Patent ID: 7394603

Claim:
A lens driving apparatus comprising: a first yoke having an inner peripheral wall and an outer peripheral wall concentric with one another and forming a rectangular U-shaped cross section and a cylindrical shape at a connecting portion between said inner peripheral wall and said outer peripheral wall; a second yoke on an outer side of said first yoke and concentric with said first yoke, said second yoke defining a rectangular U-shaped cross section and a cylindrical shape; a base to which said first and second yokes are attached; a first magnet and a first coil in a rectangular U-shape interior of said first yoke, with said first coil facing an inner peripheral surface of said first magnet; a second magnet and a second coil in a rectangular U-shape interior of said second yoke, with said second coil facing an inner peripheral surface of said second magnet; a first lens support member at an inner peripheral side of said first yoke, with said first coil being fixed onto an outer peripheral portion of said first lens support member; and a second lens support member at an inner peripheral side of said second yoke, with said second coil fixed onto an outer peripheral portion of said second lens support member; wherein said first coil and said second coil are concentric with one another, and wherein said first magnet and said second magnet are linearly arranged in a direction of an optical axis of a lens when the lens is supported by one of said first and second lens support members, such that, while said first coil remains facing said inner peripheral surface of said first magnet, said first lens support member and said first coil are to be linearly moved together in the direction of the optical axis by an electromagnetic force generated by passing current through said first coil, and such that, while said second coil remains facing said inner peripheral surface of said second magnet, said second lens support member and said second coil are to be linearly moved together in the direction of the optical axis by an electromagnetic force generated by passing current through said second coil.