Lens driving device, camera module and camera mounting device

Abstract

This invention provides a lens driving device, a camera module, and a camera mounting device, which enable miniaturization, weight reduction, and improved reliability. The lens driving device includes a shake correction driving unit with a shake correction magnet and a shake correction coil, and allows a shake correction movable part containing the shake correction magnet to swing relative to a shake correction fixed part containing the shake correction coil in a plane orthogonal to the optical axis. The shake correction movable part has a magnet bracket for fixing the shake correction magnet by adhesive. The adhesive surface of the magnet bracket to the shake correction magnet is parallel to the optical axis, and a first end on the shake correction fixed part side in the optical axis direction is open. The magnet bracket has an adhesive injection hole radially communicating to the adhesive surface, and the adhesive injection hole is closed by adhesive.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of Chinese invention patent application filed on February 1, 2019, with application number 201910104666.4, entitled "Lens Driving Device, Camera Module and Camera Mounting Device", and filed by Mimi Electric Co., Ltd. Technical Field

[0002] This invention relates to a lens driving device for automatic focusing and shake correction, a camera module, and a camera mounting device. Background Technology

[0003] Generally, portable terminals such as smartphones incorporate small camera modules. These camera modules utilize lens driving devices with autofocus (hereinafter referred to as "AF function") and image stabilization (hereinafter referred to as "OIS function"). The AF function automatically focuses on the subject during shooting, while the OIS function optically corrects for shake (vibration) generated during shooting to reduce image blur (e.g., Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0004] A lens driving device with autofocus and jitter correction functions includes: an autofocus drive unit (hereinafter referred to as "AF drive unit") for moving the lens part along the optical axis, and a jitter correction drive unit (hereinafter referred to as "OIS drive unit") for oscillating the lens part in a plane orthogonal to the optical axis. In Patent Documents 1 and 2, a voice coil motor (VCM) is used in both the AF drive unit and the OIS drive unit.

[0005] The AF drive unit in the VCM drive system includes, for example, an autofocus coil (hereinafter referred to as "AF coil") arranged around the lens section; and an autofocus magnet (hereinafter referred to as "AF magnet") arranged radially spaced away from the AF coil. The autofocus movable part (hereinafter referred to as "AF movable part"), including the lens section and the AF coil, is supported by an autofocus support (hereinafter referred to as "AF support," for example, a leaf spring) in a radially spaced state relative to the autofocus fixed part (hereinafter referred to as "AF fixed part") including the AF magnet. The AF movable part is moved along the optical axis by the driving force of a voice coil motor composed of the AF coil and the AF magnet, thereby automatically focusing. Here, "radial" refers to the direction orthogonal to the optical axis.

[0006] The OIS drive unit in the VCM drive method includes, for example, a jitter correction magnet (hereinafter referred to as "OIS magnet") disposed in the AF drive unit; and a jitter correction coil (hereinafter referred to as "OIS coil") disposed spaced apart from the OIS magnet in the optical axis direction. The jitter correction movable part (hereinafter referred to as "OIS movable part"), including the AF drive unit and the OIS magnet, is supported by a jitter correction support (hereinafter referred to as "OIS support," for example, a suspension wire) in a state spaced apart from the jitter correction fixed part (hereinafter referred to as "OIS fixed part"), including the OIS coil, in the optical axis direction. Using the driving force of a voice coil motor composed of the OIS magnet and the OIS coil, the OIS movable part is oscillated in a plane orthogonal to the optical axis direction, thereby performing jitter correction.

[0007] Existing technical documents

[0008] Patent documents

[0009] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-210550

[0010] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2012-177753 Summary of the Invention

[0011] In recent years, in order to achieve miniaturization (thinning) and weight reduction of camera-mounted devices such as smartphones, there has been a demand for further miniaturization and weight reduction of lens driving devices.

[0012] The purpose of this invention is to provide a lens driving device, a camera module, and a camera mounting device that can achieve miniaturization and weight reduction, and improve reliability.

[0013] One aspect of the lens driving device of the present invention includes a shake correction driving unit, which comprises: a shake correction magnet disposed around a lens portion; and a shake correction coil disposed spaced apart from the shake correction magnet in the optical axis direction. The shake correction driving unit causes a shake correction movable portion including the shake correction magnet to oscillate relative to a shake correction fixed portion including the shake correction coil in a plane orthogonal to the optical axis direction. The lens driving device is characterized in that...

[0014] The jitter correction movable part has a magnet bracket for fixing the jitter correction magnet by adhesive.

[0015] The bonding surface of the magnet bracket to the jitter correction magnet is parallel to the optical axis direction, and the first end of the jitter correction fixing part on the optical axis direction is open.

[0016] The magnet holder has an adhesive injection hole that communicates radially with the bonding surface.

[0017] The adhesive injection hole is blocked by adhesive.

[0018] One aspect of the camera module of the present invention is characterized by comprising:

[0019] The aforementioned lens driving device;

[0020] The lens portion is mounted on the vibration correction movable portion; and

[0021] The camera unit captures an image of the subject that is imaged through the lens unit.

[0022] One aspect of the lens driving device of the present invention includes a jitter correction driving unit, which comprises: a jitter correction magnet disposed around a lens portion; and a jitter correction coil disposed spaced apart from the jitter correction magnet in the optical axis direction. The jitter correction driving unit causes a jitter correction movable portion including the jitter correction magnet to oscillate relative to a jitter correction fixed portion including the jitter correction coil in a plane orthogonal to the optical axis direction. The device is characterized in that...

[0023] The jitter correction movable part has a magnet bracket for fixing the jitter correction magnet by adhesive.

[0024] The bonding surface of the magnet bracket to the jitter correction magnet is parallel to the optical axis direction, and the first end of the jitter correction fixing part on the optical axis direction is open.

[0025] The bonding surface has a recess that extends along the optical axis from a position more inward than the first end to a second end opposite to the first end.

[0026] One aspect of the camera module of the present invention is characterized by comprising:

[0027] The aforementioned lens driving device;

[0028] The lens portion is mounted on the autofocus movable part; and

[0029] The camera unit captures an image of the subject that is imaged through the lens unit.

[0030] The camera mounting device of the present invention is an information device or a transportation device, characterized in that it comprises:

[0031] The aforementioned camera module; and

[0032] The image processing unit processes the image information obtained from the camera module.

[0033] According to the present invention, the lens driving device, camera module and camera mounting device can be miniaturized and lightweighted, and their reliability can be improved. Attached Figure Description

[0034] Figure 1A , Figure 1B This is a diagram showing a smartphone equipped with a camera module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 2 This is a 3D view of the camera module.

[0036] Figure 3 This is an exploded 3D view of the camera module.

[0037] Figure 4 This is an exploded 3D view of the camera module.

[0038] Figure 5 This is an exploded three-dimensional view of the lens driving device.

[0039] Figure 6 This is an exploded three-dimensional view of the lens driving device.

[0040] Figure 7 This is an exploded three-dimensional view of the movable part of the OIS.

[0041] Figure 8 This is an exploded three-dimensional view of the movable part of the OIS.

[0042] Figure 9A , Figure 9B This is a 3D diagram of the movable part of AF.

[0043] Figure 10 This is a three-dimensional diagram showing the configuration of magnets used for position detection.

[0044] Figure 11 This is a top view showing the configuration of the magnets used for position detection.

[0045] Figure 12A , Figure 12B This is a 3D view of the AF fixing part.

[0046] Figure 13A , Figure 13B This is a three-dimensional diagram showing the structure of the magnet holding part.

[0047] Figure 14A , Figure 14B This is a cross-sectional view showing the bonding structure of the magnet.

[0048] Figure 15A , Figure 15B This is a cross-sectional view of the YZ plane of the magnet used for first position detection.

[0049] Figure 16 This is a diagram showing the structure of the control unit for AF.

[0050] Figure 17 This is a top view showing the structure of the upper elastic support and the AF power cord.

[0051] Figure 18 This is a diagram showing the structure of the lower elastic support section.

[0052] Figure 19 This is an exploded perspective view of the OIS fixing part.

[0053] Figure 20 This is an exploded perspective view of the OIS fixing part.

[0054] Figure 21A , Figure 21B This is a diagram showing the structure of the base.

[0055] Figure 22 This is a diagram showing the stacked structure of the coil substrate.

[0056] Figure 23A , Figure 23B This is a bottom view showing the structure of the coil substrate.

[0057] Figure 24 This is a diagram showing the support structure for the fixed part and the movable part of the OIS.

[0058] Figure 25A , Figure 25B This is a diagram of a car that serves as a camera mounting device for equipping a vehicle-mounted camera module.

[0059] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0060] 1 Lens driving device

[0061] 2 Lens section

[0062] 3 masks

[0063] 10 OIS movable part (AF drive unit)

[0064] 11 AF movable part

[0065] 12 AF fixed part

[0066] 13. Upper elastic support section (AF support section)

[0067] 14. Lower elastic support section (AF support section)

[0068] 15. Magnets for position detection

[0069] 16 AF control unit

[0070] Power cords for 17, 171, and 172 AF

[0071] 20 OIS Fixing Part

[0072] 21 Base

[0073] 22 Coil substrate

[0074] 30 OIS support section

[0075] 31A and 31B signal suspension wires

[0076] 32A and 32B power supply suspension wires

[0077] 111 Lens bracket

[0078] 112 AF coil

[0079] 121 Magnetic Support

[0080] 122 Drive magnets (Magnets for AF, Magnets for OIS)

[0081] Magnets 122A-122D

[0082] 131, 132 Upper Spring (AF Signal Line)

[0083] 141, 142 Lower spring (power cord for coil)

[0084] 161 Control IC

[0085] 162a, 162b power output terminals

[0086] 162c, 162d power input terminals

[0087] 162e and 162f signal input terminals

[0088] 163 Bypass capacitor

[0089] 165 Hall element

[0090] 166 AF Printed Circuit Board

[0091] 221 OIS coil

[0092] M smartphone

[0093] A camera module Detailed Implementation

[0094] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0095] Figure 1A , Figure 1B This is a diagram showing a smartphone M (camera mounting device) equipped with a camera module A according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1A This is the main view of smartphone M. Figure 1B This is the rear view of the smartphone M.

[0096] For example, a smartphone M may be equipped with a camera module A as a rear-facing camera OC. The camera module A has AF and OIS functions, enabling it to automatically focus on the subject when shooting, and to optically correct for camera shake (vibration) during shooting to capture blurry images.

