JP7188715B2 - Variable aperture device and camera module - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a variable aperture device for a camera lens and a camera module equipped with the variable aperture device.

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, camera modules mounted on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet computers have been miniaturized, and as a result, the F-number of camera lenses has increased. However, in many conventional camera modules, the F-number is uniquely determined and cannot be changed at will. Therefore, a compact and thin variable aperture device capable of changing the f-number of the camera lens of the portable device is desired.

Patent Document 1 discloses a variable aperture fixed to a lens barrel having two wing portions, each wing portion having a shape in which at least a portion of holes of different sizes overlap each other (for example, a snowman shape). the aperture drive module includes a magnet member disposed on the support coupled to a lever configured to move the variable aperture, the aperture coil configured to move the magnet ing. This variable iris adjusts the iris aperture area between two sizes by moving the wings in a direction that causes the wings to move away from each other or overlap less.
Patent Document 1: U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2018/0164538

However, such binary type variable aperture devices have only two size apertures. In addition, there are some problems as follows. For example, 1) the two wings cannot be balanced due to heavy weight, 2) autofocus (AF) or optical image stabilization (OIS) causes resonance, and 3) high power consumption. is. What is needed is a compact, thin variable aperture device that produces apertures of any size within a wide range.

A first aspect of the present invention provides a variable aperture device for a camera lens having a plurality of fins rotatably arranged around the lens. Each of the plurality of fins has a movable end positioned toward the center of the lens and a gear formed on the outside of the fin and away from the center of the lens. A gear ring surrounds the fins, with gears inside the gear ring meshing with each gear of the fins, and a motor rotationally driving the gear ring.

A second aspect of the present invention provides a camera module comprising a lens barrel including at least one lens, and a variable aperture device according to the first aspect provided in the lens barrel.

The above summary of the invention does not necessarily describe all necessary features of an embodiment of the invention. Sub-combinations of the features described above may also constitute the invention.

1 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of a variable throttle device according to the present embodiment; FIG. The structure of the variable aperture device by this embodiment is shown in the top view. 1 shows a cross-sectional configuration of a variable throttle device according to this embodiment. 3 shows an enlarged portion of the variable throttle device; It shows the configuration and driving principle of the motor. The motor configuration and drive principle (excitation switching) are shown. 4 shows a configuration of a motor according to a modification; The cross-sectional configuration of the motor according to the modification is shown with reference to the reference line L3 in FIG. 4A. It shows the arrangement of multiple cores and the principle of stepped rotation of the motor. It shows the principle of stepwise rotation of the motor ([Δθ×1] rotation). It shows the principle of stepwise rotation of the motor ([Δθ×2] rotation). It shows the principle of stepwise rotation of the motor ([Δθ×5] rotation). The aperture operation of the variable aperture (maximum aperture state) is shown. A diaphragm operation (diaphragm operation state) of a variable diaphragm is shown. The aperture operation of the variable aperture (minimum aperture state) is shown. The fin arrangement according to the modification and the aperture operation of the variable aperture (maximum aperture state) are shown. The arrangement of fins according to the modification and the aperture operation of the variable aperture (aperture operation state) are shown. The fin arrangement according to the modification and the aperture operation of the variable aperture (minimum aperture state) are shown. Fig. 3 shows a fin arrangement with 6 fins, according to a variant; Fig. 10 shows a fin arrangement with 6 fins according to another variant; The configuration of a variable aperture device according to a modification is shown in an exploded perspective view. 10 shows the configuration of a control system for a variable throttle device according to a modification;

In the following, (several) embodiments of the invention are described. This embodiment does not limit the invention according to the claims. Moreover, not all features described with respect to any given embodiment should be considered essential to each aspect of the invention.

1 and 2A to 2C show the configuration of a variable diaphragm device 100 according to this embodiment. FIG. 1 shows the configuration of each component of the variable aperture device 100 in an exploded perspective view. FIG. 2A shows the configuration of the variable throttle device 100 in a top view with the cover removed. FIG. 2B shows a cross-sectional configuration of the variable throttle device 100 with reference to the reference line BB in FIG. 2A. FIG. 2C shows a cross-sectional configuration in which a part of the variable throttle device 100 is enlarged. These figures also show a lens barrel 90 on which the variable aperture device 100 is mounted.

The lens barrel 90 is a housing for holding therein an optical system composed of optical elements such as a plurality of lenses. The lens barrel 90 includes a base portion 91 and a projecting portion 92 extending from the center of the upper surface of the base portion 91 in the +Z direction. The base portion 91 and the projecting portion 92 are integrally formed so as to include an internal space extending in the Z-axis direction, and hold optical elements such as a plurality of lenses arranged in the Z-axis direction in the space. there is

As one example, the base 91 has a cylindrical shape, and a spiral threaded portion 91a is formed on the outer surface thereof. The lens barrel 90 can be fixed to a camera device or the like using a screw portion 91a. Furthermore, on the upper surface of the base 91, there are three truncated cone portions 91b whose diameter gradually decreases toward the tip of the projecting portion 92, and a plurality of stepped portions 91c radially extending from the lowermost truncated cone portion 91b. (see FIG. 2B, etc.) are formed. The base 60 is supported by a plurality of stepped portions 91c.

