Optical Unit FPC Bent Configuration Reduces Mechanical Load
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional image stabilizers face challenges with camera shake during image capture, leading to image blur, and the flexible printed circuit board (FPC) connecting the camera module to external devices experiences excessive load, necessitating increased drive current.
Innovation Solution
The optical unit incorporates a movable body with an optical module, a fixed body, a support mechanism, and a flexible printed circuit board with a bent design that reduces load on the FPC by allowing increased rotation without increasing drive current, using a support mechanism that includes a gimbal mechanism and rotation drive mechanisms to correct pitching and yawing vibrations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a flexible printed circuit board directly connects the camera module and an external device, then signal extraction is enabled, but a large load is applied to the flexible printed circuit board during control of the movement of the camera module
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible printed circuit board is bent at least twice between the connection part and positioning part, creating a three-dimensional configuration. The bent part includes a first bent portion and a second bent portion positioned on opposite sides of a reference plane, transforming the FPC from a linear structure to a spatial structure that can accommodate camera module movement while reducing direct load transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical configuration parameters of the flexible printed circuit board by introducing bent portions with specific geometric arrangements. The first bent portion is located on one side of the reference plane while the second bent portion is located on the reference plane or the opposite side, creating a load-distributing structure that reduces the force applied to the FPC during camera module rotation.
2Power
If the drive current of the camera module is increased to handle the load, then the camera module can be controlled during movement, but the flexible printed circuit board still experiences excessive load
Solution Approach 1:
The bent configuration of the flexible printed circuit board in three-dimensional space allows the camera module to rotate and move while the FPC follows the motion trajectory. The bent portions act as flexible joints that accommodate movement without transmitting excessive force, enabling normal drive current levels to suffice during camera module control.
3Force
If the flexible printed circuit board is made more rigid to reduce bending, then load is reduced, but the camera module cannot rotate sufficiently for image stabilization
Solution Approach 1:
The invention optimizes the geometric parameters of the bent portions, including the number of bends (at least twice), the positions of bent portions relative to the reference plane, and the overall configuration of the flexible printed circuit board. These parameter changes create a structure that balances flexibility for rotation with sufficient rigidity to reduce load, enabling the camera module to achieve the necessary rotation range for image stabilization while keeping FPC load within acceptable limits.
Data Source
AI summary
An optical unit includes a movable body including an optical module, a fixed body, a support mechanism, a flexible printed circuit board, and a positioning part. A bent part of the flexible printed circuit board has a first bent portion closest to a connection part between the connection part and the positioning part along an extension direction, and a second bent portion close to the connection part next to the first bent portion between the connection part and the positioning part along the extension direction. The second bent portion is located on a reference plane or on a side different from the side where the connection part is located with respect to the reference plane.