Patent Abstract:
An actuator includes a first rotating member rotatable on a first rotating axis, a second rotating member rotatable on a second rotating axis separately crossing the first rotating axis, and a lever having connecting holes for mounting a device. The lever converts the rotation of each of the rotating members into a motion that changes the position thereof. Each of the first and second rotating members is driven by a VCM composed of a coil member and a magnet.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates to an actuator having a compact panning and tilting mechanism, and to an optical apparatus in which an optical device is attached to the actuator.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0004]    Surveillance cameras, floodlights, and the like having a panning and tilting mechanism that can rotate on the horizontal axis and the vertical axis have been used in various fields. In general, the panning and tilting mechanism combines horizontal rotation on the vertical axis, and vertical rotation on the horizontal axis.  
           [0005]    For example, as shown in FIG. 10, a known type of camera swivel device includes two DC motors  201  and  208 . The DC motor  208  causes a horizontal rotation mount  207  to horizontally rotate on a vertical shaft  206  by a combination of horizontal rotation gears (not shown). The DC motor  201  causes a horizontal shaft  202  placed on the horizontal rotation mount  207  to vertically rotate, by a combination of a worm gear  204  and a vertically rotating gear  205 . The horizontal shaft  202  is connected to a camera fixing mount  203 , and a surveillance camera (not shown) is mounted on the camera fixing mount  203 .  
           [0006]    In the camera swivel device, when the DC motor  208  is driven, the camera is panned in the horizontal direction in accordance with the direction and amount of rotation of the motor shaft. When the DC motor  201  is driven, the camera is tilted in the elevating and declining directions, that is, in the vertical direction, in accordance with the direction and amount of rotation of the motor shaft. Therefore, the camera can be panned and tilted in an arbitrary direction by appropriately controlling the driving of the DC motors  201  and  208 . Moreover, scanning can be performed by continuously driving the DC motors  201  and  208  according to a predetermined program.  
           [0007]    In recent years, small information devices, such as mobile computers and portable telephones, having a CCD camera or the like mounted therein have been developed and become widespread. It is inconvenient that the camera is fixed to the main body of the information device, because the viewing angle is limited. Accordingly, there has been a demand to add a panning and tilting function to the camera while satisfying the essential requirement for the small information device, that is, size reduction. In this case, while it is only necessary to simply attach the camera to rotation shafts when the panning and tilting operation is performed manually, a high-responsivity compact panning and tilting mechanism that can be electronically controlled by the main unit of the information device is necessary in order to electrically control the panning and tilting angle with high precision, to perform automatic scanning, or to change the panning and tilting angle according to a given program.  
           [0008]    However, the above known panning and tilting mechanism, in which the horizontal rotation and the vertical rotation are combined using two DC motors and the gears, cannot satisfy the request for size reduction, and cannot be easily applied to small information devices.  
           [0009]    In the field of floodlights, for example, in order to pan and tilt an illuminating lamp at the leading end of a fiberscope, since the large panning and tilting mechanism described above cannot be mounted at the leading end of the fiberscope, the panning and tilting angle of the illuminating lamp is conventionally adjusted by towing, at hand, a plurality of wires extending between both ends of the fiberscope along the peripheral wall thereof. In this method, however, it is impossible to precisely control the panning and tilting angle and to continuously perform scanning according to a program.  
           [0010]    Furthermore, in the fields of various machines and toys other than the optical apparatuses, there has been a strong demand for an actuator having an electronically-controlled compact panning and tilting mechanism.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0011]    The present invention has been made in order to overcome the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an actuator having an electronically-controlled compact panning and tilting mechanism, and an optical apparatus using the actuator.  
           [0012]    In order to achieve the above object, according to an aspect, the present invention provides an actuator including a first rotating member rotatable on a first rotating axis, a second rotating member rotatable on a second rotating axis separately crossing the first rotating axis, and a lever, having a portion for mounting an object, that converts the rotational motion of each of the first and second rotating members into a motion that changes the position thereof, for example, panning or tilting, wherein at least one of the first and second rotating members is rotationally driven by a voice coil motor (VCM) composed of a coil and a magnet.  
