Lens bracket and manufacturing method thereof

Abstract

The present application discloses a lens holder and a manufacturing method thereof. The lens holder may include: at least two accommodating portions, each accommodating portion being configured to accommodate a lens and having a light passing hole for allowing external light to pass through to the lens; and a deformation layer disposed on the inner wall of at least one of the accommodating portions. Wherein, each of the accommodating portions is made of a hard material, and the deformation layer is made of a soft material. The lens holder is composed of a soft structural member located inside and a hard structural member located outside. The deformation of the soft structural member and the generated frictional force are beneficial to keeping the module from falling off inside the lens holder; the hard structural member can ensure the structural strength of the array module and is beneficial to ensuring the assembly accuracy of the mutual positions between the modules.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to a lens bracket and a method for manufacturing the same. Background Art

[0002] The camera function has become a standard feature of smart terminals, and terminal manufacturers are also striving to improve the quality of the camera function. At present, in addition to using better optical lenses, better sensors, and better algorithms to improve the imaging performance of the camera module, basically, an array of camera modules is considered to complete special functions. For example, a telephoto plus wide-angle module is used to achieve a zoom function, a black-and-white plus color module is used to achieve a super night shooting function, a secondary camera with a large aperture is used to achieve a background blur function, or a structured light projector plus a receiving module is used to achieve a 3D camera function, etc. All of these require the cooperation of two or more modules to be realized.

[0003] There are currently two ways to assemble multiple modules: one is to use multiple camera modules on a common substrate. This method requires a high assembly accuracy for the modules. When the optical axes of multiple modules exceed a certain range, it is difficult to disassemble and repair. The other is to separately assemble multiple camera modules and then place them in a metal bracket or a plastic bracket and fix them with glue. The advantage of this method is that it is convenient to repair if there is a large error when placing the module in the bracket. It can be directly removed from the bracket and reinstalled without causing additional defects by disassembling the whole module. The disadvantages are the increased cost and processes brought by the glue dispensing process, as well as the defects caused by glue variation. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In the existing lens bracket solutions, it is necessary to place the camera module in the lens bracket and fix it with glue before detecting the array module. However, when placing the camera module in the lens bracket, the module is likely to shift, resulting in an offset problem between the optical axes of each camera module. But since it has been fixed with glue, it is difficult to disassemble the camera module from the lens bracket. Even if it is disassembled, it is difficult to ensure that the module and / or the lens bracket are not damaged. The present application provides a solution that at least overcomes or partially overcomes the above at least one defect of the prior art.

[0005] On the one hand, the present application provides such a lens bracket, which may include: at least two accommodating portions, each accommodating portion for accommodating a lens and having a light passing hole for allowing external light to pass through to the lens; and a deformation layer provided on the inner wall of at least one of the accommodating portions. Wherein, each of the accommodating portions is made of a hard material, and the deformation layer is made of a soft material.

[0006] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the deformation layer may be formed of at least one of a TPU material, a PTE material, or a silicone material.

[0007] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the accommodating portion may be formed of metal or PA - type plastic.

[0008] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the deformation layer may be provided in each of the accommodating portions.

[0009] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the deformation layer may be provided on the side wall of the accommodating portion. Optionally, the deformation layer is also provided on the top wall of the accommodating portion.

[0010] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present application, a plurality of grooves may be provided on the side wall of the accommodating portion.

[0011] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the plurality of grooves may be symmetrically distributed in the accommodating portion.

[0012] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the deformation layer may have a plurality of first protrusion structures, and the plurality of first protrusion structures respectively match the corresponding grooves in the plurality of grooves.

[0013] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the deformation layer may have a plurality of second protrusion structures, and the plurality of second protrusion structures are provided on the inner wall of the deformation layer.

[0014] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the height of the second protrusion structure may be less than or equal to 0.5 mm. Optionally, the height of the second protrusion structure may be less than or equal to 0.40 mm, less than or equal to 0.30 mm, less than or equal to 0.20 mm, or less than or equal to 0.10 mm.

[0015] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the bottom end face of the accommodating portion may protrude relative to the bottom end face of the deformation layer.

[0016] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the bottom end face of the deformation layer may be formed as an inclined surface.

