair of lever groups X and Y consisting of a plurality of levers 20 arranged along the displacement transmission direction, a fixing portion 21 supporting the levers 20, and both lever groups X and Y The connecting member 24 which is elastically deformable in the longitudinal direction which connects the lever 20 and the movable member 3 of the most downstream side of the displacement transmission direction of the is provided.

Therefore, the characteristic of the actuator of this embodiment with respect to each embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-14 also has a pair of lever groups X and Y, and can hold | maintain the movable member 3, and can carry out a displacement operation. In addition, since the connection member 24 which can deform | transform not only the lever 20 but the elastic deformation | transformation also has a displacement enlargement function, it is the point which can enlarge the whole displacement enlargement by that much. However, although the embodiment of FIGS. 15-17 mentioned above was made into the structure which can thin an actuator in plane, this embodiment is made vertical in order to reduce the installation area of an actuator.

In addition, in embodiment of FIGS. 15-17, what made the planar shape and arrangement | positioning of the some lever 20 of a pair of lever group X and Y into linear symmetry, and makes this the point symmetry in the vertical direction. .

The drive member 1 is as described in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 5, and the drive member 1 of the present embodiment is also composed of a piezoelectric element. The drive member 1 (piezoelectric element) of the present invention has a rectangular columnar shape, causes dimensional distortion (displacement) in the longitudinal direction thereof, and outputs the dimensional distortion from the displacement output unit 100 at both ends in the uniaxial direction.

The fixing portion 21 has a fixing portion 21f positioned below the driving member 1 and a fixing portion 21g positioned above the driving member 1. The fixing portions 21f and 21g form a gap between the driving member 1 and are positioned in parallel above and below the driving member 1, respectively.

Moreover, the fixing part 21f is fixed to the base body which supports the whole actuator. On the other hand, the fixing portion 21g may be fixed to the base supporting the entire actuator by being connected to the fixing portion 21f directly or through a connecting portion, and both sides of the supporting portion coupling portion 22b of both lever groups X and Y. You may make it support by a support shape.

In the pair of lever groups X and Y, the shape and arrangement of the plurality of levers 20 are point symmetric with respect to the center of the actuator, and the most downstream levers 20 are connected to each other by the connecting member 24. The movable member 3 is supported by this connecting member 24.

Each lever group X and Y is connected to each end (displacement output part) of the drive member 1 in the longitudinal direction in a 90 ° relationship with respect to the longitudinal direction of the drive member 1 and extends upward. In a state in which the first lever 20a (upstream side lever) is connected to the distal end of the first lever 20a in a 90 ° relationship with respect to the longitudinal direction of the lever 20a and is substantially parallel to the drive member 1. The 2nd lever 20b (lowest-side lever) extended horizontally is provided.

In each lever group X and Y, the 1st lever 20a is 21f of said fixing | fixed parts via the plate-shaped support point engaging part 22a of the elastically deformable which the base end part forms the support point of a lever. Is coupled to the end of the c) and is supported by the fixing portion 21f. In addition, the lever is positioned between the proximal end portion of the lever 20a and the displacement output portion 100 at each end of the drive member 1 at a position slightly closer to the lever end position than the engagement position of the support point coupling portion 22a. An elastically deformable plate-shaped inverse coupling portion 23a for forming the inversion is coupled.

The support point coupling portion 22a and the reverse point coupling portion 23a have a relatively short plate shape, and are coupled at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the first lever 20a, respectively.

The second lever 20b is located above the fixing portion 21g at an end portion on the side opposite to the end portion on the side of the lever 20a arrangement of the lever groups X and Y in the drive member longitudinal direction. It is arranged.

This second lever 20b has a proximal end portion of which is the lever of the end of the fixing part 21g (the lever groups X and Y in the drive member longitudinal direction) via the engaging portion 22b for the support point. (20a) is coupled to the front end side portion of the first lever 20a via the coupling portion 23b for stiffness.

The supporting point coupling portion 22b and the anti-point coupling portion 23b have a relatively long plate shape, and each end portion thereof is coupled to the proximal end portion of the lever 20b along the longitudinal direction of the lever 20b. . In addition, the other end of the coupling portion 23b for power point is coupled at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the lever 20a, and the other end of the coupling portion 22b for the support point is coupled to the fixing portion 21g.

