Camera Actuator Damper With Viscoelastic Damping for Rocking Vibration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Small form factor cameras in mobile devices face issues with piston and rocking vibrations during actuator operation, leading to rattling noise, reduced reliability, and blurry images due to external disturbances.
Innovation Solution
A damper arrangement using viscoelastic material and interface members to restrict and dampen the motion of dynamic camera components, maintaining a minimum clearance to minimize unwanted vibrations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the camera uses a small form factor actuator, then the device size is reduced, but piston and rocking vibrations occur during actuator operation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a viscoelastic material as an intermediary between the actuator and the lens assembly. This material absorbs and dampens piston and rocking vibrations generated during actuator operation, allowing the camera to maintain a compact form factor while reducing harmful vibrations that would otherwise occur in small actuators
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the actuator system by incorporating a viscoelastic material with specific damping properties. This material modifies the vibration characteristics of the system, converting high-frequency piston and rocking vibrations into heat energy, thereby stabilizing the lens assembly without increasing the overall camera size
2Speed
If the actuator operates at high speed, then autofocus response time is improved, but piston vibrations and rattling noise increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful piston vibrations and rattling noise generated during high-speed autofocus operation into beneficial damping effects. The viscoelastic material absorbs these vibrations and converts them into heat, transforming what would be harmful high-speed side effects into a stabilizing force that allows faster autofocus operation without compromising image quality or generating excessive noise
3Device complexity
If the lens carrier moves freely during actuator operation, then the autofocus mechanism is simple, but rocking vibrations occur causing blurry images
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a viscoelastic material as an intermediary between the lens carrier and the actuator housing. This material provides passive damping that suppresses rocking vibrations during lens carrier movement, maintaining image focus precision without adding complex active control mechanisms or increasing overall device complexity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The damper arrangement effectively reduces piston and rocking vibrations, enhancing camera performance by reducing noise and improving image clarity and reliability.
Implementation Method 1
The pocket may comprise a viscoelastic material (e.g., gel, grease, etc.)
Implementation Method 2
The interface member may be configured to traverse within the viscoelastic material to dampen motion of the dynamic component
Data Source
AI summary
Various embodiments include a damper arrangement that may be used to dampen motions of a dynamic component. In some embodiments, the damper arrangement may be used in a camera module that includes a stationary component and a dynamic component. For instance, the dynamic component may hold a lens such that the lens moves together with the dynamic component. In various examples, the damper arrangement may include an interface member that extends from the stationary component or the dynamic component to at least partially into a viscoelastic material within a pocket configured in the stationary component, the dynamic component, or both. The interface member may be configured to traverse within the viscoelastic material to dampen motion of the dynamic component, for example, during operation of a lens actuator to move the dynamic component along an optical axis of the lens.