Patents by Inventor Takehiko Iguchi

Takehiko Iguchi 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: 11953672
    Abstract: An optical unit includes a first barrel, a second barrel, a third barrel, and a position detection unit. Eight magnets including first and second magnets are fixed to the first barrel. A first and second coils are fixed to the second barrel. The position detection unit includes a magnetic sensor configured to detect magnetic fields generated by the first and second magnets and to generate a detection signal having a corresponding relation with a position of the first barrel. The third barrel includes a position defining surface parallel to a moving direction of the first barrel. The position detection unit is fixed to the position defining surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jun Shinzato, Masaru Inamura, Takehiko Iguchi
  • Patent number: 11567288
    Abstract: An endoscope apparatus has an endoscope and a video processor. The endoscope has a magnet and a coil, the magnet has a voice coil motor configured to be movable with respect to the coil and a Hall device disposed in the vicinity of the coil and configured to detect a magnetic field of the magnet in order to detect a position of the magnet. The video processor includes a position detection circuit configured to detect the position of the magnet from an outputted signal of the Hall device, an arithmetic operation section configured to correct a sensor output signal indicating the position of the magnet detected by the position detection circuit using correction information and output the sensor output signal, and a drive control circuit configured to control a current or a voltage to the coil based on an arithmetic operation result of the arithmetic operation section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takehiko Iguchi, Sho Nakamura
  • Patent number: 11493747
    Abstract: An optical unit includes a movable section that holds a movable lens group and includes a rotation restricting section, a fixed section that holds a fixed lens group and has specific permeability larger than 1.0, n thinned-down sections being provided in the fixed section, and a voice coil motor including an n magnet sections disposed at every (360/n)° around a center axis of the movable section and a coil section disposed in the fixed section. The n magnet sections are respectively housed in n thinned-down sections in a noncontact manner. The n thinned-down sections are formed in asymmetrical positions different from every (360/n)° around the center axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takehiko Iguchi
  • Publication number: 20210103136
    Abstract: An optical unit includes a movable section that holds a movable lens group and includes a rotation restricting section, a fixed section that holds a fixed lens group and has specific permeability larger than 1.0, n thinned-down sections being provided in the fixed section, and a voice coil motor including an n magnet sections disposed at every (360/n)° around a center axis of the movable section and a coil section disposed in the fixed section. The n magnet sections are respectively housed in n thinned-down sections in a noncontact manner. The n thinned-down sections are formed in asymmetrical positions different from every (360/n)° around the center axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2020
    Publication date: April 8, 2021
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takehiko IGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20210048603
    Abstract: An optical unit includes a first barrel, a second barrel, a third barrel, and a position detection unit. Eight magnets including first and second magnets are fixed to the first barrel. A first and second coils are fixed to the second barrel. The position detection unit includes a magnetic sensor configured to detect magnetic fields generated by the first and second magnets and to generate a detection signal having a corresponding relation with a position of the first barrel. The third barrel includes a position defining surface parallel to a moving direction of the first barrel. The position detection unit is fixed to the position defining surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2020
    Publication date: February 18, 2021
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jun SHINZATO, Masaru INAMURA, Takehiko IGUCHI
  • Patent number: 10739548
    Abstract: An optical unit includes: a cylindrical fixing member configured to retain at least one of an object-side fixed lens group and an image-side fixed lens group; a cylindrical movable member configured to retain a movable lens group between the groups and arranged on a radial-direction inner side of the fixing member slidablly with respect to the fixing member, the cylindrical movable member having a same central axis as the cylindrical fixing member; a voice coil motor including: a coil arranged in the fixing member; and magnets arranged on the movable member and magnetically polarized in a direction intersecting with the central axis, the voice coil motor being capable of moving the movable member relative to the fixing member along a direction of the central axis; and a rotation restricting member configured to restrict rotation of the movable member about the central axis with respect to the fixing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takehiko Iguchi, Takeshi Saito, Sho Nakamura
  • Patent number: 10653301
    Abstract: An optical unit includes: a fixed portion configured to hold at least one of an object side fixed lens group and an image side fixed lens group; a movable portion configured to hold a movable lens group between the object side fixed lens group and the image side fixed lens group; and a voice coil motor configured to relatively move the movable portion with respect to the fixed portion in a direction of a central axis, the voice coil motor including a coil arranged on the fixed portion, and magnets magnetically polarized in directions orthogonal to the central axis and substantially symmetrical with respect to the central axis. At least two magnets adjacent to each other in a circumferential direction in a cross section orthogonal to the central axis are arranged so as to be shifted in opposite directions in a circumferential direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takehiko Iguchi, Takeshi Saito, Sho Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20200142152
