US-12619130-B2 - Camera module

US12619130B2US 12619130 B2US12619130 B2US 12619130B2US-12619130-B2

Abstract

The camera module comprises: a housing; a lens holder disposed inside the housing; a lens module disposed inside the lens holder; and a printed circuit board disposed at a lower portion of the housing and including an image sensor facing the lens module, wherein the lens module is screw-coupled to an inner surface of the lens holder, wherein the lens holder is screw-coupled to an inner surface of the housing, and wherein the screw-coupled region of the lens module is disposed more adjacent to an upper end of the lens module than a lower end thereof.

Inventors

Sun Min Hwang
Je Kyung PARK

Assignees

LG INNOTEK CO., LTD.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20211209
Priority Date: 20201210

Claims (17)

1 . A camera module comprising: a housing; a lens holder disposed inside the housing; a lens module disposed inside the lens holder; and a printed circuit board disposed at a lower portion of the housing and including an image sensor facing the lens module, wherein a region of the lens module is screw-coupled to an inner surface of the lens holder, wherein the lens holder is screw-coupled to an inner surface of the housing, wherein the screw-coupled region of the lens module is disposed more adjacent to an upper end of the lens module than a lower end thereof; wherein the housing includes a body part in a shape of a cylinder and a protruded part protruded downward from a lower surface of the body part, wherein a coupling member is disposed between the protruded part and the printed circuit board, wherein, when the housing or the coupling member expands, the upper end of the lens module is configured to remain fixed with the lens holder at the screw-coupled region, and a lower end of the lens module is configured to expand to come closer to the printed circuit board, and wherein, when the housing or the coupling member is contracted, the upper end of the lens module is configured to remain fixed with the lens holder at the screw-coupled region, and the lower end of the lens module is configured to contract away from the printed circuit board.
2 . The camera module according to claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a first space section in which the lens holder is disposed and a second space section disposed at an inner side of the protruded part, and wherein a lower end of the lens module is disposed in the second space section.
3 . The camera module according to claim 2 , wherein an inner surface of the housing to which the lens holder and the housing are screw-coupled is the first space section.
4 . The camera module according to claim 1 , wherein the lens holder includes a third space section whose upper and lower surfaces are open and the lens module is coupled thereto, wherein a coupling part to which the lens module is screw-coupled is disposed on an inner surface of the third space section, and wherein the coupling part is disposed adjacent to an upper end of the lens holder.
5 . The camera module according to claim 1 , wherein a material of the housing and the lens holder is plastic.
6 . The camera module according to claim 1 , wherein a length of the screw-coupled region between the lens module and the lens holder in an optical axis direction is equal to or less than 1/2 of a length of the lens module.
7 . The camera module according to claim 1 , wherein the coupling member includes epoxy.
8 . The camera module according to claim 1 , wherein the lens holder includes a first coupling portion screwed to the housing, and wherein the first coupling portion has a shape in which a portion of a side surface of the lens holder protrudes outward relative to other areas.
9 . The camera module according to claim 1 , wherein the lens module includes a third coupling portion screwed to the lens holder, and wherein the third coupling portion has a shape in which a portion of the a side surface of the lens module protrudes outward relative to other areas.
10 . A camera module comprising: a housing; a lens holder disposed on an upper portion of the housing; a lens module disposed at an inner side of the housing and the lens holder; and a printed circuit board being disposed at a lower portion of the housing and including an image sensor facing the lens module, wherein a region of the lens module is screw-coupled to an inner surface of the lens holder, wherein the screw-coupled region of the lens module is disposed more adjacent to an upper end of the lens module than a lower end thereof, wherein a second coupling member is disposed between the housing and the lens holder, wherein the second coupling includes an epoxy, wherein the housing includes a second protruded part protruded upward from an upper surface, wherein a third protruded part being protruded outward from other regions is disposed at a lower portion of the lens holder, and wherein the second coupling member is disposed between the second protruded part and the third protruded part.
11 . The camera module according to claim 10 , wherein the housing includes a body part in the shape of a cylinder and a first protruded part being protruded downward from a lower surface of the body part, and wherein a first coupling member is disposed between the first protruded part and the printed circuit board.
12 . The camera module according to claim 11 , wherein the first coupling member includes epoxy.
13 . The camera module according to claim 11 , wherein a first space is formed inside the body part, wherein a second space communicating with the first space is formed inside the first protruded part, and wherein a cross-sectional area of the second space is larger than that of the first space.
14 . The camera module according to claim 10 , wherein a length of the screw-coupled region of the lens module and the lens holder with respect to an optical axis direction is one half or less of the length of the lens module.
15 . The camera module according to claim 10 , wherein an outer surface of the third protruded part is disposed inner than an outer surface of the second protruded part.
16 . A camera module comprising: a housing; a lens holder disposed on an upper portion of the housing; a lens module disposed at an inner side of the housing and the lens holder; and a printed circuit board being disposed at a lower portion of the housing and including an image sensor facing the lens module, wherein a region of the lens module is screw-coupled to an inner surface of the lens holder, wherein the screw-coupled region of the lens module is disposed more adjacent to an upper end of the lens module than a lower end thereof, wherein the lens module includes a second coupling portion screwed to the lens holder, and wherein the second coupling portion has a shape in which a portion of a side surface of the lens module protrudes outward relative to other areas.
17 . A camera module comprising: a housing; a lens holder disposed on an upper portion of the housing; a lens module disposed at an inner side of the housing and the lens holder; and a printed circuit board being disposed at a lower portion of the housing and including an image sensor facing the lens module, wherein a region of the lens module is screw-coupled to an inner surface of the lens holder, wherein the screw-coupled region of the lens module is disposed more adjacent to an upper end of the lens module than a lower end thereof, wherein the housing includes a body part in the shape of a cylinder and a first protruded part being protruded downward from a lower surface of the body part, wherein a first coupling member is disposed between the first protruded part and the printed circuit board, and wherein a side surface of the first protruded part forms the same plane as a side surface of the printed circuit board.

