Lens fixing structure for optical actuator and corresponding camera module

Abstract

A lens fixing structure for an optical actuator, comprising: a carrier (52) adapted to move under the drive of the optical actuator; a lens barrel (51) whose inner side is adapted to mount a lens; and an elastic member (53) comprising a fixing part (531) for connecting the lens barrel (51) and a connecting part (532) for connecting the carrier (52); wherein the fixing part (531) comprises two arc-shaped side walls (534) which respectively abut against the outer sides of the two sides of the lens barrel (51) or are respectively embedded in the lens barrel (51). The application also relates to a camera module comprising the lens fixing structure. By arranging the elastic member (53) between the lens barrel (51) and the carrier (52), the lens barrel (51) can be fixed while being subjected to uniform stress on both sides, thereby avoiding the problems caused by uneven stress due to glue bonding and helping to improve production efficiency and yield.

Description

[0001] Related Applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202011050011.2, filed on September 29, 2020, entitled “Lens Fixing Structure for Optical Actuator and Corresponding Camera Module,” and incorporates by reference the entirety of the aforementioned application. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present application relates to the field of optical technology, in particular, the present application relates to a camera module and an assembling method thereof. BACKGROUND

[0004] With the increasing demand of consumers for mobile phone photography, the functions of mobile phone camera (i.e., camera module) are becoming more and more rich, and functions such as portrait shooting, long-distance shooting, optical zoom, optical image stabilization, etc. are integrated in the camera with limited volume, and among them, functions such as auto focusing, optical image stabilization, optical zoom, etc. often need to rely on optical actuators to achieve.

[0005] The optical actuator can also be referred to as a motor. In current thin and light mobile electronic terminal devices such as mobile phones and tablet computers, various types of motors are usually used for focus driving and anti-shake driving. Whether it is focus driving or anti-shake driving, each driving module often needs to move the lens module (such as an optical lens) in a pre-set moving direction. Specifically, the motor can include a housing and a carrier, and the carrier is movably connected with the housing. The optical lens can be installed on the carrier. Under the action of the driving module (such as a coil-magnet combination), the carrier carrying the optical lens can move in a pre-set degree of freedom relative to the housing, thereby realizing functions such as focusing, anti-shake, or optical zoom. In the prior art, the common fixing method between the carrier and the lens is to use a thread plus glue fixing method, or only use a glue fixing method. When the carrier and the lens are bonded by glue, the cohesive strength property will change greatly (the amplitude is about several thousand N / cm2) during the process of the glue changing from a flexible non-dry state to a tough and hard solid state, resulting in a relatively obvious glue internal stress. On the one hand, during the curing process of the glue, the glue will shrink, and the shrinkage of the glue is different from the shrinkage of the lens barrel bonding part, so the shrinkage of the glue will generate a pulling force on the lens, causing a certain stress in the lens, deforming or shifting the position of the lens in the lens, thereby affecting the imaging quality of the periscopic camera module. On the other hand, the glue curing process during the assembly process of the periscopic camera module often needs to bake and cool the module. During the baking and cooling process, due to the mismatching of the thermal expansion coefficients between the lens barrel and the glue (i.e., the thermal expansion coefficients of the two are different), different shrinkage amounts will occur between the lens barrel and the glue, thereby causing a certain stress in the lens, which affects the lens surface of the lens and degrades the imaging quality of the periscopic camera module.

[0006] Furthermore, when the lens weight required to be carried by the motor is large, such as the periscopic long-focus camera module often needs a large weight lens, and for example, the use of a large image surface photosensitive chip increases the weight of the lens accordingly, etc. To fix the large weight lens and the motor carrier, a large amount of glue is often used, thereby causing the glue shrinkage or expansion to have a greater negative impact on the imaging quality of the lens.

[0007] Moreover, the current periscope camera module usually adopts a horizontal assembly mode, i.e. the prism module, the lens module and the photosensitive module are arranged along the horizontal direction, and these modules are installed on the bottom plate of the module housing. The module housing often needs to be integrally formed with the bottom plate or connected with the bottom plate by four side walls, so as to facilitate assembly, the motor carrier often does not adopt a closed structure. The traditional motor carrier is usually cylindrical, and its axis is generally in a vertical state during assembly, so that the optical lens can be loaded into the carrier from the opening of the end face of the motor carrier. For the periscope module assembled horizontally, the two end faces of the motor carrier are respectively towards two sides, if the lens is still loaded from the end face, it is easy to be interfered by other modules or the side walls of the module housing. Therefore, for the periscope camera module, the top side of the carrier often has an opening, so that the lens can be loaded from the top of the carrier. However, since the side of the carrier is not closed, the stress caused by the shrinkage or expansion of the glue when the carrier and the lens are fixed will be more uneven. Therefore, for the periscope camera module, the negative impact of the glue used to fix the carrier and the lens on the imaging quality may be more obvious.

[0008] In summary, the market expects a lens fixing structure for optical actuator and a corresponding camera module with high imaging quality, which is helpful for the miniaturization of the module, easy to assemble and has many other advantages. SUMMARY

[0009] The purpose of the present application is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art, and to provide a lens fixing structure for optical actuator and a corresponding camera module which can improve the imaging quality, is easy to assemble and is helpful for the miniaturization of the device.

