Optical refraction type camera module actuator and camera module including the same

Abstract

Disclosed is an actuator for an optical refraction type camera module having a reflector, and an optical refraction type camera module including the same. The optical refraction type camera module actuator according to the present invention includes: a movable portion on which a lens barrel is mounted, a magnet attached to a side surface of the lens barrel; a fixed portion that houses the movable portion in a manner that allows translational movement in the optical axis direction, and a coil and a yoke disposed on a side surface in a manner that faces the magnet; and a ball rolling portion that guides translational movement of the movable portion with respect to the fixed portion in the optical axis direction between the movable portion and the fixed portion, the ball rolling portion being disposed in two regions opposite each other in a diagonal direction with respect to the center of the optical axis direction of the lens barrel, the center of the magnet and the center of the yoke being formed at different heights in a manner that an attractive force acts in the other diagonal direction in which the ball rolling portion is not disposed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an actuator for a camera module, and more particularly to an actuator for an optically refractive camera module (Folded zoom camera module) and a camera module including the actuator, the optically refractive camera module having a reflector that reflects externally incident light at a 90-degree angle, and having an optical element through which the light reflected from the reflector passes aligned in the horizontal direction. Background Technology

[0002] Most camera modules in existing mobile devices achieve optical zoom or autofocus by moving an optical system consisting of multiple lenses along the optical axis, which is the direction in which light enters. In this case, the direction of movement of the optical system is the thickness direction of the mobile device when the camera module is mounted. Therefore, in the prior art, there is a need to ensure a minimum space in which the optical system of the camera module can move along the thickness direction of the mobile device.

[0003] In other words, most existing camera modules with structures where the optical system moves along the thickness direction of the mobile device have a structure that requires a minimum space to be secured along the thickness direction of the mobile device when mounting the camera module. Therefore, the recent trend towards thinner mobile devices presents structural limitations that make it difficult to meet market demands.

[0004] To address this problem in the prior art, there are methods to reduce the size of the optical system by adjusting the lens angle, size, spacing, focal length, etc. However, since this method reduces the size of the zoom lens and zoom barrel by physical means, there are limitations in achieving thinness, and there is a problem that may reduce the inherent characteristics of the zoom lens.

[0005] To address this, a Folded zoom camera module has been proposed, which has a reflector that reflects light entering from the outside by 90 degrees. The optical system through which the light reflected by the reflector passes is horizontally positioned along the width or length of the moving device to ensure sufficient spacing between the lenses constituting the optical system, thereby enabling high-magnification optical lenses and achieving thinner designs.

[0006] This optical refractive camera module employs a periscope structure, unlike the traditional method of vertically stacking sensors (CCD, CMOS, etc.) and lenses, thus enabling high-magnification optical lenses without increasing the overall height. Furthermore, due to its periscope structure, which differs from the traditional method of vertically stacking lenses, it also offers advantages in terms of thinness compared to conventional methods.

[0007] In an optical refractive camera module with this advantage, a movable part (the part with the optical lens) moves relative to a fixed part along the optical axis by the force generated by the interaction between the electric field generated by the coil and the magnetic field of the magnet. This relative movement adjusts the distance between the movable part and the image sensor, thereby achieving zoom or autofocus.

[0008] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view of the actuator of an existing optical refractive camera module viewed from a plane perpendicular to the optical axis.

[0009] Reference Figure 1 The actuator 6 of the existing optical refractive camera module includes an optical unit 60, a base 62 housing the optical unit 60, and a housing 68 covering the base 62. A magnet 61 is attached to one side of the outer surface of the optical unit 60, and a coil 63 is arranged on one side of the base 62 facing the magnet 61, thus forming a voice coil motor (VCM).

[0010] The interaction between the coil 63 constituting the VCM and the magnet 61 generates a driving force for zooming or autofocusing. The optical unit 60 moves relative to the base 62 along the optical axis by the generated driving force, thereby changing the position of the optical unit 60 relative to the image conversion unit (not shown) in the optical axis direction, thus realizing the zooming or autofocusing function. The image conversion unit is provided behind the actuator 6 with the direction of light propagation as a reference.

