Actuator

• US 8,810,935 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2011
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Largan Precision Co Limited (Largan Precision)
• Original Assignee: Largan Precision Co Limited (Largan Precision)
• Inventors: Huang, Chen Yi, Tseng, Te Sheng, Hsu, Wen Hung
• Primary Examiner(s): MULLINS, BURTON S
• Application Number:
  US13/154,511
• Publication Number:
  US 20120222503A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,169 Days
• Field of Search: 310/12.16, 310/28, 310/38, 348/374, 359/824, 359/814
• US Class Current: 359/824
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2205/0061 using piezoelectric actuators
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2205/0069 using electromagnetic actuators, e.g. voice coils
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2205/0076 using shape memory alloys
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 3/10 Power-operated focusing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/18056 Rotary to or from reciprocating or oscillating

Abstract

This invention provides an actuator, comprising: a supporting frame having a movable element accommodation space; a movable element received by the movable element accommodation space of the supporting frame, at least one elastic element accommodation space and at least one electrically-driven element accommodation space being arranged in proximity to each other around the exterior thereof; an electrically-driven element received by the at least one electrically-driven element accommodation space and configured to cause the movable element to move with respect to at least one axis; and an elastic element configured to provide an elastic force with respect to at least one axis, wherein the elastic element is received by the at least one elastic element accommodation space and able to perform a sliding function with the at least one elastic element accommodation space.

Claims

1. An actuator comprising:

a supporting frame having a movable element accommodation space, at least one first elastic element accommodation space and at least one first electrically-driven element accommodation space;

a movable element received by the movable element accommodation space of the supporting frame, at least one second elastic element accommodation space and at least one second electrically-driven element accommodation space being arranged in proximity to each other around an exterior thereof;

an electrically-driven element received by the at least one first electrically-driven element accommodation space of the supporting frame and the at least one second electrically-driven element accommodation space of the movable element and configured to enable the movable element to move along at least one axis; and

an elastic element configured to provide an elastic force with respect to at least one axis, wherein the elastic element is received by the at least one first elastic element accommodation space of the supporting frame and the at least one second elastic element accommodation space of the movable element, and the movable element can slide along the elastic element and move in a direction perpendicular to an optical axis.

2. The actuator according to claim 1, wherein the electrically-driven element comprises a shape memory alloy (SMA).

3. The actuator according to claim 1, wherein the electrically-driven element comprises a piezoelectric material.

4. The actuator according to claim 1, wherein the electrically-driven element comprises a voice coil motor (VCM).

5. The actuator according to claim 1, wherein the elastic element can be a linear spring and received by the at least one first elastic element accommodation space and the at least one second elastic element accommodation space corresponding to the electrically-driven element.

6. The actuator according to claim 1, wherein the elastic element can be a flat spring and received by the at least one first elastic element accommodation space and the at least one second elastic element accommodation space corresponding to the electrically-driven element.

7. The actuator according to claim 1, wherein the elastic element can be a helical spring and received by the at least one first elastic element accommodation space and the at least one second elastic element accommodation space corresponding to the electrically-driven element.

8. The actuator according to claim 1, wherein the electrically-driven element is received by the at least one second electrically-driven element accommodation space of the movable element, and the movable element can slide along the electrically-driven element.