[0010] To solve the above technical problems, the present application provides a lens fixing structure for optical actuator, which comprises: a carrier adapted to move under the control of the optical actuator; a lens barrel, the inner side of which is adapted to install a lens; and an elastic member comprising a fixed part for connecting the lens barrel and a connecting part for connecting the carrier; wherein the fixed part comprises two arc-shaped side walls, which are respectively supported on the outer sides of the two sides of the lens barrel, or respectively embedded in the lens barrel.

[0011] The fixed part further comprises a planar bottom wall, and the two arc-shaped side walls are connected with the bottom wall to form an integral whole, and the two arc-shaped side walls are respectively supported on the outer sides of the two sides of the lens barrel to clamp the lens barrel between the two arc-shaped side walls and the bottom wall.

[0012] The bottom end of the arc-shaped side wall is connected with the bottom wall, and the top end thereof is bent outward and downward to form the connecting part.

[0013] The connecting part is an arc single arm, or a U shape, or a meandering shape composed of multiple U shapes.

[0014] The fixing part is embedded into the side wall of the lens barrel by an embedded injection process.

[0015] The top end of the fixing part is higher than the central axis of the lens barrel.

[0016] The top end of the fixing part has an opening, and the width of the opening is smaller than the diameter of the outer contour of the lens barrel.

[0017] The two arc-shaped side walls are separated and embedded into the two sides of the lens barrel, respectively.

[0018] The two arc-shaped side walls are separated, and the two arc-shaped side walls are respectively supported on the outer side surfaces of the two sides of the lens barrel, and the bottom ends of the two arc-shaped side walls are respectively connected to the lens barrel by a buckle structure.

[0019] The top end of the arc-shaped side wall is bent outward and downward to form the connecting part, and the bottom end of the connecting part is connected to the inner side surface of the carrier by a buckle structure.

[0020] The top end of the arc-shaped side wall is bent outward and downward to form the connecting part, and the bottom end of the connecting part is bonded to the inner side surface of the carrier.

[0021] The connection between the bottom end of the connecting part and the inner side surface of the carrier is reinforced by glue.

[0022] The buckle structure is a male buckle and a female buckle.

[0023] The connecting part has an end connecting piece, the inner side surface of the carrier has a T-shaped protrusion, the T-shaped protrusion includes a neck portion and an end portion with a width greater than the neck portion, and the end connecting piece is provided with an opening, and the shape of the opening matches the shape of the neck portion of the T-shaped protrusion.

[0024] The connecting part has an end connecting piece, the end connecting piece has a T-shaped protrusion, the T-shaped protrusion includes a neck portion and an end portion with a width greater than the neck portion, and the inner side surface of the carrier has a groove, and the shape of the neck portion of the T-shaped protrusion matches the shape of the groove.

[0025] The end portion of the T-shaped protrusion has an inclined inclined surface, and the inclination angle α of the inclined surface satisfies 90° < α < 180°.

[0026] According to another aspect of the present application, a camera module is also provided, which includes a housing and a light path turning assembly, a lens assembly and a photosensitive assembly mounted in the housing; the lens assembly includes any of the lens fixing structures for the optical actuator described above.

[0027] In the lens fixing structure, a plurality of lenses are mounted in the lens barrel, and the lens barrel includes at least one fitting section where the elastic member is mounted, and the diameter of the lens mounted on the fitting section is smaller than the diameter of the lens mounted on other sections of the lens barrel.

[0028] In the lens fixing structure, a plurality of lenses are mounted in the lens barrel, and the lens barrel includes at least one fitting section where the elastic member is mounted, and the optical sensitivity of the lens mounted on the fitting section is higher than the optical sensitivity of the lens mounted on other sections of the lens barrel.

[0029] In the lens fixing structure, a plurality of lenses are mounted in the lens barrel, and the lens barrel includes at least one fitting section where the elastic member is mounted, and the optical sensitivity of the lens mounted on the fitting section is higher than the optical sensitivity of the lens mounted on other sections of the lens barrel.

[0030] Compared with the prior art, the present application has at least one of the following technical effects:

[0031] 1. The present application sets an elastic member between the lens barrel and the carrier, so that the lens barrel can be uniformly stressed on both sides while being fixed, avoiding the problem caused by uneven stress due to glue bonding.

[0032] 2. In some embodiments of the present application, the top of the elastic member has an opening, which facilitates the installation and buckling of the lens barrel, and helps to improve production efficiency and yield.

[0033] 3. In some embodiments of the present application, the elastic member can be arranged at the end of the lens with higher sensitivity, so as to offset the influence of glue stress on the high-sensitivity lens through the elastic member, thereby better ensuring the imaging effect.

[0034] 4. In some embodiments of the present application, the elastic member can be arranged at the end of the lens with smaller size, so as to make full use of the gap between the lens and the carrier, improve the space utilization of the camera module, and make the structure of the module more compact.

[0035] 5. In some embodiments of the present application, for a periscope module, the elastic member can be arranged on the side wall of the lens barrel and the motor carrier, so as to avoid occupying the space in the height direction of the periscope module. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0036] Figure 1 A perspective view of a periscope camera module in an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0037] Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of a periscope camera module is shown in one embodiment of the present application.

[0038] Figure 3 A lens with a cut edge is shown.

[0039] Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of a lens fixing structure is shown in one embodiment of the present application.