[0097] Figure 2 This is a 3D view of the camera module A. Figure 3 , Figure 4 This is an exploded 3D view of camera module A. Figure 3 It's the 3D image above. Figure 4 It's the 3D image below. (See image below.) Figures 2-4 As shown, in this embodiment, an orthogonal coordinate system (X, Y, Z) is used for explanation. The same orthogonal coordinate system (X, Y, Z) is also used in the figures described later. Furthermore, the diagonal directions in the top view of camera module A from the Z direction, which are the midpoints of the X and Y directions, are defined as the U and V directions for explanation (see reference). Figure 10 ).

[0098] The camera module A is mounted in the following manner, where, during actual shooting with the smartphone M, the X direction is the up-down (or left-right) direction, the Y direction is the left-right (or up-down) direction, and the Z direction is the front-back direction. That is, the Z direction is the optical axis direction; in the diagram, the upper side is the light-receiving side along the optical axis, and the lower side is the image-imaging side along the optical axis direction. Furthermore, the X and Y directions, orthogonal to the Z-axis, are called the "orthogonal optical axis directions," and the XY plane is called the "orthogonal optical axis plane."

[0099] like Figures 2-4 As shown, camera module A includes a lens drive device 1 that implements AF and OIS functions, a lens section 2 that houses the lens in a cylindrical lens tube, an imaging section (not shown) that captures an image of the subject imaged through the lens section 2, and a cover 3 that covers the entire module. Furthermore, in Figure 3 and Figure 4 Lens section 2 is omitted.

[0100] The cover 3 is a rectangular covered cylindrical body that appears rectangular when viewed from above along the optical axis. In this embodiment, the cover 3 has a square shape when viewed from above. The cover 3 has a roughly circular opening 3a on its upper surface. The lens portion 2 faces outward from the opening 3a. The cover 3 is fixed to the base 21 of the OIS fixing portion 20 of the lens drive device 1, for example, by bonding. Figure 19 , Figure 20 ).

[0101] The camera unit (not shown) is positioned on the imaging side along the optical axis of the lens driving device 1. The camera unit (not shown) includes, for example, an image sensor substrate and an imaging element mounted on the image sensor substrate. The imaging element is, for example, a CCD (charge-coupled device) type image sensor or a CMOS (complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor) type image sensor. The imaging element captures an image of the subject imaged by the lens unit 2. The lens driving device 1 is mounted on the image sensor substrate (not shown) and is mechanically and electrically connected to it. The control unit that drives the lens driving device 1 can be located on the image sensor substrate or on a camera-mounted device (in this embodiment, a smartphone M) that mounts the camera module A.

[0102] Figure 5 , Figure 6 This is an exploded perspective view of the lens driving device 1. Figure 5 It's the 3D image above. Figure 6 It is the 3D image below.

[0103] like Figure 5 , Figure 6 As shown, in this embodiment, the lens driving device 1 includes an OIS movable part 10, an OIS fixed part 20, and an OIS support part 30, etc.

[0104] The movable part 10 of the OIS has a drive magnet 122 (for OIS magnets, see reference) that constitutes a voice coil motor for the OIS. Figure 7 , Figure 8 The OIS fixing part 20 is the portion that oscillates within the plane orthogonal to the optical axis during jitter correction. The OIS fixing part 20 includes an OIS coil 221 (see reference) that constitutes the voice coil motor for OIS. Figure 19 The OIS movable part 10 is supported by the OIS support part 30. That is, the OIS drive part of the lens drive device 1 is of the moving magnet type. The OIS movable part 10 includes an AF movable part 11 and an AF fixed part 12 (see reference). Figure 7 , Figure 8 AF drive unit.

[0105] The movable part 10 of the OIS is arranged at a distance from the fixed part 20 of the OIS in the direction of the optical axis and is connected to the fixed part 20 of the OIS via the OIS support part 30. In this embodiment, the OIS support part 30 is composed of four suspension wires extending along the optical axis (hereinafter referred to as "suspension wires 30"). Alternatively, the OIS support part may be composed of components other than the suspension wires 30.

[0106] One end of the suspension wire 30 (the end on the light-receiving side in the optical axis direction, i.e., the upper end) is fixed to the OIS movable part 10 (in this embodiment, the AF support part 13 and the AF power cable 17 (see reference)). Figure 7 , Figure 8 The other end (the end on the imaging side in the optical axis direction) is fixed to the OIS fixing part 20 (in this embodiment, the base 21 (see reference)). Figure 19 , Figure 20 The movable part 10 of the OIS is supported by the suspension wire 30 in a manner that allows it to swing within the plane orthogonal to the optical axis.

[0107] In this embodiment, among the four suspension wires 30, suspension wires 31A and 31B serve as the control unit 16 (control IC 161, see reference) for AF. Figure 16 The signal paths for transmitting control signals are used (hereinafter referred to as "signal suspension wires 31A and 31B"). The suspension wires 32A and 32B are used as power supply paths for the AF control unit 16 (control IC 161) (hereinafter referred to as "power supply suspension wires 32A and 32B").

[0108] Figure 7 , Figure 8 This is an exploded perspective view of the OIS movable part 10. Figure 7 It's the 3D image above. Figure 8 It is the 3D image below.

[0109] like Figure 7 , Figure 8 As shown, in this embodiment, the OIS movable part 10 includes an AF movable part 11, an AF fixing part 12, and AF support parts 13 and 14. The AF movable part 11 is arranged radially inward relative to the AF fixing part 12 and is connected to the AF fixing part 12 via the AF support parts 13 and 14.

[0110] The AF movable part 11 has an AF coil 112 that constitutes an AF voice coil motor, and is the part that moves in the optical axis direction during focusing. The AF fixed part 12 has a drive magnet 122 (AF magnet) that constitutes an AF voice coil motor, and is the part that supports the AF movable part 11 via AF support parts 13 and 14. That is, the AF drive part of the lens drive device 1 is a moving coil type.

[0111] The AF movable part 11 is spaced apart from the AF fixed part 12 and is connected to the AF fixed part 12 via AF support parts 13 and 14. In this embodiment, the AF movable part 11 is radially spaced apart from the AF fixed part 12. The AF support part 13 is an upper elastic support member that supports the AF movable part 11 on the light-receiving side (upper side) in the optical axis direction relative to the AF fixed part 12. In this embodiment, the AF support part 13 is composed of two leaf springs 131 and 132 (hereinafter referred to as "upper springs 131 and 132"). The AF support part 14 is a lower elastic support member that supports the AF movable part 11 on the imaging side (lower side) in the optical axis direction relative to the AF fixed part 12. In this embodiment, the AF support part 14 is composed of two leaf springs 141 and 142 (hereinafter referred to as "lower spring 14"). In addition, in this embodiment, the AF support part 13 and the AF power cable 17 are arranged at the end of the AF movable part 11 on the light-receiving side in the optical axis direction. The AF power cord 17 consists of two plate-shaped parts 171 and 172 (hereinafter referred to as "AF power cord 171 and 172").

[0112] In this embodiment, the movable part 11 of the AF includes a lens bracket 111, an AF coil 112, and a position detection magnet 15. Figure 9A , Figure 9B The image shows a perspective view of the movable part 11 of AF from different angles.

[0113] Lens bracket 111 is for holding lens part 2 (see reference) Figure 2 The lens holder 111 has a cylindrical lens receiving portion 111a and an upper flange 111b and a lower flange 111c protruding radially outward from the lens receiving portion 111a. That is, the lens holder 111 has a winding tube structure. The upper flange 111b and the lower flange 111c have a generally octagonal shape when viewed from above. The upper surface of the upper flange 111b is a locking portion for restricting the movement of the AF movable part 11 towards the light-receiving side in the optical axis direction.

[0114] The AF coil 112 is wound in the portion sandwiched between the upper flange 111b and the lower flange 111c (hereinafter referred to as the "coil winding portion"). The coil winding portion (without reference numerals) has a roughly regular octagonal shape when viewed from above. As a result, the load acting on the coil winding portion is uniform when the AF coil 112 is directly wound, and the strength of the coil winding portion is also roughly uniform with respect to the center. Therefore, deformation of the opening of the lens receiving portion 111a can be prevented, and roundness can be maintained.

[0115] Lens section 2 (refer to) Figure 2For example, the lens part 2 is fixed to the lens housing 111a by adhesive. Preferably, the lens housing 111a has a groove on its inner peripheral surface for applying adhesive (not shown). When the lens part 2 is screwed onto the lens housing 111a, the suspension wire 30 supporting the OIS movable part 10 may be damaged. In contrast, in this embodiment, the lens part 2 is fixed to the inner peripheral surface of the lens housing 111a by adhesive, thus preventing damage to the suspension wire 30 during lens part 2 installation. Furthermore, with the groove on the inner peripheral surface of the lens housing 111a, an appropriate amount of adhesive is held by the groove, thereby improving the bonding strength between the lens holder 111 and the lens part 2.

[0116] The lens holder 111 has an upper spring fixing part 111d for fixing the AF support part 13 on the upper outer periphery of the lens receiving part 111a. In addition, the lens holder 111 has a lower spring fixing part 111g for fixing the AF support part 14 on the lower surface of the lower flange 111c.

[0117] The lens holder 111 has a magnet receiving portion 111f on the upper outer periphery of the lens receiving portion 111a, which houses the position detection magnets 15 (15A, 15B). In this embodiment, two magnet receiving portions 111f are provided opposite each other in the Y direction. More specifically, the magnet receiving portion 111f is provided at the center of the space between adjacent magnets 122A, 122B in the X direction and at the center of the space between magnets 122C, 122D. Alternatively, the magnet receiving portion 111f may also be provided on the lower outer periphery of the lens receiving portion 111a (part of the lower flange 111c).

[0118] The lens holder 111 has a binding portion 111e that protrudes radially outward on a portion of the lower flange 111c (see reference). Figure 9A , Figure 9B The ends of the AF coil 112 are respectively bound to the binding portion 111e. Furthermore, a radially protruding protrusion 111h is provided between the two binding portions 111e in the lens holder 111. The two ends of the AF coil 112 bound to the binding portion 111e are spatially separated by the protrusion 111h, ensuring insulation and thus improving safety and reliability.

[0119] Furthermore, the lens holder 111 has a holder-side abutment portion 111i on its lower surface that protrudes further towards the imaging side in the optical axis direction than the surrounding area. The holder-side abutment portion 111i serves as a locking portion to restrict the movement of the AF movable part 11 towards the imaging side in the optical axis direction. In this embodiment, four holder-side abutment portions 111i are provided opposite each other in the X and Y directions. The holder-side abutment portions 111i interact with the coil substrate 22 of the OIS fixing part 20 (see reference). Figure 19 , Figure 20The upper surface of the ) is in contact.