[0011] exist Figure 1 In the attached drawing, reference numeral 64 indicates a ball bearing rolling section. The ball bearing rolling section 64 is disposed between the base 62 and the optical unit 60, and serves to guide the optical unit 60 to translate relative to the base 62 along the optical axis direction by the driving force generated by the VCM.

[0012] In existing actuators for optical refractive camera modules, to ensure stable translational movement of the optical unit 60 relative to the base 62, such as... Figure 1As shown, the ball rolling part 64 is arranged in pairs in a symmetrical manner between the base 62 and the optical unit 60, and each ball rolling part 64 includes a pair of ball guide rails 65, 67 formed on the optical unit 60 and the base 62, and a ball 66 between the ball guide rails 65, 67.

[0013] When the optical unit 60 moves linearly relative to the base 62 along the optical axis by the driving force generated by the VCM, the ball bearing 66 rolls between the paired ball bearing guides 65 and 67. Thus, when zooming or autofocusing is performed, the linear movement of the optical unit 60 relative to the base 62 along the optical axis can be achieved stably and smoothly.

[0014] On the rear surface of the coil 63 constituting the VCM (opposite to the surface opposite to the magnet), a coil yoke 69 is provided to increase the driving force by concentrating the magnetic flux of the magnet 61. At this time, since the coil yoke 69 is made of magnetic material, an attractive force is generated between it and the magnet 61. Due to this attractive force, the optical unit 60 tilts in a specific direction within the base 62, thereby causing the focal point to deviate.

[0015] Therefore, in order to suppress the tilting of the optical unit 60 and enable stable translational motion without wobbling while the optical unit 60 is in close contact with one side of the base 62 (the bottom side in the figure), in Figure 1 The existing structure shown adopts the following structure: a magnet 61-1 is added on the opposite side of the magnet 61, and magnetic yokes Y1 and Y2 are provided on the bottom side of the base 62 in a manner corresponding to magnets 61 and 61-1 respectively.

[0016] With this structure, the optical unit can achieve stable operation without tilting relative to the base due to the rotational torque generated by the attraction between the magnet 61 on one side and the yoke Y1 centered on the ball 66 on one side (the ball on the left in the figure) and the couple of forces generated by the rotational torque generated by the attraction between the magnet 61-1 on the other side and the yoke Y2 centered on the ball 66 on the other side (the ball on the right in the figure).

[0017] However, to achieve a structure that uses two rotational torques of equal magnitude and opposite direction to suppress this tilt, i.e., a couple of forces, in addition to the VCM magnet 61, separate magnets 61-1 and yoke Y2 are required. Therefore, it will certainly be accompanied by increased costs. In terms of the characteristics of the camera module with large space constraints, there is a problem of not being able to ensure space for installing other components.

[0018] Existing technical documents

[0019] Patent documents

[0020] Patent Document 1: Korean Patent Publication No. 2020-0045567 (Publication Date: May 4, 2020) Summary of the Invention

[0021] Technical problems to be solved

[0022] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an actuator for an optical refractive camera module that can reliably suppress tilting even without additional structures for suppressing tilting of the movable part (optical unit) relative to the fixed part (base).

[0023] Another technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an actuator for an optical refractive camera module having the following structure and an optical refractive camera module including the actuator, that is, compared with the prior art, the structure for suppressing tilt is reduced, which is beneficial in terms of cost, and other components can be installed in the spare space ensured by removing the additional structure, thereby meeting the requirements for miniaturization and lightweighting of the camera module.

[0024] Problem-solving methods

[0025] As a means of solving the problem, according to one aspect of the present invention, an actuator for an optical refractive camera module is provided, which is suitable for an optical refractive camera module with a reflector, comprising: a movable part that mounts a lens barrel and attaches a magnet to one side of the lens barrel; a fixed part that accommodates the movable part in a manner that allows translational movement along the optical axis, and a coil and a coil yoke are provided on one side of the fixed part facing the magnet; and a ball rolling part that guides the translational movement of the movable part relative to the fixed part along the optical axis between the movable part and the fixed part, the ball rolling part being provided in two regions diagonally opposite each other with reference to the center of the optical axis of the lens barrel, such that the center of the magnet and the center of the coil yoke are formed at different heights by attractive force acting on the other diagonal direction where the ball rolling part is not provided.

