JP7366726B2 - vane drive device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a blade drive device.

Many electronic devices in recent years are equipped with functions for processing, storing, and transmitting acquired images, and it has become common for electronic devices to be equipped with a camera function (camera module) for image acquisition. In addition, in recent years, many electronic devices are connected to networks, as expressed in the term "IoT: Internet of Things," and It has become essential for devices to take measures against unauthorized access from outside via the network.

In many electronic devices that have a camera function, the lens aperture of the camera module attached to the electronic device is always open, so if the camera function is activated by malicious external operation in IoT, images that are not intended by the user may be generated. This causes problems such as private images being leaked and security functions being compromised due to unauthorized image acquisition.

Further, when using a personal digital assistant such as a PC or a smartphone, the camera function may be activated due to an unintentional operational error by the user. In such cases, images that the user did not intend will be captured and recorded in the electronic device, and the user may be suspected of voyeurism due to leakage of recorded images or recording of unintended images. There was a problem.

To solve this problem, it is effective to close the open lens aperture with a shielding member when the camera function is not used, and to open the lens aperture only when the camera function is used. For example, A sliding type shielding member is provided on the housing of the electronic device, and when the camera function is used, the shielding member is manually slid so as to be removed from the lens opening, and when the camera function is not used, the shielding member is manually slid to cover the lens opening. There have been proposed devices that allow the slider to slide (see Patent Document 1 below).

Utility model registration No. 3170619

According to the prior art described above, by blocking the lens opening with a shielding member when the camera function is not in use, it is possible to prevent images that the user is not aware of from being captured into the electronic device. However, when the shielding member is manually operated, the opening/closing state of the shielding member tends to be incomplete, and even if the user slides the shielding member with the intention of blocking the lens aperture, the shielding member does not completely cover the lens aperture. The user may not notice that the shielding member is not completely removed from the lens aperture even if the user slides the shielding member with the intention of opening the lens aperture. , and the user may not notice it.

In such a situation, when the camera function is not in use, there is a risk that unintended images may be captured into the electronic device through the partially open lens aperture, and when the camera function is in use, the lens aperture may be partially open. If the area is blocked, a problem arises in that it may fail to obtain a desired image. Furthermore, if the shielding member is made electrically operable in order to avoid such a problem, there is a risk that the operation of the shielding member itself may be externally manipulated by unauthorized access, so this will not be an effective countermeasure against unauthorized access.

The present invention has been proposed to address such problems. In other words, in electronic devices equipped with a camera function, it is necessary to prevent unintentional images from being captured by the user due to unauthorized access or erroneous user operations, and to ensure that the lens aperture is opened when using the camera function. The challenge is to be able to reliably close the lens aperture when the function is not in use.

In order to solve such problems, the present invention includes the following configuration.
A blade member that shields or opens a lens aperture of a camera, a drive unit that drives the blade member between a shielding state and an open state, and a manual operation member that is operated to prevent movement of the blade member by the drive unit. The operating member is movably supported by a spring receiving portion of the frame via a spring, and is moved between a first position where movement of the blade member is prevented and a position where the blade member is moved by a manual toggle operation. A vane drive device characterized in that it is selectively movable between second positions where movement is not inhibited.

