Lifting camera and electronic device

Abstract

The application provides a lifting camera and an electronic device. The camera comprises a base, a lens module, a buffer device extending along a height direction of the camera, a bottom end of the buffer device being connected to the base, and a lifting device connected to a top end of the buffer device, the lifting device being used to drive the lens module to lift relative to a main body of the electronic device along the height direction. When the camera is subjected to an external force downward along the height direction, the lifting device can descend relative to the base, and the buffer device is used to provide a buffer for the descending process of the lifting device. In a cross section of the camera, the buffer device is located on one side of the lifting device, and the cross section is perpendicular to the height direction. The application can reduce the overall height of the camera and ensure that the buffer device has sufficient buffer stroke.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of electronic equipment technology, and in particular to a pop-up camera and electronic equipment. Background Technology

[0002] To enhance product competitiveness, the performance of cameras integrated into electronic devices (such as mobile phones and tablets) is constantly being improved. For example, in some electronic products, when the camera is in shooting mode, the camera lens module rises to the outside of the electronic device. This setting can increase the amount of light entering the camera during shooting, thereby improving the image quality.

[0003] When a camera is raised outside an electronic device, it may be subjected to impacts from the outside. For example, when the electronic device is accidentally dropped, the camera will be subjected to impacts from the ground.

[0004] To prevent damage to the camera upon impact, a buffer device is incorporated into the camera. However, in existing technology, incorporating this buffer device increases the overall height of the camera. Furthermore, due to space limitations at height, the buffer device may have insufficient buffering travel. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Some embodiments of this application provide a pop-up camera and an electronic device. The following describes this application from multiple aspects, and the embodiments and beneficial effects of the following aspects can be referred to each other.

[0006] In a first aspect, this application provides a liftable camera mounted on an electronic device. The camera includes: a base and a lens module; a buffer device extending along the height direction of the camera, with its bottom end connected to the base; and a lifting device connected to the top end of the buffer device. The lifting device is used to drive the lens module to lift relative to the main body of the electronic device along the height direction. When the camera is subjected to a downward external force along the height direction, the lifting device can descend relative to the base, and the buffer device is used to provide cushioning for the descent of the lifting device. In the cross-section of the camera, the buffer device is located on one side of the lifting device, and the cross-section is perpendicular to the height direction.

[0007] According to the embodiments of this application, the buffer device can share the same height space as the lifting device, thereby reducing the overall height of the camera. Furthermore, the arrangement of the buffer device is unaffected by the height space already occupied by the lifting device. Thus, even when the size (e.g., thickness) of the electronic device is limited, the length of the buffer device can be set as needed to ensure sufficient buffering travel.

[0008] In some embodiments, the lifting device includes an outer sleeve and an inner sleeve fitted inside the outer sleeve. The outer sleeve is connected to the top of the buffer device, and the inner sleeve is connected to the lens module. The axes of the outer sleeve and the inner sleeve are both first axes extending in the height direction. The outer sleeve and the inner sleeve are screwed together. When the outer sleeve rotates around the first axis, it can drive the inner sleeve to rise and fall in the height direction, so that the inner sleeve drives the lens module to rise and fall. The buffer device is located on the radially outer side of the outer sleeve.

[0009] In some embodiments, the outer sleeve is at least partially located between the bottom and top ends of the buffer device. According to embodiments of this application, the buffer device and the lifting device may share at least a portion of the height space to reduce the overall height of the camera.

[0010] In some embodiments, the length of the buffer device is greater than the length of the outer sleeve along the height direction, and the outer sleeve is connected to the buffer device through its top end.

[0011] According to the embodiments of this application, the entire outer sleeve is located between the top and bottom ends of the buffer device along the height direction. With this arrangement, the buffer device and the outer sleeve can fully share the height space to minimize the overall height of the camera.

[0012] In some embodiments, the length of the inner sleeve is greater than the length of the outer sleeve along the height direction; wherein, when the inner sleeve is at the lower limit position of the lifting stroke, the inner sleeve is screwed into the outer sleeve through its top end, and / or, when the inner sleeve is at the upper limit position of the lifting stroke, the inner sleeve is screwed into the outer sleeve through its bottom end.

[0013] According to the embodiments of this application, not only is the lifting device made to have a minimum length that meets the lifting stroke, but the inner sleeve and the buffer device can also fully share the height space to further reduce the overall height of the camera.

[0014] In some embodiments, the base includes a base plate, and the buffer device includes a spring extending in a first direction; the camera also includes a first guide device for guiding the descent of the lifting device; the first guide device includes: a guide hole disposed on a flange plate connected to the outer wall of the outer sleeve; a guide post extending in the height direction, the bottom end of the guide post being connected to the base plate of the base, and the guide post passing through the guide hole; wherein the spring is sleeved on the outside of the guide post, and the top end of the spring abuts against the flange plate, and the bottom end of the spring abuts against the base plate of the base.

[0015] In some embodiments, the base also includes a side plate disposed above the base plate, and the camera also includes a second guide device for guiding the descent of the lifting device. The second guide device includes: a guide groove disposed on the side plate and extending in the height direction; and a guide block disposed on the outer wall of the outer sleeve, the guide block being at least partially embedded in the guide groove, and the guide block being slidable relative to the guide groove in the height direction.

[0016] In some embodiments, there is a gap between the inner wall of the guide hole and the outer wall of the guide post; and / or, there is a gap between the outer wall of the guide block and the inner wall of the guide groove.

[0017] In some embodiments, the buffer device is a spring buffer device, a hydraulic buffer device, an airbag buffer device, or an elastic colloid buffer device.

[0018] In some implementations, the camera can be raised to a first height located outside the electronic device; wherein the buffering device can provide a buffering stroke greater than or equal to the first height.

[0019] In some implementations, the height direction is the thickness direction of the electronic device.

[0020] Secondly, this application provides a liftable camera mounted on an electronic device. The camera includes: a lens module; a lifting device for driving the lens module to move up and down relative to the main body of the electronic device along the height direction of the camera; a buffer device extending along the height direction, with its bottom end connected to the lifting device; and a cover located at the top of the camera, connected to the top of the buffer device. When the camera is subjected to a downward external force along the height direction, the cover can descend relative to the lifting device along the height direction, and the buffer device is used to provide cushioning for the descent of the cover. In the cross-section of the camera, the buffer device is located on one side of the lifting device, and the cross-section is perpendicular to the height direction.

[0021] According to the embodiments of this application, the buffer device can share the same height space as the lifting device, thereby reducing the overall height of the camera. Furthermore, the arrangement of the buffer device is unaffected by the height space already occupied by the lifting device. Thus, even when the size (e.g., thickness) of the electronic device is limited, the length of the buffer device can be set as needed to ensure sufficient buffering travel.

[0022] In some embodiments, the lifting device includes an outer sleeve and an inner sleeve fitted inside the outer sleeve, the inner sleeve being connected to the lens module; the axes of the outer sleeve and the inner sleeve are both first axes extending along the height direction; the outer sleeve and the inner sleeve are screwed together, and when the outer sleeve rotates around the first axis, it can drive the inner sleeve to rise and fall along the height direction, so that the inner sleeve drives the lens module to rise and fall; wherein, a buffer device is disposed on the radial inner side of the inner sleeve.

[0023] In some embodiments, the inner sleeve is at least partially located between the bottom and top ends of the buffer device along the height direction. According to embodiments of this application, the buffer device and the lifting device can at least share a portion of the height space to reduce the overall height of the camera.

[0024] In some embodiments, the length of the buffer device is greater than the length of the inner sleeve along the height direction, and the inner sleeve is connected to the buffer device through its bottom end.

[0025] According to the embodiments of this application, the inner sleeve is entirely located between the top and bottom ends of the buffer device along the height direction. With this arrangement, the buffer device and the inner sleeve can fully share the height space to minimize the overall height of the camera.