           [0013]    Preferably, the second rotating member has a slit extending along the second rotating axis, and the position of the lever is changed while the lever is born by the first rotating member to pivot along the first rotating axis and to move in conjunction with the rotation of the first rotating member on the first rotating axis, and while the lever extends through the slit to pivot along the second rotating axis and to move in conjunction with the rotation of the second rotating member on the second rotating axis.  
           [0014]    In this case, the lever can be electrically panned and tilted, and the device attached to the lever can be precisely, quickly, and efficiently subjected to the position-changing motion.  
           [0015]    In a general type of VCM, a magnet and a coil are arranged so as to move in parallel without contact with each other, and the direction and amount of relative movement of the magnet and the coil can be arbitrarily determined in accordance with the direction and amount of a current to be passed through the coil.  
           [0016]    Therefore, by fixing one of the coil and the magnet in the voice coil motor to the rotating member in a plane perpendicular to the rotating axis of the rotating member and attaching the other to a fixed mount in parallel, the rotating member is rotated in a predetermined direction and by a predetermined rotation angle by the application of a current to the voice coil motor. Since the lever pivots in accordance with the direction and amount of rotation of the rotating member, the pivoting position of the lever can be precisely determined by controlling the direction and amount of a current to be passed through the voice coil motor.  
           [0017]    When the first and second rotating members are driven by the voice coil motor, quiet driving is possible because gears and the like are not used to transmit the power, unlike the conventional panning and tilting mechanism. Moreover, since the driving force is immediately converted into the position-changing motion of the lever, the energy efficiency and responsivity are increased. While the combination of the DC motors and the gears, as in the conventional art, is incapable of precisely controlling the panning and tilting angle and of performing braking, since the amount of a current to be passed through the coil precisely corresponds to the amount of movement in the voice coil motor, the accuracy in controlling the panning and tilting angle is increased. In addition, since the transmission member used in the actuator is not an irreversible transmission member, such as a worm gear, that is used in the known panning and tilting mechanism, it will not be fractured even when the pivoting position of the lever is forcibly changed by external force.  
           [0018]    Preferably, the lever is born by the first rotating member to pivot along the first rotating axis, the second rotating member has a slit extending along the second rotating axis, and the lever can pivot in engagement with the slit.  
           [0019]    In this mechanism, since the lever is born by the first rotating member, when the first rotating member rotates, the lever also pivots on the first rotating axis. On the other hand, the second rotating member has a slit extending along the second rotating axis, and the lever is pivotally engaged with the slit. Therefore, when the second rotating member rotates, the lever is pivoted along the first rotating axis without obstructing the rotation of the first rotating member. Consequently, the lever can pivot along both the first rotating axis and the second rotating axis, and a position-changing motion, such as panning or tilting, in all directions is possible.  
           [0020]    Preferably, the actuator further includes a driving circuit for driving the voice coil motor.  
           [0021]    In this case, the lever can be automatically caused to make a position-changing motion, such as a panning and tilting motion, to change the direction to a predetermined direction in response to an electric command from the outside, and scanning can also be performed.  
           [0022]    Preferably, the actuator further includes a measurement section for measuring the rotating position of each of the rotating members.  
           [0023]    The panning or tilting position of the actuator can more precisely correspond to an electric signal from the outside by measuring an actual panning or tilting position corresponding to the command and by feeding information about the measured position back to an external control circuit when the actuator is automatically panned or tilted according to the electric command.  
           [0024]    As the measurement section for measuring the rotating position of the rotating member, for example, a potentiometer, an encoder, or a capacitive position sensor may be used.  
           [0025]    According to another aspect, the present invention provides an optical apparatus including any of the above actuators, and an optical device, wherein the optical device attached to the lever. Preferably, the optical device is attached to the lever so that an optical axis or an extension line thereof to be subjected to a position-changing motion is aligned with or is in parallel with the axis of the lever.  
           [0026]    The optical device may include a light projecting device, such as a floodlight, a light emitting diode, or a laser, a light guide device, such as a lens, an optical fiber, a mirror, or a half mirror, and a light receiving device such as a camera or a photoreceptor. In any case, it is possible to achieve a tiltable optical apparatus that has a substantially reduced size and a higher responsivity.  
           [0027]    In particular, the optical axis of the optical device can be tiltable in all directions by attaching the optical device so that the optical axis or an extension line thereof is aligned with or is in parallel with the axis of the lever.  
