Patents by Inventor Shinji Minamisawa

Shinji Minamisawa has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11947253
    Abstract: An optical unit may include a movable body including an optical module, a fixed body which holds the movable body in a movable state, a gimbal mechanism including a first support part which swingably supports the movable body around a first axial line intersecting an optical axis direction of the optical module, and a second support part which is swingably supported by a member of the fixed body around a second axial line intersecting the optical axis direction and a direction of the first axial line, and a shake correction drive mechanism structured to drive the movable body around the first axial line and around the second axial line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: NIDEC SANKYO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shinji Minamisawa
  • Publication number: 20240015401
    Abstract: A wiring board includes a flat band-shaped portion constituted by a flexible printed circuit board and a reinforcing plate having a flat-plate shape and made of metal, a part of which is fixed to the band-shaped portion, and the band-shaped portion and the reinforcing plate are bent at a predetermined position during manufacture of an optical unit with a shake correction function. The reinforcing plate is disposed across a bend line, which is a reference for a bent position of the band-shaped portion, and is fixed to the band-shaped portion only on one side of the bend line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2023
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Applicant: NIDEC INSTRUMENTS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shinji MINAMISAWA
  • Publication number: 20240012266
    Abstract: In this optical unit with a shake correction function, a band-shaped portion is constituted by a plurality of flexible printed circuit boards overlapping each other with a predetermined gap, and is bent at a boundary between a first band-shaped portion and a second band-shaped portion and at a boundary between the second band-shaped portion and a third band-shaped portion. The plurality of flexible printed circuit boards are bonded and fixed to each other at least at one of the first bent portion and the second bent portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2023
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Applicant: NIDEC INSTRUMENTS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shinji MINAMISAWA
  • Publication number: 20230384612
    Abstract: In an optical unit with a shake correction function, a cylindrical holder having an inner peripheral side on which a camera module is fixed is composed of metal. In the optical unit with a shake correction function, a case-side protrusion projecting toward the inner peripheral side of a cylindrical case surrounding the outer peripheral surface of the holder is formed on the inner peripheral side of the case. When a movable body moves relative to a fixed body while the optical axis of a camera module tilts the most, portions of the holder farther inside in the optical axis direction than edges formed on the outer peripheral surface of the holder before the edges come into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the case.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2023
    Publication date: November 30, 2023
    Applicant: NIDEC INSTRUMENTS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tsutomu ARAI, Takeshi SUE, Shinji MINAMISAWA
  • Patent number: 11815733
    Abstract: An optical unit is provided for performing heat dissipation for an optical module. The optical unit includes a movable body having the optical module and a fixed body which holds the movable body in a displaceable state. The movable body includes a circuit board provided in the optical module and at least one heat radiation member disposed in a periphery of the optical module. The heat radiation member is connected with the circuit board in a heat-conductive manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: NIDEC SANKYO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takeshi Sue, Masato Gomyo, Shinji Minamisawa
  • Patent number: 11747643
    Abstract: An optical unit with a shake correction function includes a movable body, a fixed body, a swing support mechanism structured to swingably support the movable body, a shake correction drive mechanism structured to swing the movable body, and a flexible printed circuit board extended from the movable body. The flexible printed circuit board is provided with a flat face part between the movable body and a circuit board fixing part provided in the fixed body, and a fixed part which is fixed to the circuit board fixing part. The flat face part is provided with a curved part, the fixed part is positioned in the optical axis direction by abutting with the circuit board fixing part, the circuit board fixing part comprises a fixable region capable of fixing the fixed part, and a width of the fixable region is larger than a width of the fixed part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: NIDEC SANKYO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shinji Minamisawa
  • Publication number: 20230224589
    Abstract: In an optical unit with a shake correction function, a frame-shaped holder to which a camera module is fixed to an inner periphery being structured of a metal portion formed of a metal material, and a resin portion formed of a resin material and integrated with the metal portion by insert molding. The metal portion includes magnet fixing portions formed of a magnetic material and to which a driving magnet is fixed, and spherical body contact portions in contact with a spherical body made of metal and serving as a fulcrum for pivotal movement of the holder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2023
    Publication date: July 13, 2023
    Applicant: NIDEC SANKYO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinji MINAMISAWA, Tsutomu Arai, Takeshi Sue
  • Publication number: 20230209195
