Carrier with end stop for camera tilt actuator
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorsHiran R Rathnasinghe, Nicholas D Smyth
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Various embodiments include a camera including a carrier having one or more end stops for use with a tilt actuator. The camera may include one or more optical elements, an image sensor, an actuator arrangement, and/or a suspension arrangement. The carrier may be used to carry or otherwise hold one or more optical elements and/or one or more image sensors. The tilt actuator may be used to tilt the carrier relative to one or more other camera components. In various embodiments, the carrier may include one or more surfaces shaped so as to enable a reduction in a range of values of a shortest gap between the carrier and a stationary structure of the camera, across a stroke range.
Claims20
A camera, comprising:
- an optical element;
- an image sensor configured to receive light that has passed through the optical element;
- and
- an actuator arrangement, comprising:
- a tilt actuator;
- and
- a carrier to which the optical element or the image sensor is fixedly coupled, wherein the carrier comprises:
- an end stop portion, comprising:
- a side of the carrier that is proximate a stationary structure of the camera, wherein the side comprises an arced surface such that the side is spaced apart from the stationary structure at a non-uniform gap;
- and
- at least one end stop adjacent the arced surface, wherein the at least one end stop is configured to make contact with the stationary structure of the camera to limit tilt motion of the carrier enabled by the tilt actuator.
A device, comprising:
- one or more processors;
- memory storing program instructions executable by the one or more processors to control operations of a camera;
- and
- the camera, comprising:
- an optical element;
- an image sensor configured to receive light that has passed through the optical element;
- and
- an actuator arrangement, comprising:
- a tilt actuator;
- and
- a carrier to which the optical element or the image sensor is fixedly coupled, wherein the carrier comprises:
- an end stop portion, comprising:
- a side of the carrier that is proximate a stationary structure of the camera, wherein the side comprises an arced surface such that the side is spaced apart from the stationary structure at a non-uniform gap;
- and
- at least one end stop adjacent the arced surface, wherein the at least one end stop is configured to make contact with the stationary structure of the camera to limit tilt motion of the carrier enabled by the tilt actuator.
A system, comprising:
- a tilt actuator;
- and a carrier to which an optical element or an image sensor of a camera is fixedly coupled, wherein the carrier is configured to move on ball bearings, such that the carrier suspends the optical element or the image sensor from a base structure of the camera and allows tilt motion of the optical element or the image sensor enabled by the tilt actuator, and wherein the carrier comprises:
- an end stop portion, comprising:
- a side of the carrier comprising an arced surface;
- and at least one end stop adjacent the arced surface, wherein the at least one end stop is configured to make contact with a stationary structure of the camera to limit the tilt motion to a limited range of motion that is smaller than a range of motion that the arced surface would allow without the at least one end stop.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.