Driving apparatus that drives driven body using lead screw, and image pickup apparatus equipped with this driving apparatus

• US 10,352,417 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2017
• Issued: 07/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Sugihara, Hiroyasu
• Primary Examiner(s): LaBalle, Clayton E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith, Linda B
• Application Number:
  US15/813,670
• Publication Number:
  US 20180163830A1
• Time in Patent Office: 608 Days
• Field of Search: 396144
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 25/20 Screw mechanisms with automatic reversal F16H25/12
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 25/24 Elements essential to such mechanisms, e.g. screws, nuts F16H25/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 25/2409 one of the threads being replaced by elements specially formed for engaging the screw or nut, e.g. pins, racks, toothed belts
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/08 adapted to co-operate with a remote control mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 19/12 Reflex cameras with single objective and a movable reflector or a partly-transmitting mirror
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2205/0053 Driving means for the movement of one or more optical element
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 3/02 moving lens along baseboard

Abstract

A driving apparatus reduces degradation of driving performance and durability when a driven body is displaced using a lead screw. The lead screw has a lead groove that is formed over first and second members and has first and second surfaces that face to each other in a width direction. The lead screw is rotated by a driving source. A moving member engages with the lead groove, and moves parallel to the lead screw according to rotation of the lead screw. A driven body is displaced between first and second positions according to movement of the moving member. A first energization member energizes the moving member toward the second surface when the moving member passes across a first junction that occurs at a boundary between the first and second members in a stroke where the moving member contacts with a drive surface of the first surface to be moved.

Claims

1. A driving apparatus comprising:

a driving source;

a lead screw that has a lead groove that is formed over at least a first member and a second member and has a first surface and a second surface that face to each other in a width direction, said lead screw being rotationally driven by said driving source;

a moving member that engages with the lead groove of said lead screw, and moves approximately parallel to said lead screw according to rotation of said lead screw;

a driven body that is displaced between a first position and a second position according to movement of said moving member; and

a first energization member that energizes said moving member to a side of the second surface at least when said moving member passes across a first junction that occurs at a boundary between the first member and the second member in a stroke where said moving member contacts with a drive surface of the first surface of the lead groove and moves in a direction from a first end to a second end of the lead groove,

wherein there is a period during which said first energization member does not generate the energization force to said moving member in the stroke where said moving member moves in the direction from the first end to the second end of the lead groove until said moving member reaches the second end after said moving member finishes passing across the first junction.

2. The driving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said moving member separates from the first junction by energization force of said first energization member at least when said moving member passes across the first junction in the stroke where said moving member moves in the direction from the first end to the second end of the lead groove.

3. The driving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first energization member continues to energize said moving member to the side of the second surface until said moving member has passed across the first junction in the stroke where said moving member moves in the direction from the first end to the second end of the lead groove.

4. The driving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second surface is not formed in the second member.

5. The driving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lead groove is formed over at least the first member, the second member, and a third member,

wherein the second surface of the lead groove includes a drive surface that drives said moving member from the side of the second end toward the first end in a formation direction of the lead groove, and

wherein a second junction occurs at a boundary between the first member and the third member in the second surface,

further comprising a second energization member that energizes said moving member to a side of the first surface at least when said moving member passes across the second junction in a stroke where said moving member moves in a direction from the second end to the first end of the lead groove.

6. The driving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein material of the second member differs from material of the first member.

7. The driving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a lead angle at the first end of the lead groove and a lead angle at the second end of the lead groove are smaller than a lead angle in a section between the first end and the second end.

8. The driving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said driven body is a mirror in an image pickup apparatus, and

wherein the first position is a mirror-down position and the second position is a mirror-up position.

9. The driving apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said moving member separates from the second junction by energization force of said second energization member at least when said moving member passes across the second junction in the stroke where said moving member moves in the direction from the second end to the first end of the lead groove.

10. The driving apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said second energization member continues to energize said moving member to the side of the first surface until said moving member has passed across the second junction in the stroke where said moving member moves in the direction from the second end to the first end of the lead groove.

11. The driving apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said first surface is not formed in the third member.

12. The driving apparatus according to claim 5, wherein there is a period during which said second energization member does not generate the energization force to said moving member in the stroke where said moving member moves in the direction from the second end to the first end of the lead groove until said moving member reaches the first end after said moving member finishes passing across the second junction.

13. The driving apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said first energization member and said second energization member are constituted by a common elastic member.

14. The driving apparatus according to claim 5, wherein material of the third member differs from material of the first member.

15. The driving apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the common elastic member is a torsion spring that is arranged so that two arms of the torsion spring nip a part fixed to said moving member and a part of said driven body.

16. An image pickup apparatus comprising:

a driving apparatus comprising;

a driving source;

a lead screw that has a lead groove that is formed over at least a first member and a second member and has a first surface and a second surface that face to each other in a width direction, said lead screw being rotationally driven by said driving source;

a moving member that engages with the lead groove of said lead screw, and moves approximately parallel to said lead screw according to rotation of said lead screw;

a driven body that is displaced between a first position and a second position according to movement of said moving member; and

a first energization member that energizes said moving member to a side of the second surface at least when said moving member passes across a first junction that occurs at a boundary between the first member and the second member in a stroke where said moving member contacts with a drive surface of the first surface of the lead groove and moves in a direction from a first end to a second end of the lead groove,

wherein there is a period during which said first energization member does not generate the energization force to said moving member in the stroke where said moving member moves in the direction from the first end to the second end of the lead groove until said moving member reaches the second end after said moving member finishes passing across the first junction.