A suspended image sensor fixing structure and a camera module using the same

Abstract

The present invention belongs to the field of camera sensor technology, and discloses a suspended image sensor fixing structure and a camera module using the structure, which is used to be arranged in the camera module to realize the sensor suspension and movement, including an OIS base and a spring body; the spring body is fixed in the camera module and connected to the OIS base by at least three spring wires; the spring body and the spring wire are both elastic. By using a resin plug-in to connect the coil and the image sensor to a metal plate, the integrity can be improved and the height of the entire camera module can be reduced; at the same time, the metal plate and the OIS spring wire are firmly connected, and it also has a conductive effect between the substrate of the image sensor and the OIS coil, which optimizes and improves the assembly method of the motor.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of imaging equipment, and in particular relates to a suspended image sensor fixing structure and a camera module adopting the structure. Background Art

[0002] The VCM motor is a device that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy and achieves linear and limited swing angle motion. It is a device that uses the interaction between the magnetic field from the permanent magnet and the magnetic poles in the magnetic field generated by the energized coil conductor to produce regular motion. Because the voice coil motor is a non-commutated power device, its positioning accuracy depends entirely on the feedback and control system and has nothing to do with the voice coil motor itself. The emergence of the VCM motor has transformed the smartphone camera from fixed focus to autofocus, while giving small or micro cameras an anti-shake function. Its biggest function is that the camera can automatically focus and provide motion compensation.

[0003] The VCM of the mobile phone camera needs the cooperation of DriverIC to complete the focus and anti-shake. The existing VCM controls the size of the VCM power supply current through DriverIC to determine the distance the lens carried by the VCM moves, so as to adjust it to the appropriate position to capture a clear image. The VCM motor actually moves based on the principle that the energized coil is subjected to force in the magnetic field. Precise control requires the help of some external components, among which the DriveIC is used to control and output the size and time of the current, thereby controlling the position that the voice coil driver needs to reach. In the mobile phone, all the control information of the DriveIC is given by the SoC, and the control logic and specific parameters are obtained by engineers through repeated adjustments during the design and manufacturing process.

[0004] The control and action principles of VCM motors in focus and anti-shake are similar, but since anti-shake has more movement directions, complex structural design is required to meet certain anti-shake requirements. The anti-shake structures in existing micro cameras all compensate for lens motion, but since the lens module itself is large in size and weight, a certain amount of input power and movement space are required in motion control to achieve the anti-shake effect, which undoubtedly increases the size of the entire camera module. In terminal devices with strict space installation restrictions, the OIS mechanism is removed to adapt to the installation requirements, which affects the image quality. Summary of the invention

[0005] In order to solve the problems existing in the prior art, the present invention provides a suspended image sensor fixing structure and a camera module adopting the structure, which can achieve motion compensation for the sensor through the suspended components, thereby effectively reducing the volume of the entire camera module.

[0006] The technical solution adopted by the present invention is:

[0007] In a first aspect, the present invention discloses a suspended image sensor fixing structure, which is used to be arranged in a camera module to realize the sensor suspension and movement, and includes an OIS base and a spring body;

[0008] The elastic body is fixed in the camera module and connected to the OIS base via at least three spring wires;

[0009] The elastic body and the spring wire are both elastic.

[0010] The present invention is a fixing mechanism used in a camera (especially a micro camera module), which together with other magnetic components constitutes an anti-shake module. Anti-shake means that by adopting a special connection setting for the lens or sensor, it can maintain a certain degree of freedom in the camera, and can move in a certain range under the push of other moving bodies, so as to compensate for the shaking of the external fixing device of the camera, so that the sensor can receive external light in a relatively static state.

[0011] To realize the active optical image stabilization function, it is necessary to set an action component (generally an electromagnetic actuation combination of a magnet and an energized coil) in the camera to push the lens and / or sensor to perform active actions, and at the same time, it is necessary to maintain a certain range of freedom of movement of the lens and / or sensor in the camera module. The OIS optical image stabilization technology in the prior art is mainly aimed at lens image stabilization. Since it has the same actuation principle as the existing AF autofocus technology, it has a relatively mature technical application for lens image stabilization (especially for micro camera modules) and is relatively low in cost.