As one example, the projecting portion 92 is formed in a cylindrical shape having a diameter smaller than that of the base portion 91, and a circular opening 92a is further formed in the center of the upper surface. A tip lens 93 (for example, 11.5 mm diameter) included in the optical system is held in the opening 92 a so that its +Z-direction end protrudes from the upper surface of the projecting portion 92 .

The variable diaphragm device 100 according to this embodiment has a plurality of fins 21 to 25 partially arranged above the projecting portion 92 of the lens barrel 90, and the gear ring 30, the holder 40, the motor 50, and the base 60 project. By arranging around the portion 92, it is supported by the base portion 91 (that is, the plurality of stepped portions 91c) of the lens barrel 90. As shown in FIG. Thereby, a variable diaphragm is formed on the upper side of the lens barrel 90 . Note that the variable aperture device 100 may be provided within the lens barrel 90, ie, a plurality of fins 21-25 may be positioned between the lenses to form a variable aperture between the lenses.

A variable aperture device 100 according to this embodiment is mounted on a camera module (camera lens) including a cover 10, a plurality of fins 21 to 25, a gear ring 30, a holder 40, a motor 50, and a base 60, specifically a mobile device. It is an aperture device for a camera module that

The cover 10 is a lid that covers and protects the upper and side surfaces of the variable throttle device 100, and may be made of metal, reinforced plastic, or the like so as to be strong, for example. The cover 10 includes a circular top surface 11 having an opening 11a in the center, side surfaces 12 connected to the outer edge of the top surface 11, and is open at the bottom. Aperture 11a may have a circular shape. When the upper surface 11 is supported by the pivot shafts 41 to 45 of the holder 40 and the cover 10 is arranged on the variable diaphragm device 100, at least a part of the tip lens 93 in the lens barrel 90 is positioned on the upper surface 11. Part of the fins 21 to 25 (specifically, base ends) and the upper part of the gear ring 30 are exposed from the opening 11a, and the top surface 11 covers the gear ring 30, the holder 40, the motor 50, and the base 60. The outer edges are covered with side surfaces 12 .

A plurality of fins 21-25 are plate pieces rotatably arranged around the tip lens 93 to form a variable aperture. The fins 21 to 25 are made of resin such as polyacetal (POM) and are formed in a substantially hook-like shape so that the tips are curved and extend upward from the base ends. The openings 21a-25a are formed at their proximal ends, and the gears 21b-25b are located on the side of the proximal ends opposite to the extensions corresponding to the openings 21a-25a (in the assembled state of the variable aperture device 100). , outside the tip lens 93), and has an arcuately curved inner side and an arcuately curved outer side.

The plurality of fins 21-25 preferably includes an odd number of fins, such as five fins, as seen in this embodiment. Forming a variable iris with an odd number of fins creates a polygonal aperture that avoids the formation of two parallel sides facing each other when the iris is closed, thus avoiding the generation of strong rays. . Specifically, five fins are suitable for forming a small variable aperture because a small number of fins can form a large aperture.

The fins 21 to 25 have their tips directed toward the center of the tip lens 93 and their base ends directed outward from the tip lens 93, and the pivot shafts 41 to 45 of the holder 40 are inserted into the openings 21a to 25a, respectively. , is rotatably fixed on the holder 40 . The fins 21-25 rotate about pivots 41-45, respectively, to move the tips (also called movable ends) toward the center of the tip lens 93 to close the aperture and outward with respect to the tip lens 93. Move toward to open the aperture. The variable aperture is maximized when the outer edges of fins 21-25 are respectively fixed by stops 31a-35a of gear ring 30, and the inner edges of fins 21-25 form a continuous circular aperture. (See Figures 2A and 6A).

By rotating the gear ring 30, the movable ends of the plurality of fins 21-25 move toward the center of the tip lens 93 in synchronism. As one example, the gear ring 30 is formed in a ring shape so as to surround the plurality of fins 21 to 25, and inside the gear ring 30 there are gears that mesh with the gears 21b to 25b of the plurality of fins 21 to 25. . The gear ring 30 includes a plurality of (five in this embodiment) separated gear sections 31-35 of the gear equal to the number of fins 21-25 and further fixing the perimeter of the plurality of fins 21-25. A plurality of (five in this embodiment) stoppers 31a to 35a are included for the purpose. Each stop 31a-35a is positioned between each set of adjacent ones of the gear sections 31-35. Each of the gear portions 31-35 has an angular range (eg, 20 degrees). Therefore, in this configuration, it is possible to stop the rotation of the fins 21-25 by fixing the outer edges of the plurality of fins 21-25 to the plurality of stoppers 31a-35a of the gear ring 30. In this case, the gear The ring 30 rotates fully in the direction to open the movable end.

