Optical unit

Abstract

To suppress resonance without increasing a variable load of a movable body relative to a fixed body.SOLUTION: An optical unit 10 includes a movable body 14 having an optical module 12, a fixed body 16, and a gimbal mechanism 200, the gimbal mechanism 200 includes a first leg section 27a and a second leg section 27b as leg sections 27, and includes a first support section 20a that is fixed to the fixed body 16 as a support section 20 and supports the first leg section 27a in a rotatable state and a second support section 20b that is fixed to the movable body 14 and supports the second leg section 27b in a rotatable state, an engagement section 203 is provided in the leg section 27 in an opposing range R between the leg section 27 and the support section 20 and an engaged section 202 is provided in the support section 20, and at least one portion of a damper member D is disposed in a position P overlapping with the opposing range R in a light axis direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an optical unit. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, various optical units including a movable body, a fixed body, and a gimbal mechanism that supports the movable body movably relative to the fixed body have been used. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an optical unit that includes a movable body, a fixed body, and a gimbal mechanism, and further includes a gel damper member that returns the movable body to an origin position below the gimbal mechanism. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-71493 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in a conventional optical unit having a movable body, a fixed body, and a gimbal mechanism, such as the optical unit of Patent Document 1, when the movable body is moved relative to the fixed body, resonance occurs according to the spring constant of the gimbal mechanism and the mass of the movable body, and the amount of movement of the movable body relative to the fixed body may become large. The optical unit of Patent Document 1 is provided with a gel-like damper member at the bottom of the gimbal mechanism, which makes it possible to return the movable body to the original position in an appropriate manner, but is not configured to suppress resonance. Note that, in order to suppress resonance, a measure such as increasing the spring constant of the gimbal mechanism can be considered, but increasing the spring constant of the gimbal mechanism may increase the moving load of the movable body relative to the fixed body. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The optical unit of the present invention comprises a movable body having an optical module, a fixed body that holds the movable body in a rotatable state with at least one of the intersecting directions that intersect with the optical axis direction as a rotation axis, a rotating member having a flat plate portion facing the optical axis direction and a plurality of legs extending from the flat plate portion along the optical axis direction, and a support portion that engages with the legs and supports the legs in a rotatable state, wherein the gimbal mechanism has as the legs a first leg and a second leg, and as the support portion a first support portion fixed to the fixed body and supporting the first leg in a rotatable state, and a second support portion fixed to the movable body and supporting the second leg in a rotatable state, wherein an engaging portion is provided on the leg in an opposing range where the leg and the support portion oppose each other, and an engaged portion that engages with the engaging portion is provided on the support portion, and at least a part of a damper member is arranged at a position overlapping the opposing range in the optical axis direction. Effect of the Invention

[0006] The optical unit of the present invention can suppress resonance without increasing the moving load of the movable body relative to the fixed body. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a plan view of an optical unit according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an optical unit according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of an optical unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a perspective view illustrating a part of a gimbal mechanism of an optical unit according to a first embodiment of the present invention and its periphery. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a gimbal mechanism of the optical unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a part of a gimbal mechanism of the optical unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a rotating member of a gimbal mechanism of the optical unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a support portion of a gimbal mechanism of the optical unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a part of a gimbal mechanism of the optical unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] 1 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating a part of a gimbal mechanism of an optical unit according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] 4 is a graph showing the relationship between the frequency and the amplification value when a movable body is moved relative to a fixed body in the optical unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a support portion of a gimbal mechanism of an optical unit according to Example 2 of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a side cross-sectional view showing a part of a gimbal mechanism of an optical unit according to a second embodiment of the present invention and a part of a fixed body in its periphery. [Figure 14] 10 is a side cross-sectional view showing a part of a gimbal mechanism of an optical unit according to a second embodiment of the present invention and a part of a movable body in the vicinity thereof. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the same components in each embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and will be described only in the first embodiment. The description of the components will be omitted in the following embodiments.

[0009] [Example 1] First, an optical unit according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 11. In Fig. 2, the dashed line with the symbol L indicates the optical axis, the dashed line with the symbol L1 indicates a first axis line intersecting with the optical axis, and the dashed line with the symbol L2 indicates a second axis line L2 intersecting with the optical axis L and the first axis line L1. In each figure, the Z-axis direction is the optical axis direction, the X-axis direction is the direction intersecting with the optical axis, in other words, the yawing axis direction, and the Y-axis direction is the direction intersecting with the optical axis, in other words, the pitching axis direction.

