Optical zoom camera module and corresponding portable terminal device

Abstract

An optical zoom module (1000) includes a module housing (100), a plurality of lens groups (10, 20, 30) coaxially arranged along an axis, a linear guide rod (200) parallel to the axis and disposed at a first side (A) of the module housing (100), a plurality of carriers each having one of the lens groups (10, 20, 30) mounted therein, at least two of the plurality of carriers being movable carriers (40, 50), the linear guide rod (200) passing through the at least two movable carriers (40, 50) so that the at least two movable carriers (40, 50) are respectively movable along the linear guide rod (200), and a second rail located at a second side (B) of the module housing (100), the second side (B) being opposite to the first side (A), the second rail being parallel to the linear guide rod (200), and an upper surface of the second rail and a lower surface of the movable carriers (40, 50) being supported by balls (112). A corresponding portable terminal device is also provided. The optical zoom module (1000) achieves continuous optical zoom with a small space cost, and the zoom movement of the movable lens has excellent collimation.

Description

[0001] Related Applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202011508955.X, filed on December 18, 2020, entitled “Optical Zoom Camera Module”, and Chinese Patent Application No. 202011503273.X, filed on December 18, 2020, entitled “Optical Zoom Camera Module and Corresponding Portable Terminal Device”, and incorporates by reference the entire contents of the aforementioned applications. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present application relates to the technical field of camera modules, in particular, the present application relates to an optical zoom camera module. BACKGROUND

[0004] With the improvement of living standards, consumers have increasingly high requirements for the camera function of terminal devices such as mobile phones and tablets. Not only do they require effects such as background blurring and night shooting, but they also demand telephoto. Consumers need terminal devices that can clearly capture distant scenes. Optical zoom is a camera module that achieves zoom shooting. Optical zoom changes the focal length of the lens by changing the distance between the optical lenses of the lens, thereby achieving zoom. It can capture distant objects more clearly, and the image quality of the resulting image is relatively high. Here, zoom refers to changing the focal length to capture scenes at different distances. Further, current terminal devices such as mobile phones often use periscopic modules to meet telephoto requirements. However, how to make periscopic modules have optical zoom capability in the limited space of mobile phones is a major challenge.

[0005] An optical zoom camera module typically includes at least two slidable lens carriers to move the zoom lens group and the compensation lens group, respectively. The zoom lens group moves along the optical axis to adjust the focal length of the entire imaging system. The compensation lens group also moves along its optical axis direction to achieve the focusing function of the camera module, compensating for the shift in focus caused by the movement of the zoom lens group, thereby improving the imaging quality of the module. To achieve the above movement, one approach in the prior art is to provide a guide groove on the module housing, and to assemble the two (or more) lens carriers on the guide groove through balls and corresponding bearings, so that the zoom lens group and the compensation lens group can move along the guide groove along the optical axis. However, for optical zoom modules, especially those with long focal lengths, the movement stroke of the lens carrier is often long, and the machining precision of the guide groove made on the module housing (or other similar fixed parts) is limited, especially for mass-produced products. The manufacturing tolerance of the guide groove itself can cause insufficient collimation of the movement stroke of the two (or more) lens carriers, which in turn can cause a decrease in the imaging quality of the module.

[0006] To address the aforementioned issues, existing technologies have proposed a solution based on dual guide rods to achieve collimation and sliding of multiple lens carriers. In this type of solution, two parallel guide rods are typically installed on both sides of the optical zoom module. Both lens carriers are mounted on these two guide rods, with each linear guide rod passing through both lens carriers. This allows both lens carriers to slide along the guide rods during zooming. More specifically, multiple carriers with lens structures are arranged sequentially from the object side to the image side. During shooting, the movement of these multiple carriers enables continuous zooming, effectively improving the module's image quality. It should be noted that this type of solution can sometimes use more guide rods; the above example uses one guide rod on each side. For example, patent application CN201980011002.1 discloses a camera module comprising: a base; a plurality of guide rods connected to the base; a first mover disposed in the base, the first mover including at least one lens disposed therein; and a second mover disposed in the base, the second mover including at least one lens disposed therein, wherein each of the first and second movers includes a plurality of guide grooves formed therein to allow the guide rods to be disposed in the guide grooves, wherein each of the plurality of guide grooves includes a protrusion formed to contact a corresponding guide rod. The first mover may correspond to one of the aforementioned lens carriers (where a sub-lens or a lens group can be directly mounted), and the second mover may correspond to another of the aforementioned lens carriers.

[0007] Because the guide rods can be made of metal or other rigid materials that are not easily bent, they offer better alignment than straight guide grooves on the housing (which are usually made of plastic). However, this type of technical solution requires metal guide rods to be installed on both sides of the module, and the guide rods often need to pass through at least two lens carriers. This means that the lens carriers themselves also need a certain thickness to ensure their structural strength, resulting in the module occupying a large volume on both sides, which is not conducive to the miniaturization of the device.

[0008] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a solution that can reduce the size of the optical zoom module while ensuring that the movement path of its sliding components has high collimation.

[0009] Further, when the above-mentioned guide rod-based optical zoom module is applied to a consumer electronic terminal (for example, a smartphone), in addition to improving the collimation of the zoom movement and improving the imaging quality, other aspects of the user experience also need to be considered. The present inventor has found that, compared with a suspension system based on a spring or a spring sheet, the friction (or resistance) of the guide rod in the movement direction of the movable carrier (referring to the movable carrier carrying the zoom lens group or the compensation lens group) can be greatly reduced. On the one hand, this will help to reduce the driving force requirement of the movable carrier, help to achieve a larger zoom movement stroke with a smaller volume of driving element, and improve the zoom response speed. However, on the other hand, the above-mentioned great reduction in friction may cause some problems affecting the user experience. For example, due to the great reduction in resistance of the movable carrier in the direction of the guide rod, the movable carrier may slide along the guide rod and cause a collision under some special use conditions such as shaking (for example, the "shake" function used in some applications may require the user to actively shake the phone), bumping, or other conditions. The collision may emit an unpleasant sound, and such a collision may also lead the user to the illusion that the internal parts of the phone are loose, thus seriously affecting the user experience. Especially for long focal length periscope type optical zoom modules, which are often carried on high-end phones, consumers have relatively high requirements for various aspects of the phone, and consumers may be more sensitive to abnormal sounds and vibrations emitted by the phone, thus seriously affecting the commercial value of the guide rod-based optical zoom module. Finally, due to the easy sliding of the movable carrier to cause a collision, the collision may produce debris, which may affect the production yield and long-term reliability of the module.

[0010] In summary, there is still a solution in the current market that can balance the user experience and ensure that the movement path of the sliding component has a high collimation. SUMMARY

[0011] The purpose of the present application is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a solution that can reduce the volume of the optical zoom module while ensuring that the movement path of the sliding component has a high collimation.

[0012] Another purpose of the present application is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a solution that can balance the user experience and ensure that the movement path of the sliding component has a high collimation.

[0013] To solve the above technical problems, the optical zoom module comprises: a module housing; a plurality of mirror groups coaxially arranged along an axis; a linear guide rod parallel to the axis and arranged on a first side of the module housing; a plurality of carriers, each of which is provided with one of the mirror groups, at least two of the plurality of carriers being movable carriers, the linear guide rod penetrating at least two of the movable carriers so that the at least two movable carriers can move along the linear guide rod; and a second rail located on a second side of the module housing, the second side being opposite to the first side, the second rail being parallel to the linear guide rod, and the upper surface of the second rail and the lower surface of the movable carrier being supported by balls.