[0040] Figure 5 A partial enlarged view of a snap connection between a motor carrier and an elastic member is shown in one embodiment of the present application.

[0041] Figure 6a A cross-sectional view of a lens fixing structure is shown in another embodiment of the present application.

[0042] Figure 6b A partial enlarged view of a snap connection between a motor carrier and an elastic member is shown in another embodiment of the present application.

[0043] Figure 7a A cross-sectional view of a lens fixing structure is shown in yet another embodiment of the present application.

[0044] Figure 7b A partial enlarged view of a snap connection between a motor carrier and an elastic member is shown in yet another embodiment of the present application.

[0045] Figure 8a A cross-sectional view of a lens fixing structure is shown in still another embodiment of the present application.

[0046] Figure 8b A partial enlarged view of a snap connection between a motor carrier and an elastic member is shown in still another embodiment of the present application.

[0047] Figure 9 A perspective view of a lens fixing structure is shown in one embodiment of the present application.

[0048] Figure 10 A cross-sectional view of a lens fixing structure is shown in one variant embodiment of the present application.

[0049] Figure 11 A cross-sectional view of a lens fixing structure is shown in another variant embodiment of the present application.

[0050] Figure 12 A cross-sectional view of a lens fixing structure is shown in yet another variant embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] For a better understanding of the present application, various aspects of the present application will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is to be noted that these detailed description is merely descriptive of exemplary embodiments of the present application and is not intended in any way to limit the scope of the present application. Throughout the specification, like drawing reference numerals will be understood to refer to like parts throughout the specification and the claims. The expression "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0052] It should be noted that the expressions first, second, and so on in the present specification are merely used to distinguish one feature from another feature, and do not indicate any limitation of the features. Thus, the first subject discussed below can also be referred to as the second subject without departing from the teachings of the present application.

[0053] In the drawings, the thickness, size, and shape of objects have been exaggerated slightly for the sake of explanation. The drawings are merely schematic and are not strictly to scale.

[0054] It should also be understood that the terms "comprise", "comprising", "have", "having", "contain", "containing", "include", and / or "including" when used in this specification, indicate the presence of the stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. Furthermore, when describing the embodiments of the present application, the use of "may" indicates that one or more embodiments of the present application. Also, the term "exemplary" is intended to mean an example or an illustration.

[0055] As used herein, the terms "substantially", "approximately", and like terms are used as terms of approximation and not as exact terms, and are intended to account for the inherent deviations in measurements or calculations that would be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art.

[0056] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an overly literal or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

[0057] It should be noted that the embodiments in the present application and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other without conflict.

[0058] The present application will be further described with reference to the drawings and specific embodiments.

[0059] According to one embodiment of the present application, a periscopic camera module with an optical actuator is provided, which employs a lens fixing structure based on elastic member, thereby avoiding the defects caused by using glue to bond and fix between the lens and the carrier. Figure 1 A perspective view of the periscopic camera module in one embodiment of the present application is shown, Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of the periscopic camera module in one embodiment of the present application is shown. Referring to Figure 1 and Figure 2 In this embodiment, the periscopic camera module includes an optical path turning assembly 10, a lens assembly 20 and a photosensitive assembly 30. The optical path turning assembly 10 is located at the front end of the periscopic camera module (i.e. close to the object side end) to reflect the incident light of the object and change the propagation direction of the light. The lens assembly 20 is located between the optical path turning assembly 10 and the photosensitive assembly 30. The light emitted by the optical path turning assembly 10 reaches the photosensitive assembly 30 after passing through the lens assembly 20, and is imaged by the photosensitive assembly 30. In this embodiment, the lens assembly 20 includes a lens 21 (i.e. optical lens) and a motor mechanism 22. The motor mechanism 22 includes a motor carrier 23, which can move relative to the motor housing (which can be part of the periscopic camera module housing 40) under the action of the motor driving element. The lens 21 is fixed to the motor carrier, and under the driving of the motor carrier 23, the lens 21 can move relative to the motor housing with the motor carrier 23, thereby realizing optical focusing and / or optical anti-shake. Further, the motor mechanism 22 can also be used to realize optical zoom function. In this embodiment, a lens fixing structure based on elastic member is proposed to fix the lens 21 to the motor carrier 23, thereby avoiding the defects caused by using glue to bond and fix between the lens 21 and the motor carrier 23.

[0060] Specifically, in the embodiment, the lens includes a lens (usually a lens) and a lens barrel. Generally, the lens includes at least two lenses arranged along an optical axis, and the number of lenses can be changed according to the optical design, and the lens barrel can accommodate the plurality of lenses in the direction of the optical axis. In the embodiment, the elastic member is used to fix the lens in the motor carrier. For the convenience of description, the motor carrier is sometimes referred to as the carrier in the following, and the combination structure of the carrier, the elastic piece and the lens barrel is regarded as the lens fixing structure. In the embodiment, the carrier can be a single-sided open barrel. Specifically, the cross section (the cross section perpendicular to the axis of the carrier) of the carrier can be U-shaped, and the open side faces upward. That is, when the axis of the carrier is in a horizontal state, the top side of the carrier has an opening. In this way, the lens barrel can be put into the carrier from the top side of the carrier, and the position of the lens can be adjusted based on the measured imaging result of the photosensitive assembly during the placement process, so that the periscopic camera module reaches the preset imaging quality index. It should be noted that the motor mechanism in the present application can be a VCM motor (which usually provides driving force by a combination of a coil and a magnet, VCM is the English abbreviation of Voice Coil Motor), an SMA motor (which provides driving force by an SMA element, SMA is the English abbreviation of Shape Memory Alloy), or a MEMS motor (MEMS is the English abbreviation of Micro Electro Mechanical System), etc. The present application mainly relates to the fixing structure for fixing the carrier and the lens, and therefore the type of driving element used by the motor can not be limited.

