Camera module

Abstract

The present invention relates to an imaging module, comprising a housing (1), a support frame (2) located in the housing (1), an optical system (3) located in the support frame (2), a circuit board (4) located on the image side of the support frame (2), and a protective cover (5) provided on the object side of the housing (1). The object side of the housing (1) is provided with a first positioning structure (11), and the object side of the support frame (2) is provided with a second positioning structure (21) that can cooperate with the first positioning structure (11). The imaging module of the present invention can achieve a field of view skew in any direction and can avoid the phenomenon of assembly errors.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a camera module. Background Art

[0002] With the progress of technology and economy, automobiles are also developing towards the trends of automation and intelligence, and drivers are becoming more and more dependent on in-vehicle cameras for assisted driving, such as blind spot detection, collision warning, autonomous driving, etc. Therefore, more and more cameras are installed on automobiles, and the general design and platform design of in-vehicle cameras are becoming increasingly important. Usually, the field of view of a camera module is symmetrical (symmetrical left / right or up / down). However, due to the limitation of the shooting range, the field of view requirements of more and more cameras are an effect of being larger on one side and smaller on the other side (i.e., asymmetrical left / right or up / down). To achieve this field of view effect, designers often deliberately set the lens on the camera and the image sensor in an eccentric state. Also, due to the difference between the left driving position and the right driving position of an automobile, the camera module field of view requires a solution with both left skew and right skew. Due to the limitation of the internal structure, the existing camera module cannot achieve skew on the other side after skewing to one side. Although there are also a few technologies that are direct skew lens solutions, due to the lack of necessary anti-misalignment design, this structure is prone to errors during assembly, thus extremely likely to cause production defects. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a camera module.

[0004] To achieve the above-mentioned invention purpose, the present invention provides a camera module, including a housing, a support frame located in the housing, an optical system located in the support frame, a circuit board located on the image side of the support frame, and a protective cover arranged on the object side of the housing. The object side of the housing is provided with a first positioning structure, and the object side of the support frame is provided with a second positioning structure that can cooperate with the first positioning structure.

[0005] According to one aspect of the present invention, the optical system is eccentrically installed in the support frame.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, the first positioning structure is a groove or a rib, and the second positioning structure is a rib or a groove.

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, the object side of the support frame is provided with a mechanical recognition point, and the image side is provided with a positioning post, and the positioning post is provided with a recognition point.

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, the object side of the circuit board is provided with a pointing arrow.

[0009] According to one aspect of the present invention, the image side of the circuit board and the object side of the support frame are provided with direction recognition symbols.

[0010] According to one aspect of the present invention, the pointing arrow on the circuit board points to one of the direction identification symbols on the support frame.

[0011] According to one aspect of the present invention, a sensor is provided on the circuit board.

[0012] According to one aspect of the present invention, the support frame and the optical system are bonded with glue, connected with threads, welded ultrasonically, welded by laser or integrally formed.

[0013] According to one aspect of the present invention, the support frame and the circuit board are connected with screws, bonded with glue, welded ultrasonically or welded by laser.

[0014] According to the solution of the present invention, positioning structures that cooperate with each other are provided on the outer shell and the support frame, so as to realize the anti-misalignment design of the field of view of the camera module. The support frame with the skewed design can drive the optical system to complete the skew. When it is necessary to switch the skew direction, only rotate the support frame by 180° and then assemble it, so as to conveniently realize the left skew and right skew of the field of view, and it is not easy to have the phenomenon of assembly errors.

[0015] According to one solution of the present invention, identification structures such as direction identification symbols (i.e., identification fonts), mechanical identification points, identification points, and pointing arrows are provided on the support frame and the circuit board, so as to realize the visual anti-misalignment of assembly, and it can actually be confirmed whether the assembled is the left rudder solution or the right rudder solution.