[0026] In some embodiments, the length of the outer sleeve is greater than the length of the inner sleeve along the height direction; wherein, when the inner sleeve is at the lower limit position of the lifting stroke, the outer sleeve is screwed into the inner sleeve through its bottom end, and / or, when the inner sleeve is at the upper limit position of the lifting stroke, the outer sleeve is screwed into the inner sleeve through its top end.

[0027] According to the embodiments of this application, not only is the lifting device made to have a minimum length that meets the lifting stroke, but the outer sleeve and the buffer device can also fully share the height space to further reduce the overall height of the camera.

[0028] In some embodiments, the lens module is located radially inside the inner sleeve, and the lens module includes a lens motor for driving the movement of the lens of the lens module; wherein, the buffer device and the lens motor are spaced apart along the circumference of the inner sleeve. Embodiments of this application can reduce the radial dimension of the camera.

[0029] In some embodiments, the buffer device is a spring buffer device, a hydraulic buffer device, an airbag buffer device, or an elastic colloid buffer device.

[0030] In some implementations, the camera can be raised to a first height located outside the electronic device; wherein the buffering device can provide a buffering stroke greater than or equal to the first height.

[0031] In some implementations, the height direction is the thickness direction of the electronic device.

[0032] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide an electronic device, including a pop-up camera provided in any embodiment of the first aspect of this application, or a pop-up camera provided in any embodiment of the second aspect of this application. The beneficial effects achievable in this third aspect can be found in the beneficial effects of any embodiment of the first aspect of this application or any embodiment of the second aspect of this application, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0033] Figure 1 An exemplary structural diagram of the electronic device provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0034] Figure 2 for Figure 1 AA section diagram;

[0035] Figure 3 Exemplary use scenarios for the electronic devices provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0036] Figure 4a This is a schematic diagram of the camera structure in some implementation methods;

[0037] Figure 4b This is a schematic diagram of the camera structure in other embodiments;

[0038] Figure 5 An exemplary structural diagram of a camera provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0039] Figure 6 An exemplary structural diagram (exploded view) of the main body of the camera provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0040] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the circumferential limiting method of the inner sleeve of the camera provided in this application embodiment;

[0041] Figure 8 A cross-sectional view of a camera provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0042] Figure 9a A schematic diagram of the initial state of the camera provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0043] Figure 9b This is a schematic diagram of the extended state of the camera provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0044] Figure 9c This is a schematic diagram of a partial buffer state of the camera provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0045] Figure 9d A schematic diagram of the fully buffered state of the camera provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0046] Figure 10a and Figure 10b This application provides an exemplary connection method between the camera housing and the base in an embodiment of the present application.

[0047] Figure 11 This is an exemplary variation of the buffer device provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0048] Figure 12An exemplary structural diagram (exploded view) of the main body of a camera provided in another embodiment of this application;

[0049] Figure 13 A cross-sectional view of a camera provided in another embodiment of this application;

[0050] Figure 14a A schematic diagram of the initial state of a camera provided in another embodiment of this application;

[0051] Figure 14b A schematic diagram of the extended state of a camera provided in another embodiment of this application;

[0052] Figure 14c This is a schematic diagram of a partial buffer state of a camera provided in another embodiment of this application;

[0053] Figure 14d A schematic diagram of the fully buffered state of a camera provided in another embodiment of this application;

[0054] Figure 15 This application provides an exemplary connection method for a camera inner sleeve and a lens module, which is another embodiment of the present application. Detailed Implementation

[0055] The specific embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0056] This application provides a pop-up camera for electronic devices. In this application, the camera's lifting device and buffer device can share the same height space, thereby reducing the camera's height and facilitating the buffer travel of the camera.

[0057] In this application, the electronic device can be a mobile phone, tablet computer, camera, laptop computer, in-vehicle equipment, wearable device, augmented reality (AR) glasses, AR helmet, virtual reality (VR) glasses or VR helmet, or other devices with photo and video recording functions. In the following embodiments, a mobile phone is used as an example of an electronic device.

[0058] Figure 1 An exemplary structural diagram of the electronic device 1 provided in this embodiment is shown. Figure 2 for Figure 1 AA section diagram. (Reference) Figure 1 and Figure 2The electronic device 1 includes a main body 11 and a camera 100 (specifically a rear-facing camera) disposed on the main body 11. The camera 100 includes a lens module 160 and an image sensor (or "sensor"). The lens module 160 includes one or more lenses (e.g., four lenses) for forming an optical path, through which external light passes and enters the sensor. The sensor generates corresponding image data based on the intensity of the received light.

[0059] Increasing the distance between the lens module 160 and the sensor helps to increase the amount of light entering the sensor (because the sensor can then be configured to have a larger photosensitive area), and increasing the amount of light entering the sensor helps to improve the image quality of the camera 100. In this embodiment, the lens module 160 of the camera 100 is configured to be height-adjustable, which allows the distance between the lens module 160 and the sensor to be increased without increasing the thickness of the electronic device 1, thereby improving the image quality of the camera 100.

[0060] refer to Figure 2 Along the optical axis of camera 100 (the X direction in the figures in this article, also referred to as the "height direction of camera 100"), camera 100 can be in its initial state ( Figure 2 (a) shown in the state) and the extended state ( Figure 2 The state changes between states shown in (b). Specifically, when the camera 100 is in the extended state, the lens module 160 extends outside the main body 11 of the electronic device 1. At this time, there is a large distance between the lens module 160 and the sensor, which is beneficial to obtaining higher image quality. When the camera 100 is in the initial state, the lens module 160 is located inside the main body 11 of the electronic device 1. At this time, the electronic device 1 has a relatively flat shape, which is beneficial to reducing the size of the electronic device 1 and to protecting the lens module 160 from external impacts.

[0061] In this text, the direction in which the camera 100 moves toward the outside of the electronic device 1 is called the "upward direction," and the direction in which it moves toward the inside of the electronic device 1 is called the "downward direction." Among the components of the camera 100, the end facing the upward direction is the "top" of that component, and the end facing the downward direction is the "bottom." The length of each component is its dimension along the height direction of the camera 100. It should be noted that in this text, directional terms such as "up," "down," "top," and "bottom" are all relative concepts based on the height direction of the camera 100.

[0062] In this embodiment, the camera 100 is a rear camera 100 of the electronic device 1, and the height direction of the camera 100 (hereinafter referred to as the "height direction") is parallel to the thickness direction of the electronic device 1. This application is not limited to this. For example, in other embodiments, the camera 100 may be a front camera, a top camera, etc. of the electronic device 1; the height direction may be parallel to the width direction, length direction, etc. of the electronic device 1.

[0063] When electronic device 1 is in the extended state, it may be subjected to impacts from external sources. For example, see reference... Figure 3 When electronic device 1 is accidentally dropped, it will be subjected to impact from the ground. To prevent damage to camera 100 from external impact, some cameras are equipped with a buffer device 120 to cushion the impact on camera 100.

[0064] Figure 4a Some implementations show how the camera 100' is set up. (See reference) Figure 4a The camera 100' includes an outer sleeve 140', an inner sleeve 150', a lens module 160', and a buffer device 120'. The lens module 160' is disposed within the inner sleeve 150'. The outer sleeve 140' and the inner sleeve 150' are screwed together. When the outer sleeve 140' rotates, it drives the inner sleeve 150' to rise and fall in the height direction, thereby causing the inner sleeve 150' to drive the lens module 160' to rise and fall. In other words, the outer sleeve 140' and the inner sleeve 150' together form a lifting device for driving the lens module 160' to rise and fall.

[0065] A buffer device 120' is installed below the outer sleeve 140' to cushion the impact force F received by the camera 100'. (Reference) Figure 4a To accommodate the buffer device 120', the height of the camera 100' needs to be increased by the length L' of the buffer device 120'. Therefore... Figure 4a The setup shown will increase the height space occupied by the camera 100'.

