Optical Gimbal Arm Layout for Thin Units and Wide Swing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional optical units with a gimbal mechanism on the subject side require a large thickness in the optical axis direction to avoid collisions between the movable and fixed bodies, limiting the swing range of the movable body.
Innovation Solution
The optical unit design includes a gimbal mechanism with fixed and movable arm portions inclined in opposite directions, allowing a compact configuration with a small thickness in the optical axis direction while maintaining a large swing range by optimizing arm lengths, angles, and gaps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a gimbal mechanism is provided on the subject side with conventional configuration, then the optical unit can support the movable body, but the thickness in the optical axis direction must be large to avoid collision between movable and fixed bodies
Solution Approach 1:
The arm portions are inclined with respect to the optical axis direction, extending in intersecting directions rather than parallel to the optical axis. This dimensional reorientation allows the gimbal mechanism to achieve the necessary support function while reducing the thickness in the optical axis direction, as the arm portions now utilize space in intersecting directions instead of consuming optical axis length.
Solution Approach 2:
The fixed body-side arm portions and movable body-side arm portions are inclined in opposite directions, creating an asymmetric configuration. This asymmetric inclination arrangement allows the arm portions to interlock or nest more efficiently, reducing the overall thickness required in the optical axis direction while maintaining the structural integrity and support stability of the gimbal mechanism.
2Length of moving object
If the thickness in optical axis direction is reduced for compactness, then the optical unit becomes smaller, but the swing range of the movable body decreases
Solution Approach 1:
By inclining the arm portions in intersecting directions rather than extending them along the optical axis, the patent reorients the swing mechanism to utilize spatial dimensions perpendicular to the optical axis. This allows the movable body to achieve a large swing range through rotation in intersecting directions, compensating for the reduced thickness in the optical axis direction and maintaining adaptability despite the compact form factor.
Data Source
AI summary
An optical unit includes a movable body, a fixed body, and a gimbal mechanism. The gimbal mechanism includes a flat plate portion on an opposite subject side with respect to the movable body, two fixed body-side arm portions extending from base end portions to tip end portions in a first intersecting direction, and two movable body-side arm portions extending from base end portions to tip end portions in a second intersecting direction, the fixed body-side arm portions and the movable body-side arm portions are inclined with respect to the flat plate portion as viewed from the intersecting directions, and an inclination direction of the fixed body-side arm portions and an inclination direction of the movable body-side arm portions are opposite to each other as viewed from the intersecting directions.