Voice Coil Type Patents (Class 310/12.16)
  • Patent number: 7808133
    Abstract: A motor is provided comprising a magnet assembly having two rows of magnets arranged along a first axis, which are separated by a gap for generating magnetic flux lines between the rows of magnets. The motor further comprises a coil bracket which is located within the gap between the two rows of magnets. The coil bracket includes a first set of coils arranged along the first axis that are operative to drive movement of the coil bracket relative to the magnet assembly along the first axis. A second set of coils arranged along the first axis are operative to drive movement of the coil bracket relative to the magnet assembly along a second axis which is orthogonal to the first axis between a first end position and a second end position along the second axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: ASM Assembly Automation Ltd.
    Inventors: Gary Peter Widdowson, Wai Chuen Gan
  • Publication number: 20100237718
    Abstract: A voice coil motor with a surface coil includes a set of magnetic sensing elements, a lens carrier physically connected to the set of magnetic sensing elements, a pedestal, and a set of printed circuit boards fixed onto the pedestal. A patterned metal layer is fabricated on the set of printed circuit boards to form the surface coil, a Hall sensor is installed on one of the printed circuit boards and transmits signals (e.g., operation voltages and feedback sensing signals) via traces fabricated on the set of printed circuit boards, so as to achieve simultaneous fabrication of the surface coil and traces, thereby saving space which is conventionally occupied by copper coils. The Hall sensor can sense a variation in a magnetic field resulting from the motion of the set of magnetic sensing elements to determine a motion status of the lens carrier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2009
    Publication date: September 23, 2010
    Inventors: Chuo-Han Tsai, Shih-Chuan Lee
  • Patent number: 7795763
    Abstract: An electromagnetic generator comprising two magnets and a coil disposed therebetween, the two magnets being configured to define therebetween a region of magnetic flux in which the coil is disposed whereby relative movement between the coil and the magnets generates an electrical current in the coil, and a vibratable first mount for each of the magnets and a vibratable second mount for the coil whereby each of the at least two magnets and the coil are respectively vibratable about a respective central position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: University of Southampton
    Inventors: Nicholas Robert Harris, Michael John Tudor, Neil Maurice White, Stephen Paul Beeby
  • Publication number: 20100201209
    Abstract: An improved linear motor is provided useful in conjunction with audio equipment for reduced distortion audio output at high voice coil displacements. The improved linear motor may include a yoke, a gap plate which forms an air gap with the yoke, magnets coupled to the yoke and the gap plate, a former, and a voice coil coupled to the former. The magnets generate a magnetic field across the air gap, which is relatively narrow. The former and coil fit in the air gap and may move in a vertical direction. The voice coil includes more than one segment, each having differing electrical resistance. The differing resistances cause the force on the voice coil to be uniform regardless of displacement of the voice coil vertically within the air gap. Resistance differences between the segments may be caused by differing the wire lengths making up each segment of the coil. Likewise, each segment may be made of differing material to vary resistance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2009
    Publication date: August 12, 2010
    Inventor: Kyle Lee Keating
  • Patent number: 7755225
    Abstract: A recoilless voice coil actuator and method having flexures connected to both the magnet and the voice coil allowing independent movement of both the magnet and the voice coil in the direction of actuation. The stiffness or resistance to movement of the flexures is selected so that the natural frequencies of the magnet and the voice coil along the direction of actuation are substantially the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: Electro Scientific Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: James Samir Ismail
  • Publication number: 20100133923
    Abstract: An exemplary flat spring plate for a voice coil motor includes a first plate body, a second plate body, and a disposal body. The disposal body includes a connecting member, and a handle extending from the connecting member. The connecting member is configured for connecting the first plate body to the second plate body. The handle is configured for facilitating removal of the connecting member from the first and second plate bodies.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2009
    Publication date: June 3, 2010
    Applicant: HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chia-Hung Liao, Chau-Yuan Ke
  • Publication number: 20100117460
    Abstract: An exemplary voice coil motor includes a hollow stationary magnetic field generator, a movable magnetic field generator, two elastic members, a hollow case and a base. The movable magnetic field generator is received in the stationary magnetic field generator. The two elastic members are adjacent to two ends of the stationary magnetic field generator. The case and the base serve as a package for all of the above elements. The case has a top sheet. The movable magnetic field generator has guiding posts slidably received in the top sheet, and stopping bars. The stopping bars of the movable magnetic field generator are capable of limiting the movement of the movable magnetic field generator toward the top sheet by abutting the top sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2009
    Publication date: May 13, 2010
    Applicant: HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: CHIA-HUNG LIAO
  • Patent number: 7679225
    Abstract: A voice coil motor. At least one guide bar is connected to a fixed base. A coil is connected to the fixed base. A support base is movably fit on the guide bar. An annular magnetic member is connected to the support base and surrounded by the coil. A magnetization direction of the annular magnetic member parallels a moving direction of the support base and annular magnetic member. The annular magnetic member includes a first magnetic pole and a second magnetic pole. The first magnetic pole is disposed in the coil and separated from the bottom thereof. The second magnetic pole is disposed outside the coil. The coil interacts with the annular magnetic member to generate a first force, driving the support base and annular magnetic member to move along the magnetization direction of the annular magnetic member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Chien-Sheng Liu, Po-Heng Lin, Yung-Hsing Wang, Shun-Sheng Ke, Meng-Che Tsai, Yu-Hsiu Chang