[0061] Further, in some embodiments of the present application, the lens can be a D-cut lens. The D-cut lens is provided with a cutting edge (also referred to as a cutting edge) on the lens, so that the outer contour of the lens forms a cutting circle. Figure 3 A lens with a cutting edge is shown. In this paper, the lens with a cutting edge is referred to as a D-cut lens. The D-cut lens includes at least one chord edge and at least one circular arc edge. The chord edge and the circular arc edge are adjacent, the curvature of the chord edge is 0, which is a straight line segment, and the curvature of the circular arc edge is > 0, which is an arc line segment. When the outer contour of the lens is composed of a chord edge and a circular arc edge, its shape is similar to the letter "D", so it is called a D-cut lens. However, the D-cut lens is not limited to the shape of the letter "D". For example, referring to Figure 3, the D-cut lens can have two parallel cut edges 21a, and the outer contour of the D-cut lens is composed of two chord edges and two circular arc edges. In a preferred embodiment, the cut edges 21a are only located in the non-optical area of the lens to avoid affecting the optical area of the lens. Further, the D-cut lens includes two chord edges and two circular edges, so that the D-cut lens has symmetry, so that when the D-cut lens is formed (for example, injection molding), the internal stress of the lens is relatively uniform. In this way, during the manufacture of the lens, the shrinkage of the material itself during the solidification of the liquid material during the forming process will be relatively uniform, and the surface accuracy of the lens can be improved to some extent (compared with an asymmetric D-cut lens). Further, in order to tightly combine the D-cut lens with the lens barrel, at least one cut edge can be provided on the lens barrel, and the positions of the cut edges of the D-cut lens and the lens barrel are matched, and when the lens is assembled into the lens barrel, the pressure of the lens barrel on the lens is relatively uniform and symmetric, so that the deformation of the lens caused by the extrusion of the lens barrel is more uniform and symmetric. Further, the D-cut lens can be formed by injection molding, wherein the cut edges can be directly formed in a D-cut shape (i.e., a cut circle shape) by setting the shape of the mold; or a conventional lens can be formed first, and then the cut edges can be set by cutting.

[0062] In the above embodiment, for the horizontal assembly of the periscopic camera module, when the lens and the carrier are assembled, the cut edge of the lens can be placed on the top side. When the lens has two parallel cut edges, the two parallel cut edges can be placed on the top side and the bottom side, respectively. Here, horizontal assembly means that the light path turning assembly 10, the lens assembly 20 and the photosensitive assembly 30 are arranged in the horizontal direction (i.e., transversely arranged, which can be referred to as Figure 2 ) during assembly.

[0063] It is noted that in the assembling process of the existing periscopic camera module, a large amount of glue is arranged between the lens and the motor carrier to adhere and fix the lens and the motor carrier. Whether it is a conventional lens or a D-cut lens, the lens is fixed with the motor carrier by glue, and the glue will shrink in the curing process, which will pull the lens barrel in the shrinking process. Because the shrinkage of the glue and the shrinkage of the adhesive position are different, it will cause uneven stress inside the lens, thereby causing the lens to be squeezed and the lens surface to change, which will affect the imaging effect. Furthermore, in the baking and cooling process of the camera module, the thermal expansion coefficient between the lens barrel of the lens and the glue does not match (is different), and different shrinkage occurs between the lens barrel of the lens and the glue, which will also cause uneven stress inside the lens, and the stress will affect the lens surface in the lens, causing the imaging quality to decrease. In the conventional lens, the uneven stress in the lens will cause the lens surface to change, become larger or smaller; and in the D-cut lens, because the lens barrel and the lens have a cut edge, the stress of the glue will cause uneven stress in the lens, and because the distance between the cut edge lens barrel and the lens optical area is shorter, the stress of the cut edge glue will have a greater impact on the lens, making the lens more prone to deformation.

[0064] In order to avoid the influence of the glue stress between the lens barrel and the motor carrier, an elastic member is arranged between the lens barrel and the motor carrier in the present application to form a lens fixing structure. In the lens fixing structure, the elastic member is arranged between the lens barrel and the motor carrier to support and fix the lens.

[0065] Further, in an embodiment of the present application, in the lens fixing structure, one end of the elastic member is fixed to the lens barrel by buckling or molding, and the other end is fixed to the motor carrier by pasting or buckling. Through the elastic member, the lens barrel and the motor carrier can be directly pasted by glue, thereby avoiding the stress generated by the glue directly affecting the lens barrel and avoiding the deformation of the lens, ensuring the shooting quality and effect. The elastic member has a certain pre-tightening force between the lens barrel and the motor carrier, which increases the friction between the lens and the motor, thereby avoiding the lens from shaking randomly. The pre-tightening force refers to that the elastic member has a certain load in the installed state, which is used to eliminate the abnormal sound and shaking of the mechanical mechanism.