[0014] The second rail has a flat upper surface.

[0015] The second rail is a long strip-shaped metal sheet, and the upper surface of the metal sheet and the lower surface of the movable carrier are supported by the balls.

[0016] The second rail is directly formed on the upper surface of the bottom plate of the module housing.

[0017] On the second side of the module housing, the bottom surface of the movable carrier is provided with a downwardly open groove, the balls are accommodated in the groove, and the balls are clamped between the groove and the second rail.

[0018] On the first side of the module housing, each of the movable carriers has a guide rod fitting through hole, and the guide rod sequentially penetrates the guide rod fitting through hole of each of the movable carriers.

[0019] The inner side of the guide rod fitting through hole and the guide rod form at least one annular accommodation cavity, the annular accommodation cavity has a plurality of second balls, and the second balls surround the guide rod.

[0020] The optical zoom module is a periscopic optical zoom module.

[0021] The optical zoom module further comprises a light turning element, the light turning element is adapted to reflect incident light from an incident channel to an imaging channel, the optical center of the incident channel forms an incident optical axis, the optical center of the imaging channel forms the main optical axis, and the incident optical axis is perpendicular to the main optical axis.

[0022] The multiple carriers include one fixed carrier and two movable carriers, a fixed lens group is installed in the fixed carrier, a zoom lens group and a compensation lens group are respectively installed in the two movable carriers; the zoom lens group is adapted to adjust the focal length of the whole imaging system, and the compensation lens group realizes focusing of the imaging system to compensate for the focus shift caused by the movement of the zoom lens group.

[0023] The fixed lens group, the zoom lens group and the compensation lens group are arranged in sequence from the object side to the image side.

[0024] The optical zoom module further includes a photosensitive assembly, the photosensitive assembly includes a circuit board and a photosensitive chip installed on the surface of the circuit board, the side surface of the circuit board has a flexible connecting strip, the flexible connecting strip is bent to the first side or the second side of the module shell, the first side or the second side of the module shell has a second circuit board, and the second circuit board is electrically conducted with the circuit board through the flexible connecting strip.

[0025] The guide rod is fixed to the module shell; the module shell includes a shell bottom plate, a shell side wall and a cover.

[0026] The second track is a guide groove made in the shell bottom plate, the ball is arranged in the guide groove and is adapted to roll along the guide groove, the guide direction of the guide groove is parallel to the straight guide rod, and the top surface of the rolling supports the bottom surface of the movable carrier.

[0027] The movable carrier includes a first sliding mounting member located at the first side, a second sliding member located at the second side and a carrier bottom plate connecting the first sliding mounting member and the second sliding member, the first sliding mounting member, the second sliding member and the bottom plate form a U-shaped groove, and the lens group is installed in the U-shaped groove.

[0028] The lens group is assembled through a lens barrel, and the outer side surface of the lens barrel is fixed to the inner side surface of the U-shaped groove.

[0029] The carrier bottom plate has a spacing with the shell bottom plate.

[0030] On the first side, the shell side wall has a limiting structure, the limiting structure is arranged between the first sliding mounting members of two adjacent movable carriers, and the guide rod passes through the first sliding mounting members and the limiting structure of at least two movable carriers.

[0031] The end surface of the first sliding mounting member and / or the end surface of the limiting structure is provided with a buffer layer.

[0032] The shell side wall has a limiting structure on the first side, the limiting structure is arranged between the first sliding mounters of two adjacent movable carriers, and the guide rod passes through the first sliding mounters of at least two movable carriers and the limiting structure; the end surface of the lens barrel in the U-shaped groove of two adjacent movable carriers is provided with a buffer layer.

[0033] The movable carrier is driven by a magnet coil.

[0034] The magnet is arranged on the inner side of the shell side wall, and the coil is arranged on the outer side of the movable carrier.

[0035] The movable carrier includes a first sliding mounter, a second sliding part, and a carrier bottom plate connecting the first sliding mounter and the second sliding part, wherein the first sliding mounter is located on the first side of the module shell, and the second sliding part is located on the second side of the module shell; the first sliding mounter, the second sliding part, and the bottom plate form a U-shaped groove, and the lens group is installed in the U-shaped groove; the magnet is arranged on the inner side of the shell side wall on the first side, and the coil is arranged on the outer side of the first sliding mounter of the movable carrier.

[0036] The bottom surface of each second sliding part has a groove, the ball is arranged in the groove, and the bottom surface of the second sliding part and the upper surface of the second track are supported by the ball.

[0037] The second track has a magnetic conductive material; a second magnet is installed above the groove in the second sliding part, and the magnetic force between the second magnet and the second track clamps the ball between the groove and the second track.

[0038] According to another aspect of the present application, an optical zoom module is also provided, which includes: a plurality of sub-lenses coaxially arranged along an axis, each sub-lens including a lens group and a lens barrel for supporting and assembling the lens group; one or more straight guide rods parallel to the axis; a plurality of carriers, each of which is arranged with one of the sub-lenses, at least two of the plurality of carriers being movable carriers, each of the straight guide rods passing through at least two of the movable carriers, so that at least two of the movable carriers can move along the straight guide rods, respectively; a limiting structure fixed relative to the straight guide rods, and the limiting structure is arranged at both ends of the moving path of the movable carriers to limit the moving stroke of the movable carriers; and a buffer layer arranged on the end surface of the limiting structure facing the movable carrier, or arranged on the end surface of the movable carrier facing the limiting structure, or arranged on the end surface of the lens barrel.

[0039] The optical zoom module further comprises a module housing, and the linear guide rods are arranged on two sides of the module housing.

[0040] The buffer layer is an elastic material layer.

[0041] The buffer layer is a buffer structure composed of a spring and a baffle.

[0042] The buffer layer is composed of a spring, and two ends of the spring are connected to opposite two end faces of the movable carrier and the limiting structure respectively.

[0043] The optical zoom module further comprises a light turning element, the light turning element is adapted to reflect incident light from an incident channel to an imaging channel, an optical center of the incident channel forms an incident optical axis, an optical center of the imaging channel forms the main optical axis, and the incident optical axis is perpendicular to the main optical axis.

[0044] The plurality of carriers comprises a fixed carrier and two movable carriers, the fixed carrier is internally mounted with a fixed lens group, and the two movable carriers are respectively mounted with a zoom sub-lens and a compensation sub-lens; the zoom sub-lens is adapted to adjust the focal length of the entire imaging system, and the compensation sub-lens realizes focusing of the imaging system to compensate for the focus shift caused by movement of the zoom sub-lens.

[0045] The linear guide rods are fixed to the module housing; the module housing comprises a housing bottom plate, a housing side wall and a cover.

[0046] The movable carrier comprises a first sliding mount on the first side, a second sliding part on the second side and a carrier bottom plate connecting the first sliding mount and the second sliding part, the first sliding mount, the second sliding part and the bottom plate form a U-shaped groove, and the sub-lens is mounted in the U-shaped groove.

[0047] The outer side surface of the sub-lens is fixed to the inner side surface of the U-shaped groove.

[0048] The limiting structure is arranged between the first sliding mounts of two adjacent movable carriers, and the linear guide rods pass through the first sliding mounts of at least two movable carriers and the limiting structure.

[0049] The limiting structure is integrally formed with the housing side wall, and the limiting structure supports the linear guide rods.

[0050] The elastic material layer is made of silica gel material.

[0051] The elastic material layer is a urethane film.

[0052] The elastic material layer is integrally formed with the movable carrier or the limiting structure or the lens barrel based on an injection molding or molding process, so that the elastic material layer is directly formed on an end surface of the movable carrier or the limiting structure or the lens barrel.

