Iris actuator

Abstract

An iris actuator is disclosed. An iris actuator according to an aspect of the present invention may comprise a base, a rotator, a blade, and an iris driving unit. A ball rail may be formed such that a ball is disposed through a base rail unit and a rotator rail unit, and the first auxiliary rail surface of the rotator rail unit may have an inclined surface.

Description

Iris Actuator

[0001] The present invention relates to an iris actuator, and more particularly, to an iris actuator that improves blade opening operation by maintaining the centering of a rotator when implementing an iris function.

[0002] As hardware technology for image processing advances, users' needs for video shooting and other functions are increasing.

[0003] Accordingly, functions such as zoom, AF (Auto Focus), OIS (Optical Image Stabilizer), and iris are implemented in camera modules mounted on mobile terminals (hereinafter referred to as “electronic devices”) such as mobile phones and smart phones, as well as independent camera devices.

[0004] One of the representative methods for implementing this function is to use the electromagnetic force between the coil and the magnet as a driving force to move the component (part) for implementing the function in the direction of the optical axis or in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis.

[0005] Typically, in the case of a camera module that integrates AF and OIS functions, the AF must move in the direction of the optical axis, and the OIS must move in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis. As an example of a camera module for this purpose, the AF carrier and the OIS carrier are mutually stacked in the direction of the optical axis in the internal storage space of the housing, the lens module is arranged above in the direction of the optical axis, and the iris actuator that controls the amount of light (light quantity) to the lens module can be arranged to be driven together with the driving of the AF carrier and the OIS carrier.

[0006] Meanwhile, the iris actuator can be configured in various structures depending on the embodiment, but generally, a plurality of blades having a wing shape rotate to perform aperture driving to adjust the size of the opening centered on the optical axis, and the amount of light entering is controlled according to the size of the opening resulting from the aperture driving of the blades.

[0007] To this end, the iris actuator may include a base coupled in the direction of the optical axis to a housing that accommodates an AF carrier and an OIS carrier, a rotator provided on the upper portion of the base, a plurality of blades arranged on the upper portion of the rotator, and a structure in which the rotator rotates relative to the base in conjunction with the driving force of the driving unit to rotate the blades. This driving unit may use a driving unit for AF or OIS driving, or may be provided and used separately as a driving unit for iris driving.

[0008] Meanwhile, the rotational motion of the rotator with respect to the base can utilize the rolling motion of a ball interposed between the base and the rotator, which continuously maintains an appropriate distance between the base and the rotator through the ball, and the rotational motion of the ball and the minimized friction through point contact with the ball enable the rotator to rotate with respect to the base more flexibly and accurately.

[0009] And these balls are guided by a ball rail formed by the base rail and the rotator rail facing each other, and have a rolling motion structure. At this time, the base rail and the rotator rail may have a groove shape set as needed, or may have a flat shape (see Fig. 1).

[0010] As described above, the iris actuator has an aperture drive that changes the size of an opening centered on the optical axis by rotating a plurality of overlapping blades according to the rotational movement of the rotator on a plane perpendicular to the optical axis.

[0011] Accordingly, for normal light control, the central axis of the aperture must be constant when operating the iris, and the rotator must maintain centering without shaking.

[0012] In other words, the ball needs to move only along the ball rail while minimizing the driving load, and the rotator needs to rotate without shaking.

[0013] However, the iris actuator is made by molding each component, including the base, rotator, blade, and drive unit, and assembling them. Therefore, it is inevitable that there will be part tolerances when manufacturing each component and assembly tolerances when assembling them.

[0014] In addition, in order for the balls to not be separated from their respective ball rails and to maintain their correct positions during operation, it is desirable that all surfaces forming the balls and ball rails be arranged so that they are in precise point contact. However, in this case, the operating load may increase during operation, and problems may arise during assembly, such as at least one of the multiple balls being caught in the ball rail or a part of the rotator riding up on the ball, resulting in incorrect assembly of the rotator.

[0015] Accordingly, it is also true that a set gap is required between the ball and the ball rail to facilitate assembly and ensure stable rotational movement of the rotator.

[0016] However, as described above, it is a reality that component tolerances and assembly tolerances are unavoidable when manufacturing each component and when assembling them, and if no specific problems arise in the operation of the product or the implementation of the desired performance, it does not matter much even if these tolerances are large. However, in the iris actuator, the rotator rotates around the optical axis on a plane perpendicular to the optical axis direction with the base as the stator, and if this tolerance in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction becomes large, the rotating center axis cannot help but be distorted.

[0017] This soon causes a problem in which the centering is not maintained as the center of rotation of the rotator changes when implementing the iris function, and causes a problem in which the variability in the blade opening drive increases.

[0018] FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing showing a ball rail structure applied to an iris actuator according to a conventional technology. Referring to FIG. 1 (a), a conventional ball rail structure has been disclosed in which a "V" grooved rail portion (11) is formed on a base (10) and a "U" grooved rail portion (21) is formed on a rotator (20), thereby forming a ball rail.

[0019] The rail part (11) of the "V" groove is for holding the ball and rolling it, and the rail part (21) of the "U" groove is a structure for making assembly easy while providing the ball with freedom to move by forming a left and right gap with the ball.

[0020] However, this structure had a problem in that the tolerance between the rail parts (11) of each "V" groove increased in multiple ball rails because it was difficult to process and form the "V" groove rail part. As the tolerance between the rail parts (11) of the "V" groove increased, the rotation center axis inevitably became misaligned, which resulted in a problem in that the centering was not maintained as the rotation center of the rotator (20) changed when the iris function was implemented.

[0021] In addition, there was a problem that the driving load due to friction increased compared to other structures as the ball (B) was moved left and right while being inserted into the "V" shaped home rail section (11).

[0022] Meanwhile, referring to (b) of FIG. 1, another conventional ball rail structure has been disclosed, in which a "U" grooved rail portion (11') is formed on a base (10') and a flat rail portion (21') is formed on a rotator (20'), thereby forming a ball rail. This structure presents the ball rail structure only for the purpose of a rotating cloud method of the ball (B) and increases the degree of freedom of the ball (B). In other words, the degree of freedom of the ball (B) is high, and the clearance between the ball and the ball rail is large.

[0023] Accordingly, there was an advantage of easy assembly when assembling the rotator (20') to the base (10').

[0024] However, the increased clearance between the ball and the ball rail means that the tolerance between the blade (not shown) and the rotator (20') and the base (10') increases, which in turn causes the center axis to misalign, causing the rotator (20') to shake left and right during operation. In other words, when the iris function is implemented, the rotation center of the rotator (20) changes, resulting in a problem in which centering is not maintained.

