Patent ID: 7639440

Claim:
A camera module, comprising: a lens unit which constitutes an optical system of the camera module; a holder which houses the lens unit and is displaceable along an optical axis direction of the lens unit; a coil provided on the holder; a yoke and magnets provided on the yoke for providing a magnetic field to the coil; at least one leaf spring for supporting the holder, the leaf spring including an outer annular portion, an inner annular portion provided inside the outer annular portion so as to be displaceable with respect to the outer annular portion and attached to the holder, and a plurality of bridge portions coupled between the outer annular portion and the inner annular portion; an imaging element provided below the lens unit; and bridge portion supporting means for supporting a part of each of the plurality of bridge portions, wherein movement of the bridge portion supporting means relative to the at least one leaf spring results in parts of the bridge portions of the leaf spring contacting the supporting means to change, which causes a load characteristic of the leaf spring to change.