Lens driving device, camera device and electronic device

Abstract

To provide a lens drive device, a camera device, and an electronic apparatus that are hardly susceptible to damage at drop impact time, and with which it is possible to secure the smooth movement of a lens carrier.SOLUTION: A lens drive device 10 includes: a base 18 that has a base bottom wall 44; a lens carrier 14 that holds a lens 12 and has a carrier bottom wall 26 which is parallel to the optical axis direction of the lens 12 and the base bottom wall 44, and which faces the base bottom wall 44; a guidance mechanism 20 that guides and supports the lens carrier 14 to the base 18 in the optical axis direction of the lens 12. The guidance mechanism 20 is provided with a guidance shaft 40 made of metal that is fixed to one of the carrier bottom wall 26 and the base bottom wall 44 and extends in the optical axis direction, an a slide groove 42 that is formed on the other of the carrier bottom wall 26 and the base bottom wall 44 and extends in the optical axis direction, with the guidance shaft 40 and the slide groove 42 sliding.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a lens driving device, a camera device, and an electronic device. [Background technology]

[0002] As electronic devices equipped with camera devices, such as smartphones and tablet-type mobile terminal devices, become smaller, "periscope" type camera devices have been developed that bend incident light entering through an opening formed in the housing of the electronic device and direct it to a lens and image sensor.

[0003] An example of a lens driving device used in a camera device with such a structure is disclosed in the following Patent Document 1. This lens driving device has a lens carrier that is movable in the direction of the optical axis of the lens and is suspended and fixed to a base by a suspension wire.

[0004] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 below discloses a drive mechanism that supports a lens holder on a base so that the lens holder can move in the optical axis direction and in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction. This drive mechanism employs a structure in which a movable intermediate frame is disposed between the lens holder and the base. Grooves are formed in the lens holder and the movable intermediate frame, respectively, along the optical axis direction, and these grooves face each other via a ball. Grooves are also formed in the movable intermediate frame and the base, respectively, along a direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction, and these grooves also face each other via a ball.

[0005] A lens drive device with this type of structure had the problem that if it was dropped or subjected to an impact, the lens carrier and base would collide with each other if it was suspended by a suspension wire, and if it used a ball, the impact would cause a dent in the groove where the ball made point contact. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] China Published Patent Publication No. 110646915A [Patent Document 2] United States Patent Publication No. 2019 / 0377155A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems and provide a lens driving device, a camera device, and an electronic device that are less susceptible to damage when dropped and that can ensure smooth movement of the lens carrier. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] One aspect of the present invention is a lens driving device that includes a base having a base bottom wall, a lens carrier that holds a lens and has a carrier bottom wall that is parallel to the optical axis direction of the lens and the base bottom wall and faces the base bottom wall, and a guide mechanism that guides and supports the lens carrier in the optical axis direction of the lens relative to the base, wherein the guide mechanism includes a metal guide shaft that is fixed to either the carrier bottom wall or the base bottom wall and extends in the optical axis direction, and a sliding groove that is formed in the other of the carrier bottom wall and the base bottom wall and extends in the optical axis direction, and the guide shaft and the sliding groove slide against each other.

[0009] Preferably, the guide axes are provided on either the carrier bottom wall or the base bottom wall, one at a time, spaced apart in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which they extend, and when viewed from the normal direction of the carrier bottom wall, the optical axis of the lens is located between the two guide axes.

[0010] Preferably, two sliding grooves are provided on the other of the carrier bottom wall and the base bottom wall corresponding to the two guide shafts, one of the sliding grooves having two non-parallel inclined surfaces that contact one of the guide shafts, and the other of the sliding grooves having a bottom surface that contacts the other of the guide shafts, the bottom surface being parallel to the carrier bottom wall or base bottom wall on which the sliding groove is provided.

[0011] Preferably, in a cross section perpendicular to the optical axis direction, the guide shaft has an arc-shaped portion that contacts the sliding groove, one sliding groove has a V-shape, and the other sliding groove has a trapezoidal shape.

