Self-cleaning lens structure

Abstract

According to the self-cleaning lens structure provided by the embodiment of the invention, the heater and the piezoelectric ceramic are arranged on the first lens, the heater provides a heating function for the first lens, the ceramic chip provides a vibration water removal function for the first lens, and the heater and the ceramic chip cooperate to perform vibration heating on the exposed first lens; therefore, the automatic defrosting and demisting efficiency can be improved under cold or humid weather conditions or environments, and due to the fact that the heating power of the heater is lower than the vibration power of the ceramic piece, the mode can reduce power consumption, meanwhile, the problem of piezoelectric ceramic attenuation caused by long-term high-frequency vibration can be solved, and the service life is guaranteed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of lenses, and in particular to a self-cleaning lens structure. Background Art

[0002] With the innovation of science and technology, the application fields of camera equipment have become more diversified, and the number of installations has also increased rapidly. From security monitoring to drones and intelligent driving, due to the increasing demand for outdoor use, the impact of environmental factors such as dust and rain on the imaging quality of camera modules has also attracted much attention from users. Some camera equipment used in outdoor environments, such as highway monitoring cameras, are installed in high and difficult-to-reach locations, making manual cleaning difficult and requiring high maintenance costs. Camera modules for intelligent driving, such as CMS, require timely cleaning of dust and rainwater attached to the lens surface to ensure their imaging effect and thus enhance the user experience.

[0003] There is an innovative self-cleaning lens that has a piezoelectric ceramic that can vibrate to defog to ensure the cleanliness of the outer surface of the camera's first lens. This piezoelectric ceramic has strong functionality, but the structure has low water removal efficiency and high power consumption. Long-term high-frequency vibration will cause the piezoelectric ceramic's service life to decrease. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In order to solve the problems of low cleaning efficiency and high power consumption of existing self-cleaning lenses, the present invention provides a self-cleaning lens structure. By arranging a heater and piezoelectric ceramics on the first lens, the heater provides a heating function for the first lens, and the ceramic piece provides a vibration dewatering function for the first lens. The two can cooperate to vibrate and heat the exposed first lens, thereby improving the efficiency of automatic defrosting and defogging in cold or humid weather conditions or environments.

[0005] In order to achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the present invention provides a self-cleaning lens structure, which at least includes a lens barrel, a first lens arranged at the front end of the lens barrel, a pressure cover that cooperates with the front end of the lens barrel to lock the first lens on the lens barrel, and also includes a heater that can heat the first lens, and a piezoelectric ceramic arranged on the heater that can vibrate the first lens.

[0006] In the self-cleaning lens structure as described above, the heater is in contact with the first lens, and the piezoelectric ceramic is arranged on a side of the heater away from the first lens.

[0007] In the self-cleaning lens structure as described above, the peripheral side of the lower surface of the first lens is an annular plane, and the upper surface of the heater is in surface contact with the annular plane.

[0008] In the self-cleaning lens structure as described above, the heater is in the shape of an annular sheet and is circumferentially attached to the annular plane.

[0009] In the self-cleaning lens structure as described above, the piezoelectric ceramic is in an annular shape and is closely attached to the side of the heater away from the first lens.

[0010] As described above, in the self-cleaning lens structure, the front end of the lens barrel is provided with a first cavity and a second cavity from the outside to the inside, the inner diameter of the second cavity is smaller than that of the first cavity, the first lens is mounted on the first cavity, and the heater and the piezoelectric ceramic are located in the second cavity.

[0011] In the self-cleaning lens structure described above, there is a distance between the bottom and the peripheral side of the heater and the piezoelectric ceramic and the second cavity.

[0012] In the self-cleaning lens structure as described above, a first sealing member is provided between the bottom of the first lens and the first cavity and / or a second sealing structure is provided between the periphery of the first lens and the first cavity.

[0013] In the self-cleaning lens structure as described above, the first sealing member is waterproof silicone or a sealing ring, and the second sealing structure is waterproof silicone.