[0025] In addition, this structure had a problem in that when the blades were assembled and the iris was driven, the decentering was widely distributed and the shape of the iris opening was distorted in the direction in which the decentering was biased each time the opening was driven, thereby changing the shape of the opening.

[0026] Meanwhile, referring to (c) of FIG. 1, another conventional ball rail structure has been disclosed in which an “L” shaped rail portion (11”) is formed on a base (10”) and an “L” shaped rail portion (21”) is formed on a rotator (20”) to form a ball rail.

[0027] This structure is a structure in which the "ㄴ" shaped rail part (11") and the "ㄱ" shaped rail part (21") face each other to form a "ㅁ" shaped ball rail. Since the vertical surfaces of the "ㄴ" shaped rail part (11") and the "ㄱ" shaped rail part (21") support the ball (B), it is easier to maintain the centering of the rotator (20") during operation compared to the structures of (a) and (b) of FIG. 1.

[0028] However, in order to facilitate assembly while stably placing the ball (B) on the ball rail as described above, a certain amount of clearance gap must be formed in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis between the ball (B) and the “L”-shaped rail portion (11”) or the “L”-shaped rail portion (21”).

[0029] In the city, it is shown that there is no such clearance gap, but if there is no clearance gap like this, it is difficult to assemble the rotator (20"), and the problem arises that the driving load due to friction of the balls (B) increases during driving. In addition, on the other hand, if the clearance gap is made large, assembly is easy, but the gap tolerance on each ball rail increases, which inevitably affects the maintenance of the centering of the rotator (20") during iris driving, and inevitably causes the problem of increased variability in the blade opening driving.

[0030] As described above, the ball rail structure applied to the iris actuator according to the prior art had a problem in that the center axis of the rotator was misaligned due to component tolerance and assembly tolerance, and thus the centering could not be maintained during operation. Accordingly, when the iris was driven, the center of the opening moved as the blade rotated, causing problems such as the center of the opening being out of the optical axis or the shape of the opening being distorted.

[0031] Ultimately, conventional iris actuators had the problem of making it difficult to accurately control the amount of light to the lens module.

[0032] The present invention is intended to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an iris actuator that improves blade opening operation by maintaining centering when driving a rotator.

[0033] In addition, the present invention provides an iris actuator that is easy to assemble, in which the base, rotator, and blades can be organically combined and driven organically without mutual interference.

[0034] The tasks of the present invention are not limited to the tasks mentioned above, and other tasks not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains from the description below.

[0035] According to one aspect of the present invention, an iris actuator is provided.

[0036] An iris actuator may include a base having a base rail portion formed on which a ball is mounted; a rotator mounted on the base so as to be rotatable in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction with the optical axis as the central axis, and having a rotator rail portion formed at a position facing the base rail portion so as to form a ball rail along which the ball rolls; a plurality of blades that rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the rotator and adjust the size of an opening; and an iris driving portion disposed between the base and the rotator and generating a driving force to rotate the rotator.

[0037] At this time, the rotator rail part may include a first main rail surface arranged on the upper part of the ball in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis direction, and a first auxiliary rail surface forming an inclined surface extending inwardly of the base and having an obtuse angle with an end of the first main rail surface.

[0038] At this time, the base rail portion may include a second main rail surface arranged on the lower side of the ball in a plane parallel to the first main rail surface, and a second auxiliary rail surface arranged at a position opposite to the first auxiliary rail surface with the ball as the center, but having a right angle to an end of the second main rail surface and forming a vertical surface extending toward the rotator.

[0039] At this time, the first auxiliary rail surface can be arranged with a clearance between the ball and the setting.

[0040] At this time, the base rail portion and the rotator rail portion are composed of a plurality of pieces; and the plurality of first auxiliary rail surfaces can be arranged with a set clearance between each facing ball.

[0041] At this time, the base rail portion and the rotator rail portion are configured in a plurality of pieces; at least one of the plurality of first auxiliary rail surfaces is arranged to have a set clearance with the facing ball, and the remaining other first auxiliary rail surfaces can be arranged to make point contact with the facing ball.

[0042] At this time, the base may include a base body having a driving unit mounting surface and a rotator mounting surface and a first hole formed in the center; a plurality of first axes formed to protrude in the direction of the optical axis on one side of the upper surface of the base body; and a plurality of base rail portions arranged with a gap in a direction forming a circumference centered on the central axis of the first hole on the rotator mounting surface.

[0043] At this time, the rotator may include a rotator body having a circular shape with a second hole formed in the center, a plurality of guide wings formed to protrude outward while forming a rotation radius gap therebetween, and a plurality of second axes formed to protrude in the direction of the optical axis on one side of the upper surface of the rotator body; and a plurality of rotator rail portions formed at a position facing the base rail portion on one side of the lower surface of the rotator body.

[0044] At this time, the iris driving unit may include a substrate having a circular shape with a third hole formed in the center, a substrate mounted on the driving unit mounting surface in the direction of the optical axis, and a connecting portion protruding outward; a coil provided on both sides of the upper surface of the substrate; and a magnet provided on the lower surface of the rotator so as to face the coil in the direction of the optical axis.

[0045] At this time, the base may include a suction yoke that generates a force in the direction of the magnet and the optical axis.

[0046] At this time, the coil may include a first coil and a second coil arranged symmetrically in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction with the central axis of the first coil and the third hole as the center. At this time, the magnet may include a first magnet facing the first coil in the optical axis direction, and a second magnet facing the second coil in the optical axis direction. At this time, the suction yoke may include a first yoke arranged in the optical axis direction under the first coil, and a second yoke arranged in the optical axis direction under the second coil.

[0047] At this time, the blade may be mounted on the upper portion of the rotator, including a rotation hole coupled to the first axis and a driving hole of a long shaft coupled to the second axis.

[0048] At this time, the rotator and the blade may be placed inside while forming a space spaced apart from the base in the direction of the optical axis, and a cover frame may be included that is coupled to the upper part of the base.

[0049] At this time, the cover frame may include an upper plate having a first shaft hole into which the first shaft is fitted, a second shaft hole of a long hole into which the second shaft is fitted, and a side plate extending downward from an outer edge of the upper plate.

[0050] According to the above configuration, the iris actuator according to the present invention has the effect of reducing the change in the shape of the opening of the blade that rotates in conjunction with the rotational movement of the rotator and improving the opening operation by minimizing the shaking of the rotator and maintaining centering when driving the iris through a change in the structure of the ball rail.

[0051] In addition, it has the effect of increasing the ease of assembly by forming a minimum clearance gap between the first auxiliary rail surface having a slope and the facing ball.

[0052] In addition, when the iris is driven, the first auxiliary rail surface of the rotator comes into contact with the spherical surface of the ball, thereby converging the rotational center axis of the rotator in a direction that can maintain the centering of the rotator, thereby stably maintaining the centering of the rotator and improving the opening drive of the blade.