The support point coupling portion 22b and the anti-point coupling portion 23b coupled to the proximal end portion of the second lever 20b have a length of several times the length of the lever 20b.

The second lever 20b, the support point engaging portion 22b and the reverse point engaging portion 23b coupled thereto are arranged in parallel to form a gap with the fixed portion 21g.

In this embodiment, the 1st lever 20a, the 2nd lever 20b, and the drive member 1 make the fixed part 21g which the coupling | bonding part 22b for support points of the 2nd lever 20b couple | bonded, It has a compact structure (foldable structure) that surrounds in three directions while forming a gap.

The front end side portions of the second lever 20b (lowest-side lever in the displacement transmission direction) of each lever group X and Y are connected to the connecting member 24 which is elastically deformable in the longitudinal direction, and the connecting member ( The intermediate portion of 24 is coupled to the movable member 3.

The connecting member 24 is made of an elastically deformable member such as a leaf spring, and is formed in a mountain shape having an extremely small inclination in the longitudinal direction, and has a flat portion 241 at the top of the central portion in the longitudinal direction. have. Both ends of the connecting member 24 are coupled to the front end side portion of the second lever 20b (lowest-side lever in the displacement transmission direction) of the lever groups X and Y to connect them.

In this embodiment, in the lens holder which is the movable member 3, the attachment part 32 protrudes and is formed in the upper end of the plate-shaped main body 30 which has a lens attachment hole in the center, and this attachment part 32 Is connected (fixed) to the flat portion 241 in the longitudinal center of the connecting member 24.

In this embodiment, the connecting member 24 elastically deforms and the flat part 241 by performing the displacement which the front-end side parts of the most downstream lever 20a of both lever groups X and Y approach and isolate | separate. ), The height changes, and the movable member 3 supported here is displaced up and down.

Three or more levers 20 constituting the lever groups X and Y of the displacement expanding mechanism 2 may be formed along the displacement transmission direction. For example, in the example of the present embodiment, the first lever One or more levers having the same principle as the first lever 20a may be formed between the 20a and the second lever 20b.

In addition, about the other structure regarding the drive member 1, the displacement expansion mechanism 2, etc., it is the same as that of embodiment of FIGS. 1-5, and since it is as above-mentioned, detailed description is abbreviate | omitted.

In the actuator of this embodiment, when a predetermined drive voltage is applied to the piezoelectric element which is the drive member 1, it extends in the direction of arrow A by dimensional distortion, and the displacement output part 100 of both ends of the drive member 1 is extended. The displacement in the uniaxial direction is outputted to the first lever 20a of both lever groups X and Y, respectively (that is, the lever 20a is pushed) through the coupling portion 23a for the inverse direction. As a result, the first lever 20a rotates in the outward direction (arrow (B) direction) while deforming the engaging portion 22a for the supporting point as the supporting point. By the rotational movement of the first lever 20a, the stationary engaging portion 23b of the second lever 20b is tensioned in the direction of the arrow C, whereby the second lever 20b is engaged with the supporting point. While deforming the portion 22b, it is rotated in the direction of the arrow D with this as the supporting point. As a result, the distance between both ends of the connecting member 24 is reduced, so that the connecting member 24 is elastically deformed and the height of the flat part 241 is increased, and the movable member 3 connected thereto is displaced upwards. do. Naturally, when the piezoelectric element which is the drive member 1 shrinks in the direction of the arrow A, the movable member 3 is displaced (falls) downward by the operation opposite to the above. And in the process of the displacement transmission by the displacement expansion mechanism 2 as mentioned above, the displacement output from the drive member 1 expands (amplifies), and is several times more than the output displacement amount of the drive member 1 (in some cases, 100 times or more) is transmitted to the movable member.

21-23 shows other embodiment of the actuator of this invention, and is a modification of the embodiment of FIGS. 18-20. FIG. 21 is a perspective view, FIG. 22 is a plan view, and FIG. 23 is a perspective view showing a state in which a movable member is attached. In the drawing, reference numeral 3 denotes a movable member to which the actuator is to be displaced, and in this embodiment is a lens holder.