[0120] In this embodiment, the lens holder 111 is formed from a molding material comprising polyarylate (PAR) or a PAR alloy, wherein the PAR alloy is formed by mixing various resin materials containing PAR. In particular, it is preferable that the PAR alloy is a polymer alloy (PAR / PC) comprising PAR and polycarbonate (PC). Therefore, compared with conventional molding materials (e.g., liquid crystal polymer (LCP), the welding strength is improved, thus ensuring toughness and impact resistance even when the lens holder 111 is thin-walled. Therefore, the overall size of the lens drive device 1 can be reduced, achieving miniaturization and weight reduction. Furthermore, the lens holder 111 may also be formed from liquid crystal polymers or the like.

[0121] Furthermore, it is preferable to form the lens holder 111 by injection molding with multiple gates. In this case, the gate diameter is preferably 0.3 mm or more. This results in better flowability during molding, thus enabling thin-wall molding even when PAR or PAR alloy is used as the molding material, and also preventing the formation of shrinkage marks.

[0122] Molded materials containing PAR or PAR alloys are electrically conductive, and in particular, preferably have a volume resistivity of 10. 9 ~10 11 Ω·cm. For example, conductivity can be easily imparted by incorporating carbon nanotubes into existing PAR or PAR alloys. In this case, appropriate conductivity can be imparted by adjusting the carbon nanotube content. This suppresses the charging of the lens holder 111, thus preventing the generation of static electricity.

[0123] Furthermore, the molding material preferably contains fluorine and includes PAR or a PAR alloy. This weakens the intermolecular forces, thus reducing the adhesion force at the contact portion (support-side contact portion 111i) with the coil substrate 22 and improving sliding properties. Therefore, it is possible to prevent dust generation due to friction when the coil substrate 22 contacts the lens support 111.

[0124] In this way, by setting the lens support 111 to the above-described structure, the lens drive device 1 can be miniaturized and lightened, and its reliability can be improved.

[0125] The AF coil 112 is an air-core coil that is energized during focusing, and is wound around the outer circumference of the coil winding portion (not shown in the attached drawings) of the lens holder 111. Both ends of the AF coil 112 are respectively bound to the binding portions 111e of the lens holder 111. The AF coil 112 is energized by the AF support portion 14 (lower springs 141, 142). The energizing current of the AF coil 112 is controlled by the AF control portion 16 (control IC 161, see reference 16). Figure 16 )control.

[0126] A position detection magnet 15 is disposed in the magnet housing 111f of the lens holder 111. The position detection magnet is configured as follows: Figure 10 and Figure 11 As shown. That is, the position detection magnet 15 is positioned at the center of the spacer portion between magnets 122A and 122B, and at the center of the spacer portion between magnets 122C and 122D. The position detection magnet 15 has a first position detection magnet 15A disposed in a magnet housing portion 111f on the side corresponding to the AF control unit 16, and a second position detection magnet 15B disposed in a magnet housing portion 111f on the opposite side. The first position detection magnet 15A is used for position detection in the optical axis direction of the AF movable part 11. The second position detection magnet 15B is a dummy magnet that is not used in the position detection of the AF movable part 11.

[0127] To balance the magnetic force acting on the movable part 11 of the AF and stabilize its posture, a second position detection magnet 15B is provided. That is, without the second position detection magnet 15B, the magnetic field generated by the drive magnet 122 exerts a biased magnetic force on the movable part 11 of the AF, causing instability in its posture. Therefore, the second position detection magnet 15B is provided to prevent this situation.

[0128] In this embodiment, similar to the driving magnet 122, the first position detection magnet 15A and the second position detection magnet 15B are magnetized radially, and the magnetization direction is the same as that of the driving magnet 122. Specifically, for the first position detection magnet 15A and the second position detection magnet 15B, the inner peripheral side is magnetized as the N pole and the outer peripheral side is magnetized as the S pole.

[0129] Preferably, the width (in this case, the width in the Y direction) in the direction orthogonal to the optical axes of the first position detection magnet 15A and the second position detection magnet 15B is less than or equal to their height in the optical axis direction. This allows for the thinning of the lens holder 111 while ensuring the magnetic flux density emitted from the first position detection magnet 15A and the second position detection magnet 15B. Furthermore, the detailed configuration of the first position detection magnet 15A and the second position detection magnet 15B (their positional relationship with the AF control unit 16) will be described later.

[0130] In this embodiment, the AF fixing part 12 includes: a magnet bracket 121, a drive magnet 122, and an AF control part 16. The AF fixing part 12 is positioned such that the drive magnet 122 and the AF control part 16 are assembled into the magnet bracket 121. Figure 12A , Figure 12B As shown.

[0131] The magnet holder 121 is a generally rectangular cylindrical retaining member formed by connecting four side walls 121b. The magnet holder 121 has an opening 121a after the portions corresponding to the lens receiving portion 111a, the upper spring fixing portion 111d, and the magnet receiving portion 111f of the lens holder 111 have been cut off.

[0132] The magnet holder 121 has a magnet holding portion 121c on the inner side of the connecting portions (the four corners of the magnet holder 121) of the four side walls 121b, which holds the driving magnet 122. The inner surface of the magnet holding portion 121c is the bonding surface with the driving magnet 122. The bonding surface of the magnet holding portion 121c is parallel to the optical axis direction, and the end on the imaging side of the optical axis direction (the end on the OIS fixing portion 20 side in the optical axis direction, i.e., the first end) is open. This is because the driving magnet 122 is also used as an OIS magnet, and from a magnetic point of view, it is preferable to use it with the OIS coil 221 (refer to the OIS fixing portion 20) disposed in the OIS fixing portion 20. Figure 19 There are no inclusions between them. That is, the drive magnet 122 is not fixed in a way that it cannot be physically removed by means of the shape of the magnet holding part 121c, but is fixed only by the adhesive force of the adhesive.

[0133] A suspension wire 30 (hereinafter referred to as "wire insertion portion 121d") is disposed on the outer side 121d of the connecting portion of the side wall 121b. In this embodiment, the upper and lower parts of the connecting portion of the side wall 121b are formed with concave portions (reference numerals omitted) that are radially inwardly recessed into an arc shape. Furthermore, a through hole (reference numerals omitted) is formed in the center of the connecting portion of the side wall 121b in the optical axis direction. The wire insertion portion 121d is constituted by the through hole and the upper and lower concave portions provided in the connecting portion of the side wall 121b. The size of the through hole and the upper and lower concave portions is set to be larger than the movable range in the orthogonal plane of the optical axis of the OIS movable portion 10. Since the wire insertion portion 121d has the above-described structure, it is possible to avoid interference between the suspension wire 30 and the magnet support 121 when the OIS movable portion 10 swings without increasing the overall size of the lens drive device 1.

[0134] The magnet support 121 has a stopper portion 121e extending radially inward on the upper part of the side wall 121b. When the AF movable part 11 moves toward the light-receiving side in the optical axis direction, the stopper portion 121e abuts against the upper flange 111b of the lens support 111, thereby restricting the movement of the AF movable part 11 toward the light-receiving side in the optical axis direction. In this embodiment, the stopper portions 121e are provided at four opposite locations in the X and Y directions.

[0135] The magnet bracket 121 has an upper spring fixing portion 121f on the upper surface of the side wall 121b for fixing the AF support portion 13 and the AF power cord 17. The magnet bracket 121 has a lower spring fixing portion 121g on the lower surface of the side wall 121b for fixing the AF support portion 14. Furthermore, the magnet bracket 121 has a protrusion 121i at the center of the length direction on the lower surface of the side wall 121b along the X direction. The lower springs 141 and 142 constituting the AF support portion 14 are spatially separated by the protrusion 121i. That is, one protrusion 121i is located between the terminal connection portions 141h and 142h of the lower springs 141 and 142 (see reference). Figure 18 With the AF control unit 16 installed, the power output terminals 162a and 162b (refer to...) Figure 16 Between the two springs 141 and 142, the terminal connection portions 141h and 142h (power output terminals 162a and 162b) are spatially separated by the protrusion 121i, ensuring insulation and thus improving safety and reliability.

[0136] The corner of the upper spring fixing part 121f is formed to be recessed further towards the imaging side in the optical axis direction than the upper surface of the magnet bracket 121 (the surface where the AF support part 13 or the AF power cable 17 is mounted), thereby creating a gap when the AF support part 13 or the AF power cable 17 is mounted. In addition, the magnet bracket 121 has an IC housing part 121h for housing the AF control part 16 in one side wall 121b along the X direction.

[0137] In this embodiment, the magnet holder 121 is formed of a liquid crystal polymer. The magnet holder 121 may also be formed of a molding material containing PAR or a PAR alloy, similar to the lens holder 111, but it is preferably formed of a liquid crystal polymer with excellent heat resistance. Because the magnet holder 121 has high heat resistance, it is easy to weld the AF support portions 13 and 14, the AF control portion 16, etc. For example, the magnet holder 121 can be formed by injection molding using a mold.

[0138] In this embodiment, the drive magnet 122 is composed of four rectangular columnar magnets 122A to 122D. When viewed from above, magnets 122A to 122D have a roughly isosceles trapezoidal shape. This allows for efficient utilization of the space at the corner of the magnet support 121 (magnet holding portion 121c). Magnets 122A to 122D are magnetized to form a radially transverse magnetic field in the AF coil 112. In this embodiment, the inner periphery of magnets 122A to 122D is magnetized as the N pole, and the outer periphery as the S pole. Furthermore, the surface of the drive magnet 122 is covered with a metal film such as a Ni plating layer, thereby improving corrosion resistance.

[0139] In this embodiment, magnets 122A to 122D are fixed to the magnet holding portion 121c of the magnet bracket 121 by bonding. For example, an epoxy resin-based thermosetting adhesive or an ultraviolet-curing adhesive is used as the adhesive. The surfaces of magnets 122A to 122D that contact the magnet holding portion 121c (in this embodiment, the side surfaces and the upper surface excluding the inner exposed surface) are the bonding surfaces.

[0140] The lower surfaces of magnets 122A to 122D protrude further toward the imaging side in the optical axis direction than the magnet holder 121 (see reference). Figure 6 That is, the height of the OIS movable part 10 is determined by the magnets 122A to 122D. As a result, the height of the OIS movable part 10 can be minimized according to the size of the magnets 122A to 122D used to ensure the magnetic force, thus enabling the lens drive device 1 to be made shorter.

[0141] An AF (Action Coil Motor) is constructed from a drive magnet 122 and an AF coil 112. In this embodiment, the drive magnet 122 serves as both an AF magnet and an OIS (Optical Induction Switch) magnet. Alternatively, a yoke may be provided on the circumferential surface of the magnets 122A to 122D.

