Panasonic Corporation

Shinsuke Kimoto

Takefumi Inoue

Norifumi Sata

Masaya Watada

Takuo Osaki

A lens driving device has a carrier, a coil, an upper spring, a lower spring, a yoke, a magnet, and a lower member. The carrier is cylindrical and has a hollow part along a vertical direction so that a lens can be carried. The coil is fixed to an outer peripheral surface of the carrier. The upper spring is arranged over the carrier, and fixed to the yoke. The lower spring is arranged below the carrier. The yoke is formed into a box shape having a side wall and an opening on the lower side, and arranged around the carrier. The magnet is arranged in the yoke so as to be opposed to the coil. The lower member is arranged below the yoke. The lower member has a projection part connected to the yoke. The projection part is inserted between an inner surface of the side wall of the yoke and an outer surface of the magnet and connected to the yoke. Thus, the yoke and the lower member can be connected such that space for the magnet to be arranged in the yoke is less affected.

Lens driving device

A lens actuator has a carrier, a cover, a first spring, a second spring, a coil, and a magnet. The carrier with a cylindrical shape is provided with a hollow section formed along a first direction, and has a holding section formed on one side of the first direction. The hollow section has a shape configured to mount a lens barrel therein. The cover, which is disposed on the side having the holding section of the carrier, has a supporting section that meets with the holding section of the carrier. The first spring and the second spring make a resilient contact with each of both surfaces in the first direction of the carrier. The coil is circumferentially disposed on the carrier so as to face the magnet. Of the coil and the magnet, one is mounted on the carrier and the other is disposed on the outer or the inner periphery of the carrier.

Lens actuator, lens unit using the lens actuator and method for manufacturing the lens unit

A lens actuator is provided for moving a movable part including a lens, with respect to a fixed part in the optical axis direction of the lens. The lens actuator includes (a) a magnet disposed on the surface of the movable part facing the fixed part and magnetized in the optical axis direction, (b) a coil disposed on the surface of the fixed part facing the magnet, and (c) a pair of magnetic materials disposed on both sides of the magnet in the optical axis direction, to direct magnetic flux from the magnet toward the coil.

Lens actuator, and electronic device using the same

A lens actuator includes a carrier having a tubular shape having a through-hole provided therein. The through-hole is arranged to mount a lens therein. The lens actuator further includes plural springs contacting upper and lower surfaces of the carrier, a coil fixed to the carrier, a first yoke, a second yoke, and a magnet contacting the first yoke and the second yoke. The coil is placed between the first yoke and the second yoke. This lens actuator moves the lens by a long distance, and has a small size.

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Osaka, Japan

Shinsuke Kimoto