[0012] Preferably, two sliding grooves corresponding to the two guide shafts are provided on the other of the carrier bottom wall and the base bottom wall, and one of the sliding grooves is dug deeper except for the central portion in its extension direction, so that one of the guide shafts contacts and slides against the central portion as a sliding portion, and the other sliding groove contacts and slides against at least both end portions in its extension direction as a sliding portion.

[0013] Preferably, the sliding groove is formed in the lens carrier, penetrates the lens carrier in the optical axis direction, and has a greater groove depth at both end portions.

[0014] Preferably, within the sliding range, the end of the guide shaft in its extending direction does not contact the sliding groove.

[0015] Preferably, the guide shaft is fixed to a fixing groove formed by digging into the surface of a guide shaft fixing portion formed to protrude from the bottom wall of the carrier or base on which it is provided, and in a cross section perpendicular to the optical axis direction, the surface of the guide shaft fixing portion is within the sliding groove.

[0016] Preferably, the lens carrier and the base have side walls that are parallel to the optical axis direction and perpendicular to their respective bottom walls, and either a drive magnet or a drive coil is arranged on the side wall of the lens carrier, and the other is arranged on the side wall of the base, with the drive magnet and drive coil facing each other.

[0017] Another aspect of the present invention is a camera device, which includes the lens driving device of the above aspect, a lens fixed to the lens carrier, a prism arranged in front of the lens, and an image sensor arranged behind the lens.

[0018] Another aspect of the present invention is an electronic device, which includes the camera device of the above aspect. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] According to the present invention, a metal guide shaft fixed to either the carrier bottom wall or the base bottom wall slides against a sliding groove formed on the other wall and facing the guide shaft. Therefore, the guide shaft and the sliding groove are in contact over a long distance in the optical axis direction, making it difficult to deform even when an impact is applied, and stable operation can be maintained. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] FIG. 1(A) is a perspective view of a lens driving device according to an embodiment of the present invention, seen from diagonally above, and FIG. 1(B) is a perspective view of the lens driving device according to an embodiment of the present invention, seen from diagonally below. [Figure 2] 1 is an exploded perspective view of a lens driving device according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed obliquely from above. [Figure 3] 1 is an exploded perspective view of a lens driving device according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed obliquely from below. [Figure 4] FIG. 4(A) is a perspective view of the base according to the embodiment of the present invention as viewed from above, and FIG. 4(B) is an enlarged view of part IVB in FIG. 4(A). [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of the bottom portion of the lens carrier and related members according to the embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from below. [Figure 6] Figure 6(A) is a top view of a lens driving device according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 6(B) is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIB-VIB in Figure 6(A), and Figure 6(C) is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIC-VIC in Figure 6(A). [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII in FIG. 6(A). [Figure 8] 6(C) is a cross-sectional perspective view of the lens driving device according to the embodiment of the present invention taken along line VIC-VIC in FIG. 6(A) and viewed from the opposite side to FIG. 6(C). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] The following description will discuss embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments are intended to exemplify the lens driving device, camera device, and electronic device of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention to the following embodiments.

[0022] 1 to 8 show an embodiment of a lens driving device 10 of the present invention. The lens driving device 10, together with a lens 12, a prism 16, and an image sensor (not shown), is used in a camera device mounted on an electronic device such as a smartphone. The lens 12 has a substantially cylindrical shape, and the axial direction of this cylinder is the optical axis direction of the lens 12.

[0023] The lens driving device 10 includes a lens carrier 14 that holds the lens 12, a base 18 that houses the lens carrier 14, and a guide mechanism 20 that guides and supports the lens carrier 14 so that it can move freely in the optical axis direction of the lens 12 relative to the base 18. In this embodiment, the prism 16 is attached to the base 18.