[0053] In addition, when the iris is driven, the rotational center axis of the rotator converges in a direction that can maintain the centering of the rotator while the first auxiliary rail surface of the rotator comes into contact with the spherical surface of the ball, thereby minimizing the influence of tolerances that are inevitably created during the machining process to form the ball rail, and has the effect of minimizing the variability of the opening of the blade.

[0054] In addition, in the event of an accident such as dropping a product, the impact applied to the ball rail portion is relieved by the first auxiliary rail surface of the inclined surface moving along the spherical surface of the ball, thereby dispersing the focus of the impact and increasing the reliability of the drop.

[0055] In addition, the magnet of the iris drive unit and the suction yoke generate suction force so that the first main rail surface of the plane and the second main rail surface of the plane can maintain point contact with the ball when the iris is driven, thereby having the effect of stably supporting the rolling motion of the ball.

[0056] In addition, the second auxiliary rail surface perpendicular to the second main rail surface of the plane has the effect of supporting the ball that is trying to move outward when the iris is driven, thereby preventing the ball from moving outward.

[0057] The effects of the present invention are not limited to the above-described effects, and should be understood to include all effects that can be inferred from the detailed description of the present invention or the composition of the invention described in the claims.

[0058] FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing showing a ball rail structure applied to an iris actuator according to the prior art.

[0059] FIGS. 2 and 3 are perspective views showing an iris actuator according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0060] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing an iris actuator according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0061] FIG. 5 is a drawing showing the base and rotator coupled to the iris driving unit in an iris actuator according to one embodiment of the present invention, separated.

[0062] FIG. 6 is a drawing showing a cross-section taken along line Ⅰ-Ⅰ' in FIG. 2 to explain a ball rail formed by a base rail portion and a rotator rail portion in an iris actuator according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0063] FIG. 7 is a drawing showing a state in which the cover frame and blade are removed from an iris actuator according to one embodiment of the present invention and the rotational movement of a rotator mounted on the upper part of a base is viewed from above.

[0064] FIG. 8 is a drawing showing a cross-section taken along line II-II' in FIG. 2 to explain an iris driving unit in an iris actuator according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0065] FIG. 9 is a schematic drawing for explaining the gap between the ball and the ball rail formed when assembling the base and the rotator in the iris actuator according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0066] FIG. 10 is a schematic drawing showing a process of maintaining centering while the rotator rotates when driving the iris in an iris actuator according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0067] FIG. 11 is a schematic drawing for explaining the gap between the ball and the ball rail formed when assembling the base and the rotator in an iris actuator according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0068] Figures 12(a) to 13(b) are experimental data showing that the position of the circumscribed circle of the opening changes as the central axis of the rotator shakes when the iris is driven in a ball rail structure applied to an iris actuator according to the prior art.

[0069] FIG. 14(a) and FIG. 14(b) are experimental data showing that the position of the circumscribed circle of the opening is maintained while the central axis of the rotator maintains centering when driving the iris in a ball rail structure applied to an iris actuator according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0070] The present invention, in its best form, comprises: a base having a base rail portion formed on which a ball is seated; a rotator seated on the base so as to be rotatable in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction with the optical axis direction as the central axis, and having a rotator rail portion formed at a position facing the base rail portion so as to form a ball rail on which the ball rolls; a plurality of blades that rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the rotator and adjust the size of an opening; and an iris driving portion disposed between the base and the rotator and generating a driving force for rotating the rotator.

[0071] The above rotator rail part presents an iris actuator including a first main rail surface arranged on the upper part of the ball in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis direction, and a first auxiliary rail surface having an obtuse angle with an end of the first main rail surface and forming an inclined surface extending inwardly of the base.

[0072] Hereinafter, with reference to the attached drawings, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail so that those skilled in the art can easily practice the present invention. The present invention may be implemented in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. To clearly explain the present invention, parts irrelevant to the description are omitted in the drawings, and the same reference numerals designate identical or similar components throughout the specification.

[0073] The words and terms used in this specification and claims should not be construed as limited to their ordinary or dictionary meanings, but should be interpreted in a way that is consistent with the technical idea of ​​the present invention, in accordance with the principles by which the inventor can define terms and concepts in order to best explain his or her invention.

[0074] Therefore, the embodiments described in this specification and the configurations illustrated in the drawings correspond to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and do not represent all of the technical ideas of the present invention, so there may be various equivalents and modified examples that can replace the configuration at the time of filing of the present invention.

[0075] In this specification, terms such as “include” or “have” are intended to describe the presence of a feature, number, step, operation, component, part or combination thereof described in the specification, but should be understood not to exclude in advance the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts or combinations thereof.

[0076] When a component is said to be "in front of," "behind," "above," or "below" another component, this includes not only being placed "in front of," "behind," "above," or "below" the other component in direct contact with it, but also if there is another component intervening therebetween. Furthermore, when a component is said to be "connected" to another component, this includes not only being directly connected to one another, but also being indirectly connected to one another, unless there are special circumstances.

[0077] The terms "X-axis", "Y-axis", and "Z-axis" used in the description shall be understood with reference to the coordinate system depicted in the drawing. In addition, the "optical axis direction" used in the following description is the same as the "Z-axis direction" in which light (light) is introduced, and shall be understood with reference to the depicted coordinate system.

[0078] In addition, in explaining the present invention, specific descriptions of related known functions or configurations will be omitted in order to avoid obscuring the gist of the present invention.

[0079]

[0080] Hereinafter, an iris actuator (1) according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0081] As illustrated, referring to FIGS. 2 to 14, an iris actuator (1) according to one embodiment of the present invention minimizes shaking of the rotator (200) and maintains centering when the rotator (200) is driven by changing the structure of a ball rail (B / R) on which a ball (B) is seated, thereby reducing changes in the shape of an opening (A) of a blade (300) that rotates in conjunction with the rotational movement of the rotator (200) and improving the opening drive.

[0082] To this end, an iris actuator (1) according to one embodiment of the present invention may largely include a base (100), a rotator (200), a blade (300), and an iris driving unit (400). In addition, a cover frame (500) that includes the rotator (200), the blade (300), and the iris driving unit (400) inside and is coupled to the upper portion of the base (100) may be included.

[0083] First, the base (100) has a size and shape in which a lens module (not shown) can be placed at the center and can be coupled in the direction of the optical axis to a housing (not shown) of a camera module that accommodates an AF carrier and an OIS carrier.

[0084] And, the rotator (200) is mounted on the upper part of the base (100) in the direction of the optical axis, and rotates relative to the optical axis direction with the base (100) as the central axis by the driving force generated from the iris driving unit (400).