[0026] Preferably, the ball rolling part can be composed of a first ball rolling part and a second ball rolling part. The first ball rolling part is located in the region adjacent to the upper part of the voice coil motor composed of the coil and the magnet, with a direction perpendicular to the optical axis as a reference. The second ball rolling part is located in the region diagonally opposite to the region where the first ball rolling part is located, with the center of the optical axis of the lens barrel as a reference.

[0027] The first and second ball rolling portions can be respectively composed of a fixed ball guide rail, a movable ball guide rail, and a plurality of balls. The fixed ball guide rail is formed along the optical axis on the fixed portion side, and the movable ball guide rail is formed along the optical axis on the movable portion side in a manner corresponding to the fixed ball guide rail. The plurality of balls are arranged between the fixed ball guide rail and the movable ball guide rail in a manner aligned along the optical axis.

[0028] In addition, at least one of the first and second ball rolling portions can be formed into a fixed ball guide and a movable ball guide in a shape that can support and press the ball in a direction parallel to the direction of the attraction force.

[0029] Preferably, the groove cross-sectional shape of the movable ball guide rail constituting the first ball rolling part in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis can be as follows: The shape of the groove cross-section of the corresponding fixed ball guide can be... shape.

[0030] As a preferred example, the lower end of the coil yoke can be bent 90 degrees inward toward the fixing part and extended to a predetermined length.

[0031] As another preferred example, a rod-shaped magnet may also be mounted on the bottom surface of the fixing part of the lower part of the coil or the lower part of the magnet.

[0032] Additionally, a drive element (Drive IC) for controlling the operation of the voice coil motor can be installed on the fixed part on the opposite side of the voice coil motor, which is composed of the coil and the magnet.

[0033] As a means of solving the problem, according to another aspect of the present invention, an optical refractive camera module is provided, comprising: a reflector that reflects incident light from a subject in a specific direction; an actuator for the optical refractive camera module according to the above aspect, including a lens barrel aligned along the optical axis direction such that light reflected by the reflector passes through it; and an image conversion unit disposed behind the actuator for the optical refractive camera module based on the direction of light movement, receiving light passing through the lens barrel and outputting image information corresponding to the received light.

[0034] Invention Effects

[0035] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the center of the coil yoke is set below the center of the magnet, thereby generating an attractive force of VCM in the diagonal direction, and a pair of ball rolling parts are provided in another diagonal direction intersecting the diagonal of the aforementioned attractive force. With this simple structure alone, the tilting of the movable part can be reliably suppressed without additional structures.

[0036] That is, as a structure that can reliably suppress the tilting of the movable part by using only a single coil yoke and a magnet, it is simpler than existing structures and has the following advantages: the number of components used to suppress tilting is reduced (no need for...). Figure 1 The magnet and yoke added on the opposite side of the VCM to suppress tilting are beneficial in terms of manufacturing cost.

[0037] Furthermore, it has the following advantages: compared to existing structures, the number of components used to suppress tilting is reduced, and correspondingly, other components can be installed in the resulting extra space, such as... Figure 6 As shown, a drive element (Drive IC) for controlling the operation of the VCM is installed on the opposite side of the VCM (Voice Coil Motor), which includes a coil and a magnet, thereby meeting the requirements for miniaturization and weight reduction of the overall camera module. Attached Figure Description

[0038] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view of the actuator of an existing optical refractive camera module viewed from a plane perpendicular to the optical axis.

[0039] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of an actuator for an optical refractive camera module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 The diagram shows the assembly of the actuator.

[0041] Figure 4 Viewed from the top Figure 2 The diagram shows the fixing part.

[0042] Figure 5 It is observed along the optical axis (X-axis direction). Figure 2 The diagram shows the movable part.

[0043] Figure 6 Viewed from the direction of line AA Figure 3 The actuator shown is a cross-sectional view.