[0017] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the bottom end face of the accommodating portion may be formed as an inclined surface that matches the inclined surface of the bottom end face of the deformation layer.

[0018] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the side wall of the accommodating portion may have at least one notch at the bottom end.

[0019] On the other hand, the present application also provides a method for manufacturing a lens holder, and the method may include: injecting a hard material into a mold to form at least two accommodating portions, wherein each accommodating portion is for accommodating a lens and has a light - passing hole for allowing external light to pass through to the lens; and injecting a soft material into the mold to form a deformation layer on the inner wall of at least one of the accommodating portions.

[0020] In another aspect, the present application also provides a method for manufacturing a lens holder, which may include: injecting a hard material into a first mold to form at least two accommodating portions, wherein each accommodating portion is used to accommodate a lens and has a light passing hole for allowing external light to pass through to the lens; and injecting a soft material into a second mold to form a deformation layer on the inner wall of at least one of the accommodating portions.

[0021] In another aspect, the present application also provides a method for manufacturing a lens holder, which may include: forming at least two accommodating portions by a metal forming process, wherein each accommodating portion is used to accommodate a lens and has a light passing hole for allowing external light to pass through to the lens; and injecting a soft material into the mold to form a deformation layer on the inner wall of at least one of the accommodating portions.

[0022] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the metal forming process includes any one of die forming and die casting.

[0023] The lens holder according to the present application is composed of a soft structural member (deformation layer) located inside and a hard structural member (accommodating portion) located outside. The deformation of the soft structural member and the generated frictional force can keep the module from falling off inside the lens holder; while the hard structural member can ensure the structural strength of the array module and is beneficial to ensuring the assembly accuracy of the mutual positions between the modules. The lens holder according to the present application may have at least one of the following beneficial effects:

[0024] 1. The quality and accuracy of the array module are improved, and the assembly accuracy of the relative positions between the individual modules is ensured;

[0025] 2. The offset of the optical axes between the individual modules is reduced;

[0026] 3. The reliability of the array module is improved;

[0027] 4. The difficulty of repairing the array module with assembly problems is reduced, and the repair efficiency is improved (since the camera module and the lens holder are fixed by a snap-fit method, the repair disassembly is simple and no damage will be caused to the lens holder and the camera module);

[0028] 5. The assembly process of the array module is simplified, making it easier to install the module into the lens holder;

[0029] 6. The use of glue is reduced, the glue cost is lowered, and the assembly process is simplified. (In the conventional array module, after multiple modules are assembled separately, they are placed into the lens holder, and then fixed by dispensing glue. In this solution, multiple camera modules are directly placed inside the lens holder, and the camera modules are fixed inside the lens holder through the friction force of the soft structural member and its deformation ability within a certain limit, saving the glue material and making the assembly process simpler.) BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] The above and other advantages of the embodiments of the present application will become apparent from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are intended to illustrate the exemplary embodiments of the present application without limiting it. In the drawings:

[0031] Figure 1 A perspective view of a lens holder according to an exemplary embodiment is schematically shown;

[0032] Figure 2 A perspective view of a lens holder according to an exemplary embodiment is schematically shown;

[0033] Figure 3 A perspective view of a lens holder according to an exemplary embodiment is schematically shown;

[0034] Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of a lens holder according to an exemplary embodiment is schematically shown;

[0035] Figure 5 A cross-sectional view of a lens holder according to an exemplary embodiment is schematically shown;

[0036] Figure 6 A perspective view of a lens holder according to an exemplary embodiment is schematically shown;

[0037] Figure 7 A block diagram of a method for manufacturing a lens holder according to an exemplary embodiment is schematically shown;

[0038] Figure 8 A block diagram of a method for manufacturing a lens holder according to an exemplary embodiment is schematically shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0039] To better understand the present application, more detailed descriptions will be made of various aspects of the present application with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that these detailed descriptions are only descriptions of the exemplary embodiments of the present application and do not limit the scope of the present application in any way. Throughout the specification, the same reference numerals refer to the same elements.

[0040] It should be noted that in this specification, the expressions such as first, second, etc. are only used to distinguish one feature from another, and do not represent any limitation on the features. Therefore, without departing from the teachings of the present application, the first mold discussed below may also be referred to as the second mold.

