Patents by Inventor Yukio Furuya

Yukio Furuya 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: 8238049
    Abstract: A lens drive device formed in a substantially quadrangular shape may include a movable body holding a lens, a fixed body movably holding the movable body, and a drive mechanism for driving the movable body in the optical axis direction. The drive mechanism may include first drive magnets respectively disposed on four side faces of the lens drive device, a second drive magnet for restraining inclination which is disposed on at least one of four corners of the lens drive device, and a drive coil which is wound around in a substantially octagonal shape. Magnetic flux passing through the drive coil at one of the four corners of the lens drive device is different from magnetic fluxes passing through the drive coil at the other three corners, or magnetic fluxes passing through the drive coil at two corners adjacent to each other of the four corners of the lens drive device are different from magnetic fluxes passing through the drive coil at the other two corners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Nidec Sankyo Corporation
    Inventors: Hiromitsu Takei, Takeshi Sue, Yukio Furuya
  • Publication number: 20110235198
    Abstract: A lens drive device may include a support body, a movable body which holds a lens, a magnetic drive mechanism which drives the movable body, a spring member provided with an arm part whose both ends are connected with the movable body and the support body. Only one piece of the spring member may be disposed between an end part on one side in a lens optical axis direction of the movable body and the support body. A displacement prevention mechanism may be structured at an end part on the other side in the lens optical axis direction of the movable body. The displacement prevention mechanism may include a protruded part and a recessed part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2009
    Publication date: September 29, 2011
    Applicant: NIDEC SANKYO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yukio Furuya, Takeshi Sue, Akira Mori
  • Publication number: 20110205648
    Abstract: A lens drive device formed in a substantially quadrangular shape may include a movable body holding a lens, a fixed body movably holding the movable body, and a drive mechanism for driving the movable body in the optical axis direction. The drive mechanism may include first drive magnets respectively disposed on four side faces of the lens drive device, a second drive magnet for restraining inclination which is disposed on at least one of four corners of the lens drive device, and a drive coil which is wound around in a substantially octagonal shape. Magnetic flux passing through the drive coil at one of the four corners of the lens drive device is different from magnetic fluxes passing through the drive coil at the other three corners, or magnetic fluxes passing through the drive coil at two corners adjacent to each other of the four corners of the lens drive device are different from magnetic fluxes passing through the drive coil at the other two corners.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2011
    Publication date: August 25, 2011
    Applicant: NIDEC SANKYO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiromitsu TAKEI, Takeshi SUE, Yukio FURUYA
  • Patent number: 8004779
    Abstract: A lens drive device may include a movable body having a lens and a coil, a support body movably supporting the movable body, a magnetic drive mechanism having a magnet for driving the movable body together with the coil, a restricting member for restricting movement of the movable body due to an electromagnetic force generated when an electric current is supplied to the coil, a magnetic member disposed in the movable body to be magnetically attracted by the magnet. In a non-energized state where the coil is not energized, following relationships are satisfied: W>F1, W>F2, and W<F1+F2. wherein a force with which the restricting member urges the movable body toward a non-energized position is “F1”; a force in the optical axis direction with which the magnetic member is attracted by the magnet is “F2”; and a weight of the entire movable body is “W”.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Nidec Sankyo Corporation
    Inventors: Yukio Furuya, Noboru Ootsuki
  • Patent number: 7990631
    Abstract: A lens drive device may include a movable body movable in an optical axis direction, a support body supporting the movable body through a spring member which may include spring pieces electrically separated from each other, formed with a coil connecting part to which one of a winding start part and a winding end part of the coil is electrically connected. The movable body is provided with an accommodating part for accommodating the coil connecting part. The spring member may include a plate spring-shaped arm part connecting a support body side fixing part with a movable body side fixing part and the arm part is provided with a laser cut portion formed by a laser in a part of an edge part of the arm part. An edge part of the arm part except the laser cut portion may be a cut portion formed by press working or etching processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Nidec Sankyo Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi Sue, Daisuke Higuchi, Yuichi Takei, Yukio Furuya, Shinji Minamisawa
  • Publication number: 20090122420