[0085] At this time, the rotational movement of the rotator (200) with respect to the base (100) utilizes the rolling movement of the ball (B) interposed between them, and this rolling movement of the ball (B) is guided by being arranged on a ball rail (B / R, FIGS. 8 to 11) formed by the base rail portion (130) of the base (100) and the rotator rail portion (230) of the rotator (200).

[0086] And, a plurality of blades (300) are installed on the upper part of the rotator (200) in the direction of the optical axis, and rotate together with the rotational movement of the rotator (200), thereby changing the size of the opening (A, Fig. 4) and controlling the amount of light.

[0087] And, the iris driving unit (400) includes a coil (C) and a magnet (M), and transmits the electromagnetic force generated between the coil (C) and the magnet (M) as a driving force to the rotator (200) and rotates the rotator (200) in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction according to control.

[0088] And, the cover frame (500) is coupled to the upper part of the base (100) while forming a space spaced apart from the upper surface of the base (100) in the direction of the optical axis, and the rotator (200), blade (300), and iris driving unit (400) are arranged on the spaced apart space.

[0089] This cover frame (500) prevents the rotator (200) and blade (300) from coming off and enables stable movement of the blade (300).

[0090] At this time, the iris actuator (1) according to one embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the rotator rail part (230), which is a component forming a ball rail (B / R), is formed by including a first main rail surface (231, Fig. 6) arranged on the upper side of the ball (B) in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis direction, and a first auxiliary rail surface (232, Fig. 6) which forms an inclined surface extending inwardly of the base (100) and having an obtuse angle with the end of the first main rail surface (231).

[0091] The first main rail surface (231) of the rotator rail section (230) supports rolling motion by making point contact with the upper point of the ball (B) when the iris is driven, and the first auxiliary rail surface (232) having an inclined surface reduces the change in the central axis due to the shaking of the rotator (200) by utilizing the contact between the spherical surface of the ball (B) and the inclined surface when the iris is driven, and enables the rotator (200) to maintain centering.

[0092] In this way, the iris actuator (1) according to one embodiment of the present invention minimizes the shaking of the rotator (200) and maintains centering by forming the first main rail surface (231) forming the ball rail (B / R) as an inclined surface, thereby reducing the change in the shape of the opening of the blade (300) that rotates in conjunction with the rotational movement of the rotator (200) and improving the opening drive.

[0093] The specific features of the rotator rail section (230) will be described in more detail later.

[0094]

[0095] Meanwhile, referring to FIGS. 2 to 11, the iris actuator (1) according to one embodiment of the present invention will be examined in more detail as follows.

[0096] First, the base (100) includes a base body (110) that forms a drive unit mounting surface (111) on one side of the upper surface where the iris drive unit (400) is mounted, forms a step with the drive unit mounting surface (111) and forms a rotator mounting surface (112) on the upper side, and has a first hole (H1) formed in the center so that a lens module (not shown) is mounted and coupled thereto.

[0097] This base body (110) is expressed in a circular donut shape with a thickness set in the city, but is not limited thereto and may of course have a square or polygonal shape as needed.

[0098] In addition, the upper surface of the base body (110) includes a plurality of first axes (120) that are formed to protrude in the direction of the optical axis and serve as a rotation axis of the blade (300).

[0099] And, it includes a stopper protrusion (115) that is formed protruding toward the rotator (200) to control the rotation radius of the rotator (200). This stopper protrusion (115) is formed in a pillar shape protruding toward the first hole (H1) and is arranged between the rotation radius gap grooves (212) of the rotator (200), which will be described later, to prevent the rotator (200) from going beyond the rotation radius suggested by the rotation radius gap grooves (212) when it rotates. To this end, a plurality of stopper protrusions (115) may be formed at intervals in the circumferential direction.

[0100] Meanwhile, the first axis (120) described above can be formed on the upper portion of the stopper protrusion (115).

[0101] And, a base rail part (130) is formed on the rotator mounting surface (112) formed on the base body (110) to form a ball rail (B / R). A plurality of such base rail parts (130) may be arranged with a gap in a direction forming a circle on a plane perpendicular to the optical axis direction with the central axis of the first hole (H1) as the center.

[0102] This base rail portion (130) may have a groove shape that faces and faces the rotator rail portion (230) formed on the rotator (200), and may include a second main rail surface (131, Fig. 6) and a second auxiliary rail surface (132, Fig. 6).

[0103] At this time, the second main rail surface (131) is arranged on the lower side of the ball (B) in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis direction, similar to the first main rail surface (231) of the rotator rail section (230). At this time, the second main rail surface (131) is arranged parallel to the first main rail surface (231).

[0104] And, the second auxiliary rail surface (132) is positioned opposite to the first auxiliary rail surface (232) of the rotator rail section (230) with the ball (B) as the center, and has the shape of a vertical surface that is perpendicular to the end of the second main rail surface (131) and extends toward the rotator (200).

[0105] Such a base rail part (130) has a second main rail surface (131) and a second auxiliary rail surface (132) in an “L” shape and forms a part of a ball rail (B / R), and can support the outer direction of the ball (B) from the lower side of the ball (B).

[0106] The second main rail surface (131) of the base rail portion (130) supports rolling motion by making point contact with the lower point of the ball (B) when the iris is driven, and the second auxiliary rail surface (132) can play a role in preventing the ball (B) from being detached from the ball rail (B / R) due to the shaking of the rotator (200) and supporting it so that it is not pushed outward by making point contact with the outer spherical surface of the ball (B) when the iris is driven.

[0107] At this time, preferably, the height of the second auxiliary rail surface (132) is at least higher than the radius of the ball (B) seated on the second main rail surface (131), and can be supported so that the ball (B) can maintain its original position even when pushed by the rotator (200) when the iris is driven.

[0108] In other words, the second main rail surface (131) stably supports the rolling motion of the ball (B), and the second auxiliary rail surface (132) supports the outer side of the ball (B) that is about to move outward when the iris is driven, thereby preventing the ball (B) from moving outward.

[0109] Meanwhile, the driving unit mounting surface (111) of the base (100) may include a yoke mounting groove (113, 114) in which a suction yoke (140) is positioned corresponding to the magnet (M) of the iris driving unit (400) in the optical axis direction.

[0110] These magnets (M) and suction yoke (140) generate an attractive force between each other in the direction of the optical axis.

[0111] Accordingly, the base (100) and the rotator (200) are brought into closer contact in the optical axis direction by the attractive force generated by the magnet (M) and the suction yoke (140) (see FIG. 8), and the ball (B) in the ball rail (B / R) can move in a rolling motion by maintaining a point contact state with the first main rail surface (231) and the second main rail surface (131) (see FIG. 6).