[0053] According to yet another aspect of the present application, a portable terminal device is also provided, which includes the optical zoom module according to any of the preceding aspects.

[0054] Compared with the prior art, the present application has at least one of the following technical effects:

[0055] 1. The optical zoom module of the present application can achieve continuous optical zoom with a small space cost, and the sliding component can slide along the guide rod, thus having excellent collimation.

[0056] 2. The optical zoom module of the present application has a guide rod, which can effectively ensure that the moving direction of the zoom group and the compensation group does not deviate from the main optical axis, and is particularly suitable for a continuous optical zoom module with a long focal length.

[0057] 3. In some embodiments of the present application, the debris caused by collision can be avoided by setting an anti-collision material on the sliding component of the optical zoom module, thereby reducing the risk of stains in the image taken by the lens.

[0058] 4. In some embodiments of the present application, the optical zoom module has a compact structure and is easy to assemble, which is very conducive to mass production.

[0059] 5. The solution of the optical zoom module of the present application is particularly suitable for a periscopic long focal zoom module, in other words, when the moving stroke of the sliding component is long, the advantage of the present application will be more obvious relative to the optical zoom solution without a guide rod.

[0060] 6. In some embodiments of the present application, for a mobile phone equipped with a zoom module based on a guide rod, a buffer layer or a buffer structure can be set to prevent the movable carrier from colliding and making a sound and vibration, thereby avoiding the misunderstanding of the quality of the mobile phone by consumers, and improving the user experience. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0061] Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing the positional relationship of three sub-lenses in an embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0062] Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing the three-dimensional structure of the optical zoom module in an embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0063] Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing the three-dimensional structure of the optical zoom module in an embodiment of the present application is shown;Figure 2 A perspective view of the optical zoom module in an embodiment of the present application from another angle;

[0064] Figure 4 A perspective view showing the connection between the movable carrier and the bottom plate of the housing in an embodiment of the present application;

[0065] Figure 5 A perspective view showing the optical zoom module in an embodiment of the present application after removal of three sub-lenses;

[0066] Figure 6 A perspective view showing the optical zoom module in an embodiment of the present application after removal of three sub-lenses;

[0067] Figure 7 A perspective view showing the optical zoom module in an embodiment of the present application after removal of three sub-lenses;

[0068] Figure 8 A perspective view showing the optical zoom module in an embodiment of the present application after removal of three sub-lenses;

[0069] Figure 9 A perspective view showing the optical zoom module in an embodiment of the present application after removal of three sub-lenses;

[0070] Figure 10 A perspective view showing the optical zoom module in an embodiment of the present application after removal of three sub-lenses;

[0071] Figure 11 A perspective view showing the optical zoom module in an embodiment of the present application after removal of three sub-lenses;

[0072] Figure 12 A perspective view showing the optical zoom module in an embodiment of the present application after removal of three sub-lenses;

[0073] Figure 13 A perspective view showing the optical zoom module in an embodiment of the present application after removal of three sub-lenses; DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0074] For a better understanding of the present application, various aspects of the present application will be described in greater detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood that the detailed description is merely descriptive of exemplary embodiments of the present application and is not intended to limit the scope of the present application in any way. Throughout the specification, like reference numerals refer to like elements. The expression “and / or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0075] It should be noted that in the present specification, the expressions first, second, etc. are merely used to distinguish one feature from another feature, and do not indicate any limitation on 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.

[0076] In the drawings, the thicknesses of objects, dimensions, and shapes are exaggerated for clarity. The drawings are not drawn strictly to scale.

[0077] It should also be understood that the use of the terms "including", "including having", "having", "containing", and / or "containing having", when used in this specification, indicates the presence of the stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. In addition, when terms such as "at least one of" are used when reciting a list of items, it is intended to mean that at least one of the items, but not necessarily including more than one of the items. In addition, when describing the embodiments of the present application, the use of "may" indicates "one or more embodiments of the present application". Also, the term "exemplary" is intended to refer to an example or illustration.

[0078] As used herein, the terms "substantially", "approximately", and similar terms are used as terms of approximation and not as terms of degree, and are intended to account for the inherent deviations in a measuring or computing process.

[0079] 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 idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

[0080] 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.

[0081] The present application will be further described below in conjunction with the drawings and specific embodiments.

[0082] According to one embodiment of the present application, an optical zoom module including three sub-lenses is provided. Among the three sub-lenses, one is a fixed lens and two are movable lenses, which are coaxially arranged along an axis (e.g. the main optical axis) and the two movable lenses are respectively movable along the axis. Further description will be made in conjunction with the drawings. Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing the positional relationship of the three sub-lenses in one embodiment of the present application is shown. Referring to Figure 1In the embodiment, the three lenses are coaxially arranged along the main optical axis ax. In the optical design, the first lens 10 can be a fixed lens, and the second lens 20 and the third lens 30 can be movable lenses. In the embodiment, the movement of the second lens 20 and the third lens 30 can be limited by the guide rod, so as to ensure that the movement directions of the second lens 20 and the third lens 30 are on the same straight line, that is, the straightness of the movement of the second lens 20 and the third lens 30. The sub-lens can be mounted in the carrier, and the carrier is movably connected with the guide rod, so that the sub-lens can move along the guide rod. In the embodiment, each sub-lens has a lens group composed of a single lens or multiple lenses. For the convenience of description, the lens group is referred to as a lens group in the present application. Further, Figure 2 A perspective structural schematic diagram of the optical zoom module in an embodiment of the present application is shown. Figure 3 A perspective structural schematic diagram of the optical zoom module in an embodiment of the present application is shown. Figure 2 A perspective structural schematic diagram of the optical zoom module in an embodiment of the present application is shown. Referring to Figure 2 and Figure 3 In the embodiment, the optical zoom module 1000 includes a module housing 100, a plurality of lens groups (corresponding to the first lens 10, the second lens 20 and the third lens 30) coaxially arranged along the main optical axis ax, a straight guide rod 200, a plurality of carriers, and a second track (which is blocked in Figure 2 the following text will be described further) arranged on the second side B of the module housing 100. The straight guide rod 200 is parallel to the main optical axis ax (referring to Figure 1 ) and is arranged on one side of the module housing 100, and the second track is arranged on the other side of the module housing 100. For the convenience of description, the side with the straight guide rod is referred to as the first side A in the present application, and the other side opposite to the first side A is referred to as the second side B. In Figure 2 the embodiment, the first side A is the rear side (that is, the side located in the negative direction of the x-axis in Figure 2 ), and the second side B is the front side (that is, the side located in the positive direction of the x-axis in Figure 2 ). In the embodiment, each of the plurality of carriers has a sub-lens mounted therein, and the sub-lenses can be used to realize different functions respectively. At least two of the plurality of carriers are movable carriers. In the embodiment, the number of movable carriers is two, and the two movable carriers are the second carrier 40 and the third carrier 50. The straight guide rod 200 passes through the two movable carriers (the second carrier 40 and the third carrier 50), so that the two movable carriers (for example, the second carrier 40 and the third carrier 50) can move along the straight guide rod 200 respectively. The second track is located on the second side B of the module housing 100, and the second track (the second track is blocked in Figure 2The second rail is parallel to the linear guide rail 200, and the upper surface of the second rail is supported by the lower surface of the movable carrier through the balls, so that the movable carrier can be limited in the z-axis direction (more details will be described below in combination with more embodiments). On the first side A, the movable carrier can be moved along the linear guide rail 200 under the action of the driving element, and on the second side B, the movable carrier can also be driven by the driving element to move in the xoy plane under the support of the second rail and the balls. Due to the limiting effect of the linear guide rail on the first side, and the rigidity of the movable carrier itself, the movement direction of the movable carrier on the second side is also linear. In summary, the asymmetric guiding structure is adopted in this embodiment, the linear guide rail is arranged on one side of the module, and the second rail is arranged on the other side of the module and is movably connected with the movable carrier through the balls. Compared with the guiding structure in which the linear guide rails are arranged on both sides, the asymmetric guiding structure of this embodiment can reduce the space occupied by the guide rails and their matching structures, thereby reducing the width of the module (the width is the dimension of the module in the x-axis direction) Figure 2 The dimension in the x-axis direction, Figure 2 The y-axis direction is the direction of the main optical axis, which can also be referred to as the module length direction, and the z-axis direction is the module height direction). At the same time, due to the linear guide rail adopted by the asymmetric guiding structure of this embodiment, the two movable lens groups of the optical zoom module can move along the same straight line more accurately, thereby effectively guaranteeing the imaging quality of the module.