[0012] However, in order to reduce the size of many electronic devices (especially handheld terminal devices such as mobile phones), it is necessary to control the volume of other internal components while ensuring that the volume of important components such as batteries does not change. Among them, the volume control of the camera becomes the key. The imaging quality of the optical camera module is related to many factors such as sensor size, lens module, anti-shake technology and integrated algorithm. Once the volume of the entire camera module is reduced, it is bound to affect the imaging quality. In order to further reduce the impact on the imaging quality, it is necessary to adjust the structure of the optical anti-shake component that originally occupies a large space, so the sensor anti-shake technology is proposed.

[0013] The principle of sensor anti-shake is similar to that of lens anti-shake. Since the incoming light passes through the lens module before entering the sensor, motion compensation can be achieved by adjusting the movement direction of the lens or the sensor. However, since the sensor has a smaller volume, the sensor anti-shake mechanism is easier to optimize in size than the lens anti-shake mechanism, and since its weight is significantly smaller than the lens module, its motion control is also relatively simple.

[0014] The OIS base in the present invention is a component for supporting the sensor, and the body itself is fixedly connected to the camera. A plurality of spring wires are arranged between the body and the OIS base, so that the OIS base can be flipped or translated to a certain extent in space. The so-called flipping refers to spatial flipping. The entire OIS base can be regarded as a plane. When the plane is thrust by an external electromagnetic component, it can rotate around a single axis. The axis is a virtual axis, that is, the line connecting the two OIS bases and the spring wires. At the same time, translation refers to movement within a certain range within the plane where the OIS base is located. Comprehensive anti-shake is performed through the above two motion modes, which can improve the anti-shake effect of the entire sensor.

[0015] It is worth mentioning that both the spring body and the spring wire are elastic, and can provide restoring force to the OIS base. Due to the two-stage structural design, the assembly order in the entire camera module can be adjusted by adjusting the length and direction of the spring wire, adjusting the spring body structure and the fixed position. Since there are more adjustment points, it is easier to arrange other components and has higher adaptability.

[0016] In combination with the first aspect, the present invention provides a first implementation of the first aspect, wherein the elastic body is an annular sheet structure, and a plurality of strings are provided thereon, and the strings are connected to the spring wires.

[0017] The main structure of the elastic body is a ring-shaped part, which is mainly a plane or space sheet structure. The plane sheet structure has a small longitudinal space occupancy rate, and its elastic direction is mainly perpendicular to the plane direction of the main structure of the elastic body, while the space sheet includes multiple spatial bending characteristics of an integrated or split splicing structure, which can not only provide longitudinal elastic restoring force, but also provide elastic restoring force in the lateral direction.

[0018] The elastic body provides the main structural support force, and due to the characteristics of its annular structure, its deformation is small. The multiple string structures arranged on the circumference of its outer edge or inner edge have a large elastic deformation, which can give the spring wire and OIS base more displacement and main elastic restoring force.

[0019] It is worth noting that the longitudinal and transverse directions mentioned above are based on the incident direction of the light, the incident direction is the longitudinal or axial direction, and all planes perpendicular to the light path are transverse or horizontal directions.

[0020] In combination with the first embodiment of the first aspect, the present invention provides a second embodiment of the first aspect, wherein the string is an integrally formed structure having the same thickness as the projectile body, the string width is smaller than the projectile body, the string has multiple corners, and an enlarged end connected to the spring wire is provided in the middle.

[0021] The string and the body are an integrated structure, which is formed by laser cutting on the same metal plate. It has high structural stability and low manufacturing and assembly costs. In order to have better deformation and toughness, the width is reduced and the length is increased, and a better elastic deformation effect can be achieved through multiple bending designs. When the spring wire moves up and down, the enlarged end of the string will move up and down with the same amplitude, and there will be relative friction between the enlarged end and the main structure of the body, causing the string on one side or both sides to bend and stretch. Because of its smaller width and larger length, it is easier to deform, and the deformation can be evenly dispersed, and good stability can be guaranteed even when a large displacement occurs.

[0022] In combination with the second embodiment of the first aspect, the present invention provides a third embodiment of the first aspect, wherein the enlarged end is in a circular ring shape, the string is symmetrical with the enlarged end as the center of symmetry, and both sides include an elastic part with multiple bends and unchanged width, and a connecting part connected to the elastic body and with gradually increasing width.

