Camera module and vehicle including camera module

Abstract

An imaging device module according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a plurality of lenses aligned along an optical axis; a lens assembly includes a lens barrel in which a plurality of lenses are disposed, and a plurality of inner lens barrels disposed between the plurality of lenses and the lens barrel, in which at least one of the plurality of inner lens barrels may maintain an interval between two adjacent lenses and an interval between outer surfaces of the two adjacent lenses and the lens barrel.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a camera module and a vehicle having the camera module. Background Art

[0002] ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) is an advanced driver assistance system for assisting the driver in driving, and is composed of sensing the situation ahead, determining the situation based on the sensing result, and controlling the behavior of the vehicle based on the situation determination. For example, an ADAS sensor device detects the vehicle ahead and identifies the lane. Then, when the target lane or target speed and the target ahead are determined, the vehicle's ESC (Electronic Stability Control), EMS (Engine Management System), MDPS (Electric Power Steering), etc. are controlled. Typically, ADAS can be implemented as an automatic parking system, a low-speed city driving assistance system, a blind spot warning system, etc.

[0003] The sensor devices used to sense the situation ahead in ADAS include GPS sensors, laser scanners, front radars, and Lidars, but the most representative one is the front camera device used to shoot the front of the vehicle. Recently, research on detection systems for detecting the surrounding environment of the vehicle for the sake of driver safety and convenience is accelerating. The vehicle detection system is used for various purposes, such as detecting objects around the vehicle to prevent collisions with objects that the driver has not noticed, and performing automatic parking by detecting empty spaces, and providing the most basic data for automatic vehicle control. In such a detection system, a method using radar signals and a method using a camera device are generally used.

[0004] The vehicle camera module is built into the front and rear surveillance cameras and the black box in the car and is used to capture a subject in the form of a photo or video. Since the vehicle camera module is exposed to the outside, the shooting quality may be deteriorated due to humidity and temperature. In particular, the camera module has the following problems: its optical characteristics change according to the ambient temperature and the material of the lens. Summary of the invention

[0005] Technical issues

[0006] A camera module according to an embodiment of the present invention may provide a camera module having an inner barrel in one side or the entire inner surface of a lens barrel. Embodiments of the present invention may provide a camera module having multiple inner barrels surrounding different lenses in a lens barrel. Embodiments of the present invention may provide a camera module having a first inner barrel in contact with the outer surface of at least one lens in the lens barrel and a second inner barrel in contact with the outer surface of at least one lens in the lens barrel. Embodiments of the present invention may provide a camera module having multiple inner barrels, each of which is disposed between the outer side of at least one or two or more lenses and the lens barrel.

[0007] Embodiments of the present invention may provide a camera module having a plurality of inner barrels overlapping in the optical axis direction inside a lens barrel, and each of the plurality of inner barrels extending to the outer surface of at least one lens. Embodiments of the present invention may provide a camera module, wherein the plurality of inner barrels have a material different from that of the lens barrel. Embodiments of the present invention may provide a mobile terminal such as a mobile terminal having a camera module and a vehicle having a camera module.

[0008] Technical Solutions

[0009] A camera device module according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of lenses aligned along an optical axis; a lens barrel in which the plurality of lenses are arranged; and a plurality of inner barrels arranged between the plurality of lenses and the lens barrel, wherein at least one of the plurality of inner barrels is arranged on an outer periphery between two adjacent lenses and on an area between outer surfaces of the two adjacent lenses and the lens barrel, and at least one of the plurality of inner barrels can maintain a spacing between the two adjacent lenses and a spacing between the outer surfaces of the two adjacent lenses and the lens barrel.

[0010] According to an embodiment of the present invention, each of the plurality of inner barrels can maintain an interval between two adjacent lenses and an interval between the outer surfaces of the two adjacent lenses and the lens barrel based on the outer surface of the lens barrel.

[0011] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of lenses include first to third lenses aligned along an optical axis from an object side toward a sensor, and the plurality of inner lens barrels may include a first inner lens barrel extending from an outer surface of the first lens and a periphery of a sensor-side surface to an outer surface of the second lens and a periphery of an object-side surface, and a second inner lens barrel extending from an outer surface of the second lens and a periphery of the sensor-side surface to an outer surface of the third lens and a periphery of an object-side surface.

[0012] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of lenses include a fourth lens to an n-th lens aligned with the optical axis on the sensor side of the third lens, where n is any one of 5, 6, and 7, and the plurality of inner barrels may include a third inner barrel extending from the outer surface of the third lens and the periphery of the sensor-side surface to the outer surface of the fifth lens and the periphery of the object-side surface. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the third lens and the fourth lens are bonded to form a cemented lens, and the third inner barrel is disposed between the object-side third lens of the cemented lens and the fifth lens disposed on the sensor side which is not a cemented lens, and the outer surface of the fourth lens may face the inner surface of the third inner barrel.

