A rotating camera module and terminal device

Abstract

The present application provides a rotating camera module and a terminal device, the camera module is suitable for a terminal device provided with a sliding member and a fixing member, the sliding member and the fixing member can move relative to each other, the camera module includes a camera body, a rotating shaft assembly and a rack, the camera body and the rotating shaft assembly are arranged in the sliding member, the rack is arranged on the fixing member, the camera body is connected to the rotating shaft assembly in a transmission manner, and rotates synchronously with the rotating shaft assembly, the rotating shaft assembly is meshedly connected with the rack, and when the sliding member moves, the rotating shaft assembly in the sliding member and the rack on the fixing member move relative to each other, and rotate based on the meshing structure, driving the camera body to rotate. In the present application, the sliding member and the rotating shaft assembly of the terminal device are used, and the rear camera can be rotated to the front camera through mechanical meshing. The front camera does not need to occupy the screen space, and the full-screen solution of the terminal device can be realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of cameras, and in particular to a rotating camera module and terminal device. Background Art

[0002] With the advancement of electronic technology and the improvement of people's living standards, photography has become an indispensable activity in people's entertainment life. In order to meet the photography needs of the majority of users, various mobile terminal devices are equipped with photography devices, for example, smart phones, tablet computers, laptops, smart watches and other mobile terminal devices are equipped with cameras.

[0003] Take smartphones as an example. Common smartphones on the market usually have a front camera on one side of the screen to meet users' selfie needs. Currently, full-screen smartphones have become a mainstream trend. As the screens get bigger and bigger, the traditional setting of the front camera has become an obstacle to achieving full screens - the traditional setting of the front camera will affect the screen-to-body ratio or cause defects on the phone screen. Therefore, in the development of devices with front cameras, such as smartphones, it is a general trend to change the traditional setting of the indispensable front camera and improve the utilization of the screen. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of the above-mentioned shortcomings or deficiencies of the prior art, the technical problem to be solved by the present application is to solve the problem that the front camera in the terminal device affects the screen ratio.

[0005] In order to solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present application provides a rotating camera module, which is suitable for a terminal device provided with a sliding part and a fixed part, and the sliding part and the fixed part can move relative to each other. The camera module includes a camera body, a rotating shaft assembly and a rack. The camera body and the rotating shaft assembly are arranged in the sliding part, and the rack is arranged on the fixed part. The camera body is transmission-connected to the rotating shaft assembly and rotates synchronously with the rotating shaft assembly. The rotating shaft assembly is meshingly connected to the rack. When the sliding part moves, the rotating shaft assembly in the sliding part and the rack on the fixed part move relative to each other, and rotate based on the meshing structure, thereby driving the camera body to rotate.

[0006] Furthermore, the rotating shaft assembly includes a coupling, a first gear, a second gear and a synchronous belt, the second gear is meshed with the rack, and when the sliding member moves, the rack moves relative to the rotating shaft assembly and meshes with the second gear; the first gear, the second gear and the synchronous belt are meshed with each other, and the second gear meshes with the synchronous belt to rotate the first gear; one end of the coupling is meshed with the first gear, and the other end is connected to the camera body, and the rotation of the first gear drives the coupling to rotate, thereby driving the camera body to rotate.

[0007] Furthermore, the second gear is composed of a coaxial first meshing portion and a second meshing portion, the first meshing portion is meshed and connected with the synchronous belt, and the second meshing portion is meshed and connected with the rack.

[0008] Furthermore, the coupling comprises a shaft column and a shaft step, the shaft step passes through the shaft column and is fixed at the middle of the shaft column, and two ends of the shaft column are respectively connected to the camera body and the first gear.

[0009] Furthermore, the cross section of the shaft column is non-circular, and a hole is provided between the bottom of the camera body and the first gear, and the cross section of the hole matches the cross section of the shaft column.

[0010] Furthermore, the maximum rotation angle of the camera body is 180°.

[0011] Furthermore, a limiting structure is provided on the rotating shaft assembly to control the rotation angle of the camera body.

[0012] Furthermore, the second meshing portion has two adjacent meshing teeth without tooth grooves, so that two first limiting structures are formed, and the angle between the two first limiting structures is 180°.

[0013] Furthermore, the rack is provided with a limiting groove matching the first limiting structure.

[0014] Furthermore, the camera body integrates the camera, circuit and camera housing.