Explanatory diagram showing the operation of the blade drive device ((a) the blade member is in the open state and the operating member is in the second position, (b) the blade member is in the closed state and the operating member is in the second position, (c) (The blade member is in the closed state and the operating member is in the first position). FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a drive section of the blade drive device. Explanatory diagram showing the operation of the blade drive device (another example) ((a) the blade member is in the closed state and the operating member is in the second position, (b) the blade member is in the open state and the operating member is in the second position) (c) state in which the blade member is in the open state and the operating member is in the first position). Explanatory diagram showing the operation of the blade drive device (a modification of FIG. 1) ((a) the blade member is in the open state and the operating member is in the second position, (b) the blade member is in the closed state and the operating member is in the second position) (c) state in which the blade member is in the closed state and the operating member is in the first position). Explanatory diagram showing the operation of the blade drive device (a modification of FIG. 3) ((a) the blade member is in the closed state and the operating member is in the second position, (b) the blade member is in the open state and the operating member is in the second position) (c) state in which the blade member is in the open state and the operating member is in the first position). Explanatory diagram showing the operation of the blade drive device (another example) ((a) the blade member is in the open state and the operating member is in the second position, (b) the blade member is in the closed state and the operating member is in the second position) (c) a state in which the blade member is in the closed state and the operating member is in the first position). Explanatory diagram showing the operation of the blade drive device (another example) ((a) the blade member is in the closed state and the operating member is in the second position, (b) the blade member is in the open state and the operating member is in the second position) (c) state in which the blade member is in the open state and the operating member is in the first position). Explanatory diagram showing the operation of the blade drive device (another example) ((a) the blade member is in the open state and the operating member is in the second position, (b) the blade member is in the closed state and the operating member is in the second position) (c) a state in which the blade member is in the closed state and the operating member is in the first position). Explanatory diagram showing the operation of the blade drive device (another example) ((a) the blade member is in the open state and the operating member is in the second position, (b) the blade member is in the closed state and the operating member is in the second position) (c) a state in which the blade member is in the closed state and the operating member is in the first position). Explanatory drawings showing examples of shielding parts of the blade member ((a) is a mesh-like shielding part, (b) is a concentric slit-like shielding part, and (c) is a mosaic filter). Explanatory drawings showing the design of the outer surface of the blade member ((a) is the design of a picture, (b) is the design of letters). An explanatory diagram showing an electronic device equipped with a blade driving device and a camera module ((a) is a front view, (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX in (a)).

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same reference numerals in different figures indicate parts with the same function, and redundant explanation in each figure will be omitted as appropriate.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the blade drive device 1 (1A) includes a blade member 2, a drive section 3 shown in FIG. 2, and an operation member 4. The blade member 2, drive unit 3, and operating member 4 are mounted on a frame 5.

The frame 5 includes an aperture plate 10 having an aperture 10A corresponding to the lens aperture of the camera. The blade member 2 opens the aperture 10A to open the camera lens aperture, as shown in FIG. 1(a), and blocks the aperture 10A, as shown in FIGS. 1(b) and (c). This puts the camera lens aperture in a shielded state. In the following description, the state in which the opening 10A is open is referred to as the open state of the blade member 2, and the state in which the opening 10A is blocked is referred to as the closed state of the blade member 2.

The blade member 2 is supported by a shaft 11 on the frame 5 . The shaft 11 is parallel to the central axis of the opening 10A, and the blade member 2 is rotated around the shaft 11 by the drive unit 3 shown in FIG. ) and is driven to switch.

As shown in FIG. 2, the drive section 3 includes a lever section 20 that engages with a protrusion 12 that protrudes in parallel to the shaft 11 provided on the blade member 2, a rotor section 21 that is integrated with the lever section 20, and a rotor section 21 that is integrated with the lever section 20. A rotor magnet 22 fixed to the section 21 and rotatably supported around an axis parallel to the shaft 11, a yoke 23 arranged to sandwich the rotor magnet 22, and a coil 24 wound around a part of the yoke 23. and a bobbin 25 for holding the coil 24. A pair of current-carrying terminals 26 are attached to the bobbin 25 to which the pair of ends of the coil 24 are respectively connected. The rotor magnet 22 is attached to the lever section 20 so that its position is maintained at both ends of the operating range of the lever section 20. Thereby, the blade member 2 is maintained in the open state and the closed state. Note that the drive unit 3 is not limited to such an example, and various types such as a VCM (Voice Coil Motor) that linearly moves a magnet or a coil can be employed.

The operating member 4 is manually operated and is movably mounted on the frame 5. The operating member 4 is movably supported by a spring receiving portion 5A (see FIG. 2) of the frame body 5 via a spring 6, and can be moved to the first position shown in FIG. 1(c) by manually sliding it. and the second position shown in FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b).

The first position here is a position where the operating member 4 prevents the movement of the blade member 2, and the second position is a position where the operating member 4 does not prevent the movement of the blade member 2. When the operation member 4 moves to the first position, the blade member 2 cannot be moved by the drive of the drive unit 3, and when the operation member 4 moves to the second position, the blade member 2 is in the open state by the drive of the drive unit 3. or become operable in the closed state. By manually moving beyond the intermediate position, the operating member 4 is biased by the spring 6 and selectively moves to the first position or the second position.