    Abstract: In an optical unit with a shake correction function, a first circuit board, which is pulled out from a camera module, and a second circuit board, on which a first drive coil and a second drive coil are mounted, are electrically connected by a first connection portion and a second connection portion, which are electrically connected while overlapping each other. Moreover, in the optical unit with a shake correction function, a drawer portion of the first circuit board is pulled out toward an outer peripheral side of the optical unit with a shake correction function.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2022
    Publication date: June 29, 2023
    Applicant: NIDEC SANKYO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinji MINAMISAWA, Takeshi SUE
  • Publication number: 20230209158
    Abstract: In an optical unit with a shake correction function, a first inner-side wall surface disposed on an inner side of a first band-shaped portion of a circuit board in a Y-direction and a second inner-side wall surface disposed on an inner side of a second band-shaped portion of the circuit board in an X-direction are defined in an intermediate-member holder, and a first outer-side wall surface disposed on an outer side of the first band-shaped portion in the Y-direction and a second outer-side wall surface disposed on an outer side of the second band-shaped portion in the X-direction are defined on an outer-peripheral side covering portion. An interval between the first inner-side wall surface and the first outer-side wall surface is smaller than an interval between the second inner-side wall surface and the second outer-side wall surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2022
    Publication date: June 29, 2023
    Applicant: NIDEC SANKYO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinji MINAMISAWA, Takeshi SUE
  • Patent number: 11668950
    Abstract: An optical unit is provided which enables performing shake correction of a moving element in the optical axis direction and the direction around the optical axis with a simple configuration and which takes into account ease of assembly. Specifically, this optical unit is provided with: a moving element (14) which is provided with an optical module; a static element (16); a rolling support mechanism (20) which supports the moving element with respect to the static element rotatably about the optical axis of the optical module; and a rolling drive mechanism (18) which rotates the moving element about the optical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: NIDEC SANKYO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shinji Minamisawa
  • Patent number: 11656477
    Abstract: An optical unit with a shake correction function includes a movable body having an optical element, a swing support mechanism swingably supporting the movable body, a fixed body supporting the movable body through the swing support mechanism, and a magnetic drive mechanism structured to swing the movable body. The magnetic drive mechanism includes a coil fixed to one of the movable body and the fixed body, and a magnet fixed to the other of the movable body and the fixed body. The swing support mechanism includes a first plate spring connecting an end part of the movable body on one side in an optical axis direction with the fixed body, and a second plate spring connecting the other end part of the movable body in the optical axis direction with the fixed body. The magnet and the coil are disposed between the first plate spring and the second plate spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: NIDEC SANKYO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takeshi Sue, Shinji Minamisawa, Tsutomu Arai
  • Patent number: 11630320
    Abstract: An optical assembly includes a movable body that includes an optical module, a frame body radially outward of the movable body, and support portions that swingably support the movable body with respect to the frame body. Each of the support portions includes a guide portion between the movable body and the frame body to support the movable body, and a preload portion that pushes the guide portion toward the movable body. A radially inner end portion of the preload portion is connected to a radially outer end portion of the guide portion. A radially outer end portion of the preload portion is supported by the frame body. One of the movable body and the guide portion includes a first convex surface, and the other includes a first concave surface in contact with the first convex surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Sazai, Tomohiro Egawa, Takayuki Iwase, Genki Tanaka, Tsutomu Arai, Shinji Minamisawa, Takeshi Sue
  • Patent number: 11622077
    Abstract: In this optical unit, a spring portion connecting a movable body to a holding body includes a first plate spring formed in a plate shape and elastically deformable in a rotation direction of the movable body relative to the holding body, and second plate springs formed in a plate shape and elastically deformable in an optical axis direction. The first plate spring and the second plate springs are separately formed. The first plate spring and the second plate spring that are separately formed are fixed to each other, and the first plate spring and the second plate spring that are separately formed are fixed to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: NIDEC SANKYO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shinji Minamisawa
  • Publication number: 20230052769
    Abstract: An optical unit having a shake correction function, includes a movable body including an optical module, a fixed body supporting the movable body in a swingable manner, a swing drive mechanism swinging the movable body relative to the fixed body and including a magnet and a coil, one of the magnet and the coil being fixed to the movable body, the other one of the magnet and the coil being fixed to the fixed body, a magnetic member returning the movable body to an original position, a magnetic detection sensor detecting a magnetic field of the magnet, and a wiring member being connected with the coil. The wiring member includes a mounting face on which the magnetic detection sensor, the magnetic member, and the coil are fixed. The centers of the magnetic detection sensor, the magnetic member, and the coil are coaxially fixed to the mounting face.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2022