[0083] Further, Figure 4A schematic diagram showing the connection between the movable carrier and the bottom plate of the housing in one embodiment of the present application. In this embodiment, the second track has a flat upper surface. The second track is a long strip of metal 111, and the upper surface of the metal strip 111 is supported by the balls 112 between the lower surface of the movable carrier 41. Generally, the module housing 100 is made by a molding process (or a plastic processing process such as injection molding), and the smoothness of the surface of the metal strip 111 is usually higher than that of the plastic part, so a more flat surface can be made, and the movement of the movable lens group can always be kept on the same straight line. At the same time, using the metal strip 111 as the surface of the second track can also reduce the resistance of the movement of the movable carrier 41, thereby reducing the driving force requirement of the driving element, which helps to reduce the size of the device. It should be noted that using the metal strip 111 as the second track is not the only way to achieve this, and in other embodiments of the present application, the second track can also be directly provided on the bottom plate of the module housing (i.e. the housing bottom plate 110). For example, when making the module housing, a mold with a high flatness can be selected to improve the flatness of the corresponding area of the module bottom plate, or the corresponding area of the module bottom plate can be polished to improve the flatness of the corresponding area of the module bottom plate, so as to form the second track. In some embodiments of the present application, the second track can be provided in segments, and each second track segment (each second track segment is an independent metal strip) corresponds to a movable carrier. In other embodiments, the second track can also be an integral metal strip, and each movable carrier corresponds to a different segment of the metal strip.

[0084] Further, in one embodiment of one variant of the present application, the second track can be a guide groove made on the bottom plate of the housing, the ball is arranged in the guide groove and is adapted to roll along the guide groove, the guide direction of the guide groove is parallel to the linear guide rod, and the top surface of the ball supports the bottom surface of the movable carrier. The cross-sectional shape of the guide groove can be arc-shaped so as to better match the ball. It is noted that in terms of collimation, the machining precision of the bottom plate of the housing can be difficult to reach the level of the linear guide rod, and thus when the zooming is moving, the ball can have a drift (or offset) in the x-axis direction, but due to the limiting effect of the linear guide rod on the other side, the moving route of the movable carrier can still maintain a high degree of straightness. That is, the offset of the position of the ball does not affect the collimation of the moving route of the movable carrier. In this embodiment, the guide groove is made on the upper surface of the bottom plate of the housing, and the opening thereof faces upward. In one example, the guide groove can have two groove side surfaces and a groove bottom surface, and the groove side surfaces are perpendicular to the groove bottom surface. In another example, the guide groove can have an arc-shaped surface adapted to the rolling surface so as to better match the ball. The groove bottom surface or the arc-shaped surface thereof can be regarded as part of the upper surface of the bottom plate of the housing, and in this embodiment, the groove bottom surface or the arc-shaped surface thereof can be regarded as the upper surface of the second track. The upper surface of the second track and the lower surface of the movable carrier are supported by the ball 112, achieving limiting in the z-axis direction, i.e., the degree of movement of the movable carrier relative to the second track is limited in the xoy plane, and no movement in the z-axis direction occurs. Further, due to the guiding effect of the linear guide rod on the other side, the movable carrier is also limited in the x-axis direction (i.e., the movable carrier does not move in the x-axis direction), and thus the degree of freedom of movement of the movable carrier is actually limited in the y-axis direction, i.e., consistent with the direction of the linear guide rod. In this embodiment, the guide groove and the corresponding lower surface of the movable carrier jointly constitute a containing structure containing the ball. It is noted that in some embodiments of the present application, the guide groove can be divided into multiple segments (i.e., can be divided into multiple collinear sub-guide grooves), each segment corresponding to one movable carrier, and in other embodiments, the guide groove can also be a continuous guide groove, and different movable carriers correspond to different segments of the continuous guide groove. That is, the second track can be divided into multiple segments or can be a continuous complete track.

[0085] Further, still referring to Figure 4 In one embodiment of the present application, the bottom surface of each of the movable carriers 41 (e.g., the second carrier 40 and the third carrier 50) is respectively provided with a groove, the opening of the groove faces downward, and the ball 112 is contained in the groove. In this embodiment, the groove is made on the bottom surface of the movable carrier, and the opening of the groove faces downward. In one example, the groove can have two groove side surfaces and a groove bottom surface, and the groove side surfaces are perpendicular to the groove bottom surface. In another example, the groove can have an arc-shaped surface adapted to the rolling surface so as to better match the ball. The groove bottom surface or the arc-shaped surface thereof can be regarded as part of the bottom surface of the movable carrier, and in this embodiment, the groove bottom surface or the arc-shaped surface thereof can be regarded as the lower surface of the second track. The lower surface of the second track and the upper surface of the movable carrier are supported by the ball 112, achieving limiting in the z-axis direction, i.e., the degree of movement of the movable carrier relative to the second track is limited in the xoy plane, and no movement in the z-axis direction occurs. Further, due to the guiding effect of the linear guide rod on the other side, the movable carrier is also limited in the x-axis direction (i.e., the movable carrier does not move in the x-axis direction), and thus the degree of freedom of movement of the movable carrier is actually limited in the y-axis direction, i.e., consistent with the direction of the linear guide rod. In this embodiment, the groove and the corresponding upper surface of the movable carrier jointly constitute a containing structure containing the ball. It is noted that in some embodiments of the present application, the groove can be divided into multiple segments (i.e., can be divided into multiple collinear sub-guide grooves), each segment corresponding to one movable carrier, and in other embodiments, the groove can also be a continuous guide groove, and different movable carriers correspond to different segments of the continuous guide groove. That is, the second track can be divided into multiple segments or can be a continuous complete track. Figure 4In the embodiment, a boss 113 can be made at the bottom of the movable carrier 41. In the bottom view, the boss can be circular ring shaped to fit the circumference of the ball. That is, a downward opening groove can be formed in the boss 113, and the ball 112 is arranged in the groove in the boss 113. The groove can limit the ball to avoid slipping. In the embodiment, the groove and the metal sheet 111 together form a containing structure for containing the ball 112. It should be noted that the boss 113 is not necessary in the present application. In a variant, the boss 113 can be removed. For example, the lower surface of the movable carrier 41 can be a flat surface with a circular groove (in the bottom view, the circumference of the groove is circular). The circular groove is downward opening, and the ball is located between the groove and the upper surface of the second track. Further, in the embodiment, under the guidance of the guide rod, the ball can move along the second track when the movable carrier moves. The ball itself supports in the z-axis direction, so that the two sides (i.e. the first side A and the second side B) of the second carrier 40 and the third carrier 50 are balanced, thereby ensuring the moving accuracy. At the same time, since the second track is arranged at the bottom of the second carrier 40 and the third carrier 50, the arrangement of the second track does not increase the width (i.e. the size in the x-axis direction) of the second carrier 40 and the third carrier 50. Therefore, compared with the scheme of arranging guide rods on both sides, the camera module of the embodiment can reduce the width (i.e. the size in the x-axis direction), thereby helping to miniaturize the module. In the embodiment, the second track can be a strip-shaped metal sheet arranged on the upper surface of the housing bottom plate, but the present application is not limited thereto. In another embodiment of the present application, the second track can be a guide groove made on the surface of the housing bottom plate. In this embodiment, the guide groove and the downward opening groove on the lower surface of the movable carrier together form a containing structure for containing the ball.