[0024] In the following description, the optical axis direction of the lens 12 will be referred to as the front-to-rear direction, and in particular the side where light enters the lens 12 will be referred to as the front, and the side where it exits will be referred to as the rear. Also, the side of the subject where light enters the prism 16, which is perpendicular to the optical axis direction of the lens 12, will be referred to as the top, and the opposite direction will be referred to as the bottom. Furthermore, the direction perpendicular to both the optical axis direction and the up-down direction will be referred to as the width direction.

[0025] The lens carrier 14 has two opposing side walls (carrier side walls) 24, 24 and a bottom wall (carrier bottom wall) 26 connecting the two side walls 24, 24. A lens housing section 22, which has a U-shaped cross section perpendicular to the optical axis direction of the lens 12, is provided along the optical axis direction in the space surrounded by the two side walls 24, 24 and the bottom wall 26. The two side walls 24, 24 and the bottom wall 26 are parallel to the optical axis direction of the lens 12, and the side walls 24 and the bottom wall 26 are perpendicular to each other. The lens housing section 22 opens on the top surface and the front and rear surfaces of the main body of the lens carrier 14, which has a rectangular parallelepiped shape. Mounting protrusions 24A are provided on the upper parts of the two side walls 24, 24. The lens 12 housed in the lens housing section 22 is held in place within the lens housing section 22 by a lens cover 28. Mounting portions 28A that protrude downward are formed at the four corners of the lens cover 28, and rectangular mounting holes 28B are formed in these mounting portions 28A. The lens cover 28 is fixed to the lens carrier 14 by fitting these mounting protrusions 24A into the mounting holes 28B.

[0026] The base 18 has two opposing side walls (base side walls) 36, 36, a bottom wall (base bottom wall) 44 connecting the two side walls 36, 36, a prism mounting wall 30, a rear wall 38A, and a front wall 38B, and is shaped like a hollow box with an open top. On the rear side, a lens carrier housing space 32 for housing a lens carrier 14 is formed by the two side walls 36, 36, the bottom wall 44, and the rear wall 38A. On the front side, a prism housing space 34 for housing a prism 16 is formed by the two side walls 36, 36, and the prism mounting wall 30. The two side walls 36, 36 and the bottom wall 44 are parallel to the optical axis direction of the lens 12, and the side walls 36 and the bottom wall 44 are perpendicular to each other. The rear wall 38A and the front wall 38B are perpendicular to the optical axis direction of the lens 12. When the lens carrier 14 is accommodated in the lens carrier accommodating space 32, the carrier side walls 24, 24 and the base side walls 36, 36 face each other in parallel, and the carrier bottom wall 26 and the base bottom wall 44 face each other in parallel.

[0027] Prism mounting wall 30 is inclined so that the front side is upward. Furthermore, three prism mounting portions 30A are formed in prism storage space 34, protruding slightly from prism mounting wall 30, and multiple prism fixing portions 30B are formed protruding inward from side walls 36, 36. The reflective surface of prism 16 is mounted on prism mounting portion 30A, and the side surface is adhesively fixed to prism fixing portion 30B.

[0028] The guide mechanism 20 that guides and supports the lens carrier 14 relative to the base 18 includes a metal guide shaft 40 and a slide groove 42 formed in the resin lens carrier 14. The guide shaft 40 and the slide groove 42 come into contact and slide. It is desirable that at least the portion of the slide groove 42 that comes into contact and slides with the guide shaft 40 be made of resin.

[0029] The guide shafts 40 are fixed in fixing grooves 46A formed in the upper surface (base upper surface) 44A of the base bottom wall 44, which extends parallel to the optical axis direction of the base 18, so as to extend in the optical axis direction. The guide shafts 40 are provided near both ends of the base upper surface 44A in the width direction, i.e., spaced apart in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the guide shafts 40 extend. When viewed from the normal direction of the carrier bottom wall 26, the optical axis of the lens 12 is located between the two guide shafts 40. The guide shafts 40 are cylindrical, and the fixing grooves 46A are formed by digging into the upper surface of a guide shaft fixing portion 46 that protrudes upward from the base upper surface 44A at a height smaller than the radius of the guide shaft 40. The lower side of the guide shaft 40 is fitted into the fixing grooves 46A along its entire length. At least the upper half of the guide shaft 40 is exposed above the fixing grooves 46A. Further, both ends of the guide shaft 40 in the front-rear direction are fixed by adhesive to both end portions of the fixing groove 46A in the front-rear direction.