           [0028]    Further objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the attached drawings. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0029]    [0029]FIG. 1 is a transparent perspective view showing principal components of an actuator according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the principal parts of the actuator, separated along the X-, Y-, and S-axes;  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 3 is a side view of a part of the actuator, as viewed from the X-axis side;  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration of a circuit board in the actuator;  
         [0033]    [0033]FIGS. 5A and 5B are transparent side views showing an operating manner of the actuator, respectively, as viewed from the Y-axis side and the X-axis side;  
         [0034]    [0034]FIGS. 6A and 6B are transparent side views showing another operating manner of the actuator, respectively, as viewed from the Y-axis side and the X-axis side;  
         [0035]    [0035]FIGS. 7A and 7B are transparent side views showing a further operating manner of the actuator, respectively, as viewed from the Y-axis side and the X-axis side;  
         [0036]    [0036]FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an optical apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0037]    [0037]FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a notebook personal computer having the optical apparatus of the embodiment; and  
         [0038]    [0038]FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a known tilting mechanism. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0039]    While preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments. The attached drawings are used to explain the concepts of the present invention. In the drawings, components unnecessary for explanation are omitted, and the shapes and scales of the components do not necessarily reflect actual shapes and scales.  
         [0040]    [First Embodiment] 
         [0041]    [0041]FIG. 1 is a transparent perspective view of principal components of an actuator (pan head) according to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the actuator in which the principal components are separated along the X-, Y-, and S-axes, and FIG. 3 is a side view of a part of the actuator, as viewed from the X-axis side.  
         [0042]    Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an actuator (pan head)  50  of the first embodiment includes a first rotating member  10  that rotates on a first rotating axis X, a second rotating member  20  that rotates on a second rotating axis Y extending separate from and perpendicular to the first rotating axis X, and a lever  30  having connecting holes (screw holes, mounting means)  31  used to mount an object (device) to be subjected to a position-changing motion such as panning or tilting.  
         [0043]    The first rotating member  10  is shaped like a cylinder extending along the first rotating axis X, and a coil member  11  is fitted on one end thereof. A cylindrical projection  10 A is formed at the end of the first rotating member  10  on which the coil member  11  is fitted, and is born by a receiver (not shown) on the inner side of a side face  1 A of a chassis  1 .  
         [0044]    The coil member  11  includes a fan-shaped annular frame portion  11 A, a flat receiving portion  11 B extending from the frame portion  11 A, and a coil portion  11 C, such as a printed coil, formed of a looped conducting wire. The coil member  11  is connected to the first rotating member  10  so that it can swing in a plane perpendicular to the first rotating axis X while the loop of the conducting wire is placed in the plane perpendicular to the first rotating axis X, and a cutout shaft portion  10 B at the end of the first rotating member  10  extends through a support hole  11 D formed in the receiving portion  11 B.  
         [0045]    Therefore, the first rotating member  10  is connected to the coil member  11  so that it rotates on its axis in conjunction with the swing motion of the coil member  11 .  
         [0046]    A yoke  14  formed of a combination of a pair of horseshoe-shaped yoke members is fixed onto the inner wall of the side face  1 A of the chassis  1 , and a magnet  12  curved like a horseshoe is mounted inside the yoke  14 . As shown in FIG. 3, the magnet  12  is placed so that the coil member  11  that swings on the first rotating axis X moves in parallel without contact with the magnet  12 . The coil member  11  and the magnet  12  constitute a first VCM (voice coil motor)  13 .  
         [0047]    A slit  15  extends at the center of the first rotating member  10  along the first rotating axis X. A pin  16  extending in a direction perpendicular to the first rotating axis X is passed through the slit  15 . A bore  32  is formed at an end of the lever  30  remote from the connecting holes  31 . The pin  16  is passed through the bore  32  so that the lever  30  can pivot sideward along the first rotating axis X in a plane including the first rotating axis X.  
         [0048]    An end of the first rotating member  10  remote from the end with the coil member  11  is born by a rotation sensor  17  that also functions as a receiver. The rotation sensor  17  is a rotary potentiometer that can detect and output the rotating position of a rotor  18  connected to the end of the first rotating member  10  as a potential difference. The rotation sensor  17  is fixed on the inner wall of a side face  1 B of the chassis  1 A opposing the side face  1 A.  