[0016] According to one solution of the present invention, the positioning structure can be the cooperation of a groove and a rib, so as to realize mechanical anti-misalignment and ensure the correctness of the assembly. In addition, this structure enables the left rudder and right rudder solutions to be universal for the rest of the materials and the production line except the outer shell. Therefore, on the premise of ensuring assembly anti-misalignment to guarantee product quality, the maximum material sharing is realized while reducing the production cost of the camera. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional view showing a left rudder solution of a camera module according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 2 A schematic cross-sectional view showing a right rudder solution of a camera module according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 3 A schematic exploded view showing a left rudder solution of a camera module according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 4 A schematic exploded view showing a right rudder solution of a camera module according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the back side structure of the housing of the left rudder scheme of the camera module showing an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the back side structure of the housing of the right rudder scheme of the camera module showing an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 7 Schematic enlarged view of the mating part of the positioning structure of the left rudder scheme of the camera module showing an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 8 Schematic enlarged view of the mating part of the positioning structure of the right rudder scheme of the camera module showing an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 9 Schematic enlarged view of the mating part of the positioning structure of the left rudder scheme of the camera module showing another embodiment (i.e., another anti-fooling assembly) of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 10 Schematic enlarged view of the mating part of the positioning structure of the right rudder scheme of the camera module showing another embodiment (i.e., another anti-fooling assembly) of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 11 、 Figure 12 、 Figure 13 Schematic front view, back view and enlarged view at the identification point of the support frame and the circuit board in the mating state of the left rudder scheme of the camera module showing an embodiment of the present invention respectively;

[0028] Figure 14 、 Figure 15 、 Figure 16 Schematic front view, back view and enlarged view at the identification point of the support frame and the circuit board in the mating state of the right rudder scheme of the camera module showing an embodiment of the present invention respectively;

[0029] Figure 17 Schematic combined state diagram of the left rudder scheme of the camera module showing an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 18 Schematic combined state diagram of the right rudder scheme of the camera module showing an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 19 Schematic imaging diagram (with FOV) of the left rudder scheme of the camera module showing an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 20 Schematic imaging diagram (with FOV) of the right rudder scheme of the camera module showing an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figures 21 to 24 Schematic diagram showing the setting form of the direction recognition symbol and the pointing arrow in other embodiments of the present invention. Detailed implementation manners

[0034] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for use in the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, without creative efforts, other drawings can also be obtained based on these drawings.

[0035] When describing the embodiments of the present invention, the orientation or positional relationships expressed by the terms "longitudinal", "transverse", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer" are based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the relevant drawings. It is only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, the above terms should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0036] The present invention will be described in detail below in conjunction with the drawings and specific implementation manners. The implementation manners cannot be elaborated one by one here, but the implementation manners of the present invention are not limited to the following implementation manners.

[0037] See Figure 1 and Figure 2 , the (vehicle-mounted) camera module of the present invention can achieve field-of-view skew and adopts an anti-misoperation design. Specifically, the camera module includes a housing 1, a support frame 2 (i.e., Holder) located in the housing 1, an optical system 3 (i.e., Lens) located in the support frame 2, a circuit board 4 located on the image side of the support frame 2, and a protective cover 5 (i.e., Lens cover) provided on the object side of the housing 1. According to the concept of the present invention, a first positioning structure 11 is provided on the object side of the housing 1, and a second positioning structure 21 that can cooperate with the first positioning structure 11 is provided on the object side of the support frame 2. In addition, the circuit board 4 in the present invention is a PCBA, and a sensor 42 is also provided thereon. The support frame 2 and the circuit board 4 are connected by screws. As Figure 1 shown, that is, the installation of the circuit board 4 is completed by using screw D in cooperation with locking screw C (see Figure 3 ). Therefore, corresponding screw holes should be provided on the support frame 2 for screw-like components to pass through. At the same time, it should also be as Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown in the figure, positioning posts 23 are provided on the image side of the support frame 2. Corresponding holes (i.e., screw through-holes and positioning holes) for the screws and the positioning posts 23 to pass through should also be provided on the circuit board 4. These holes only need to be symmetric with each other, so as to facilitate the support frame 2 to be rotated 180° for installation, enabling the two to be assembled together according to the positioning posts 23 and the corresponding positioning holes, and fixed with screws. Of course, the support frame 2 and the circuit board 4 can also be fixed by means such as glue bonding, ultrasonic welding or laser welding, and a sealant B can be provided between the two as shown in Figure 3 . In the present invention, the support frame 2 and the optical system 3 are bonded with glue A. Of course, they can also be fixed by means such as threaded connection, ultrasonic welding, laser welding or integral molding. There is an adhesive on the bottom of the protective cover 5 of the present invention, so that it can be bonded to the housing 1. In addition, in accordance with this installation form, screw holes and positioning posts should also be provided on the housing 1, and screw through-holes and positioning holes should be correspondingly provided on the circuit board 4, so that the housing 1 and the circuit board 4 can be assembled together according to the positioning posts and the positioning holes, and tightened with screws.