[0044] Figure 7 This is a cross-sectional view of an actuator for an optical refractive camera module according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] Figure 8 This is a cross-sectional view of an actuator for an optical refractive camera module according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] Figure 9This is a schematic structural diagram of a camera module that includes an actuator for an optical refractive camera according to one aspect of the above.

[0047] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0048] 1: Camera module 2: Actuator for camera module

[0049] 3: Shielding cover; 4: IR filter

[0050] 5: Image conversion unit 20: Movable unit

[0051] 22: Fixed part; 24: Voice coil motor (VCM)

[0052] 26: Ball rolling section 26-1: First ball rolling section

[0053] 26-2: Second ball bearing rolling section; 28: Drive element (Drive IC)

[0054] 50: Substrate; 52: Image sensor

[0055] 200: Bracket; 202: Magnet mounting section

[0056] 205: Lens tube 220: Side opening of the fixing part

[0057] 240: Magnet; 241: Flexible Printed Circuit Board (FPCB)

[0058] 242: Coil 244: Coil yoke

[0059] 245: Bending section; 246: Rod-shaped magnet

[0060] 260-1, 260-2: Fixed ball bearing guide rails; 262-1, 262-2: Ball bearings

[0061] 264-1, 264-2: Movable ball bearing guide; R: Reflector Detailed Implementation

[0062] The preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below.

[0063] The terminology used in this specification is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the invention. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular form includes the plural form.

[0064] In this specification, terms such as “comprising” or “having” specify the presence of features, figures, steps, actions, constituent elements, components or combinations thereof described in the specification, and should not be construed as pre-excluding the presence or additional possibilities of one or more other features or figures, steps, actions, constituent elements, components or combinations thereof.

[0065] Furthermore, terms such as "first" and "second" can be used to describe various constituent elements, but the aforementioned constituent elements should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one constituent element from another.

[0066] Furthermore, terms such as “…part,” “…unit,” and “…module” used in the specification refer to a unit used to process at least one function or action, which can be implemented by hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0067] In the description with reference to the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are used to denote the same constituent elements, and repeated descriptions of them are omitted. Furthermore, when describing the present invention, detailed descriptions of related well-known technologies are omitted if it is determined that such detailed descriptions would unnecessarily obscure the essence of the invention.

[0068] Hereinafter, for ease of explanation, a three-axis coordinate system will be used to describe the present invention. In the illustrated three-axis coordinate system, the Z-axis represents the direction in which light is incident on a reflector positioned in front of the actuator according to the present invention (based on the direction of light propagation), and the X-axis, as a direction perpendicular to the Z-axis, represents the direction (optical axis direction) in which light reflected from the reflector passes through the actuator according to the present invention. Furthermore, the Y-axis represents a direction orthogonal to the X-axis in a plane perpendicular to the Z-axis.

[0069] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of an actuator for an optical refractive camera module according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 yes Figure 2 The diagram shows the assembly of the actuator. Furthermore, Figure 4 Viewed from the top Figure 2 The diagram of the fixing part is shown. Figure 5 It is observed along the optical axis (X-axis direction). Figure 2 The diagram shows the movable part. Furthermore, Figure 6 Viewed from the direction of line AA Figure 3 The actuator shown is a cross-sectional view.

[0070] Reference Figures 2 to 6According to an embodiment of the present invention, the actuator 2 for an optical refractive camera module includes a movable part 20. The movable part 20 may be composed of a bracket 200 and a lens barrel 205. The bracket 200 may be structured such that it is mounted on the fixing part 22 (equivalent to the "base" of the conventional structure) described later, so as to be able to translate along the optical axis, and a magnet mounting part 202 is formed in a recessed manner on one side of the outer surface of the bracket 200.

[0071] The magnet 240 is attached to the magnet mounting portion 202 of the bracket 200. The lens barrel 205, which is another component of the movable portion 20, is configured to be combined with a receiving hole (notation omitted) formed in the center of the bracket 200 along the optical axis and to house a lens group composed of multiple lenses. At this time, each lens may have the same or different optical characteristics such as focal length and refractive index.