[0066] Further, Figure 4 A cross-sectional schematic view of the lens fixing structure in an embodiment of the present application is shown. Referring to FIG. 1, the lens fixing structure includes a lens barrel 1, a motor carrier 2, and an elastic member 3 arranged between the lens barrel 1 and the motor carrier 2. The elastic member 3 is fixed to the lens barrel 1 by buckling or molding, and the other end is fixed to the motor carrier 2 by pasting or buckling. Figure 4In the embodiment, the lens fixing structure comprises a lens barrel 51, a carrier 52 and an elastic member 53 connecting the lens barrel 51 and the carrier 52. The elastic member 53 comprises a fixing part 531 for fixing the lens barrel and a connecting part 532 for connecting the carrier 52. The fixing part 531 is in the shape of a U, and the inside of the U-shaped fixing part 531 forms a receiving cavity. The top of the receiving cavity has an opening (i.e. the direction of the opening of the fixing part 531 is the same as the direction of the opening of the motor carrier 52), so that the lens barrel 51 is loaded into the receiving cavity from the top. During the loading process, the position of the lens can be adjusted according to the actual imaging result, so as to improve the imaging quality. The shape of the abutting surface 531a of the elastic member 53 can be consistent with the outer side of the lens barrel 51, i.e. the fixing part 531 of the elastic member 53 can comprise a flat bottom wall 533 and two arc-shaped side walls 534. The two arc-shaped side walls 534 can have a pre-tightening force, so as to clamp the lens barrel 51 from both sides. During the assembly process, the lens is inserted into the receiving cavity from the opening of the fixing part 531. During the downward movement of the lens, the lens first extrudes the two arc-shaped side walls 534 of the elastic member 53 outward, so as to increase the opening. After the lens is loaded into the receiving cavity, the two arc-shaped side walls 534 rebound inward under the action of the elastic force, so as to reduce the opening, thereby clamping the lens barrel 51 (i.e. the entire lens) in the fixing part 531 of the elastic member 53. Since the two arc-shaped side walls 534 of the elastic member 53 are symmetrically arranged, the elastic member 53 can provide a stable and appropriate elastic force to clamp and fix the lens, so that the lens will not fall off when the camera module shakes, and the shooting quality and effect can be guaranteed.

[0067] Further, in an embodiment of the present application, in order to make the fixing of the lens more firm, the opening size of the fixing part of the elastic member is smaller than the outer diameter of the lens barrel, i.e. the height of the fixing part is higher than the optical axis of the lens, which is in a horizontal position. In the embodiment, the position of the central axis of the lens barrel can be regarded as the position of the optical axis of the lens. Based on this design, during the loading of the lens into the fixing part of the elastic member, the opening of the fixing part becomes larger due to the elasticity of the elastic member. After the lens is loaded into the fixing part, the opening returns to the original position, thereby fixing the lens in the elastic member.

[0068] Further, still referring to Figure 4In an embodiment of the present application, one end of the connecting portion 532 of the elastic member 53 is connected to the fixed portion 531, and the other end is connected to the inner side of the motor carrier 52. The connecting portion 532 and the fixed portion 531 can be integrally formed. The top end of the arc-shaped side wall 534 of the fixed portion 531 is bent outward (outward refers to the direction away from the lens barrel) and then extends downward to form the connecting portion 532. The end of the connecting portion 532 connected to the motor carrier 52 can have an end connector, so that the elastic member 53 and the motor carrier 52 are fixed by the snap structure, so that the elastic member 53 and the motor carrier 52 are fixed more firmly. The connection between the elastic member 53 and the motor carrier 52 is arranged on the side wall of the motor carrier 52, which does not occupy the space of the periscopic camera module in the height direction, thereby avoiding the increase of the height of the periscopic camera module. Further, the connecting portion 532 of the elastic member 53 can be a single-arm arc shape as shown in Figure 4 The arc-shaped side walls 534 on both sides of the fixed portion 531 are connected to one of the connecting portions 532. In another embodiment, the connecting portion can also be U-shaped, that is, the connecting portion has two arms and a bending segment between the two arms, and the arc-shaped side walls on both sides of the fixed portion are connected to one of the U-shaped connecting portions. In yet another embodiment, the connecting portion can also be a meandering shape composed of multiple U shapes, that is, the connecting portion has multiple arc-shaped arms and multiple bending segments connecting the arc-shaped arms, and the arc-shaped side walls on both sides of the fixed portion are connected to one of the meandering connecting portions.

[0069] Further, Figure 5 A partial enlarged view of the snap connection between the motor carrier and the elastic member in an embodiment of the present application is shown. Referring to Figure 5 In this embodiment, the inner side wall of the motor carrier 52 is provided with a T-shaped protrusion, which can be integrally formed with the motor carrier. The T-shaped protrusion has a neck portion 521 and an end portion 522, and the size of the neck portion 521 is smaller than that of the end portion 522, so that the end connector of the elastic member 53 will not fall off after being engaged with the T-shaped protrusion of the motor carrier 52. Further, the end portion of the T-shaped protrusion of the motor carrier can have an inclined slope 522a, and the inclination angle a of the slope satisfies 90° < a < 180°, so as to facilitate the engagement of the end connector of the elastic member with the T-shaped protrusion. The end connector of the elastic member 53 is provided with an opening at a position corresponding to the T-shaped protrusion of the motor carrier, and the shape of the opening matches the shape of the neck portion 521 of the T-shaped protrusion, so that the T-shaped protrusion can extend into the opening to fix the motor carrier 52 and the elastic member 53 by the snap structure. The number of the snap structures in the present application is not limited.