In the blade drive device 1 (1A) shown in FIG. 1, the operating member 4 includes a locking member 30 having a locking portion 30A. The locking member 30 moves together with the operating member 4, and as shown in FIG. 1(c), the locking portion 30A of the locking member 30 is in the closed state at the first position of the operating member 4. It is locked to the locked portion 2A of the blade member 2 that is . This prevents the drive unit 3 from moving the blade member 2 .

In such a blade drive device 1 (1A), the blade member 2 can be opened and closed by the drive unit 3 by moving the operating member 4 to the second position. Thereby, by operating the drive unit 3 according to the user's intention, the blade member 2 can be reliably brought into the open or closed state.

Further, in the blade drive device 1 (1A), after the user intentionally operates the drive unit 3 to bring the blade member 2 into the closed state, the blade member 2 is moved by moving the operation member 4 to the first position. The blade member 2 can be fixed in the closed state, and even if a drive signal not intended by the user is sent to the drive unit 3, the closed state of the blade member 2 can be maintained.

In this way, the user can prevent the blade member 2 from operating when the user does not intend to do so. In particular, since the position of the blade member 2 can be held (locked) so that the blade member 2 is in a closed state, that is, a state in which photographing is restricted, an image not intended by the user may be photographed without permission. It is possible to prevent the image from leaking to the outside.

The blade drive device 1 (1B) shown in FIG. 3 is another example, and the operation member 4 includes a locking member 31 having a locking portion 31A, and the operating member 4 is in the first position shown in FIG. 3(c). and the second position shown in FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b).

As shown in FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b), when the operating member 4 is moved to the second position, the blade member 2 is moved to the position shown in FIG. 3(a) by driving the drive unit 3. It can operate in the closed state shown in FIG. 3(b) and in the open state shown in FIG. 3(b). On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3(c), after the blade member 2 is opened by the drive unit 3, the operating member 4 is moved to the first position, thereby fixing the blade member 2 in the open state. can do. In this example, moving the operating member 4 to the first position can prevent the blade member 2 from entering the closed state against the user's intention.

The blade drive device 1 (1C) shown in FIG. 4 is a modification of the example shown in FIG. 1, and is the same as the example shown in FIG. 1 except that the blade member 2 is of a sliding type. Further, the blade driving device 1 (1D) shown in FIG. 5 is a modification of the example shown in FIG. 3, and is the same as the example shown in FIG. 3 except that the blade member 2 is of a sliding type.

In the blade drive device 1 (1E) shown in FIG. 6, the operation member 4 includes a locking member 32 having a locking portion 32A, and the operating member 4 is in the first position shown in FIG. 6(c) and in the first position shown in FIG. 6(a). , (b). In the blade drive device 1 (1E), a locked portion 21A is provided on the rotor portion 21 of the drive portion 3, and a locking portion of a locking member 32 that moves together with the operating member 4 is provided on the locked portion 21A. 32A is locked, rotation of the rotor portion 21 is prevented, and movement of the blade member 2 is prevented.

In this example, as shown in FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b), when the operating member 4 is moved to the second position, the blade member 2 is moved by driving the drive unit 3. It can operate in the open state shown in (a) and the closed state shown in FIG. 6(b). On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6(c), by moving the operating member 4 to the first position after the drive unit 3 brings the blade member 2 into the closed state, the engaged The locking portion 32A of the locking member 32 locks on the locking portion 21A, and the blade member 2 can be fixed in the closed state. In this example, it is possible to prevent the blade member 2 from opening against the user's intention by moving the operating member 4 to the first position.

Similar to the example shown in FIG. 6, the blade drive device 1 (1F) shown in FIG. The movement of the blade member 2 is blocked by the locking portion 32A locking with the locked portion 21A.

