INTEGRATED CAMERA LENS SUSPENSION

• US 20160154251A1
• Filed: 11/25/2015
• 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: Ladwig, Peter F., Miller, Mark A., Jenneke, Richard R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,541,769 B2
• 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 camera lens suspension assembly in comprises a support member including a support metal base layer formed as single piece of metal, a moving member including a moving metal base layer formed as a single piece of metal, a plurality of bearings and smart memory alloy wires. The support member includes a bearing plate portion, a plurality of static wire attach structures, and a plurality of mount regions, all formed from or on the support metal base layer. A printed circuit on the support metal base layer includes traces extending to each static wire attach structure. The moving member includes a moving plate portion, a plurality of elongated flexure arms extending from a periphery of the moving plate portion and including mount regions on ends opposite the moving plate portion, and a plurality of moving wire attach structures, all in the moving metal base layer. The bearings are between and engage the bearing plate portion of the support member and the moving plate portion of the moving member, to enable movement of the moving member with respect to the support member. Each of the smart memory alloy wires is attached to and extends one of the static wire attach structures and one of the moving wire attach structures.

Claims

1. A suspension assembly, comprising:

a support member including a support metal base layer formed as single piece of metal, comprising;

a bearing plate portion in the support metal base layer; and

a static wire attach structure in the support metal base layer;

a moving member including a moving metal base layer formed as a single piece of metal and mounted to the support member, comprising;

a moving plate portion in the moving metal base layer;

flexure arms in the moving metal base layer extending from the moving plate portion and coupled to the support member; and

a moving wire attach structure in the moving metal base layer;

a bearing between and engaging the bearing plate portion of the support member and the moving plate portion of the moving member, to enable movement of the moving member with respect to the support member; and

a smart memory alloy wire attached to and extending between the static wire attach structure of the support member and the moving wire attach structure of the moving member.

2. The suspension assembly of claim 1 wherein:

the support member includes a plurality of static wire attach structures;

the moving member includes a plurality of moving wire attach structures, and

the suspension includes a plurality of smart memory alloy wires, each wire attached to and extending between one of the plurality of static wire attach structures and one of the plurality of moving wire attach structures.

3. The suspension assembly of claim 2 wherein:

the support member includes four static wire attach structures;

the moving member includes four moving wire attach structures; and

the suspension includes four smart memory alloy wires.

4. The suspension assembly of claim 3 wherein:

the four static wire attach structures are arranged as two pairs of adjacent static wire attach structures, and wherein the pairs of static wire attach structures are spaced from one another about a first axis; and

the four moving wire attach structures are arranged as two pairs of adjacent moving wire attach structures, and wherein the pairs of moving wire attach structures are spaced from one another about a second axis, and wherein the second axis is perpendicular to the first axis.

5. The suspension assembly of claim 4 wherein the static wire attach structures and the moving wire attach structures comprise crimps.

6. The suspension assembly of claim 1 wherein the static wire attach structure and the moving wire attach structure comprise crimps.

7. The suspension assembly of claim 1 and including a printed circuit on the support metal base layer of the support member.

8. The suspension assembly of claim 7 wherein the printed circuit includes a trace extending to the static wire attach structure.

9. The suspension assembly of claim 1 wherein the bearing movably engages both the bearing plate portion in the support metal base layer and the moving plate portion in the moving metal base layer.

10. The suspension assembly of claim 9 wherein the bearing comprises a ball.

11. The suspension assembly of claim 9 and further including a plurality of bearings, and wherein each bearing movably engages both the bearing plate portion in the support metal base layer and the moving plate portion in the moving metal base layer.

12. The suspension assembly of claim 11 wherein the bearings comprise balls.

13. The suspension assembly of claim 1 wherein the flexure arms of the moving member are elongated members extending from a periphery of the moving plate portion.

14. The suspension assembly of claim 13 wherein:

the flexure arms include mount regions on ends opposite the moving plate portion;

the bearing plate portion of the support member includes mount regions; and

the mount regions of the flexure arms are attached to the mount regions of the support member.

15. The suspension assembly of claim 14 and further including welds attaching the mount regions of the flexure arms to the mount regions of the support member.

16. The suspension assembly of claim 14 wherein the mount regions of the flexure arms are mechanically and electrically coupled to the mount regions of the support member.

17. A camera lens suspension assembly, comprising:

a support member including a support metal base layer formed as single piece of metal, comprising;

a bearing plate portion in the support metal base layer;

a plurality of static wire attach structures in the support metal base layer;

a plurality of mount regions on the support metal base layer; and

a printed circuit on the support metal base layer, including traces extending to each static wire attach structure;

a moving member including a moving metal base layer formed as a single piece of metal, comprising;

a moving plate portion in the moving metal base layer;

a plurality of elongated flexure arms in the moving metal base layer extending from a periphery of the moving plate portion and including mount regions on ends opposite the moving plate portion; and

a plurality of moving wire attach structures in the moving metal base layer;

a plurality of bearings between and engaging the bearing plate portion of the support member and the moving plate portion of the moving member, to enable movement of the moving member with respect to the support member; and

smart memory alloy wires attached to and extending between each static wire attach structure of the support member and one of the moving wire attach structures of the moving member.

18. The suspension assembly of claim 17 wherein the static wire attach structures and the moving wire attach structures comprise crimps.

19. The suspension assembly of claim 17 wherein the bearings movably engage both the bearing plate portion in the support metal base layer and the moving plate portion in the moving metal base layer.

20. The suspension assembly of claim 19 wherein the bearings comprise balls.

21. The suspension assembly of claim 17 and further including welds attaching the mount regions of the flexure arms to the mount regions of the support member.

22. The suspension assembly of claim 21 wherein the mount regions of the flexure arms are mechanically and electrically coupled to the mount regions of the support member.

23. The suspension assembly of claim 22 wherein the bearings comprise balls movably engaging both the bearing plate portion in the support metal base layer and the moving plate portion in the moving metal base layer.

24. The suspension assembly of claim 23 wherein the static wire attach structures and the moving wire attach structures comprise crimps.

25. A support member for a suspension assembly of the type configured to have a moving member mounted to the support member, comprising:

a support metal base layer formed as single piece of metal;

a bearing plate portion in the support metal base layer;

a plurality of static wire attach structures, optionally crimps, in the support metal base layer;

a plurality of mount regions on the support metal base layer configured to be mounted to flexure arm mount regions of a moving member; and

a printed circuit on the support metal base layer, including traces extending to each static wire attach structure.

26. A moving member for a suspension assembly of the type configured to have a support member mounted to the moving member, comprising:

a moving metal base layer formed as a single piece of metal;

a moving plate portion in the moving metal base layer; and

a plurality of elongated flexure arms in the moving metal base layer extending from a periphery of the moving plate portion and including mount regions on ends opposite the moving plate portion; and

a plurality of moving wire attach structures, optionally crimps, in the moving metal base layer.