    Abstract: An endoscope apparatus has an endoscope and a video processor. The endoscope has a magnet and a coil, the magnet has a voice coil motor configured to be movable with respect to the coil and a Hall device disposed in the vicinity of the coil and configured to detect a magnetic field of the magnet in order to detect a position of the magnet. The video processor includes a position detection circuit configured to detect the position of the magnet from an outputted signal of the Hall device, an arithmetic operation section configured to correct a sensor output signal indicating the position of the magnet detected by the position detection circuit using correction information and output the sensor output signal, and a drive control circuit configured to control a current or a voltage to the coil based on an arithmetic operation result of the arithmetic operation section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2020
    Publication date: May 7, 2020
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takehiko IGUCHI, Sho NAKAMURA
  • Patent number: 10459192
    Abstract: A driving unit includes a tubular fixed part with a given axis as center, a movable part located inside the fixed part and having the axis as center, a front frame part attached to the fixed part and including at least a magnetic material, and a voice coil motor capable of moving the movable part relatively with respect to the fixed part in the axial direction by a coil wound around an outer circumference of the fixed part and a magnet located in the movable part, wherein the magnet of the movable part is biased by the magnetic material, and an axial width of the coil is longer than an axial width of the magnet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinya Kono, Takehiko Iguchi
  • Patent number: 10288867
    Abstract: The drive unit includes a tubular fixed part, a tubular movable part, and a voice coil motor. The tubular fixed part is with a given axis as center, a tubular movable part 3 is located inside of the fixed part and having the axis as center, and a voice coil motor is capable of moving the movable part relatively with respect to the fixed part in the axial direction by a coil located in the fixed part and a magnet located in the movable part. In a state where the magnet is placed in the movable part, a first distance from the axis to the diametrically outer surface of the magnet is longer than a second distance from the axis to the inner circumference surface of the fixed part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinya Kono, Takehiko Iguchi
  • Patent number: 10149606
    Abstract: An optical unit 1 includes a voice coil motor 10 which can relatively move a movable part 3 with respect to a fixed part 2 in the axis C direction by using a coil 11 arranged on the fixed part 2 and a magnet 12 arranged on the movable part 3, wherein the movable part 3 includes a movable-side sliding surface which can slide over an inner periphery of the fixed part 2, and a distance L1 from a position closest to an object side to a position closest to an image side of the movable-side sliding surface in the axis C direction of the movable part 3 is greater than a distance from an emission surface of the object-side fixed lens group Gf held by the fixed part 2 to an incident surface of the image-side fixed lens group Gb held by the fixed part 2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takehiko Iguchi
  • Patent number: 10120181
    Abstract: The optical unit is including a tubular fixed part, a front frame part, a back frame part, a movable part, and a voice coil motor that is capable of moving the movable part relatively with respect to the fixed part in a direction of the axis by a coil located in the fixed part and a magnet located in the movable part and magnetically polarized in a direction orthogonal to the axis, wherein at least a part of the movable part is included in a portion of the front frame part projected in the axis direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinya Kono, Takehiko Iguchi
  • Patent number: 9924854
    Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes: a lens frame internally holding a movable lens, and including a magnet provided on an outer circumferential surface; a holding frame; and a magnetic member, in which the magnet includes a plurality of magnet pairs provided at uniform angles in a circumferential direction of the lens frame, each of the magnet pairs including magnets that are respectively disposed on distal end side and proximal end side along the optical axis direction of the movable lens, the magnet disposed on the distal end side has a polarity opposite in the radial direction to a polarity of the magnet disposed on the proximal end side, and the magnetic member is provided to face the magnets that configure one of the plurality of magnet pairs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Seiji Iwasaki, Takehiko Iguchi
  • Publication number: 20180049621
    Abstract: An optical unit includes: a fixed portion configured to hold at least one of an object side fixed lens group and an image side fixed lens group; a movable portion configured to hold a movable lens group between the object side fixed lens group and the image side fixed lens group; and a voice coil motor configured to relatively move the movable portion with respect to the fixed portion in a direction of a central axis, the voice coil motor including a coil arranged on the fixed portion, and magnets magnetically polarized in directions orthogonal to the central axis and substantially symmetrical with respect to the central axis. At least two magnets adjacent to each other in a circumferential direction in a cross section orthogonal to the central axis are arranged so as to be shifted in opposite directions in a circumferential direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2017