[0038] In the present invention, the optical system 3 is eccentrically installed in the support frame 2, and the first positioning structure 11 of the housing 1 is located on the side where the optical system 3 is eccentric. In this embodiment, the support frame 2 is designed to be skewed. In this way, when the optical system 3 is assembled with the support frame 2, the optical system 3 is biased to one side, so as to form a single-directional eccentricity (left skew for the left rudder scheme and right skew for the right rudder scheme) with the image sensor 42 on the circuit board 4, and a skewed field of view is correspondingly formed, thus realizing the left or right skew of the optical system 3.

[0039] In the left rudder scheme, the first positioning structure 11 only needs to be located at the lower left of the housing 1 (the lower right corner when viewed from the back as shown in Figure 5 ), then this housing 1 can be called a left rudder housing, and the second positioning structure 21 on the support frame 2 installed according to the left rudder scheme is also located at the lower left (as shown in Figure 11 ). Conversely, in the right rudder scheme, the first positioning structure 11 is located at the upper right of the housing 1 (the upper left corner when viewed from the back as shown in Figure 6 ), then this housing 1 can be called a right rudder housing, and the second positioning structure 21 of the support frame 2 installed by rotating 180° is also located at the upper right (as shown in Figure 14 ). Such a setting enables all other components in the camera module except the housing 1 to remain unchanged. For example, the same support frame 2 can be used for both the left rudder housing and the right rudder housing. When changing the eccentricity direction, only the housing 1 needs to be replaced and the support frame 2 needs to be rotated 180°.

[0040] As shown in Figure 7 and Figure 8As shown, in this embodiment, the first positioning structure 11 is a groove, and the corresponding second positioning structure 21 is a rib. In this way, during the assembly process, if the installation directions of the selected housing 1 and the support frame 2 do not match, that is, the left rudder solution is assembled to the right rudder housing or the right rudder solution is assembled to the left rudder housing, assembly interference will occur. Only when the groove and the rib are on the same side can the installation be successful, thus avoiding the occurrence of assembly errors. Of course, the structural forms of the first positioning structure 11 and the second positioning structure 21 are not the only ones. For example Figure 9 and Figure 10 as shown, the first positioning structure 11 can also be a rib, and the corresponding second positioning structure 21 is a groove. Or, it can also be other anti-fooling and anti-mistake matching methods or mechanical vision anti-fooling and anti-mistake methods, such as: hole-shaft matching method, mechanical identification marks or fonts, etc.

[0041] See Figures 11 to 13 , in addition to having positioning posts 23 on the image side, the support frame 2 also has mechanical identification points 22 on the object side for the direction identification of the instrument and equipment. The positioning posts 23 are provided with identification points 24 for the identification of assembly personnel or machinery. The object side of the circuit board 4 is provided with a pointing arrow 41, and the image side of the circuit board 4 and the object side of the support frame 2 are provided with direction identification symbols 6 arranged diagonally. The pointing arrow 41 can point to one of the direction identification symbols 6 on the support frame 2. In addition, the mechanical identification point 22 is arranged near one of the direction identification symbols 6 (i.e., the font "R") on the support frame 2. Among them, the direction identification symbol 6 is a font that can indicate the direction. For example, as shown in this embodiment, the direction identification symbols 6 are the letters "L" and "R", representing the left side and the right side respectively, so as to facilitate identification. Of course, according to the actual situation, the direction identification symbol 6 can also be selected and designed as other symbols that are convenient for identification.

