IP Library Granted Patent US 7,449,805
Granted Patent B2
US 7,449,805 · App. 11/538,591 · Granted Nov 11, 2008

Stepping motor and electronic apparatus

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,449,805
App. No.
11/538,591
Granted
Nov 11, 2008
Kind
B2
Abstract

A stepping motor includes a rotor having a cylindrical permanent magnet, ring-shaped first and second yoke units that are arranged so as to be mutually stacked along an axis of the rotor, and a pair of lid. Each of the first and second yoke units includes a ring-shaped exciting coil, an outer yoke that includes an outer cylindrical section that accommodates therein the exciting coil, a back face section, and magnetic pole teeth, and an inner yoke that is combined with the outer yoke and includes a ring-shaped ring section formed around the axis, and magnetic pole teeth that are arranged at fixed intervals while alternating at equal intervals in a noncontacting state with respect to the magnetic pole teeth of the outer yoke. The first and second yoke units are stacked while the back face sections thereof are in a mutual surface contact state.

Claims (17)

1. A stepping motor comprising:

a rotor including a cylindrical permanent magnet that is multipole magnetized in a circumferential direction;

ring-shaped first and second yoke units that are arranged so as to be mutually stacked along an axis of the rotor while surrounding a periphery of the rotor; and

a pair of lid members that enclose the first and second yoke units from both sides thereof along the axis, and support the rotor so as to be rotatable around the axis,

each of the first and second yoke units including:

a ring-shaped exciting coil;

an outer yoke that includes an outer cylindrical section that is formed in a cylindrical shape around the axis and accommodates therein the exciting coil, a back face section that bends at an angle of 90 degrees over a predetermined distance toward the axis from an outer edge of one side of the outer cylindrical section, and a plurality of magnetic pole teeth that bend at an angle of 90 degrees from the back face section substantially parallel with the axis and are arranged at fixed intervals in the circumferential direction; and

an inner yoke that is combined with the outer yoke and includes a ring-shaped ring section formed around the axis, and a plurality of magnetic pole teeth that bend at an angle of 90 degrees from an inner peripheral face of the ring section substantially parallel with the axis and are arranged at fixed intervals in the circumferential direction of the exciting coil while alternating at equal intervals in a noncontacting state with respect to the magnetic pole teeth of the outer yoke, wherein

the first and second yoke units are stacked while the back face sections thereof are in a mutual surface contact state.

2. The stepping motor according to claim 1 , wherein

the exciting coil includes: a ring-shaped bobbin of nonmagnetic material that includes an external connection terminal; and a coil winding that is wound around an outer peripheral face of the bobbin, an end of the coil winding being connected to the external connection terminal, and

a guide groove is formed in an inner peripheral face of the bobbin, which guides and locates the magnetic pole teeth of the outer yoke and the inner yoke at predetermined positions, respectively.

3. An electronic apparatus comprising the stepping motor according to claim 1 .

4. The electronic apparatus according to claim 3 , comprising a camera module that includes:

a lens body arranged so as to be movable along an optical axis;

a lens driving means that moves the lens body along the optical axis in conjunction with rotation of the rotor; and

an imaging element arranged on the optical axis.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 24, 2012
From: ASIA OPTICAL CO., INC.
To: ASIA OPTICAL INTERNATIONAL LTD.
Reel/Frame 028842/0757 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 20, 2007
From: BIN, ZHOU RONG
To: SEIKO INSTRUMENTS INC.; ASIA OPTICAL CO., INC.
Reel/Frame 018908/0624 →