Sony Corporation

Hiroaki Tojo

Kazuhiko Takatsuka

Hiroshi Mashima

Naoyuki Ohno

Masashi Nishimoto

Satoshi Shirakata

Hironori Shimizu

A camera module includes a lens barrel, a lens holder, an image pickup device, and a plurality of springs supporting the lens holder in such a manner that the lens holder is movable along an optical axis of an imaging optical system. Each of the springs includes first and second arm portions extending perpendicularly to each other in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis. Each of the first and second arm portions includes two parallel spring strips that are connected to each other by an arc portion. One of the spring strips of the first arm portion is connected to one of the spring strips of the second arm portion. The other one of the spring strips of the first arm portion is attached to the lens holder, and the other one of the spring strips of the second arm portion is attached to the lens barrel.

Camera module

A lens barrel includes: a plurality of lenses disposed in an outer enclosure; an imaging device that converts image light introduced through the plurality of lenses into an image signal; a first movable unit including a first movable lens and a first lens holder that holds the first movable lens; a second movable unit including a second movable lens and a second lens holder that holds the second movable lens; a first lead screw rotated by a first drive motor; a second lead screw rotated by a second drive motor; a first nut member made of a metal material threadably engaging the first lead screw and connected to the first lens holder; and a second nut member made of a metal material threadably engaging the second lead screw and connected to the second lens holder.

Lens barrel and imaging apparatus

A lens barrel including a base and a collapsible barrel provided so as to collapse into and expand out of the base, the barrel including a lens constituting an image-capturing optical system for introducing an image of an object, a lens frame for holding the lens, and an operational unit provided in the lens frame for performing an operation relating to image capture based on a control signal supplied thereto, the lens barrel including a flexible substrate provided within the lens barrel for supplying the control signal from an electric circuit provided outside the barrel to the operational unit; wherein the flexible substrate has a first interconnect section to which the control signal is supplied; and a second interconnect section provided separately from the first interconnect section and having an end connected onto the lens frame and another end electrically connected to a ground potential.

Growing community of inventors

Chiba, Japan

Hiroaki Tojo