Apple has been granted a patent (number US 11647264 B2) for a “camera with bumper for cushioning lateral movement.” The goal is to make future iPhones and iPads even more resistant to camera damage.
About the patent
The patent relates generally to architecture for a camera having one or more bumpers to cushion lateral movement of a moveable platform as it approaches a stationary structure. Apple notes that t\he advent of small, mobile multipurpose devices such as smartphones and tablet or pad devices has resulted in a need for high-resolution, small form factor cameras for integration in the devices.
In some such autofocus mechanisms, the optical lens is moved as a single rigid body along the optical axis of the camera to refocus the camera. This makes them prone to damage if the iPhone or iPad is dropped.
Apple’s idea is for a bumper system to alleviate damage in a collision if the electronic device is dropped or bumped against something. What’s more, the bumper(s) may be used to reduce or limit an amount of electrostatic charge accumulation on the moveable platform and/or the stationary structure.
Summary of the patent
Here’s Apple’s abstract of the patent: “Various embodiments include a camera having one or more bumper arrangements to cushion lateral movement of one or more camera components. In some embodiments, the bumper arrangement(s) may cushion lateral movement of a moveable platform as the moveable platform approaches a stationary structure. According to some embodiments, the bumper arrangement(s) may include one or more bumper features attached to (and/or defined by) the moveable platform and/or the stationary structure.”