[0086] Further, in an embodiment of the present application, the number of linear guide rods in the optical zoom module is one. Compared with the structure of multiple guide rods, fewer guide rods can help reduce the occupied volume of the guide rods and their matching structures, thereby reducing the volume of the optical zoom module. However, it should be noted that in other embodiments of the present application, the number of linear guide rods can also be two or more. For example, two linear guide rods can be arranged at different heights on the first side, and each linear guide rod penetrates the second carrier and the third carrier. Since all the linear guide rods are arranged on the same side of the module housing, the second track and the ball support the second carrier 40 and the third carrier 50 on the other side, so these variant embodiments with multiple linear guide rods can still reduce the width (i.e. the size in the x-axis direction) of the optical zoom module, thereby helping to miniaturize the module.

[0087] Further,Figure 5 A perspective view of an optical zoom module of the present application is shown. Figure 6 A perspective view of the optical zoom module along the axis of the linear guide rod is shown. For simplicity of the drawing, Figure 6 Only the movable carriers (i.e. the second carrier 40 and the third carrier 50) and the housing bottom plate 110 are shown in the middle. Referring to Figure 5 and Figure 6 In one embodiment of the present application, each of the movable carriers (e.g. the second carrier 40 and the third carrier 50) has a guide rod fitting through hole at the first side A, and the linear guide rod passes through the guide rod fitting through hole of each of the movable carriers in sequence. An annular accommodating cavity 210 is formed between the inner side of the guide rod fitting through hole and the linear guide rod 200, and the annular accommodating cavity 210 has a plurality of second balls 211 which surround the linear guide rod 200 so as to reduce the friction when the movable carriers slide along the linear guide rod.

[0088] Further, in one embodiment of the present application, the optical zoom module is a periscopic optical zoom module. Figure 7 A periscopic optical zoom module in one embodiment of the present application is shown. Referring to Figure 7 In this embodiment, the periscopic optical zoom module 2000 includes a module housing 100, an optical folding element 70, a first carrier, a second carrier 40 and a third carrier 50 installed in the module housing 100, and a first sub-lens 10, a second sub-lens 20 and a third sub-lens 30 installed in the first carrier, the second carrier 40 and the third carrier 50 respectively. The second carrier 40 and the third carrier 50 are movable carriers. The first carrier is a fixed carrier. The first carrier can be directly formed on the module housing. Figure 7In the embodiment, the first carrier can be a fixed lens support formed in the module housing 100. One side (e.g. the first side A) of each movable carrier has a guide rod fitting hole, and at least one linear guide rod 200 penetrates through all the movable carriers (in this embodiment, the second carrier 40 and the third carrier 50) from the guide rod fitting hole. The bottom surface of the other side (e.g. the second side B) of each movable carrier is provided with a ball (which can be provided in a groove in the bottom surface of the movable carrier), and the upper surface of the bottom plate of the module housing 100 can be provided with a second track, the upper surface of the second track being flat to support the ball and allow the ball to move (including rolling and sliding) in the xoy plane. In this embodiment, the light turning element 70 is adapted to reflect the incident light from an incident channel to an imaging channel, the optical center of the incident channel forming an incident optical axis, and the optical center of the imaging channel forming the main optical axis ax, the incident optical axis being perpendicular to the main optical axis ax. In this embodiment, the light turning element 70 can rotate the incident light by 90 degrees, so as to reduce the size of the module in the thickness direction of the mobile phone (or other electronic device).

[0089] Further, Figure 8 The positional relationship of the optical elements in one embodiment of the present application is shown. For reference Figure 7 and Figure 8 In the periscope optical zoom module 2000, the first carrier is a fixed carrier, and a fixed sub-lens (i.e. the first sub-lens 10) is mounted in the fixed carrier. A zoom sub-lens (i.e. the second sub-lens 20) is mounted in the second carrier 40, and the zoom sub-lens has a zoom lens group. In this embodiment, the focal length of the entire imaging system (i.e. the focal length of the entire optical zoom module) can be adjusted by moving the zoom lens group along the optical axis. A compensation sub-lens (i.e. the third sub-lens 30) is mounted in the third carrier 50, and a compensation lens group is mounted in the compensation sub-lens. In this embodiment, the compensation lens group realizes focusing of the imaging system to compensate for the shift of the focal point caused by the movement of the zoom lens group. In this embodiment, the fixed sub-lens, the zoom sub-lens and the compensation sub-lens are arranged in order from the object side to the image side along the main optical axis ax (for reference Figure 1 ). The light turning element 70 can be arranged at the position closest to the object side, and the fixed sub-lens is arranged at the exit end of the light turning element 70.

[0090] Further, still referring to Figure 8 In one embodiment of the present application, the optical zoom module can further include a photosensitive assembly 80, and the photosensitive surface of the photosensitive assembly 80 is substantially perpendicular to the main optical axis ax (for reference Figure 1 ), i.e. the photosensitive surface is substantially perpendicular to the axis of the linear guide rod.

[0091] Further, in one embodiment of the present application, in the optical zoom module, the linear guide rod is fixed to the module housing, and the movable carrier is supported by the guide rod and has a gap between the bottom surface of the movable carrier and the bottom plate of the module housing, i.e. the movable carrier can be suspended at the first side A.

[0092] Further, Figure 9 A perspective view of the module housing, i.e. the linear guide rod, in one embodiment of the present application is shown. Referring to Figure 9 In this embodiment, the module housing comprises a housing bottom plate 110, housing side walls 120, 130 and a cover. In combination, reference is made to Figure 3 The housing side walls 120, 130 are located at the first side A and the second side B of the module housing, respectively, Figure 9 The cover is not shown in FIG. 1, which is usually covered on the housing bottom plate or the housing side walls, so that the module housing forms a closed structure to protect the various elements inside. Further, Figure 10 A perspective view of two movable carriers is shown. Referring to Figure 10 In this embodiment, the movable carrier comprises a first sliding mount 61, a second sliding part 62 and a carrier bottom plate 63 connecting the first sliding mount 61 and the second sliding part 62. The first sliding mount 61 is located at the first side A of the module housing. The second sliding part 62 is located at the second side B of the module housing. The first sliding mount 61, the second sliding part 62 and the carrier bottom plate 63 form a U-shaped groove, and each of the sub-lenses is mounted in the U-shaped groove. The sub-lens can comprise a lens barrel and a lens group (i.e. a lens assembly) mounted in the lens barrel. For example, Figure 11 A perspective view of a third sub-lens is shown. Referring to Figure 11 The third sub-lens 30 can comprise a lens barrel 31 and a lens assembly (usually a plurality of lenses forming a lens group) mounted inside it. The lens assembly is assembled through the lens barrel. The outer side of the lens barrel is fixed (e.g. bonded) to the inner side of the U-shaped groove. The carrier bottom plate 63 of the movable carrier has a gap with the housing bottom plate 110.