[0030] In the present embodiment, the guide shaft 40 has been described as having a cylindrical shape, but the shape of the portion exposed from the fixed groove 46A and in contact with the sliding groove 42 may be arc-shaped in a cross section perpendicular to the extension direction of the guide shaft 40, i.e., the optical axis direction. For example, the cross-sectional shape of the portion fitted into the fixed groove 46A may be rectangular, polygonal, elliptical, or the like. Furthermore, for example, the shape of the guide shaft 40 may be an elliptical cylinder.

[0031] The slide groove 42 is formed to extend in the optical axis direction on the lower surface (carrier lower surface) 48 of the carrier bottom wall 26, which faces the upper surface 44A of the base bottom wall 44 and extends parallel to the optical axis direction. The slide groove 42 penetrates the lens carrier 14 in the optical axis direction, and its front and rear end portions 42AC, 42AC, 42BC, 42BC are formed deep, ensuring smooth movement even if the front and rear end portions 42AC, 42AC, 42BC, 42BC are damaged. The slide groove 42 has slide groove 42A and slide groove 42B, which have different groove shapes, and are provided near both ends of the carrier lower surface 48 in the width direction corresponding to the two guide shafts 40, 40. The slide groove 42A has a V-shape in a cross section perpendicular to the extension direction, and has two non-parallel slopes whose width decreases toward the groove bottom. These two slopes contact and slide with the guide shaft 40. In this embodiment, the entire length of the slide groove 42A functions as a slide portion 42AA, but both ends in the length direction may be slide portions 42AA and the center portion may be dug down to be non-contact.

[0032] The cross section of the sliding groove 42B at the center in the extension direction is trapezoidal, and the lower side of this trapezoid, i.e., the bottom surface of the sliding groove 42B, contacts and slides with the guide shaft 40. The portion other than the center in the extension direction is further recessed into a U-shaped cross section, with this central portion functioning as the sliding portion 42BA and the remaining portion functioning as the non-contact portion 42BB. The sliding grooves 42A and 42B are formed to a depth exceeding the radius of the guide shaft 40. In a cross section perpendicular to the optical axis direction, the surface of the guide shaft fixing portion 46 is within the sliding grooves 42A and 42B. Furthermore, the longitudinal ends of the guide shaft 40 do not contact the sliding groove 42. This prevents the end of the metal guide shaft 40 from damaging the sliding groove 42 made of resin when an impact is applied, allowing the lens carrier 14 to move smoothly.