[0070] Further,Figure 6a Fig. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of a lens fixing structure according to another embodiment of the present application. Figure 6b Fig. 5 shows a partial enlarged view of the snap connection between the motor carrier and the elastic member according to another embodiment of the present application. Referring to Figure 6a and Figure 6b In the lens fixing structure, the inner side wall of the motor carrier 52 is provided with a groove 57, and the end connecting piece of the elastic member 53 is provided with a T-shaped protrusion, which can be integrally formed with the connecting part 532 of the elastic member 53. The neck 55 of the T-shaped protrusion has a smaller size than the end 56, so that the end connecting piece of the elastic member cannot fall off by itself after being snapped into the groove 57 of the motor carrier 52. The end 56 of the T-shaped protrusion has an inclined surface with an inclination angle a satisfying 90° < a < 180°, so as to facilitate the snap connection between the T-shaped protrusion of the end connecting piece of the elastic member and the groove of the motor carrier. The T-shaped protrusion is oppositely arranged with the groove, and the shape of the neck of the T-shaped protrusion matches the shape of the groove. The number of the snap structures between the motor carrier and the elastic member in the embodiment is one, but the number of the snap structures in the present application is not limited.

[0071] Figure 7a Fig. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of a lens fixing structure according to another embodiment of the present application. Figure 7b Fig. 7 shows a partial enlarged view of the snap connection between the motor carrier and the elastic member according to another embodiment of the present application. Referring to Figure 7a and Figure 7b In the lens fixing structure, the end connecting piece of the elastic member 53 can also be fixed to the inner side wall of the motor carrier 52 by means of adhesion. Although the elastic member 53 and the motor carrier 52 are glued, the stress generated by the solidification of the glue can be offset by the elastic member, and cannot be transmitted to the lens, so as to not affect the stress of the lens, thereby ensuring the imaging quality of the lens.

[0072] Figure 8a Fig. 8 shows a cross-sectional view of a lens fixing structure according to another embodiment of the present application. Figure 8b Fig. 9 shows a partial enlarged view of the snap connection between the motor carrier and the elastic member according to another embodiment of the present application. Referring to Figure 8a and Figure 8bIn another embodiment of the present application, the buckle structure between the elastic member 53 and the motor carrier 52 in the lens fixing structure can also be provided by a male buckle and a female buckle. Specifically, a female buckle can be provided on the end connector of the elastic member, and a male buckle can be provided on the inner side wall of the motor carrier, and the male buckle and the female buckle are opposite to each other. The elastic member and the motor carrier are fixed by the buckling of the male buckle and the female buckle. Alternatively, the positions of the male buckle and the female buckle can be exchanged, that is, a male buckle is provided on the end connector of the elastic member, and a female buckle is provided on the inner side wall of the motor carrier.

[0073] In the present application, the structure of the elastic member and the buckling mode of the elastic member, the lens and the motor carrier are not limited to the modes described in the above embodiments, as long as the elastic member can realize its function and be fixed between the lens and the motor carrier.

[0074] Figure 9 A perspective view of the lens fixing structure in an embodiment of the present application is shown. Referring to Figure 9 In the present embodiment, the optical axis of the lens 21 is consistent with the direction of the Y axis, and the lens 21 is in a horizontal posture. It is assumed that the length of the lens 21 (in combination with reference Figure 2 ) in the direction of the optical axis is L. The length (dimension in the direction of the optical axis) of the elastic member ( Figure 9 The elastic member is blocked in the present embodiment, and therefore is not directly shown) is not greater than the length L of the lens 21. That is, the length of the elastic member can be exactly matched with (substantially the same as) the length of the lens 21, or can be less than the length of the lens 21. In the present embodiment, the lens 21 includes a plurality of lenses, and the radial dimensions (radial refers to the direction perpendicular to the optical axis) of different sections of the lens can also be different according to the radial dimensions of the lenses. For example Figure 9 In the present embodiment, the elastic member can be provided in the middle section 21b of the lens 21. Since the radial dimension of the middle section 21b is less than that of the front end section 21a, there is a gap between the middle section 21b of the lens 21 and the carrier 23 sufficient to accommodate the elastic member. On the other hand, the length of the elastic member (i.e. the dimension in the direction of the Y axis) can be adapted to the length of the middle section 21b of the lens. Since the elastic member is provided in the middle section 21b of the lens, it also helps to balance the front and rear weights of the lens, and improves the firmness of the lens fixing structure. Further, in the present embodiment, the length of the fixed part (dimension in the direction of the Y axis) and the length of the connecting part (dimension in the direction of the Y axis) of the elastic member can be substantially the same.

[0075] In another embodiment, the elastic member can also be arranged at the end section of the lens (e.g. the front end section or the rear end section). Preferably, the elastic member is arranged at the end of the lens with higher optical sensitivity (hereinafter referred to as sensitivity). The lens with higher sensitivity means that the lens has greater influence on the imaging effect when the lens changes. Arranging the elastic member at the end of the lens with higher sensitivity and removing the glue can avoid the influence of stress on the surface shape of the lens with higher sensitivity when the glue solidifies, thereby better ensuring the imaging quality.