[0142] In this case, when the magnet holder 121 is formed of a liquid crystal polymer, the bonding strength between the magnet holder 121 and the driving magnet 122 is lower compared to the case formed of PAR or the like, resulting in weaker resistance to impacts such as drops. In this embodiment, by improving the structure of the bonding surface of the magnet holding portion 121c of the magnet holder 121, the impact resistance is improved.

[0143] exist Figure 13A , Figure 13B The detailed structure of the magnet holding part 121c is shown in the figure. (See figure for details.) Figure 13A , Figure 13B As shown, in this embodiment, the bonding surface (bonding surface of magnet holding portion 121c) of the magnet holder 121 and the driving magnet 122 has a recess 121j extending along the optical axis direction. Specifically, the recess 121j is formed from a position higher than the lower end of the magnet holder 121 toward the upper end, that is, from a position more inward than the end (first end) on the imaging side of the optical axis direction toward the end (second end) on the light-receiving side of the optical axis direction. As a result, a step is formed on the bonding surface between the magnet holder 121 and the driving magnet 122 (see reference). Figure 14A ).

[0144] Figure 14A This is a cross-sectional view showing the adhesive layer 123 in the recess 121j. Figure 14B This is a cross-sectional view showing the adhesive layer 123 on the bonding surface other than the recess 121j. The metal layer (e.g., a Ni plating) on ​​the surface of the driving magnet 122 is an active surface, therefore exhibiting high bonding strength with the epoxy adhesive. On the other hand, the bonding strength between the liquid crystal polymer magnet holder 121 and the epoxy adhesive is low. Therefore, as... Figure 14B As shown, if the bonding surfaces between the magnet bracket 121 and the driving magnet 122 are all flat, the magnet bracket 121 is easily peeled off from the adhesive layer and has weak impact resistance.

[0145] In contrast, such as Figure 14A As shown, in this embodiment, the adhesive layer 123 has a stepped portion 123a partially within the magnet support 121 (see reference). Figure 14AThe lens drive device 1 is formed in a three-dimensional manner. As a result, the stepped portion 123a of the adhesive layer 123, which is firmly bonded to the drive magnet 122, is physically secured by the magnet support 121. Therefore, a high anchoring effect can be obtained, ensuring the desired bonding strength even if the magnet support 121 is formed of a liquid crystal polymer with poor adhesion. Consequently, the impact resistance of the lens drive device 1 can be improved, thereby enhancing its reliability.

[0146] In situations where the height and shape of the lens drive device are not strictly limited, as in the past, sufficient bonding area can be ensured. Therefore, even if the magnet bracket and the drive magnet are fixed by bonding, a specification that can withstand drop tests can be formed. However, in recent years, with the demand for lower heights, the height of the drive magnet and the magnet bracket has been limited, making it difficult to ensure sufficient bonding area. In addition, improved impact resistance is required. The lens drive device 1 of this embodiment can also meet these requirements. In fact, it has been confirmed that the lens drive device 1 of this embodiment has more than 1.5 times the impact resistance compared to the case where the bonding surfaces of the magnet bracket 121 and the drive magnet 122 are all flat.

[0147] Here, for example, the recess 121j can be formed by a pin configured in a nested structure relative to the mold body. Therefore, the recess 121j penetrates the upper surface of the magnet support 121. While a shape like the recess 121j is difficult to form with a mold of a simple structure, it can be formed relatively easily by utilizing a nested pin.

[0148] In this embodiment, the recess 121j has a semi-circular cross-section. However, the cross-sectional shape of the recess 121j may not be semi-circular. Furthermore, in this embodiment, two recesses 121j are formed on one bonding surface. This further improves the bonding strength. Moreover, the number of recesses 121j formed on one bonding surface is not particularly limited; it can be one or more.

[0149] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the magnet holder 121 has an adhesive injection hole 121m that communicates radially on the bonding surface. The adhesive injection hole 121m is disposed near the recess 121j. With the drive magnet 122 installed in the magnet holder 121, adhesive is injected through the adhesive injection hole 121m. After the injected adhesive has cured and the drive magnet 122 has been bonded to the magnet holder 121, the adhesive injection hole 121m is closed by further injecting adhesive. The adhesive layer 123 is formed such that it also has a stepped portion in the portion of the adhesive injection hole 121m. As a result, the anchoring effect is further improved, and thus the bonding strength between the magnet holder 121 and the drive magnet 122 can be further improved.

[0150] Furthermore, it is preferable to apply an embossing process (also known as surface texture processing) to the bonding surface of the magnet bracket 121 and the drive magnet 122. As a result, the bonding area increases, the anchoring effect is further improved, and thus the bonding strength between the magnet bracket 121 and the drive magnet 122 is further improved.

[0151] In the AF fixing part 12, the AF control part 16 includes: a control IC 161, a bypass capacitor 163, and an AF printed circuit board 166 on which the control IC 161 and the bypass capacitor 163 are mounted (see reference). Figure 16 The AF control unit 16 is fixed to the IC housing 121h of the magnet bracket 121 by adhesive bonding. At this time, the control IC 161 and the bypass capacitor 163 are inserted into the opening of the IC housing 121h (reference numerals omitted).

[0152] The control IC 161 incorporates a Hall element 165 that utilizes the Hall effect to detect changes in the magnetic field, functioning as a Z-position detection unit. When the AF movable part 11 moves along the optical axis, the magnetic field of the first position detection magnet 15A changes. The Hall element 165 detects this change in magnetic field, thereby detecting the position of the AF movable part 11 along the optical axis. By designing the layout of the Hall element 165 and the position detection magnet 15 such that a magnetic flux proportional to the movement of the AF movable part 11 intersects the detection surface of the Hall element 165, a Hall output proportional to the movement of the AF movable part 11 can be obtained.

[0153] like Figure 15A , Figure 15B As shown, the control IC161 is configured opposite to the first position detection magnet 15A so that the magnetic flux of the first position detection magnet 15A intersects the detection surface of the Hall element 165 in the radial direction. Figure 15B The periphery of the first position detection magnet 15A is schematically shown with an enlargement. In this embodiment, the detection surface of the Hall element 165 is parallel to the XZ plane.

[0154] As described above, the first position detection magnet 15A and the second position detection magnet 15B are similarly magnetized radially to magnets 122A to 122D. In the case where the position detection magnet 15 is configured such that its magnetization direction is parallel to the optical axis direction and that it is at a neutral point (the point where the AF movable part 11 is magnetically stable without energizing the AF coil 112), the Hall element 165 and the position detection magnet 15 are arranged in a layout where the magnetization direction is parallel to the optical axis direction and that the position detection magnet 15 is at a zero-crossing (zero magnetic field) point (the point where the AF movable part 11 is magnetically stable without energizing the AF coil 112), the magnetic force in the optical axis direction acts on the position detection magnet 15 due to the magnetism of the drive magnet 122. Therefore, the neutral point of the AF movable part 11 may change from its designed position.

[0155] In contrast, in this embodiment, the position detection magnet 15 is magnetized radially, thus reducing the magnetic force acting on the position detection magnet 15 along the optical axis due to the influence of the magnetism of the drive magnet 122. Therefore, the variation of the neutral point of the AF movable part 11 can be suppressed, thereby improving the position detection accuracy and reliability of the AF movable part 11 along the optical axis.

[0156] Furthermore, the magnetization direction of the first position detection magnet 15A is perpendicular to the detection surface of the Hall element 165. Therefore, the magnetic flux density intersecting the detection surface is higher, resulting in a larger Hall output compared to the case where the magnetization direction is parallel to the detection surface. Also, since the magnetization direction of the first position detection magnet 15A is the same as that of the driving magnet 122, the magnetic flux of the first position detection magnet 15A intersecting the detection surface of the Hall element 165 is not canceled out by the magnetic flux of the driving magnet 122. Therefore, the size of the position detection magnet 15 can be reduced, thus enabling miniaturization and weight reduction of the lens driving device 1.

[0157] Furthermore, the first position detection magnet 15A is arranged radially closer to the Hall element 165 than the AF coil 112. In other words, the first position detection magnet 15A is arranged radially between the Hall element 165 and the AF coil 112. As a result, the Hall element 165 is less affected by the AF coil 112, thus improving the position detection accuracy.

[0158] Furthermore, in this embodiment, compared to the case where the magnetization direction of the position detection magnet 15 is parallel to the optical axis direction and the zero-crossing position is set as the neutral point, the linearity of the Hall output may be reduced. Therefore, it is preferable that the control IC 161 has a linearity correction function. This ensures the linearity of the Hall output, thereby improving the position detection accuracy of the AF movable part 11 in the optical axis direction.

[0159] Furthermore, the first position detection magnet 15A is offset relative to the Hall element 165 in the optical axis direction. In this embodiment, the first position detection magnet 15A is offset relative to the Hall element 165 towards the light-receiving side in the optical axis direction. That is, the center position P of the first position detection magnet 15A in the optical axis direction... M Relative to the center position P of Hall element 165 H Offset towards the light-receiving side along the optical axis (refer to) Figure 15B ).

[0160] At this time, the preferred configuration of the first position detection magnet 15A is such that when the AF movable part 11 moves to the position closest to the imaging side in the optical axis direction, the center position P of the first position detection magnet 15A is...M The center position P of the Hall element 165 H The light-receiving side is closer to the optical axis. That is, the preferred center-to-center distance L between the first position detection magnet 15A and the Hall element 165 along the optical axis is... MH The travel distance (hereinafter referred to as "downward travel") of the movable part 11 of the AF moving towards the imaging side in the optical axis direction is greater than that of the movable part 11 of the AF moving towards the imaging side in the optical axis direction. In other words, it is preferable that the amount of misalignment between the first position detection magnet 15A and the Hall element 165 in the optical axis direction is greater than the travel distance of the movable part 11 of the AF moving towards the opposite side of the misalignment side.

[0161] In this embodiment, the center-to-center distance L between the first position detection magnet 15A and the Hall element 165 along the optical axis is... MH It is more than twice the length of the next stroke. As a result, the magnetic flux intersecting the detection surface of the Hall element 165 increases or decreases monotonically with the autofocusing action, so the position of the AF movable part 11 in the optical axis direction can be easily and accurately calculated based on the Hall output.

[0162] Furthermore, the position detection magnet 15 can also be disposed offset from the Hall element 165 in the optical axis direction towards the imaging side. In this case, the center-to-center distance L between the first position detection magnet 15A and the Hall element 165 in the optical axis direction is preferably [missing information]. MH The travel distance (hereinafter referred to as "upper travel distance") of the movable part 11 of AF moving towards the light-receiving side in the direction of the optical axis is greater than that of the upper travel distance.