[0010] <Overall configuration of the optical unit> The configuration of an optical unit 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 3. The optical unit 10 includes a movable body 14 having an optical module 12, and a fixed body 16 that holds the movable body 14 in a state in which the movable body 14 can be displaced in a direction (pitching direction) about a rotation axis in the Y-axis direction and in a direction (yawing direction) about a rotation axis in the X-axis direction. The optical unit 10 also includes a rotation drive mechanism 18 that drives the movable body 14 in the pitching direction and the yawing direction. The optical unit 10 also includes a support section 20 that supports the movable body 14 rotatably in the pitching direction and the yawing direction relative to the fixed body 16, and a rotating member 21 having a flat plate section 25 provided with a plurality of legs 27, and the support section 20 and the rotating member 21 form a gimbal mechanism 200. The rotating member 21 has, as legs 27, a first leg 27a extending from both ends of the first axis L1 along the optical axis direction, and a second leg 27b extending from both ends of the second axis L2 along the optical axis direction, on the flat plate portion 25.

[0011] <Optical module> In this embodiment, the optical module 12 is formed in a substantially rectangular housing shape, and is used as a thin camera mounted on, for example, a camera-equipped mobile phone or a tablet PC. The optical module 12 has a lens 12a on the subject side, and an optical device for capturing an image is built into a rectangular housing 12b. As an example, the optical unit 10 in this embodiment has a built-in actuator that corrects pitching vibration (vibration in the rotation direction about the Y-axis direction as the rotation axis) and yawing vibration (vibration in the rotation direction about the X-axis direction as the rotation axis) that occurs in the optical module 12, and is configured to be able to correct pitching vibration and yawing vibration.

[0012] In this embodiment, the optical unit 10 is configured to be capable of correcting both pitching and yawing vibrations, but is not limited to such a configuration. For example, the optical unit 10 may be configured to be capable of correcting only one of pitching and yawing vibrations.

[0013] <Image sensor> 3, the optical module 12 includes an imaging element 50 on the side opposite to the subject side. A first flexible wiring board 51a is connected to the imaging element 50. Here, the imaging element 50 of this embodiment has a connection part (not shown), and the first flexible wiring board 51a is connected to the connection part.

[0014] <Movable body> 1 to 3, the movable body 14 includes the optical module 12, a holder frame 22, and magnets 24A and 24B. The holder frame 22 is configured as a rectangular frame-shaped member that is provided to surround the remaining four faces of the optical module 12, excluding the front face (the face on the subject side) on which the lens 12a is provided and the rear face on the opposite side. The holder frame 22 in this embodiment is configured to allow the optical module 12 to be detached, as an example. Magnets 24A and 24B for correcting pitching and yawing are attached to the outer faces of the two faces of the holder frame 22 that face the fixed body 16. In FIG. 3, the magnets 24A and 24B are shown in a state of being located away from the holder frame 22 so that the positions at which the magnets 24A and 24B are provided can be easily understood, but the magnets 24A and 24B are attached to the holder frame 22.

[0015] <Fixed body> 1 to 3, the fixed body 16 includes a fixed frame 28 and coils 32A and 32B. In this embodiment, the fixed frame 28 includes a first front cover portion 28a that surrounds the movable body 14 on the subject side, a side cover portion 28b that surrounds the four sides of the holder frame 22, a second front cover portion 28c that is provided on the subject side and on which the first flexible wiring board 51a is placed, and a rear cover portion 28d that covers the side opposite to the subject side. In FIG. 3, the coils 32A and 32B are shown in a state where they are located away from the side cover portion 28b so that the positions of the coils 32A and 32B relative to the magnets 24A and 24B can be easily understood, but the coils 32A and 32B are attached to the side cover portion 28b. The coils 32A and 32B are connected to the second flexible wiring board 51b.