Description

Cross Reference to Related Applications This application is the National Phase of PCT International Application No. PCT/KR2021/018690, filed on Dec. 9, 2021, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(a) to Patent Application No. 10-2020-0172217, filed in the Republic of Korea on Dec. 10, 2020, all of which are hereby expressly incorporated by reference into the present application. TECHNICAL FIELD This embodiment relates to a camera module. BACKGROUND ART Recently, ultra-small camera modules have been developed, and ultra-small camera modules are widely used in small electronic products such as smartphones, laptops, and game consoles. With the popularization of automobiles, ultra-small cameras are widely used not only in small electronic products but also in vehicles. For example, a black box camera for vehicle protection or objective data of traffic accidents, a rear monitoring camera that allows the driver to monitor blind spots at the rear of the vehicle through the screen to ensure safety when the vehicle moves backward, a peripheral detection camera capable of monitoring the surroundings of the vehicle, and the like are provided. The camera may include a lens, a lens holder accommodating the lens, an image sensor for converting an image of a subject collected in the lens into an electrical signal, and a printed circuit board on which the image sensor is mounted. The housing forming the outer shape of the camera has a structure in which the entire region thereof is sealed to prevent internal components from being contaminated from foreign substances including moisture. Mechanical devices such as housings or lens holders may expand at a high temperature and contract at a low temperature according to a change in temperature. Such deformation of the mechanical devices has a problem in that it changes the distance between the image sensor and the lens. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Technical Subject An object of the present embodiment is improving the structure so as to provide a camera module capable of minimizing the change in a distance between an image sensor and a lens module due to a change in temperature. Technical Solution The camera module according to the present embodiment comprises: a housing; a lens holder disposed inside the housing; a lens module disposed inside the lens holder; and a printed circuit board disposed in a lower portion of the housing and including an image sensor facing the lens module, wherein the lens module is screw-coupled to an inner surface of the lens holder, wherein the lens holder is screw-coupled to an inner surface of the housing, and wherein the screw-coupled region of the lens module is disposed more adjacent to an upper end of the lens module than a lower end thereof. The housing may include a body part in the shape of a cylinder and a protruded part being protruded downward from a lower surface of the body part, and a coupling member may be disposed between the protruded part and the printed circuit board. The housing includes a first space section in which the lens holder is disposed and a second space section disposed at an inner side of the protruded part, and wherein a lower end of the lens module may be disposed in the second space section. An inner surface of the housing to which the lens holder and the housing are screw-coupled may be the first space section. The lens holder includes a third space section whose upper and lower surfaces are open and the lens module is coupled thereto, wherein a coupling part to which the lens module is screw-coupled is disposed on an inner surface of the third space section, and wherein the coupling part is disposed adjacent to an upper end of the lens holder. A camera module according to another embodiment may comprise: a housing; a lens holder disposed on an upper portion of the housing; a lens module disposed at an inner side of the housing and the lens holder; and a printed circuit board being disposed at a lower portion of the housing and including an image sensor facing the lens module, wherein the lens module is screw-coupled to an inner surface of the lens holder, and wherein the screw-coupled region of the lens module is disposed more adjacent to an upper end of the lens module than a lower end. A second coupling member may be disposed between the housing and the lens holder, and the second coupling member may include an epoxy. The housing includes a second protruded part protruded upward from an upper surface, wherein a third protruded part being protruded outward from other regions is disposed at a lower portion of the lens holder, and wherein the second coupling member may be disposed between the second protruded part and the third protruded part. The housing includes a body part in the shape of a cylinder and a first protruded part being protruded downward from a lower surface of the body part, and a first coupling member may be disposed between the first protruded part and the printed circuit board. Th