[0014] The self-cleaning lens structure as described above further includes a conductive element for powering the heater and the piezoelectric ceramics. One end of the conductive element is electrically connected to the heater and the piezoelectric ceramics, and the other end extends outside the lens barrel.

[0015] As described above, the self-cleaning lens structure has a threading hole on the lens barrel, which runs from the bottom of the second cavity to the outside of the lens barrel, for allowing the conductive element to extend from the second cavity through the threading hole to the outside of the lens barrel.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages: An embodiment of the present application provides a self-cleaning lens structure. By arranging a heater and a piezoelectric ceramic on the first lens, the heater provides a heating function for the first lens, and the ceramic plate provides a vibration dewatering function for the first lens. The two can cooperate to vibrate and heat the exposed first lens, thereby improving the efficiency of automatic defrosting and defogging in cold or humid weather conditions or environments. Since the heating power of the heater is lower than the vibration power of the ceramic plate, this method can reduce power consumption and at the same time reduce the attenuation problem of the piezoelectric ceramic caused by long-term high-frequency vibration, thereby ensuring the service life. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for describing the embodiments.

[0018] Figure 1 2 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an efficient self-cleaning lens according to an embodiment of the present application; Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A magnified schematic diagram of part A; Figure 3 1 is a schematic diagram of the assembly of the heater, piezoelectric ceramics and conductive elements according to an embodiment of the present application; In the figure: lens barrel 1, annular plane 11, first cavity 12, second cavity 13, threading hole 14, first lens 2, pressure cover 3, piezoelectric ceramic 4, conductive element 5, first sealing member 6, second sealing structure 7, heater 8. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] like Figure 1-3 As shown, the present application provides a self-cleaning lens structure, which at least includes a lens barrel 1, a first lens 2 arranged at the front end of the lens barrel, a pressure cover 3 that cooperates with the front end of the lens barrel 1 to lock the first lens 2 on the lens barrel 1, and also includes a heater 8 that can heat the first lens 2, and a piezoelectric ceramic 4 arranged on the heater 8 that can vibrate the first lens 2.

[0020] An embodiment of the present application provides a self-cleaning lens structure. By arranging a heater and a piezoelectric ceramic on the first lens, the heater provides a heating function for the first lens, and the ceramic plate provides a vibration dewatering function for the first lens. The two can cooperate to vibrate and heat the exposed first lens, thereby improving the efficiency of automatic defrosting and defogging in cold or humid weather conditions or environments. Since the heating power of the heater is lower than the vibration power of the ceramic plate, this method can reduce power consumption and at the same time reduce the attenuation problem of the piezoelectric ceramic caused by long-term high-frequency vibration, thereby ensuring the service life.

[0021] Furthermore, as a preferred embodiment of the present application, the heater 8 is in contact with the first lens 2, and the piezoelectric ceramic 4 is arranged on the side of the heater 8 away from the first lens 2. The heater 8 can directly heat the first lens 2, and the high-frequency vibration of the piezoelectric ceramic 4 drives the first lens 2 to clean the dirt on the lens surface. The heater 8 and the piezoelectric ceramic 4 can be arranged on the front end face, rear end face or side face of the first lens 2. Compared with a single heater and piezoelectric ceramic, the present application integrates the heater 8 and the piezoelectric ceramic 4 for use, which can improve the heating and cleaning effects. At the same time, because the heating power of the heater is lower than the vibration power of the ceramic piece, this method can reduce power consumption, and at the same time can reduce the piezoelectric ceramic attenuation problem caused by long-term high-frequency vibration, thereby ensuring service life.

[0022] In a specific embodiment of the present application, the peripheral side of the lower surface of the first lens 2 is an annular plane, the upper surface of the heater 8 is in surface contact with the annular plane, the heater 8 is arranged on the lower surface of the first lens 2, and the heater 8 and the piezoelectric ceramic 4 are built into the interior of the lens, which adds an ultrasonic cleaning function, has a simple structure, is conducive to the miniaturization of the lens module, is suitable for AA, threaded, and integrated lenses, and can achieve cleaning of rainwater and dust.