[0041] In the drawings, for ease of illustration, the thickness, dimensions, and shape of the objects have been slightly exaggerated. The drawings are for example only and are not drawn to strict scale.

[0042] It should also be understood that the terms "comprises", "comprising", "has", "including" and / or "including having", when used in this specification, indicate the presence of the stated features, wholes, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, wholes, steps, operations, elements, components and / or groups thereof. In addition, when an expression such as "at least one of..." appears after the list of listed features, it modifies the entire listed features, rather than modifying the individual elements in the list. In addition, when describing the embodiments of the present application, the use of "may" means "one or more embodiments of the present application". And, the term "exemplary" is intended to refer to an example or illustration. The expression "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0043] As used herein, the terms "substantially", "about" and similar terms are used as terms of approximation, rather than as terms of degree, and are intended to account for the inherent deviations in measured or calculated values that would be recognized by a person of ordinary skill in the art.

[0044] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which this utility model belongs. It should also be understood that terms (such as those defined in a common dictionary) should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art, and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

[0045] It should be noted that, without conflict, the embodiments in the present application and the features in the embodiments may be combined with each other. The present application will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings and in combination with the embodiments.

[0046] Figure 1 A perspective view of a lens holder 100A according to an exemplary embodiment is schematically shown.

[0047] As Figure 1As shown, the lens holder 100A may include two accommodating portions 101. Each accommodating portion 101 can be used to accommodate a lens (not shown) and may have a light passing hole 103 for allowing external light to pass through to the lens. The accommodating portion 101 can be made of a hard material with a relatively high hardness (compared to soft materials). Optionally, the accommodating portion 101 can be formed of metal or PA-based plastics. The hard structural member with a higher hardness (i.e., the accommodating portion 101) can ensure that the overall lens holder has a certain strength, thereby ensuring that the array module has better structural stability after assembly, that is, it is not easily deformed structurally due to external forces. Moreover, the hard structural member can also limit the possibility of the soft structural member (i.e., the deformation layer 102, which will be described in detail below) expanding outward, so that the optical axes of multiple camera modules are not easily offset after being installed in the lens holder.

[0048] The accommodating portion 101 can have a generally rectangular shape. Multiple accommodating portions 101 can be arranged in a straight line along the longitudinal direction, or can also be arranged in a straight line along the transverse direction. The light passing hole 103 can be provided on the top wall of the accommodating portion 101 for allowing external light to pass through to the lens accommodated in the accommodating portion 101. The light passing hole 103 can have a generally circular shape, but the present application is not limited thereto. For example, the light passing hole 103 can also have a rectangular shape, a polygonal shape, an elliptical shape, etc. Any structure that can allow external light to pass through to the lens accommodated in the accommodating portion 101 can be used as the light passing hole 103.

[0049] The lens holder 100A may further include a deformation layer 102. The deformation layer 102 is provided on the inner wall of at least one accommodating portion 101. Optionally, the deformation layer 102 can be provided on the side wall and the top wall of the accommodating portion 101. The deformation layer 102 can be made of a soft material with a relatively low hardness (compared to the hard material). Optionally, the deformation layer 102 can be formed of at least one of TPU material, PTE material, or silicone material. The soft structural member (i.e., the deformation layer 102) has a certain deformation ability. During the process of installing the camera module, the soft structural member will generate a certain deformation. There is a certain elastic force between the soft structural member and the camera module, thereby generating a certain frictional force between the soft structural member and the camera module, so that the camera module can be directly snapped into the internal space of the lens holder and be fixed in the lens holder. In an exemplary embodiment, the camera module can be a motorized AF module (auto-focus module), or can also be a non-motorized FF module (fixed-focus module).