The holder 40 rotatably supports the fins 21-25. As one example, the holder 40 is formed in a ring shape, and has an edge portion 40b (see FIG. 1) extending straight upward along the inner edge and a plurality of holders located outside the edge portion 40b on the upper surface. and pivot shafts 41-45. The turning shafts 41 to 45 have a columnar shape and are arranged at regular intervals along the outer periphery. The pivot shafts 41-45 are inserted into the openings 21a-25a of the fins 21-25, respectively, and the base ends of the fins 21-25 are supported by the edge 40b. The fins 21-25 are positioned lower (along the Z-axis) than the center of the tip lens 93 (see FIG. 2B), so that the variable aperture device 100 is configured to be thin. Note that fins 21 - 25 may be positioned higher than the center of tip lens 93 according to the design of camera module 200 .

The fins 21-25 are supported on the holder 40 so that at least one of these fins is arranged at a first height and at least one other fin is arranged at a second height different from the first height. The at least one other fin will be positioned at a third height that is different from both the first height and the second height. In this embodiment, the fins 21 to 25 overlap the movable ends of the fins 22 under the fins 21 and the movable ends of the fins 23 over the fins 22 (that is, at the same height as the fins 21). , the movable end of fin 24 is superimposed on the underside of fin 23 (that is, at the same height as fin 22), and the proximal and movable ends of fin 25 are overlaid on both fins between fins 21 and 24. placed on top of each other. In other words, fins 21 and 23 are positioned in the middle position, fins 22 and 24 are positioned in the low position, and fin 25 is positioned in the high position. Thereby, the five fins 21-25 can be arranged around the tip lens 93 so that the fins do not interfere with each other during diaphragm operation.

A motor 50 rotates the gear ring 30 . In this embodiment, a plane facing voice coil motor composed of a plane mover 51 and a plane stator 52 may be used as the motor 50 .

The mover 51 includes a thin ring-shaped magnet ring 51a (see FIG. 3A, etc.). For example, the magnet ring 51a forms a base of stainless steel such as Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS) SUS301 having a thickness of, for example, 150 μm, and a magnetic layer having a thickness of, for example, 10 μm is formed on the lower surface of the base by sputtering. Formed by deposition. In the magnetic layer, two different magnetic poles are alternately arranged around the periphery. The mover 51 is fixed to the lower surface of the gear ring 30 so that their centers match when viewed from above.

The stator 52 includes a flexible printed circuit (FPC) coil having a thin ring-shaped substrate and a coil 52a provided on or inside the substrate (see FIG. 3A, etc.). The FPC coil is formed by wiring of a conductive metal such as copper on an insulating hard substrate. The stator 52 fixes and supports the holder 40 that supports the fins 21 to 25 on the upper surface so that their centers are aligned when viewed from above.

Furthermore, the stator 52 has a plurality of cores 71 to 76 arranged on the lower surface or inside the substrate of the FPC coil (coil 52a) (see FIG. 5A, etc.). As will be described later, the plurality of cores 71-76 position the magnet ring 51a in the mover 51 against the coils 52a in the stator 52 without providing a holding force. Cores 71-76 may be made of a material such as Permalloy®, which has a high magnetic permeability. By using a plurality of cores 71-76, it is possible to rotate the mover 51 with respect to the stator 52 in stages.

The stator 52 configured as described above is fixed to the base 60 , and the mover 51 fixed to the gear ring 30 is supported by the stator 52 . The holder 40 fixed to the stator 52 is arranged inside the mover 51 by facing the lower surface of the mover 51 toward the upper surface of the stator 52 . As a result, by exciting the coil 52 a included in the stator 52 , the mover 51 including the magnet ring 51 a rotates so as to slide along the upper surface of the stator 52 around the lens barrel 90 . , a small and thin voice coil motor is constructed.

The arrangement of the magnetic poles of the magnet ring 51a, the arrangement of the coils contained in the coil 52a, and the driving principle of the motor 50 are further explained below.

In this embodiment, the motor 50 includes a stator 52 fixed to a base 60 including coils, and a magnet ring 51 a included in a mover 51 fixed to a gear ring 30 rotating along the upper surface of the stator 52 . It is configured as a moving magnet type. The motor 50 may be configured as a moving coil type in which the stator 52 includes magnets and the mover 51 includes coils.