The drive member 1 and the displacement magnification mechanism 2 of this embodiment make the thing of the embodiment of FIGS. 18-20 horizontally, and changed the structure of the connection member 24. As shown in FIG.

The actuator also deforms to a deformation amount corresponding to the amount of energy input, and outputs this deformation as a displacement in the uniaxial direction, and a movable member while expanding the displacement amount from the displacement output from this drive member 1. The displacement expanding mechanism 2 is provided with a plurality of levers 20 arranged along the displacement transmission direction, further comprising a displacement expanding mechanism 2 that transmits up to (3) and displaces the movable member 3. A pair of lever groups (X, Y), a fixing portion (21) supporting the lever (20), and the lowest lever (20) in the displacement transfer direction of both lever groups (X, Y). The connecting member 24 which can elastically deform in the longitudinal direction which connects the member 3 is provided.

The drive member 1 is as described in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 5, and the drive member 1 of the present embodiment is also composed of a piezoelectric element. The drive member 1 (piezoelectric element) of the present invention has a rectangular columnar shape, causes dimensional distortion (displacement) in the longitudinal direction thereof, and outputs the dimensional distortion from the displacement output unit 100 at both ends in the uniaxial direction.

The fixing portion 21 is a fixing portion 21h, 21i located on both sides in the width direction of the driving member 1, and a fixing portion positioned opposite to the lever 20 with the installation space of the movable member therebetween ( 21j). The fixing portions 21h and 21i form a gap between the driving member 1 and are located parallel to both sides of the driving member 1, respectively. At least the fixing portion 21h of these fixing portions 21h and 21i is fixed to the base 7 that supports the entire actuator.

In the pair of lever groups X and Y, the shape and arrangement of the plurality of levers 20 are point symmetrical with respect to the center of the actuator, and the connecting member 24 is connected to the most downstream lever 20, The movable member 3 is supported by this connecting member 24. As shown in FIG.

Each lever group (X, Y) is a 1st lever (connected to 90 degrees with respect to the longitudinal direction of the drive member 1 to each end (displacement output part) of the drive member 1 in a horizontal direction ( 20a (upstream-side lever) and the 2nd lever 20b (lowest-side lever) connected to the front-end | tip of this 1st lever 20a by 90 degrees with respect to the longitudinal direction of the lever 20a, have.

In each lever group (X, Y), the 1st lever 20a has the said fixed part 21h via the plate-shaped support point engaging part 22a of the elastically deformable part whose base end side forms the support point of a lever. Is coupled to the end of the c) and is supported by the fixing portion 21h. In addition, the lever is positioned between the proximal end portion of the lever 20a and the displacement output portion 100 at each end of the drive member 1 at a position slightly closer to the lever end position than the engagement position of the support point coupling portion 22a. An elastically deformable plate-shaped inverse coupling portion 23a for forming the inversion is coupled.

The support point coupling portion 22a and the reverse point coupling portion 23a have a relatively short plate shape, and are coupled at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the first lever 20a, respectively.

The second lever 20b is located on the outer side of the fixing portion 21i at an end portion on the side opposite to the end portion on the side of the lever 20a arrangement of the lever groups X and Y in the drive member longitudinal direction. It is arranged.

The second lever 20b has a base end portion of which is provided with a lever of the end of the fixing portion 21i (the lever groups X and Y in the longitudinal direction of the driving member) via the engaging portion 22b for the support point. It is coupled to the burr 20a (end of the arrangement side), and is coupled to the front end side portion of the first lever 20a via the inverse coupling portion 23b.

The support point coupling portion 22b and the reverse point coupling portion 23b have a relatively long plate shape and are coupled such that one end thereof substantially follows the longitudinal direction of the lever 20b with respect to the proximal end portion of the lever 20b. have.

The support point coupling part 22b and the anti-point coupling part 23b coupled to the proximal end portion of the second lever 20b have a length approximately twice that of the lever 20b.

A pair of connecting members which can be elastically deformed in the longitudinal direction between the tip end portion of the second lever 20b (lowest-side lever in the displacement transmission direction) of the lever groups X and Y and the fixing portion 21j ( 24 is hypothesized.

