Optical: systems and elements – Lens – With support
Reexamination Certificate
2001-12-12
2004-04-13
Ben, Loha (Department: 2873)
Optical: systems and elements
Lens
With support
C359S813000, C359S814000, C359S822000, C359S290000, C359S291000, C369S044140, C369S044150, C385S016000, C385S017000, C385S018000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06721112
ABSTRACT:
This application claims benefit of Japanese Application No. 2000-385619 filed on Dec. 19, 2000, the contents of which are incorporated by this reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a drive device for mirrors utilized in an optical system, such as an optical deflector for optical communications, an optical scanner, or a data recording and playback system for recording and/or playing back data relative to an optical recording medium, such as, for example, a magneto-optical disk drive, write-once-read-many (WORM) disk drive, phase-change disk drive, CD-ROM, DVD, or optical card.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an optical system, such as a data recording and playback system for recording and/or playing back an optical recording medium, such as CD-ROM, DVD, or optical card, a magneto-optical disk drive, WORM disk drive, phase-change disk drive, or an optical system, such as an optical scanner, a drive device for an optical element, such as a mirror, is utilized to skew a beam of light.
As an optical element support device, for example, a galvano-mirror
80
like that shown in
FIG. 1
is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 11-211969.
A hole is provided in the central part of a bottom wall portion
82
of a press-formed base member
81
, the bottom surface of this bottom wall portion
82
is spherical, and is used as the mounting surface
83
for mounting and adjusting this galvano-mirror
80
.
A spring assembly
84
is housed within this base member
81
. This spring assembly
84
is constituted from a cantilevered fixed member
85
, and a movable member
86
, which is supported in a freely moving condition on the front surface side of this fixed member
85
. This movable member
86
is supported by springs
87
,
88
in a freely rotating condition around a mirror rotating axis R in parallel to axis Y as shown in FIG.
1
.
A mirror
89
is mounted to the front surface of this movable member
86
, a movable coil
90
is mounted so as to enclose the circumference of this mirror
89
, and these movable member
86
, mirror
89
and movable coil
90
constitute a movable portion.
Furthermore, the base member
81
of the front surface side of the mirror
89
is notched and open, and an open portion
91
through which light passes is formed.
A lead wire
92
is lead through from the upper and lower portions, respectively, of the above-mentioned movable coil
90
.
Further, magnets
93
are arranged and affixed in the empty space portions on both sides of the spring assembly
84
. Furthermore, each part in which each magnets
93
is housed forms a flat-shaped flat portion
94
.
The above-mentioned springs
87
,
88
have an S-shaped spring portion
95
, which is shaped like the letter S, a not-shown reinforced conducting portion, which is formed by connecting to this S-shaped spring portion
95
, and a terminal portion.
Thus, this galvano-mirror
80
is constituted such that the mirror
89
and movable coil
90
are affixed to the movable member
86
, the opposite ends of the movable member
86
are linked to the fixed member
85
by means of two S-shaped springs
87
and
88
, two magnets
93
are arranged in the base member
81
side facing two sides of the movable coil
90
, the mirror
89
is supported in a rotatable condition around one axis, and the mirror
89
can be driven and rotated by applying current to the movable coil
90
.
In a drive device for an optical element such as a mirror, there are cases when it is desirable to line up a plurality of optical element drive devices corresponding to a plurality of optical paths. When a plurality of galvano-mirrors
80
, which are treated as the prior art optical element drive device shown in
FIG. 1
, are lined up, the pitch cannot be reduced. Another problem is that the number of parts increases.
Further, it is difficult to arrange systematically and compactly a plurality of the mirrors in the prior art shown in FIG.
1
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a drive device for small optical elements, which is either capable of reducing the pitch of a plurality of optical elements, or has a small number of parts.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a drive device for optical elements, which is well-suited to miniaturizing and arranging a plurality of optical elements.
The present invention has a plurality of movable members to which a plurality of optical elements, having a function for changing the path of light, are attached, respectively; a plurality of support mechanisms for supporting the above-mentioned plurality of movable members independently in a displacable condition; a plurality of drive mechanisms for driving the above-mentioned plurality of movable members; and a fixed member to which the above-mentioned plurality of movable mechanisms are attached, and is constituted such that the above-mentioned plurality of drive mechanisms have coils and magnets, and by using at least a part of the above-mentioned plurality of drive mechanisms in common for driving at least two of the movable members of the above-mentioned plurality of movable members, it is possible to reduce the number of parts, and to reduce the costs of miniaturization and assembly.
Further, by providing the present invention with a plurality of movable members to which a plurality of optical elements, having a function for changing an optical path, are attached, respectively; a plurality of support mechanisms for supporting the above-mentioned plurality of movable members in a rotatable condition; a common fixed member, which provides a plurality of storage portions for respectively storing each of the movable portions respectively supported by the above-mentioned support members; a plurality of drive mechanisms for magnetically and independently driving the above-mentioned plurality of movable portions, a plurality of optical elements can readily be assembled in a state, wherein this plurality of optical elements are arranged at a small pitch by storing the movable portions respectively supported by the support members in the plurality of storage portions formed in the common fixed portion.
Further, the present invention has a plurality of movable members respectively comprising optical elements, which have functions for changing an optical path; a plurality of support mechanisms for supporting the plurality of movable members independently in a displacable condition; and a plurality of magnetic drive mechanisms for driving the above-mentioned plurality of movable members, and is constituted such that by forming at least one member from the magnetic members constituting the above-mentioned plurality of movable members, plurality of support members, and plurality of magnetic drive mechanisms, as a common member, it is possible to reduce the number of parts, and to reduce the costs of miniaturization and assembly.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5886978 (1999-03-01), Matsui
patent: 6373811 (2002-04-01), Ikegame et al.
patent: 6424759 (2002-07-01), Jing
patent: 11-211969 (1999-08-01), None
Ben Loha
Dinh Jack
Frishauf Holtz Goodman & Chick P.C.
Olympus Optical Co,. Ltd.
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