         [0049]    The second rotating member  20  is shaped like a cylinder extending along the second rotating axis Y, and a coil member  21  is fitted on one end thereof. The end of the second rotating member  20  on which the coil member  21  is fitted is born by a receiver (not shown) on a side face  1 C of the chassis  1 . The coil member  21  includes a fan-shaped annular frame portion  21 A, a flat receiving portion  21 B extending from the frame portion  21 A, and a coil portion  21 C formed of a conducting wire looped in the circumferential direction of the frame portion  21 A. The coil member  21  is connected to the second rotating member  20  so that it can swing in a plane perpendicular to the second rotating axis Y while the loop of the conducting wire is placed in the plane perpendicular to the second rotating axis Y, and a cutout shaft portion  20 B at the end of the second rotating member  20  extends through a support hole  21 D formed in the receiving portion  21 B.  
         [0050]    A yoke  24  formed of a combination of a pair of horseshoe-shaped yoke members is fixed onto the inner wall of the side face  1 C of the chassis  1 , and a magnet  22  curved like a horseshoe is mounted inside the yoke  24 . The magnet  22  is placed so that the swinging coil member  21  moves in parallel without contact with the magnet  22 . The coil member  21  and the magnet  22  constitute a second VCM  23 .  
         [0051]    A support plate  25  having a slit  26  extending along the second rotating axis Y is formed at the center of the second rotating member  20 . The lever  30  is passed through the slit  26 , and the slit  26  has a width and length such that the lever  30  can freely pivot along the second rotating axis Y.  
         [0052]    An end of the second rotating member  20  remote from the end with the coil member  21  is born by a rotation sensor  27  that also functions as a receiver. The rotation sensor  27  is a rotary potentiometer that can detect and output the rotating position of a rotor  28  connected to the end of the second rotating member  20  as a potential difference. The rotation sensor  27  is fixed on the inner wall of a side face  1 D of the chassis  1 A opposing the side face  1 C.  
         [0053]    A cover  2  is mounted at an upper opening of the chassis  1 . An aperture  3  is formed at the center of the cover  2 . One end of the lever  30 , that is, the end having the connecting holes  31  protrudes from the aperture  3 . The aperture  3  has a bore enough to allow the lever  30  to pivot for panning or tilting. A circuit board  40  is provided at the bottom of the chassis  1 .  
         [0054]    [0054]FIG. 4 shows an example of a circuit configuration of the circuit board  40 . As shown in FIG. 4, the circuit board  40  includes a driving circuit  42  for the first VCM  13 , a driving circuit  43  for the second VCM  23 , a signal processing circuit  44  for the rotation sensor  17 , a signal processing circuit  45  for the rotation sensor  27 , and a power supply circuit  46 .  
         [0055]    The driving circuit  42 , the driving circuit  43 , the signal processing circuit  44 , and the signal processing circuit  45  are electrically connected to the coil portion  11 C of the coil member  11  attached to the first rotating member  10 , the coil portion  21 C of the coil member  21  attached to the second rotating member  20 , the rotation sensor  17  attached to the first rotating member  10 , and the rotation sensor  27  attached to the second rotating member  20 , respectively. The power supply circuit  46  supplies a required power to the above circuits. The above circuits are also connected to an external control circuit P through terminals  41  provided in the circuit board  40 .  
         [0056]    The operating manner of the actuator  50  will now be described.  
         [0057]    When it is assumed that a command to rotate the first rotating member  10  is given from the external control circuit P shown in FIG. 4 to the driving circuit  42  for the first VCM  13 , the driving circuit  42  receives power from the power supply circuit  46 , determines the direction and amount of current to be passed through the coil portion  11 C of the first VCM  13  for driving the first rotating member  10 , and feeds the current. The coil portion  11 C thereby generates a magnetic field, and the coil member  11  turns on the first rotating axis X along the magnet  12  in the determined direction and the determined angle. In response to the turning of the coil member  11 , the first rotating member  10  rotates, and therefore, the lever  30  connected to the first rotating member  10  pivots on the first rotating axis X in a determined direction and by a determined angle. In this case, since the slit  26  of the second rotating member  20  has a width and length such that the lever  30  can freely pivot along the second rotating axis Y, the pivotal motion on the first rotating axis X of the lever  30  will not be obstructed by the engagement with the slit  26 .  