[0066] When the size (e.g., thickness) of an electronic device is limited, the length of the buffer device 120' is restricted because the lifting device already occupies a portion of the height space. This may result in the buffer device 120' not providing sufficient buffering stroke. That is, even when the buffer device 120' is compressed to its maximum compressibility, the camera 100' may still not retract into the main body of the electronic device, and the electronic device may still be affected by external impact force F. For example, the lens may break under the impact force F, or the connecting thread between the inner sleeve 150' and the outer sleeve 140' may yield and fail under the impact force F, causing jamming or stuck problems during the lifting process.

[0067] Figure 4b Other implementations show how the camera 100” is set up. (Compared to...) Figure 4a The difference is, Figure 4b In the middle, the buffer device 120” is located above the inner sleeve 150”. Figure 4b In the illustrated embodiment, the buffer device 120” can also buffer the impact force F. However, Figure 4b In the illustrated configuration, to accommodate the buffer device 120", the height of the camera 100" also needs to be increased by the height L of the buffer device 120". Therefore, Figure 4b The method shown also has the problem that the 100” camera occupies a large vertical space and the buffer stroke may be insufficient.

[0068] To address this issue, this embodiment provides a pop-up camera to solve the aforementioned technical problems. In this embodiment, the buffer device is not located above or below the pop-up device, but rather on the side of the pop-up device. That is, viewed from the cross-section of the camera (the section perpendicular to the height direction), the buffer device is located on one side of the pop-up device. This allows the buffer device and the pop-up device to share the same height space (i.e., both the pop-up device and the buffer device can be arranged in the same height space), thereby reducing the overall height of the camera.

[0069] Furthermore, since the buffer device can share the same height space as the lifting device, its arrangement is not affected by the height space already occupied by the lifting device. Thus, even when the size (e.g., thickness) of the electronic device 1 is limited, the length of the buffer device can be set as needed to ensure sufficient buffering stroke.

[0070] The following describes specific embodiments of this application.

[0071] Example 1

[0072] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the appearance of the camera 100 provided in this embodiment is shown (partial casing has been removed for easier observation). Reference Figure 5 The camera 100 includes a base portion 100A, a power unit 100B, and a main body portion 100C. The base portion 100A is disposed inside the electronic device 1 (e.g., connected to the housing of the electronic device 1), and the base portion 100A is used to support the power unit 100B and the main body portion 100C of the camera 100.

[0073] The power unit 100B provides power to the main body 100C. Exemplarily, the power unit 100B includes a motor (not shown) and a gear 110B, which meshes with the external gear ring 111 of the main body 100C. When the gear 110B is driven by the motor, it can drive the external gear ring 111 to rotate, thereby outputting power to the main body 100C. The power unit 100B can also be connected to the main board of the electronic device 1 via a flexible printed circuit (FPC) to receive control commands from the main board (e.g., camera 100 on / off commands, focus adjustment commands, etc.), thereby outputting power to the main body 100C according to the control commands.

[0074] The main body 100C includes a lens module and a power transmission mechanism (specifically including the base and lifting device described later). The power transmission mechanism includes an external gear ring 111 that meshes with the gear 110B, thereby receiving power from the power unit 100B. After receiving the power, the power transmission mechanism can drive the lens module to lift relative to the main body of the electronic device 1, thereby realizing the lifting action of the lens module.

[0075] The following describes the structure of the main body 100C of the camera 100. Figure 6 An exemplary structural diagram (exploded view) of the main body 100C is shown. (Reference) Figure 6 The main body 100C includes a base 110, a buffer device 120, a lifting device 130, a lens module 160, and a cover 170. The lifting device 130 includes an outer sleeve 140 and an inner sleeve 150, both with a central axis M (serving as a first axis). The extension direction of axis M is parallel to the height direction of the camera 100. Therefore, in the figures of this embodiment, the X direction can also be considered as the axial direction (referred to as "axial direction") of the inner sleeve 150 and the outer sleeve 140. Furthermore, the Y direction is the circumferential direction (around axis M) of the inner sleeve 150 and the outer sleeve 140, and the Z direction is the radial direction (radial direction) of the inner sleeve 150 and the outer sleeve 140.

[0076] A base 110 is mounted on the base portion 100A of the camera 100. An external gear ring 111 is mounted on the outer circumferential surface of the base 110, with its central axis being axis M. Therefore, when the external gear ring 111 is driven by the gear 110B of the power unit 100B, the base 110 can rotate around axis M. Optionally, the base portion 100A of the camera 100 is provided with a pressure block (not shown), which is used to axially (in the X direction shown in the figure) limit the base 110 to prevent axial movement of the base 110 during rotation.

[0077] The buffer device 120 extends along the height direction. In this embodiment, the buffer device 120 is a spring buffer device. When the buffer device 120 is subjected to a downward external force, it can undergo compressive deformation. The bottom end 120b of the buffer device 120 is connected to the base 110.

[0078] The lifting device 130 is connected to the top end 120a of the buffer device 120. That is, the lifting device 130 is buoyantly supported on the base 110 by the buffer device 120. The lifting device 130 can move downward relative to the base 110 when subjected to a downward external force. The buffer device 120 is used to cushion the descent of the lifting device 130.

[0079] The lifting device 130 is used to drive the lens module 160 to move up and down in the height direction. In this embodiment, the lifting device 130 includes an outer sleeve 140 and an inner sleeve 150 sleeved in the outer sleeve 140. The outer sleeve 140 is connected to the base 110 circumferentially. Thus, when the base 110 rotates about the axis M, it can drive the outer sleeve 140 to rotate synchronously about the axis M. The outer sleeve 140 and the inner sleeve 150 are screwed together, and when the outer sleeve 140 rotates about the axis M, it can drive the inner sleeve 150 to move up and down in the height direction. For example, when the outer sleeve 140 rotates clockwise about the axis M, it drives the inner sleeve 150 to rise; when the outer sleeve 140 rotates counterclockwise about the axis M, it drives the inner sleeve 150 to fall.

[0080] In this embodiment, the outer sleeve 140 is provided with an internal thread 141, and the inner sleeve 150 is provided with an external thread 151 that engages with the internal thread 141. Thus, by the mutual engagement of the internal thread 141 and the external thread 151, the rotational motion of the outer sleeve 140 can be converted into the linear motion of the inner sleeve 150. However, this application is not limited to this. In other embodiments, the rotational motion of the outer sleeve 140 can be converted into the linear motion of the inner sleeve 150 in other ways. For example, in another embodiment, the internal thread 141 of the outer sleeve 140 is reduced to a plurality of (e.g., 3) protrusions spaced at intervals along the helix of the internal thread 141, and the plurality of protrusions engage with the external thread 151 of the inner sleeve 150. Since the plurality of protrusions are distributed along the helix of the internal thread 141, when the outer sleeve 140 rotates about the axis M, the inner sleeve 150 can also be driven to rise and fall. This embodiment reduces the contact area between the inner sleeve 150 and the outer sleeve 140, thus reducing friction during their relative movement and making the lifting process smoother. It is understood that in other embodiments, the internal thread 141 on the outer sleeve 140 may be retained, but the external thread 151 of the inner sleeve 150 may be reduced to a plurality of protrusions distributed along the helix of the external thread 151.

[0081] Furthermore, to ensure that the rotational motion of the outer sleeve 140 is converted into the linear motion of the inner sleeve 150, the rotational degree of freedom of the inner sleeve 150 about axis M is restricted. For example, refer to... Figure 7 The base portion 100A has a base plate 110A that extends into the inner cavity of the inner sleeve 150. The inner sleeve 150 has a receiving groove 152 that mates with the limiting plate 120A, and the limiting plate 120A is engaged in the receiving groove 152. Since the base portion 100A does not rotate with the base 110 and the outer sleeve 140, the rotation of the inner sleeve 150 around the axis M can be restricted by the limiting plate 120A-receiving groove 152 structure.