[0112] Meanwhile, the above-described suction yoke (140) can be integrally joined to the base (100) by forming a yoke mounting groove (113, 114) by insert injection, and, of course, can be structured to be joined to the yoke mounting groove (113, 114) by means of an adhesive or the like, as needed.

[0113] And, this suction yoke (140) can be divided into a first yoke (141) which is arranged in the first yoke mounting groove (113) in the optical axis direction at the lower portion of the first coil (C1) at a position corresponding to the first magnet (M1), and a second yoke (142) which is arranged in the second yoke mounting groove (114) in the optical axis direction at the lower portion of the second coil (C2) at a position corresponding to the second magnet (M2).

[0114] And, of course, these first yoke (141) and second yoke (142) can be yokes of a single shape or yokes of a plurality of divided shapes as needed.

[0115]

[0116] Next, the rotator (200) is mounted on the base (100) so as to be able to rotate relative to the optical axis within an angle range set in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction with the optical axis direction as the central axis, and the rotator rail portion (230) described above is formed at a position facing the base rail portion (130).

[0117] At this time, the rotator rail part (230) may include a first main rail surface (231, Fig. 6) arranged on the upper side of the ball (B) in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis direction, and a first auxiliary rail surface (232, Fig. 6) having an obtuse angle with the end of the first main rail surface (231) and forming an inclined surface extending inwardly of the base (100).

[0118] The rotator (200) is placed on the rotator mounting surface (112) of the base (100) so as to be spaced apart in the direction of the optical axis by the ball (B) of the ball rail (B / R), and can be rotated relative to the base (100).

[0119] As a specific example, the rotator (200) has a circular shape with a first hole (H1) formed in the center and a second hole (H2) formed corresponding to the optical axis direction, and includes a rotator body (210) having a plurality of guide wings (211) formed to protrude outward, and mounted on the rotator mounting surface (112) of the base (100) in the optical axis direction.

[0120] At this time, the guide wing (211) forms a rotation radius gap groove (212) between the neighboring guide wing (211).

[0121] The rotator (200) rotates relative to the base (100) within a set angular range formed by the rotation radius gap groove (212).

[0122] A stopper projection (115) of the base (100) is arranged in the rotation radius gap groove (212). Accordingly, when the iris is driven, the rotator (200) rotates only within the rotation radius provided by the rotation radius gap groove (212) while both sides of the rotation radius gap groove (212) are prevented from rotating by the stopper projection (115) (see FIGS. 5 and 7).

[0123] Meanwhile, a plurality of second axes (220, Fig. 5) are formed to protrude in the direction of the optical axis on one side of the upper surface of the rotator body (210).

[0124] The second axis (220) is formed at a position that does not interfere with the first axis (120) and serves to limit the rotation radius of the blade (300) to be described later.

[0125] A rotator rail portion (230) is formed on one side of the lower surface of the rotator body (210) so as to face the base rail portion (130).

[0126]

[0127] And, referring to FIG. 4, the blades (300) are formed in multiple pieces so as to adjust the size of the opening (A) while rotating in conjunction with the rotation of the rotator (200).

[0128] These blades (300) include a blade body (310) having a wing shape, a rotary hole (311) coupled to the first axis (120) of the base (100) described above, and a long driving hole (312) coupled to the second axis (220) of the rotator (200), and are mounted on the upper part of the rotator (200).

[0129] A plurality of blade bodies (310) form openings (A) of different sizes depending on the opening drive (see FIGS. 2 and 3), and each blade body (310) can be arranged so that a portion overlaps another blade body (310) in the direction of the optical axis (Z-axis).

[0130] For example, a set of multiple blade bodies (e.g., three blades) and another set of multiple blade bodies (e.g., three blades) may be sequentially arranged in the optical axis direction. Here, a part of one blade body (310) may be arranged to overlap with two other blades in the optical axis direction. In the illustration, a total of six blade bodies (310) are provided, three blade bodies form one set, and two sets of blade bodies are described as having a structure laminated in two layers, but the number of blade bodies (310) is not limited thereto.

[0131] Meanwhile, in order to reduce friction and ensure stable rotational movement when the opening of the blade body (310) is driven, an upper spacer (320) may be provided at the upper portion and a lower spacer (330) may be included at the lower portion.

[0132]

[0133] Referring again to FIGS. 4 to 8, the iris drive unit (400) is placed on the drive unit mounting surface (111) of the base (100).

[0134] The iris drive unit (400) is placed between the base (100) and the rotator (200) and generates a driving force to rotate the rotator (200) to change the size of the opening (A).

[0135] The iris drive unit (400) may include a substrate (410), a coil (C), and a magnet (M).

[0136] The substrate (410) is shaped like a disk with a third hole (H3) formed in the center, is mounted on the driving unit mounting surface (111) in the direction of the optical axis, and has a connection portion (411) for connection to the substrate (not shown) of the camera module (not shown) on the outside. For example, such a substrate (410) may be an FPCB.

[0137] And, the coil (C) can be provided on both sides of the upper surface of the substrate (410).

[0138] These coils (C) may include a first coil (C1) and a second coil (C2) arranged symmetrically in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis with respect to the central axis of the first coil (C1) and the third hole (H3).

[0139] And, the magnet (M) is provided on the bottom surface of the rotator (200) so as to face the above-described coil (C) in the optical axis direction.

[0140] At this time, the magnet (M) may include a first magnet (M1) facing the first coil (C1) in the direction of the optical axis, and a second magnet (M2) facing the second coil (C2) in the direction of the optical axis.

[0141] In addition, the bottom surface of the rotator (200) includes a magnet mounting groove (211a), and this magnet mounting groove (211a) may be formed on the bottom surface of the guide wing (211). In addition, the magnet mounting groove (211a) may of course include a back yoke (240; 241, 242) for stable placement of the magnet (M).

[0142] According to this structure, when power of an appropriate size and direction is applied to the coil (C) by an external control signal, etc., an electromagnetic force is generated, and the rotator (200) rotates due to the generated electromagnetic force.

[0143] Meanwhile, the substrate (410) and coil (C) constituting the iris drive unit (400) in the city are depicted as being placed on the base (100) and the magnet (M) is placed on the rotator (200), but this is not limited thereto, and it is of course possible to place the substrate (410) and coil (C) on the rotator (200) and the magnet (M) on the base (100) as needed.

[0144] Meanwhile, as described above, a suction yoke (140) is placed on the driving unit mounting surface (111) of the base (100) at a position corresponding to the magnet (M) of the iris driving unit (400) in the optical axis direction, and the magnet (M) and the suction yoke (140) generate a force (suction force) for attitude control in the optical axis direction between each other.

[0145] Accordingly, the base (100) and the rotator (200) are brought into closer contact in the optical axis direction by the attractive force generated by the magnet (M) and the suction yoke (140) (see FIG. 8), and the ball (B) in the ball rail (B / R) can move in a rolling motion by maintaining a point contact state with the first main rail surface (231) and the second main rail surface (131) (see FIG. 6).

