Patent ID: 8830604

Claim:
An optical element driving apparatus comprising: an optical element movable in a first direction; a voice coil motor comprising a magnet, a yoke and a coil and configured to move the optical element by movement of the coil with respect to the magnet and the yoke in the first direction; and a magnetic sensor operable to detect a position of the optical element in the first direction, wherein the yoke includes (a) a first yoke portion with a longitudinal direction thereof arranged in the first direction and having a magnet attaching surface to which the magnet is attached and (b) a second yoke portion with a longitudinal direction thereof arranged in the first direction and disposed away from the first yoke portion in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction so as to form a space with the magnet attracted to the magnet attaching surface, the space allowing movement of the coil in the first direction, wherein the second yoke portion is disposed closer to the magnetic sensor than the first yoke portion in a plane orthogonal to the first direction, and wherein, in a third direction orthogonal to the first and second directions, a magnetic path width A of the second yoke portion and a width C of the magnet have the following relationship: A>C.