[0016] 3, in this embodiment, when the movable body 14 is disposed within the fixed body 16, the magnet 24A and the coil 32A, and the magnet 24B and the coil 32B are opposed to each other. In this embodiment, the pair of the magnet 24A and the coil 32A, and the pair of the magnet 24B and the coil 32B, constitute the rotation drive mechanism 18. The pitching and yawing of the movable body 14 are corrected by the rotation drive mechanism 18. In this embodiment, the coils 32A and the coils 32B are configured as wound coils as an example, but they may be patterned boards (coil boards) in which the coils are incorporated as patterns into the board wiring.

[0017] Furthermore, pitching and yawing are corrected as follows. When vibration occurs in the optical unit 10 in both or either one of the pitching and yawing directions, the vibration is detected by a vibration detection sensor (gyroscope) (not shown), and the rotation drive mechanism 18 is driven based on the result. Thereafter, the rotation drive mechanism 18 acts to accurately correct the vibration of the optical unit 10 using a magnetic sensor (hall element) or the like. That is, a current is passed through each of the coils 32A and 32B so as to move the movable body 14 in a direction that cancels the vibration of the optical unit 10, thereby correcting the vibration.

[0018] The optical unit 10 of this embodiment is provided with a rotation drive mechanism 18 that rotates the movable body 14 relative to the fixed body 16 around the first axis L1 and the second axis L2 as rotation axes. The combination of rotations around the first axis L1 and the second axis L2 rotates in the pitch axis direction and the yawing axis direction. Note that "rotation" in this specification does not necessarily mean a 360° rotation, but includes a case where the movable body 14 oscillates in the rotation direction.

[0019] The driving source for the operation of correcting the vibration is not limited to a voice coil motor constituted by pairs of coils 32A and 32B and magnets 24A and 24B, such as the rotation driving mechanism 18. It is also possible to use other driving sources such as a stepping motor or a piezoelectric element.

[0020] Next, the gimbal mechanism 200, which is a main part of the optical unit 10 of this embodiment, will be described in detail with reference to Figures 4 to 11. Note that, although Figures 4 to 10 of the optical unit 10 of this embodiment and Figures 12 to 14 of the optical unit 10 of a second embodiment described later show a support configuration for the first leg 27a by the first support portion 20a, the support configuration for the second leg 27b by the second support portion 20b has a similar configuration.

[0021] <Gimbal mechanism> The gimbal mechanism 200 includes a rotating member 21 having spring properties formed by bending a metal flat plate material, and a support portion 20 supporting the rotating member 21. As shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 7, the rotating member 21 includes a flat plate portion 25, and includes two first legs 27a and two second legs 27b formed by bending the four corners of the flat plate portion 25 at approximately 90° in the optical axis direction toward the opposite side to the subject side. Each of the two first legs 27a and the two second legs 27b is provided with a recess 203 recessed toward the inner direction opposite to the outer direction O (see FIG. 7). Note that the first legs 27a and the second legs 27b do not necessarily have to be entirely plate-shaped, and only a part of them may be formed into a plate shape to exhibit spring properties. The rotating member 21 of this embodiment is configured in this way, and is configured to be able to apply pressure toward the outer direction O.

[0022] The support portion 20 supports the movable body 14 to be rotatable with respect to the fixed body 16 around the first axis L1 and the second axis L2 as rotation axes. As shown in FIG. 5, the support portion 20 has two first support portions 20a that support the first leg portion 27a and two second support portions 20b that support the second leg portion 27b. The first support portions 20a are disposed at two opposing positions among the four corners of the rectangular frame-shaped portion of the side cover portion 28b of the fixed body 16, and the second support portions 20b are disposed at two opposing positions among the four corners of the rectangular frame-shaped holder frame 22 of the movable body 14. That is, the first support portion 20a is fixed to the fixed body 16, and the second support portion 20b is fixed to the movable body 14. The rectangular frame-shaped portion of the side cover portion 28b and the rectangular frame-shaped movable body 14 are arranged so that the positions of their four corners are aligned, and the first support portion 20a and the second support portion 20b are arranged one each at the four corners.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 5 and other figures, the gimbal mechanism 200 of this embodiment has a first support portion 20a and a second support portion 20b as the support portion 20. Here, the first support portion 20a and the second support portion 20b have the same configuration. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8 and other figures, the support portion 20 has a side plate portion 211, a convex portion 202 (sphere 202A) formed on the side plate portion 211, a floor plate portion 210, and a protruding portion 201 in both the first support portion 20a and the second support portion 20b. In each support portion 20, the convex portion 202 is formed by welding a metallic sphere 202A to a round hole formed in the metallic side plate portion 211.