[0146]

[0147] Meanwhile, referring again to FIG. 4, the cover frame (500) covers the upper part of the base (100) to enable the rotator (200) and blade (300) constituting the iris actuator (1) to be driven stably.

[0148] To this end, the cover frame (500) forms a fourth hole (H4) in the center, forms a space spaced apart from the base (100) in the direction of the optical axis, and places the rotator (200), blade (300), and iris drive unit (400) on the spaced apart space and is coupled to the upper portion of the base (100).

[0149] Such a cover frame (500) may include a top plate (510) and a side plate (520) extending downward from the edge of the top plate.

[0150] A fourth hole (H4) is formed in the center of the upper plate (510), a first shaft hole (511) is formed into which the upper end of the first shaft (120) of the base (100) is fitted, and a second shaft hole (512) is formed into which the upper end of the second shaft (220) of the rotator (200) is fitted.

[0151] And, the side plate (520) is formed to extend downward from the outer edge of the top plate (510) and can be connected to the base (100).

[0152]

[0153] As described above, in the iris actuator (1) according to one embodiment of the present invention, when a set control signal is applied to the iris driving unit (400), the rotator (200) rotates in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction with the optical axis as the central axis using the electromagnetic force generated by the coil (C; C1, C2) and the magnet (M; M1, M2) as the driving force.

[0154] At this time, the blade (300) placed on the upper part of the rotator (200) rotates with the first axis (120) of the base (100) fitted into the rotation hole (311) as the central axis, and the second axis (220) of the rotator (200) fitted into the drive hole (312) pushes or pulls the drive hole (312) of the long hole in the rotational direction, thereby adjusting the size of the opening (A).

[0155] The amount of incident light is controlled according to the size of the opening (A).

[0156] Since the size adjustment of the opening (A) of the blade (300) linked to the rotator (200) is already a known technology, a detailed description thereof will be omitted in order to avoid obscuring the gist of the present invention.

[0157] Meanwhile, as described above, the relative rotation of the rotator (200) with respect to the base (100) is supported by the rolling motion of the ball (B) placed on the ball rail (B / R).

[0158] A ball rail (B / R) is formed by a base rail portion (130) and a rotator rail portion (230) that face each other, and at least one ball (B) is arranged on the ball rail (B / R) so as to be able to roll. This means that there may be one or more balls (B) arranged on the ball rail (B / R).

[0159] And, the rotator (200) rotates around the optical axis as the central axis, and preferably, the ball rail (B / R) is formed in a plurality of pieces with an interval along the direction forming a circle on a plane (XY) perpendicular to the optical axis direction with the optical axis as the central axis.

[0160] In other words, the base rail portion (130) and the rotator rail portion (230) forming the ball rail (B / R) are also composed of multiple pieces.

[0161] The rotator rail section (230) includes a first main rail surface (231) arranged on the upper side of the ball (B) and a first auxiliary rail surface (232) arranged to be inclined toward the inner side of the ball (B) to form an inclined surface.

[0162] In addition, the base rail portion (130) includes a second main rail surface (131) arranged at the bottom of the ball (B) and a second auxiliary rail surface (132) arranged vertically toward the outside of the ball (B) to form a vertical surface.

[0163] Meanwhile, the rotator (200) is pulled toward the base (100) by the attractive force generated by the magnets (M; M1, M2) forming the iris drive unit (400) and the suction yoke (140; 141, 142) provided on the base (100).

[0164] Accordingly, when the iris is driven, the first main rail surface (231) makes point contact with the upper part of the ball (B), and the second main rail surface (131) makes point contact with the lower part of the ball (B), so that the ball (B) rolls along the ball rail (B / R).

[0165] In addition, the first auxiliary rail surface (232) and the second auxiliary rail surface (132) come into contact with the ball (B) during the rotational movement of the rotator (200) and prevent the rotator (200) from being dislodged by riding the ball (B) while at the same time allowing the rotator (200) to maintain centering.

[0166] Meanwhile, as described above, the iris actuator (1) has an aperture drive that changes the size of the opening (A) centered on the optical axis as a plurality of overlapping blades (300) rotate according to the rotational movement of the rotator (200).

[0167] At this time, in order to accurately control the amount of light, the central axis of the opening (A) needs to be constant when the iris is driven, and the rotating rotator (200) needs to maintain centering without shaking.

[0168] To this end, it is desirable that the ball (B) be positioned so as to make precise point contact with the first main rail surface (231), the second main rail surface (131), the first auxiliary rail surface (232) and the second auxiliary rail surface (132) forming the ball rail (B / R) without being detached from the ball rail (B / R).

[0169] In this case, the rotator (200) can rotate while maintaining accurate centering without shaking left and right.

[0170] However, when the ball (B) is assembled so that it makes point contact with all surfaces forming the ball rail (B / R), the assembly of the rotator (200) cannot be performed normally due to component tolerances and assembly tolerances.

[0171] Accordingly, in order to easily assemble the base (100) and the rotator (200) while stably placing the ball (B) on the ball rail (B / R), a certain amount of clearance (gap) is required between the ball (B) and the ball rail (B / R).

[0172] Additionally, these gaps need to be minimized as much as possible.

[0173] To this end, the iris actuator (1) according to one embodiment of the present invention is assembled so as to have a set clearance (d1, d2) between the ball (B) and the first auxiliary rail surface (232) when the rotational center axis (O) of the rotator (200) is placed at the same position as the optical axis (Z).

[0174] Referring to FIG. 9, for example, when a plurality of base rail parts (130) and rotator rail parts (230) form a ball rail (B / R), a plurality of first auxiliary rail surfaces (232) can be arranged so that they each have a set clearance gap (d1) with each facing ball (B).

[0175] This free gap (d1) is formed equally in multiple ball rails (B / R) so that the rotator (200) can maintain centering without being biased to one side during operation.

[0176] Referring to FIG. 11, as another example, when a plurality of base rail parts (130) and rotator rail parts (230) form a ball rail (B / R), at least one first auxiliary rail surface (232) among the plurality of first auxiliary rail surfaces (232) may be arranged to have a set clearance gap (d2) with the facing ball (B), and the remaining other first auxiliary rail surfaces (232) may be arranged to make point contact with the facing ball (B).

[0177] For example, in Fig. 11, the city is equipped with four balls (B). Accordingly, three balls (B) are designed to make point contact with the first auxiliary rail surfaces (232) that face each other, and one ball (B) is designed to have a clearance (d2) with the first auxiliary rail surface (232) that faces it. The four balls (B) can be arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

[0178] Accordingly, the three balls (B) that come into point contact with the first auxiliary rail surfaces (232) can stably support the rotational movement of the rotator (200) by making stable contact, and the clearance (d2) that one ball (B) has with the first auxiliary rail surface (232) can be used as a clearance tolerance to resolve the assembly tolerance when assembling the base (100) and the rotator (200).