    Abstract: A lens drive device may include a movable body movable in an optical axis direction, a support body supporting the movable body through a spring member which may include spring pieces electrically separated from each other, formed with a coil connecting part to which one of a winding start part and a winding end part of the coil is electrically connected. The movable body is provided with an accommodating part for accommodating the coil connecting part. The spring member may include a plate spring-shaped arm part connecting a support body side fixing part with a movable body side fixing part and the arm part is provided with a laser cut portion formed by a laser in a part of an edge part of the arm part. An edge part of the arm part except the laser cut portion may be a cut portion formed by press working or etching processing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2008
    Publication date: May 14, 2009
    Applicant: NIDEC SANKYO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takeshi SUE, Daisuke HIGUCHI, Yuichi TAKEI, Yukio FURUYA, Shinji MINAMISAWA
  • Patent number: 7518812
    Abstract: A lens drive device includes a lens movable body provided with a lens and a drive mechanism for moving the lens movable body from a home position in an optical axis direction of the lens. The drive mechanism includes a magnet and a plurality of coils which is disposed so that the magnet is interposed in the optical axis direction of the lens. An electric current is supplied to the plurality of the coils in a reverse direction to a direction of an electric current, which is supplied to the plurality of the coils for moving the lens movable body, for restricting movement from the home position of the lens movable body. Therefore, swinging and rattling are hard to occur in the lens movable body and thus its impact resistance can be enhanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignees: Nidec Sankyo Corporation, Samsung Techwin Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Sue, Yukio Furuya, Jaegyeong Suh
  • Publication number: 20090086344
    Abstract: A lens drive device may include a movable body having a lens and a coil, a support body movably supporting the movable body, a magnetic drive mechanism having a magnet for driving the movable body together with the coil, a restricting member for restricting movement of the movable body due to an electromagnetic force generated when an electric current is supplied to the coil, a magnetic member disposed in the movable body to be magnetically attracted by the magnet. In a non-energized state where the coil is not energized, following relationships are satisfied: W>F1, W>F2, and W<F1+F2. wherein a force with which the restricting member urges the movable body toward a non-energized position is “F1”; a force in the optical axis direction with which the magnetic member is attracted by the magnet is “F2”; and a weight of the entire movable body is “W”.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2008
    Publication date: April 2, 2009
    Applicant: NIDEC SANKYO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yukio FURUYA, Noboru OOTSUKI
  • Publication number: 20080192368
    Abstract: A lens drive device includes a lens movable body provided with a lens and a drive mechanism for moving the lens movable body from a home position in an optical axis direction of the lens. The drive mechanism includes a magnet and a plurality of coils which is disposed so that the magnet is interposed in the optical axis direction of the lens. An electric current is supplied to the plurality of the coils in a reverse direction to a direction of an electric current, which is supplied to the plurality of the coils for moving the lens movable body, for restricting movement from the home position of the lens movable body. Therefore, swinging and rattling are hard to occur in the lens movable body and thus its impact resistance can be enhanced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2008
    Publication date: August 14, 2008
    Applicants: NIDEC SANKYO CORPORATION, SAMSUNG TECHWIN CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takeshi Sue, Yukio Furuya, Jaegyeong Suh
  • Patent number: 7162152
    Abstract: A position detecting device for detecting a position of a movable body which is moved by a drive system having a rotation body includes a magnetic part having an N-pole and an S-pole on a face of the rotation body and a sensor chip having at least a magneto-resistive element. The face of the rotation body is perpendicular to the rotation shaft of the rotation body and the sensor chip is provided so as to face the magnetic part for detecting a variation of magnetic field by the magneto-resistive element when the magnetic part is rotated with the rotation body. A little space is required for mounting the sensor chip having the magneto-resistive element and therefore downsizing can be attained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2007
    Assignee: Nidec Sankyo Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto Akabane, Yukio Furuya
  • Publication number: 20050152689
    Abstract: A position detecting device for detecting a position of a movable body which is moved by a drive system having a rotation body includes a magnetic part having an N-pole and an S-pole on a face of the rotation body and a sensor chip having at least a magneto-resistive element. The face of the rotation body is perpendicular to the rotation shaft of the rotation body and the sensor chip is provided so as to face the magnetic part for detecting a variation of magnetic field by the magneto-resistive element when the magnetic part is rotated with the rotation body. A little space is required for mounting the sensor chip having the magneto-resistive element and therefore downsizing can be attained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2004
    Publication date: July 14, 2005
    Inventors: Makoto Akabane, Yukio Furuya