[0013] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of inner barrels include a fourth inner barrel extending from the outer surface of the fifth lens and the periphery of the sensor side surface to the outer surface of the sixth lens and the periphery of the object side surface, and a fifth inner barrel extending from the outer surface of the sixth lens and the periphery of the sensor side surface to the outer surface of the seventh lens and the periphery of the object side surface. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the number of the plurality of inner barrels may be 50% or more of the number of lenses. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the image sensor is disposed on the sensor side of the lens barrel; the cover glass is disposed on the image sensor; and the filter is disposed between the cover glass and the lens closest to the image sensor, and when the number of lenses is n (n=one of 5, 6, or 7), the number of inner barrels may be n-2 or less.

[0014] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the last inner lens barrel among the plurality of inner lens barrels is disposed between the nth lens adjacent to the image sensor and the n-1th lens adjacent thereto, and may extend to the outer surfaces of the nth lens and the n-1th lens. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of inner lens barrels may have different heights.

[0015] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of inner lens barrels have different heights, a plurality of inner lens barrels overlap in a vertical direction, a plurality of inner lens barrels are made of a plastic material, and at least one of a plurality of lenses is made of a plastic material. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of inner lens barrels have different heights, a plurality of inner lens barrels overlap in a vertical direction, a lens barrel is made of a metal material, and a plurality of inner lens barrels are made of a plastic material, and at least two lenses of a plurality of lenses adjacent to an image sensor may be made of a plastic material. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the height of each of the plurality of inner lens barrels may be less than the maximum optical axis distance between two lenses adjacent to an outer surface of the lens barrel, and may be greater than the minimum optical axis distance of the two lenses.

[0016] A vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a camera module, which includes a plurality of lenses aligned with an optical axis, a lens barrel having an opening extending therethrough in the direction of the optical axis, a plurality of inner barrels arranged between each outer surface of the plurality of lenses and an inner surface of the lens barrel, and an image sensor arranged on a sensor side of a last lens among the plurality of lenses, wherein the camera module includes the camera module disclosed above, the plurality of inner barrels and at least two of the plurality of lenses are made of plastic material, and the plurality of inner barrels may overlap in a vertical direction.

[0017] Beneficial Effects

[0018] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a camera module can be provided, which can maintain resolution according to temperature changes by stacking lenses in a heterogeneous lens barrel. That is, the camera module with a heterogeneous lens barrel can minimize the stress and eccentricity of a lens (e.g., a plastic lens) that expands due to temperature changes. According to an embodiment of the present invention, since the lens barrel includes a plurality of inner lens barrels therein, a camera module can be provided that can maintain the resolution of an optical system and suppress lens deformation caused by temperature changes. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the optical reliability of the camera module can be improved, and the reliability of a vehicle camera device having the camera module can be improved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 is a side cross-sectional view of a camera module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 2 It is shown Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a diagram of an upper area of ​​a lens barrel in a camera module.

[0021] Figure 3 It is shown Figure 1 A diagram of the lower region of the lens barrel.

[0022] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of coupling a cover to a lens barrel according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 5 is an example of a vehicle having a camera module according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The technical spirit of the present invention is not limited to some embodiments to be described, but can be implemented in various other forms, and within the scope of the technical spirit of the present invention, one or more components can be selectively combined and replaced for use. In addition, unless explicitly defined and clearly described, the terms (including technical terms and scientific terms) used in the embodiments of the present invention can be interpreted according to the meanings that can be generally understood by ordinary technicians in the field to which the present invention belongs, and commonly used terms, such as terms defined in dictionaries, should be able to interpret their meanings based on the contextual meaning of the relevant technology.

[0025] The terms used in the embodiments of the present invention are used to illustrate the embodiments, and are not intended to limit the present invention. In this specification, unless otherwise specifically stated in a phrase, the singular form may also include the plural form, and in the case of stating A and (and) at least one (or one or more) of B, C, it may include one or more of all combinations that can be combined with A, B and C. When describing the components of the embodiments of the present invention, terms such as the first, second, A, B, (a) and (b) may be used. Such terms are only used to distinguish components from other components, and may not be determined by the terms of the properties, order or program of the corresponding constituent elements. And when describing a component "connected", "coupled" or "engaged" to another component, the description may include not only direct connection, coupling or engagement to another component, but also "connected", "coupled" or "engaged" between a component and another component. In addition, in the case of being described as being formed or arranged on "above (upper)" or "below (lower)" of each component, the description may include not only the situation where two components are in direct contact with each other, but also the situation where one or more other components are formed or arranged between the two components. In addition, when expressed as "above (up)" or "below (lower)", it may refer to the downward direction as well as the upward direction with respect to an element. In addition, several embodiments described below may be combined with each other unless it is specifically stated that they cannot be combined with each other. In addition, unless specifically mentioned, a portion omitted from the description of one of several embodiments may be applied to the description of other embodiments.