[0072] Such a movable part 20 is housed in the aforementioned fixed part 22 in such a way that it can translate along the optical axis within a predetermined driving range. For this purpose, the fixed part 22 may be a three-dimensional structure with a hexahedral shape and an open upper part, having a space formed on its inner side that can accommodate the movable part 20, and having openings on its front, rear, and a portion of its side facing the side of the movable part 20 to which the magnet 240 is attached, with reference to the optical axis.

[0073] A coil 242 is arranged facing the magnet 240 through a side opening 220 of the fixing part 22 at a position corresponding to the magnet 240. A coil yoke 244 for concentrating magnetic flux is arranged behind the coil 242. At this time, the magnet 240 and the coil 242, which face each other, form a voice coil motor (VCM) 24 that generates driving force for optical zoom or autofocus.

[0074] The coil 242 can be electrically mounted on one side of the FPCB 241, which is provided in such a way that it covers the opening on one side of the fixing part 22. Furthermore, the coil yoke 244 can be mounted on the surface of the FPCB 241 opposite to the surface on which the coil 242 is mounted. The coil 242 receives + / - or - / + current from the FPCB 241 and is magnetized, generating the driving force through the interaction between the electric field of the coil 242 and the magnetic field of the magnet 240.

[0075] The movable part 20, incorporating the magnet 240, is housed in the fixed part 22 in a manner capable of moving along the optical axis. Thus, the force generated by the VCM 24 causes relative movement within the fixed part 22 along the optical axis. This relative movement adjusts the image conversion unit 5 (see image conversion unit 5) located behind the actuator 2, which is positioned based on the direction of light propagation. Figure 9 The interval distance is adjusted to achieve zoom or autofocus.

[0076] The Hall sensor HS can be mounted on the FPCB 241 together with the coil 242. The Hall sensor HS uses the Hall effect to sense the position of the magnet 240 and generate a corresponding signal. The drive element (Drive IC) identifies the position of the movable part 20 in the optical axis direction from the signal of the Hall sensor HS, and determines the intensity and direction of the current supplied to the coil 242 based on the identified position data.

[0077] That is, the aforementioned driving element identifies the position of the movable part 20 in the optical axis direction based on the signal output by the Hall sensor HS. The driving element determines control values, including the intensity and direction of the current applied to the coil 242, based on the identified position information, and uses the determined control values ​​to perform feedback control on the position of the movable part 20 in the optical axis direction, thereby realizing zoom or autofocus function.

[0078] The actuator 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention further includes a ball rolling portion 26 disposed between the movable portion 20 and the fixed portion 22 that accommodates the movable portion 20. The ball rolling portion 26 serves to guide the movable portion 20 to stably achieve the translational movement relative to the fixed portion 22 in the optical axis direction by the driving force generated by the VCM 24.

[0079] When viewed from a plane perpendicular to the optical axis (YZ plane), the ball bearing 26, which guides the translational movement of the movable part 20 relative to the fixed part 22 in the optical axis direction, can be disposed in two opposite regions in a diagonal direction with reference to the center of the optical axis of the lens barrel 205 (see...). Figure 6 ).

[0080] More specifically, in a plane perpendicular to the aforementioned optical axis direction ( Figure 6 Based on the YZ plane, one of each of the four corner regions formed between the movable part 20 and the fixed part 22 is provided in two opposite corner regions along the diagonal direction centered on the lens barrel 205. That is, two structures can be formed with the lens barrel 205 as the center.

[0081] Preferably, one ball rolling part 26 may be provided in the corner region adjacent to the upper part of the VCM24 (Voice Coil Motor) composed of coil 242 and magnet 240 in the four corner regions mentioned above (hereinafter referred to as "first ball rolling part 26-1"). The other ball rolling part 26 may be provided in the corner region opposite to the corner region where the first ball rolling part 26-1 is provided, with the lens barrel as the center, along the diagonal direction (hereinafter referred to as "second ball rolling part 26-2").

