The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 22, 2007
Filed:
Jan. 07, 2005
Katsuyuki Honda, Suwa, JP;
Shoichi Nagao, Suwa, JP;
Hiroyuki Mukaiyama, Suwa, JP;
Akihiro Shimizu, Suwa, JP;
Akira Komatsu, Suwa, JP;
Katsuyuki Honda, Suwa, JP;
Shoichi Nagao, Suwa, JP;
Hiroyuki Mukaiyama, Suwa, JP;
Akihiro Shimizu, Suwa, JP;
Akira Komatsu, Suwa, JP;
Seiko Epson Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A drive apparatus improves drive efficiency while reducing device size, and a lens unit and a camera using the drive apparatus. A cam member is driven rotationally by vibration of an oscillator in the lens unit and thereby causes lenses to move forward and backward. The construction and operation of the drive apparatus supplants the need for a complicated drive mechanism using an electromagnetic motor and incumbent gears or cam rings. The simplified drive apparatus enables the device in which it is embodied to be made compact. Driving the lenses by means of a cam member minimizes energy loss due to friction, and thus sufficiently improves drive efficiency.