[0076] Further, in a preferred embodiment, the elastic member is arranged at the end of the lens barrel with smaller radial dimension (e.g. the rear end section of the lens barrel). For a long-focus camera module, since it has a smaller field of view, to match the smaller field of view, the lenses other than the first lens can be designed to be smaller in size. Thus, the end of the lens with smaller size has more space. Arranging the elastic member at the end of the lens with smaller size can make full use of the gap between the lens and the carrier, improve the space utilization of the camera module, make the structure of the module more compact, and thus help the module to be miniaturized.

[0077] Further, in some embodiments of the present application, the elastic member can be a spring, a spring piece or other elastic element.

[0078] Further, according to an embodiment of the present application, an assembling method of the lens fixing structure is also provided. The method comprises: placing the lens into the accommodating cavity of the elastic member by pressing, and fixing the lens by the fixing part of the elastic member; placing the semi-finished product composed of the lens and the elastic member into the motor carrier, and clamping the end part of the elastic member with the buckling part of the motor carrier, so as to fix the elastic member to the motor carrier by the clamping structure between the elastic member and the motor carrier. Further, in order to make the fixing of the elastic member to the motor carrier more firm, in the embodiment, glue can be further added to the clamping structure to reinforce the clamping connection, so as to prevent the elastic member from falling off. During the assembling process, the elastic member will be deformed to a certain extent under the extrusion force of the lens, but after the assembling is completed, the elastic member will basically return to the original shape by the elastic force.

[0079] Further, still referring to Figure 2In an embodiment of the present application, the periscopic camera module includes a light path turning assembly 10, a lens assembly 20, and a light sensing assembly 30. The light path turning assembly 10 includes a reflecting element 11 and a reflecting element carrier 12. The reflecting element 11 is a mirror or a prism. The reflecting element 11 is adapted to turn the light path by 90°, and to turn the vertical light axis at the entrance end of the reflecting element 11 to a horizontal light axis at the exit end of the reflecting element 11. The reflecting element 11 is supported by the reflecting element carrier 12. In some embodiments, the light path turning assembly 10 further includes a driving element 14 disposed on the reflecting element carrier 12 to drive the reflecting element 11 to rotate or translate, and to achieve optical image stabilization of the periscopic camera module.

[0080] Further, still referring to Figure 2 In an embodiment of the present application, the periscopic camera module includes a light path turning assembly 10, a lens assembly 20, and a light sensing assembly 30. The light path turning assembly 10 includes a reflecting element 11 and a reflecting element carrier 12. The reflecting element 11 is a mirror or a prism. The reflecting element 11 is adapted to turn the light path by 90°, and to turn the vertical light axis at the entrance end of the reflecting element 11 to a horizontal light axis at the exit end of the reflecting element 11. The reflecting element 11 is supported by the reflecting element carrier 12. In some embodiments, the light path turning assembly 10 further includes a driving element 14 disposed on the reflecting element carrier 12 to drive the reflecting element 11 to rotate or translate, and to achieve optical image stabilization of the periscopic camera module.

[0081] Further, in a preferred embodiment of the present application, the light path turning assembly, the lens assembly, and the light sensing assembly are first actively calibrated and then fixed during assembly, so as to ensure that the deviation of the optical axis of the lens from the center of the light sensing element is within a preset tolerable range, and thus the optical axis consistency is achieved. The active calibration refers to adjusting the relative positions of the light path turning assembly, the lens assembly, and the light sensing assembly according to the actual imaging results of the light sensing assembly, so as to obtain an optical system with qualified imaging quality. During actual assembly, the relative positions between the light path turning assembly, the lens assembly, and the light sensing assembly can be maintained at the relative positions determined by the active calibration based on the active calibration results.

[0082] Furthermore, in one embodiment of this application, the housing 40 of the periscope camera module includes a base 41 and a cover 42. The cover 42 has a window, which can serve as a light entrance (i.e., light window 13) for the periscope camera module, enabling the periscope camera module to receive light reflected from the subject. The cover is fixed to the base, and the space between the cover 42 and the base 41 forms a cavity for accommodating the optical path deflection assembly 10, the lens assembly 20, and the photosensitive assembly 30. It should be noted that the optical path deflection assembly 10 and the lens assembly 20 can be fixed on the same base 41 or separately on two separate bases. For example, in another embodiment of this application, the base includes a first base and a second base that are separate from each other. The second base carries the lens assembly and the photosensitive assembly, and the first base carries the optical path deflection assembly.

[0083] Furthermore, Figure 10 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of a lens fixing structure in a modified embodiment of this application is shown. (Reference) Figure 10 In this embodiment, the fixing part of the elastic member 53 can be directly embedded into the lens barrel 51. Specifically, this can be achieved through an embedded injection molding process, embedding the fixing part 531 of the elastic member 53 during the molding of the lens barrel 51. Since the lens barrel 51 and the fixing part 531 of the elastic member 53 are integrally molded, they can be firmly connected and fixed together. In this embodiment, the shape of the fixing part 531 can be similar to... Figure 4 The fixing part shown can also include a planar bottom wall and two arc-shaped side walls.