    Publication date: February 22, 2018
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takehiko IGUCHI, Takeshi SAITO, Sho NAKAMURA
  • Publication number: 20180031800
    Abstract: An optical unit includes: a cylindrical fixing member configured to retain at least one of an object-side fixed lens group and an image-side fixed lens group; a cylindrical movable member configured to retain a movable lens group between the groups and arranged on a radial-direction inner side of the fixing member slidablly with respect to the fixing member, the cylindrical movable member having a same central axis as the cylindrical fixing member; a voice coil motor including: a coil arranged in the fixing member; and magnets arranged on the movable member and magnetically polarized in a direction intersecting with the central axis, the voice coil motor being capable of moving the movable member relative to the fixing member along a direction of the central axis; and a rotation restricting member configured to restrict rotation of the movable member about the central axis with respect to the fixing member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2017
    Publication date: February 1, 2018
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takehiko IGUCHI, Takeshi SAITO, Sho NAKAMURA
  • Publication number: 20170258303
    Abstract: An optical unit 1 includes a voice coil motor 10 which can relatively move a movable part 3 with respect to a fixed part 2 in the axis C direction by using a coil 11 arranged on the fixed part 2 and a magnet 12 arranged on the movable part 3, wherein the movable part 3 includes a movable-side sliding surface which can slide over an inner periphery of the fixed part 2, and a distance L1 from a position closest to an object side to a position closest to an image side of the movable-side sliding surface in the axis C direction of the movable part 3 is greater than a distance from an emission surface of the object-side fixed lens group Gf held by the fixed part 2 to an incident surface of the image-side fixed lens group Gb held by the fixed part 2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2017
    Publication date: September 14, 2017
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takehiko IGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20170065157
    Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes: a lens frame internally holding a movable lens, and including a magnet provided on an outer circumferential surface; a holding frame; and a magnetic member, in which the magnet includes a plurality of magnet pairs provided at uniform angles in a circumferential direction of the lens frame, each of the magnet pairs including magnets that are respectively disposed on distal end side and proximal end side along the optical axis direction of the movable lens, the magnet disposed on the distal end side has a polarity opposite in the radial direction to a polarity of the magnet disposed on the proximal end side, and the magnetic member is provided to face the magnets that configure one of the plurality of magnet pairs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2016
    Publication date: March 9, 2017
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Seiji IWASAKI, Takehiko IGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20160341950
    Abstract: The optical unit is including a tubular fixed part, a front frame part, a back frame part, a movable part, and a voice coil motor that is capable of moving the movable part relatively with respect to the fixed part in a direction of the axis by a coil located in the fixed part and a magnet located in the movable part and magnetically polarized in a direction orthogonal to the axis, wherein at least a part of the movable part is included in a portion of the front frame part projected in the axis direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2016
    Publication date: November 24, 2016
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinya KONO, Takehiko IGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20160334599
    Abstract: A driving unit includes a tubular fixed part with a given axis as center, a movable part located inside the fixed part and having the axis as center, a front frame part attached to the fixed part and including at least a magnetic material, and a voice coil motor capable of moving the movable part relatively with respect to the fixed part in the axial direction by a coil wound around an outer circumference of the fixed part and a magnet located in the movable part, wherein the magnet of the movable part is biased by the magnetic material, and an axial width of the coil is longer than an axial width of the magnet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2016
    Publication date: November 17, 2016
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinya KONO, Takehiko IGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20160282601
    Abstract: The drive unit includes a tubular fixed part, a tubular movable part, and a voice coil motor. The tubular fixed part is with a given axis as center, a tubular movable part 3 is located inside of the fixed part and having the axis as center, and a voice coil motor is capable of moving the movable part relatively with respect to the fixed part in the axial direction by a coil located in the fixed part and a magnet located in the movable part. In a state where the magnet is placed in the movable part, a first distance from the axis to the diametrically outer surface of the magnet is longer than a second distance from the axis to the inner circumference surface of the fixed part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2016
    Publication date: September 29, 2016
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinya KONO, Takehiko IGUCHI