[0050] In this embodiment, deformation layers 102 are provided on the inner walls of both accommodating portions 101. And in each accommodating portion 101, the deformation layer 102 is provided on the side wall and the top wall. On the inner wall of each accommodating portion 101, a plurality of grooves 104 may be provided. Each groove 104 can extend in the vertical direction and has a generally rectangular shape. The plurality of grooves 104 may be symmetrically distributed in the accommodating portion 101. Correspondingly, the deformation layer 102 has a plurality of first protrusion structures 105, and the plurality of first protrusion structures 105 are provided on the side of the deformation layer 102 that is in contact with the accommodating portion 101. The plurality of first protrusion structures 105 respectively match the corresponding grooves 104 among the plurality of grooves 104, that is, each first protrusion structure 105 can be fitted into the corresponding groove 104. In an exemplary embodiment, six grooves 104 may be provided in each accommodating portion 101. Correspondingly, the number of the first protrusion structures 105 in each accommodating portion 101 may also be six, but the present application is not limited thereto. It should be noted that any number of grooves 104 can be provided according to the size and specific structure of the accommodating portion 101.

[0051] Fitting the first protrusion structures 105 of the deformation layer 102 into the grooves 104 of the accommodating portion 101 can increase the bonding degree between the accommodating portion 101 and the deformation layer 102, thereby being beneficial to improving the overall strength of the lens holder and being beneficial to ensuring that the array module is not likely to fall off after assembly. In addition, the symmetrical arrangement of the grooves 104 is beneficial to ensuring the symmetry of the structure, is beneficial to making the deformation of the soft structure member uniform, and is beneficial to ensuring the parallelism of the optical axes of the plurality of camera modules in the array module.

[0052] In an exemplary embodiment, the deformation layer 102 may further have a plurality of second protrusion structures 106, and the plurality of second protrusion structures 106 are provided on the inner wall of the deformation layer 102. The plurality of second protrusion structures 106 are symmetrically distributed on the inner wall of the deformation layer 102. Optionally, the plurality of second protrusion structures 106 may be correspondingly arranged with the plurality of first protrusion structures 105. The space enclosed by the planar portion of the soft structure member is close to the size of the camera module, or the size of the formed through hole is slightly smaller than the module size. Setting the second protrusion structures 106 is beneficial to clamping the camera module and increasing the bonding strength between the camera module and the holder. Optionally, the height of the second protrusion structures 106 may be less than or equal to 0.50 mm, for example, less than or equal to 0.40 mm, less than or equal to 0.30 mm, less than or equal to 0.20 mm, or less than or equal to 0.10 mm.

[0053] Figure 2 A perspective view of a lens holder 100B according to an exemplary embodiment is schematically shown. For the sake of simplicity, the following will omit some descriptions similar to Figure 1 the lens holder 100A shown.

[0054] As shown Figure 2 in the figure, the lens holder 100B may include a first accommodating portion 101a and a second accommodating portion 101b. Both the first accommodating portion 101a and the second accommodating portion 101b can be used to accommodate a lens (not shown) and may have a light passing hole 103 for allowing external light to pass through to the lens. The lens holder 100A may further include a deformation layer 102, and the deformation layer 102 is disposed on the inner walls of the first accommodating portion 101a and the second accommodating portion 101b. Among them, the first accommodating portion 101a and the second accommodating portion 101b may be made of a hard material with a relatively high hardness (compared with soft materials). The deformation layer 102 may be made of a soft material with a relatively low hardness (compared with hard materials).

[0055] In this embodiment, the deformation layer 102 is disposed on the inner walls of both the first accommodating portion 101a and the second accommodating portion 101b. However, in the second accommodating portion 101b, the deformation layer 102 is disposed on the side wall and the top wall of the second accommodating portion 101b; while in the first accommodating portion 101a, the deformation layer 102 is only disposed on the side wall of the first accommodating portion 101a. That is Figure 2 the lens holder 100B shown in Figure 1 is different from the lens holder 100A shown in that the deformation layer 102 is not disposed on the top wall of the first accommodating portion 101a.

[0056] Figure 3 A perspective view of a lens holder 100C according to an exemplary embodiment is schematically shown. For the sake of simplicity, the following will omit some descriptions similar to those of Figure 1 the lens holder 100A shown

[0057] Referring to Figure 3 , the lens holder 100C of this embodiment may include a first accommodating portion 101a and a second accommodating portion 101b. On the inner wall of the first accommodating portion 101a, a deformation layer 102 is disposed. The deformation layer 102 is not disposed in the second accommodating portion 101b, and the second accommodating portion 101b has an open top structure. That is, the second accommodating portion 101b is integrally formed as a through hole surrounded by four-sided hard materials. The open top structure may be equivalent to the light passing hole. Among them, the first accommodating portion 101a and the second accommodating portion 101b may be made of a hard material with a relatively high hardness (compared with soft materials). The deformation layer 102 may be made of a soft material with a relatively low hardness (compared with hard materials).