[0024] <Support structure of the rotating member by the support mechanism> As shown in Figures 7 and 10, the first leg 27a is provided with a recess 203 in which a spherical concave surface B1 is formed, and as shown in Figures 8 and 10, the first support portion 20a is provided with a protrusion 202 in which a spherical convex surface B2 is formed, and the first leg 27a is supported by the first support portion 20a as the spherical concave surface B1 and the spherical convex surface B2 come into contact with each other. Note that the first leg 27a and the second leg 27b have the same configuration, and the first support portion 20a and the second support portion 20b have the same configuration, so the second leg 27b is provided with a recess 203 in which a spherical concave surface B1 is formed, and the second support portion 20b is provided with a protrusion 202 in which a spherical convex surface B2 is formed, and the second leg 27b is supported by the second support portion 20b as the spherical concave surface B1 and the spherical convex surface B2 come into contact with each other. Each of the two first leg portions 27a and each of the two second leg portions 27b are configured to be pressurized in the outward direction O, so that the pressure causes each spherical concave surface B1 to press against the corresponding spherical convex surface B2, and the first leg portion 27a and the second leg portion 27b are supported by the corresponding first support portion 20a and second support portion 20b.

[0025] Moreover, the fixed body 16 of this embodiment has a fixed portion 127 for fixing the first support portion 20a, and the movable body 14 of this embodiment has a fixed portion 227 for fixing the second support portion 20b. The fixed portion 127 and the fixed portion 227 have the same configuration, and are configured to be fixed by inserting the support portion 20 attached to the leg portion 27 along the optical axis direction (Z-axis direction) as shown in Fig. 4. Note that, as shown in Fig. 6, at any of the support points of the leg portion 27 by the support portion 20, the leg portion 27 is supported in a state in which it can swing in the swing direction S relative to the support portion 20.

[0026] To summarize, the optical unit 10 of this embodiment includes a movable body 14 having an optical module 12, and a fixed body 16 that holds the movable body 14 in a rotatable state with at least one direction (X-axis direction and Y-axis direction) of the intersecting directions intersecting with the optical axis direction (Z-axis direction) as a rotation axis. Furthermore, the optical unit 10 of this embodiment includes a gimbal mechanism 200 having a rotating member 21 having a flat plate portion 25 facing the optical axis direction and a plurality of legs 27 extending from the flat plate portion 25 along the optical axis direction, and a support portion 20 that engages with the legs 27 and supports the legs 27 in a rotatable state. Here, the gimbal mechanism 200 has a first leg 27a and a second leg 27b as the legs 27, and includes a first support portion 20a fixed to the fixed body 16 and supporting the first leg 27a in a rotatable state as the support portion 20, and a second support portion 20b fixed to the movable body 14 and supporting the second leg 27b in a rotatable state.

[0027] 10, in the optical unit 10 of this embodiment, the gimbal mechanism 200 has recesses 203 as engaging portions provided on the legs 27 in an opposing range R where the legs 27 and the support portion 20 oppose each other, and protrusions 202 as engaged portions that engage with the engaging portions 203 provided on the support portion 20. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 10, a gel-like substance that serves as a damper member D is disposed at a position P that overlaps with the opposing range R in the optical axis direction.

[0028] In this way, by disposing at least a part of the damper member D at the position P that overlaps with the facing range R in the optical axis direction, it is possible to suppress resonance when the movable body 14 is moved relative to the fixed body 16. In addition, by adjusting the viscoelasticity of the damper member D in accordance with the usage mode of the optical unit 10, it is also possible to suppress an increase in the moving load of the movable body 14 relative to the fixed body 16.