A base 60 supports the motor 50 and the rest of the variable throttle device 100 and includes a ring-shaped upper plate 61 and a cylindrical leg 62 fixed to the lower surface of the upper plate 61 . Top plate 61 may be made of a strong, non-magnetic material such as reinforced plastic. The legs 62 may be integrally formed with the top plate 61 . Since the base 60 is supported by the lens barrel 90 by placing the legs 62 on the plurality of steps 91 c of the lens barrel 90 , the variable aperture device 100 is mounted on the lens barrel 90 .

The fins 21-25, the gear ring 30, the holder 40, and the motor 50 (specifically the magnet ring 51a included in the motor 50) may be manufactured with micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) technology. As a result, it may be possible to realize a small, thin, and lightweight variable aperture device 100 , and the camera module 200 can be configured by mounting the variable aperture device 100 on the lens barrel 90 .

3A and 3B show the configuration and driving principle of the motor 50. FIG. These figures show the configuration of the motor 50, that is, the magnetic layer of the magnet ring 51a in the mover 51 and the coil 52a in the stator 52 included in the motor 50 as seen from the bottom (+Z direction shown). In the magnetic layer of the magnet ring 51a, as one example, six north poles and six south poles are arranged alternately on the outer periphery. The coils 52a are arranged so as to meander on the outer circumference at a pitch equal to the magnetic poles of the magnet ring 51a (an angular pitch of 30 degrees in this embodiment). The number of magnetic poles in the magnet ring 51a and the pitch of the coils 52a may vary depending on the embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 3A, current flows in the direction of the black arrow to excite the coil 52a, thereby applying a driving force in the direction of the white arrow from the coil 52a (stator 52) to the magnet ring 51a (mover 51). . When the magnet ring 51a rotates 30 degrees, as shown in FIG. 3B, current flows in the opposite direction to excite the coil 52a, that is, by switching the excitation, the driving force in the direction of the white arrow is applied to the coil 52a. (the stator 52) further joins the magnet ring 51a (the mover 51). By switching the excitation every time the magnet ring 51a rotates 30 degrees, the magnet ring 51a can be rotated in one direction. By energizing the coil 52a in the opposite direction, it is possible to rotate the magnet ring 51a in the opposite direction.

4A and 4B show the configuration of a motor 50d according to a modification. Here, FIG. 4A shows the configuration of the motor 50d, that is, the magnetic layer of the magnet ring 51a in the mover 51 and the coils 52b and 52c in the stator 52 included in the motor 50d as viewed from the bottom (+Z direction ), and FIG. 4B shows a cross-sectional configuration of the motor 50d with reference to the reference line L3 in FIG. 4A. As in the above-described embodiment, the magnetic layers of the magnet ring 51a each have six north poles and six south poles alternately arranged along the outer circumference. The coils 52b and 52c constitute a two-layer coil that overlaps in the Z-axis direction, are phase-shifted from each other by 90 degrees, and are arranged on the outer circumference at a pitch equal to the magnetic poles of the magnet ring 51a (30-degree angular pitch in this embodiment). are placed in

In the motor 50d according to the modification, the magnetic ring 51a can be rotated by energizing the coils 52b and 52c with a relative phase shift of 90 degrees. Specifically, using two layers of coils 52b and 52c included in the stator 52, the magnet ring 51a can be rotated with a large torque.

FIGS. 5A-5D illustrate the arrangement of multiple cores 71-76 contained in stator 52 and the principle of stepwise rotation of motor 50. FIG. In the motor 50, the unit of the amount of rotation of the mover 51 (called a rotation unit) is Δθ, and the number of steps is N. The angular displacement range of the mover 51 is given by [Δθ×N]. The angular displacement range [Δθ×N] has, for example, a rotation amount of 4 degrees (the rotation unit and the angular displacement range are exaggerated in the drawing) and the number of steps N is 6. The number of cores 71-76 may be set equal to or less than the number of magnetic poles of the magnet ring 51a and equal to the number N of steps.

The cores 71 to 76 are arranged with different shift amounts of [Δθ×0] to [Δθ×5] with respect to the pitches of the magnetic poles N1 to N6 and S1 to S6 of the magnet ring 51a. The shift amount is an integral multiple of the rotation unit Δθ of the mover 51 . As shown in FIG. 5A, when the core 71 faces the boundary between the magnetic poles N1 and S6, the core 72 is arranged to be shifted by an angle of [Δθ×1] with respect to the boundary between the magnetic poles N2 and S1. The core 73 is arranged to be shifted by an angle of [Δθ×2] with respect to the boundary between the magnetic poles N3 and S2, and the core 74 is arranged to be shifted by an angle of [Δθ×3] with respect to the boundary between the magnetic poles N4 and S3. ], the core 75 is arranged to be shifted by an angle of [Δθ×4] with respect to the boundary between the magnetic poles N5 and S4, and the core 76 is arranged to be shifted by an angle of [Δθ×4] from the magnetic poles N6 and S5 are arranged so as to be shifted by an angle of [Δθ×5] with respect to the boundary between .