[0082] Continue to refer to Figure 6 The lens module 160 is housed within the inner sleeve 150. Specifically, a support platform 153 is provided inside the inner sleeve 150, on which the lens module 160 is supported. When the inner sleeve 150 rises and falls in the height direction, it can synchronously raise and lower the lens module 160. The lens module 160 includes one or more lens elements for forming an optical path. The lens module 160 may also include a lens motor for driving the lens elements to adjust the focal length of the camera 100.

[0083] Additionally, the camera 100 includes a cover 170, which covers other components of the camera 100 (e.g., lens module 160, buffer device 120), and the upper surface of the cover 170 forms the top surface of the camera 100. The cover 170 is fixedly connected to the top of the inner sleeve 150 (e.g., bonded). Thus, when the inner sleeve 150 moves up and down in the height direction, the cover 170 can move up and down synchronously. The upper panel 171 of the cover 170 is made of a light-transmitting material (e.g., glass) so that external light can pass through the cover 170 and enter the lens of the lens module 160.

[0084] Figure 8 A cross-sectional view of camera 100 is shown, specifically... Figure 6 BB cross-sectional view. (Reference) Figure 8 In the cross-section of the camera 100, the buffer device 120 is located radially outside the outer sleeve 140. Therefore, in this embodiment, the buffer device 120 and the lifting device 130 can share the same height space. That is, both the lifting device 130 and the buffer device 120 can be arranged in the same height space. Therefore, this embodiment can reduce the overall height of the camera 100 and also helps to ensure the buffer stroke of the buffer device 120. The following describes the working process of the camera 100.

[0085] Figures 9a to 9d The images show several different states of the camera 100 during operation. Among them, Figures 9a to 9dAll figures are longitudinal cross-sectional views (parallel to the height direction) of the camera 100. In this embodiment, the lifting stroke of the lifting device 130 is H. This embodiment does not limit the specific value of H; it can be determined based on the performance requirements of the camera 100 (e.g., the distance requirement between the lens module 160 and the sensor) and / or the dimensions (e.g., thickness) of the electronic device 1. For example, when the imaging quality requirements of the camera 100 are high, and / or when the thickness of the electronic device 1 is large, H can be set to a larger value.

[0086] Figure 9a The initial state of the camera 100 is shown. For example, when the camera 100 is not activated, it remains in its initial state. In this state, the electronic device 1 has a small size, while also preventing the camera 100 from being subjected to external impacts.

[0087] refer to Figure 9a When the camera 100 is in its initial state, the lifting device 130 is floatingly supported on the base 110 by the buffer device 120, and the buffer device 120 is in a free state without compression. At this time, the length of the buffer device 120 is L. It should be noted that, to avoid obscuring the key points, the influence of the gravity of the various components of the camera 100 (e.g., the lifting device 130, the lens module 160) on the buffer device 120 is ignored in this article. In addition, the inner sleeve 150 is located at the lower limit position of the lifting stroke, the lens module 160 of the camera 100 is located inside the main body 11 of the electronic device 1, and the top surface of the camera 100 is flush with the outer surface of the main body 11 of the electronic device 1.

[0088] In this embodiment, along the height direction of the camera 100, the outer sleeve 140 is at least partially located between the top end 120a and the bottom end 120b of the buffer device 120. In this way, the buffer device 120 and the lifting device 130 can share at least a portion of the height space to reduce the overall height of the camera 100.

[0089] Furthermore, along the height direction, the length L1 of the outer sleeve 140 is less than the length L of the buffer device 120, and the outer sleeve 140 is connected to the top end 120a of the buffer device 120 via its top end. Thus, along the height direction, the entire outer sleeve 140 is located between the top end 120a and the bottom end 120b of the buffer device 120. This arrangement allows the buffer device 120 and the outer sleeve 140 to fully share the height space, thereby minimizing the overall height of the camera 100. In other embodiments, the outer sleeve 140 may also be connected to the buffer device 120 via its middle section.

[0090] Furthermore, along the height direction, the length L2 of the inner sleeve 150 is greater than the length L1 of the outer sleeve 140. When the camera 100 is in its initial state, the inner sleeve 150 is connected (or screwed) to the outer sleeve 140 through its top end, and the bottom end of the inner sleeve 150 extends below the outer sleeve 140. In this way, not only does the lifting device 130 have a minimum length that satisfies the lifting stroke H, but the inner sleeve 150 and the buffer device 120 can also fully share the height space to further reduce the overall height of the camera 100.

[0091] Figure 9b The extended state of camera 100 is shown. Exemplarily, when camera 100 is activated, it changes from its initial state to the extended state. For example, when a user performs an operation to activate camera 100 (e.g., when the user clicks the "Start Shooting" button in a "Camera" application), the motherboard of electronic device 1 sends a drive signal to the motor via the FPC. Upon receiving the drive signal, the motor drives gear 110B to rotate, causing lifting device 130 to drive lens module 160 and cover 170 to rise to the extended position. When camera 100 is in the extended state, there is a larger distance between lens module 160 and sensor, thus improving the image quality of camera 100.

[0092] refer to Figure 9b When the camera 100 is in the extended position, the position of the outer sleeve 140 is... Figure 9a The positions shown are the same, the inner sleeve 150 is made of Figure 9a The camera 100 rises to the upper limit of its lifting stroke (the rising height is the lifting stroke H). Simultaneously, the inner sleeve 150 drives the lens module 160 and the cover 170 to rise synchronously, so that the camera 100 rises to a height outside the electronic device 1 (this is the first height, the height of the top surface of the camera 100 relative to the outer surface of the main body 11 of the electronic device 1). It can be understood that in this embodiment, this height is valued as H.

[0093] Furthermore, when the inner sleeve 150 is at the upper limit of its lifting stroke, the inner sleeve 150 is connected to the outer sleeve 140 through its bottom end. With this arrangement, the lifting device 130 can have a minimum height that satisfies the lifting stroke H, so as to minimize the overall height of the camera 100.

[0094] Figure 9cThe diagram shows a partial buffered state of the camera 100. When the camera 100 is subjected to an external force F, the force F is transmitted to the lifting device 130 via the cover 170. Since the lifting device 130 is floatingly supported on the base 110 via the buffer device 120, under the action of the external force F, the lifting device 130 moves downward relative to the base 110. The buffer device 120 undergoes compression deformation under the pressure of the lifting device 130 to cushion the descent of the lifting device 130. During the descent, the lifting device 130 drives the lens module 160 and the cover 170 to descend synchronously.

[0095] refer to Figure 9c When the camera 100 is in a partially buffered state, the relative positional relationship between the inner sleeve 150 and the outer sleeve 140 is as follows: Figure 9b Same, but with Figure 9b In contrast, the lifting device 130 is lowered by a height H1 relative to the base 110, where height H1 is a positive value less than H, for example, 0.5H. Accordingly, the height of the top surface of the camera 100 relative to the outer surface of the main body 11 of the electronic device 1 is reduced to H-H1, and the length of the buffer device 120 is compressed to L-H1.

[0096] Figure 9d The camera 100 is shown in its fully buffered state. Under the continuous action of the external force F, the lifting device 130... Figure 9c The force continues to decrease until the top surface of the camera 100 is flush with the outer surface of the main body 11 of the electronic device 1. At this point, the external force F is dispersed onto the outer shell of the main body 11 of the electronic device 1, and the external force F no longer directly impacts the camera 100.

[0097] refer to Figure 9d When the camera 100 is in a fully buffered state, the relative positional relationship between the inner sleeve 150 and the outer sleeve 140 is as follows: Figure 9b Same, but with Figure 9b In contrast, the lifting device 130 is lowered by a height H relative to the base 110. Accordingly, the height of the top surface of the camera 100 relative to the outer surface of the main body 11 of the electronic device 1 is reduced to 0, and the length of the buffer device 120 is compressed to LH.

