Patent ID: 7574123

Claim:
An image stabilizer comprising: a first moving stage supported by a stationary member to be freely movable in a first direction in a plane orthogonal to an optical axis; a second moving stage which holds an image-stabilizing optical element and is supported by said first moving stage to be freely movable in a second direction in said plane orthogonal to said optical axis, said second direction being substantially orthogonal to said first direction; a first driving device which is supported by said stationary member and drives said first moving stage forward and reverse in said first direction; and a second driving device which is supported by said stationary member and drives said second moving stage forward and reverse in said second direction; wherein said second driving device includes a moving element which is moved in said second direction, and a linkage portion which associatively links said second moving stage and said moving element to each other in a manner to allow said second moving stage and said moving element to move relative to each other in said first direction; wherein said linkage portion includes a transfer surface provided on one of said moving element and said second moving stage to extend in said first direction, and a movable contact member which is in contact with said transfer surface to be capable of moving thereon; wherein said linkage portion transmits the second direction movement of the moving element to the second moving stage regardless of a position of the second moving stage in the second moving direction; wherein said movable contact member comprises a roller which is supported in a manner to roll on said transfer surface when said second moving stage and said moving element move relative to each other in said first direction; and wherein said transfer surface and said movable contact member remain in contact with each other by a biasing force of a spring.