In the state shown in FIG. 5A, since the core 71 faces the boundary between the magnetic poles N1 and S6, the attractive forces that the core 71 receives from the magnetic poles N1 and S6 are balanced and stable. The magnet ring 51a is placed in this position by stopping the excitation of the coil 52a. As shown in FIG. 5B, when the coil 52a is excited to drive the magnet ring 51a so as to rotate by an angle of [Δθ×1], the core 72 faces the boundary between the magnetic poles N2 and S1. The attractive forces that 72 receives from poles N2 and S1 are balanced and stable. The magnet ring 51a is placed in this position by stopping the excitation of the coil 52a. As shown in FIG. 5C, when the coil 52a is excited and the magnet ring 51a is further driven so as to rotate by an angle of [Δθ×2], the core 73 faces the boundary between the magnetic poles N3 and S2. The attractive forces that the core 73 receives from the magnetic poles N3 and S2 are balanced and stable. This places the magnet ring 51a at this position. Further driving of magnet ring 51a causes core 74 to face the boundary between magnetic poles N4 and S3 and core 75 to face the boundary between magnetic poles N5 and S4, so that core 76 faces magnetic pole N6 as shown in FIG. 5D. and S5. Thereby, the magnet ring 51a is arranged at each position.

As described above, each time the magnet ring 51a (moving element 51) rotates with respect to the stator 52 by the rotation unit Δθ, one of the plurality of cores 71 to 76 moves to the boundary between the magnetic poles of the magnet ring 51a. , the mover 51 can be rotated stepwise by the rotation unit Δθ. This is because the mover 51 is positioned with respect to the stator 52 without energizing the coil 52a, ie without providing a holding force.

6A to 6C show the aperture operation of the variable aperture device 100. FIG. In the state shown in FIG. 6A (maximum aperture state), the movable ends of the fins 21-25 are moved outward and their outer edges are fixed to the stoppers 31a-35a of the gear ring 30, respectively, to maximize the aperture opening. At its maximum, the variable aperture connects the inner sides of the fins 21-25 to form a circular aperture (eg, 5.2 mm diameter). As shown in FIG. 6B (diaphragm operation state), when the motor 50 is controlled to drive the gear ring 30 in the direction of the arrow, the gears 21 b to 25 b are engaged with the gear portions 31 to 35 of the gear ring 30, respectively. 25 rotate so that their movable ends move synchronously toward the center of the tip lens 93 . At this time, since the gear ring 30 is continuously rotated by the motor 50, the variable aperture is gradually closed. The position of each of the fins 21-25 is balanced and an opening of a size corresponding to its placement is formed. After that, as shown in FIG. 6C (minimum aperture state), by moving each movable end of the fins 21 to 25 to a position just before each end interferes with each other, the variable aperture has a substantially pentagonal minimum aperture (for example, , 1.4 mm wide). The F value can be adjusted, for example, within the range of 1.8-5.0.

By controlling the motor 50 to drive the gear ring 30 in the opposite direction, the fins 21-25 rotate and each movable end synchronously moves outward with respect to the tip lens 93, resulting in a variable aperture. opens.

A variable aperture device 100 according to this embodiment includes a plurality of fins 21 to 25 rotatably arranged around a tip lens 93 . Each of the plurality of fins 21-25 has a movable end arranged toward the center of the tip lens 93, gears 21b-25b formed away from the center of the tip lens 93, and the gear ring 30 has a plurality of It surrounds the fins 21-25. Inside the gear ring 30, there are gear portions 31-35 that mesh with the gears 21b-25b of the plurality of fins 21-25, respectively, and the motor 50 drives the gear ring 30 to rotate. A plurality of fins 21 to 25 are rotatably arranged around the tip lens 93 with each movable end directed toward the center of the tip lens 93, and a gear ring 30 is arranged to surround the plurality of fins 21 to 25. Then, the inner gear portions 31 to 35 are meshed with the gears 21b to 25b of the plurality of fins 21 to 25, respectively, and the gear ring 30 is rotationally driven by the motor 50, thereby rotating the plurality of fins 21 to 25. Each movable end moves synchronously toward the center of the tip lens 93 . This allows the device 100 to form variable apertures of any size within a wide range. Furthermore, since the angular positions of the fins 21-25 are balanced, no resonance is caused by AF, OIS, or the like.

Further, camera module 200 is assembled by mounting variable aperture device 100 on lens barrel 90 including at least one lens.