[0058] The structure of the first accommodating portion 101a according to this example can be used to accommodate a secondary camera module, and the secondary camera module is installed in the lens holder by being clamped by a soft structure member. By using clamping with a soft structure member for fixation, it is convenient for disassembly and position adjustment.

[0059] The structure of the second accommodating portion 101b according to this example can be used to accommodate the main camera module. The main camera module is generally an AF module with a motor, which has a relatively large volume and weight. In addition, the main camera module usually also has a relatively high module height. Therefore, the second accommodating portion 101b can be set to have an open top structure, and such a setting is beneficial to reducing the overall height of the array module.

[0060] For a lens module with a relatively large mass, mounting it in an accommodating portion formed by a rigid structural member is beneficial to providing sufficient supporting force for the lens module, thereby facilitating ensuring the relative relationship between the optical axis of the lens module and other modules or the lens bracket. Therefore, a rigid structural member is adopted here, and the main camera module in the array module is fixed by the conventional method of dispensing glue.

[0061] Figure 3 The shown lens bracket 100C, considering the situation that the main camera lens has a relatively large volume and weight, comprehensively uses a lens bracket including an accommodating portion composed only of a rigid material and an accommodating portion with a deformation layer. Among them, it can not only provide sufficient supporting force for a lens with a relatively large mass such as the main camera module, but also simultaneously achieve the beneficial effects of facilitating the disassembly of the secondary camera module and adjusting the position of the secondary camera module, thereby contributing to the improvement of the overall optical axis parallelism and assembly accuracy of the array module.

[0062] Figure 4 Schematically shows a cross-sectional view of a lens bracket 100D according to an exemplary embodiment; Figure 5 Schematically shows a cross-sectional view of a lens bracket 100E according to another exemplary embodiment.

[0063] In an exemplary embodiment, the bottom end face of the accommodating portion can protrude relative to the bottom end face of the deformation layer. That is, the bottom end face of the deformation layer can be lower than the bottom end face of the accommodating portion. As Figure 4 shown, the bottom end face 1021 of the deformation layer can be formed as an inclined surface, and the bottom end face 1021 of the deformation layer can be set to be lower than the bottom end face 1011 of the accommodating portion. That is, a stepped structure can be formed between the bottom end face 1021 of the deformation layer and the bottom end face 1011 of the accommodating portion. Optionally, the bottom end face of the deformation layer can be formed as a plane, or can be formed as an inclined surface or an inclined arc surface, but the present application is not limited thereto.

[0064] In an exemplary embodiment, the bottom end face of the deformation layer and the bottom end face of the accommodating portion can together form an inclined surface. As Figure 5 shown, the bottom end face 1021 of the deformation layer is formed as an inclined surface, and at the same time, the bottom end face 1011 of the accommodating portion is formed as an inclined surface matching the inclined surface of the bottom end face 1021 of the deformation layer. At this time, the bottom end face 1021 of the deformation layer and the bottom end face 1011 of the accommodating portion have the same slope.

[0065] When the accommodating part does not have a deformation layer, the bottom end face of the accommodating part can be directly set as an inclined plane or an inclined arc surface.

[0066] A stepped structure is formed between the accommodating part and the deformation layer, or the bottom end face of the accommodating part and the bottom end face of the deformation layer are formed as an inclined plane, for example, or the bottom end face of the accommodating part is formed as an inclined plane, for example. Such a structural arrangement is conducive to making the bottom of the lens holder have a relatively large opening, which is convenient for the installation of the camera module. The camera module can be more easily installed into the lens holder through the guidance of this opening.

[0067] On the other hand, after the camera module has been installed into the lens holder, as an optional method, glue can be applied at the bottom, and the relative positional relationship between the module and the lens holder can be further fixed through the curing of the glue. And the above structural arrangement, as the position for applying the glue, can effectively prevent the glue from overflowing.

[0068] Figure 6 A perspective view of a lens holder 100F according to an exemplary embodiment is schematically shown. For the sake of brevity, the following will omit some descriptions similar to Figure 3 the lens holder 100C shown.

