Optical Unit Gimbal Rod Support Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional optical units for camera-equipped mobile phones face difficulties in assembly workability due to the complexity of fixing small balls or pressed convex surfaces, leading to accuracy issues and potential cracks.
Innovation Solution
The optical unit employs a support mechanism with rod-like support members fixed to the gimbal frame and contact units, allowing for easier assembly and enhanced manufacturability, with adjustable pressurization and impact resistance through extending units and convex curved surfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a ball is fixed to the bearing portion of the gimbal frame by welding or pressing, then the support unit can be assembled, but the assembly workability deteriorates and manufacturing accuracy decreases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of forming a convex curved surface on the ball by pressing (conventional approach), the invention inverts the approach by forming a concave curved surface on the bearing portion and allowing a spherical surface of the ball to elastically press against it. This inversion transfers the forming operation from the small ball to the larger bearing portion, improving both assembly workability and manufacturing accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs curved surfaces (spherical and concave) instead of flat surfaces for the contact interface between the ball and bearing portion. This curvature design enables elastic pressing contact, which improves assembly workability while maintaining manufacturing accuracy through the geometric constraints of the curved surfaces
2Ease of manufacture
If a ball is fixed to the bearing portion by welding, then the support unit can be assembled, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the complex welding operation from the assembly process. Instead of requiring welding to fix the ball to the bearing portion, the design allows the ball to be elastically pressed into place by spring force, simplifying the assembly process and reducing device complexity while maintaining structural integrity
Solution Approach 2:
The support unit employs a self-service mechanism where the spring automatically maintains elastic pressing force between the ball and bearing portion without requiring external fastening operations. The structure self-regulates through the elastic deformation and spring force, eliminating the need for complex welding or additional fastening components
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
This configuration improves assembly workability, manufacturability, and impact resistance, ensuring stable support and accurate positioning of the optical module while preventing removal of the support units during impacts.
Implementation Method 1
a first leading end contacting in the state of being elastically pressed against the first contact unit
Data Source
AI summary
An optical unit includes a movable body including an optical module, a fixed body configured to displaceable hold the movable body, and a support mechanism including a gimbal frame configured to rotatably support the movable body with respect to the fixed body around a first axial line intersecting with an optical axis direction of the optical module. The support mechanism rotatably supports the movable body, to the fixed body via a first support unit, around the first axial line. The first support unit includes a first rod-like support member fixed to one of the fixed body and the gimbal frame, and a first contact unit being provided in the other of the fixed body and the gimbal frame and contacting the first rod-like support member. The first rod-like support member includes a first leading end, the first leading end contacting and being elastically pressed against the first contact unit.