         [0058]    When the first rotating member  10  rotates, the rotation sensor  17  detects the rotating position of the first rotating member  10 , and sends information about the detected position to the external control circuit P through the signal processing circuit  44  for the rotation sensor  17 . The external control circuit P feeds the information back to the driving circuit  42  for the first VCM  13 , and precisely controls the amount of current to be passed through the coil portion  11 C. Consequently, the rotation angle of the first rotating member  10  is determined precisely.  
         [0059]    [0059]FIGS. 5A and 5B are transparent side views showing a state in which the lever  30  is pivoted on the first rotating axis X in one direction (leftward in the figure). FIG. 5A is a side view, as viewed from the Y-axis direction, and FIG. 5B is a side view, as viewed from the X-axis direction. In these figures, a device to be subjected to a position-changing motion, more specifically, an optical device, such as a CCD camera,  60  is mounted at the leading end of the lever  30 . An axis S of the lever  30  is placed in a neutral position in the Y-axis direction, and is pivoted on the first rotating axis X in the leftward direction in the figures. By reversing the direction of the current that is passed through the coil portion  11 C, the axis S of the lever  30  remains in a neutral position in the Y-axis direction, but is pivoted on the first rotating axis X in the rightward direction, as shown by “Sr” in FIG. 5B.  
         [0060]    Next, it is assumed that a command to rotate the second rotating member  20  is given from the external control circuit P to the driving circuit  43  for the second VCM  23 . In this case, the above-described command given to the driving circuit  42  for the first VCM  13  is held. The driving circuit  43  for the second VCM  23  receives power supplied from the power supply circuit  46 , determines the direction and amount of current to be passed through the coil portion  21 C of the second VCM  23 , and feeds the current. The coil portion  21  thereby generates a magnetic field, and the coil member  21  turns on the second rotating axis Y along the magnet  22  in the determined direction and by the determined angle. When the coil member  21  turns, the slit  26  of the second rotating member  20  also turns. Consequently, the lever  30  engaged with the slit  26  pivots on the second rotating axis Y in a determined direction and by a determined angle. In this case, since the slit  26  has a width and length such that the lever  30  can freely pivot along the second rotating axis Y, the pivotal movement on the first rotating axis X of the lever  30  will not be obstructed by the engagement with the slit  26 .  
         [0061]    When the second rotating member  20  rotates, the rotation sensor  27  detects the rotating position of the second rotating member  20 , and sends information about the detected position to the external control circuit P through the signal processing circuit  45  for the rotation sensor  27 . The external control circuit P feeds the information back to the driving circuit  43  for the second VCM  23 , and precisely controls the amount of current to be passed through the coil portion  21 C. Consequently, the rotation angle of the second rotating member  20  is determined precisely.  
         [0062]    [0062]FIGS. 6A and 6B are transparent side views showing a state in which the lever  30  is pivoted on the second rotating axis Y in one direction (leftward in the figure) from the position shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B. FIG. 6A is a side view, as viewed from the Y-axis direction, and FIG. 6B is a side view, as viewed from the X-axis direction.  
         [0063]    As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, when the coil member  21  turns, the axis S of the lever  30  is pivoted on the second rotating axis Y from the neutral position to the left in the figure. The pivot position shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B in the X-axis direction is maintained. By reversing the direction of current to be passed through the coil portion  21 C, the axis S of the lever  30  does not pivot on the first rotating axis X, but pivots rightward on the second rotating axis Y, as shown by “Sr” in FIG. 6A.  
         [0064]    In this way, the axis S of the lever  30  can be pivoted in an arbitrary direction within the range permitted by the slit  26  by independently giving rotation commands from the external control circuit P to the driving circuit  42  for the first VCM  13  and the driving circuit  43  for the second VCM  23 . The range permitted by the slit  26  is determined by the angle formed by both ends of the slit  26  and the pivot of the lever  30 , and the maximum pivot angle of the lever  30  in the X-axis direction.  
         [0065]    [0065]FIGS. 7A and 7B show a pivoting state of the lever  30  brought about when the first rotating member  10  and the second rotating member  20  are independently rotated according to rotation commands independently given to the driving circuit  42  for the first VCM  13  and the driving circuit  43  for the second VCM  23 . FIG. 7A is a side view of the state, as viewed form the Y-axis direction, and FIG. 7B is a side view of the state, as viewed from the X-axis direction.  