[0026] In the description of the present invention, the first lens refers to the lens closest to the object side, and the last lens refers to the lens closest to the image side (or sensor surface). The last lens may include a lens adjacent to the image sensor. Unless otherwise specified in the description of the present invention, the units of lens radius, thickness / distance, TTL, etc. are all mm. In this specification, the shape of the lens is represented based on the optical axis of the lens. For example, saying that the object side of the lens is convex or concave means that the object side of the lens is convex or concave around the optical axis, rather than that the area around the optical axis is convex or concave. Therefore, even if the object side of the lens is described as convex, the portion around the optical axis of the object side of the lens may be concave or the opposite shape. In this specification, it should be noted that the thickness and radius of curvature of the lens are measured based on the optical axis of the lens. In other words, a convex lens surface means that the lens surface of the area corresponding to the optical axis has a convex shape, and a concave lens surface means that the lens surface of the area corresponding to the optical axis has a concave shape. It can be done. In addition, the “object side surface” may refer to a surface of the lens facing the object side based on the optical axis, and the “sensor side surface” may refer to a surface of the lens facing the sensor side based on the optical axis.

[0027] Figure 1 is a side cross-sectional view of a camera module according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 It is shown Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a diagram of an upper region of a lens barrel in a camera module, Figure 3 Yes Description Figure 1 A diagram of the lower region of the lens barrel, and Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of coupling a cover to a lens barrel according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] The camera module 1000 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a lens portion 100 having a plurality of lenses, a lens barrel 400 in which the plurality of lenses are stacked, and a plurality of inner barrels 210, 220, 230, 240, and 250 disposed between the lens barrel 400 and the plurality of lenses.

[0029] The lens barrel 400 can pass from the upper part to the lower part. That is, the lens barrel 400 has a first opening portion 401 on the upper side and a second opening portion 403 on the lower side, and the first opening portion 401 and the second opening portion 403 can be connected to each other. The lens barrel 400 is an outer barrel, and the interval between the outer surface of the lens and the inner surface 441 of the lens barrel 400 can be 2.5mm or less, for example, in the range of 0.7mm to 2.5mm. When the interval between the outer surface of the lens and the inner surface 441 of the lens barrel 400 is less than the above range, it is not easy to combine the lenses, and when the interval is greater than the above range, the size of the lens barrel increases or the lens may be tilted relative to the optical axis. Here, the lens barrel 400 can be made of metal or non-metallic materials, such as aluminum or copper. Therefore, when the lens barrel 400 is made of a metal material, heat generated from the inner barrels 210, 220, 230, 240 and 250 and the flange portion of each lens can be dissipated, thereby preventing the reliability of optical characteristics from being reduced due to temperature changes of the camera module exposed to the outside.

[0030] The upper portion diameter of the inner opening portion of the lens barrel 400 may be larger than the lower portion diameter. Here, the upper portion diameter may be the maximum distance of the area corresponding to the outer surface of the flange portion 101A of the first lens 101. The lower portion diameter may be the maximum distance of the area corresponding to the outer surface of the flange portion 107A of the last lens 107. Due to the difference between the upper portion diameter and the lower portion diameter, the lens may be combined from the object side toward the sensor side. In this case, the diameter of the first lens 101 may be larger than the diameter of the last seventh lens 107. The diameters of the two lenses are the maximum diameters between the outer surfaces of the flange portions 101A and 107A of each lens 101 and 107.

[0031] The lens barrel 400 may include a plurality of inner barrels 210 to 250 therein. The number of inner barrels 210 to 250 may be less than the number of lenses in the lens barrel 400, for example, in the range of n-1 to n-3, where n is the number of lenses and n ranges from 4 to 9. Here, at least one of the upper, central, and lower portions of the inner barrels 210 to 250 may be disposed on the outer surface of at least one lens. That is, at least one of the upper, central, and lower portions of the inner barrels 210 to 250 may be disposed between the outer surface of at least one lens and the lens barrel. Therefore, the lens barrel 400 and the outer surfaces of the lenses may be spaced apart from each other.

[0032] The thermal expansion coefficient of the inner barrel 210 to 250 can be higher than the thermal expansion coefficient of the lens barrel 400. For example, the lens barrel 400 can be made of metal (e.g., aluminum), and the inner barrel 210 to 250 can be made of non-metal (e.g., resin or plastic). The lens barrel 400 can have a thermal expansion coefficient less than 30, and the inner barrel can have a thermal expansion coefficient of 50 or more. The difference in thermal expansion coefficient between the inner barrel 210 to 250 and the lens barrel 400 can be 20 or more. The difference in thermal expansion coefficient between the inner barrel 210 to 250 and the plastic lens can be 3 or less, 2 or less, or the same.