[0179] Meanwhile, in the city, it would be desirable for the three balls (B) to maintain the shape of an isosceles triangle with the length between at least neighboring balls (B) being equal to that of the balls (B) in order to support the stable rotational motion of the rotator (200).

[0180] As described above, the assembly can be easily performed by reducing the assembly tolerance of the base (100) and the rotator (200) through the free gap (d1, d2).

[0181] And, through the assembly of the stable base (100) and the rotator (200), the first main rail surface (231) can be arranged to make point contact with the upper part of the ball (B) of the ball rail (B / R), and the second main rail surface (131) can be arranged to make point contact with the lower part of the ball (B).

[0182] In addition, the first auxiliary rail surface (232) has an obtuse angle with the end of the first main rail surface (231) and is an inclined surface extending inwardly of the base (100), thereby preventing the rotator (200) from riding up on the ball (B) when the iris is driven, and maintaining the centering of the rotator (200).

[0183] Specifically, referring to FIG. 10, when the iris is driven, the rotator (200) rotates in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction with the optical axis (Z) as the central axis (O).

[0184] At this time, although it is expressed excessively in the city, the rotator (200) may slightly shake to the left as in (a) of Fig. 10 or shake to the right as in (b) of Fig. 10 depending on the formation of the free gap (d1, d2).

[0185] However, the centering of the rotator (200) can be maintained by moving the central axis (O) in a direction that attempts to maintain the centering of the rotator (200) while the second auxiliary rail surface (132) of the vertical surface contacts the ball (B) and blocks the force of the ball (B) trying to escape outward, and while the first auxiliary rail surface (232) of the inclined surface contacts the ball (B), the centering of the rotator (200) can be maintained.

[0186] More specifically, referring again to FIG. 10, in (a) of FIG. 10, a force is generated that pushes the rotator (200) in the city to the left due to centrifugal force, and in (b) of FIG. 10, a force is generated that pushes the rotator (200) in the city to the right due to centrifugal force.

[0187] At this time, the rotator (200) moves in the direction of ①, and the ball (B) and the first auxiliary rail surface (232) come into contact.

[0188] At this time, the inclined surface of the first auxiliary rail surface (232) has a direction to move along the spherical surface of the ball (B) to ②, but due to the frictional force formed between the inclined surface of the first auxiliary rail surface (232) and the spherical surface of the ball (B) and the attractive force generated by the magnet (M) and the suction yoke (140), it immediately has a direction to move to ③.

[0189] In other words, the rotation center axis (O) of the rotator (200) moves in a direction to maintain centering around the optical axis (Z), and centering can be maintained.

[0190] Meanwhile, since the first auxiliary rail surface (232) is an inclined surface, the clearance (d1, d2) for assembly can be minimized.

[0191] In other words, since the first auxiliary rail surface (232) forming the ball rail (B / R) has an inclined surface, even if the clearance (d1, d2) is reduced, the inclined surface of the part where the assembly error occurs can stably place the ball (B) by pressing it without causing it to come off the ball rail (B / R).

[0192] That is, the first auxiliary rail surface (232) of the inclined surface can be assembled while eliminating assembly errors, thereby minimizing the clearance (d1, d2) for assembly.

[0193] Meanwhile, at least one ball (B) among the plurality of balls (B) is always kept in contact with both the first main rail surface (231) and the first auxiliary rail surface (232) of the rotator rail section (230).

[0194] Accordingly, when the rotator (200) rotates, at least one ball (B) among the plurality of balls (B) can be moved in a direction to maintain the centering of the rotational center axis (O) of the rotator (200) around the optical axis (Z) by the first auxiliary rail surface (232), and the centering of the rotator (200) can be maintained.

[0195]

[0196] FIGS. 12(a) to 13(b) are experimental data showing that the position of the circumscribed circle of the opening changes as the central axis of the rotator shakes when the iris is driven in a ball rail structure applied to an iris actuator according to the prior art, and FIGS. 14(a) and 14(b) are experimental data showing that the position of the circumscribed circle of the opening is maintained while the central axis of the rotator maintains centering when the iris is driven in a ball rail structure applied to an iris actuator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0197] As described above, the iris actuator (1) according to one embodiment of the present invention can suppress and minimize the shaking of the rotator (200) during iris driving and maintain centering by changing the structure so that the first auxiliary rail surface (232) constituting the ball rail (B / R) is formed into an inclined surface, thereby reducing the change in the shape of the opening (A) of the blade (300) that rotates in conjunction with the rotational movement of the rotator (200) and improving the opening driving.

[0198] Figures 12(a) and 12(b) are data measuring the shape change of the opening (A) by measuring the circumference of the opening (A) when the iris is driven in an iris actuator having the ball rail structure applied to Figure 1 (a).

[0199] These ball rails form a "V" grooved rail part on the base and a "U" grooved rail part on the rotator. As can be seen in the diagram, when the iris is driven by the code-specific control, the center axis of the aperture (A) can be seen to move further and further away from the optical axis as the iris is driven.

[0200] This means that the central axis of the rotator is distorted due to shaking, and when the iris function is implemented, the centering is not maintained as the center of rotation of the rotator changes, which means that the variability of the opening (A) for the opening drive of the blade (300) increases.

[0201] In addition, Fig. 13(a) and Fig. 13(b) are data measuring the shape change of the opening (A) by measuring the circumference of the opening (A) when the iris is driven in an iris actuator having the ball rail structure applied to Fig. 1 (c).

[0202] These ball rails form an "L" shaped rail section on the base and an "L" shaped rail section on the rotator. As can be seen in the diagram, the results are better than those in Fig. 12(a)(b), but when controlling the iris drive by code, it can be seen that the center axis of the aperture (A) moves further and further away from the optical axis depending on the iris drive.

[0203] This also means that the central axis of the rotator is distorted due to shaking, and that the centering is not maintained as the center of rotation of the rotator changes when the iris function is implemented, which means that the variability of the opening (A) for the opening drive of the blade (300) has increased.

[0204] Meanwhile, FIG. 14(a) and FIG. 14(b) are data measuring the change in shape of the opening (A) by measuring the circumference of the opening (A) when the iris is driven in an iris actuator (1) having a ball rail (B / R) structure applied to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0205] This ball rail (B / R) has a rotator rail portion (230) having a first main rail surface (231) that is perpendicular to the optical axis direction and a first auxiliary rail surface (232) that forms an inclined surface extending inwardly of the base (100) and having an obtuse angle with the end of the first main rail surface (231).

