# US 11,906,809 B2 · Voice coil motor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,906,809 B2 - Document ID: US11906809B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/664,805 - Filed: 2022-05-24 - Published: 2022-09-08 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2012-05-09 - Assignees: LG Innotek Co., Ltd. - Applicants: LG Innotek Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Sang Ok Park; Hyun Rae Cho; Seong Min Lee; Jun Taek Lee - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11906809B2 ## CPC - G02B 7/08: adapted to co-operate with a remote control mechanism - G02B 7/005: {Motorised alignment} - G02B 7/023: {permitting adjustment} - G02B 7/09: adapted for automatic focusing or varying magnification - H02K 41/0354: {Lorentz force motors, e.g. voice coil motors} - H02K 41/0356: {moving along a straight path} - H02P 7/025: the DC motors being of the moving coil type, e.g. voice coil motors - H04N 23/685: {performed by mechanical compensation} - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS - H02K: DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINES (dynamo-electric relays H01H53/00; conversion of DC or AC input power into surge output power {H03K3/53}) - H02P: CONTROL OR REGULATION OF ELECTRIC MOTORS, ELECTRIC GENERATORS OR DYNAMO-ELECTRIC CONVERTERS; CONTROLLING TRANSFORMERS, REACTORS OR CHOKE COILS - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract An exemplary embodiment of the present invention a rotor including a lens and formed with a first driving unit, a stator formed with a second driving unit driving the rotor in response to electromagnetic interaction with the first driving unit, and a base on which the stator is fixed, wherein the rotor is brought into contact with the base, in a case the lens is in a UP posture, and the rotor is distanced from the base, in a case the lens is in a DOWN posture. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A VCM (Voice Coil Motor) comprising: a base; a case disposed on the base and comprising an upper plate and a lateral plate; a bobbin disposed in the case; a housing disposed between the bobbin and the case; a coil and a magnet disposed in the case and configured to move the bobbin; and an upper elastic member connecting the bobbin and the housing, wherein the bobbin is configured to move for an auto focus function and a handshake compensation function, wherein the upper elastic member comprises an inner elastic unit coupled to the bobbin, an outer elastic unit coupled to an upper surface of the housing, and an elastic connection unit connecting the inner elastic unit and the outer elastic unit, wherein the housing comprises a recess concavely formed on the upper surface of the housing, and wherein the recess of the housing is overlapped with the elastic connection unit of the upper elastic member. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The VCM of claim 1, wherein the recess of the housing forms a space in which the elastic connection unit is disposed when the inner elastic unit moves to a position lower than the outer elastic unit. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The VCM of claim 1, wherein the bobbin is spaced apart from the base at an initial position when no current is applied to the coil, and wherein the bobbin is configured to move from the initial position in a first direction approaching the base within a first stroke length when a backward current is applied to the coil. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The VCM of claim 3, wherein the recess of the housing comprises a floor surface facing the elastic connection unit, and wherein, in an optical axis direction, a distance between the upper surface of the housing and the floor surface of the recess is greater than the first stroke length of the bobbin. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The VCM of claim 1, wherein the bobbin is configured to be tilted on an upper surface of the base for the handshake compensation function. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The VCM of claim 3, wherein the bobbin is spaced apart from the case at an initial position when no current is applied to the coil, wherein the bobbin is configured to move from the initial position in a second direction approaching the upper plate of the case within a second stroke length when a forward current is applied to the coil, and wherein the second stroke length of the bobbin is greater than the first stroke length of the bobbin. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The VCM of claim 6, wherein, in the optical axis direction, a first gap between the bobbin and the base is shorter than a second gap between the bobbin and the upper plate of the case at the initial position. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The VCM of claim 6, wherein the base is in a position facing a ground at an UP posture of the bobbin, the base is in a position perpendicular to the ground at a SIDE posture of the bobbin, and the case is in a position facing the ground at a DOWN posture of the bobbin, and wherein the bobbin is spaced apart from the base at the DOWN posture in the initial position. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The VCM of claim 8, wherein the bobbin moves in the second direction after moving in the first direction to perform a focus function at the DOWN posture. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The VCM of claim 1, wherein the recess of the housing is inwardly opened. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The VCM of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a protrusion protruding from the upper surface of the housing, wherein the outer elastic unit of the upper elastic member comprises a hole, and wherein the protrusion of the housing passes through the hole of the outer elastic unit of the upper elastic member. ### Claim 12 (depends on 4) The VCM of claim 4, wherein the floor surface of the recess comprises a slanted surface slantedly formed relative to the upper surface of the housing. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The VCM of claim 1, wherein the recess of the housing is formed at a corner area of the housing. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) A camera module, the camera module comprising: a PCB (Printed Circuit Board); an image sensor disposed on the PCB; the voice coil motor of claim 1; and a lens coupled with the bobbin of the voice coil motor. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) A mobile phone, the mobile phone comprising the camera module of claim 14. ### Claim 16 A VCM (Voice Coil Motor) comprising: a base; a case disposed on the base and comprising an upper plate and a lateral plate; a bobbin disposed in the case; a housing disposed between the bobbin and the case; a coil and a magnet disposed in the case and configured to move the bobbin; and an upper elastic member connecting the bobbin and the housing, wherein the bobbin is configured to move for an auto focus function and a handshake compensation function, wherein the upper elastic member comprises an inner elastic unit coupled to the bobbin, an outer elastic unit coupled to an upper surface of the housing, and an elastic connection unit connecting the inner elastic unit and the outer elastic unit, wherein the housing comprises a recess formed on the upper surface of the housing, and wherein the recess of the housing forms a space for the inner elastic unit to move to a position lower than the outer elastic unit. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The VCM of claim 16, wherein the bobbin is spaced apart from the base at an initial position when no current is applied to the coil, and wherein the bobbin is configured to move from the initial position in a first direction approaching the base within a first stroke length when a backward current is applied to the coil. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The VCM of claim 17, wherein the recess of the housing comprises a floor surface facing the elastic connection unit, and wherein, in an optical axis direction, a distance between the upper surface of the housing and the floor surface of the recess is greater than the first stroke length of the bobbin. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The VCM of claim 17, wherein the bobbin is spaced apart from the case at an initial position when no current is applied to the coil, wherein the bobbin is configured to move from the initial position in a second direction approaching the upper plate of the case within a second stroke length when a forward current is applied to the coil, and wherein the second stroke length of the bobbin is greater than the first stroke length of the bobbin. ### Claim 20 A VCM (Voice Coil Motor) comprising: a base; a case disposed on the base and comprising an upper plate and a lateral plate; a bobbin disposed in the case; a housing disposed between the bobbin and the case; a coil and a magnet disposed in the case and configured to move the bobbin; and an upper elastic member connecting the bobbin and the housing, wherein the upper elastic member comprises an inner elastic unit coupled to the bobbin, an outer elastic unit coupled to an upper surface of the housing, and an elastic connection unit connecting the inner elastic unit and the outer elastic unit, wherein the housing comprises a recess concavely formed on the upper surface of the housing, wherein the recess of the housing is overlapped with the elastic connection unit of the upper elastic member, and wherein the recess of the housing comprises a stepped portion.