7A-7C show the arrangement and throttling operation of the fins 21-25 according to the modification. As shown in FIG. 7A, the plurality of fins 21-25 may be arranged at the same height such that each movable end is below the proximal end of the adjacent fin (fins 25, 21-24), so that each The proximal end overlies the movable end of the oppositely adjacent fin (fins 22-25, 21). Thereby, each fin can be arranged around the tip lens 93 so that the five fins 21 to 25 do not interfere with each other during operation of the aperture device.

In the maximum throttling state shown in FIG. 7A, the rotation of the fins 21 to 25 causes the movable ends to move outward, and the outer edges are fixed to the stoppers 31a to 35a of the gear ring 30, respectively, so that the throttling is maximized. be done. At its maximum, the variable diaphragm connects the inner edges of the fins 21-25 to form a circular aperture. As shown in FIG. 7B (diaphragm operation state), when the gear ring 30 is driven in the direction of the arrow by controlling the motor 50, the fins 21 to 25 are rotated, and the movable ends are synchronized to the center of the tip lens 93. towards the bottom of the adjacent fin. At this time, the variable aperture is continuously closed and the position of each of the fins 21-25 is balanced to form an aperture of size corresponding to that position. As shown in FIG. 7C (minimum aperture state), the variable aperture forms a substantially pentagonal minimum aperture by moving the movable ends of the fins 21 to 25 to positions just before the ends interfere with each other.

By controlling the motor 50 to drive the gear ring 30 in the opposite direction, the fins 21 to 25 are rotated and each movable end synchronously moves outward with respect to the tip lens 93 to open the variable aperture.

In this embodiment, the variable throttle device 100 is configured with an odd number of fins, specifically five fins 21 to 25, but is not limited to five fins, and the variable throttle device 100 is configured with an even number of fins. good too.

FIG. 8 shows a fin arrangement using six fins 21-26 as an example. The six fins 21-26 are formed similarly to the fins 21-25 described above. The gear ring 30 includes six gear portions 31-36 of this gear, and further includes six stoppers 31a-36a for fixing the outer perimeters of the fins 21-26. Each stop 31a-36a is positioned between each set of adjacent ones of the gear sections 31-36. A holder (not shown) is formed in the same manner as the holder 40 described above, except for the six pivots 41-46 located on the upper surface.

The fins 21-26 are supported by the holder, the fins 21, 23, 25 are arranged at a first height and the fins 22, 24, 26 are arranged at a second height different from the first height. , fins 21, 23, 25 between each set of adjacent fins. In this example, the fins 21,23,25 are arranged on the periphery and are arranged at the same height, and the fins 22,24,26 are arranged at the same height below the fins 21,23,25. Fin 22 is positioned between fins 21 and 23 , fin 24 is positioned between fins 23 and 25 and fin 26 is positioned between fins 25 and 21 . Thereby, each fin can be arranged around the tip lens 93 so that the six fins 21 to 26 do not interfere with each other during diaphragm operation.

FIG. 9 shows another example of a fin arrangement with six fins 21-26. The six fins 21-26 may be positioned at the same height such that each movable end is below the proximal end of the adjacent fin (fins 26, 21-25) so that each proximal end is adjacent to the opposite side. It is above the movable ends of the fins (fins 22 to 26, 21) that move. Thereby, each fin can be arranged around the tip lens 93 so that the six fins 21 to 26 do not interfere with each other during operation of the aperture device.

10 and 11 show the configuration of the variable aperture device 110 and the configuration of the control system according to the modification. FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of each component of a variable throttle device 110 according to a modification. This figure also shows the lens barrel 90 on which the variable aperture device 110 is mounted. The variable throttle device 110 includes a cover 10, a plurality of fins 21-25, a gear ring 30, a holder 40, a motor 150, a base 160, and a control device 170. The cover 10, the plurality of fins 21 to 25, the gear ring 30, and the holder 40 are configured in the same manner as the variable throttle device 100 described above.

A planar opposed voice coil motor composed of a planar mover 151 and a planar stator 152 may be used as the motor 150 . The mover 151 is configured similarly to the mover 51 of the motor 50 described above. The stator 152 is configured similarly to the stator 52 of the motor 50 described above, except for a plurality of notches 152e formed in the outer edge of the substrate of the stator 152. As shown in FIG. The number of notches 152e may be any number of three or more, such as five as seen in this embodiment.

Base 160 includes top plate 161 , yoke 163 , legs (not shown), sensors 164 and bearings 165 .

The top plate 161 may be formed in a ring shape from a non-magnetic material such as reinforced plastic. The upper plate 161 is formed with a ring-shaped recess 161a surrounded by an inner edge and an outer edge, and a plurality of (five in this embodiment) spherical supports 161f are formed on the outer edge.

The yoke 163 is made of a magnetic material and has a ring shape and is incorporated into the recess 161 a of the upper plate 161 to form the upper surface of the upper plate 161 . A rectangular opening 163 a is formed in the yoke 163 .