[0029] Here, FIG. 11 is a graph showing a comparison between the relationship between the frequency and the amplification value when the movable body 14 is moved relative to the fixed body 16 in the optical unit 10 of this embodiment (with gel-like substance) and the relationship between the frequency and the amplification value when the movable body 14 is moved relative to the fixed body 16 in the optical unit 10 of a comparative example in which the gel-like substance is removed from the optical unit 10 of this embodiment (without gel-like substance). FIG. 11 is a graph assuming that ideally, by increasing the frequency, the amplification value becomes constant up to the frequency at the resonance point, and the amplification value gradually decreases after the frequency at the resonance point. In the optical unit 10 of the comparative example, the amplification value becomes large at the frequency at the resonance point (the amount of unintended movement of the movable body 14 relative to the fixed body 16 becomes large), but in the optical unit 10 of this embodiment, the increase in the amplification value is small even at the frequency at the resonance point. That is, it is shown that in the optical unit 10 of this embodiment, resonance is suppressed when the movable body 14 is moved relative to the fixed body 16.

[0030] In the optical unit 10 of this embodiment, the damper member D is a gel-like material. Here, the gel-like material means a material that has no fluidity and at least a degree of viscoelasticity that allows a portion of the material to flow and spill out due to the effect of gravity when the damper member D is placed. For this reason, it does not include liquid oil or the like that has fluidity. By using a gel-like material as the damper member D, it is easy to adjust the viscoelasticity according to the usage form of the optical unit 10, and the damper member D can be constructed at low cost.

[0031] However, the damper member D is not limited to a gel-like substance. For example, a sheet-shaped elastic member may be used as the damper member D. By using a sheet-shaped elastic member as the damper member D, it becomes easier to arrange the damper member D at a desired position.

[0032] As described above, in the optical unit 10 of this embodiment, the engaging portion provided on the leg 27 is the recess 203, and the engaged portion provided on the support 20 is the convex portion 202 that engages with the recess 203. In this manner, it is preferable that the engaging portion has a convex portion or a concave portion, and the engaged portion has a concave portion or a convex portion that engages with the convex portion or the concave portion of the engaging portion. This is because the support 20 fixed to the fixed body 16 or the movable body 14 and the leg 27 of the rotating member 21 can be easily and suitably engaged by utilizing the spring pressure of the gimbal mechanism 200 or the like. Note that in this embodiment, the engaging portion provided on the leg 27 is the recess 203, and the engaged portion provided on the support 20 is the convex portion 202, but the engaging portion provided on the leg 27 may be the convex portion and the engaged portion provided on the support 20 may be the concave portion.

[0033] 9 and 10, in the optical unit 10 of this embodiment, the gimbal mechanism 200 has a damper member D disposed between the concave portion 203 of the engaging portion provided on the leg portion 27 and the convex portion 202 of the engaged portion provided on the support portion 20. In this manner, it is preferable that the damper member D is disposed between the convex portion or concave portion of the engaging portion provided on the leg portion 27 and the concave portion or convex portion of the engaged portion provided on the support portion 20. By disposing the damper member D at such a position, it is possible to particularly effectively suppress an increase in the moving load of the movable body 14 relative to the fixed body 16 when the movable body 14 is moved relative to the fixed body 16, while particularly effectively suppressing resonance.

[0034] 10 etc., in the optical unit 10 of this embodiment, the concave portion 203 of the engaging portion provided on the leg portion 27 and the convex portion 202 of the engaged portion provided on the support portion 20 abut on the spherical concave surface B1 and the spherical convex surface B2. In this manner, it is preferable that the convex portion or concave portion of the engaging portion provided on the leg portion 27 and the concave portion or convex portion of the engaged portion provided on the support portion 20 are spherical. This is because it is possible to particularly effectively suppress an increase in the moving load of the movable body 14 relative to the fixed body 16 when the movable body 14 is moved relative to the fixed body 16.

[0035] [Example 2] Next, the optical unit 10 of Example 2 will be described with reference to Figs. 12 to 14. Here, Fig. 12 is a view corresponding to Fig. 8 of the optical unit 10 of Example 1. Note that components common to the above-mentioned Example 1 are indicated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description will be omitted. The optical unit 10 of this example has the same configuration as the optical unit 10 of Example 1 except for the points described below, and has the same characteristics as the optical unit 10 of Example 1.

[0036] In the optical unit 10 of Example 1, the support portion 20 has the convex portion 202 formed by welding the sphere 202A to a round hole formed in the flat side plate portion 211. On the other hand, in the optical unit 10 of this embodiment, as shown in Figures 12 to 14, the convex portion 202 is formed by deforming a part of the flat side plate portion 211 to form a semicircular protrusion portion 202B.