This connecting member 24 consists of an elastically deformable member, such as a leaf spring, is comprised in the shape of a mountain which has a small inclination in the longitudinal direction, and has the support part 242 in the front part of a longitudinal center part.

This connecting member 24 is spanned between the front end side portion of the lever 20b and the fixing portion 21j so that the top of the mountain faces upward. Moreover, the stiffening member 243 for buckling prevention is attached in the longitudinal direction of the connection member 24, and the connection member 24 mainly elastically deforms in parts other than this rigid member 243. As shown in FIG.

In this embodiment, as for the lens holder which is the movable member 3, the attachment part 33 protrudes and is formed in the both sides of the ring-shaped main body 30, and this attachment part 33 is the said connection member 24. The movable member 3 is supported by the connecting member 24 by being connected or engaged with the support part 242 of the longitudinal center of the.

In this embodiment, the connection member 24 elastically deforms by performing the displacement which the front end side part of the 2nd lever 20b of both lever groups X and Y approaches and isolate | separates with respect to the fixing part 21j, The height of the support part 242 changes, and the movable member 3 supported here is displaced up and down.

Three or more levers 20 constituting the lever groups X and Y of the displacement expanding mechanism 2 may be formed along the displacement transmission direction. For example, in the example of the present embodiment, the first lever One or more levers having the same principle as the first lever 20a may be formed between the 20a and the second lever 20b.

In addition, about the other structure regarding the drive member 1, the displacement expansion mechanism 2, etc., it is the same as that of embodiment of FIGS. 1-5, and since it is as above-mentioned, detailed description is abbreviate | omitted.

In the actuator of this embodiment, when a predetermined drive voltage is applied to the piezoelectric element which is the drive member 1, it extends in the direction of arrow A by dimensional distortion, and from the displacement output part 100 of both ends of the drive member 1, Displacement in the uniaxial direction is outputted to the 1st lever 20a of both lever groups X and Y, respectively (that is, presses the lever 20a) via the inverse coupling part 23a. As a result, the first lever 20a rotates in the outward direction (arrow (B) direction) while deforming the engaging portion 22a for the supporting point as the supporting point. By the rotational movement of the first lever 20a, the stationary engaging portion 23b of the second lever 20b is tensioned in the direction of the arrow C, whereby the second lever 20b is engaged with the supporting point. While deforming the portion 22b, it is rotated in the direction of the arrow D with this as the support point. As a result, the distance between the distal end portion of the second lever 20b and the fixing portion 21j is reduced, so that the connecting member 24 elastically deforms and the height of the supporting portion 242 rises, thereby supporting the movable member. (3) is displaced upward.

Naturally, when the piezoelectric element which is the drive member 1 shrinks in the direction of the arrow A, the movable member 3 is displaced (falls) downward by the operation opposite to the above. And in the process of the displacement transmission by the displacement expansion mechanism 2 as mentioned above, the displacement output from the drive member 1 expands (amplifies), and is several times more than the output displacement amount of the drive member 1 (in some cases, 100 times or more) is transmitted to the movable member.

24 to 26 show another embodiment of the actuator of the present invention, which is a modification of the embodiment of FIGS. 21 to 23. 24 is a perspective view, FIG. 25 is a plan view, and FIG. 26 is a perspective view of a movable member attached thereto.

This embodiment uses the connection member 24 (connection member 24 which can be elastically deformed in a length direction) different from the embodiment of FIGS. 21-23. The connecting member 24 has a main body 245 made of an elastically deformable member such as a leaf spring, and is formed in a mountain shape having a small inclination in the longitudinal direction, and supports the elastically deformable part of the central portion in the longitudinal direction. The plate part 246 has a structure which protruded. In addition, a part of the main body 245 of the connecting member 24 is attached to the rigid member 243 for preventing buckling, and the main body 245 mainly elastically deforms at a portion other than the rigid member 243.