[0093] Further, still referring to Figure 9 and Figure 10In one embodiment of the present application, the module housing comprises a housing bottom plate 110, housing side walls 120, 130 and a cover. The housing side wall 120 has a limiting structure 140, which can be arranged between the first sliding mount 61 of two adjacent movable carriers (for example, the second carrier 40 and the third carrier 50). The straight guide rod 200 passes through the first sliding mount 61 of at least two movable carriers and the limiting structure 140. In this embodiment, the limiting structure 140 can limit the movement range of the second carrier 40 and the third carrier 50 to their respective preset ranges. Further, in this embodiment, the end surface of the first sliding mount 61 and / or the end surface of the limiting structure 140 can be provided with a buffer layer 300. Here, the end surface refers to a surface perpendicular to the axis of the straight guide rod 200. For the first sliding mount 61, the surface 61a facing the limiting structure is an end surface. For the limiting structure 140, the surface 140a facing the first sliding mount 61 is an end surface. Arranging the buffer material 300 on the end surface of the first sliding mount 61 and / or the limiting structure 140 can prevent the movable carrier from colliding with the limiting structure during movement. Specifically, the inventors of the present application have found that, in order to achieve fast zooming, the movable carrier needs to move quickly. This requires the driving element to provide a large driving force for the movable carrier, which may cause the movable carrier to move excessively and exceed the position required for zooming. Although in actual use, the position of the movable carrier can be adjusted back by changing the direction of the driving force, etc., this situation still affects the actual experience of the user. For example, in some cases, due to the excessive movement caused by the excessive instantaneous driving force, the movable carrier may collide with the limiting structure, which emits a sound that negatively affects the user's (consumer's) experience. In addition, for an optical zoom module based on a straight guide rod, since the movement resistance of the movable carrier is greatly reduced, when the user is not performing zooming, if the terminal device (for example, a mobile phone) carrying the optical zoom module is subjected to a large external impact / collision force, the movable carrier may collide with the limiting structure, which emits an abnormal sound in the mobile phone, causing discomfort to the user and affecting the user experience. In this embodiment, the buffer material (which constitutes the buffer layer 300) arranged on the end surface of the first sliding mount and / or the limiting structure can effectively prevent the abnormal sound caused by the collision between the movable carrier and the limiting structure.

[0094] Further, in another embodiment of the present application, in the optical zoom camera module, on the first side A (i.e. the side with the straight guide rod), the housing side wall has a limiting structure, which is arranged between the first sliding mount of two adjacent movable carriers, and the guide rod passes through the first sliding mount of at least two movable carriers and the limiting structure. Wherein, the corresponding lens is installed in the U-shaped slot of two adjacent movable carriers. The lens can include a lens barrel and a lens group installed in the lens barrel, and the end face of the lens barrel can be provided with a buffer layer (for reference Figure 11 , the buffer layer 300 can be arranged on the end face of the lens barrel 31). Arranging the buffer layer on the end face of the lens barrel can also avoid collision between the movable carrier and the limiting structure during zooming.

[0095] Further, in an embodiment of the present application, the movable carrier is driven by a magnet coil. Specifically, the driving element can be arranged on both sides of the optical zoom module (i.e. the first side A and the second side B). Specifically, the magnet can be arranged on the inner side surface 121 of the housing side wall 120 (for reference Figure 9 ), and the coil can be arranged on the outer side surface 61b of the movable carrier (for reference Figure 10 ). Wherein, the inner side surface 121 refers to the side surface of the housing side wall 120 close to the lens group (i.e. close to the optical axis), and the outer side surface 61b refers to the side surface of the movable carrier away from the lens group (i.e. away from the optical axis). Figure 9 and Figure 10 only show the inner side surface of the housing side wall and the outer side surface of the movable carrier on the first side A, it should be noted that on the second side B, the magnet and the coil can also be arranged on the inner side surface of the housing side wall and the outer side surface of the movable carrier respectively. In another embodiment, the driving element can also be arranged on only one side (for example, it can be arranged on only the side with the straight guide rod).

[0096] Further, still referring to Figure 10 , in an embodiment of the present application, the movable carrier includes the first sliding mount 61 on the first side A, the second sliding part 62 on the second side B, and the carrier bottom plate 63 connecting the first sliding mount 61 and the second sliding part 62, the first sliding mount 61, the second sliding part 62 and the carrier bottom plate 63 form a U-shaped slot, and the sub-lens is installed in the U-shaped slot. The magnet is arranged on the inner side surface of the housing side wall on the first side A (i.e. the side with the straight guide rod), and the coil is arranged on the outer side surface of the first sliding mount 61 of the movable carrier.

[0097] Further, still referring to Figure 10In an embodiment of the present application, the bottom surface of each second sliding part 62 (i.e. the second sliding part 62 of each movable carrier) has a downwardly open groove (the groove in this embodiment can be arranged in the annular boss 113, which can be combined with reference to Figure 4 ), the balls are arranged in the groove, and the bottom surface of the second sliding part 62 (i.e. the groove bottom surface, which actually corresponds to the top surface of the ball since the groove is downwardly open in this embodiment) and the upper surface of the second track are supported by the balls. In this embodiment, the second track can be a separate metal sheet 111 (e.g. a steel sheet), which can be arranged on the upper surface of the housing bottom plate 110 (combined with reference to Figure 9 ) of the module housing. The second track has a magnetic conductive material (e.g. the second track is made of a magnetic conductive material or has a magnetic conductive material attached). In this embodiment, a second magnet 114 can also be arranged above the groove for accommodating the balls (i.e. the second magnet 114 is located directly above the balls), and a magnetic force is formed between the second magnet 114 and the second track (metal sheet 111), which can clamp the ball between the groove bottom surface (which actually corresponds to the top surface of the ball since the groove is downwardly open) and the upper surface of the second track to avoid the movable carrier from sliding uncontrollably along the straight guide rod when the driving element is not powered. When the driving element is powered, the driving force in the direction of the straight guide rod (i.e. the y-axis direction) can overcome the friction of the ball to push the movable carrier to move in the y-axis direction under the action of the driving element. In addition, the magnetic force between the second magnet 114 and the second track (metal sheet 111) also helps to limit the ball in the groove to avoid the ball from slipping out.

[0098] Further, in the present application, the buffer layer can be arranged on the end surface of the limiting structure or on the end surface of the movable carrier. Generally, as long as the buffer layer is arranged between the end surface of the limiting structure and the end surface of the movable carrier. Further, the limiting structure can be arranged between adjacent movable carriers, or between the photosensitive assembly support and the movable carrier, or between the fixed carrier support (or fixed lens support) and the movable carrier. For example, Figure 12 shows a partial perspective view of a camera module in an embodiment of the present application. Referring to Figure 12 , in this embodiment, a buffer layer 300 can be arranged between the end surface of the movable carrier (second carrier 40) and the end surface of the fixed lens support 150, and between the photosensitive assembly support 130 and the movable carrier 40. For example, Figure 12The buffer layer 300 can also be arranged between the end face of the fixed lens support 150 and the end face of the movable carrier (e.g., the third carrier 50), which can further avoid the sound or vibration caused by the collision of the movable carrier during the use of the terminal device (e.g., a mobile phone), thereby improving the user experience. The fixed lens support 150 and the photosensitive component support can be part of the module housing 100 and be integrally formed with the module housing 100. The fixed lens support can limit the movement stroke of the movable carrier at the front end (i.e., the end of the object side), and the photosensitive component support can limit the movement stroke of the movable carrier at the rear end (i.e., the end of the image side). Therefore, the fixed lens support and the photosensitive component support can also be regarded as limiting structures.