[0069] Referring to Figure 6 , the lens holder 100F of this embodiment may include a first accommodating part 101a and a second accommodating part 101b. On the inner wall of the first accommodating part 101a, a deformation layer 102 is provided. The deformation layer 102 is not provided in the second accommodating part 101b, and the second accommodating part 101b has an open top structure. That is, the second accommodating part 101b is integrally formed as a through hole surrounded by four-sided hard materials. The open top structure can be equivalent to a light passing hole. Among them, the first accommodating part 101a and the second accommodating part 101b can be made of hard materials with relatively high hardness (compared with soft materials). The deformation layer 102 can be made of soft materials with relatively low hardness (compared with hard materials).

[0070] Figure 6 The difference between the shown lens holder 100F and Figure 3 the shown lens holder 100C is that Figure 6The side wall of the accommodating portion in [description] may have at least one notch at the bottom end. For example, the first accommodating portion 101a may have a first notch 1012, and the second accommodating portion 101b may have a second notch 1013. The first notch 1012 is disposed at the bottom end of the side wall of the first accommodating portion 101a in the transverse direction, while the second notch 1013 is disposed at the bottom end of the side wall of the second accommodating portion 101b in the longitudinal direction. The design of the notch structure enables the connection band of the camera module to be led out of the accommodating portion through the notch structure when the camera module is installed in the accommodating portion. It should be noted that the specific structure of the notch is not limited by the shape shown in the figure. The direction of the notch depends on the structure design of the module, and the directional relationship between the first notch 1012 and the second notch 1013 is also determined by the module structure design. In other words, the first notch 1012 and the second notch 1013 may both be disposed in the longitudinal direction, or the first notch 1012 and the second notch 1013 may both be disposed in the transverse direction, or one of the first notch 1012 and the second notch 1013 may be disposed in the longitudinal direction while the other may be disposed in the transverse direction.

[0071] The lens bracket provided by the present application may have at least one of the following beneficial effects: improving the imaging quality of the array module; ensuring the assembly accuracy of the relative positions between the modules in the array module; reducing the offset between the optical axes in the array module; reducing the difficulty of repair and disassembly of the array module; improving the reliability of the array module; and protecting the single module.

[0072] On the other hand, the present application also provides a method for manufacturing the lens bracket as described above. The manufacturing method of the lens bracket mainly includes forming by two-color injection molding or secondary injection molding.

[0073] Figure 7 A block diagram schematically showing a method for manufacturing a lens bracket according to an exemplary embodiment; Figure 8 A block diagram schematically showing a method for manufacturing a lens bracket according to another exemplary embodiment.

[0074] See Figure 7 , in step S701, a hard material is injected into the mold to form at least two accommodating portions, wherein each accommodating portion is for accommodating a lens and has a light passing hole for allowing external light to pass through to the lens. In step S702, a soft material is injected into the mold to form a deformation layer on the inner wall of at least one accommodating portion.

[0075] In Figure 7 the manufacturing method shown, the hard material and the soft material are injected through the same set of molds and a dedicated two-color injection molding machine. During the entire injection molding process, the hard material is first injected to form the hard structural member, and then without demolding, the mold is rotated and the soft material is directly injected to form the soft structural member.

[0076] See Figure 8 In step S801, a hard material is injected into the first mold to form at least two accommodating portions, where each accommodating portion is used to accommodate a lens and has a light passing hole for allowing external light to pass through to the lens. In step S802, a soft material is injected into the second mold to form a deformation layer on the inner wall of at least one accommodating portion.

[0077] In Figure 8 In the manufacturing method shown, the hard material and the soft material use two sets of molds and can be injection molded using a common injection molding machine. The two injection moldings can use the same injection molding machine or two injection molding machines respectively to improve efficiency. During the entire injection molding process, the hard structural part is first formed through the first mold, and then the formed hard structural part is placed in the second mold, and the soft structural part is formed thereon. It should be noted that when the hard structural part is metal, the metal can be first formed through other metal forming processes, and then the soft structural part is formed using a mold. The forming method of the metal hard structural part can be mold forming, die casting forming, etc.