[0033] When the lens carrier 14 is inserted into the lens carrier housing space 32 of the base 18, the semicircular portion of the guide shaft 40 protruding upward from the fixing groove 46A fits into the sliding grooves 42A and 42B and is slidably supported. At this time, in a cross section perpendicular to the optical axis direction, the arc-shaped portion of the guide shaft 40 and the linear portion of the sliding groove 42A contact each other at two points, and a space is formed between the arc-shaped portion of the guide shaft 40 beyond this point and the groove bottom of the sliding groove 42A. At the sliding portion 42AA, the entire length of the sliding groove 42A contacts the guide shaft 40 simultaneously, so the guide shaft 40 and the sliding groove 42A are in line contact. Meanwhile, in a cross section perpendicular to the optical axis direction, the guide shaft 40 and the sliding portion 42BA of the sliding groove 42B contact each other at a single point, where the arc-shaped portion of the guide shaft 40 and the trapezoidal bottom portion of the sliding groove 42B contact each other. At the sliding portion 42BA, the entire length of the sliding groove 42B simultaneously contacts the guide shaft 40, so the guide shaft 40 and the sliding groove 42B are in line contact. This allows assembly and operation even if there are manufacturing errors in the sliding groove 42 of the lens carrier 14, the fixing groove 46A of the base 18, and the guide shaft 40, and allows the lens carrier 14 to move smoothly.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 3 , recesses (magnet mounting recesses) 52, 52 are formed in the carrier lower surface 48 of the lens carrier 14 on the widthwise inner side of the slide grooves 42A, 42B, and a plate-shaped preload magnet 50 is disposed in these recesses. Meanwhile, recesses (yoke mounting recesses) 58 are formed in the lower surface (base lower surface) 54 of the base bottom wall 44 of the base 18 on the widthwise inner side at positions corresponding to the guide shaft fixing portions 46, 46, and a plate-shaped preload yoke 56 is disposed in this recess so as to face the preload magnet 50. This applies a preload to the lens carrier 14 so as to be pulled downward relative to the base 18, and the slide groove 42 is constantly in contact with the guide shaft 40. Note that in this embodiment, a case has been described in which the preload magnet 50 is mounted on the lens carrier 14 and the preload yoke 56 is mounted on the base 18, but these may be reversed, with the preload yoke 56 mounted on the lens carrier 14 and the preload magnet 50 mounted on the base 18.

[0035] 2 and 3, a recess (driving member mounting recess) 64 is formed in the center of the two carrier side walls 24, 24 of the lens carrier 14, and a driving yoke 60 and a driving magnet 62 for driving the lens carrier 14 are disposed in this driving member mounting recess 64. The driving magnet 62 is fixed to the driving member mounting recess 64 so that its plate surface faces in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction. The driving magnet 62 is divided into two, a front side and a rear side in the front-to-rear direction, and an S pole and an N pole are provided on the plate surface facing the width direction, with the polarities of the front magnet and the rear magnet being opposite.

[0036] A through hole 66 is formed in the two base side walls 36, 36 of the base 18, and a flexible printed circuit board 68 is disposed on the outside of the side walls 36, 36. A drive coil 70 is disposed on the inner surface of the flexible printed circuit board 68, and the drive coil 70 is located inside the through hole 66 and faces a drive magnet 62 fixed to the lens carrier 14. A position detection sensor 72 is provided on the inner periphery of at least one of the two drive coils 70, and detects movement of the lens carrier 14 in the optical axis direction.

[0037] In this embodiment, an example has been described in which the drive yoke 60 and drive magnet 62 are arranged on the lens carrier 14, and the drive coil 70 is arranged on the base 18. However, the present invention is not limited to these configurations, and these may be reversed, with the drive coil 70 arranged on the lens carrier 14, and the drive yoke 60 and drive magnet 62 arranged on the base 18. Furthermore, a drive yoke may be arranged on the opposite side of the drive magnet 62 with the drive coil 70 sandwiched therebetween, or the drive yoke 60 may be eliminated.

[0038] A triangular prism 16 is disposed in the prism accommodating space 34, and a cover 74 is attached to the base 18, covering the upper and two widthwise faces and one front face of the base 18. The cover 74 has an incident port 76 on its top face, in a portion positioned above the prism accommodating space 34. An exit port 78 is formed in the rear wall 38A of the base 18. Therefore, light incident on the incident port 76 from above enters the prism 16, is reflected at a right angle by its reflective surface, and exits, passes through the lens 12 held by the lens carrier 14, exits from the exit port 78, and reaches an image sensor (not shown) disposed behind the exit port 78.