[0037] In other words, in the optical unit 10 of this embodiment, the support portion 20 has the convex portion 202, which is the engaged portion, formed integrally with the side plate portion 211. In this manner, the concave or convex portion of the engaged portion provided on the support portion 20 is formed integrally with the constituent member of the support portion 20, so that the concave or convex portion of the engaged portion can be easily formed. Note that in the optical unit 10 of this embodiment as well as the optical unit 10 of the first embodiment, the side plate portion 211, the floor plate portion 210, and the protruding portion 201 are integrally configured. With such a configuration, the support portion 20 can be easily formed.

[0038] On the other hand, the rotating member 21 of the optical unit 10 of this embodiment has the same configuration as the rotating member 21 of the optical unit 10 of Example 1, but in the optical unit 10 of this embodiment as well as the optical unit 10 of Example 1, in each leg 27, a concave portion of the engagement portion is formed integrally with the leg 27. In this manner, the convex portion or concave portion of the engagement portion can be easily formed by forming the convex portion or concave portion of the engagement portion integrally with the leg 27. Note that in the optical unit 10 of this embodiment as well as the optical unit 10 of Example 1, the flat plate portion 25 and the leg 27 are integrally configured. With such a configuration, the rotating member 21 can be easily formed.

[0039] 13, in the optical unit 10 of this embodiment, the fixed body 16 has a fixed portion 127 that forms a first pocket structure 127a that houses the first support portion 20a, and the gel-like substance as the damper member D is disposed in the first pocket structure 127a. In this manner, by disposing the gel-like substance in the first pocket structure 127a, it is possible to prevent the gel-like substance from being torn and scattering. Note that the pocket structure means a structure that has an opening through which a member can be advanced and retreated, and is closed on the tip side in the advancement and retreat direction and in a direction intersecting the advancement and retreat direction.

[0040] 14, in the optical unit 10 of this embodiment, the fixed portion 227 of the movable body 14 constitutes a second pocket structure 227a that houses the second support portion 20b, and the gel-like substance as the damper member D is disposed in the second pocket structure 227a. In this manner, by disposing the gel-like substance in the second pocket structure 227a, it is possible to prevent the gel-like substance from being torn off and scattering.

[0041] The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and can be realized in various configurations without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the technical features in the embodiments corresponding to the technical features in each aspect described in the Summary of the Invention column can be appropriately replaced or combined in order to solve some or all of the above-mentioned problems or to achieve some or all of the above-mentioned effects. Furthermore, if a technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, it can be appropriately deleted.

[0042] Finally, the present invention is generally described below. (1) an optical unit comprising: a movable body having an optical module; a fixed body that holds the movable body in a rotatable state with at least one of the intersecting directions that intersect with the optical axis direction as a rotation axis; a gimbal mechanism having a rotating member having a flat plate portion facing the optical axis direction and a plurality of legs extending from the flat plate portion along the optical axis direction; and a support portion that engages with the legs and supports the legs in a rotatable state, wherein the gimbal mechanism has first and second legs as the legs, and has as the support portion a first support portion fixed to the fixed body and supporting the first leg in a rotatable state, and a second support portion fixed to the movable body and supporting the second leg in a rotatable state, wherein an engaging portion is provided on the legs in an opposing range where the legs and the support portion oppose each other, and an engaged portion that engages with the engaging portion is provided on the support portion, and at least a portion of a damper member is arranged at a position overlapping the opposing range in the optical axis direction.

[0043] (2) The optical unit according to the above (1), wherein the engaging portion has a convex portion or a concave portion, and the engaged portion has a concave portion or a convex portion that engages with the convex portion or the concave portion of the engaging portion.

[0044] (3) The optical unit according to (2) above, wherein the leg portion is integrally formed with a convex portion or a concave portion of the engagement portion.

[0045] (4) The optical unit according to the above (2) or (3), wherein the supporting portion is integrally formed with a concave or convex portion of the engaged portion.

[0046] (5) In the optical unit described in any one of (2) to (4) above, the gimbal mechanism is characterized in that the damper member is disposed between the convex or concave portion of the engaging portion and the concave or convex portion of the engaged portion.

