1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus, such as a digital camera, which includes an image stabilization function for compensating camera shake while taking an image.
2. Description of the Related Art
These years, digital cameras each having an so-called image stabilization mechanism for compensating camera shake while photographing a subject have been in practical use in the field of digital cameras for imaging a subject image on an image pickup device (such as a CCD) by use of a photographing lens system, and thus for producing a digital image on the basis of an electric signal outputted from the image pickup device depending on the subject image.
For example, in a conventionally-known type of image stabilization mechanism for digital cameras, an image pickup device (such as a CCD) is moved in a plane (an X-Y plane) perpendicular to a direction of the optical axis of the photographing optical system, by an amount depending on how much a subject image shakes due to a camera shake (see Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-274242, for instance).
An image stabilization mechanism disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-274242 includes two slider members which are arranged on a substrate fixed to the inside of the camera main body in a way that the two slider members are movable in plane directions (the X and Y-axis directions) perpendicular to the optical axis direction of the photographing lens system. An image pickup device is fixed to one of the two slider members. Depending on how much a subject image shakes due to a camera shake while photographing the subject, the two slider members are respectively moved in plane directions perpendicular to the optical axis of the photographing optical system. The movement of the two sliders moves the image pickup device in the plane perpendicular to the optical axis, thereby compensating the camera shake.
Note that the two slider members are movable in the plane directions (the X and Y-axis directions) perpendicular to the optical axis of the photographing optical system integrally with shaft bearings movably fitted to guide shafts arranged in the X and Y-axis directions, respectively.
However, in the technique according to the prior art, the outer diameters of the guide shafts and the inner diameters of shaft holes of the shaft bearings fitted to the guide shafts need to be processed with a higher dimensional precision for the purpose of moving the two slider members smoothly without looseness.
When even a slight gap exists between the guide shaft and the shaft hole of the shaft bearing due to an error or the like of the process precision of the guide shaft and shaft bearing, the guide shaft inserted in the shaft hole of the shaft bearing may be loosened during control for image stabilization. This brings about a problem of decreased precision of the image stabilization.
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USPTO Backgrounds