[0163] In this way, by setting the Hall element 165 and the position detection magnet 15 to the above structure, the lens drive device 1 can be miniaturized and lightened, and its reliability can be improved.

[0164] Figure 16 This is a diagram showing the structure of the AF control unit 16. Figure 16 The side view of the AF control unit 16 as seen from the base end side in the Y direction is shown.

[0165] like Figure 16 As shown, the AF printed circuit board 166 has a conductive pattern including power output terminals 162a and 162b, power input terminals 162c and 162d, signal input terminals 162e and 162f, and wiring (not shown). The wiring is formed, for example, on the front and back sides of the AF printed circuit board 166. The wiring formed on the front side and the wiring formed on the back side of the substrate are connected by through-holes (not shown). In the AF printed circuit board 166, the front and back sides are covered by a protective film (not shown), and each terminal 162a to 162f is exposed from the protective film.

[0166] Power output terminals 162a, 162b and AF support portion 14 (terminal connection portions 141h, 142h of lower springs 141, 142, see reference) Figure 18 Electrical connection. Power input terminals 162c and 162d are connected to the AF power cable 17 (refer to the terminal connections 171c and 172c of the AF power cables 171 and 172). Figure 17 Electrical connection. Signal input terminals 162e and 162f are connected to the AF support portion 13 (terminal connection portions 131h and 132h of upper springs 131 and 132, see reference). Figure 17 Electrical connections. Terminals 162a to 162f are electrically connected to the control IC 161 via wiring. Bypass capacitor 163 bypasses the power supply line and GND line in the wiring to suppress power supply voltage fluctuations.

[0167] The control IC 161 functions as a coil control unit that controls the energizing current of the AF coil 112. Specifically, the control IC 161 controls the energizing current of the AF coil 112 based on the control signals supplied through the signal suspension wires 31A, 31B and the AF support 13 (AF signal line) and the detection results (Hall output) of the Hall element 165 built into the control IC 161.

[0168] like Figure 7 , Figure 8 As shown, in the movable part 11 of the AF, the AF support part 13 (upper springs 131, 132) provides elastic support to the movable part 11 (lens bracket 111) of the AF relative to the fixed part 12 (magnet bracket 121) on the light-receiving side in the optical axis direction. The structure of the upper springs 131, 132 and the AF power cables 171, 172 is as follows: Figure 17 As shown. Figure 17 This is a top view of the OIS movable part 10. The upper springs 131, 132 and AF are made of materials such as titanium copper, nickel copper, and stainless steel.

[0169] like Figure 17 As shown, the upper springs 131, 132 and the AF power lines 171, 172, when viewed as a whole, have a rectangular shape, the same shape as the magnet holder 121. The upper springs 131, 132 and the AF power lines 171, 172 are arranged so as not to contact each other on the magnet holder 121. The upper springs 131, 132 and the AF power lines 171, 172 are formed, for example, by etching a sheet of metal.

[0170] The upper springs 131 and 132 and the AF power cables 171 and 172 are fixed to the four corners of the magnet bracket 121. The current flowing through the AF power cables 171 and 172 is greater than the current flowing through the upper springs 131 and 132, which function as AF signal lines. Therefore, by positioning the AF power cables 171 and 172 closer to the AF control unit 16 than the upper springs 131 and 132, the path length is shortened. This reduces the risk of short circuits.

[0171] The upper spring 131 includes: lens holder fixing portions 131a and 131d fixed to the lens holder 111; magnet holder fixing portions 131b and 131e fixed to the magnet holder 121; and arms 131c and 131f connecting the lens holder fixing portions 131a and 131d and the magnet holder fixing portions 131b and 131e. The lens holder fixing portions 131a and 131d are connected along the lens receiving portion 111a of the lens holder 111. The arms 131c and 131f have a meandering shape and elastically deform when the AF movable portion 11 moves.

[0172] Additionally, the upper spring 131 has a wire connection portion 131g that connects to the signal suspension wire 31A, and a terminal connection portion 131h that connects to the signal input terminal 162e of the AF printed circuit board 166. The wire connection portion 131g is continuously provided with the magnet bracket fixing portion 131e via two connecting portions 131i extending from the magnet bracket fixing portion 131e towards the corner along the periphery of the magnet bracket 121. The terminal connection portion 131h extends from the magnet bracket fixing portion 131b toward the AF printed circuit board 166.

[0173] Similarly, the upper spring 132 has: lens support fixing portions 132a and 132d, magnet support fixing portions 132b and 132e, and arm portions 132c and 132f. The lens support fixing portions 132a and 132d are connected along the lens receiving portion 111a of the lens support 111. The arm portions 132c and 132f have a meandering shape and elastically deform when the AF movable portion 11 moves.

[0174] Additionally, the upper spring 132 has a wire connection portion 132g that connects to the signal suspension wire 31B, and a terminal connection portion 132h that connects to the signal input terminal 162f of the AF printed circuit board 166. The wire connection portion 132g is continuously provided with the magnet bracket fixing portion 132e via two connecting portions 132i extending from the magnet bracket fixing portion 132e towards the corner along the periphery of the magnet bracket 121. The terminal connection portion 132h extends from the magnet bracket fixing portion 132b toward the AF printed circuit board 166.

[0175] In this embodiment, the upper springs 131 and 132 are positioned and fixed relative to the lens bracket 111 by inserting the positioning protrusion (notation omitted) of the upper spring fixing part 111d of the lens bracket 111 into the fixing holes (notation omitted) of the lens bracket fixing parts 131a, 131d, 132a, and 132d. Similarly, the upper springs 131 and 132 are positioned and fixed relative to the magnet bracket 121 by inserting the positioning protrusion (notation omitted) of the upper spring fixing part 121f of the magnet bracket 121 into the fixing holes (notation omitted) of the magnet bracket fixing parts 131b, 131e, 132b, and 132e.

[0176] Line connectors 131g and 132g and signal suspension wires 31A and 31B (see reference) Figure 5 , Figure 6 The terminals 131h and 132h are soldered to the signal input terminals 162e and 162f of the AF printed circuit board 166, thereby achieving both physical and electrical connections. The upper springs 131 and 132 function as AF signal lines that supply control signals from the signal suspension wires 31A and 31B to the AF control unit 16 (control IC 161).

[0177] The AF power cord 171 includes: a magnet bracket fixing portion 171a fixed to the magnet bracket 121; a wire connection portion 171b connected to the power supply suspension wire 32A; and a terminal connection portion 171c connected to the power input terminal 162c of the AF printed circuit board 166. The wire connection portion 171b is continuously provided with the magnet bracket fixing portion 171a via two connecting portions 171d extending from the magnet bracket fixing portion 171a towards the corner along the periphery of the magnet bracket 121. The terminal connection portion 171c extends from the magnet bracket fixing portion 171a toward the AF printed circuit board 166.

[0178] Similarly, the AF power cord 172 includes: a magnet bracket fixing portion 172a fixed to the magnet bracket 121; a wire connection portion 172b connected to the power supply suspension wire 32B; and a terminal connection portion 172c connected to the power input terminal 162d of the AF printed circuit board 166. The wire connection portion 172b is continuously provided with the magnet bracket fixing portion 172a via two connecting portions 172d extending from the magnet bracket fixing portion 172a towards the corner along the periphery of the magnet bracket 121. The terminal connection portion 172c extends from the magnet bracket fixing portion 172a toward the AF printed circuit board 166.

[0179] In this embodiment, the AF power cables 171 and 172 are positioned and fixed relative to the magnet bracket 121 by inserting the positioning protrusion (notation omitted) of the upper spring fixing part 121f of the magnet bracket 121 into the fixing holes (notation omitted) of the magnet bracket fixing parts 171a and 172a.

[0180] Line connectors 171b and 172b and power supply suspension wires 32A and 32B (see reference) Figure 5 , Figure 6 The terminals 171c and 172c are soldered to the power input terminals 162c and 162d of the AF printed circuit board 166, thereby achieving both physical and electrical connections. The AF power lines 171 and 172 supply power from the power supply suspension lines 32B and 32A to the AF control unit 16 (control IC 161).

[0181] Here, it is preferable that the solder used in the electrical connection does not contain flux. As a result, there is no need to clean the flux after soldering, so PAR or PAR alloy with low solvent resistance can be used as the molding material for lens holder 111 and / or magnet holder 121.

[0182] In the upper springs 131, 132 and the power lines 171, 172 for AF, the connecting portions 131i, 132i, 171d, 172d extend from the magnet bracket fixing portions 131e, 132e, 171a, 172a toward the corners, but they may also have portions extending inward from the joint portions (corners), with wire connecting portions 131g, 132g, 171b, 172b disposed at their front ends. That is, the connecting portions 131i, 132i, 171d, 172d between the magnet bracket fixing portions 131e, 132e, 171a, 172a and the wire connecting portions 131g, 132g, 171b, 172b can also be made multi-jointed while ensuring the connection length. As a result, the stress generated in the link sections 131i, 132i, 171d, and 172d is mitigated during vibration correction, thus improving tilt characteristics and resistance to impacts such as drops.

[0183] Shock-absorbing materials 131j, 131k, 132j, and 132k are mounted on the arms 131c, 131f, 132c, and 132f of the upper springs 131 and 132. This suppresses unnecessary movement of the arms 131c, 131f, 132c, and 132f when the lens support 111 moves along the optical axis, prevents interference between the upper springs 131 and 132 and other components, and thus improves operational stability.

[0184] In the upper springs 131 and 132, damping materials 131m and 132m are provided between the magnet bracket fixing parts 131e and 132e and the wire connection parts 131g and 132g. Additionally, in the AF power cables 171 and 172, damping materials 171e and 172e are provided between the magnet bracket fixing parts 171a and 172a and the wire connection parts 171b and 172b. This suppresses the generation of unnecessary resonance (high-order resonance modes), thus improving the stability of the operation.

[0185] The damping materials 131j, 131k, 131m, 132j, 132k, 132m, 171e, and 172e can be, for example, room-temperature curing silyl polymer elastic adhesives, and can be easily applied using a dispensing machine.

[0186] In addition, in this embodiment, the upper springs 131 and 132 are configured as AF signal lines, and the AF power lines 171 and 172 are provided independently of the upper springs 131 and 132. However, the upper springs 131 and 132 can also be configured as AF power lines, and the AF signal lines can be provided independently of the upper springs 131 and 132.

