Voice coil motor devices for auto focusing or zooming

Abstract

The present invention is related to a voice coil motor device for auto focusing or zooming, mainly includes a base, a movable magnetic path component, two elongate guide rods and a plurality of balls. The base has a first receiving slot and two second receiving slots. The movable magnetic path component is configured in the first receiving slot and has a lens carrier installing thereon a lens, wherein the lens carrier has a bottom surface having a plurality of first abutting structures. The two elongate guide rods are mounted in the two second receiving slots respectively. The plurality of balls are respectively mounted between the plurality of first abutting structures and the two elongate guide rods, wherein the plurality of balls facilitate a movement of the movable magnetic path component in the first receiving slot, for performing an auto focusing or zooming of the lens.

1 . A voice coil motor device, comprising:
 a base having a first receiving slot, two sides and two contact lines respectively along the two sides;   a carrying structure configured in the first receiving slot, carrying a lens and having two side bottoms, wherein each the side bottom has a first contact plane;   two second contact planes configured on the two sides or the two side bottoms respectively; and   four balls each configured among the respective contact line, the respective side bottom and the two second contact planes, so that each ball has a respective single-point contact with any of the respective contact line, the first contact plane and the two second contact planes, and the carrying structure moves in the first receiving slot via the four balls, for facilitating an auto focusing or zooming of the lens.   
     
     
         2 . The voice coil motor device according to  claim 1 , wherein the carrying structure has two magnetic sensing elements configured on two sidewalls of the carrying structure respectively. 
     
     
         3 . The voice coil motor device according to  claim 2 , further comprising two cylindrical guide rods on two sides of a space defined between the base and the carrying structure. 
     
     
         4 . The voice coil motor device according to  claim 3 , wherein the contact lines are formed on the two cylindrical guide rods respectively. 
     
     
         5 . The voice coil motor device according to  claim 3 , wherein on a condition that the two second contact planes are configured on the two side bottoms, the first contact plane is adjacent and connected to the second contact plane, and there is a magnetic attraction force between the corresponding cylindrical guide rod and magnetic sensing element, so that the base, the carrying structure and the four balls abut against one another. 
     
     
         6 . The voice coil motor device according to  claim 3 , wherein the two cylindrical guide rods are made of a magnetically permeable material. 
     
     
         7 . The voice coil motor device according to  claim 6 , wherein the magnetically permeable material is a metal to increase a movement travel of the carrying structure. 
     
     
         8 . The voice coil motor device according to  claim 1 , wherein the two second contact planes are formed on the two sides of the base. 
     
     
         9 . The voice coil motor device according to  claim 1 , wherein the base further includes a set of coils. 
     
     
         10 . The voice coil motor device according to  claim 9 , wherein each of the magnetic sensing elements is at a predetermined distance from a respective coil of the set of coils.