In this example, as shown in FIGS. 7(a) and 7(b), when the operating member 4 is moved to the second position, the blade member 2 is moved by driving the drive unit 3. It can operate in the closed state shown in (a) and in the open state shown in FIG. 7(b). On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7(c), by opening the blade member 2 by the drive unit 3 and then moving the operating member 4 to the first position, the engaged A locking portion 32A of a locking member 32 locks on the locking portion 21A, so that the blade member 2 can be fixed in an open state. In this example, moving the operating member 4 to the first position can prevent the blade member 2 from entering the closed state against the user's intention.

In the blade drive device 1 (1G) shown in FIG. 8, the operating member 4 includes a magnetic pole portion (magnet) 40 that is close to the yoke 23 of the drive section 3 at a first position. In this example, an extension member 41 is provided on the operating member 4, and a magnetic pole portion 40 is attached to the end of the extension member 41. The magnetic pole portion 40 applies a larger magnetic force to the yoke 23 than the magnetic force generated in the yoke 23 by energizing the coil 24, thereby preventing the rotor magnet 22 from rotating.

According to this, when the operating member 4 is moved to the second position as shown in FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b), by driving the drive unit 3, the blade member 2 is It can operate in the open state shown in (a) and the closed state shown in FIG. 8(b). On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 8(c), after the drive unit 3 closes the blade member 2, the operation member 4 is moved to the first position, so that the yoke magnetized by the magnetic pole part 40 is moved to the first position. The rotor magnet 22 is fixed by 23, and the blade member 2 can be fixed in the closed state. In this example, it is possible to prevent the blade member 2 from opening against the user's intention by moving the operating member 4 to the first position.

In the blade drive device 1 (1H) shown in FIG. 9, the operating member 4 includes a magnetic pole portion (magnet) 40 that is close to the rotor magnet 22 of the drive unit 3 at a first position. In this example, an extension member 41 is provided on the operating member 4, and a magnetic pole portion 40 is attached to the end of the extension member 41. The magnetic pole portion 40 prevents the rotor magnet 22 from rotating by applying a larger magnetic force to the rotor magnet 22 than the magnetic force exerted by the yoke 23 on the rotor magnet 22 by energizing the coil 24 .

According to this, when the operating member 4 is moved to the second position as shown in FIGS. 9(a) and 9(b), the blade member 2 is moved by driving the drive unit 3. It can operate in the open state shown in (a) and the closed state shown in FIG. 9(b). On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 9(c), by moving the operating member 4 to the first position after the drive unit 3 closes the blade member 2, the rotor magnet 22 is moved by the magnetic pole part 40. The blade member 2 can be fixed in the closed state. In this example, it is possible to prevent the blade member 2 from opening against the user's intention by moving the operating member 4 to the first position.

According to the blade drive device 1 (1A to 1H) described above, by moving the operating member 4 to the second position, the user can intentionally drive the drive unit 3 when using the camera function to ensure reliable operation. When the camera function is not in use, the driver 3 can be intentionally driven to reliably shield the lens aperture. Then, by manually moving the operating member 2 to the first position according to the user's intention, movement of the blade member 2 by the drive unit 3 can be prevented.

Here, the drive unit 3 has a structure in which the blade member 2 is held on one side in either an open state or a closed state during a steady state without energization, or the blade member 2 is in an open state during a steady state without energization. It is preferable to have a structure in which both sides are held in either the closed state or the closed state, whichever is closer. By doing so, the position of the blade member 2 can be stably maintained when the drive unit 3 is not driven.

Further, it is preferable that the operating member 4 is drawn into either the first position or the second position by the biasing force of the spring 6 mentioned above, the attractive force of the magnet, or the like. Provide a groove in which a part of the operating member 4 fits in at the first position and the second position, or provide an operating area that moves up and down like a cam when the operating member 4 moves, so that the force changes. Therefore, the operating member 4 can be selectively operated to either the first position or the second position more reliably.

The blade member 2 used here has a shielding portion 2P that closes the opening 10A described above, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11. This shielding part 2P may be a light shielding part that blocks all of the light that enters the opening 10A, but in addition to that, as shown in FIGS. It may be possible to obstruct photographing by blocking a portion of the light. The example shown in FIG. 10(a) is a mesh-like shielding part, and the example shown in FIG. 10(b) is a concentric slit-like shielding part.By providing these, the light incident on the opening 10A is It is possible to obstruct photography by blocking part of the light. Moreover, the shielding part 2P of the blade member 2 may be a filter part that filters the light incident on the opening 10A and obstructs photographing, as shown in FIG. 10(c). In the example shown in FIG. 10(c), the mosaic filter can filter the light incident on the aperture 10A, thereby inhibiting photography.