[0098] In this embodiment, the length L of the buffer device 120 is approximately equal to the sum of the length L1 of the outer sleeve 140 and the lifting stroke H. Thus, referring to... Figure 9dWhen the camera 100 is in a fully buffered state, the bottom end of the outer sleeve 140 is substantially flush with the bottom end 120b of the buffer device 120. This arrangement allows the outer sleeve 140 and the buffer device 120 to share sufficient height space, minimizing the height of the camera 100. However, this application is not limited to this. In other embodiments, the length L of the buffer device 120 can be greater than the sum of the length L1 of the outer sleeve 140 and the lifting stroke H. Thus, when the camera 100 is in a fully buffered state, the outer sleeve 140 can be positioned at a certain height above the base 110, providing a certain distance margin between the outer sleeve 140 and the base 110.

[0099] In this embodiment, by placing the buffer device 120 on the radial side of the lifting device 130, the buffer device 120 and the lifting device 130 can share the same height space, relative to... Figure 4a and Figure 4b The arrangement shown not only reduces the overall height of the camera 100 but also ensures that the buffer device 120 has sufficient buffering travel (the buffering travel provided by the buffer device 120 is greater than or equal to the maximum height of the camera 100 extending outside the main body 11 of the electronic device 1). For example, refer to... Figure 9d The maximum height of the camera 100 extending outside the main body 11 of the electronic device 1 is equal to the lifting stroke H, and the buffer stroke that the buffer device 120 can provide is greater than the lifting stroke H (the actual buffer stroke is H).

[0100] In this embodiment, when the camera 100 is in its initial state, the top surface of the camera 100 is flush with the outer surface of the main body 11 of the electronic device 1. Therefore, the maximum height of the camera 100 extending outside the main body 11 of the electronic device 1 is equal to the lifting stroke H of the lifting device 130. However, this application is not limited to this. For example, in another embodiment, when the camera 100 is in its initial state, the top surface of the camera 100 is higher than the outer surface of the main body 11 of the electronic device 1. In this embodiment, the maximum height of the camera 100 extending outside the main body 11 of the electronic device 1 is greater than the lifting stroke H of the lifting device 130. In yet another embodiment, when the camera 100 is in its initial state, the top surface of the camera 100 is lower than the outer surface of the main body 11 of the electronic device 1. In this embodiment, the maximum height of the camera 100 extending outside the main body 11 of the electronic device 1 is less than the lifting stroke H of the lifting device 130.

[0101] This application does not limit the specific form of the external force F. The external force F can be an external impact force (e.g., the impact force from the ground when the electronic device 1 falls, or the impact force from other objects when the electronic device 1 collides with other objects), or it can be the pressure applied by the user to the camera 100. This embodiment also does not limit the direction of the external force F, as long as it has a downward component along the height direction. When the external force F disappears, the lifting device 130 returns to its original position under the action of the spring restoring force. Figure 9b The position shown is reached, and the lens module 160 and cover 170 are restored to their original positions. Figure 9b The extended state shown.

[0102] The following describes the connection method between the outer sleeve 140 and the base 110 in this embodiment. Figure 10a and Figure 10b A schematic diagram showing the connection between the outer sleeve 140 and the base 110 is provided. Figure 10a Corresponding to the initial state of camera 100, Figure 10b This corresponds to the fully buffered state of camera 100.

[0103] refer to Figure 10a and Figure 10b The outer sleeve 140 includes a cylindrical body 142, and the outer wall of the cylindrical body 142 is provided with a plurality of flange plates 143, specifically four flange plates 143 being spaced apart along the circumference (Y direction in the figure) of the outer sleeve 140. The base 110 includes a bottom plate 112 and a cylindrical body 113 connected above the bottom plate 112. The cylindrical body 113 is provided with a plurality of notches 115 spaced apart along the circumference of the outer sleeve 140. The positions of the four notches 115 correspond one-to-one with the positions of the four flange plates 143. That is, the cylindrical body 113 is divided into multiple side plates 114 by the notches 115.

[0104] The buffer device 120 is a spring 121 buffer device. Along the height direction, the spring 121 of the buffer device 120 is disposed between the flange plate 143 of the outer sleeve 140 and the base plate 112 of the base 110. Specifically, the top end of the spring 121 abuts against the flange plate 143 of the outer sleeve 140, and the bottom end abuts against the base plate 112 of the base 110. In this way, the outer sleeve 140 can be floatingly mounted on the base 110 via the buffer device 120. There are multiple buffer devices 120 (specifically four), arranged circumferentially around the outer sleeve 140, and distributed one-to-one in four notches 115. Thus, the buffer device 120 and the cylinder 113 of the base 110 are located on the same circumference, thereby reducing the radial dimension of the camera 100.

[0105] In this embodiment, the number of buffer devices 120 is four to facilitate uniform support for the outer sleeve 140. However, this application is not limited to this. In other embodiments, the number of buffer devices 120 can be other, such as one, three, six, etc.

[0106] refer to Figure 10a and Figure 10b The camera 100 also includes a guide structure 180 (as a first guide structure). The guide structure 180 includes a guide post 181 and a guide hole 182 provided on the flange plate 143. The guide post 181 extends in the height direction, and its bottom end is connected to the bottom plate 112 of the base 110. The guide post 181 passes through the guide hole 182. During the descent of the outer sleeve 140, the guide hole 182 moves along the guide post 181 to guide the descent of the outer sleeve 140. Furthermore, the guide post 181 is fitted within the spring 121 of the buffer device 120 to make full use of the structural space.

[0107] In this embodiment, there is a gap between the outer wall of the guide post 181 and the inner wall of the guide hole 182. This is because, during the descent of the outer sleeve 140, the descent speeds of different parts of the outer sleeve 140 may not be completely uniform. For example, when the left half of the outer sleeve 140 is subjected to a larger external force, its descent speed may be faster than that of its right half. This could lead to jamming between the guide hole 182 and the guide post 181. In this embodiment, providing a gap between the outer wall of the guide post 181 and the inner wall of the guide hole 182 can prevent jamming.

[0108] Meanwhile, the guide post 181 and the guide hole 182 also enable a circumferential connection between the base 110 and the outer sleeve 140, allowing the base 110 to drive the outer sleeve 140 to rotate around the axis M. Specifically, when the base 110 rotates around the axis M, the guide post 181 rotates synchronously with the base 110. Since the guide post 181 passes through the guide hole 182, it can drive the outer sleeve 140 to rotate synchronously with the base 110.

[0109] Because of the height difference between the flange plate 143 and the base plate 112 (the height difference is the spring length L1), when the base 110 drives the outer sleeve 140 to rotate through the guide post 181-guide hole 182 structure, the force transmission path is relatively long, and the driving force acting on the outer sleeve 140 may not be completely uniformly distributed. To improve the smoothness of transmission, a protrusion 191 is provided on the outer wall of the outer sleeve 140 cylinder 142, and a groove 192 that mates with the protrusion 191 is provided on the inner wall of the side plate 114. The protrusion 191 is at least partially embedded in the groove 192. When the base 110 rotates, the outer sleeve 140 can be driven to rotate through the protrusion 191-groove 192 structure. Since the protrusion 191 itself is set on the outer sleeve 140, the driving force of the base 110 can be directly transmitted to the outer sleeve 140, thus improving the smoothness of transmission.

[0110] The protrusion 191-groove 192 structure also provides guidance during the descent of the outer sleeve 140, further improving the smoothness of the descent. (Reference) Figure 10b The groove 192 extends along the height direction. When the outer sleeve 140 descends relative to the base 110, the protrusion 191 slides along the groove 192, thereby providing a guiding function for the outer sleeve 140. Therefore, in this embodiment, the protrusion 191 is also called the guide block 191, the groove 192 is also called the guide groove 192, and the structure formed by the guide block 191 and the guide groove 192 is called the guide structure 190 (as a second guide structure).