[0187] like Figure 7 , Figure 8 As shown, in the movable part 11 of the AF, the AF support part 14 (lower springs 141, 142) provides elastic support to the movable part 11 (lens support 111) of the AF relative to the fixed part 12 (magnet bracket 121) on the imaging side in the optical axis direction. The structure of the lower springs 141, 142 is as follows: Figure 18 As shown. Figure 18 This is a bottom view of the OIS movable part 10. The lower springs 141 and 142, like the upper springs 131 and 132 and the AF power cables 171 and 172, are made of materials such as titanium copper, nickel copper, or stainless steel.

[0188] like Figure 18 As shown, the lower springs 141 and 142, when viewed as a whole from above, have a rectangular shape, that is, the same shape as the magnet holder 121. The lower springs 141 and 142 are arranged in a manner that they do not contact each other on the magnet holder 121. The lower springs 141 and 142 are formed, for example, by etching a sheet of metal.

[0189] The lower spring 141 has: lens bracket fixing portions 141a and 141d fixed to the lens bracket 111; magnet bracket fixing portions 141b and 141e fixed to the magnet bracket 121; and arm portions 141c and 141f connecting the lens bracket fixing portions 141a and 141d and the magnet bracket fixing portions 141b and 141e.

[0190] Magnet support fixing portions 141b and 141e are connected along the outer edge of magnet support 121. Arm portions 141c and 141f have a meandering shape that curves along the outer edge of magnets 122A and 122D, and elastically deform when the AF movable portion 11 moves. When at the neutral point, arms 141c and 141f are located on the light-receiving side of the optical axis further than the lower surface of magnets 122A and 122D. In other words, magnets 122A and 122D protrude further towards the imaging side of the optical axis than the lower spring 141.

[0191] Additionally, the lower spring 141 includes a coil connection portion 141g that connects to the binding portion 111e of the lens holder 111, and a terminal connection portion 141h that connects to the power output terminal 162a of the AF printed circuit board 166. The coil connection portion 141g is continuously disposed from the lens holder fixing portion 141d. The terminal connection portion 141h extends from the magnet holder fixing portion 141b toward the AF printed circuit board 166.

[0192] Similarly, the lower spring 142 has: lens bracket fixing portions 142a and 142d fixed to the lens bracket 111; magnet bracket fixing portions 142b and 142e fixed to the magnet bracket 121; and arm portions 142c and 142f connecting the lens bracket fixing portions 142a and 142d and the magnet bracket fixing portions 142b and 142e.

[0193] Magnet support fixing portions 142b and 142e are connected along the outer edge of magnet support 121. Arm portions 142c and 142f have a meandering shape that curves along the outer edge of magnets 122B and 122C, and elastically deforms when the AF movable portion 11 moves. When at the neutral point, arms 142c and 142f are located further towards the light-receiving side in the optical axis direction than the lower surface of magnets 122B and 122C. In other words, magnets 122B and 122C protrude further towards the imaging side in the optical axis direction than the lower spring 141.

[0194] Additionally, the lower spring 142 includes a coil connection portion 142g connected to the binding portion 111e of the lens holder 111, and a terminal connection portion 142h connected to the power output terminal 162b of the AF printed circuit board 166. The coil connection portion 142g is continuously disposed from the lens holder fixing portion 142d. The terminal connection portion 142h extends from the magnet holder fixing portion 142b toward the AF printed circuit board 166.

[0195] In this embodiment, the lower springs 141 and 142 are positioned and fixed relative to the lens bracket 111 by inserting the positioning protrusion of the lower spring fixing part 111g of the lens bracket 111 into the fixing holes of the lens bracket fixing parts 141a, 141d, 142a, and 142d. Similarly, the lower springs 141 and 142 are positioned and fixed relative to the magnet bracket 121 by inserting the positioning protrusion of the lower spring fixing part 121g of the magnet bracket 121 into the fixing holes of the magnet bracket fixing parts 141b, 141e, 142b, and 142e.

[0196] The coil connecting portions 141g and 142g are soldered to the binding portions 111e and 111e of the lens holder 111, thereby achieving both physical and electrical connection. The terminal connecting portions 141h and 142h are soldered to the power output terminals 162a and 162b of the AF printed circuit board 166, thereby achieving both physical and electrical connection. As described above, it is preferable that the solder used in the electrical connection does not contain flux. The lower springs 141 and 142 function as coil power lines that supply power from the control IC 161 to the AF coil 112.

[0197] Figure 19 , Figure 20 This is an exploded perspective view of the OIS fixing part 20. Figure 19 It's the 3D image above. Figure 20 It is the 3D image below.

[0198] like Figure 19 , Figure 20 As shown, the OIS fixing part 20 includes a base 21, a coil substrate 22, and XY position detection parts 23A and 23B.

[0199] XY position detection units 23A and 23B are Hall elements (hereinafter referred to as "Hall elements 23A and 23B") that detect changes in magnetic fields using the Hall effect. Hall elements 23A and 23B are mounted on the back side of the coil substrate 22. In this embodiment, Hall elements 23A and 23B are positioned corresponding to the OIS coils 221B and 221C. If the OIS movable part 10 oscillates within the plane orthogonal to the optical axis, the magnetic field of the driving magnet 122 changes. Hall elements 23A and 23B detect this change in magnetic field, thereby detecting the position of the OIS movable part 10 within the plane orthogonal to the optical axis. By designing the arrangement of Hall elements 23A and 23B and the driving magnet 122 such that a magnetic flux proportional to the movement of the OIS movable part 10 intersects the detection surfaces of Hall elements 23A and 23B, a Hall output proportional to the movement of the OIS movable part 10 can be obtained. Alternatively, the magnet for XY position detection can be disposed on the OIS movable part 10 independently of the drive magnet 122.

[0200] The base 21 is a supporting component for the coil substrate 22. Figure 21A This is a top view of base 21. Figure 21B This is a bottom view of base 21. Figure 21A , Figure 21B The interior of the base 21 is shown in mid-perspective.

[0201] The base 21 is a rectangular component when viewed from above, with a circular opening 21a in the center. The base 21 has a terminal mounting portion 21b at a position on its periphery corresponding to the terminal portion 220B of the coil substrate 22.

[0202] The base 21 has a Hall element receiving portion 21c at the periphery of the opening 21a, which houses Hall elements 23A and 23B. Additionally, the base 21 has a terminal receiving portion 21d that houses the power supply terminals 223 and 224 and the signal terminals 225 and 226 of the coil substrate 22. The terminal receiving portion 21d is formed to protrude radially outwards than the terminal mounting portion 21b.

[0203] The base 21 has reinforcing ridges 21g and 21h at the four corners of its upper surface and along its periphery in the Y direction. The base 21 also has reinforcing ridges 21j at the four corners of its lower surface. Cutouts 21f are formed on the reinforcing ridges 21g and 21j in a radially inward recessed manner. Furthermore, one of the reinforcing ridges 21h has a protrusion 21i for determining the placement direction of the coil substrate 22. The mechanical strength of the base 21 is improved by the reinforcing ridges 21g, 21h, and 21j, thus enabling a thinner base. In particular, the reinforcing ridges 21h extending along the periphery make the base 21 a torsion-resistant structure.

[0204] Additionally, the base 21 has an adhesive fixing portion 21k on its lower surface along the Y direction. When the cover 3 is mounted on the base 21, an adhesive (e.g., epoxy resin) is applied to the adhesive fixing portion 21k.

[0205] Four terminal metal parts 211 to 214 are embedded in the base 21. The terminal metal parts 211 to 214 are integrally formed with the base 21, for example, by insert molding. The terminal metal parts 211 to 214 have an L-shape and are arranged along the four corners of the base 21. One end 211a to 214a of the terminal metal parts 211 to 214 protrudes from the terminal receiving portion 21d of the base 21.

[0206] The intermediate portions (bent portions) 211b to 214b of the terminal metal parts 211 to 214 are exposed from the cutouts 21f at the four corners of the base 21. The intermediate portions 211b to 214b are located further towards the imaging side of the optical axis than the light-receiving side of the base 21. One end of the suspension wire 30 is connected to the intermediate portions 211b to 214b of the terminal metal parts 211 to 214. This allows for a lower height of the lens drive device 1 while ensuring the effective length of the suspension wire 30. Therefore, breakage caused by metal fatigue of the suspension wire 30 can be suppressed, thus improving the reliability of the lens drive device 1.

[0207] The other ends 211c to 214c of the terminal metal parts 211 to 214 protrude from the adhesive fixing part 21k of the base 21 and are coated with adhesive when the cover 3 is installed on the base 21. Through the anchoring effect, the adhesive strength when the cover 3 is installed on the base 21 is improved, thereby improving the resistance to drop impact.

[0208] Terminal metal part 211 is soldered to the power supply terminal 223 and power supply suspension wire 32A of the coil substrate 22, thereby achieving both physical and electrical connection. Terminal metal part 212 is soldered to the power supply terminal 224 and power supply suspension wire 32B of the coil substrate 22, thereby achieving both physical and electrical connection. Terminal metal part 213 is soldered to the signal terminal 225 and signal suspension wire 31B of the coil substrate 22, thereby achieving both physical and electrical connection. Terminal metal part 214 is soldered to the signal terminal 226 and signal suspension wire 31A of the coil substrate 22, thereby achieving both physical and electrical connection.

[0209] The base 21 has a protrusion 21e that protrudes towards the light-receiving side in the optical axis direction, isolating adjacent terminal metal parts 211 and 212, and terminal metal parts 213 and 214. The protrusion 21e is disposed between the ends 211a and 212a of the terminal metal parts 211 and 212, and between the ends 213a and 214a of the terminal metal parts 213 and 214. The terminal metal parts 211 and 212, and terminal metal parts 213 and 214 are spatially separated by the protrusion 21e, ensuring insulation and thus improving safety and reliability.

[0210] In this embodiment, the base 21, like the lens holder 111, is formed of a molding material containing polyarylate (PAR) or a PAR alloy (e.g., PAR / PC), which is a mixture of various resin materials containing PAR. This improves weld strength, ensuring toughness and impact resistance even when the base 21 is thin-walled. Therefore, the overall size of the lens drive device 1 can be reduced, achieving miniaturization and a lower height.

[0211] Furthermore, it is preferable to form the base 21 by injection molding through a multi-point gate. In this case, the gate diameter is preferably 0.3 mm or more. As a result, the flowability during molding is good, so even when PAR or PAR alloy is used as the molding material, thin-wall molding can be achieved, and the formation of shrinkage marks can be prevented.

[0212] Molded materials containing PAR or PAR alloys are electrically conductive, and in particular, preferably have a volume resistivity of 10. 9 ~10 11 Ω·cm. For example, conductivity can be imparted by incorporating carbon nanotubes into existing PAR or PAR alloys. In this case, appropriate conductivity can be imparted by adjusting the carbon nanotube content. This suppresses the charging of the base 21, thus preventing the generation of static electricity.