[0082] The first ball bearing rolling part 26-1 and the second ball bearing rolling part 26-2, which are diagonally opposite each other with the center of the optical axis of the lens barrel 205 as a reference, respectively include: fixed ball bearing guides 260-1 and 260-2, which are formed on the side of the fixed part 22 along the optical axis; and movable ball bearing guides 264-1 and 264-2, which are formed on the side of the movable part 20 along the optical axis in a manner corresponding to the fixed ball bearing guides 260-1 and 260-2.

[0083] In addition, the fixed ball guides 260-1, 260-2 and the movable ball guides 264-1, 264-2, which are respectively opposite to each other, include a plurality of balls 262-1, 262-2 arranged in a manner aligned along the optical axis.

[0084] In this embodiment, the magnet 240, which constitutes one axis of the VCM24, and the coil 242 and coil yoke 244, which constitute the other axis of the VCM24, are arranged in a manner that their respective centers are offset from each other. Preferably, in the two ball rolling portions 26-1, 26-2 as shown in the figure... Figure 6 In the configuration shown, the center C1 of the magnet 240 can be set at a predetermined distance higher relative to the center C2 of the coil 242 and the coil yoke 244 along the Z-axis direction.

[0085] If the center C1 of such magnet 240 is set at a predetermined distance higher relative to the center C2 of coil 242 and coil yoke 244 along the Z-axis, then an attractive force acts in the same or approximately the same direction as the other diagonal directions of the remaining two corner regions without ball rolling parts 26 in the four corner regions connecting the movable part 20 and the fixed part 22 (see...). Figure 6 (F1 direction).

[0086] In particular, in a structure in which ball bearing roll parts 26 are provided in two corner regions between the movable part 20 and the fixed part 22, which are diagonally opposite each other with reference to the lens barrel 205, when an attractive force is applied along a direction that is consistent with or approximately the same as the other diagonal direction connecting the other two corner regions without ball bearing roll parts 26, it will generate a couple of forces in the two ball bearing roll parts 26 as mentioned in the background art.

[0087] As a result, the rotation of the movable part 20 relative to the fixed part 22, i.e., the tilting of the movable part 20, centered on the optical axis direction of the movable part 20, is suppressed. Thus, the movable part 20 can perform stable translational movement without shaking while in close contact with the fixed part 22 using the ball rolling part 26 as a medium. Therefore, optical zoom or autofocus performance can be well achieved without causing the lens focus to deviate.

[0088] Preferably, the structure can be configured such that during optical zoom or autofocus, when the balls 262-1 and 262-2 roll along the optical axis between the fixed ball guides 260-1 and 260-2 and the movable ball guides 264-1 and 264-2, at least one of the two ball rolling parts 26-1 and 26-2 can support and pressurize the balls in a direction parallel to the direction of the attraction force F1, so that the balls can perform stable translational motion without disengaging even under the attraction force acting in the direction of F1.

[0089] That is, at least one of the first ball rolling portion 26-1 and the second ball rolling portion 26-2 can be formed into a fixed ball guide and a movable ball guide in a shape that supports and presses the ball in a direction parallel to the aforementioned direction of attractive force (F1 direction). Preferably, the groove cross-sectional shape of the movable ball guide 264-1 constituting the first ball rolling portion 26-1 in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis can be formed as follows: The shape, corresponding to the groove cross-sectional shape of the fixed ball guide 260-1, can be formed as follows: shape.

[0090] Of course, the groove cross-sectional shapes of the movable ball guide 264-1 and the fixed ball guide 260-1 constituting the first ball rolling part 26-1 are not limited to those shown in the illustration. and Shape. As described above, as long as the fixed ball guides 260-1 and 260-2 support the balls in a direction parallel to F1 and the movable ball guide 264-1 presses the balls 262-1 on the fixed ball guide 260-1 in a direction parallel to F1, the specific structure is irrelevant.

[0091] like Figure 1As shown, in order to suppress the tilt of the optical unit (movable part) relative to the base (fixed part) during optical zoom or autofocus, in the existing actuator structure that utilizes two rotational torques of the same magnitude and opposite direction, namely a couple, in addition to the magnet constituting the VCM, a separate magnet and yoke are also required to generate the couple, which results in a complex structure and increased manufacturing cost.