[0111] The number of guide structures 190 can be multiple ( Figure 10b (There are four guide structures 190), which are spaced apart circumferentially along the outer sleeve 140. In this embodiment, the cross-section of the guide block 191 can be circular, elliptical, rectangular, etc., and this application is not limited thereto. In addition, there is a gap between the outer wall of the guide block 191 and the inner wall of the guide groove 192 to avoid structural jamming.

[0112] This embodiment is an exemplary description of the configuration method of this application. Those skilled in the art can make other modifications.

[0113] For example, in this embodiment, the lifting device 130 is implemented as a spiral lifting device 130 with the outer sleeve 140 and the inner sleeve 150 traveling, but this application is not limited to this. In other embodiments, the lifting device 130 can be other types of lifting devices, such as a gear-rack lifting device, a nut-screw lifting device, etc., as long as it can drive the lens module to lift.

[0114] For example, in this embodiment, the buffer device 120 is implemented as a spring buffer device, but this application is not limited to this. In other embodiments, the buffer device 120 can be implemented in other forms, as long as it can provide buffering for the descent process of the lifting device 130. The following is in conjunction with... Figure 11Several examples are given. Among them, Figure 11 The states shown are all when each buffer device is not compressed, and D is the maximum buffer stroke that each buffer device can provide.

[0115] Example 1: Reference Figure 11 (a) The buffer device can be implemented as a hydraulic buffer device. The hydraulic buffer device includes a piston rod, a piston, an external pressure cylinder, a accumulator sponge, and a spring. The piston rod is inserted into the external pressure cylinder and can move up and down relative to the external pressure cylinder. The top end of the piston rod is connected to an outer sleeve, and the bottom end is connected to the piston. The piston is located in the inner cavity of the external pressure cylinder, and the inner cavity below the piston is filled with hydraulic oil. There is a gap between the piston and the inner wall of the external pressure cylinder to form a return oil hole.

[0116] When the outer sleeve descends under the action of an external force F, it drives the piston rod and piston to move downwards. The spring below the piston is compressed, and the hydraulic oil below the piston flows into the inner cavity above the piston through the return oil hole, where it is then absorbed by the accumulator sponge. The spring and hydraulic oil can buffer the descent of the outer sleeve.

[0117] After the external force F on the outer sleeve disappears, the hydraulic oil in the accumulator sponge flows back to the bottom of the piston through the return oil hole. At the same time, the spring pushes the piston upward, and the piston drives the piston rod and the outer sleeve to return to the initial position.

[0118] Example 2: Reference Figure 11 (b) The buffer device can also be implemented as an airbag buffer device. The airbag buffer device includes a piston rod, a piston, an external pressure cylinder, and a nitrogen airbag. The piston rod, piston, and external pressure cylinder are arranged in the same way as in Example 1, and will not be described again. In this example, a nitrogen airbag is provided in the inner cavity below the piston.

[0119] When the outer sleeve descends under the action of an external force F, it drives the piston rod and piston to move downwards, compressing the nitrogen bladder below the piston (at this time, the gas in the nitrogen bladder is compressed to a high-pressure state). The nitrogen bladder can buffer the descent of the outer sleeve.

[0120] After the external force F on the outer sleeve disappears, the nitrogen bladder expands to its initial volume under the action of the internal and external pressure difference, and at the same time pushes the piston to move upward. The piston drives the piston rod and the outer sleeve to return to the initial position.

[0121] Example 3: Reference Figure 11 (c) The buffer device can also be implemented as an elastic colloid buffer device. This example is based on Example 2, but replaces the nitrogen bladder below the piston with an elastic colloid. An elastic colloid is a semi-fluid with a viscosity range of 10,000 to 50,000,000 cst, which is much higher than that of ordinary liquids with a viscosity of only 50 to 500 cst, and can generate extremely high viscous resistance.

[0122] When the outer sleeve descends under the action of an external force F, it drives the piston rod and piston to move downwards, compressing the elastic colloid below the piston. The elastic colloid can cushion the descent of the outer sleeve.

[0123] After the external force F on the outer sleeve disappears, the nitrogen bladder expands upward under the action of the internal and external pressure difference, and at the same time pushes the piston upward. The piston drives the piston rod and the outer sleeve to return to the initial position.

[0124]

Example 2

[0125] This embodiment provides another type of camera. This embodiment is based on Embodiment 1. The difference between this embodiment and Embodiment 1 is that the buffer device is located on the inner sleeve, rather than on the outer sleeve. The following focuses on the main body of the camera provided in this embodiment. The structure of the camera base and power unit is substantially the same as in Embodiment 1, therefore, the description in Embodiment 1 can be referred to, and will not be repeated here.

[0126] Figure 12 An exemplary structural diagram (exploded view) of the main body of the camera 200 provided in this embodiment is shown. (See reference...) Figure 12 The camera 200 includes a lifting device 230, a lens module 260, a buffer device 220, a suspension bracket 280, and a cover 270. The lifting device 230 includes an outer sleeve 240 and an inner sleeve 250, both with their central axes aligned with axis M (serving as the first axis). Therefore, in the figures of this embodiment, the X direction can also be considered the axial direction of the inner sleeve 250 and the outer sleeve 240. Furthermore, the Y direction represents the circumferential direction (around axis M) of the inner sleeve 250 and the outer sleeve 240, and the Z direction represents the radial direction (radial direction) of the inner sleeve 250 and the outer sleeve 240.

[0127] In this embodiment, the outer sleeve 240 and the inner sleeve 250 are screwed together in the same manner as in Embodiment 1, and therefore the description in Embodiment 1 can be referred to, without further elaboration. The outer gear ring 111 is disposed on the outer circumferential surface of the outer sleeve 240, and the central axis of the outer gear ring 111 is axis M. Therefore, when the outer gear ring 111 is driven by the gear 110B of the power unit 110B, the outer sleeve 240 can rotate around axis M. When the outer gear ring 111 rotates around axis M, it can drive the inner sleeve 250 to rise and fall relative to the main body of the electronic device 1.

[0128] The buffer device 220 extends along the height direction. In this embodiment, the buffer device 220 is a spring buffer device. When the buffer device 220 is subjected to a downward external force, it can undergo compressive deformation. The bottom end 220b of the buffer device 220 is connected to the inner sleeve 250. Specifically, the bottom end 220b of the buffer device 220 abuts against the flange plate 252 on the inner sleeve 250.

[0129] The suspension bracket 280 is mounted on the buffer device 220, and the lens module 260 is supported on the support platform 281 of the suspension bracket 280. Thus, the lens module 260 can be supported on the inner sleeve 250 via the buffer device 220 and the suspension bracket 280. When the inner sleeve 250 rises and falls in the height direction, it can synchronously raise and lower the lens module 260. For the sake of narrative coherence, the specific connection method of the inner sleeve 250, the buffer device 220, and the lens module 260 will be described later.

[0130] The cover 270 is located on top of the camera 200. That is, the cover 270 covers other components of the camera 200 (e.g., lens module 260, buffer device 220), and the upper surface of the cover 270 forms the top surface of the camera 200. The cover 270 is connected to the top of the buffer device 220. Specifically, the cover 270 is buoyantly supported on the inner sleeve 250 by the buffer device 220. Thus, when the camera 200 is subjected to a downward force, the cover 270 can move downward relative to the lifting device 230. The buffer device 220 provides cushioning during the descent of the cover 270.

[0131] Figure 13 A cross-sectional view of camera 200 is shown (specifically...) Figure 12 (CC section). Reference Figure 13 In the cross-section of the camera 200, the buffer device 220 is located radially inside the inner sleeve 250. Therefore, in this embodiment, the buffer device 220 and the lifting device 230 can share the same height space. That is, both the lifting device 230 and the buffer device 220 can be arranged in the same height space. Therefore, this embodiment can reduce the overall height of the camera 200 and also helps to ensure the buffer stroke of the buffer device 220. The following describes the working process of the camera 200.