[0213] Furthermore, when the movement of the movable part 11 (lens bracket 111) in the optical axis direction is restricted due to the contact between the lens bracket 111 and the base 21, it is preferable that the PAR or PAR alloy used as the molding material of the base 21 contains fluorine. This weakens the intermolecular forces, thus reducing the adsorption force at the contact portion with the lens bracket 111 and improving sliding performance. Therefore, it is possible to prevent dust generation due to friction when the lens bracket 111 contacts the base 21.

[0214] like Figure 19 , Figure 20 As shown, the coil substrate 22 is a rectangular substrate in top view, similar to the base 21, with a circular opening 22a in the center. The coil substrate 22 consists of a conductor layer L1 and an insulating layer L2 (see reference). Figure 22 A multilayer printed circuit board is formed by stacking multiple unit layers. In this embodiment, a conductive pattern (not shown) including an OIS coil 221, an external terminal 222, and a power line connecting the external terminal 222 to the OIS coil 221 is integrally formed on the coil substrate 22. Figure 22 Show Figure 19 The layer structure at each point P1 to P6 of the coil substrate 22.

[0215] In the coil substrate 22, the conductor layer L1 is formed, for example, from copper foil. The insulating layer L2 is formed, for example, from liquid crystal polymer (LCP). Furthermore, protective layers L3 and L4 are formed on the front and back sides of the coil substrate 22 as needed.

[0216] The coil substrate 22 has a main substrate portion 220A, a terminal portion 220B, and a connecting portion 220C. The order of the number of layers, from largest to smallest, is: a first stacked structure forming the main substrate portion 220A, a second stacked structure forming the terminal portion 220B, and a third stacked structure forming the connecting portion 220C. In this embodiment, the main substrate portion 220A is formed of 9 unit layers, the terminal portion 220B is formed of 3 unit layers, and the connecting portion 220C is formed of 1 unit layer.

[0217] The main substrate 220A has an OIS coil 221 positioned opposite the drive magnet 122 along the optical axis. The OIS coil 221 is composed of four OIS coils 221A to 221D corresponding to the magnets 122A to 122D. The OIS coils 221A to 221D are fabricated inside the main substrate 220A during the manufacturing process of the coil substrate 22. In this embodiment, the OIS coils 221A to 221D are formed from seven of the nine unit layers (layers No. 3 to 9) of the main substrate 220A. The remaining two unit layers (layers No. 1 and 2) of the main substrate 220A are connection layers containing conductive patterns that connect the OIS coils 221 and Hall elements 23A and 23B to the external terminals 222.

[0218] The size and arrangement of the OIS coils 221A-221D and the magnets 122A-122D are set in such a way that the radial edges of the magnets 122A-122D do not exceed the cross-sectional width of each of the OIS coils 221A-221D, that is, the magnetic field radiating from the bottom surface of the magnets 122A-122D passes through the two opposite sides of the OIS coils 221A-221D and returns to the magnets 122A-122D. Here, the OIS coils 221A-221D have the same planar shape as the magnets 122A-122D (in this case, a roughly isosceles trapezoidal shape). As a result, a driving force (electromagnetic force) for oscillating the OIS movable part 10 within the plane orthogonal to the optical axis can be efficiently generated.

[0219] OIS coils 221A and 221C are connected to OIS coils 221B and 221D respectively, and carry the same current. The magnets 122A and 122C and the OIS coils 221A and 221C constitute a mechanism that allows the movable part 10 of the OIS to move in the U direction (refer to...). Figure 11 The OIS (Optical Instrument Switch) oscillates on the V-axis using a voice coil motor. It consists of magnets 122B and 122D and OIS coils 221B and 221D, enabling the movable part 10 of the OIS to oscillate in the V direction (see reference). Figure 11 The OIS oscillates on the surface using a voice coil motor.

[0220] The corner of the main substrate portion 220A is formed in a shape corresponding to the reinforcing protrusion 21g of the base 21 (cut-out portion 22c). Furthermore, the peripheral portion 22d of the main substrate portion 220A along the Y direction abuts against the support-side abutment portion 111i when the AF movable portion 11 moves toward the imaging side in the optical axis direction, thereby restricting the movement of the AF movable portion 11 toward the imaging side in the optical axis direction (hereinafter referred to as "base-side abutment portion 22d"). The side surface of the base-side abutment portion 22d is formed in a shape corresponding to the reinforcing protrusion 21h of the base 21.

[0221] On the upper surface of the main substrate 220A (the side facing the light in the optical axis direction), the area where the OIS coil 221 is disposed is covered by a protective layer L3. On the other hand, the protective layer L3 is not formed on the upper surface of the base-side contact portion 22d (the portion that contacts the AF movable portion 11), and the conductor layer L1 is exposed. This allows for stability of the posture of the AF movable portion 11 when its movement towards the imaging side in the optical axis direction is restricted. In addition, when the upper surface of the base-side contact portion 22d contacts the support-side contact portion 111i, dust generation due to friction can be prevented. Alternatively, the insulating layer L2 may be exposed on the upper surface of the base-side contact portion 22d.

[0222] Hall elements 23A and 23B are mounted on the lower surface of the main substrate 220A. The main substrate 220A also has power supply terminals 223 and 224 and signal terminals 225 and 226. The power supply terminals 223 and 224 and the signal terminals 225 and 226 are physically and electrically connected to the terminal metal parts 211 to 214 (the exposed ends 211a to 214a from the terminal receiving portion 21d) of the base 21 by welding. The OIS coils 221A to 221D, the Hall elements 23A and 23B, the power supply terminals 223 and 224, and the signal terminals 225 and 226 are electrically connected to the external terminals 222 of the terminal portion 220B via conductive patterns (not shown) formed on the coil substrate 22.

[0223] The conductive pattern of the coil substrate 22 includes: two power lines (not shown) for powering the OIS movable part 10 (AF control part 16); two power lines (not shown) for powering the OIS coils 221A to 221D; two power lines (not shown) for powering the Hall elements 23A and 23B; two signal lines (not shown) for powering the detection signals output from the Hall elements 23A and 23B; and two signal lines (not shown) for controlling the autofocus operation in the OIS movable part 10.

[0224] Terminal sections 220B are arranged opposite each other in the Y direction. Each terminal section 220B has 8 external terminals 222, for a total of 16. The external terminals 222 include: 2 power supply terminals for the AF control unit 16, 2 signal terminals for the AF control unit 16, 4 power supply terminals for the OIS coil 221, 4 power supply terminals for the Hall elements 23A and 23B, and 4 signal terminals.

[0225] The connecting portion 220C connects the main substrate portion 220A and the terminal portion 220B. The connecting portion 220C has an R shape, which is formed such that the terminal portion 220B hangs down from the main substrate portion 220A. The terminal portion 220B extends substantially perpendicularly to the main substrate portion 220A. In addition, the connecting portion 220C has an opening 22b approximately at the center in the X direction.

[0226] In this embodiment, the number of layers in the connecting portion 220C is less than the number of layers in the main substrate portion 220A and the terminal portion 220B. As a result, the connecting portion 220C can be bent more easily and is designed in an R shape.

[0227] The OIS fixing part 20 is assembled by bonding the main substrate portion 220A and the terminal portion 220B of the coil substrate 22 to the base 21. At this time, the cut-out portion 22c of the coil substrate 22 engages with the reinforcing protrusion 21g of the base 21. In addition, the base-side abutment portion 22d of the coil substrate 22 engages with the reinforcing protrusion 21h of the base 21 and the protrusion 21i formed on the reinforcing protrusion 21h. Furthermore, the side portion of the terminal receiving portion 21d of the base 21 engages with the opening 22b of the coil substrate 22. Thus, the coil substrate 22 is accurately positioned relative to the base 21 and is securely fixed.

[0228] In this embodiment, the base 21 and the coil substrate 22 are bonded together using an elastic epoxy resin material. By bonding the base 21 and the coil substrate 22 together, the mechanical strength of the OIS fixing part 20 is improved, thus enabling the base 21 and the coil substrate 22 to be made thinner while ensuring the desired drop impact resistance.

[0229] like Figure 23A As shown, the back side (the surface on the imaging side in the optical axis direction) of the preferred main substrate portion 220A is covered by a protective layer L4, and the conductor layer L1 is exposed from a portion of the protective layer L4. As a result, the bonding strength between the base 21 and the coil substrate 22 is increased, thus enabling the OIS fixing portion 20 to be constructed with a robust structure.

[0230] Or, such as Figure 23BAs shown, the back side of the main substrate 220A can also be covered by a magnetic plating layer 227. The magnetic plating layer 227 is, for example, a sheet material formed by applying a 5-10 μm Ni plating layer to a 30-50 μm thick NiCu plate. As a result, the OIS fixing part 20 can be made into a robust structure, and since the magnetic flux crossing with the OIS coil 221 is increased, the thrust during the jitter correction operation can be increased.

[0231] In the lens driving device 1, one end of the signal suspension wires 31A and 31B is physically and electrically connected to the wire connection portions 131g and 132g of the upper springs 131 and 132, respectively. The other end of the signal suspension wires 31A and 31B is physically and electrically connected to the terminal metal parts 214 and 213 of the base 21 (the portions 214b and 213b exposed from the cutout portion 21f). In addition, the terminal metal parts 214 and 213 of the base 21 are physically and electrically connected to the signal terminals 226 and 225 of the coil substrate 22.

[0232] Furthermore, one end of the power supply suspension wires 32A and 32B is physically and electrically connected to the wire connection portions 171b and 172b of the AF power supply wires 171 and 172, respectively. The other end of the power supply suspension wires 32A and 32B is physically and electrically connected to the terminal metal parts 211 and 212 of the base 21 (the portions 211b and 212b exposed from the cutout portion 21f). Additionally, the terminal metal parts 211 and 212 of the base 21 are physically and electrically connected to the power supply terminals 223 and 224 of the coil substrate 22.

[0233] At the points where signal suspension wires 31A and 31B connect to upper springs 131 and 132 and terminal metal parts 214 and 213, and at the points where power supply suspension wires 32A and 32B connect to AF power lines 171 and 172 and terminal metal parts 211 and 212, i.e., at the fixed ends of signal suspension wires 31A and 31B and power supply suspension wires 32A and 32B, shock-absorbing materials 33 and 34 are provided (see reference). Figure 24 Specifically, damping material 33 is arranged around the lower surfaces (image-side surfaces in the optical axis direction) of the upper springs 131, 132 and the AF power lines 171, 172, surrounding the signal suspension wires 31A, 31B and the power supply suspension wires 32A, 32B. Furthermore, damping material 34 is arranged around the upper surfaces (light-receiving surfaces in the optical axis direction) of the terminal metal parts 214, 213, 211, 212, surrounding the signal suspension wires 31A, 31B and the power supply suspension wires 32A, 32B. As a result, the stress generated on the signal suspension wires 31A, 31B is dispersed. Therefore, breakage caused by metal fatigue of the suspension wires 30 can be suppressed, thus improving the reliability of the lens drive device 1.