The legs are fixed to the lower surface of the upper plate 161 and support the upper plate from below. Since the base 160 is supported by the lens barrel 90 by setting the legs on the plurality of stepped portions 91 c of the lens barrel 90 , the variable aperture device 110 is mounted on the lens barrel 90 .

The sensor 164 detects the magnetic field of a magnet ring (not shown) included in the mover 151 of the motor 150, and as one example, a Hall sensor can be used. Sensor 164 is installed in recess 161 a of upper plate 161 through opening 163 a of yoke 163 . A rotational position of the mover 151 with respect to the stator 152 (fixed to the base 160) is detected based on the detection result of the sensor 164. FIG.

Bearing 165 is a ball bearing that supports armature 151 and gear ring 30 and is fixed to armature 151 and is contained in spherical support 161 f of base 160 . The number of bearings 165 may be any number of three or more, such as five as seen in this embodiment.

Since the stator 152 of the motor 150 is fixed to the upper surface of the base 160, their centers coincide when viewed from above, and the spherical support 161f is located in the notch 152e. A bearing 165 is arranged on the spherical support 161f, and the gear ring 30 fixed to the mover 151 is supported by the bearing 165. As shown in FIG. The attractive force of the magnet ring included in the mover 151 is applied to the base 160 (yoke 163), which applies preload to the bearing 165, so that the mover 151 is rotatably supported by the base 160 via the stator 152. be.

A groove in which the bearing 165 runs may be provided on the underside of the gear ring 30 .

Controller 170 servo-controls the rotation of gearing 30 . The control device 170 detects the rotational position of the mover 151 with the sensor 164 , controls driving of the motor 150 based on the detection result, and rotates the gear ring 30 fixed to the mover 151 . Thereby, the variable diaphragm formed by the fins 21 to 25 can be opened or closed to any size.

Although embodiments of the invention have been described, the scope of the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and improvements can be made to the above-described embodiments. It is clear from the scope of claims that embodiments with such modifications or improvements can also be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

The actions, procedures, steps and stages of each process performed in the apparatus, systems, programs and methods disclosed in the claims, embodiments and figures may be performed in any order. provided that the order is not indicated as "before" or "before", etc., and that the output of the earlier process is not used in the later process. Even though the claims, embodiments, and figures use language such as "first" or "next" to describe the process flow, it should be understood that the processes must be performed in this order. I don't mean it.
[Item 1]
A variable aperture device for a camera lens, comprising:
a plurality of fins rotatably disposed around a lens, each of said plurality of fins each having a movable end disposed toward the center of said lens and an outer end of said each fin extending toward said center of said lens; a plurality of fins having gears formed apart from;
a gearing surrounding the plurality of fins, wherein there is a gear inside the gearing that meshes with each gear of the plurality of fins;
a motor for rotating the gear ring;
A variable aperture device.
[Item 2]
The gear of the gear ring is composed of a plurality of separated gear sections, the number of the plurality of gear sections being equal to the number of fins, the gear ring further comprising a plurality of stoppers, the plurality of gears 2. A variable throttle device according to item 1, wherein each stop is located between each set of adjacent gear portions of the portions.
[Item 3]
The number of fins is an odd number, at least one of the plurality of fins is arranged at a first height, and at least one of the plurality of fins is different from the first height. positioned at a different second height, at least one of the plurality of fins being positioned at a third height different from both the first height and the second height; 3. A variable throttle device according to item 1 or 2, wherein
[Item 4]
The plurality of fins includes a plurality of first fins arranged at a first height and adjacent fins of the plurality of first fins arranged at a second height different from the first height. 3. A variable throttle device according to item 1 or 2, comprising a plurality of second fins arranged between the sets.
[Item 5]
3. A variable throttle device according to item 1 or 2, wherein the plurality of fins are arranged at the same height such that the tips of the fins are arranged under adjacent fins.
[Item 6]
6. The variable throttle device according to any one of items 1 to 5, wherein the motor includes a mover fixed to the gear ring and a stator facing the mover.
[Item 7]
One of the mover and the stator includes a ring-shaped magnet having magnetic poles alternately arranged along an outer periphery, and the other of the mover and the stator includes the magnetic poles of the magnet. 7. A variable throttle device according to item 6, including coils arranged to meander along the perimeter with matching pitches.
[Item 8]
one of the mover and the stator includes a ring-shaped magnet having magnetic poles alternately arranged along an outer circumference;
the other of the mover and the stator,
a plurality of first coils arranged along the outer periphery at pitches that match the magnetic poles of the magnet;
a plurality of second coils superimposed on the plurality of first coils and arranged along the outer circumference so as to be phase-shifted by 90 degrees with respect to the plurality of first coils;
A variable aperture device according to item 6, comprising:
[Item 9]
The variable aperture device further
a sensor for detecting the magnetic field of the magnet;
a control device for controlling the drive of the motor based on the detection result of the sensor;
A variable aperture device according to item 7 or 8, comprising:
[Item 10]
The other of the mover and the stator includes a plurality of cores arranged with different shift amounts with respect to the pitch of the magnetic poles of the magnet, and the shift amount is an integral multiple of the rotation unit of the mover. 10. The variable throttle device according to any one of items 7 to 9, wherein:
[Item 11]
The motor has at least three bearings between the mover and the stator, and one of the mover and the stator is one of the mover and the stator containing the magnet. 11. Variable throttle device according to any one of items 7 to 10, comprising a yoke on the opposite side.
[Item 12]
a lens barrel including at least one lens;
and a variable aperture device according to any one of items 1 to 11, provided in the lens barrel.
A camera module with