[0015] Furthermore, the terminal device includes a sliding member and a fixing member that can slide relative to each other, and a rotating camera module.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, this application has the following beneficial effects:

[0017] The rotating camera module provided by the present application is arranged in a terminal device, and a sliding part and a fixing part are arranged in the terminal device. The camera module includes a shaft assembly, a camera body and a rack. The sliding part and the fixing part move relative to each other, so that the shaft assembly in the sliding part and the rack on the fixing part move relative to each other. Since the shaft assembly is meshed with the rack, the shaft assembly is transmission-connected with the camera body, and the rotation of the shaft assembly based on the meshing structure will drive the camera body to rotate. The present application rotates the rear camera 180° and transforms it into a front camera through the sliding action of the terminal device, integrating the functions of the front camera and the rear camera into one. The front camera does not need to be arranged above the screen. On the one hand, the high-pixel function of the front camera can be realized, and on the other hand, the problem of the front camera affecting the screen ratio in the traditional solution is solved. The rotating camera module provided by the present application can realize the full-screen solution of the terminal device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Other features, objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the detailed description of non-limiting embodiments made with reference to the following drawings:

[0019] Figure 1 : An exploded view of a camera module in one embodiment of the present application;

[0020] Figure 2 : A schematic diagram of a rotating shaft assembly in one embodiment of the present application;

[0021] Figure 3 : A schematic diagram of a coupling in one embodiment of the present application;

[0022] Figure 4 : A schematic diagram of a second gear in an embodiment of the present application;

[0023] Figure 5 : Schematic diagram of a terminal device in an embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 6 : A schematic diagram of the back side of a terminal device in a sliding state in an embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 7 : A front view schematic diagram of a terminal device in a sliding state in an embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Camera module A, camera body A1, shaft assembly A2, rack A3, terminal device B, sliding member B1, fixing member B2, connecting shaft member C, shaft column C1, shaft step C2, first gear 1, second gear 2, first meshing portion 21, second bonding portion 22, first limiting structure 221, synchronous belt 3, limiting groove 4; DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] The concept, specific structure and technical effects of the present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings to fully understand the purpose, characteristics and effects of the present invention.

[0028] In one embodiment of the present application, Figure 1As shown, a rotating camera module A provided in the present application is suitable for a terminal device B provided with a sliding part B1 and a fixing part B2, and the sliding part B1 and the fixing part B2 can move relative to each other and cause relative displacement. Among them, the connection between the sliding part B1 and the fixing part B2 can be connected by a rail connection, a spring connection or a magnet connection. In the present application, the connection method between the sliding part B1 and the fixing part B2 is not restricted. In principle, it is only necessary to satisfy the relative movement between the sliding part B1 and the fixing part B2. In the present application, the mutual movement direction of the sliding part B1 and the fixing part B2 is also not restricted. The sliding part B1 can slide left and right relative to the fixing part B2, and can also slide up and down relative to the fixing part B2. In principle, it is only necessary to satisfy the relative displacement between the sliding part B1 and the fixing part B2.

[0029] The camera module A includes a camera body A1, a rotating shaft assembly A2 and a rack A3. The camera body A1 and the rotating shaft assembly A2 are arranged in a sliding member B1 and can move with the sliding member B1. The rack A3 is arranged on a fixing member B2. The rack A3 in the present application can be a spur rack A3 or a helical rack A3, and the rack A3 can be meshed with a gear for transmission. The camera body A1 is connected to the rotating shaft assembly A2 for transmission and rotates synchronously with the rotating shaft assembly A2. The rotating shaft assembly A2 is meshed with the rack A3. When the sliding member B1 moves, the rotating shaft assembly A2 in the sliding member B1 and the rack A3 on the fixing member B2 move relative to each other, and rotate based on the meshed structure, driving the camera body A1 to rotate.

[0030] like Figure 2 As shown, the rotating shaft assembly A2 includes a coupling C, a first gear 1, a second gear 2 and a synchronous belt 3. The second gear 2 is meshed with a rack A3, and the rack A3 can mesh with the second gear 2 for transmission. Since the rack A3 can be a spur rack or a helical rack, the second gear 2 can be a spur gear or a helical gear correspondingly. When the rack A3 is a spur rack, the second gear 2 meshed with it for transmission is a spur gear; when the rack A3 is a helical gear, the second gear 2 meshed with it for transmission is a helical gear. When the sliding member B1 moves, the rack provided on the fixed member B2 moves relative to the rotating shaft assembly A2 provided in the sliding member B1, and the rack A3 meshes with the second gear 2 for transmission, driving the second gear 2.

[0031] The synchronous belt 3 meshes with the gears to perform non-slip meshing transmission. The first gear 1 and the second gear 2 are meshed and connected with the synchronous belt 3, and the second gear 2 is meshed and transmitted with the synchronous belt 3 to rotate the first gear 1; one end of the coupling C is connected to the first gear 1, and the other end is connected to the camera body A1. The rotation of the first gear 1 drives the coupling C to rotate, thereby driving the camera body A1 to rotate.

[0032] like Figure 3 As shown, the coupling C includes a shaft column C1 and a shaft step C2, the shaft step C2 passes through the shaft column C1 and is fixed in the middle of the shaft column C1, and the two ends of the shaft column C1 are respectively connected to the camera body A1 and the first gear 1. The cross section of the shaft column C1 is non-circular, because if the shaft column C1 is cylindrical, the rotation of the first gear 1 cannot be transmitted. In principle, the cross section of the shaft column C1 can be an irregular shape or a polygon, as long as the shaft column C1 can drive the camera body A1 to rotate under the rotation of the first gear 1. Figure 3 The coupling C shown is a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The shaft column C1 is laterally reduced by 1 / 3 of the circumference to facilitate the rotation of the camera body A1. A hole is provided between the bottom of the camera body A1 and the first gear 1. The cross section of the hole matches the cross section of the shaft column C1 to ensure the stability of the first gear 1 and the camera body A1 during rotation.

