Patent ID: 7778535

Claim:
A shake reduction apparatus, comprising: a movable-side unit having a movable-side frame provided with a camera unit including a lens and an image sensor, and a movable-side shaft having a spherical surface as an extremity surface thereof; a stationary-side unit having a stationary-side frame provided with a stationary-side shaft having an extremity formed as a spherical surface coming into contact with the extremity of the movable-side shaft, to which the movable-side unit is attached; linear actuators disposed between the movable-side frame and the stationary-side frame to drive the movable-side unit to rotate about two orthogonal axes; a movement detection unit for detecting a movement of the camera unit about the two orthogonal axes; and a controller for controlling the linear actuators to cause the movable-side unit to move so as to cancel the movement of the camera unit when the movement detection unit detects the movement of the camera unit; wherein each of the linear actuators comprises: a stationary section formed of (i) a side yoke having two convex pieces with magnets attached to opposed surfaces thereof and a base piece, said two convex pieces protruding from both sides of the base piece, and (ii) a center yoke disposed on the base piece of the side yoke, wherein the center yoke is situated between the two convex pieces; and a movable section comprising a coil formed in a cylindrical shape into which the center yoke penetrates and a cap mounted on an extremity portion of the coil.