When the blade member 2 is in the closed state, it is preferable that the state is visible from the outside so that the user and others can confirm that the lens aperture of the camera module is shielded. For this reason, it is preferable that the outer surface of the blade member 2 is colored red or the like for high visibility. In addition, the outer surface of the shielding portion 2P of the blade member 2 is provided with a picture design as shown in FIG. 11(a) or a letter design as shown in FIG. It is preferable to increase the

FIG. 12 shows a PC (notebook PC) with a camera function as an example of an electronic device including a blade drive device and a camera module. The blade driving device 1 (1A to 1H) has the operating member 4 protruding outside the casing T of the electronic device 100, and the frame 5 is mounted on the casing so that the opening 10A and the lens opening of the camera module 200 are coaxial. It is placed in front of the camera module 200 inside the T. The electronic device 100 equipped with the blade driving device 1 (1A to 1H) is not only a PC, but also a mobile information terminal such as a smartphone, an AI speaker (smart speaker) with a camera function, a home security camera, etc. This applies to all types of IoT that have camera functions.

By making the camera module 200 thin, it can be placed inside the casing T of the electronic device 100 without requiring a large space. In this example, one lens opening of the camera module is arranged so as to overlap a housing opening T1 provided in the housing T. Further, as in the illustrated example, the blade driving device 1 (1A to 1H) and the camera module 200 can be placed in a space such as above the front panel F or display panel D of the electronic device 100.

The electronic device 100 including the blade drive device 1 (1A to 1H) and the camera module 200 can be operated by closing the blade member 2 of the blade drive device 1 (1A to 1H) and blocking the operation using the operating member 4. , it is possible to prevent an image (video) not intended by the user from being imported into the electronic device 100. This makes it possible to avoid leaking private images or being suspected of voyeurism, and it is possible to use the electronic device 100 having a camera function with peace of mind even in an IoT environment.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above in detail with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and the design may be changed without departing from the gist of the present invention. Even if there is, it is included in the present invention. Moreover, the above-described embodiments can be combined by using each other's technologies unless there is a particular contradiction or problem in the purpose, structure, etc.

1 (1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, 1F, 1G, 1H): Blade drive device,
2: Wing member, 2A: Locked part, 2P: Shielding part,
3: Drive section, 4: Operation member, 5: Frame, 5A: Spring receiving section, 6: Spring,
10: opening plate, 10A: opening, 11: shaft, 12: protrusion,
20: lever part, 21: rotor part, 21A: locked part,
22: Rotor magnet,
23: Yoke, 24: Coil, 25: Bobbin, 26: Current-carrying terminal,
30, 31, 32: Locking member, 30A, 31A, 32A: Locking portion,
40: magnetic pole part, 41: extension member,
100: Electronic equipment, 200: Camera module,
T: Housing, T1: Housing opening, F: Front panel, D: Display panel

Claims (6)

a blade member that shields or opens the lens aperture of the camera;
a drive unit that drives the blade member between a shielding state and an open state;
a manual operating member operated to prevent movement of the blade member by the drive unit;
The operating member is movably supported by a spring receiving portion of the frame via a spring, and can be moved between a first position where movement of the blade member is prevented and a position where movement of the blade member is not blocked by manual toggle operation. A vane drive device characterized in that it is selectively movable between second positions. The blade drive device according to claim 1, wherein the operating member includes a locking portion that locks to a locked portion of the blade member at the first position. The blade drive device according to claim 1, wherein the operating member includes a locking portion that locks to a locked portion provided on a rotor portion of the drive portion at the first position. The blade drive device according to claim 1, wherein the operating member includes a magnetic pole portion that is close to the yoke of the drive portion at the first position. The blade drive device according to claim 1, wherein the operating member includes a magnetic pole portion that is close to a rotor magnet of the drive unit at the first position. An electronic device comprising the blade driving device according to claim 1 and a camera module.

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