[0023] The elastic part is mainly the main body of the deformation, and the connecting part has a large width and the width is set gradually, which can avoid the problem of stress concentration caused by sudden changes in width. The so-called gradual enlargement is determined from the enlarged end to the main structure of the body. In order to improve stability and enable the string to provide a more stable recovery effect when deformed, it is set to a symmetrical structure, and its deformation characteristics are easy to grasp, which is convenient for the later debugging of its anti-shake function.

[0024] In combination with the second implementation of the first aspect, the present invention provides a fourth implementation of the first aspect, wherein the spring wire is perpendicular to the plane where the elastic body and the OIS base are located.

[0025] In combination with the first aspect, the present invention provides a fifth implementation of the first aspect, wherein the strings are all spatially bent structures.

[0026] In combination with the first aspect and its first to fifth embodiments, the present invention provides a sixth embodiment of the first aspect, wherein the OIS base comprises an injection-molded main structure and a sensor supported on the main structure; the main structure comprises a metal inner body, the metal inner body has an extending end extending out of the main structure, and the extending end is connected to the string through a spring wire.

[0027] In combination with the sixth embodiment of the first aspect, the present invention provides a seventh embodiment of the first aspect, wherein the metal inner body is a split structure, comprising a plurality of metal strips, and a single metal strip comprises at least one outwardly protruding end and a plurality of inwardly protruding conductive ends, which are connected to the circuits on the OIS base through the conductive ends.

[0028] In a second aspect, the present invention also provides a camera module, comprising an outer shell and a bottom cover that are interlocked, and also comprising an AF module and a sensor arranged in the outer shell; the outer shell is provided with a suspended image sensor fixing structure in the above-mentioned embodiment, and the sensor is arranged on an OIS base.

[0029] In combination with the second aspect, the present invention provides a first implementation of the second aspect, wherein the OIS base is connected to an external circuit, and supplies power to the AF module through the metal inner body, the spring wire and the elastic body in sequence.

[0030] The beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0031] The present invention can provide the sensor with a better range of motion and motion stability through the motion connection structure design of the elastic body, string wire, spring wire and OIS base. At the same time, the OIS coil and the image sensor are connected to the metal inner body by using a resin plug-in, which helps to improve the assembly process. At the same time, the stable connection between the metal inner body and the OIS spring wire also provides better elastic support for the OIS base. The metal inner body also has a conductive function between the substrate and the coil of the sensor, thereby achieving the purpose of simplifying the assembly process. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] Figure 1 This is an axial schematic diagram of the assembly state of the entire camera module in Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 2 is a side schematic diagram of the assembly state of the entire camera module in Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 3 is a side view schematic diagram of the entire camera module in a disassembled state in Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 4 is an axial schematic diagram of the entire camera module in a disassembled state in Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 5 is an axial schematic diagram of a fixing structure of a suspended image sensor in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 6 It is a side view schematic diagram of the three main connecting components of the fixing structure in Example 1 of the present invention in an assembled state;

[0038] Figure 7 It is an axial schematic diagram of the three main connecting components of the fixed structure in Example 1 of the present invention in the assembled state.

[0039] In the figure: 1-housing, 2-AF module, 3-FPC soft board, 4-OIS base, 5-protective cover, 6-bottom cover, 7-elastic body, 7.1-string, 8-sensor, 9-spring wire, 10-metal inner body, 10.1-extending end. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] The present invention will be further explained below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0041] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the technical solution in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. The components of the embodiments of the present application described and shown in the drawings here can be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0042] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present application provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the present application for which protection is sought, but merely represents selected embodiments of the present application. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in the field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0043] It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters denote similar items in the following drawings, and therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, further definition and explanation thereof is not required in subsequent drawings.

[0044] In the description of this application, it should be noted that if the terms "center", "up", "down", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inside", "outside", etc. appear, the orientation or position relationship indicated is based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the drawings, or the orientation or position relationship in which the product of the application is usually placed when in use. It is only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and does not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operate in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on this application. In addition, if the terms "first", "second", etc. appear in the description of this application, they are only used to distinguish the description and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0045] In addition, if the terms "horizontal" or "vertical" appear in the description of this application, it does not mean that the components are required to be absolutely horizontal or suspended, but can be slightly tilted. For example, "horizontal" only means that its direction is more horizontal than "vertical", and does not mean that the structure must be completely horizontal, but can be slightly tilted.

