Stage apparatus and camera shake correction apparatus using the stage apparatus

• US 20060017818A1
• Filed: 07/22/2005
• Published: 01/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PENTAX RICOH IMAGING COMPANY, LTD.
• Original Assignee: Pentax Corporation (Hoya Corporation)
• Inventors: Enomoto, Shigeo
• Granted Patent: US 7,327,952 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/219.100
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2205/0007 Movement of one or more optical elements for control of motion blur imaging systems in general using optical elements for stabilisation of the position of the image G02B27/64
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2217/002 Details of arrangement of components in or on camera body
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 5/00 Adjustment of optical system relative to image or object surface other than for focusing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/54 Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/68 for stable pick-up of the scene, e.g. compensating for camera body vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/687 by shifting the lens or sensor position

Abstract

A stage apparatus includes a Y-direction deformable body including a stationary support member, a movable support member and a pair of X-direction leaf springs to form a substantially rectangular shape in a free state; and an X-direction deformable body, positioned in the Y-direction deformable body, including a connecting member, a support member and a pair of Y-direction leaf springs to form a substantially rectangular shape in a free state. The support member of the X-direction deformable body includes a support member joint portion which joins the support member to the movable support member of the Y-direction deformable body. The X-direction deformable body and the Y-direction deformable body are integrally molded by synthetic resin together with the support member joint portion.

Claims

1. A stage apparatus comprising:

a Y-direction deformable body including a stationary support member, a movable support member and a pair of X-direction leaf springs to form a substantially rectangular shape in a free state; and

an X-direction deformable body, positioned in said Y-direction deformable body, including a connecting member, a support member and a pair of Y-direction leaf springs to form a substantially rectangular shape in a free state;

wherein said stationary support member and said movable support member of the Y-direction deformable body and a pair of said Y-direction leaf springs of the X-direction deformable body extend in a specific Y-direction, said stationary support member being fixed to a stationary body;

wherein a pair of said X-direction leaf springs of the Y-direction deformable body and said connecting member and said support member of the X-direction deformable body extend in an X-direction perpendicular to said Y-direction;

wherein said support member of said X-direction deformable body includes a support member joint portion which joins said support member to said movable support member of said Y-direction deformable body, and

wherein said X-direction deformable body and said Y-direction deformable body are integrally molded by synthetic resin together with said support member joint portion.

2. The stage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of each said pair of X-direction leaf springs of said Y-direction deformable body in said Y-direction is smaller than a thickness of each said stationary support member and said movable support member of said Y-direction deformable body in the X-direction.

3. The stage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of each said pair of Y-direction leaf springs of said X-direction deformable body in said X-direction is smaller than a thickness of each said support member and said connecting member of said X-direction deformable body in the Y-direction.

4. The stage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each said pair of X-direction leaf springs comprise two grooves at opposite ends thereof, respectively, which extend in a Z-direction orthogonal to both said X-direction and said Y-direction.

5. The stage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each said pair of Y-direction leaf springs comprise two grooves at opposite ends thereof, respectively, which extend in a Z-direction orthogonal to both said X-direction and said Y-direction.

6. The stage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein opposite ends of each said pair of X-direction leaf springs are smaller in thickness than a middle portion thereof in said Y-direction.

7. The stage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein opposite ends of each said pair of Y-direction leaf springs are smaller in thickness than a middle portion thereof in said X-direction.

8. The stage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said X-direction deformable body and said Y-direction deformable body are molded as one body by injection molding.

9. The stage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said stage apparatus includes a shake correction apparatus comprising:

a coil substrate fixed to said connecting member;

at least one position sensor, mounted to said coil substrate, for detecting a position of said coil substrate in said X-direction and said Y-direction; and

an X-direction planar drive coil and a Y-direction planar drive coil which are mounted to said coil substrate to be respectively positioned in magnetic fields of two stationary magnets fixed to said stationary body.

10. The stage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one projection which projects from said stationary support member is fixed to said stationary body.

11. The stage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said stage apparatus is incorporated in a camera.

12. The stage apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said coil substrate lies in a plane perpendicular to a Z-direction orthogonal to both said X-direction and said Y-direction.

13. The stage apparatus according to claim 9, wherein an image pickup device is mounted to said coil substrate.

14. A camera shake correction apparatus using said stage apparatus according to claim 9, said camera shake correction apparatus comprising:

a camera which incorporates said stage apparatus;

an image pickup device positioned behind a photographing optical system of said camera, having an imaging surface located on an image plane of said photographing optical system, and being movable together with said connecting member of said X-direction deformable body;

a camera shake detection sensor which detects camera shake of said camera; and

a controller which applies a voltage to said X-direction planar drive coil and said Y-direction planar drive coil in accordance with said camera shake detected by said camera shake detection sensor to stabilize an object image which is formed on said imaging surface of said image pickup device through said photographing optical system.

15. The camera shake correction apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said controller applies said voltage to said X-direction planar drive coil and said Y-direction planar drive coil to reduce a difference between the amount of said camera shake detected by said camera shake detection sensor and the amount of movement of said connecting member which is detected by said position sensor.

16. A camera shake correction apparatus using said stage apparatus according to claim 9, said camera shake correction apparatus comprising:

a camera which incorporates said stage apparatus;

a correction lens located in front of an image plane of a photographing optical system of said camera, positioned so that an optical axis of said correction lens coincides with an optical axis of said photographing optical system, said correction lens being movable together with said connecting member of said X-direction deformable body;

a camera shake detection sensor which detects camera shake of said camera; and

a controller which applies a voltage to said X-direction planar drive coil and said Y-direction planar drive coil in accordance with said camera shake detected by said camera shake detection sensor to stabilize an object image which is formed on said imaging surface of said image pickup device through said photographing optical system.