[0033] like Figure 4 As shown, the second gear 2 is composed of a coaxial first meshing portion 21 and a second meshing portion 22, wherein the first meshing portion 21 is meshedly connected to the synchronous belt 3, and the second meshing portion 22 is meshedly connected to the rack A3.

[0034] In an embodiment of the present application, the maximum rotation angle of the camera body A1 is 180°. When the camera body A1 rotates 180°, the rear camera is just converted to the front camera to realize the front camera function. In order to control the rotation angle of the camera body A1, a limiting structure is provided on the shaft assembly A2. In principle, a limiting structure can also be provided between the sliding member B1 and the fixing member B2 on the terminal device B to control the sliding distance of the sliding member B1 to limit the rotation angle of the camera body A1. Of course, this limiting structure can also be provided on the coupling member C, or on the rack A3, the first gear 1 or the second gear 2.

[0035] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a limiting structure is arranged on the second gear 2. Specifically, the second meshing portion 22 has two adjacent teeth without tooth grooves, forming two first limiting structures 221. The angle between the two first limiting structures 221 is 180°. The rack A3 meshing with the second meshing portion 22 is provided with a limiting groove 4 matching the first limiting structure 221. The setting of the first limiting structure 221 makes the maximum rotatable angle of the second meshing portion 22 180°, so as to realize the rotation of the camera body A1180°.

[0036] The present application provides a terminal device B, which includes a sliding member B1 and a fixing member B2 that can slide relative to each other, and a rotating camera module A. In one embodiment of the present application, a smart phone is used as an example for specific description. Figure 5-Figure 7 As shown. The smart phone is provided with a sliding part B1 and a fixing part B2. Figure 5 In the embodiment, the sliding member B1 is in a non-pushed state, and the camera disposed on the fixing member B2 is a rear camera. Figure 6-Figure 7 The sliding member B1 shown slides left and right relative to the fixing member B2. When the sliding member B1 slides to the left, the camera set on the fixing member B2 rotates 180 degrees, and the rear camera is transformed into a front camera, realizing the front camera function of the smart phone. In other embodiments of the present application, the sliding member B1 can also slide up and down relative to the fixing member B2. In principle, it is only necessary to satisfy the relative displacement between the sliding member B1 and the fixing member B2.

[0037] Although the specific embodiments of the present invention are described above, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that this is only for illustration and the protection scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims. Those skilled in the art may make various changes or modifications to these embodiments without departing from the principles and essence of the present invention, but these changes and modifications all fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A rotating camera module, characterized in that: The camera module is suitable for a terminal device provided with a sliding member and a fixing member, the sliding member and the fixing member can move relatively to each other, the camera module comprises a camera body, a rotating shaft assembly and a rack, the camera body and the rotating shaft assembly are arranged in the sliding member, the rack is arranged on the fixing member, the camera body is transmission-connected with the rotating shaft assembly, and rotates synchronously with the rotating shaft assembly, the rotating shaft assembly is meshingly connected with the rack, and when the sliding member moves, the rotating shaft assembly in the sliding member and the rack on the fixing member move relatively to each other, and rotate based on the meshing structure, thereby driving the camera body to rotate. The rotating shaft assembly includes a coupling, a first gear, a second gear and a synchronous belt. The second gear is meshed with the rack. When the sliding member moves, the rack moves relative to the rotating shaft assembly and meshes with the second gear. The first gear, the second gear and the synchronous belt are meshed with each other, and the second gear meshes with the synchronous belt to rotate the first gear. One end of the coupling is meshed with the first gear, and the other end is connected to the camera body. The rotation of the first gear drives the coupling to rotate, thereby driving the camera body to rotate.

2. The rotating camera module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second gear is composed of a coaxial first meshing portion and a second meshing portion, the first meshing portion is meshed and connected with the synchronous belt, and the second meshing portion is meshed and connected with the rack.

3. The rotating camera module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The coupling comprises a shaft column and a shaft step, wherein the shaft step passes through the shaft column and is fixed at the middle of the shaft column, and two ends of the shaft column are respectively connected to the camera body and the first gear.

4. The rotating camera module according to claim 3, characterized in that: The cross section of the shaft column is non-circular, and a hole is provided between the bottom of the camera body and the first gear, and the cross section of the hole matches the cross section of the shaft column.

5. The rotating camera module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The maximum rotation angle of the camera body is 180°.

6. The rotating camera module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotating shaft assembly is provided with a limiting structure to control the rotation angle of the camera body.

7. The rotating camera module according to claim 2, characterized in that: The second meshing portion has two adjacent meshing teeth without tooth grooves, forming two first limiting structures, and the angle between the two first limiting structures is 180°.

8. The rotating camera module according to claim 7, characterized in that: The rack is provided with a limiting groove matching the first limiting structure.

9. A terminal device, characterized in that: The terminal device comprises a sliding member and a fixing member which can slide relative to each other, and a rotating camera module as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8.

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