[0047] (6) The optical unit according to any one of (2) to (5) above, wherein the convex or concave portion of the engaging portion and the concave or convex portion of the engaged portion are spherical.

[0048] (7) The optical unit according to any one of (1) to (6) above, wherein the damper member is made of a gel-like material.

[0049] (8) The optical unit according to (7) above, wherein the fixed body has a first pocket structure that accommodates the first support portion, and the gel-like substance is disposed within the first pocket structure.

[0050] (9) In the optical unit described in (7) or (8) above, the movable body has a second pocket structure that accommodates the second support portion, and the gel-like substance is disposed within the second pocket structure.

[0051] (10) The optical unit according to any one of (1) to (9) above, wherein the damper member is a sheet-like elastic member. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 10...optical unit, 12...optical module, 12a...lens, 12b...housing, 14...movable body, 16...fixed body, 18...rotation drive mechanism, 20...support, 20a...first support, 20b...second support, 21...rotating member, 22...holder frame, 24A...magnet, 24B...magnet, 25...flat plate, 27...leg, 27a...first leg, 27b...second leg, 28...fixed frame, 28a...first front cover, 28b...side cover, 28c...second front cover, 28d...rear cover, 32A...coil, 32B...coil, 50...imaging element, 51a...first flexible wiring board, 51b...second flexible wiring board, 127...fixing portion, 127a...first pocket structure, 200...gimbal mechanism, 201...projection portion, 202...convex portion (engaged portion), 202A...sphere, 202B...projection portion, 203...concave portion (engagement portion), 210...floor plate portion, 211...side plate portion, 227...fixing portion, 227a...second pocket structure, B1...spherical concave surface, B2...spherical convex surface, D...damper member, L...optical axis

Claims

1. a movable body including an optical module; a fixed body that holds the movable body in a rotatable state around a rotation axis in at least one direction among directions intersecting an optical axis direction; a gimbal mechanism including a rotating member having a flat plate portion facing the optical axis direction and a plurality of legs extending from the flat plate portion along the optical axis direction, and a support portion that engages with the legs and supports the legs in a rotatable state; Equipped with The gimbal mechanism includes: The leg portion includes a first leg portion and a second leg portion, The support portion includes a first support portion fixed to the fixed body and supporting the first leg portion in a rotatable state, and a second support portion fixed to the movable body and supporting the second leg portion in a rotatable state, an engaging portion is provided on the leg portion in a range where the leg portion and the support portion face each other, and an engaged portion that engages with the engaging portion is provided on the support portion; An optical unit, comprising: at least a portion of a damper member disposed in a position overlapping the opposing range in the optical axis direction.

2. 2. The optical unit according to claim 1, The engaging portion has a protrusion or a recess, The optical unit according to claim 1, wherein the engaged portion has a recess or a convex portion that engages with a protrusion or a concave portion of the engaging portion.

3. 3. The optical unit according to claim 2, The optical unit according to claim 1, wherein the leg portion is integrally formed with a convex portion or a concave portion of the engagement portion.

4. 3. The optical unit according to claim 2, The optical unit according to claim 1, wherein the supporting portion is integrally formed with a concave or convex portion of the engaged portion.

5. 5. The optical unit according to claim 2, The gimbal mechanism is an optical unit characterized in that the damper member is disposed between a convex portion or a concave portion of the engaging portion and a concave portion or a convex portion of the engaged portion.

6. 5. The optical unit according to claim 2, An optical unit, wherein the convex or concave portion of the engaging portion and the concave or convex portion of the engaged portion are spherical.

7. 5. The optical unit according to claim 1, The optical unit according to claim 1, wherein the damper member is made of a gel-like material.

8. 8. The optical unit according to claim 7, the fixed body has a first pocket structure that accommodates the first support portion, An optical unit, characterized in that the gel material is disposed within the first pocket structure.

9. 8. The optical unit according to claim 7, the movable body has a second pocket structure that accommodates the second support portion, The optical unit is characterized in that the gel-like substance is disposed within the second pocket structure.

10. 5. The optical unit according to claim 1, The optical unit according to claim 1, wherein the damper member is a sheet-like elastic member.

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