[0084] Furthermore, Figure 11 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of a lens fixing structure in another modified embodiment of this application is shown. (Reference) Figure 11 In this embodiment, the fixing portion 531 of the elastic member 53 can be directly embedded into the lens barrel 51. The embedding method can be similar to... Figure 10 The previous embodiment is shown. The difference between this embodiment and the previous embodiment is that the fixing part may only include two arc-shaped sidewalls 534, and the planar bottom wall may be omitted. That is, in this embodiment, the elastic member 53 may include two separate sub-components, each sub-component including an arc-shaped sidewall 534 and a connecting part 532 connected to it. Furthermore, the arc-shaped sidewall 534 of each sub-component is respectively embedded in one sidewall of the lens barrel 51 (e.g., the left or right sidewall of the lens barrel).

[0085] Furthermore, Figure 12 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of the lens fixing structure is shown in yet another modified embodiment of this application. (See reference) Figure 12In the embodiment, the fixed part of the elastic member can only include two arc-shaped side walls 534, each of which has an arc-shaped abutting surface adapted to abut against the outer side surface of the lens barrel 51. The end of each arc-shaped side wall 534 is connected to the lens barrel 51 by a snap structure. Specifically, the free end of the arc-shaped side wall 534 is located lower, and the end of the connecting part 532 connected to the arc-shaped side wall 534 is located higher. The free end of the arc-shaped side wall 534 can be provided with a snap structure or a structure adapted to the snap structure, so as to be connected to the outer side surface of the lens barrel 51. The connecting end of the arc-shaped side wall 534 is bent outward and then extends downward to form the connecting part 532, which is a single-arm arc. The free end of the connecting part 532 is also connected to the inner side surface of the carrier 52 by a snap structure.

[0086] In the above-mentioned embodiment, the snap connection can be replaced by a glue connection, or the glue connection can be used to reinforce the snap connection.

[0087] The above description is only the preferred embodiment of the present application and the explanation of the applied technical principles. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the scope of the application involved in the present application is not limited to the technical solutions formed by the specific combination of the above technical features, and should also cover other technical solutions formed by any combination of the above technical features or equivalent features without departing from the inventive concept. For example, the above features can be replaced by the technical features disclosed in the present application (but not limited to) having similar functions to form technical solutions.

Claims

1. A lens fixing structure for an optical actuator, characterized by, include: A carrier adapted to be moved in a controlled manner under the drive of the optical actuator; The inner surface of the lens barrel is suitable for mounting lenses; as well as An elastic member is fixedly connected to the carrier and the outer side of the lens barrel, wherein the two arc-shaped sidewalls of the elastic member respectively abut against the outer sides of the two sides of the lens barrel, wherein the elastic member has an opening, and the lens barrel is installed inside the elastic member through the opening of the elastic member; wherein the width of the opening of the elastic member is smaller than the diameter of the outer contour of the lens barrel, wherein the top side of the carrier has an opening, and the direction of the opening of the elastic member is the same as the direction of the opening of the carrier.

2. The lens fixing structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The end connector of the elastic member is fixed to the inner wall of the carrier by adhesive bonding.

3. The lens fixing structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The elastic component is located at the end of the lens with higher optical sensitivity.

4. The lens fixing structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The elastic member includes a fixing part and a connecting part, wherein one end of the connecting part of the elastic member is connected to the fixing part, and the other end is connected to the inner side of the carrier.

5. The lens fixing structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The end connector of the elastic member is provided with a T-shaped protrusion, and the inner sidewall of the carrier is provided with a groove. The T-shaped protrusion has a neck and an end. The neck of the T-shaped protrusion is smaller than the end of the T-shaped protrusion. The position of the T-shaped protrusion is opposite to the position of the groove, and the shape of the neck of the T-shaped protrusion matches the shape of the groove.

6. The lens fixing structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The elastic member includes two separate sub-components, each sub-component including an arcuate sidewall and a connecting portion thereto, and the arcuate sidewall of each sub-component is respectively embedded in one sidewall of the lens barrel.

7. An image capture module, comprising: include: Housing and the optical path deflection assembly, lens assembly and photosensitive assembly installed inside the housing; The lens assembly includes a lens fixing structure for an optical actuator according to any one of claims 1-6.

8. The camera module of claim 7, wherein, In the lens fixing structure, multiple lenses are installed inside the lens barrel. The lens barrel includes at least one adapter section for installing the elastic member. The diameter of the lens installed in the adapter section is smaller than the diameter of the lenses installed in other sections of the lens barrel.

9. The camera module of claim 7, wherein, In the lens fixing structure, multiple lenses are installed inside the lens barrel. The lens barrel includes at least one adapter section for installing the elastic member. The optical sensitivity of the lens installed in the adapter section is higher than that of the lenses installed in other sections of the lens barrel.

10. The camera module of claim 7, wherein, Multiple lenses are installed inside the lens barrel, at least one of which has an outer contour that is cut into a circle, and one cut edge of the lens with the outer contour cut into a circle is located on the top side.

11. The camera module of claim 7, wherein, The housing includes a base and a cover, the cover having a window that allows the periscope camera module to receive light reflected from the subject.

12. The camera module of claim 7, wherein, The elastic member includes two separate sub-components, each sub-component including an arcuate sidewall and a connecting portion thereto, and the arcuate sidewall of each sub-component is respectively embedded in one sidewall of the lens barrel.

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