Konica Minolta Opto, Inc.

Konica-minolta Holdings, Inc.

Natsuko Shiota

Yoshihiro Hara

Yasutaka Tanimura

Takeshi Aoi

Yasuhiro Honda

Shigeru Wada

Akira Kosaka

To provide a drive unit and a drive module which include a shape memory alloy as a drive source to move a driven member and are capable of the high-precision movement of the driven member to a reference position. A drive unit and a drive module can be provided by controlling, in the drive unit and the drive module which include the shape memory alloy as the drive source to move the driven member, the shape memory alloy so that the resistance of the shape memory alloy is equal to the resistance when the driven member is located at the reference position.

Drive unit, movable module, and autofocus control method

A storing section () stores a second initial contact instruction value, which is predefined as an instruction value for positioning a movable portion () to a second contact position where the movable portion () is contacted with a stopper (), and an initial standby instruction value, which is predefined as an instruction value for positioning the movable portion () to a specified standby position within a moving range of the movable portion (). A correcting section () calculates an actual standby instruction value by correcting the initial standby instruction value, based on a second actual contact instruction value obtained when a contact detection section () has detected that the movable portion () is positioned to the second contact position, and the second initial contact instruction value. A setting section () sets a standby position corresponding to the actual standby instruction value, as an actual standby position of the movable portion ().

Driving device made of shape-memory alloy

A drive device includes a setting unitfor setting a control value using a control value-displacement characteristic at a predetermined reference temperature showing a relationship between a control value used to position a movable unitand a displacement of the movable unit; a drive unitfor supplying drive power corresponding to the control value set by the setting unitto a shape-memory alloyand causing the shape-memory alloyto expand or contract, thereby positioning the movable unit; and a correction unitfor correcting the control value so as to correct a position shift of the movable unitfrom a target position resulting from a difference between a control value-displacement characteristic at an ambient temperature and a control value-displacement characteristic at the reference temperature based on the ambient temperature detected by a temperature detection unit

Drive device

Drive unit and drive module

A drive unit and drive module which use a shape memory alloy as a drive source to move a driven member, and which can drive at a high speed, independently of the ambient temperature and the position of the driven member. The timing of moving the driven member is controlled based on the position to which the driven member is moved, and based on the settling time for the driven member moved to that position to settle at that position, thus, the driven section can be moved in the minimum drive time, and this arrangement provides the drive unit and drive module that can drive at a high speed, independently of the ambient temperature and the position of the driven member.

An optical unit is provided which is characterized by compact configuration, high performance and minimized noise, and which has a drive element to drive a lens cone holding an image pickup optical system, and has the same outside diameter as the lens cone, wherein the optical unit drives the image pickup optical system by expanding and contracting the drive element in a direction of an optical axis of the image pickup optical system. An image pickup apparatus is provided which is characterized by compact configuration, high performance and minimized noise, and which has an optical unit coupled to an image pickup unit through a drive element, and has the same outside diameter as the optical unit, wherein the apparatus drives the optical unit by expanding and contracting the drive unit in a direction of an optical axis of the optical unit.

Optical unit and image pickup apparatus utilizing electrostrictive drive elements

An object of the present invention is to provide a polymer actuator that does not need a special member for determining the output direction of the drive force or a support member, and which is simply configured with a small number of parts and is compact and low-cost. The present invention provides a polymer actuator that includes electrodes which are inelastic in a planar direction and sandwich a stretching portion of a dielectric polymer with a gradient in thickness, and also provides an optical system including the polymer actuator.

Growing community of inventors

Ibaraki, Japan

Natsuko Shiota