[0132] Figures 14a-14d The images show several different states of the camera 200 during operation. Among them, Figures 14a-14d All figures are longitudinal cross-sectional views (parallel to the height direction) of camera 200. In this embodiment, the lifting stroke of lifting device 230 is H.

[0133] Figure 14a The initial state of camera 200 is shown. (Reference) Figure 14aWhen the camera 200 is in its initial state, the cover 270 is floatingly supported on the lifting device 230 by the buffer device 220. The buffer device 220 is in a free state without compression, and its length is L. The inner sleeve 250 is located at the lower limit of the lifting stroke. The lens module 260 of the camera 200 is located inside the main body 11 of the electronic device 1. The top surface of the camera 200 (i.e., the top surface of the cover 270) is flush with the outer surface of the main body 11 of the electronic device 1.

[0134] In this embodiment, along the height direction of the camera 200, the inner sleeve 250 is at least partially located between the top end 220a and the bottom end 220b of the buffer device 220. Thus, the buffer device 220 and the lifting device 230 can share at least a portion of the height space, thereby reducing the overall height of the camera 200.

[0135] Furthermore, along the height direction, the length L4 of the inner sleeve 250 is less than the length L of the buffer device 220, and the inner sleeve 250 is connected to the bottom end 220b of the buffer device 220 through its bottom end. Thus, along the height direction, the entire inner sleeve 250 is located between the top end 220a and the bottom end of the buffer device 220. This arrangement allows the buffer device 220 and the inner sleeve 250 to fully share the height space, thereby minimizing the overall height of the camera 200. In other embodiments, the inner sleeve 250 may also be connected to the buffer device 220 through its middle section.

[0136] Furthermore, along the height direction, the length L3 of the outer sleeve 240 is greater than the length L4 of the inner sleeve 250. When the camera 200 is in its initial state, the outer sleeve 240 is connected to the inner sleeve 250 through its bottom end (i.e., screwed in), and the top end of the outer sleeve 240 extends above the inner sleeve 250. This not only ensures that the lifting device 230 has a minimum length to satisfy the lifting stroke H, but also allows the outer sleeve 240 and the buffer device 220 to fully share the height space, thereby further reducing the overall height of the camera 200.

[0137] Figure 14b The extended state of camera 200 is shown. (Reference) Figure 14b When the camera 200 is in the extended position, the position of the outer sleeve 240 is... Figure 14a The positions shown are the same, the inner sleeve 250 is made of Figure 14a The camera 200 rises to the upper limit of its lifting stroke (the rising height is the lifting stroke H). Simultaneously, the inner sleeve 250 drives the lens module 260 and the cover 270 to rise synchronously, so that the camera 200 rises to a height outside the electronic device 1 (this is the first height, the height of the top surface of the camera 200 relative to the outer surface of the main body 11 of the electronic device 1). It can be understood that in this embodiment, this height is valued as H.

[0138] Furthermore, when the inner sleeve 250 is at the upper limit of its lifting stroke, the outer sleeve 240 is connected to the inner sleeve 250 via its top end. With this arrangement, the lifting device 230 can have a minimum height that satisfies the lifting stroke H, thereby minimizing the overall height of the camera 200.

[0139] Figure 14c The diagram shows a partial buffered state of the camera 200. When the camera 200 is subjected to an external force F, since the cover 270 is floatingly supported on the lifting device 230 via the buffer device 220, the cover 270 moves downward relative to the lifting device 230 under the action of the external force F. The buffer device 220 undergoes compression deformation under the pressure of the cover 270 to cushion the descent of the cover 270. During the descent, the cover 270 drives the lens module 260 to descend synchronously.

[0140] refer to Figure 14c When the camera 200 is in a partially buffered state, the relative positional relationship between the inner sleeve 250 and the outer sleeve 240 is as follows: Figure 14b Same, but with Figure 14b In contrast, the position of the cover 270 relative to the lifting device 230 is lowered by a height H1, where height H1 is a positive value less than H, for example, 0.5H. Accordingly, the height of the top surface of the camera 200 relative to the outer surface of the main body 11 of the electronic device 1 is reduced to H-H1, and the length of the buffer device 220 is compressed to L-H1.

[0141] Figure 14d The fully buffered state of camera 200 is shown. Under the continuous action of external force F, cover 270... Figure 14c The force continues to decrease until the top surface of the camera 200 is flush with the outer surface of the main body 11 of the electronic device 1. At this point, the external force F is dispersed onto the outer shell of the main body 11 of the electronic device 1, and the external force F no longer directly impacts the camera 200.

[0142] refer to Figure 14d When the camera 200 is in a fully buffered state, the relative positional relationship between the inner sleeve 250 and the outer sleeve 240 is as follows: Figure 14b Same, but with Figure 14b In comparison, the positions of the cover 270 and the lens module 260 relative to the base are lowered by a height H. Correspondingly, the height of the top surface of the camera 200 relative to the outer surface of the main body 11 of the electronic device 1 is reduced to 0, and the length of the buffer device 220 is compressed to LH.

[0143] In this embodiment, the length L of the buffer device 220 is approximately equal to the sum of the length L4 of the inner sleeve 250 and the lifting stroke H. Thus, referring to... Figure 14dWhen the camera 200 is in a fully buffered state, the top end of the inner sleeve 250 is substantially flush with the top end 220a of the buffer device 220. This arrangement allows the inner sleeve 250 and the buffer device 220 to share sufficient height space, minimizing the height of the camera 200. However, this application is not limited to this. In other embodiments, the length L of the buffer device 220 can be greater than the sum of the length L4 of the inner sleeve 250 and the lifting stroke H. Thus, when the camera 200 is in a fully buffered state, the inner sleeve 250 can be located a certain distance below the cover 270, providing a certain distance margin between the inner sleeve 250 and the cover 270.

[0144] In this embodiment, by placing the buffer device 220 on the radial side of the lifting device 230, the buffer device 220 and the lifting device 230 can share the same height space, relative to Figure 4a and Figure 4b The arrangement shown not only reduces the overall height of the camera 200 but also ensures that the buffer device 220 has sufficient buffering travel (the buffering travel provided by the buffer device 220 is greater than or equal to the maximum height of the camera 200 extending outside the main body 11 of the electronic device 1). For example, refer to... Figure 14d In this embodiment, the maximum height of the camera 200 extending outside the main body 11 of the electronic device 1 is equal to the lifting stroke H, and the buffer stroke that the buffer device 220 can provide is greater than the lifting stroke H (the actual buffer stroke is H).

[0145] The following describes the connection method of the inner sleeve 250, the buffer device 220 and the lens module 260. Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection method of the inner sleeve 250, the buffer device 220, and the lens module 260. (Reference) Figure 15 The inner sleeve 250 has a flange plate 252 on its inner wall. The bottom end 220b of the buffer device 220 abuts against the flange plate 252, so that the buffer device 220 can be supported on the inner sleeve 250. In this embodiment, there are multiple buffer devices 220 and multiple flange plates 252 (specifically, four of each). The multiple buffer devices 220 correspond one-to-one with the multiple flange plates 252, and the multiple buffer devices 220 are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the inner sleeve 250.

[0146] The camera 200 also includes a suspension bracket 280, which includes a top cover 282, a hollow cylinder 283, and a support platform 281. The hollow cylinder 283 is connected to and located below the top cover 282, and the support platform 281 is connected to the outer wall of the hollow cylinder 283. A buffer device 220 is fitted inside the hollow cylinder 283 of the suspension bracket 280, and the top end 220a of the buffer device 220 abuts against the top cover 282 of the suspension bracket 280. In this way, the suspension bracket 280 can be hung on the buffer device 220 (i.e., the suspension bracket 280 is buoyantly supported on the inner sleeve 250 by the buffer device). The top cover 282 of the suspension bracket 280 is connected to the cover 270 of the camera 200, so that the top end 220a of the buffer device 220 can be connected to the cover 270 through the top cover 282.