The pair of connecting members 24 are arranged between the front end side portions of the second lever 20b of both lever groups X and Y and the fixing portion 21j so that the peaks of the mountain face each other. In this state, the support plate portions 246 of the two connecting members 24 face each other upwardly at an angle. And the movable member 3 is connected by attaching or engaging the attachment part 33 of the main body 30 both sides of the movable member 3 to the support plate part 246 of the longitudinal center of the connection member 24. It is supported by the member 24.

In this embodiment, the front ends of both connecting members 24 are moved by performing a displacement in which the tip end portion of the second lever 20b of both lever groups X and Y approaches and separates from the fixing portion 21j. When the support plate 246 elastically deforms, the movable member 3 is pushed up or pushed down, and the movable member 3 is displaced up and down with this approach and separation.

Claims (19)

The drive member 1 deforms to the deformation amount corresponding to the amount of energy input and outputs the deformation as a displacement in the uniaxial direction, and the displacement output from the drive member 1 to the movable member 3 while expanding the displacement amount. An actuator having a displacement expanding mechanism (2) which transmits and displaces the movable member (3), The displacement expansion mechanism 2 includes a plurality of levers 20 arranged along the displacement transmission direction, and a fixing portion 21 supporting the levers 20, Each lever 20 is supported by the fixing part 21 by being coupled to the fixing part 21 through the elastically deformable support point coupling part 22 which forms the support point of a lever, and is adjacent to the adjacent lever 20. And between the most upstream lever 20 in the displacement transmission direction and the displacement output portion 100 of the drive member 1 by an elastically deformable stationary engaging portion 23 that forms the stationary point of the lever, , The front end side portion of the downstreammost lever 20 in the displacement transmission direction is connected or engaged with the movable member 3 to displace the movable member 3 by the displacement of the downstreammost lever 20. Actuator characterized in that. The method of claim 1, The most upstream side lever 20 of the displacement transmission direction has its proximal end portion coupled to the fixed portion 21 via the support point engaging portion 22, and the drive member 1 via the reverse point engaging portion 23. And a lever 20 other than the most upstream lever 20, the proximal end portion of which is coupled to the fixed portion 21 through the coupling portion 22 for the support point. In addition, the actuator, characterized in that coupled to the front end side portion of the other lever (20) adjacent through the coupling point for 23. The method of claim 2, A support point engaging portion 22 and a reverse coupling portion 23 coupled to the proximal end portion of at least one lever 20 of the plurality of levers 20 are 1/4 or more of the length of the lever 20. An actuator having a length. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, Actuator characterized in that the displacement expanding mechanism (2) is composed of a molded body and / or a laminate made of metal or resin. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, Among the plurality of levers 20, the parallel direction of the support point engaging portion 22 and the reverse point engaging portion 23 coupled to the most downstream lever 20 in the displacement transfer direction is greater than that of the least downstream lever 20. The actuator is orthogonal to the displacement plane of the lever 20 on the upstream side. The method of claim 5, An actuator, characterized in that the drive member (1) and the displacement magnification mechanism (2) are arranged in a state of surrounding the movable member (3) in a plane. The method of claim 6, The displacement magnification mechanism 2 has a first and a second lever 20, and the movable member 3 is at least 3 by the drive member 1, the first lever 20, and the second lever 20. Actuator characterized in that the sides are surrounded. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The parallel direction of the support point engaging portion 22 and the reverse point engaging portion 23 coupled to the plurality of levers 20 is parallel to the displacement plane of the lever 20 on the upstream side of the lever 20. Actuator characterized by the above-mentioned. The method of claim 8, Displacement expansion mechanism 2 is provided with the 1st and 2nd lever 20, The said 1st and 2nd lever 20 and the drive member 1 are the coupling parts for the support point of the said 2nd lever 20. Actuator characterized in that it surrounds the fixing portion (21) to which the 22 is coupled in three directions. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, The sum of all the levers of the length of the straight line L connecting the distal end portion p1 of the lever 20 and the longitudinal center p2 of the support point engagement portion 22 coupled to the lever 20 And an actuator which is equal to or greater than the length in the displacement output direction of the drive member (1). The driving member 1 is deformed to the amount of deformation in accordance with the amount of energy input and outputs the deformation from both ends as a displacement in the uniaxial direction, and the movable member 3 is expanded while the displacement amount is output from the displacement output from the drive member 1. Actuator having a displacement expanding mechanism (2) for transmitting the up to) to displace the movable member (3), The displacement expansion mechanism 2 includes a pair of lever groups X and Y made up of a plurality of levers 20 arranged along the displacement transmission direction, a fixing portion 21 supporting the levers 20, and And a connecting member 24 which is elastically deformable in the longitudinal direction connecting the lowest lever 20 and the movable member 3 in the displacement transmission direction of both lever groups X and Y, Each lever 20 is supported by the fixing part 21 by being coupled to the fixing part 21 through the elastically deformable support point coupling part 22 which forms the support point of a lever, and is adjacent to the adjacent lever 20. And between the most upstream lever 20 in the displacement transmission direction and the displacement output portion 100 of the drive member 1 with an elastically deformable coupling portion 23 that forms an inversion of the lever, The distal end portion of the lowest lever 20 in the displacement transfer direction of the pair of lever groups X and Y and the movable member 3 are connected by the connecting member 24, and both the most downstream levers 20 are connected. And the movable member (3) is displaced through the connecting member (24) by the displacement of the actuator. The method of claim 11, In any one of the following (i)-(v), the front end side part and the movable member 3 of the downstreammost lever 20 of the pair of lever groups X and Y in the displacement transmission direction are connected to a connecting member ( Actuator, characterized in that connected to 24). (Iv) A pair of connecting members 24 connect the both side portions of the movable member 3 and the tip side portions of the two most downstream levers 20, respectively, and the tip side of the two most downstream levers 20, respectively. The movable member 3 is displaced by performing displacement in which parts approach and separate. (Ii) while the connecting member 24 connects the front end side portions of both of the most downstream lever levers 20, the intermediate portion of the connecting member 24 is coupled to the movable member 3, and the two most downstream levers ( The movable member 3 is displaced by displacing the tip portions of 20) to approach and separate. (Iii) A pair of connecting members 24 are installed on the front end side portions of the fixed portion 21 and the two most downstream levers 20, respectively, and the intermediate portions of both connecting members 24 are movable members 3. The movable member (3) is displaced by connecting or engaging the two side portions of the lever, respectively, and displacing the front end portions of the two most downstream levers (20) toward and away from the fixing portion (21). The method according to claim 11 or 12, wherein In each lever group X and Y, the most upstream side lever 20 of the displacement transmission direction couples the base end side to the fixed part 21 via the support part coupling part 22, It is coupled to each displacement output part 100 of the both ends of the drive member 1 via the engaging part 23, The lever 20 other than the said most upstream side lever 20, The proximal end part engages for a support point Actuator, characterized in that coupled to the fixed portion (21) through the portion 22, and coupled to the front end side portion of the other lever (20) adjacent through the anti-spot coupling portion (23). The method of claim 13, In each lever group (X, Y), the support point coupling part 22 and the power point coupling part 23 coupled to the proximal end portion of at least one lever 20 of the plurality of levers 20 are described above. Actuator, characterized in that having a length of 1/4 or more of the length of the lever (20). The method according to any one of claims 11 to 14, An actuator, characterized in that the displacement expanding mechanism (2) except for the displacement expanding mechanism (2) or the connecting member (24) is formed of a molded body and / or a laminate made of metal or / and resin. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 15, The pair of lever groups (X, Y) are actuators, characterized in that the planar shape and arrangement of the plurality of levers 20 are line symmetry or point symmetry. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 16, In each lever group (X, Y), a straight line (L) connecting the front end portion (p1) of the lever 20 and the longitudinal center (p2) of the engaging portion 22 for the support point coupled to the lever 20 The total of all the levers of the length of the actuator is more than the length in the displacement output direction of the drive member (1). The method according to any one of claims 1 to 17, The actuator (1) is any one of a piezoelectric element, a magnetostrictive element, and a shape memory alloy material. The tip side portion of the most downstream lever 20 in the displacement transfer direction is connected or engaged with the lens holder 3 so that the lens holder 3 is displaced by the displacement of the most downstream lever 20. A lens actuator using the actuator according to any one of claims 1 to 18.

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