Lens driving device and optical disc apparatus

1. A lens driving device comprising:

a lens;

a lens holder for holding the lens;

a shaft for supporting the lens holder, the lens holder being movable in a direction parallel to an optical axis direction of the lens;

a drive portion for driving the lens holder; and

an elastic member disposed diagonally to a direction parallel to the shaft, the elastic member pulling the lens holder and thereby applying to the lens holder a force acting in such a direction as to press the lens holder onto the shaft.

2. The lens driving device according to claim 1 , further comprising

one of a groove rail and a convex rail for supporting the lens holder, the lens holder being movable in the direction parallel to the optical axis direction of the lens.

3. The lens driving device according to claim 1 , wherein the drive portion includes a coil and a magnet for driving the lens holder by an electromagnetic force, and one of the coil and the magnet is mounted on the lens holder.

4. The lens driving device according to claim 1 , wherein the elastic member is diagonal to the direction parallel to the shaft when the elastic member is in a neutral position in which the force in the direction parallel to the shaft is not applied to the lens holder.

5. The lens driving device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a movement detection portion capable of detecting whether or not the lens held by the lens holder has at least moved; and

a correction process portion for changing a drive set value of the drive portion step by step at a predetermined timing so as to calculate an association relationship between a drive set value of the drive portion and a movement amount of the lens on the basis of a detection result detected by the movement detection portion on the basis of the change.

6. The lens driving device according to claim 5 , wherein the movement detection portion detects whether or not the lens has at least moved by using a counter electromotive force generated by drive of the drive portion.

7. The lens driving device according to claim 5 , wherein the correction process portion calculates a linear expression to be used for determining the drive set value of the drive portion on the basis of a movable range of the lens and a detection result by the movement detection portion.

8. An optical disc apparatus comprising:

the lens driving device according to claim 1 ; and

an optical pickup including the lens driving device.

9. The optical disc apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein

the optical pickup includes a light source, and an objective lens for condensing light emitted from the light source onto an information recording layer of the optical disc, and

the lens held by the lens holder is a collimator lens disposed between the light source and the objective lens in an optical path.

10. A lens driving device comprising:

a lens;

a lens holder for holding the lens;

a supporter portion for supporting the lens holder in a movable manner, the supporter portion extending in a direction parallel to an optical axis direction of the lens held on the lens holder;

a drive portion for driving the lens holder;

an elastic portion for supplying the lens holder with a force in a predetermined direction;

a counter electromotive force detection portion for detecting a counter electromotive force generated by drive of the drive portion; and

an abnormality determination portion for determining whether or not there is an abnormality in drive of the lens held by the lens holder on the basis of the counter electromotive force detected by the counter electromotive force detection portion, wherein

the supporter portion includes a shaft engaging with a bearing of the lens holder and one of a groove rail and a convex rail engaging with a part of the lens holder,

the force in a predetermined direction includes a force in a direction perpendicular to the shaft, a force in a direction to rotate the lens holder about the shaft, and a force in a direction parallel to the shaft,

the drive portion includes a coil and a magnet for driving the lens holder by an electromagnetic force, and one of the coil and the magnet is mounted on the lens holder,

a normal operation range of the lens is set narrower than the movable range of the lens, and

the abnormality determination portion determines that there is an abnormality in the drive of the lens if it is determined that the lens has not moved on the basis of the counter electromotive force despite that a drive force in the normal operation range is given by the drive portion.

11. The lens driving device according to claim 10 , wherein the abnormality determination portion makes to perform an abnormality removing operation for restoring from the abnormal state to a normal state when it is determined that there is the abnormality.

12. The lens driving device according to claim 11 , wherein the abnormality removing operation includes an operation to supply the coil with a voltage having an absolute value larger than an absolute value of a voltage necessary for moving the lens to an end portion in the normal operation range.

13. The lens driving device according to claim 11 , wherein the abnormality removing operation includes an operation to apply a voltage to the coil so that the lens moves at least one time each in a first direction and in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

14. The lens driving device according to claim 11 , wherein the abnormality removing operation includes an operation to supply the coil with a voltage having a predetermined pattern in which an AC component is superimposed.

15. A lens driving device comprising:

a lens;

a lens holder for holding the lens;

a drive portion for driving the lens holder;

a counter electromotive force detection portion for detecting a counter electromotive force generated by drive of the drive portion; and

an abnormality determination portion for determining whether or not there is an abnormality in drive of the lens held by the lens holder on the basis of the counter electromotive force detected by the counter electromotive force detection portion, wherein

the drive portion includes a coil and a magnet for driving the lens holder by an electromagnetic force, and one of the coil and the magnet is mounted on the lens holder,

a normal operation range of the lens is set narrower than the movable range of the lens, and

the abnormality determination portion determines that there is an abnormality in the drive of the lens if it is determined that the lens has not moved on the basis of the counter electromotive force despite that a drive force in the normal operation range is given by the drive portion.

16. The lens driving device according to claim 15 , wherein the abnormality determination portion makes to perform an abnormality removing operation for restoring from the abnormal state to a normal state when it is determined that there is the abnormality.

17. The lens driving device according to claim 16 , wherein the abnormality removing operation includes an operation to supply the coil with a voltage having an absolute value larger than an absolute value of a voltage necessary for moving the lens to an end portion in the normal operation range.

18. The lens driving device according to claim 16 , wherein the abnormality removing operation includes an operation to apply a voltage to the coil so that the lens moves at least one time each in a first direction and in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

19. The lens driving device according to claim 16 , wherein the abnormality removing operation includes an operation to supply the coil with a voltage having a predetermined pattern in which an AC component is superimposed.