[0042] In this embodiment, the positions of the direction identification symbols 6 on the circuit board 4 and the support frame 2 are symmetrical, and their representative meanings are the same. The direction identification symbol 6 on the circuit board 4 corresponds to the identification point 24 on the support frame 2. When the identification point 24 is located near a certain direction identification symbol 6, it refers to the corresponding direction. The left rudder solution is near "L", and the right rudder direction is near "R". Correspondingly, the pointing arrow 41 on the circuit board 4 corresponds to the "L" and "R" of the direction identification symbol 6 on the support frame 2. When pointing to a certain direction identification symbol 6, it refers to the corresponding direction. The left rudder solution points to "L", and the right rudder direction points to "R". Of course, as Figures 21 to 24 shown, in other embodiments, the symmetrical setting form may not be adopted, as long as the pointing arrow can point to the corresponding direction identification symbol.

[0043] Of course, the direction identification symbol 6 is not limited to the above forms and quantities of "L" and "R". It can be any identifier, symbol, font, etc. that can be used for mechanical vision discrimination or human eye vision discrimination, and the quantity can also be increased or some identification features can be cancelled according to actual needs. The setting positions of the mechanical identification points 22 and the identification points 24 are not limited to the above positions either, but can be set at corresponding appropriate positions according to actual needs. Additionally, as Figures 14 to 16 shown, in the right rudder mode, when the attitude of the support frame 2 rotates 180° relative to the left rudder, the positions of the mechanical identification points 22, the identification points 24, and the direction identification symbol 6 are also opposite to those in the left rudder mode.

[0044] In this way, the camera module of the present invention can be assembled after selecting and matching the left rudder housing and the right rudder housing, and the assembled state is as shown in Figure 17 and Figure 18 shown. After the support frame 2 is adapted to the left rudder housing or the right rudder housing, the convex ribs and the grooves are paired, which can ensure that the left rudder solution has the optical system 3 skewed to the left, and the corresponding field of view is also skewed to the left; the right rudder solution has the optical system 3 skewed to the right, and the corresponding field of view is also skewed to the right, as shown in Figure 19 and Figure 20 shown. Of course, the field of view skew of the camera module designed according to the above of the present invention is not limited to the way that the left rudder solution is skewed to the left and the right rudder solution is skewed to the right, and can also be skewed in any (two) directions according to actual needs.

[0045] The above description is only one embodiment of the present invention and is not used to limit the present invention. For those skilled in the art, the present invention can have various changes and modifications. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An imaging module, comprising a housing (1), a support frame (2) located in the housing (1), an optical system (3) located in the support frame (2), a circuit board (4) located on the image side of the support frame (2), and a protective cover (5) provided on the object side of the housing (1), characterized in that, A first positioning structure (11) is provided on the object side of the housing (1), and a second positioning structure (21) that can cooperate with the first positioning structure (11) is provided on the object side of the support frame (2); The optical system (3) is eccentrically installed in the support frame (2); The first positioning structure (11) is located on the eccentric side of the optical system (3); The housing (1) is divided into a left rudder housing and a right rudder housing, and the first positioning structure (11) is located on the left side of the left rudder housing; The first positioning structure (11) is located on the right side of the right rudder housing, and the first positioning structure (11) on the left rudder housing and the first positioning structure (11) on the right rudder housing are symmetrically arranged at 180°; 2. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein The first positioning structure (11) is a groove or a rib, and the second positioning structure (21) is a rib or a groove; 3. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein, A mechanical identification point (22) is provided on the object side of the support frame (2), a positioning post (23) is provided on the image side, and an identification point (24) is provided on the positioning post (23); 4. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein A pointing arrow (41) is provided on the object side of the circuit board (4); 5. The camera module according to claim 4, wherein A direction identification symbol (6) is provided on the image side of the circuit board (4) and the object side of the support frame (2); 6. The imaging module according to claim 5, wherein The pointing arrow (41) on the circuit board (4) points to one of the direction identification symbols (6) on the support frame (2); 7. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein A sensor (42) is provided on the circuit board (4); 8. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein The support frame (2) and the optical system (3) are bonded with glue, connected by threads, ultrasonically welded, laser welded or integrally formed; 9. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein The support frame (2) and the circuit board (4) are connected by screws, bonded with glue, ultrasonically welded or laser welded.

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