[0023] Furthermore, the heater 8 is in the shape of an annular sheet and is circumferentially attached to the annular plane. Specifically, the heater 8 is a heating plate; the piezoelectric ceramic 4 is in the shape of an annular ring and is circumferentially attached to the side of the heater away from the first lens. This design can improve the heating effect and has a simple structure. As a preferred embodiment, the piezoelectric ceramic 4 is made of PZT-4 material. This invention innovatively integrates the piezoelectric ceramic and the heating plate ring made of PZT-4 material under the first lens 2. It can achieve heating by supplying power to the heating plate and high-frequency vibration by supplying power to the piezoelectric material, driving the first lens 2 to heat and vibrate to clean the dirt on the lens surface. Compared with piezoelectric ceramics of other materials, the PZT-4 material has more stable performance and has less impact on the imaging of the lens module, thereby ensuring the imaging quality of the camera equipment.

[0024] Furthermore, the front end of the lens barrel 1 is provided with a first cavity 12 and a second cavity 13 in sequence from the outside to the inside. The inner diameter of the second cavity 13 is smaller than that of the first cavity 12. The first lens 2 is mounted on the first cavity 12, and the heater 8 and the piezoelectric ceramic 4 are located in the second cavity 13. A step is formed between the first cavity and the second cavity. The first lens 2 is accommodated on the step, and the heater and the piezoelectric ceramic are located in the second cavity. In this application, the heater 8 is bonded to the first lens 2 by glue, and the heater 8 is bonded to the piezoelectric ceramic 4 by glue.

[0025] Furthermore, there is a distance between the bottom and surrounding sides of the heater 8 and the piezoelectric ceramic 4 and the second cavity 13. At this time, the piezoelectric ceramic 4 and the heater 8 are in a suspended state, and there is a distance between the piezoelectric ceramic 4 and the lens barrel 1. The piezoelectric ceramic 4 and the surrounding and bottom ends of the heater 8 do not contact any other parts, reducing the vibration transmitted to the rear-end lens module through the lens barrel 1, improving the imaging quality in a suspended state, and avoiding affecting the imaging clarity of the optical lens.

[0026] Furthermore, a first sealing member 6 is provided between the bottom of the first lens 2 and the first cavity 12 and / or a second sealing structure 5 is provided between the peripheral side of the first lens 2 and the first cavity 12. The present application improves the sealing performance of the product and avoids by providing a sealing structure on the peripheral side or bottom of the first lens 2.

[0027] Furthermore, as a preferred embodiment, sealing structures can be provided on the two sides and the bottom of the first lens respectively, and the structure can achieve double waterproofing to overcome the problem of weakening the overall airtightness of the module due to the vibration of the front-end lens, which in turn leads to the intrusion of external liquid, and ensures the safety of the internal environment of the camera module during functional operation. It can effectively deal with the attenuation of the sealing of the movable structure, avoid leakage when the piezoelectric ceramics move, causing short-circuit damage, and fully release the vibration performance of the piezoelectric ceramics. Compared with the traditional camera module, the camera module of the present application has the piezoelectric ceramics built into the lens, adds the ultrasonic cleaning function, has a simple structure, is conducive to the miniaturization of the lens module, is suitable for AA, threaded, and integrated lenses, and can clean rainwater and dust.

[0028] Furthermore, the first sealing member 12 is a waterproof silicone or a sealing ring, and the second sealing structure 13 is a waterproof silicone. The front end of the first lens 2 is waterproof sealed by the waterproof silicone, and at the same time, the bottom end of the first lens 2 is waterproof sealed by the waterproof silicone or the sealing ring, so that the present application can achieve double waterproofing.

