Patent ID: 7630151
Filing Date: 2009-12-08
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
1. A lens drive unit comprising: a movable lens body equipped with a lens; drive means for moving the movable lens body in an optical axis direction of the lens; a fixing body to support the movable lens body in such a manner to enable the movable lens body to move in the optical axis direction; and means retaining a position of the movable lens body at both ends of an entire motion range in the optical axis direction; said movable lens body being equipped with a first magnetic means as said drive means; said fixing body being equipped with a second magnetic means as said drive means which is placed so as to enable the movable lens body to move by one of magnetic attraction force and magnetic repulsion force caused between the first magnetic means and the second magnetic means; and said fixing body being equipped with a position retaining member to retain the movable lens body at a middle position of the entire motion range in the optical axis direction while a touching section for touching at the movable lens body is touching at the movable lens body; and one of the position retaining member and the movable lens body relatively moves so as to move the touching section so as to have the touching section touch at the movable lens body to retain the movable lens body at the middle position so that the number of retaining positions of the movable lens body increase from the two ends of the entire motion range.