Claims (9)

A variable aperture device for a camera lens, comprising:
a plurality of fins rotatably disposed around a lens, each of said plurality of fins each having a movable end disposed toward the center of said lens and an outer end of said respective fin extending toward said center of said lens; a plurality of fins having gears formed apart from;
a gearing surrounding the plurality of fins, wherein there is a gear inside the gearing that meshes with each gear of the plurality of fins;
a motor for rotating the gear ring ;
the motor includes a mover fixed to the gear ring and a stator facing the mover;
One of the mover and the stator includes a ring-shaped magnet having magnetic poles alternately arranged along an outer circumference, and the other of the mover and the stator includes the magnetic poles of the magnet. coils arranged to meander along said perimeter with a matching pitch;
The other of the mover and the stator includes a plurality of cores arranged with different shift amounts with respect to the pitch of the magnetic poles of the magnet, the shift amount being an integral multiple of the rotation unit of the mover. is
Variable throttle device. A variable aperture device for a camera lens, comprising:
a plurality of fins rotatably disposed around a lens, each of said plurality of fins each having a movable end disposed toward the center of said lens and an outer end of said respective fin extending toward said center of said lens; a plurality of fins having gears formed apart from;
a gearing surrounding the plurality of fins, wherein there is a gear inside the gearing that meshes with each gear of the plurality of fins;
a motor for rotating the gear ring ;
the motor includes a mover fixed to the gear ring and a stator facing the mover;
One of the mover and the stator includes a ring-shaped magnet having magnetic poles alternately arranged along an outer circumference, and the other of the mover and the stator includes the magnetic poles of the magnet. coils arranged to meander along said perimeter with a matching pitch;
The motor has at least three bearings between the mover and the stator, and one of the mover and the stator is one of the mover and the stator containing the magnet. including a yoke opposite the other,
Variable throttle device. The gear of the gear ring is composed of a plurality of separated gear sections, the number of the plurality of gear sections being equal to the number of fins, the gear ring further comprising a plurality of stoppers, the plurality of gears 3. A variable throttling device as claimed in claim 1 or 2 , wherein each stop is positioned between each set of adjacent geared sections of the sections. The number of fins is an odd number, at least one of the plurality of fins is positioned at a first height, and at least one of the plurality of fins is at a distance from the first height. positioned at a different second height, at least one of the plurality of fins being positioned at a third height different from both the first height and the second height; 4. A variable throttle device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein The plurality of fins includes a plurality of first fins arranged at a first height and each adjacent fin of the plurality of first fins at a second height different from the first height. 4. A variable throttle device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising a plurality of second fins arranged between sets. 4. The variable throttle device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the plurality of fins are arranged at the same height such that the tips of the fins are arranged under adjacent fins. A variable aperture device for a camera lens, comprising:
a plurality of fins rotatably disposed around a lens, each of said plurality of fins each having a movable end disposed toward the center of said lens and an outer end of said respective fin extending toward said center of said lens; a plurality of fins having gears formed apart from;
a gearing surrounding the plurality of fins, wherein there is a gear inside the gearing that meshes with each gear of the plurality of fins;
a motor for rotating the gear ring;
with
the motor includes a mover fixed to the gear ring and a stator facing the mover;
one of the mover and the stator includes a ring-shaped magnet having magnetic poles alternately arranged along an outer circumference;
the other of the mover and the stator,
a plurality of first coils arranged along an outer circumference at pitches that match the magnetic poles of the magnet;
and a plurality of second coils superimposed on the plurality of first coils and arranged along the outer circumference so as to be phase-shifted by 90 degrees with respect to the plurality of first coils . The variable throttle device further includes:
a sensor for detecting the magnetic field of the magnet;
8. The variable aperture device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 , further comprising a control device for controlling driving of said motor based on the detection result of said sensor. a lens barrel including at least one lens;
A camera module comprising: the variable aperture device according to any one of claims 1 to 8 , provided in the lens barrel.

Images