[0029] Furthermore, it also includes a conductive element 5 for supplying power to the heater 8 and the piezoelectric ceramic 4. One end of the conductive element 5 is electrically connected to the heater 8 and the piezoelectric ceramic 4, and the other end extends outside the lens barrel 1. Furthermore, a threading hole 14 is provided on the lens barrel 1. The threading hole 14 runs from the bottom of the second cavity 13 to the outside of the lens barrel 1, and is used for the conductive element 5 to extend from the second cavity 13 through the threading hole 14 to the outside of the lens barrel 1. Specifically, the two electrodes of the piezoelectric ceramic 4 are both guided to its outer surface, and the piezoelectric ceramic 4 and the conductive element 5 are bonded by welding or conductive adhesive. Specifically, the conductive element 5 is a power supply wire or FPC, which is connected to the PCBA inside the camera module to obtain power through the FPC or wire. The ceramic piece is powered by the FPC flexible circuit board, and the FPC is connected to the rear end of the lens through the hole opened in the lens barrel; by supplying power to the ceramic piece, vibration and heat are generated, thereby achieving cleaning and heating of the first lens.

[0030] The working principle of this solution is: when the camera module is connected to the host for operation, the lens surface may become dirty due to dust, rain or fog, and the image clarity may be affected. At this time, the user can issue a cleaning command through the host. The camera module receives the signal and powers the heater and piezoelectric ceramic ring through the circuit board. The heater generates heat and transfers it to the first lens, increasing its temperature to achieve defogger and de-icing functions. Due to the inverse piezoelectric effect, the piezoelectric ceramic ring inside the optical lens resonates with the front-end lens at the corresponding frequency, and the dirt and water droplets on the lens surface are bounced off, and the lens is cleaned.

[0031] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A self-cleaning lens structure, comprising at least a lens barrel, a first lens disposed at the front end of the lens barrel, and a pressure cover that cooperates with the front end of the lens barrel to lock the first lens on the lens barrel, characterized in that: The invention also includes a heater capable of heating the first lens, and a piezoelectric ceramic disposed on the heater capable of vibrating the first lens.

2. The self-cleaning lens structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heater is in contact with the first lens, and the piezoelectric ceramic is arranged on a side of the heater away from the first lens.

3. The self-cleaning lens structure according to claim 2, characterized in that: The peripheral side of the lower surface of the first lens is an annular plane, and the upper surface of the heater is in surface contact with the annular plane.

4. The self-cleaning lens structure according to claim 2, wherein: The heater is in the shape of an annular sheet and is closely attached to the annular plane; The piezoelectric ceramic is in an annular ring shape and is tightly attached to the side of the heater away from the first lens.

5. The self-cleaning lens structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The front end of the lens barrel is provided with a first cavity and a second cavity from outside to inside. The inner diameter of the second cavity is smaller than that of the first cavity. The first lens is mounted on the first cavity, and the heater and piezoelectric ceramics are located in the second cavity.

6. The self-cleaning lens structure according to claim 5, characterized in that: There is a distance between the bottom and the peripheral side of the heater and the piezoelectric ceramic and the second cavity.

7. The self-cleaning lens structure according to claim 5, wherein: A first sealing member is provided between the bottom of the first lens and the first cavity and / or a second sealing structure is provided between the peripheral side of the first lens and the first cavity.

8. The self-cleaning lens structure according to claim 7, characterized in that: The first sealing member is waterproof silicone or a sealing ring, and the second sealing structure is waterproof silicone.

9. The self-cleaning lens structure according to claim 5, characterized in that: The device also includes a conductive element for powering the heater and the piezoelectric ceramic. One end of the conductive element is electrically connected to the heater and the piezoelectric ceramic, and the other end extends outside the lens barrel.

10. The self-cleaning lens structure according to claim 9, characterized in that: A threading hole is provided on the lens barrel, which passes through the bottom of the second cavity to the outside of the lens barrel, and is used for allowing the conductive element to pass through the threading hole from the second cavity and extend to the outside of the lens barrel.

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