[0092] On the other hand, according to an embodiment of the present invention, by setting the center of the coil yoke 244 below the center of the magnet 240 to generate an attractive force of VCM 24 in the diagonal direction, and by providing a pair of ball rolling portions 26 in another diagonal direction intersecting the diagonal direction of the aforementioned attractive force, the tilting of the movable portion 20 can be reliably suppressed without additional construction.

[0093] That is, as a structure that can reliably suppress the tilting of the movable part 20 by using only a single coil yoke 244 and magnet 240, it has the following advantages: compared with existing structures, the structure is simple, and compared with existing structures, the number of parts used to suppress tilting is reduced (no need for...). Figure 1 The magnet and yoke added on the opposite side of the VCM to suppress tilting are beneficial in terms of manufacturing cost.

[0094] Furthermore, it has the following advantages: compared to existing structures, due to the reduction in the number of components used to suppress tilting, other components can be installed in the resulting extra space, such as... Figure 6 As shown, a drive element 28 (Drive IC) for controlling the operation of the VCM24 is installed on the opposite side of the VCM24 (Voice Coil Motor), which includes coil 242 and magnet 240, thereby meeting the requirements for miniaturization and weight reduction of the overall camera module.

[0095] exist Figures 2 to 6 In the figure, reference numeral 3 (not specified) indicates a shield made of magnetic material that covers the fixed part 22 that houses the movable part 20 described above in a manner that allows it to translate along the optical axis. Reference numeral 247 indicates a magnetic yoke for focusing the electric field generated by the coil 242 onto the magnet 240.

[0096] Figure 7 This is a cross-sectional view of an actuator for an optical refractive camera module according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0097] Figure 7Another preferred embodiment shown is an invention featuring a curved portion 245 at the lower end of the coil yoke 244 that bends 90 degrees toward the inside of the fixed portion 22 and extends for a predetermined length. The attraction between the magnet 240 and the coil yoke 244 is acted more reliably through the curved portion 245 in the other diagonal direction (the diagonal direction connecting the corner without the ball rolling portion 26), thereby more reliably suppressing the tilt of the movable portion 20.

[0098] Depending on the situation, such as Figure 8 In another embodiment, instead of the aforementioned bent portion 245, a rod-shaped magnet 246 that generates an attractive force between itself and the aforementioned magnet 240 is mounted on the bottom surface of the aforementioned fixing portion 22 at the lower part of the coil 242 or the lower part of the magnet 240, thereby also achieving a force with... Figure 7 Another embodiment of the actuator 2 has the same effect.

[0099] Figure 9 This is a schematic structural diagram of a camera module including an actuator for an optical refractive camera according to one aspect described above.

[0100] Reference Figure 9 According to another aspect of the present invention, the optical refractive camera module 1 is generally composed of a reflector R, an actuator 2 for an optical refractive camera module, and an image conversion unit 5. The actuator 2 for the camera module described above is the same as the actuator 2 for the optical refractive camera module described above; therefore, repeated descriptions of the same structure will be omitted.

[0101] A reflector R is positioned in front of the actuator 2, with the direction of light propagation as the reference, and an image conversion unit 5 is positioned behind the actuator 2, also with the direction of light propagation as the reference. The reflector R reflects incident light from the subject to the image conversion unit 5. The image conversion unit 5 receives the light reflected by the reflector R and passing through the actuator 2, and outputs image information corresponding to the received light.

[0102] The reflector R can be a mirror or prism. The mirror or prism reflects the incident light from the subject to the surface of the image conversion unit 5. That is, the reflecting surface is tilted at 45 degrees relative to the plane perpendicular to the Z-axis direction which is the incident light direction, and reflects the incident light at 90 degrees. The image conversion unit 5 can be a structure including a substrate 50 and an image sensor 52 mounted on the substrate 50.

[0103] The image sensor 52 collects image information from light passing through the movable part 20 of the actuator 2 for the optical refractive camera module according to one aspect of the present invention, and more specifically from the structure of the movable part 20 passing through a plurality of lenses housed in the lens barrel 205. The collected image information is output to the outside through the substrate 50.