[0046] In the description of this application, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "set", "install", "connect", and "connect" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal connection of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0047] Embodiment 1:

[0048] This embodiment provides a suspended image sensor 8 fixing structure, which is arranged in the camera module and cooperates with the shell of the camera module to achieve movable connection of the sensor 8.

[0049] Specifically, if Figure 5-7 As shown in the figure, the specific assembly connection method of the fixed structure is shown. It can be seen that the fixed structure includes an OIS base 4 as a main bearing body, wherein the OIS base 4 is a square plate structure with four corners cut off.

[0050] The upper part of the OIS base 4 has a square groove, in which a sensor 8 is arranged. The sensor 8 is the photosensitive element of the camera module, which is specifically a CMOS photosensitive device in this embodiment, and is connected to the external control circuit through the wiring of the FPC soft board 3.

[0051] The upper part of the OIS base 4 is provided with a body 7 structure. The body 7 in this embodiment is a metal ring sheet structure with a certain width, and its outer edge size is the same as that of the OIS base 4, and has a corner cut. A string wire 7.1 structure is provided at each of the four corners of the body 7, and a circular ring-shaped enlarged end is provided in the middle of the string wire 7.1 structure, and a vertically arranged spring wire 9 is connected through the enlarged end, and the lower end of the spring wire 9 is connected to the end of the extension mechanism of the OIS base 4, thereby forming a fixed structure composed of the body 7, the string wire 7.1, the spring wire 9 and the OIS base 4.

[0052] The elastic body 7 is connected to the housing of the camera module and is kept stable on the housing by direct fixed connection or limited clamping. Due to the metal sheet structure design, it has bending deformation ability in the longitudinal direction and can provide a certain elastic recovery force, but it mainly provides a suspension and fixing effect for the OIS base 4. The strings 7.1 at the four corners are a planar structure integrally formed with the elastic body 7, including an enlarged end, an elastic part and a connecting part.

[0053] like Figure 5 and Figure 7As shown, the string wire 7.1 structure is a symmetrical structure with the expanded part as the center, and the two sides are elastic parts and connecting parts respectively, wherein the elastic part is a single metal wire of equal width with multiple bending structures, and the connecting part is a metal wire with gradually increasing width, which is mainly used to connect with the elastic body 7 and avoid stress concentration through smooth transition.

[0054] Furthermore, it can be seen in the figure that the elastic part of the string wire 7.1 has three bending areas, and the middle spring wire 9 is inserted into the circular hole of the enlarged end, and the enlarged end is connected to the spring wire 9 by dispensing or spot welding. A metal structure protruding outward is provided at the four corner positions of the OIS base 4, and the metal structure is the protruding end 10.1 of the metal inner body 10 in the OIS base 4. A circular hole is provided on the protruding end 10.1, and the spring wire 9 also passes through the circular hole and is connected by dispensing or spot welding.

[0055] The spring wire 9 has a certain elasticity, but the movement of the OIS base 4 mainly provides elastic restoring force through the elongation and contraction of the string wire 7.1. Since the spring wires 9 are connected to the four corners of the OIS base 4, and the electromagnetic action mechanism is arranged at its bottom, the OIS base 4 can perform planar displacement and flipping and tilting movements. Among them, the planar displacement is to move along the plane in which it is located, at this time, the four strings 7.1 will be stretched or contracted at the same time. The flipping and tilting movement is that it can flip along the line connecting the connection points of the two spring wires 9. At this time, two groups of strings 7.1 are pulled down, and the other two groups are pulled up.

[0056] Furthermore, if Figure 7 As shown in the figure, the structure of the metal inner body 10 wrapped by the injection molding material is shown. The metal inner body 10 in this embodiment has four identical parts, each of which includes a right-angle corner piece, and two connecting parts are provided on the concave side of the right-angle corner piece, and an extension is provided on the outside at the corner. A layer of metal plate structure is also separately provided in the middle of the OIS base 4 and located at the bottom of the sensor 8. The metal plate is wrapped by the injection molding part on the outside, which can provide a better support and fixing effect for the sensor 8. The metal inner body 10 has the function of connecting the bottom substrate of the sensor 8 and the coil at the bottom of the OIS base 4 for transmitting electrical energy. Due to the split design, each coil can be individually controlled for power transmission.

[0057] Embodiment 2:

[0058] This embodiment discloses a camera module structure, which has the suspended image sensor 8 fixing structure in Embodiment 1.

