Patent ID: 8013897

Claim:
An apparatus for correcting camera shake, used in a camera which includes an optical unit and an image capturing element having an image capturing plane, the apparatus comprising: a holding unit for holding the image capturing element; a driving unit connected between the holding unit and the optical unit of the camera, wherein the driving unit changes in shape when a voltage is applied across a front surface and rear surface thereof; a detecting unit for detecting camera shake of the camera; and a voltage applying unit for applying voltage to the driving unit in response to a detection by the detecting unit to move the holding unit, thereby displacing the image capturing element such that an optical axis of the optical unit passes through a center of the image capturing plane of the image capturing element; wherein the driving unit comprises: a first driving member, which changes in shape with an imaginary plane at a center of a range of change to increase or decrease in length in a first direction, in response to a voltage applied across a front surface and rear surface of the first driving member, wherein the imaginary plane includes the image capturing plane of the image capturing element; and a second driving member, which changes in shape with the imaginary plane at the center of a range of change to increase or decrease in length in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, in response to a voltage applied across a front surface and rear surface of the second driving member, and wherein the voltage applying unit forms a frame for surrounding the image capturing element to keep the image capturing plane thereof at a center of the frame, and has electrodes on the frame for applying a voltage across the front surface and rear surface of the first driving-member and separate electrodes on the frame for applying a voltage across the front surface and rear surface of the second driving member.