[0099] Further, in the present application, the sub-lens combination of the periscopic optical zoom module is not limited to the combination of one fixed lens and two movable lenses. For example Figure 13 The optical path schematic diagram of the periscopic optical zoom module of a variant embodiment of the present application is shown. Referring to Figure 13 In the variant embodiment, one light turning element and three movable lenses can be included, and the three movable lenses are respectively mounted on the three movable carriers 41. In the variant embodiment, the module can have two straight guide rods 201 located at different heights, and each straight guide rod penetrates the three movable carriers 41. In the present embodiment, the two straight guide rods 201 are located on the same side of the module, and the other side of the module can be provided with a second track and a corresponding ball structure to support the movable carriers in the z-axis direction, so that the two sides of the movable carriers can be balanced.

[0100] It should be noted that the buffer layer in the foregoing embodiments can also be applied to the optical zoom module with straight guide rods on both sides to improve the collimation of zoom movement while considering user experience. For example, in another embodiment of the present application, the optical zoom module can include a module housing, a plurality of carriers mounted in the module housing, and a plurality of lens groups mounted in the plurality of carriers. At least two of the plurality of carriers are movable carriers. The module housing has straight guide rods on both sides, and each straight guide rod penetrates the at least two movable carriers, so that each movable carrier can move along the straight guide rod to achieve zoom or focusing function within a predetermined stroke range. Further, the straight guide rods on both sides are parallel to the y-axis (the y-axis is parallel to the principal axis of the optical zoom module, and the direction about the y-axis can be combined with reference to Figure 2). The limiting structure can be integrally formed with the module housing, i.e., the limiting structure can be part of the module housing. For example, in one example, the module housing can include a housing bottom plate, a housing sidewall, and a cover. The limiting structure can be integrally formed with the housing sidewall. In this embodiment, a buffer layer is provided on the end surface of the limiting structure (i.e., the surface of the limiting structure that is perpendicular to the main optical axis). The buffer layer can be made of an elastic material. The buffer layer can be attached to the limiting structure, or the limiting structure can be uniformly coated with adhesive material, and the buffer layer with elasticity can be formed after the adhesive material is cured. After the buffer layer is provided, the terminal device (e.g., a mobile phone) can avoid making sound or vibrating due to the collision of the movable carrier (e.g., with the limiting structure) during use, thereby improving the user experience. Further, the buffer layer can also be provided on the end surface of the movable carrier. In general, as long as the buffer layer is provided between the end surface of the limiting structure and the end surface of the movable carrier. Further, the limiting structure can be provided not only between adjacent movable carriers, but also between the photosensitive assembly support and the movable carrier, or between the fixed carrier support and the movable carrier. For example, a buffer layer can also be provided between the end surface of the movable carrier and the end surface of the fixed carrier support, and a buffer layer can also be provided between the end surface of the photosensitive assembly support and the end surface of the movable carrier. These designs can further avoid making sound or vibrating due to the collision of the movable carrier during use of the mobile phone, thereby improving the user experience. The fixed carrier support and the photosensitive assembly support can be part of the module housing and integrally formed with the module housing. The fixed carrier support can limit the movement of the movable carrier at the front end (one end of the object side), and the photosensitive assembly support can limit the movement of the movable carrier at the rear end (one end of the image side), so the fixed carrier support and the photosensitive assembly support can also be considered as limiting structures.

[0101] Further, for an optical zoom module with guide rods on both sides, the buffer layer can also be provided on the end surface of the lens barrel of the movable lens group. This scheme can also avoid making sound or vibrating due to the collision of the movable carrier during use of the mobile phone, thereby improving the user experience. In specific implementation, for example, the buffer layer can be attached to the end surface of the lens barrel of the lens first, and then the lens can be installed in the corresponding carrier.

[0102] Further, in one embodiment of the present application, the buffer layer can be a layer of elastic polymer (e.g., a layer of silicone gel), which can be integrally formed with the movable carrier (or with the limiting structure on the module housing) through a molding or injection molding process. For example, when the movable carrier is injection molded, a LCP (LIQUID CRYSTAL POLYMER) material can be first injected into a mold, and when a certain amount of the LCP material is reached, a silicone gel material can be injected onto the surface of the LCP material. After cooling and solidification, the LCP material forms the main body of the movable carrier, and the silicone gel material forms a thin film attached to the main body of the movable carrier. The injection molding process described above can also be replaced by a molding process, which will not be described here in detail. Further, in some variant embodiments, the movable carrier can also have a metal plate, which can serve to reinforce the movable carrier so that the movable carrier still has sufficient structural strength even when the thickness of the LCP material is small. The metal plate can also be integrally formed with the main body of the movable carrier (i.e., the LCP structure) and the silicone gel thin film during the injection molding or molding process.

[0103] Further, in one embodiment of the present application, the silicone gel layer can be a thin film of urethane. The selection of the elastic polymer material can be based on the following considerations: at room temperature, the material has a certain flexibility, i.e., the material will elastically deform when colliding with other rigid blocks, and will return to the initial state after the external force disappears, and the material itself will not produce debris; and at high temperature, the material has good compatibility with the materials used to manufacture the movable carrier (or other rigid structures to which the buffer layer needs to be attached). On the other hand, the physical properties of the material should be relatively stable, and the state of the material should not change significantly when the temperature reaches 80°C, e.g., the material should not change from a solid state to a liquid state. Preferably, urethane satisfies all the above conditions, and when it is molded onto the surface of the carrier, the buffer effect during the collision process can be achieved. It should be noted that although the elastic material layer in this embodiment is a thin film, the present application is not limited thereto, and in other embodiments of the present application, an elastic material layer having a relatively large thickness (e.g., a thickness greater than that of a thin film) can also be used as a buffer layer.

[0104] Further, in one embodiment of the present application, the end surface of the movable carrier can be a flat surface, and the elastic material layer (e.g., a layer of silicone gel) is directly attached to the flat surface. The elastic material layer can be integrally formed on the end surface of the movable carrier through an injection molding or molding process. In another embodiment of the present application, the end surface of the movable carrier can form a buffer layer accommodating groove, the buffer layer can be filled in the buffer layer accommodating groove, and the surface of the buffer layer can protrude beyond the end surface of the movable carrier, so that the end surface of the movable carrier can be effectively protected by the buffer layer when a collision occurs.

[0105] The method of making the buffer layer on the end surface of the movable carrier in the above embodiments is only an example and is not intended to limit the present application. The method of making the buffer layer on the end surface of the movable carrier can also be applied to those embodiments of making the buffer layer on the end surface of the limiting structure or on the end surface of the lens barrel.

[0106] Further, the buffer layer is made of a buffer material (elastic material) in the above embodiments, but the present application is not limited thereto. For example, a spring and a baffle can be used to achieve the buffering effect. For example, in some variant embodiments of the present application, a baffle supported by a plurality of springs can be installed on the end surface of the limiting structure, and the surface of the baffle can be perpendicular to the main optical axis (i.e., parallel to the end surface of the limiting structure). This buffering structure can also avoid the sound or vibration caused by the collision of the movable carrier during use of the mobile phone, thereby improving the user experience.

[0107] Further, in some variant embodiments of the present application, the buffer layer can also be directly composed of a spring. For example, a spring can be used to connect the end surface of the limiting structure and the end surface of the movable carrier (the two end surfaces refer to the two end surfaces of the limiting structure and the movable carrier that face each other). In this way, the spring can play a buffering role when the movable carrier moves, thereby avoiding the sound or vibration caused by the collision of the movable carrier during use of the mobile phone, and further improving the user experience.