[0039] In the lens drive device 10 configured as described above, when current is applied to the drive coil 70, a current flows in the vertical direction in the drive coil 70. The drive magnet 62 facing the drive coil 70 generates a magnetic flux having a component in the width direction, so a Lorentz force acts on the drive coil 70 in the front-to-rear direction. Because the drive coil 70 is fixed to the base 18 via a flexible printed circuit board 68, the reaction acting on the drive magnet 62 becomes the drive force for the lens carrier 14. The lens carrier 14 moves in the front-to-rear direction on the guide shaft 40 against the frictional force between the guide shaft 40 and the slide groove 42 caused by the attractive force of the preload magnet 50 and the preload yoke 56.

[0040] Now, let's assume that the lens driving device 10 receives an impact in the vertical direction. Even if the guide shaft 40 moves away from the slide grooves 42A and 42B, it will only move away a small distance and immediately return to its original position. At this time, because the guide shaft 40 and the slide groove 42 are in line contact with each other, the impact when they come into contact again is dispersed, and there is almost no damage caused by the guide shaft 40 to the slide grooves 42A and 42B.

[0041] As described above, the drive magnets 62 are disposed on the carrier side walls 24, and the drive coils 70 are disposed on the base side walls 36. These side walls 24, 36 are not the carrier bottom wall 26 and the base bottom wall 44 on which the guide mechanism 20 is provided. This allows the thickness of the carrier bottom wall 26 and the base bottom wall 44 to be reduced, thereby reducing the vertical dimension of the lens drive device 10. This means that the vertical dimension of a camera device incorporating the lens drive device 10 can be reduced, and the thickness of an electronic device incorporating the lens drive device 10, such as a smartphone, can be reduced.

[0042] In this embodiment, the guide shaft 40 is made of a non-magnetic metal, preferably a stainless steel alloy. Alternatively, the guide shaft 40 may be insert-molded into the resin base 18. The sliding groove 42 is made of resin, preferably a fluorine-containing liquid crystal polymer resin, as part of the lens carrier 14. Because the guide shaft 40 is made of metal and the sliding groove 42 is made of resin, the coefficient of friction between the guide shaft 40 and the sliding groove 42 is small, allowing for smoother sliding movement compared to when resin components slide against each other, resulting in less wear and stable operation even over long periods of use. A fluorine-based lubricant may be applied to one or both of the guide shaft 40 and the sliding groove 42 to further reduce the coefficient of friction between the guide shaft 40 and the sliding groove 42. [Explanation of symbols]

[0043] 10 Lens drive device 12 Lenses 14 Lens carrier 16 Prism 18 base 20 Guide mechanism 22 Lens housing 24 Side wall (carrier side wall) 24A Mounting protrusion 26 Bottom wall (carrier bottom wall) 28 Lens cover 28A mounting part 28B mounting hole 30 Prism mounting wall 30A Prism mounting part 30B Prism fixing part 32 Lens carrier storage space 34 Prism Containment Space 36 Side wall (base side wall) 38A Back wall 38B Front wall 40 Guide shaft 42, 42A, 42B sliding groove 42AA, 42BA sliding part 42BB Non-contact part 42AC, 42BC front and rear ends 44 Bottom wall (base bottom wall) 44A Base top 44A Top (Top of base) 46 Guide shaft fixing part 46A Fixed groove 48 Bottom (bottom of carrier) 50 Preload magnet 52 Recess (Magnet mounting recess) 54 Bottom (bottom of base) 56 Preload yoke 58 Recess (yoke mounting recess) 60 Drive yoke 62 Drive magnet 64 Recess (driving member mounting recess) 66 Through hole 68 Flexible Printed Circuit Board 70 Drive coil 72 Position detection sensor 74 Cover 76 Inlet 78 Exit

Claims

1. a base having a base bottom wall; a lens carrier that holds a lens and has a carrier bottom wall that is parallel to the optical axis direction of the lens and the base bottom wall and faces the base bottom wall; a guide mechanism that guides and supports the lens carrier in the optical axis direction of the lens relative to the base, The guide mechanism includes a metal guide shaft fixed to a fixing groove formed in one of the carrier bottom wall and the base bottom wall and extending in the optical axis direction, and a sliding groove formed in the other of the carrier bottom wall and the base bottom wall and extending in the optical axis direction, and the guide shaft is partially exposed from the fixing groove, and the exposed portion slides against the sliding groove. Lens drive unit.