[0147] The lens module 260 is located radially inside the inner sleeve 250. The lens module 260 is supported on the support platform 281 of the suspension bracket 280, so that the lens module 260 can be floatingly supported on the inner sleeve 250 by means of the buffer device 220.

[0148] Furthermore, the hollow cylinder 283 extends along the height direction of the camera 200, and the flange plate 252 is fitted inside the hollow cylinder 283. In this way, when the cover 270 descends relative to the inner sleeve 250, the hollow cylinder 283-flange plate 252 structure can provide guidance for the descent of the cover 270.

[0149] refer to Figure 15 The lens module 260 includes one or more lens elements 261 (e.g., four elements) and a lens motor 262. The lens motor 262 can drive the lens elements 261 to move up and down along the optical axis (i.e., the X-axis) to adjust the focal length of the camera 200. In this embodiment, the buffer device 220 and the lens motor 262 are arranged circumferentially around the inner sleeve 250. That is, the buffer device 220 and the lens motor 262 can be located on the same circumference (a circumference centered on the central axis M). In this way, the radial space between the lens elements 261 and the inner sleeve 250 can be fully utilized to arrange the buffer device 220, thereby reducing the radial size of the camera 200.

[0150] This embodiment is an exemplary description of the technical solution of this application. Those skilled in the art can make other modifications based on this. In addition, other details not described in this embodiment, such as the specific structure and modification of each component (e.g., buffer device 220, cover 270, lifting device 230, etc.), the connection relationship between components (e.g., the circumferential positioning method of inner sleeve 250, etc.), the application scenarios and modification methods of each state of the camera, etc., are substantially the same as in Embodiment 1, and therefore can be referred to the description in Embodiment 1, without further elaboration.

[0151] In the above description of this embodiment, unless otherwise stated, " / " means "or". For example, A / B can identify A or B. The "and / or" in this document is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can represent three situations: A exists alone, B exists alone, and A and B exist simultaneously.

Claims

1. A pop-up camera, mounted on an electronic device, characterized in that, The camera includes: Base and lens module; A buffer device extends along the height direction of the camera, and the bottom end of the buffer device is connected to the base; A lifting device is connected to the top of the buffer device, and the lifting device is used to drive the lens module to rise and fall relative to the main body of the electronic device along the height direction; The lens module is connected to the lifting device, which is floatingly supported on the base by the buffer device. When the camera is subjected to a downward force along the height direction, the lifting device can descend relative to the base. During the descent, the lifting device drives the lens module to descend relative to the base. The buffer device is used to cushion the descent process of the lifting device. In the cross-section of the camera, the buffer device is located on one side of the lifting device, and the cross-section is perpendicular to the height direction.

2. The camera according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lifting device includes an outer sleeve and an inner sleeve fitted inside the outer sleeve. The outer sleeve is connected to the top end of the buffer device, and the inner sleeve is connected to the lens module. The axes of the outer sleeve and the inner sleeve are both first axes extending along the height direction. The outer sleeve and the inner sleeve are screwed together. When the outer sleeve rotates around the first axis, it can drive the inner sleeve to rise and fall along the height direction, so that the inner sleeve can drive the lens module to rise and fall. The buffer device is located on the radially outer side of the outer sleeve.

3. The camera according to claim 2, characterized in that, Along the height direction, the outer sleeve is at least partially located between the bottom end and the top end of the cushioning device.

4. The camera according to claim 3, characterized in that, Along the height direction, the length of the buffer device is greater than the length of the outer sleeve, and the outer sleeve is connected to the top of the buffer device through its top end.

5. The camera according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, Along the height direction, the length of the inner sleeve is greater than the length of the outer sleeve; Specifically, when the inner sleeve is at the lower limit position of the lifting stroke, the inner sleeve is screwed into the outer sleeve through its top end, and / or, when the inner sleeve is at the upper limit position of the lifting stroke, the inner sleeve is screwed into the outer sleeve through its bottom end.

6. The camera according to claim 2, characterized in that, The base includes a base plate, the buffer device includes a spring extending in a first direction; the camera also includes a first guide device for guiding the descent of the lifting device. The first guiding device includes: A guide hole is provided on a flange plate connected to the outer wall of the outer sleeve; A guide post extends along the height direction, the bottom end of the guide post is connected to the bottom plate of the base, and the guide post passes through the guide hole; The spring is sleeved on the outside of the guide post, and the top end of the spring abuts against the flange plate, while the bottom end of the spring abuts against the bottom plate of the base.

7. The camera according to claim 6, characterized in that, The base also includes a side plate disposed above the base plate, and the camera also includes a second guide device for guiding the descent of the lifting device, the second guide device comprising: A guide groove is provided on the side plate, and the guide groove extends along the height direction; A guide block is disposed on the outer wall of the outer sleeve, the guide block is at least partially embedded in the guide groove, and the guide block is slidable relative to the guide groove along the height direction.

8. The camera according to claim 7, characterized in that, There is a gap between the inner wall of the guide hole and the outer wall of the guide post; and / or, there is a gap between the outer wall of the guide block and the inner wall of the guide groove.

9. A pop-up camera, mounted on an electronic device, characterized in that, The camera includes: Lens module; A lifting device is used to drive the lens module to move up and down relative to the main body of the electronic device along the height direction of the camera; A buffer device extends along the height direction, and the bottom end of the buffer device is connected to the lifting device; A cover, located at the top of the camera, is connected to the top of the buffer device; The lens module is connected to the cover, which is floatingly supported on the lifting device by the buffer device. When the camera is subjected to a downward force along the height direction, the cover can descend relative to the lifting device along the height direction. During the descent, the cover drives the lens module to descend relative to the lifting device along the height direction. The buffer device is used to cushion the descent of the cover. In the cross-section of the camera, the buffer device is located on one side of the lifting device, and the cross-section is perpendicular to the height direction.

10. The camera according to claim 9, characterized in that, The lifting device includes an outer sleeve and an inner sleeve fitted inside the outer sleeve, the inner sleeve being connected to the lens module; the axes of the outer sleeve and the inner sleeve are both first axes extending along the height direction; The outer sleeve and the inner sleeve are screwed together. When the outer sleeve rotates around the first axis, it can drive the inner sleeve to rise and fall along the height direction, so that the inner sleeve can drive the lens module to rise and fall. The buffer device is located on the radial inner side of the inner sleeve.

11. The camera according to claim 10, characterized in that, Along the height direction, the inner sleeve is at least partially located between the bottom end and the top end of the buffer device.

12. The camera according to claim 11, characterized in that, Along the height direction, the length of the buffer device is greater than the length of the inner sleeve, and the inner sleeve is connected to the bottom end of the buffer device through its bottom end.

13. The camera according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that, Along the height direction, the length of the outer sleeve is greater than the length of the inner sleeve; Specifically, when the inner sleeve is at the lower limit position of the lifting stroke, the outer sleeve is screwed into the inner sleeve through its bottom end, and / or, when the inner sleeve is at the upper limit position of the lifting stroke, the outer sleeve is screwed into the inner sleeve through its top end.

14. The camera according to claim 10, characterized in that, The lens module is located on the radial inner side of the inner sleeve. The lens module includes a lens motor, which is used to drive the movement of the lens of the lens module. The buffer device and the lens motor are arranged at circumferential intervals along the inner sleeve.

15. The camera according to claim 1 or 9, characterized in that, The buffer device is a spring buffer device, a hydraulic buffer device, an airbag buffer device, or an elastic colloid buffer device.

16. The camera according to claim 1 or 9, characterized in that, The camera can be raised to a first height located outside the electronic device; The buffer device can provide a buffer stroke greater than or equal to the first height.

17. The camera according to claim 1 or 9, characterized in that, The height direction is the thickness direction of the electronic device.

18. An electronic device, characterized in that, Includes the camera as described in any one of claims 1 to 17.

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