         [0066]    As shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, when both the first and second rotating members  10  and  20  are rotated, the axis S of the lever  30  is tilted with respect to both the first and second rotating axes X and Y.  
         [0067]    [Second Embodiment] 
         [0068]    [0068]FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an optical apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. An optical apparatus of the second embodiment includes the actuator  50  described in the first embodiment, and an optical device  60  such as a CCD camera. The optical device  60  is mounted at the leading end of the lever  30  through the connecting holes  31 . The optical device  60  includes a camera body  61  and an image-taking lens  62  mounted at the leading end of the camera body  61 . The optical axis of the image-taking lens  62  is aligned with the axis S of the lever  30 . Although not shown, lines are led out from the optical device  60 , and are connected to a power supply and an image-signal processing circuit mounted externally.  
         [0069]    In the optical apparatus of the second embodiment, the optical device  60  is attached to the lever  30  of the actuator  50  described in the first embodiment while the optical axis of the image-taking lens  62  is aligned with the axis S of the lever  30 . Therefore, when a rotation command is given to the driving circuit  42  for the first VCM  13  and the driving circuit  43  for the second VCM  23 , the optical axis of the image-taking lens  62  can be freely moved in a wide range in the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and any intermediate direction in response to the command, without inverting the image-taking screen vertically and horizontally. Moreover, scanning can be performed in a predetermined pattern. Since the optical device  60  is subjected a position-changing motion by the first and second VCMs  13  and  23 , the size of the electrical moving mechanism is reduced, and precise and quick tilting control is possible. Even when the optical device  60  is forcibly moved by external force, the inner mechanism of the actuator  50  will not be broken. This is because the mechanism do not adopt gears, but adopts the first and second VCMs  13  and  23 .  
         [0070]    [0070]FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an example of a notebook personal computer (hereinafter referred to as a “PC”) in which the optical apparatus of the second embodiment is mounted.  
         [0071]    In a PC  70 , a keyboard section  71  and a display section  72  are pivotally connected by hinges. The display section  72  includes a liquid crystal display  73  and a window  74  disposed thereabove. The optical apparatus of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 8 is mounted inside the window  74  in a state in which the leading end of the image-taking lens  62  is exposed from the window  74 . It is preferable that the window  74  have a size such as to cover the maximum moving range of the optical device  60 .  
         [0072]    Although not shown, a control circuit for controlling the circuits on the circuit board  40  and the optical device  60 , such as a CCD camera, is provided together with a CPU inside the keyboard section  71 .  
         [0073]    Since the optical apparatus of this embodiment has a structure in which the optical device  60 , such as a CCD camera, is mounted on the electronically-controlled small actuator (pan head), it can also be easily mounted in small information devices, such as portable telephones, other than the notebook personal computer shown in FIG. 9 without ignoring the request for size reduction. The viewing field of the optical device  60  can be panned or tilted in an arbitrary horizontal or vertical direction, or scanning can be performed, in response to a remote command from the keyboard section  71  or the like.  
         [0074]    While the optical device  60 , such as a CCD camera, is attached to the lever  30  in the second embodiment, of course, other optical devices can be tilted similarly. For example, a small-diameter fiberscope that can be electrically panned and tilted by remote control can be provided by mounting the actuator  50  of this embodiment at the leading end of the fiberscope and attaching an illuminating lamp and/or a camera to the lever  30 . Furthermore, a compact laser radiation device capable of high-speed scanning can be provided by attaching a laser to the lever  30 . An image-taking lens having a shake preventing function can be provided by attaching a lens serving as a part of an image-taking lens system to the lever  30 . A multi-contact optical switch can be provided on the light guide path in the optical system by incorporating the actuator  50  of this embodiment in an optical device including an optical fiber, a mirror, a half mirror, and the like. Furthermore, the actuator of this embodiment may be incorporated in various small devices and toys other than the optical device in order to subject a predetermined member to a position-changing motion such as panning or tilting, for example, in order to wag a tail of a robot dog or to move the eyes of a robot doll.

Technology Classification (CPC): 7