Granted Patent B2

US 12,615,425 · App. 17/917,838 · Granted Apr 28, 2026

Inventor: Kyung Won Kim (Seoul, KR)

Assignee: LG INNOTEK CO., LTD.

H04N23/55G03B3/10G03B5/00G03B13/36G03B17/12G03B17/17G03B30/00G03B2205/0046

Abstract

Claims (110)

1 . A camera actuator comprising:

a housing;

a first lens unit;

a first lens barrel;

a second lens barrel;

a first driving unit coupled to the first lens barrel in the housing and configured to move the first lens barrel in an optical axis direction; and

a second driving unit coupled to the second lens barrel in the housing and configured to move the second lens barrel in the optical axis direction,

wherein the first lens unit, the first lens barrel, and the second lens barrel are arranged sequentially in the housing in the optical axis direction

wherein the first lens barrel includes:

a first side surface facing the first lens unit;

a second side surface facing the second lens barrel;

a third side surface orthogonal to the first side surface and the second side surface;

a first upper surface orthogonal to the first side surface and the second side surface; and

a first lower surface on a side opposite the first upper surface,

wherein the second lens barrel includes:

a fourth side surface facing the first lens barrel;

a fifth side surface on a side opposite the fourth side surface;

a sixth side surface orthogonal to the fourth side surface and the fifth side surface;

a second upper surface orthogonal to the fourth side surface and the fifth side surface; and

a second lower surface on a side opposite the second upper surface, wherein each of the surfaces of the first lens barrel and the second lens barrel face inner surfaces of the housing,

wherein the first upper surface of the first lens barrel includes a first stepped portion extending from the first side surface to the second side surface,

wherein the second lower surface of the second lens barrel includes a second stepped portion, the second stepped portion configured to divide the second lower surface into a first second lower surface having a first height and a second second lower surface having a second height different from the first height,

wherein a first distance from the sixth side surface of the second lens barrel to the second stepped portion is different from a second distance from the third side surface of the first lens barrel to the first stepped portion,

wherein the first distance is greater than the second distance,

wherein the housing includes a guide disposed on an inner lower surface of the housing facing the second lower surface of the second lens barrel, and

wherein the guide is a protrusion that protrudes in a direction towards the second upper surface of the second lens barrel, the guide extending in the optical axis direction and is located in a region corresponding to the second stepped portion to come into contact with the second stepped portion.

2 . The camera actuator of claim 1 , wherein the housing includes:

a first housing in which the first lens unit is disposed; and

a second housing under the first housing and in which the first lens barrel and the second lens barrel are disposed.

3 . The camera actuator of claim 2 , wherein a length of the guide relative to the optical axis direction is less than or equal to a length of an inner lower surface of the second housing.

4 . The camera actuator of claim 1 , wherein the first lens barrel includes:

a first barrel portion including a second lens unit;

a first guide portion extending outwardly from the first barrel portion; and

a first elastic portion connected to the first driving unit,

wherein the second lens barrel includes:

a second barrel portion including a third lens unit;

a second guide portion extending outwardly from the second barrel portion; and

a second elastic portion connected to the second driving unit.

5 . The camera actuator of claim 4 , wherein the first driving unit includes:

a first piezoelectric device disposed in the housing; and

a first extension bar extending from the first piezoelectric device in the optical axis direction,

wherein the second driving unit includes:

a second piezoelectric device disposed in the housing; and

a second extension bar extending from the second piezoelectric device in the optical axis direction,

wherein one region of the first extension bar is connected to the first elastic portion, and

wherein one region of the second extension bar is connected to the second elastic portion.

6 . The camera actuator of claim 5 , further comprising:

first and second pins extending in the optical axis direction within the housing and spaced apart from each other,

wherein the first pin is disposed to be inserted into a first insertion hole of the first lens barrel,

wherein the second pin is disposed to be inserted into a second insertion hole of the second lens barrel,

wherein the first lens barrel moves along the first pin, and

wherein the second lens barrel moves along the second pin.

7 . The camera actuator of claim 6 , wherein the first lens barrel further includes a first guide groove in which the second pin is disposed,

wherein the second lens barrel further includes a second guide groove in which the first pin is disposed,

wherein each of the first and second guide grooves has an open shape at one side.