[0078] The present application also provides an assembly method for a lens holder and an array module.

[0079] The lens holder includes a plurality of accommodating portions, so the number of camera modules forming the array module can be multiple. The cooperation methods of the array module can include one of the following:

[0080] 1) A combination of multiple camera modules, for example, a combination of a telephoto lens and a wide-angle lens module, a combination of a black-and-white lens and a color lens module, etc.;

[0081] 2) A 3D module including a receiving end and a transmitting end, or a combination of a 3D module and a conventional camera module; and

[0082] 3) A combination of a front camera module, an ambient light sensor, a distance sensor, etc. on a mobile phone and a camera module or a 3D module.

[0083] According to an exemplary embodiment, the assembly method of the lens holder and the array module can be: first prepare a lens holder in which each accommodating portion has a soft structural part; install each camera module into the corresponding accommodating portion of the lens holder; perform a test on the coaxiality of the optical axes to detect the quality of the array module. If the test passes, the array module finished product can be obtained, otherwise, repair is required.

[0084] According to an exemplary embodiment, the assembly method of the lens holder and the array module may also be as follows: First, prepare a lens holder in which at least one accommodating portion has a soft structural member and at least one accommodating portion only includes a hard structural member; First, install the module (for example, the main camera module) into the accommodating portion that only includes the hard structural member, and perform dispensing and fixing on it. Check and confirm the installation condition of the module. If the test passes, the installation can continue; if the test fails, repair is required; In the case of continuing the installation after passing the test, install the remaining modules into the corresponding accommodating portions including the soft structural members respectively, and detect the array module. If the test passes, the finished product of the array module can be obtained; otherwise, repair is required.

[0085] According to an exemplary embodiment, the assembly method of the lens holder and the array module may also be as follows: First, prepare a lens holder formed by two-color injection molding or secondary injection molding; Assemble the camera module into the lens holder, perform the coaxiality test of the optical axis. After the test passes, perform dispensing and curing to further fix the camera module and the lens holder. The advantage of this method is that it not only has the advantage of being easy to repair during the assembly process, but also can further fasten the camera module and the lens holder through dispensing. Specifically, before dispensing and curing, the camera module is fixed by the friction force of the soft structural member and a certain degree of elastic deformation ability, so that the camera module and the lens holder have a relatively fixed position, and thus the coaxiality of the assembly can be measured. At this time, if the measurement error is large, since the camera module is only fixed by the soft structural member, it is easy to repair. If the coaxiality test of the optical axis passes, the fixing strength between the camera module and the lens holder can be further enhanced by dispensing. In this entire assembly method, setting the soft structural member is equivalent to adding a pre-assembly step, thereby greatly improving the assembly accuracy and the yield rate of the finished product of the lens holder.

[0086] In the above assembly method, a through-hole baffle made of a soft material is provided on the top surface of the lens holder, which can provide a limit for the module during the installation process. Cooperating with the soft material on the periphery, it is beneficial to ensure that the module is installed at the set position.

[0087] Although the lens holder in the exemplary embodiment is shown as including two accommodating portions, according to needs, the lens holder provided in the present application may have at least two accommodating portions. The lens holder provided in the present application for the array module is suitable for installing multiple modules, for example, 2, 3, 4 or even more. Correspondingly, the lens holder may have 2, 3, 4 or even more accommodating portions. The specific structure of the lens holder is not limited by the shape shown in the figure. According to specific needs, the specific structure of the lens holder may be in a straight shape (as shown in the attached figure), or in an L shape, or in a cross shape or other shape structures.

[0088] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present application and an explanation of the applied technical principles. Those skilled in the art should understand that the scope of the invention involved in the present application is not limited to the technical solution formed by the specific combination of the above technical features, but should also cover other technical solutions formed by any combination of the above technical features or their equivalent features without departing from the inventive concept. For example, a technical solution formed by mutually replacing the above features with technical features (but not limited to) having similar functions disclosed in the present application.