2. The lens driving device of claim 1, wherein the guide shafts are provided on either the carrier bottom wall or the base bottom wall, one at a time, spaced apart in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which they extend, and when viewed from the normal direction of the carrier bottom wall, the optical axis of the lens is located between the two guide shafts.

3. 3. A lens driving device as described in claim 2, wherein two sliding grooves corresponding to the two guide shafts are provided on the other of the carrier bottom wall and the base bottom wall, and one of the sliding grooves is dug deeper except for the central portion in its extension direction, so that one of the guide shafts contacts and slides against the central portion as a sliding portion, and the other sliding groove contacts and slides against at least both ends in its extension direction as a sliding portion.

4. a base having a base bottom wall; a lens carrier that holds a lens and has a carrier bottom wall that is parallel to the optical axis direction of the lens and the base bottom wall and faces the base bottom wall; a guide mechanism that guides and supports the lens carrier in the optical axis direction of the lens relative to the base, The guide mechanism includes a metal guide shaft fixed to one of the carrier bottom wall and the base bottom wall and extending in the optical axis direction, and a slide groove formed in the other of the carrier bottom wall and the base bottom wall and extending in the optical axis direction, and the guide shaft and the slide groove slide in contact with each other, the guide shafts are provided on either the carrier bottom wall or the base bottom wall, one at a time, spaced apart in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the guide shafts, Two sliding grooves are provided in the other of the carrier bottom wall and the base bottom wall in correspondence with the two guide shafts, and one of the sliding grooves is dug deeper except for the central portion in its extension direction, so that one of the guide shafts contacts and slides against the central portion as a sliding portion, and the other sliding groove contacts and slides against at least both end portions in its extension direction as a sliding portion. Lens drive unit.

5. A lens driving device as described in Claim 4, wherein the optical axis of the lens is located between the two guide axes when viewed from the normal direction of the bottom wall of the carrier.

6. A lens driving device as described in claim 1 or 4, wherein two sliding grooves are provided on the other of the carrier bottom wall and the base bottom wall corresponding to the two guide shafts, one of the sliding grooves having two non-parallel inclined surfaces that contact one of the guide shafts, and the other of the sliding grooves having a bottom surface that contacts the other of the guide shafts, the bottom surface being parallel to the carrier bottom wall or base bottom wall on which the sliding groove is provided.

7. 7. The lens driving device of claim 6, wherein in a cross section perpendicular to the optical axis direction, the guide shaft has an arc-shaped portion that contacts the sliding groove, one sliding groove has a V-shape, and the other sliding groove has a trapezoidal shape.

8. 5. The lens driving device according to claim 1, wherein the slide groove is formed in the lens carrier, penetrates the lens carrier in the optical axis direction, and has a greater depth at both end portions.

9. 5. The lens driving device according to claim 1, wherein the end of said guide shaft in its extending direction is not in contact with said slide groove within the sliding range.

10. The fixing groove for fixing the guide shaft is formed by digging into the surface of the guide shaft fixing portion formed to protrude from the bottom wall of the carrier or the bottom wall of the base on which it is provided, and in a cross section perpendicular to the optical axis direction, the surface of the guide shaft fixing portion is within the sliding groove.

11. The lens carrier and the base have side walls that are parallel to the optical axis direction and perpendicular to their respective bottom walls, and either a drive magnet or a drive coil is arranged on the side wall of the lens carrier, and the other is arranged on the side wall of the base, and the drive magnet and drive coil face each other.

12. A camera device comprising: a lens driving device according to claim 1 or 4; a lens fixed to the lens carrier; a prism arranged in front of the lens in the optical axis direction of the lens; and an image sensor arranged behind the lens.

13. An electronic device comprising the camera device according to claim 12.

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