Lens transfer device and camera module having the same

A lens transfer device comprising:

• a housing;
• a coil that is installed on the circumference the housing;
• a lens barrel that is installed inside the housing and has a lens group embedded therein;
• a preload member that elastically pressurizes and supports the lens barrel;
• and
• an actuator that is installed in one side of a direction where the lens barrel is linearly transferred, and of which the shape is recovered by a magnetic field generated through the coil so as to linearly transfer the lens barrel.

A method of driving a lens barrel transfer device, the lens barrel transfer device including:

• a housing;
• a coil that is installed on the circumference of the housing;
• a lens barrel that is installed inside the housing and has a lens group embedded therein;
• a preload member that elastically pressurizes and supports the lens barrel;
• and an actuator that is installed in one side of a direction where the lens barrel is linearly transferred, and of which the shape is recovered by a magnetic field generated through the coil so as to linearly transfer the lens barrel, the method comprising:
• pressurizing the lens barrel through the preload member such that the actuator is maintained in a deformed state;
• and
• applying a current to the coil so as to generate a magnetic field such that the shape of the actuator is recovered to transfer the lens barrel.

A camera module comprising:

• a lens transfer device including:
• a housing;
• a coil that is installed on the circumference of the housing;
• a lens barrel that is installed inside the housing and has a lens group embedded therein;
• and
• an actuator that is installed in one side of a direction where the lens barrel is linearly transferred, and of which the shape is recovered by a magnetic field generated through the coil so as to linearly transfer the lens barrel;
• and
• an image sensor module that is provided under the lens transfer device and has an image sensor module mounted therein, the image sensor converting light, which is incident through the lens group of the lens barrel, into an electrical signal.