Claims

1. A lens bracket, characterized in that, The lens bracket includes: At least two accommodating portions, each accommodating portion being configured to accommodate a lens and having a light passing hole for allowing external light to pass through to the lens; A deformation layer provided on the inner wall of at least one of the accommodating portions, wherein each of the accommodating portions is made of a hard material, and the deformation layer is made of a soft material, a bottom end surface of the accommodating portion protrudes relative to a bottom end surface of the deformation layer, a stepped structure is formed between the bottom end surface of the accommodating portion and the bottom end surface of the deformation layer, the bottom end surface of the deformation layer is formed as an inclined surface, a plurality of grooves are provided on a side wall of the accommodating portion, the deformation layer has a plurality of first protrusion structures, and the plurality of first protrusion structures respectively match corresponding grooves among the plurality of grooves.

2. The lens bracket according to claim 1, characterized in that, The deformation layer is formed of at least one of a TPU material, a PTE material, or a silicone material.

3. The lens bracket according to claim 1, characterized in that, The accommodating portion is formed of a metal or a PA-based plastic.

4. The lens bracket according to claim 1, characterized in that, The deformation layer is provided in each of the accommodating portions.

5. The lens bracket according to claim 1, characterized in that, The deformation layer is provided on the side wall of the accommodating portion.

6. The lens bracket according to claim 5, characterized in that, The deformation layer is further provided on a top wall of the accommodating portion.

7. The lens bracket according to claim 1, characterized in that, The plurality of grooves are symmetrically distributed in the accommodating portion.

8. The lens bracket according to claim 1, characterized in that, The deformation layer has a plurality of second protrusion structures provided on an inner wall of the deformation layer.

9. The lens bracket according to claim 8, characterized in that, The height of the second protrusion structure is less than or equal to 0.5 mm.

10. The lens bracket according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom end surface of the accommodating portion is formed as an inclined surface matching the inclined surface of the bottom end surface of the deformation layer.

11. The lens bracket according to claim 1, characterized in that, The side wall of the accommodating portion has at least one notch at the bottom end.

12. A method for manufacturing a lens bracket, characterized in that, The method includes: Injecting a hard material into a mold to form at least two accommodating portions, wherein each accommodating portion is configured to accommodate a lens and has a light passing hole for allowing external light to pass through to the lens, and a plurality of grooves are provided on a side wall of the accommodating portion; Injecting a soft material into the mold to form a deformation layer on an inner wall of at least one of the accommodating portions, the deformation layer having a plurality of first protrusion structures, and the plurality of first protrusion structures respectively match corresponding grooves among the plurality of grooves; wherein the bottom end surface of the accommodating portion protrudes relative to the bottom end surface of the deformation layer, a stepped structure is formed between the bottom end surface of the accommodating portion and the bottom end surface of the deformation layer, and the bottom end surface of the deformation layer is formed as an inclined surface.

13. A method for manufacturing a lens bracket, characterized in that, The method includes: Injecting a hard material into a first mold to form at least two accommodating portions, wherein each accommodating portion is configured to accommodate a lens and has a light passing hole for allowing external light to pass through to the lens, and a plurality of grooves are provided on a side wall of the accommodating portion; Injecting a soft material into a second mold to form a deformation layer on an inner wall of at least one of the accommodating portions, the deformation layer having a plurality of first protrusion structures, and the plurality of first protrusion structures respectively match corresponding grooves among the plurality of grooves; wherein the bottom end surface of the accommodating portion protrudes relative to the bottom end surface of the deformation layer, a stepped structure is formed between the bottom end surface of the accommodating portion and the bottom end surface of the deformation layer, and the bottom end surface of the deformation layer is formed as an inclined surface.

14. A method for manufacturing a lens bracket, characterized in that, The method includes: At least two accommodating parts are formed by a metal forming process, wherein each accommodating part is used to accommodate a lens and has a light passing hole for allowing external light to pass through to the lens, and a plurality of grooves are provided on the side wall of the accommodating part; Inject a soft material into the mold to form a deformation layer on the inner wall of at least one of the accommodating parts, the deformation layer having a plurality of first convex structures, and the plurality of first convex structures respectively match corresponding grooves among the plurality of grooves; Wherein, the bottom end surface of the accommodating part protrudes relative to the bottom end surface of the deformation layer, a step structure is formed between the bottom end surface of the accommodating part and the bottom end surface of the deformation layer, and the bottom end surface of the deformation layer is formed as an inclined surface.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that, The metal forming process includes any one of die forming and die casting.

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