[0108] Further, in some variant embodiments of the present application, the buffer layer (which can be referred to as a side buffer layer) can also be provided on the outer side surface of the movable carrier and / or the inner side surface of the side wall of the housing in the optical zoom module to further play a role in preventing collision. For example, when the terminal device is subjected to a severe impact, the side buffer layer can further reduce the risk of collision of the movable carrier.

[0109] The optical zoom module of the present application is particularly suitable for use in smart phones, tablet computers and other portable terminal devices. The optical zoom module not only has the advantages of small size and compact structure, but also has a very high collimation degree of the zoom movement of the movable part, which is beneficial to improving the imaging quality. Furthermore, the optical zoom module of the present application can prevent the collision of the movable part in the module caused by various factors such as collision and shaking of the portable terminal device, thereby avoiding the problem of abnormal sound emission of the portable terminal device, and further significantly improving the user experience.

[0110] The above description is only the preferred embodiment of the present application and the explanation of the technical principles. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the scope of the protection of the present application is not limited to the technical solutions formed by the specific combinations of the above technical features. It should also cover other technical solutions formed by the combinations of the above technical features or their equivalents without departing from the concept of the present application. For example, the technical solutions formed by replacing the above features with the technical features with similar functions disclosed in the present application (but not limited to) and the like.

Claims

1. An optical zoom module, characterized in that, include: A photosensitive component, the photosensitive component including a circuit board and a photosensitive chip mounted on the circuit board; Module housing; Multiple mirror groups arranged coaxially along a single axis; A linear guide rod, which is parallel to the axis and disposed on the first side of the module housing; Multiple carriers, each of which houses one of the mirror assemblies, at least two of which are movable carriers, and a linear guide rod passes through at least two of the movable carriers, allowing the at least two movable carriers to move along the linear guide rod respectively; as well as The second track is located on the second side of the module housing, which is the opposite side of the first side. The second track is parallel to the linear guide rod. The upper surface of the second track is supported by ball bearings between the lower surface of the movable carrier. The linear guide rod is disposed on one side of the optical zoom module.

2. The optical zoom module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second track has a flat upper surface.

3. The optical zoom module according to claim 2, characterized in that, The second track is a long strip of metal, the upper surface of which is supported by the ball bearings between the lower surface of the movable carrier.

4. The optical zoom module according to claim 2, characterized in that, The second track is formed directly on the upper surface of the bottom plate of the module housing.

5. The optical zoom module according to claim 2, characterized in that, On the second side of the module housing, the bottom surface of the movable carrier is provided with a downward-facing groove, the ball is accommodated in the groove, and the ball is clamped between the groove and the second track.

6. The optical zoom module according to claim 1, characterized in that, On the first side of the module housing, each of the movable carriers has a guide rod adapter through hole, and the linear guide rod passes through the guide rod adapter through hole of each of the movable carriers in sequence.

7. The optical zoom module according to claim 6, characterized in that, At least one annular receiving cavity is formed between the inner side of the adapter through hole of the linear guide rod and the linear guide rod, and the annular receiving cavity has a plurality of second balls, which surround the linear guide rod.

8. The optical zoom module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The optical zoom module is a periscope-type optical zoom module.

9. The optical zoom module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The optical zoom module further includes an optical deflection element, which is adapted to reflect incident light from the incident channel to the imaging channel. The optical center of the incident channel forms the incident optical axis, and the optical center of the imaging channel forms the principal optical axis. The incident optical axis is perpendicular to the principal optical axis.

10. The optical zoom module according to claim 9, characterized in that, The plurality of carriers includes a fixed carrier and two movable carriers. A fixed lens group is installed in the fixed carrier, and a zoom lens group and a compensation lens group are respectively installed in the two movable carriers. The zoom lens group is adapted to adjust the focal length of the entire imaging system, and the compensation lens group realizes the focusing of the imaging system to compensate for the focus shift caused by the movement of the zoom lens group.

11. The optical zoom module according to claim 10, characterized in that, The fixed lens group, the zoom lens group, and the compensation lens group are arranged sequentially from the object side to the image side.

12. The optical zoom module according to claim 11, characterized in that, The circuit board has a flexible connecting strip on its side, which is bent to the first or second side of the module housing.

13. The optical zoom module according to claim 2, characterized in that, The linear guide rod is fixed to the module housing; the module housing includes a base plate, side walls, and a cover.

14. The optical zoom module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second track is a guide groove formed on the bottom plate of the housing. The ball is disposed in the guide groove and adapted to roll along the guide groove. The guiding direction of the guide groove is parallel to the linear guide rod. The rolling top surface supports the bottom surface of the movable carrier.

15. The optical zoom module according to claim 14, characterized in that, The movable carrier includes a first sliding mounting member located on the first side, a second sliding part located on the second side, and a carrier base plate connecting the first sliding mounting member and the second sliding part. The first sliding mounting member, the second sliding part, and the base plate form a U-shaped groove, and the lens assembly is installed in the U-shaped groove.

16. The optical zoom module according to claim 15, characterized in that, The lens assembly is assembled by a lens tube, and the outer side of the lens tube is fixed to the inner side of the U-shaped groove.

17. The optical zoom module according to claim 15, characterized in that, There is a gap between the carrier base plate and the shell base plate.

18. The optical zoom module according to claim 15, characterized in that, On the first side, the housing sidewall has a limiting structure, which is disposed between the first sliding mounting parts of two adjacent movable carriers, and the linear guide rod passes through at least two of the first sliding mounting parts of the movable carriers and the limiting structure.

19. The optical zoom module according to claim 18, characterized in that, A buffer layer is provided on the end face of the first sliding mounting member and / or the end face of the limiting structure.

20. The optical zoom module according to claim 16, characterized in that, On the first side, the housing sidewall has a limiting structure, the limiting structure is disposed between the first sliding mounting parts of two adjacent movable carriers, and the linear guide rod passes through at least two of the first sliding mounting parts of the movable carriers and the limiting structure; A buffer layer is provided on the end face of the lens barrel in the U-shaped groove of the two adjacent movable carriers.

21. The optical zoom module according to claim 14, characterized in that, The movable carrier is driven by a magnet coil.

22. The optical zoom module according to claim 21, characterized in that, The magnet is disposed on the inner side of the sidewall of the housing, and the coil is disposed on the outer side of the movable carrier.

23. The optical zoom module according to claim 21, characterized in that, The movable carrier includes a first sliding mounting member, a second sliding part, and a carrier base plate connecting the first sliding mounting member and the second sliding part. The first sliding mounting member is located on the first side of the module housing, and the second sliding part is located on the second side of the module housing. The first sliding mounting member, the second sliding part, and the base plate form a U-shaped groove, and the mirror assembly is installed in the U-shaped groove. The magnet is disposed on the inner side of the housing sidewall on the first side, and the coil is disposed on the outer side of the first sliding mounting member of the movable carrier.

24. The optical zoom module according to claim 15, characterized in that, Each of the second sliding portions has a groove on its bottom surface, in which the ball is disposed, and the bottom surface of the second sliding portion and the upper surface of the second track are supported by the ball.

25. The optical zoom module according to claim 24, characterized in that, The second track has a magnetically conductive material; in the second sliding part, a second magnet is installed above the groove, and the magnetic force between the second magnet and the second track causes the groove and the second track to clamp the ball.

26. A portable terminal device, characterized in that, include: The optical zoom module according to any one of claims 1-25.

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