    Publication date: February 16, 2023
    Applicant: NIDEC SANKYO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shinji MINAMISAWA
  • Patent number: 11579464
    Abstract: An optical unit is provided and includes: a movable body having an optical module; a fixed body; a rolling support mechanism which supports the movable body rotatably around the optical axis of the optical module with respect to the fixed body; and a rolling drive mechanism which turn the movable body around the optical axis. The rolling support mechanism includes: at least one pair of protruded parts which protrude from one of the movable body and the fixed body towards the other thereof and which are disposed at positions facing each other with the optical axis interposed therebetween in a direction intersecting the optical axis, and an elastic member whose one end part is attached to the protruded part and an other end part is attached to the other of the movable body and the fixed body, and which turnably support the movable body around the optical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: NIDEC SANKYO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shinji Minamisawa
  • Patent number: 11567340
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides an optical unit with shake correction function capable of preventing a thrust receiving member, which fixes a sphere, from falling off from the movable body in an optical axis direction. According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, a thrust receiving member to which a first sphere is fixed is held by a holding portion formed of the cutout recess provided in a fixed body. A bottom wall surface of the holding portion makes contact with a bent plate portion of the thrust receiving member from ?Z direction side. Further, locked surface parts provided on a pair of side wall surfaces of a holding portion make contact, from +Z direction side, with a pair of locking plate portions protruding from a bent plate portion in circumferential direction in the thrust receiving member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignees: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., NIDEC SANKYO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Yanagisawa, Tadashi Takeda, Shinji Minamisawa, Jun Yamashita, Takeshi Sue, Chanyoung Moon, Hyungjin Rho, Doukyoung Song, Hongbum Park
  • Patent number: 11567339
    Abstract: A shake correction optical unit with a shake correction function may cause a movable body including an optical module to swing around an X axis and a Y axis that are perpendicular to an optical axis L. A flexible printed board may include a second folded portion drawn from the movable body in a +Y direction, and bent in a direction of the optical axis L and folded once; and a first folded portion bent to extend from the second folded portion in the +Y direction and folded once. At least one of the second folded portion or the first folded portion may be thus easily bendable when the movable body swings in either direction around the X axis or around the Y axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: NIDEC SANKYO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tsutomu Arai, Shinji Minamisawa, Takeshi Sue
  • Patent number: 11543674
    Abstract: An optical unit with an image stabilization function includes a movable body having an annular holder for holding a camera module, a swing support mechanism for swingably supporting the movable body, and a fixing body for supporting the movable body with the swing support mechanism interposed between them. The holder includes three or more of a plurality of protrusions that project radially. The fixing body includes a plurality of arc surfaces that come into contact with each of the plurality of protrusions from the outer peripheral side. The swing support mechanism includes the plurality of protrusions and the plurality of arc surfaces. The arc surface is a concave curved surface obtained by transferring part of a virtual spherical surface centered on a preset swing center point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Sazai, Tsutomu Arai, Tomohiro Egawa, Shinji Minamisawa, Takayuki Iwase, Takeshi Sue, Genki Tanaka
  • Patent number: 11543673
    Abstract: An optical unit with a shake correction function includes a gimbal mechanism swingably supporting a movable body and including a connection mechanism including a spherical body and a support part contacted with the spherical body. The movable body includes a holding part holding a gimbal frame receiving member including a plate part fixed with the spherical body and a pair of protruded parts protruded to the support part side. The holding part is formed in a cut-out recessed part including a rear wall face, a pair of side wall faces, and a bottom wall face. When viewed in the optical axis direction, a pair of the protruded parts overlaps the support part. The movable body includes a facing wall part facing a pair of the protruded parts, and a separated distance between the facing wall part and the protruded parts is narrower than a thickness of the support part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: NIDEC SANKYO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shinji Minamisawa
  • Patent number: 11526022
    Abstract: An optical unit having a shake correction function, includes a movable body including an optical module, a fixed body supporting the movable body in a swingable manner, a swing drive mechanism swinging the movable body relative to the fixed body and including a magnet and a coil, one of the magnet and the coil being fixed to the movable body, the other one of the magnet and the coil being fixed to the fixed body, a magnetic member returning the movable body to an original position, a magnetic detection sensor detecting a magnetic field of the magnet, and a wiring member being connected with the coil. The wiring member includes a mounting face on which the magnetic detection sensor, the magnetic member, and the coil are fixed. The centers of the magnetic detection sensor, the magnetic member, and the coil are coaxially fixed to the mounting face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: NIDEC SANKYO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shinji Minamisawa