  • Publication number: 20100060088
    Abstract: A flexure for an electromagnetic nano-positioning linear actuator having a support and an actuating body, the flexure comprising: a first resilient end for attaching to the support; a second resilient end for attaching to the actuating body; and a substantially rigid intermediate portion located between the first resilient end and the second resilient end.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2006
    Publication date: March 11, 2010
    Inventors: Tat Joo Teo, Guilin Yang
  • Patent number: 7671493
    Abstract: A vibration assembly includes a container, a vibration member containing a hollow portion with a bottom, at least two support members, a magnetic body, a coil having a spool axis, and a diaphragm that is attached to the container. Each of the support members has a flat and corrugated configuration. An end of the one of the support members is bonded to a portion of an edge portion of the hollow portion of the vibration member. The other end of the one of the support members is fixed to a portion of an upper edge of the container. An end of the other support member is bonded to the other portion of the edge portion of the hollow portion of the vibration member. The other end of the other support member is fixed to the other portion of the upper edge of the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kouichiro Takashima, Shun Kayama, Tsutomu Takahashi, Yukiko Shimizu, Hideki Okii, Takashi Sawada
  • Publication number: 20100033030
    Abstract: An acceleration generator 20 includes: a moving member (21, 25) that performs a periodic translational motion along a particular straight line; a first operating part (24) that applies a first force that varies in magnitude depending on the relative position thereof with respect to the moving member to the moving member in a direction parallel to the particular straight line; and a second operating part (27) that applies a second force that varies in magnitude depending on the relative position thereof with respect to the moving member to the moving member in a direction parallel to the particular straight line. The moving member performs a translational motion in which the acceleration thereof in the positive direction and the acceleration thereof in the negative direction are asymmetric in one period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2007
    Publication date: February 11, 2010
    Applicant: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORP.
    Inventors: Tomohiro Amemiya, Hideyuki Andou, Tarou Maeda
  • Publication number: 20100033031
    Abstract: A voice coil motor. A first coil is connected to a fixed base and includes a first winding portion and a second winding portion connected to and opposite the first winding portion. A second coil is connected to the fixed base and includes a third winding portion and a fourth winding portion connected to and opposite the third winding portion. A first magnetic member is connected to a support base and includes a first magnetic pole and a second magnetic pole. The first and second magnetic poles oppose the first and third winding portions, respectively. A second magnetic member is connected to the first magnetic member and includes a third magnetic pole and a fourth magnetic pole. The third magnetic pole opposes the second winding portion and abuts the first magnetic pole. The fourth magnetic pole opposes the fourth winding portion and abuts the second magnetic pole.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2008
    Publication date: February 11, 2010
    Applicant: INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Po-Heng Lin, Chien-Sheng Liu, Shun-Sheng Ke, Yu-Hsiu Chang, Ji-Bin Horng
  • Publication number: 20100019584
    Abstract: Provided herein is a voice-coil motor that includes a magnetic field having at least two displaced regions of higher intensity separated by a region of lesser intensity and a counter-coil disposed within the region of lesser intensity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2009
    Publication date: January 28, 2010
    Applicant: RODE MICROPHONES LLC
    Inventors: Marcelo Vercelli, Daniel C. Wiggins
  • Publication number: 20090289508
    Abstract: The permanent magnet member 10 for a voice coil motor (VCM) in accordance with the present invention comprises a magnet body 1 including a shorter periphery 11, a longer periphery 12 located at a position separated from the shorter periphery 11 by a predetermined distance, and a pair of side peripheries 13, 14 connecting the shorter periphery 11 and longer periphery 12 to each other, the magnet body having a fan-shaped planar form; and a corrosion-resistant film (Ni plating film 2) applied to a surface of the magnet body. The permanent magnet member 10 has a thickness whose maximum and minimum values yield a difference of 10 to 150 ?m therebetween.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2009
    Publication date: November 26, 2009
    Applicant: TDK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takeshi Sakamoto, Tomomi Yamamoto, Tatsuhiro Iwai, Yasuyuki Nakayama
  • Publication number: 20090195878
    Abstract: There is provided a linear swing actuator, which is provided with a multipolar magnet arranged with one magnetic pole in a central portion and its respective opposite magnetic poles at both ends thereof along a length direction; and a single coil arranged to be relatively movable in the length direction face to face with respect to the multipolar magnet. In this configuration, a distance between the magnetic pole in the central portion and each of the magnetic poles at the both ends is arranged to be shorter than a dimension in the length direction of the coil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2009
    Publication date: August 6, 2009
    Applicant: HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yuichi KUROSAWA
  • Publication number: 20090184589
    Abstract: An acoustic exciter comprises a suspension made of an elastic material, which is coupled to the opening part of a frame, and a vibrator to which a voice coil disposed in the magnetic gap of a magnetic circuit connected to the suspension is coupled. An elastic body is so disposed between the frame and the vibrator as to be pressed against the frame and the vibrator. Thereby, the exciting efficiency of the vibrator can be increased, and the performance and tone quality of the acoustic exciter can be improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2007
    Publication date: July 23, 2009
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kiyoshi Yamagishi