[0234] In the lens driving device 1, control signals are supplied to the AF control unit 16 from the coil substrate 22 via the base 21, signal suspension wires 31A and 31B, and upper springs 131 and 132. Additionally, the AF control unit 16 is powered from the coil substrate 22 via the base 21, power supply suspension wires 32A and 32B, and AF power lines 171 and 172. Furthermore, the AF control unit 16 is powered to the AF coil 112 via lower springs 141 and 142. This achieves motion control of the AF movable part 11 (specifically, control of the energizing current of the AF coil 112).

[0235] The control IC 161 of the AF control unit 16 includes a Hall element 165 and a coil control unit. Closed-loop control based on the detection results of the Hall element 165 is performed within the AF control unit 16. Therefore, power supply and control signals to the AF control unit 16 can be provided only by four suspension wires 31A, 31B, 32A, and 32B. This simplifies the structure of the suspension wires 30 used in driving the AF coil 112 and the Hall element 165, and improves the reliability of the AF drive unit.

[0236] Furthermore, the terminals on the AF printed circuit board 166 where the control IC 161 is mounted are distributed, thus increasing design flexibility compared to the case where wiring (AF power lines, AF signal lines, and coil power lines) is concentrated on either the light-receiving side or the imaging side of the lens drive device 1 along the optical axis. Additionally, the solder area can be increased, thereby reducing poor connections and improving reliability.

[0237] When performing jitter correction in the lens drive unit 1, the OIS coils 221A to 221D are energized. Specifically, in the OIS drive unit, the energizing current of the OIS coils 221A to 221D is controlled based on the detection signal from the jitter detection unit (not shown, but for example, a gyroscope sensor) to cancel out the jitter of the camera module A. At this time, by feeding back the detection results of the Hall elements 23A and 23B, the swing of the OIS movable part 10 can be accurately controlled.

[0238] When OIS coils 221A-221D are energized, a Lorentz force (Fleming's left-hand rule) is generated in the OIS coils 221A-221D due to the interaction between the magnetic field of magnets 122A-122D and the current flowing through them. The direction of the Lorentz force is orthogonal to the direction of the magnetic field (Z direction) and the direction of the current (U or V direction) in the long side portion of the OIS coils 221A-221D. Since the OIS coils 221A-221D are fixed, a reaction force acts on magnets 122A-122D. This reaction force becomes the driving force of the OIS voice coil motor, causing the movable part 10 of the OIS, which has a driving magnet 122, to swing in the XY plane, thereby correcting jitter.

[0239] When autofocus is performed in the lens drive unit 1, the AF coil 112 is energized. The AF control unit 16 (control IC 161) controls the energizing current in the AF coil 112. Specifically, the control IC 161 controls the energizing current to the AF coil 112 based on the control signals supplied through the signal suspension wires 31A, 31B and the upper springs 131, 132, and the detection results of the Hall element 165 built into the control IC 161.

[0240] Furthermore, when not powered on and not focusing, the AF movable part 11 is suspended between the infinity position and the macro position (neutral point) by the upper springs 131, 132 and the lower springs 141, 142. That is, in the OIS movable part 10, the AF movable part 11 (lens support 111) is elastically supported in a manner that allows it to move laterally in the Z direction while being positioned relative to the AF fixed part 12 (magnet support 121) by the upper springs 131, 132 and the lower springs 141, 142.

[0241] When the AF coil 112 is energized, a Lorentz force is generated in the AF coil 112 based on the interaction between the magnetic field of the drive magnet 122 and the current flowing through the AF coil 112. The direction of the Lorentz force is orthogonal (Z direction) to the direction of the magnetic field (U direction or V direction) and the direction of the current flowing through the AF coil 112 (V direction or U direction). Since the drive magnet 122 is fixed, a reaction force acts on the AF coil 112. This reaction force becomes the driving force of the AF voice coil motor, causing the AF movable part 11 with the AF coil 112 to move in the optical axis direction, thereby achieving focusing.

[0242] In the AF control unit 16 of the lens drive device 1, closed-loop control is performed based on the detection signal from the Hall element 165 built into the control IC 161. According to the closed-loop control method, the hysteresis characteristics of the voice coil motor do not need to be considered, and the position stability of the AF movable part 11 can be directly detected. Furthermore, it can also handle autofocus using image plane detection. Therefore, it has high response performance and can achieve high-speed autofocus operation.

[0243] Thus, the lens driving device 1 includes an OIS driving unit, which has a driving magnet 122 (OIS magnet) disposed around the lens part 2; and an OIS coil 221 disposed at a distance from the driving magnet 122 in the optical axis direction. The OIS driving unit causes the OIS movable part 10 containing the driving magnet 122 to swing relative to the OIS fixed part 20 containing the OIS coil 221 in a plane orthogonal to the optical axis direction.

[0244] In the lens driving device 1, the OIS movable part 10 has a magnet bracket 121 for fixing the driving magnet 122 by bonding. The bonding surface of the magnet bracket 121 to the driving magnet 122 is parallel to the optical axis direction, and the end on the imaging side of the optical axis direction (the first end on the jitter correction fixing part side of the optical axis direction) is open. Moreover, the bonding surface has a recess 121j, which extends along the optical axis direction from a position more inward than the end on the imaging side of the optical axis direction to the end on the light-receiving side of the optical axis direction (the second end opposite to the first end).

[0245] According to the lens driving device 1, the bonding strength between the magnet support 121 and the driving magnet 122 is improved, thus enabling miniaturization and weight reduction, and improving reliability.

[0246] The invention described above is based on the embodiments, but the invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be modified without departing from its essential points.

[0247] For example, in this embodiment, a smartphone M, a portable terminal with a camera, has been described as an example of a camera-mounted device equipped with a camera module A. However, the present invention is applicable to camera-mounted devices that have a camera module and an image processing unit that processes image information obtained by the camera module. The camera-mounted device includes information devices and transportation devices. Information devices include, for example, portable telephones with cameras, laptops, tablet terminals, portable game consoles, webcams, and vehicle-mounted devices with cameras (e.g., rear-view cameras, dashcams). Transportation devices include, for example, automobiles.

[0248] Figure 25A , Figure 25B This is a diagram of a car V, which is a camera mounting device that includes a vehicle camera module (VC). Figure 25A This is the front view of car V. Figure 25B This is a rear perspective view of vehicle V. Vehicle V is equipped with camera module A as described in the embodiment, which serves as an in-vehicle camera module VC. Figure 25A , Figure 25B As shown, the vehicle-mounted camera module (VC) can be mounted forward on the windshield or backward on the tailgate. This vehicle-mounted camera module (VC) is used for rear monitoring, dashcam applications, collision avoidance control, and autonomous driving control, among other applications.

[0249] Furthermore, the structures of the AF coil, AF magnet, OIS coil, and OIS magnet are not limited to those shown in the embodiments. For example, the drive magnet, which serves as both an AF magnet and an OIS magnet, may also have a cuboid shape and be arranged around the AF coil so that the magnetization direction is aligned with the radial direction. Alternatively, a flattened AF coil may be arranged around the lens portion so that the coil surface is parallel to the optical axis direction, and a cuboid-shaped drive magnet may be arranged so that the magnetization direction intersects the coil surface of the AF coil.

[0250] In the embodiments, the case where the driving magnet serves as both the AF magnet and the OIS magnet in a lens driving device having both OIS and AF functions has been described, but the AF magnet and the OIS magnet can also be provided separately. Furthermore, the present invention is applicable to lens driving devices that only have OIS functions; that is, it is applicable to lens driving devices where the imaging side of the OIS magnet is open in the optical axis direction (not supported by a magnet holder), and the OIS magnet is fixed to the magnet holder by bonding.

[0251] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered illustrative in all respects and not intended to be limiting. The scope of the invention is not defined by the foregoing description but by the claims, and includes all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

Claims

1. A lens driving device comprising a shake correction driving unit and a suspension wire, the shake correction driving unit having: a shake correction magnet disposed around a lens; and a shake correction coil disposed spaced apart from the shake correction magnet in the optical axis direction, the shake correction driving unit causing a shake correction movable part including the shake correction magnet to oscillate relative to a shake correction fixed part including the shake correction coil in a plane orthogonal to the optical axis direction, the suspension wire supporting the shake correction movable part relative to the shake correction fixed part, the lens driving device being characterized in that... The jitter correction movable part has a magnet bracket that is rectangular in shape when viewed from the optical axis direction and is used to fix the jitter correction magnet by bonding. The magnet holder has: A magnet holding portion is formed on the inner surface at the four corners of the rectangular shape and holds the vibration correction magnet; A wire insertion portion, formed on the outer surface at the four corners, has a through hole for inserting the suspension wire and a recess that is radially recessed inward and continuously disposed with the through hole; and The adhesive injection holes, located at the four corners, connect radially to the magnet holding portion, specifically to the portion different from the wire insertion portion. The bonding surface of the magnet holding part to the vibration correction magnet is parallel to the optical axis direction, and the first end of the vibration correction fixing part on the optical axis direction is open. The adhesive injection hole is blocked by adhesive.

2. The lens driving device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The magnet holder is formed by injection molding using a mold.

3. The lens driving device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Embossing was applied to the bonding surface.

4. The lens driving device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The magnet support is formed of liquid crystal polymer.

5. The lens driving device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The device includes an autofocus drive unit comprising: an autofocus coil disposed around the lens portion; and an autofocus magnet disposed radially spaced from the autofocus coil. The autofocus drive unit moves an autofocus movable portion containing the autofocus coil relative to an autofocus fixed portion containing the autofocus magnet in the optical axis direction. The jitter correction magnet is disposed in the autofocus fixing part.

6. The lens driving device as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The jitter correction magnet also serves as the autofocus magnet.

7. A camera module, characterized in that, have: The lens driving device according to claim 1; The lens portion is mounted on the vibration correction movable portion; and The camera unit captures an image of the subject that is imaged through the lens unit.

8. A camera mounting device, which is an information device or a transport device, characterized in that, have: The camera module as claimed in claim 7; and The image processing unit processes the image information obtained from the camera module.

Images