Patent ID: 7663457

Claim:
A voice coil actuator, comprising: a voice coil magnet; and a voice coil assembly comprising a tubular member comprising outer periphery and an interior surface that defines an interior cavity, and at least one pair of metallic members coupled to the tubular member, a first metallic member of each pair being disposed within the interior cavity of the tubular member and coupled to the interior surface of the tubular member, a second metallic member of each pair being coupled to the outer periphery of the tubular member and defining at least a portion of an outer periphery of the voice coil assembly, wherein at least one of the voice coil magnet and the voice coil assembly is positionable relative to the other of the voice coil magnet and the voice coil assembly between a connected position and a disconnected position, and wherein, when the voice coil assembly and voice coil magnet move from the disconnected position to the connected position, the metallic members complete a permanent magnet circuit with the voice coil magnet, the permanent magnet circuit latching the voice coil assembly and the voice coil magnet in the connected position.