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US-12621548-B2 - Camera module

US12621548B2US 12621548 B2US12621548 B2US 12621548B2US-12621548-B2

Abstract

A camera module includes a housing, and a carrier supported on the housing with a ball member therebetween, and movable in an optical axis direction. On opposite surfaces of the housing and the carrier facing each other in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction, a movement reduction portion having a corresponding shape is selectively disposed on the housing and the carrier.

Inventors

  • Viatcheslav Smirnov

Assignees

  • SAMSUNG ELECTRO-MECHANICS CO., LTD.

Dates

Publication Date
20260505
Application Date
20240102
Priority Date
20230322

Claims (17)

  1. 1 . A camera module comprising: a housing; and a carrier supported on the housing with a ball member therebetween, and movable in an optical axis direction, wherein on opposite surfaces of the housing and the carrier facing each other in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction, one surface is provided with either a protrusion or a retracting portion, and the other surface is provided with the remaining one of the protrusion or the retracting portion, wherein the protrusion and the retracting portion have a protrusion shape with a corner, wherein a surface of the carrier on which either the protrusion or the retracting portion is provided has two inclined surfaces respectively disposed on opposite sides of the corner, wherein a surface of the housing facing the surface of the carrier also has two inclined surfaces respectively disposed on opposite sides of the corner, and wherein the two inclined surfaces provided on the carrier and the two inclined surfaces provided on the housing respectively face each other.
  2. 2 . The camera module of claim 1 , wherein the protrusion and the retracting portion have a round shape.
  3. 3 . The camera module of claim 2 , wherein the protrusion and the retracting portion are portions of a sphere.
  4. 4 . The camera module of claim 1 , wherein both the housing and the carrier have substantially quadrangular cross sections, and wherein the movement reduction portion is disposed on all three surfaces other than facing opposite surfaces on which the carrier is supported by the housing.
  5. 5 . The camera module of claim 1 , wherein the protrusion protrudes from the carrier in a direction toward the housing.
  6. 6 . The camera module of claim 1 , wherein the protrusion protrudes from the housing in a direction toward the carrier.
  7. 7 . The camera module of claim 1 , wherein the housing and the carrier comprise a driving coil and a driving magnet, respectively, and wherein the carrier is supported on the housing by attractive force of a pulling yoke disposed in the housing and the driving magnet.
  8. 8 . The camera module of claim 1 , further comprising a frame and a lens holder disposed in the carrier in the optical axis direction and movable in the optical axis direction together with the carrier.
  9. 9 . The camera module of claim 8 , further comprising: a first ball member disposed between the carrier and the frame; and a second ball member disposed between the frame and the lens holder.
  10. 10 . The camera module of claim 9 , wherein the frame and the lens holder are configured to move together in a first axis direction, perpendicular to the optical axis direction, and wherein the lens holder is configured to move in a second axis direction, perpendicular to the first axis direction, relative to the frame.
  11. 11 . An electronic device comprising the camera module of claim 1 .
  12. 12 . A camera module comprising: a housing comprising adjoining walls; and a carrier supported on the housing, and movable in an optical axis direction relative to the housing, wherein one or more walls of the adjoining walls comprises inclined inner surfaces between adjacent walls, inclined relative to a virtual line between where the one or more walls intersect the adjacent walls, wherein the inclined inner surfaces are adjacent to each other, and wherein the carrier comprises one or more surfaces facing the one or more walls, and comprising a shape corresponding to the inclined inner surfaces.
  13. 13 . The camera module of claim 12 , further comprising a ball member disposed between the carrier and the housing.
  14. 14 . The camera module of claim 12 , wherein the one or more walls have one or more of a protrusion shape with a corner and a round shape.
  15. 15 . The camera module of claim 12 , wherein both the housing and the carrier have substantially quadrangular cross sections, and wherein the one or more walls comprises three walls other than a wall of the adjoining walls on which the carrier is supported by the housing.
  16. 16 . The camera module of claim 12 , wherein the inclined inner surfaces protrude from the housing in a direction toward the carrier, or the shape corresponding to the inclined inner surfaces protrudes from the carrier in a direction toward the housing.
  17. 17 . An electronic device comprising the camera module of claim 12 .

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) This application claims the benefit under 35 USC 119(a) of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0037394 filed on Mar. 22, 2023, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. BACKGROUND 1. Field The present disclosure relates to a camera module. 2. Description of the Background Camera modules may be employed in mobile communication terminals such as smartphones, tablet PCs, laptop computers, and the like. An autofocus function and an optical image stabilization function may be employed in such a camera module to generate a high-resolution image. On the other hand, mobile communication terminals and camera modules may have had a structure in which lenses are moved in various directions to implement an autofocus function and an optical image stabilization function. In such cases there may be a problem in that foreign objects may be generated due to frictional contact between members facing each other according to such movement. In addition, when adopting a ball member (ball bearing) to guide the movement of the lenses, there may be a problem in that the movement of a member may occur due to external impacts or the like, and thus generation of foreign objects may increase due to frictional contact between adjacent members. The above information is presented as background information only to assist with an understanding of the present disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the above might be applicable as prior art with regard to the disclosure. SUMMARY This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. In one general aspect, a camera module includes a housing, and a carrier supported on the housing with a ball member therebetween, and movable in an optical axis direction. On opposite surfaces of the housing and the carrier facing each other in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction, a movement reduction portion having a corresponding shape is selectively disposed on the housing and the carrier. The movement reduction portion may include a protrusion and a retracting portion having a mutually corresponding shape and selectively disposed on the housing and the carrier. The protrusion and the retracting portion may have a protrusion shape with a corner. The protrusion and the retracting portion may have a round shape. The protrusion and the retracting portion may be portions of a sphere. Both the housing and the carrier may have substantially quadrangular cross sections, and the movement reduction portion may be disposed on all three surfaces other than facing opposite surfaces on which the carrier is supported by the housing. The protrusion may protrude from the carrier in a direction toward the housing. The protrusion may protrude from the housing in a direction toward the carrier. The housing and the carrier may include a driving coil and a driving magnet, respectively, and the carrier may be supported on the housing by attractive force of a pulling yoke disposed in the housing and the driving magnet. The camera module may further include a frame and a lens holder disposed in the carrier in the optical axis direction and movable in the optical axis direction together with the carrier. The camera module may further include a first ball member disposed between the carrier and the frame, and a second ball member disposed between the frame and the lens holder. The frame and the lens holder may be configured to move together in a first axis direction, perpendicular to the optical axis direction, and the lens holder may be configured to move in a second axis direction, perpendicular to the first axis direction, relative to the frame. An electronic device may include the camera module. In another general aspect, a camera module includes a housing having adjoining walls, and a carrier supported on the housing, and movable in an optical axis direction relative to the housing, wherein one or more walls of the adjoining walls includes inclined inner surfaces between adjacent walls, inclined relative to a virtual line between where the one or more walls intersect the adjacent walls, and wherein the carrier includes one or more surfaces facing the one or more walls, and having a shape corresponding to the inclined inner surfaces. The camera module may further include a ball member disposed between the carrier and the housing. The one or more walls may have one or more of a protrusion shape with a corner and a round shape. Both the housing and the carrier may have substantially quadrangular cross sections, and the one or more walls may includ