[0104] An IR filter 4 can be provided in the optical path between the actuator 2 and the image conversion unit 5. The IR filter 4 filters a specific wavelength, preferably an infrared wavelength, contained in the incident light, and projects the infrared-filtered light onto the image conversion unit 5. The figure illustrates the provision of an IR filter 4 between the actuator 2 and the image conversion unit 5, but is not limited to this.

[0105] For example, when selecting the position of the IR filter 4, it can be placed in front of the reflector R where external light is incident based on the direction of light propagation, or between the reflector R and the actuator 2 where incident light from the subject is reflected to the image conversion unit 5, and various other modifications can be made. Therefore, it should be noted that such modifications are also included within the scope of the present invention.

[0106] In the above detailed description of the present invention, only specific embodiments have been described. However, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific forms mentioned in the detailed description, but should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, and substitutions within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the claims.

Claims

1. An actuator for an optical refractive camera module, suitable for an optical refractive camera module with a reflector, comprising: A movable part, equipped with a lens barrel, has a magnet attached to the side of the face on which the lens barrel is equipped; The fixed part accommodates the movable part in a manner that allows it to translate along the optical axis, and a coil and a coil yoke are provided on one side of the fixed part in a manner that faces the magnet; as well as The ball bearing guides the translational movement of the movable part relative to the fixed part along the optical axis between the movable part and the fixed part. The ball bearing rolling section is arranged in two regions that are opposite each other along a diagonal direction with the center of the optical axis of the lens barrel as a reference. The center of the magnet and the center of the coil yoke are positioned at different heights by applying attractive force along the opposite diagonal direction where the ball rolling part is not located.

2. The actuator for an optical refractive camera module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ball rolling section is composed of a first ball rolling section and a second ball rolling section. The first ball rolling part is located in the region adjacent to the upper part of the voice coil motor composed of the coil and the magnet, with a reference direction perpendicular to the optical axis. The second ball bearing is disposed in a region that is diagonally opposite to the region where the first ball bearing is disposed, with the optical axis of the lens barrel as the reference.

3. The actuator for an optical refractive camera module according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first and second ball rolling parts are respectively composed of a fixed ball guide rail, a movable ball guide rail, and a plurality of balls. The fixed ball bearing guide is formed along the optical axis on the side of the fixed part. The movable ball guide rail is formed along the optical axis on the movable part side in a manner corresponding to the fixed ball guide rail. The plurality of balls are arranged aligned along the optical axis between the fixed ball guide rail and the movable ball guide rail.

4. The actuator for an optical refractive camera module according to claim 3, characterized in that, At least one of the first and second ball rolling portions forms a fixed ball guide and a movable ball guide in a shape that can support and pressurize the ball in a direction parallel to the direction of the attraction force.

5. The actuator for an optical refractive camera module according to claim 3, characterized in that, The movable ball guide rail constituting the first ball rolling part has a groove cross-sectional shape of "ㄱ" in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis, and the corresponding fixed ball guide rail has a groove cross-sectional shape of "ㄴ".

6. The actuator for an optical refractive camera module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lower end of the coil yoke is bent 90 degrees toward the inside of the fixing part and extended by a predetermined length.

7. The actuator for an optical refractive camera module according to claim 1, characterized in that, A rod-shaped magnet is also mounted on the bottom surface of the fixing part of the lower part of the coil or the lower part of the magnet.

8. The actuator for an optical refractive camera module according to claim 1, characterized in that, A drive element for controlling the operation of the voice coil motor is mounted on a fixed part on the opposite side of the voice coil motor, which is composed of the coil and the magnet.

9. An optical refractive camera module, comprising: A reflector reflects incident light from a subject in one direction; An actuator for an optical refractive camera module according to any one of claims 1 to 8 includes a lens barrel aligned along the optical axis in such a way that light reflected by the reflector passes through it; as well as An image conversion unit is located behind the actuator of the optical refractive camera module, which is based on the direction of light movement, and receives light that has passed through the optical system and outputs image information corresponding to the received light.

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