Optical assembly with a roller bearing linear guide and a motorized drive

• US 8,208,208 B2
• Filed: 07/04/2007
• Issued: 06/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Martin Schwab
• Original Assignee: Martin Schwab
• Inventors: Schwab, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Martinez, Joseph P
• Application Number:
  US12/530,958
• Publication Number:
  US 20100091391A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,819 Days
• Field of Search: 359/704
• US Class Current: 359/704
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/023 permitting adjustment

Abstract

Optical assembly consisting of at least one lens holder and a stator, wherein the lens holder (1) is mounted on the stator (2) via a roller bearing linear guide with roller body guide tracks (A, B, C, D) constructed on the lens holder (1) and on the stator (2), in the region of which linear guide a motorized actuator element (7) engages with the lens holder (1) in such a way that the lens holder (1) is movable relative to the stator along an axis vertical to an image recording plane of an image recording means (4).

Claims

1. An optical assembly comprising:

at least one optical component and a stator,

wherein the optical component is mounted on the stator via a roller bearing linear guide with rolling body guide paths (A, B, C, D) which are formed on the optical component and on the stator, in the area of which linear guide a motor actuating element acts on the optical component such that the optical component can be moved relative to the stator along an axis which is at right angles to an image recording plane of an image recording means; and

wherein a side attachment is provided on the optical component, on which attachment two guide paths (A, B) are formed which are opposite one another at the side, which attachment engages in a holding area, which is provided on the stator and has two mutually opposite guide paths (C, D), wherein the mutually opposite guide paths (A, B, C, D) of the attachment and of the holding area complement one another to form two guide channels with rolling bodies therein.

2. The optical assembly of claim 1, wherein the rolling bodies are held in a prestressed manner.

3. The optical assembly of claim 2, wherein the guide paths (C, D) of the stator are sprung.

4. The optical assembly of claim 3, wherein the guide paths (C, D) are provided on sections which are sprung on the stator.

5. The optical assembly of claim 4, wherein the sprung sections are separated from the stator base via a narrow gap.

6. The optical assembly of claim 1, wherein a toothed section with which a pinion on the motor actuating element engages, is provided on a or the side attachment which is provided on the optical component.

7. The optical assembly of claim 1, wherein two or more optical components and a common stator, are provided.

8. The optical assembly of claim 7, wherein each of the optical components can be moved separately relative to the stator via its own motor actuating element, or in that at least some of the optical components are coupled to one another for movement purposes and can be moved via a common motor actuating element, while the other optical component or components can be moved relative to the stator via possibly in each case one dedicated motor actuating element.

9. The optical assembly of claim 8, wherein two or more optical components are provided, wherein the attachments on the optical components which are arranged one above the other are aligned rotatable through an angle with respect to one another and wherein holding areas for the respective attachments are provided, corresponding to the position of the attachments, on mutually opposite sides of the stator.

10. The optical assembly of claim 9, wherein the attachments on the lower and on the upper optical component are located one above the other and engage in a common holding area, while the attachment on the central optical component is rotated through an angle and engages in a holding area which is arranged correspondingly offset.

11. The optical assembly of claim 8, wherein three or more optical components are provided, wherein only the lower first and the following optical component have an attachment, which attachments are positioned rotated through an angle with respect to one another and are arranged in corresponding holding areas in the stator, and wherein the third and possibly following optical components is or are coupled for movement purposes to the lowest first or the following optical component via a connecting arm.

12. The optical assembly of claim 7 wherein two or more optical components are provided, whose attachments are located one above the other and engage in a common holding area.

13. The optical assembly of claim 1, wherein least one optical component is a lens support, and at least one optical component is a shutter and/or a diaphragm.

14. The optical assembly of claim 13, wherein the shutter and the diaphragm are integrated in a common part.

15. The optical assembly of claim 13 wherein the shutter and/or the diaphragm is or are arranged on a lens support and can be moved with it.

16. The optical assembly of claim 1, wherein a plurality of motor actuating elements can be operated via a common control device.

17. The optical assembly of claim 1, wherein one or more attachment elements for attachment of the optical assembly to a third object is or are provided on the stator.

18. The optical assembly of claim 17, wherein the attachment elements are screw connections or snap-action latching connections, or an attachment element is in the form of an adhesive surface.

19. The optical assembly of claim 1, wherein the image recording means is arranged on the stator.

20. The optical assembly of claim 1, wherein a flexible printed circuit ribbon which can be connected to an external control device is provided, to which the image recording means and the motor actuating element and possibly further optical components or parts which contain such components are connected.

21. The optical assembly of claim 1, wherein the optical assembly has a metallic housing.

22. A mobile telephone, comprising an optical assembly of claim 1.

23. An optical assembly comprising:

at least one optical component and a stator,

wherein the optical component is mounted on the stator via a roller bearing linear guide with rolling body guide paths (A, B, C, D) which are formed on the optical component and on the stator, in the area of which linear guide a motor actuating element acts on the optical component such that the optical component can be moved relative to the stator along an axis which is at right angles to an image recording plane of an image recording means;

wherein a side attachment is provided on the optical component, on which attachment two guide paths (A, B) are formed which are opposite one another at the side, which attachment engages in a holding area, which is provided on the stator and has two mutually opposite guide paths (C, D), wherein the mutually opposite guide paths (A, B, C, D) of the attachment and of the holding area complement one another to form two guide channels with rolling bodies therein; and

wherein the optical component is guided via at least three rolling bodies, wherein at least two are provided in one of the guide channels.