[0206] In this case, as can be seen in the city, when the iris is driven, the first auxiliary rail surface (232) of the rotator (200) comes into contact with the spherical surface of the ball (B) and converges the rotational center axis of the rotator (200) to the optical axis in a direction that can maintain the centering of the rotator (200), so that the centering of the rotator (200) is stably maintained, and it can be seen that the variability of the opening (A) for the opening drive of the blade (300) is small.

[0207]

[0208] As described above, the iris actuator (1) according to one embodiment of the present invention can minimize the shaking of the rotator (200) and maintain centering when driving the iris by changing the structure of the ball rail (B / R), thereby reducing the change in the shape of the opening of the blade (300) that rotates in conjunction with the rotational movement of the rotator (200) and improving the opening driving.

[0209] In addition, the ease of assembly can be increased by forming a minimum clearance (d1, d2) between the first auxiliary rail surface (232) having a slope and the facing ball (B).

[0210] In addition, when the iris is driven, the first auxiliary rail surface (232) of the rotator (200) comes into contact with the spherical surface of the ball (B) and converges the rotational center axis of the rotator (200) in a direction that can maintain the centering of the rotator (200), thereby stably maintaining the centering of the rotator (200) and improving the opening drive of the blade (300).

[0211] In addition, when the iris is driven, the first auxiliary rail surface (232) of the rotator (200) comes into contact with the spherical surface of the ball (B) and converges the rotational center axis of the rotator (200) in a direction that can maintain the centering of the rotator (200), thereby minimizing the influence of the tolerance that is inevitably created during the machining process to form the ball rail (B / R) and minimizing the variability of the opening (A) of the blade (300).

[0212] In addition, when an accident such as dropping a product occurs, the impact applied to the ball rail (B / R) portion is relieved by the first auxiliary rail surface (232) of the inclined surface moving along the spherical surface of the ball (B), thereby dispersing the focus of the impact and increasing the reliability of the drop.

[0213] In addition, the first main rail surface (231) of the plane and the second main rail surface (131) of the plane can maintain point contact with the ball (B) when the iris is driven by the suction force generated by the magnet (M) of the iris drive unit (400) and the suction yoke (140), thereby stably supporting the rolling motion of the ball.

[0214] In addition, the second auxiliary rail surface (132) perpendicular to the second main rail surface (131) of the plane can support the ball (B) that is trying to move outward when the iris is driven, thereby preventing the ball (B) from moving outward, thereby enabling stable driving.

[0215] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described, the spirit of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments presented in this specification, and those skilled in the art who understand the spirit of the present invention will be able to easily propose other embodiments by adding, changing, deleting, or adding components within the scope of the same spirit, but this will also be considered to fall within the spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A base formed with a base rail portion on which the ball is mounted; A rotator, which is mounted on the base so as to be rotatable in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction with the optical axis direction as the central axis, and has a rotator rail portion formed at a position facing the base rail portion so as to form a ball rail along which the ball moves in a rolling motion; A plurality of blades that rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the above rotator to adjust the size of the opening; and An iris driving unit is disposed between the base and the rotator, and generates a driving force to rotate the rotator; The above rotator rail part, A first main rail surface arranged on the upper part of the ball in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis direction, An iris actuator comprising a first auxiliary rail surface having an obtuse angle with an end of the first main rail surface and forming a slope extending inwardly of the base.

2. In paragraph 1, The above base rail part, A second main rail surface arranged on the lower side of the ball in a plane parallel to the first main rail surface, An iris actuator comprising a second auxiliary rail surface arranged at a position opposite to the first auxiliary rail surface with the ball as the center, the second auxiliary rail surface having a right angle with an end of the second main rail surface and forming a vertical surface extending toward the rotator.

3. In paragraph 1, The above first auxiliary rail surface is, An iris actuator arranged with a clearance between the above ball and setting.

4. In paragraph 3, The above base rail part and the above rotator rail part are composed of a plurality of pieces, An iris actuator in which a plurality of the first auxiliary rail surfaces are arranged with a set clearance between each facing ball.

5. In paragraph 3, The above base rail part and the above rotator rail part are composed of a plurality of pieces, An iris actuator, wherein at least one of the plurality of first auxiliary rail surfaces is arranged to have a set clearance with respect to the facing ball, and the remaining first auxiliary rail surfaces are arranged to make point contact with the facing ball.

6. In paragraph 1, The above base is, A base body having a drive unit mounting surface and a rotator mounting surface, and a first hole formed in the center, A plurality of first axes formed to protrude in the direction of the optical axis on one side of the upper surface of the above base body, An iris actuator comprising a plurality of base rail portions arranged with a gap in a direction forming a circumference centered on the central axis of the first hole on the rotator mounting surface.

7. In paragraph 6, The above rotator, A rotator body having a circular shape with a second hole formed in the center, and a plurality of guide wings formed protruding outward while forming a rotation radius gap groove therebetween, and which is mounted on the rotator mounting surface in the direction of the optical axis; A plurality of second axes formed to protrude in the direction of the optical axis on one side of the upper surface of the rotator body, An iris actuator comprising a plurality of rotator rail portions formed on one side of the lower surface of the rotator body in a position facing the base rail portion.

8. In paragraph 7, The above iris drive unit, A substrate having a circular shape with a third hole formed in the center, which is mounted on the driving unit mounting surface in the direction of the optical axis and has a connecting portion protruding outward, Coils provided on both sides of the upper surface of the above substrate, An iris actuator comprising a magnet provided on the lower surface of the rotator so as to face the coil in the optical axis direction.

9. In paragraph 8, The above base is, An iris actuator comprising a magnet and a suction yoke that generates a force in the direction of the optical axis.

10. In paragraph 9, The above coil includes a first coil and a second coil arranged symmetrically in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis with respect to the central axis of the first coil and the third hole as the center, The magnet includes a first magnet facing the first coil in the optical axis direction, and a second magnet facing the second coil in the optical axis direction. The above suction yoke includes a first yoke arranged in the optical axis direction at the bottom of the first coil, and a second yoke arranged in the optical axis direction at the bottom of the second coil. Iris actuator.

11. In paragraph 7, The above blade, A rotary hole coupled to the first axis, An iris actuator mounted on the upper portion of the rotator, including a drive hole of a long shaft coupled to the second axis.

12. In paragraph 6, An iris actuator comprising a cover frame coupled to the upper portion of the base, wherein the rotator and the blade are positioned inside while forming a space spaced apart from the base in the direction of the optical axis.

13. In paragraph 12, The above cover frame, An upper plate having a first shaft hole into which the first shaft is fitted and a second shaft hole in which the second shaft is fitted, An iris actuator comprising a side plate extending downward from an outer edge of the upper plate.

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