[0059] Specifically, the camera module is designed with an 8-sensor anti-shake structure. Figure 1-4 As shown, Figure 4The disassembled structure diagram does not show the structure being disassembled in the order of structure coverage, so it should be noted that the exterior of the entire camera module is composed of an outer shell 1 and a bottom cover 6 , and the bottom cover 6 is a single plate structure that is snapped onto the bottom opening of the outer shell 1 .

[0060] The main functional components in the housing 1 include the AF module 2, the sensor 8 and the above-mentioned suspended fixing structure. The sensor 8 is arranged on the OIS base 4 and is covered with a protective cover 5. The AF module 2 is placed on the housing 1 and is provided with a separate FPC cable connected to the external control circuit and the power supply circuit. The AF module 2 has an automatic zoom mechanism inside, which can independently complete the reciprocating motion of the lens axis in the housing 1. The OIS body 7 is arranged on the upper part of the housing 1, and a gasket connected to the housing 1 is also provided at the lower part of the body 7 for support and fixation.

[0061] In this embodiment, the suspension mechanism includes an OIS base 4 connected to the elastic body 7. The base is the same as the above-mentioned embodiment 1, and a metal plate, a metal inner body 10, a sensor 8 and a PCB with a coil at the bottom are connected to form an integrated structure by a resin injection molding process. An FPC soft board 3 structure is also provided around the OIS base 4. The FPC soft board 3 is connected to one end surface of the OIS base 4 provided with the sensor 8 for power supply and control signal input.

[0062] A plurality of OIS magnets are also provided on the bottom cover 6, which correspond to the coils provided on the OIS base 4. A specific current is input into the coils through an external control circuit to generate a specific magnetic field, causing the OIS base 4 to move in a directional manner on the magnets, thereby forming motion compensation.

[0063] The present invention is not limited to the above optional implementations, and anyone can derive other various forms of products under the enlightenment of the present invention. The above specific implementations should not be understood as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention. The scope of protection of the present invention should be based on the definition in the claims, and the description can be used to interpret the claims.

Claims

1. A suspended image sensor fixing structure, used to be arranged in a camera module to realize the sensor suspension and movement, characterized in that: It includes an OIS base (4) and a body (7); The elastic body (7) is fixed in the camera module and connected to the OIS base (4) via at least three spring wires (9); The elastic body (7) and the spring wire (9) are both elastic; The elastic body (7) is an annular sheet structure, and is provided with a plurality of strings (7.1), wherein the strings (7.1) are connected to the spring wire (9); The string (7.1) is an integrally formed structure having the same thickness as the body (7), the string (7.1) is smaller in width than the body (7), the string (7.1) has a plurality of corners, and an enlarged end connected to the spring wire (9) is provided in the middle; The enlarged end is in the shape of a circular ring, the string (7.1) is symmetrical with the enlarged end as the symmetry center, and both sides include an elastic part with multiple bends and a constant width and a connecting part connected to the elastic body (7) and with a gradually increasing width; The OIS base (4) comprises an injection-molded main structure and a sensor (8) supported on the main structure; the main structure comprises a metal inner body (10), the metal inner body (10) comprises an extended end (10.1) extending out of the main structure, and the extended end (10.1) is connected to the string (7.1) via a spring wire (9); The spring wire (9) is perpendicular to the plane where the elastic body (7) and the OIS base (4) are located.

2. The suspended image sensor fixing structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The strings (7.1) are all spatially bent structures.

3. The suspended image sensor fixing structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The metal inner body (10) is a split structure, comprising a plurality of metal strips, each of which comprises at least one outwardly protruding end (10.1) and a plurality of inwardly protruding conductive ends, and is connected to the circuit on the OIS base (4) via the conductive ends.

4. A camera module, characterized in that: The invention comprises a housing (1) and a bottom cover (6) which are interlocked, and also comprises an AF module (2) and a sensor (8) which are arranged in the housing (1); the housing (1) is provided with the suspended image sensor fixing structure as claimed in claim 1, and the sensor (8) is arranged on an OIS base (4).

5. A camera module according to claim 4, characterized in that: The OIS base (4) is connected to an external circuit and supplies electricity to the AF module (2) in sequence through the metal inner body (10), the spring wire (9) and the elastic body (7).

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