CAMERA LENS SUSPENSION WITH POLYMER BEARINGS

• US 20160154250A1
• Filed: 11/24/2015
• Published: 06/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hutchinson Technology Incorporated (TDK Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hutchinson Technology Incorporated (TDK Corporation)
• Inventors: Miller, Mark A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,366,879 B1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 1/027 Planar, e.g. in sheet form; leaf springs
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 15/005 using electro- or magnetostrictive actuation means generating of mechanical vibrations operating with electrostriction B06B1/06, with magnetostriction B06B1/08; vehicle suspension arrangements characterised by use of piezoelectric elements B60G17/01941; piezoelectric, electrostrictive and magnetostrictive devices per se H10N30/00
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 13/022 repositionable
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/646 compensating for small deviations, e.g. due to vibration or shake movement of one or more optical elements for control of motion blur in cameras, projectors or printers G03B2205/0007; image stabilisation in cameras peculiar to the presence or use of an electronic image sensor H04N23/68
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/02 for lenses supports for magnifying lenses G02B25/002
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/023 permitting adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/08 adapted to co-operate with a remote control mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/09 adapted for automatic focusing or varying magnification
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/028 Bending or folding regions of flexible printed circuits H05K1/0283 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1417 having securing means for mounting boards, plates or wiring boards H05K7/1461 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1422 Printed circuit boards receptacles, e.g. stacked structures, electronic circuit modules or box like frames

Abstract

A suspension assembly for a camera lens element includes a support member with a wire attach structure and a moving member coupled to the support member. The moving member includes a plate, flexure arms extending from the plate and coupled to the support member, and a wire attach structure. A bearing supports the plate of the moving member for movement with respect to the support member. The bearing includes a spacer portion extending from one of the support member and the plate of the moving member, and a polymer interface surface portion slidably engaged with the other of the support member and the plate of the moving member. A smart memory alloy wire is coupled to and extends between the wire attach structures of the support member and the moving member.

Claims

1. A suspension assembly, comprising:

a support member including a wire attach structure;

a moving member coupled to the support member, including;

a plate;

flexure arms extending from the plate and coupled to the support member; and

a wire attach structure;

a bearing supporting the plate of the moving member for movement with respect to the support member, the bearing including;

a spacer portion extending from one of the support member and the plate of the moving member; and

a polymer interface surface portion slidably engaged with the other of the support member and the plate of the moving member; and

a smart memory alloy wire coupled to and extending between the wire attach structures of the support member and the moving member.

2. The suspension assembly of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of the bearings.

3. The suspension assembly of claim 2, wherein the polymer interface surface portions of the bearings include one of polyoxymethylene and fluoropolymers such as Teflon and Xylan

4. The suspension assembly of claim 3 wherein the spacer portions of the bearings comprise metal.

5. The suspension assembly of claim 4 wherein:

the plate of the moving member comprises metal; and

the spacer portions of the bearings include formed dimples in the metal of the moving member plate.

6. The suspension assembly of claim 2 wherein:

the support member comprises a metal base layer; and

the spacer portions are attached to and extend from the metal base layer of the support member.

7. The suspension assembly of claim 6 wherein the spacer portions of the bearings comprise polymer, optionally polyoxymethylene.

8. The suspension assembly of claim 7 and further including layers of adhesive joining the polymer spacer portions to the metal base layer of the support member.

9. The suspension assembly of claim 8 wherein:

the metal base layer of the support member further includes partial etched pockets; and

the bearings are attached to and extend from the metal base layer in the partial etched pockets of the support member.

10. The suspension assembly of claim 8, wherein the polymer interface surface portions of the bearing include polyoxymethylene.

11. The suspension assembly of claim 7, wherein the polymer interface surface portions of the bearing include polyoxymethylene.

12. The suspension assembly of claim 6 wherein the spacer portions of the bearings comprise the same polymer as the polymer interface portions.

13. The suspension assembly of claim 1 wherein the polymer interface surface portion of the bearing includes one of polyoxymethylene and a fluoropolymer such as Teflon and Xylan

14. The suspension assembly of claim 13 wherein the spacer portion of the bearing comprises metal.

15. The suspension assembly of claim 14 wherein:

the plate of the moving member comprises metal; and

the spacer portion of the bearing includes a formed dimple in the metal of the moving member plate.

16. The suspension assembly of claim 1 wherein:

the support member comprises a metal base layer; and

the spacer portion of the bearing is attached to and extends from the metal base layer of the support member.

17. The suspension assembly of claim 16 wherein the spacer portion of the bearing comprises polymer, optionally polyoxymethylene.

18. The suspension assembly of claim 17 and further including a layer of adhesive joining the polymer spacer portion to the metal base layer of the support member.

19. The suspension assembly of claim 18 wherein:

the metal base layer of the support member further includes a partial etched pocket; and

the bearing is attached to and extends from the metal base layer in the partial etched pocket of the support member.

20. The suspension assembly of claim 19, wherein the polymer interface surface portion of the bearing includes polyoxymethylene.

21. The suspension assembly of claim 17, wherein the polymer interface surface portions of the bearing include polyoxymethylene.

22. The suspension assembly of claim 16 wherein the spacer portion of the bearing comprises the same polymer as the polymer interface portions.

23. The suspension assembly of claim 16 and further including a layer of adhesive joining the polymer spacer portion to the metal base layer of the support member.

24. A suspension assembly, comprising:

a support member including a wire attach structure;

a moving member coupled to the support member, including;

a plate;

flexure arms extending from the plate and coupled to the support member; and

a wire attach structure;

low friction polymer material defining a sliding bearing interface between the support member and the plate of the moving member; and

a smart memory alloy wire coupled to and extending between the wire attach structures of the support member and the moving member.

25. The suspension assembly of claim 24 wherein the sliding bearing interface comprises a plurality of spaced-apart low friction polymer regions, wherein each low friction polymer region has a perimeter.

26. The suspension assembly of claim 25 wherein the low friction polymer regions are fixedly mounted to the moving member plate.

27. The suspension assembly of claim 26 and further including spacer portions attached to and extending from the moving member plate, and wherein the low friction polymer regions are on the spacer portions.

28. The suspension assembly of claim 25 wherein the low friction polymer regions are polymer cylinders mounted to the support member, optionally by adhesive.

29. The suspension assembly of claim 24 wherein the sliding bearing interface includes a spacer portion extending from the support member, and wherein the spacer portion optionally includes a formed dimple in the support member.

30. A suspension assembly, comprising:

a support member including a wire attach structure;

a moving member coupled to the support member, including;

a plate;

flexure arms extending from the plate and coupled to the support member; and

a wire attach structure;

a bearing supporting the plate of the moving member for movement with respect to the support member, the bearing including;

a spacer portion extending from the support member; and

a polymer interface surface portion slidably engaged with the plate of the moving member; and

a smart memory alloy wire coupled to and extending between the wire attach structures of the support member and the moving member.