8 . The camera actuator of claim 1 , further comprising:

a first magnetic scaler disposed on the first lower surface of the first lens barrel; and

a second magnetic scaler disposed on the second upper surface of the second lens barrel.

9 . A camera actuator comprising:

a housing,

a first lens unit;

a first lens barrel;

a second lens barrel;

a first driving unit coupled to the first lens barrel in the housing and configured to move the first lens barrel in an optical axis direction; and

a second driving unit coupled to the second lens barrel in the housing and configured to move the second lens barrel in the optical axis direction,

wherein the first lens unit, the first lens barrel and the second lens barrel are arranged sequentially in the housing in the optical axis direction,

wherein the housing includes an inner lower surface facing a lower surface of each of the first and second lens barrels,

wherein a guide is disposed on the inner lower surface of the housing and protrudes in an inner upper surface direction,

wherein the guide is disposed in a region overlapping the second lens barrel without overlapping the first lens barrel,

wherein a lower surface of the second lens barrel includes a second stepped portion, the second stepped portion is configured to divide the lower surface into a first second lower surface having a first height and a second lower surface having a second height different from the first height, and

wherein the guide contacts the second lower surface without contacting the first second lower surface.

10 . The camera actuator of claim 9 , wherein an upper surface of the guide is disposed above the first second lower surface.

11 . The camera actuator claim 9 , wherein an upper surface of the first lens barrel includes:

a first sub upper surface,

a second sub upper surface disposed below the first sub upper surface, and

a first stepped portion connecting between the first and second sub upper surfaces.

12 . The camera actuator of claim 11 , wherein a first distance from one side of the second lens barrel to the second stepped portion is different from a second distance from one side of the first lens barrel to the first stepped portion.

13 . The camera actuator of claim 12 , wherein the first distance is longer than the second distance.

14 . A camera module comprising:

a first camera actuator, and

a second camera actuator,

wherein the first camera actuator is configured to perform an auto focusing or zoom function, and

wherein the second camera actuator is configured to perform an OIS (Optical Image Stabilizer) function,

wherein the first camera actuator includes:

a housing;

a first lens unit;

a first lens barrel;

a second lens barrel;

a first driving unit coupled to the first lens barrel in the housing and configured to move the first lens barrel in an optical axis direction; and

a second driving unit coupled to the second lens barrel in the housing and configured to move the second lens barrel in the optical axis direction,

wherein the first lens unit, the first lens barrel, and the second lens barrel are arranged sequentially in the housing in the optical axis direction,

wherein the first lens barrel includes:

a first side surface facing the first lens unit;

a second side surface facing the second lens barrel;

a third side surface orthogonal to the first side surface and the second side surface;

a first upper surface orthogonal to the first side surface and the second side surface; and

a first lower surface on a side opposite the first upper surface,

wherein the second lens barrel includes:

a fourth side surface facing the first lens barrel;

a fifth side surface on a side opposite the fourth side surface;

a sixth side surface orthogonal to the fourth side surface and the fifth side surface;

a second upper surface orthogonal to the fourth side surface and the fifth side surface; and

a second lower surface on a side opposite the second upper surface, wherein each of the surfaces of the first lens barrel and the second lens barrel face inner surfaces of the housing,

wherein the first upper surface of the first lens barrel includes a first stepped portion extending from the first side surface to the second side surface,

wherein the second lower surface of the second lens barrel includes a second stepped portion, the second stepped portion configured to divide the second lower surface into a first second lower surface having a first height and a second second lower surface having a second height different from the first height,

wherein a first distance from the sixth side surface of the second lens barrel to the second stepped portion is different from a second distance from the third side surface of the first lens barrel to the first stepped portion,

wherein the housing includes a guide disposed on an inner lower surface of the housing, and

wherein the guide is a protrusion that protrudes in a direction towards the second upper surface of the second lens barrel, the guide extending in the optical axis direction and is located in a region corresponding to the second stepped portion to come into contact with the second stepped portion.

15 . The camera module of claim 14 , wherein light incident on the camera module from an outside is incident on the first camera actuator through the second camera actuator.

16 . The camera module of claim 14 , wherein the first distance is greater than the second distance.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (35)