17. The camera shake correction apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said controller applies said voltage to said X-direction planar drive coil and said Y-direction planar drive coil to reduce a difference between the amount of said camera shake detected by said camera shake detection sensor and the amount of movement of said connecting member which is detected by said position sensor.

27. The stage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said pair of X-direction leaf springs are made of metal and formed as two leaf spring portions of a U-shaped spring.

28. The stage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said pair of Y-direction leaf springs are made of metal and formed as two leaf spring portions of a U-shaped spring.

29. The stage apparatus according to claim 14, said the stage apparatus comprising:

a coil substrate fixed to said connecting member;

at least one position sensor, mounted to said coil substrate, for detecting a position of said coil substrate in said X-direction and said Y-direction; and

an X-direction planar drive coil and a Y-direction planar drive coil which are mounted to said coil substrate to be respectively positioned in magnetic fields of two stationary magnets fixed to said stationary body.

30. A camera shake correction apparatus using said stage apparatus according to claim 29, said camera shake correction apparatus comprising:

a camera which incorporates said stage apparatus;

an image pickup device positioned behind a photographing optical system of said camera, having an imaging surface located on an image plane of said photographing optical system, and being movable together with said connecting member of said X-direction deformable body;

a camera shake detection sensor which detects camera shake of said camera; and

a controller which applies a voltage to said X-direction planar drive coil and said Y-direction planar drive coil in accordance with said camera shake detected by said camera shake detection sensor to stabilize an object image which is formed on said imaging surface of said image pickup device through said photographing optical system.

31. The camera shake correction apparatus according to claim 30, wherein said controller applies said voltage to said X-direction planar drive coil and said Y-direction planar drive coil to reduce a difference between the amount of said camera shake detected by said camera shake detection sensor and the amount of movement of said connecting member which is detected by said position sensor.

32. A camera shake correction apparatus using said stage apparatus according to claim 29, said camera shake correction apparatus comprising:

a camera which incorporates said stage apparatus;

a correction lens located in front of an image plane of a photographing optical system of said camera, positioned so that an optical axis of said correction lens coincides with an optical axis of said photographing optical system, said correction lens being movable together with said connecting member of said X-direction deformable body;

a camera shake detection sensor which detects camera shake of said camera; and

a controller which applies a voltage to said X-direction planar drive coil and said Y-direction planar drive coil in accordance with said camera shake detected by said camera shake detection sensor to stabilize an object image which is formed on said imaging surface of said image pickup device through said photographing optical system.

33. The camera shake correction apparatus according to claim 32, wherein said controller applies said voltage to said X-direction planar drive coil and said Y-direction planar drive coil to reduce a difference between the amount of said camera shake detected by said camera shake detection sensor and the amount of movement of said connecting member which is detected by said position sensor.

18. A stage apparatus comprising:

a Y-direction deformable body including a stationary support member, a movable support member and a pair of X-direction leaf springs to form a substantially rectangular shape in a free state; and

an X-direction deformable body, positioned in said Y-direction deformable body, including a connecting member, a support member and a pair of Y-direction leaf springs to form a substantially rectangular shape in a free state;

wherein said stationary support member and said movable support member of the Y-direction deformable body and a pair of said Y-direction leaf springs of the X-direction deformable body extend in a specific Y-direction, said stationary support member being fixed to a stationary body;

wherein a pair of said X-direction leaf springs of the Y-direction deformable body and said connecting member and said support member of the X-direction deformable body extend in an X-direction perpendicular to said Y-direction;

wherein at least one pair of said pair of X-direction leaf springs and said pair of Y-direction leaf springs are made of metal;

wherein said support member of said X-direction deformable body includes a support member joint portion which joins said support member to said movable support member of said Y-direction deformable body, and

wherein said X-direction deformable body and said Y-direction deformable body, except said at least one pair of said pair of X-direction leaf springs and said pair of Y-direction leaf springs which are made of metal, are integrally molded by synthetic resin together with said support member joint portion.

19. The stage apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising an X-direction reinforcing element which is fixed to a middle portion of each said pair of X-direction leaf springs in a lengthwise direction thereof so that a flexural rigidity and a torsional rigidity of said middle portion of each said pair of X-direction leaf springs are greater than those of a remaining portion of each said pair of X-direction leaf springs.

20. The stage apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said X-direction reinforcing element is made of synthetic resin.

21. The stage apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said pair of X-direction leaf springs are made of metal, and

wherein said X-direction reinforcing element includes a pair of X-direction reinforcing projections which are integrally formed on each said pair of X-direction leaf springs by press forming to project from opposite ends thereof in a Z-direction orthogonal to both said X-direction and said Y-direction.

22. The stage apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising a Y-direction reinforcing element which is fixed to a middle portion of each said pair of Y-direction leaf springs in a lengthwise direction thereof so that a flexural rigidity and a torsional rigidity of said middle portion of each said pair of Y-direction leaf springs are greater than those of a remaining portion of each said pair of Y-direction leaf springs.

23. The stage apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said Y-direction reinforcing element is made of synthetic resin.

24. The stage apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said pair of Y-direction leaf springs are made of metal, and

wherein said Y-direction reinforcing element comprises a pair of Y-direction reinforcing projections which are integrally formed on each said pair of Y-direction leaf springs by press forming to project from opposite ends thereof in a Z-direction orthogonal to both said X-direction and said Y-direction.

25. The stage apparatus according to claim 21, wherein each said pair of X-direction reinforcing projections is L-shaped in cross section.

26. The stage apparatus according to claim 24, wherein each said pair of Y-direction reinforcing projections is L-shaped in cross section.