[0033] When the lens barrel 400 is injection molded by a metal material, there are problems that the size control is difficult and the diameter deviation is generated according to the internal area. In other words, the eccentricity management between the inner diameter size and the inner diameter for lens alignment is worse than the eccentricity management between the inner diameter size and the inner diameter of the mold injection molding product for lens alignment. In addition, most vehicle lenses in the lens barrel are made of glass. In the case of glass materials, there is a size deviation due to the processing of each individual product, and in addition, the eccentricity management between the outer diameter size and the outer diameter for lens alignment may be worse than the eccentricity management between the outer diameter size and the outer diameter of the injection molding product for lens alignment, and the manufacturing cost of the lens is higher than the manufacturing cost of the injection molding product. The present invention uses a mold injection molding product to manufacture the inner barrel 210 to 250, so that the deviation between the inner diameter and the outer diameter can be minimized, and the tolerance of the glass lens or the plastic lens can be reduced to minimize the eccentricity and tilt according to the tolerance. In addition, the inner barrel can maintain the resolution according to temperature changes. In other words, according to temperature changes, the stress on the plastic lens can be suppressed and the eccentricity can be minimized. The inner lens barrels 210 to 250 may include materials or particles for blocking or absorbing light on the surface or inside thereof. The inner lens barrels 210 to 250 may be made of a non-reflective material or a light-absorbing material, thereby blocking interference caused by light reflection.

[0034] At least one of the upper part, inner part and lower part of each of the inner barrels 210 to 250 can contact the object side surface and the sensor side surface of the flange part of at least one lens. The inner barrels 210 to 250 can be made of the same material or different materials. The inner barrels 210 to 250 can be made of plastic. Each of the inner barrels 210 to 250 has a hole passing therethrough, and at least one lens can be coupled to the upper part, the inside or the lower part of the internal through hole. The distance between the inner surface and the outer surface of each of the inner barrels 210 to 250, i.e. the thickness, can be less than the distance (i.e. the thickness) between the inner surface 441 and the outer surface of the lens barrel 400. Here, the distance or thickness between the inner surface and the outer surface can be the interval between the inner surface and the outer surface with a vertical surface in the region corresponding to the outer surface of the lens.

[0035] The camera module 1000 may include a substrate 110 and an image sensor 112. The image sensor 112 may be disposed on the substrate 110. The image sensor 112 may be disposed between the last lens of the lens part 100 and the substrate 110.

[0036] The image sensor 112 may be mounted, placed, contacted, fixed, temporarily fixed, supported or coupled to the surface of the substrate 110. According to another example, a groove or hole (not shown) capable of accommodating the image sensor 112 may be formed in the substrate 110. The embodiment is not limited to a specific form in which the image sensor 112 is disposed on the substrate 110. The substrate 110 may be a rigid PCB or an FPCB. The image sensor 112 may be disposed on the optical axis of the lens portion 100 or on an axis perpendicular to the optical axis of the lens portion 100. In this case, a reflective member such as a prism may be disposed between the lens portion 100 and the image sensor 112. The image sensor 112 may perform a function of converting light passing through the lens portion 100 into image data. The image sensor 112 may be one of a charge coupled device (CCD), a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS), a CPD or a CID. When there are a plurality of image sensors 112, one may be a color (RGB) sensor, and the other may be a black and white sensor.

[0037] The camera module 1000 may include a cover glass 114 and a filter 116 disposed between the last lens of the lens portion 100 and the image sensor 112. The filter 116 may be disposed between the lens portion 100 and the image sensor 112. The filter 116 may filter light corresponding to a specific wavelength range for light passing through the lens. The filter 116 may be an infrared (IR) blocking filter that blocks infrared rays or an ultraviolet (UV) blocking filter that blocks ultraviolet rays, but the embodiment is not limited thereto. The filter 116 may be disposed on the image sensor 112. The filter 116 is disposed in the second opening portion 403 of the lens barrel 400 to filter light of a specific wavelength that travels to the lower portion of the lens barrel 400. The cover glass 114 is disposed between the filter 116 and the image sensor 112, protects the upper portion of the image sensor 112, and prevents the reliability of the image sensor 112 from being degraded.

[0038] The lens section 100 may include an optical system stacked with three or more lenses, or an optical system stacked with five or more lenses. The lens section 100 may include three to nine lenses. The lens section 100 may include a plurality of solid lenses. The lens section 100 may include lenses made of different materials, such as plastic lenses and glass lenses. For example, the lens section 100 may include one or more plastic lenses and two or more glass sheets. The ratio of the number of plastic lenses to the number of glass lenses may be 1:2 to 1:6. The number of lenses made of glass may be greater than or less than the number of plastic lenses. Alternatively, the lenses of the lens section 100 may be made of the same glass material or plastic material. The lenses in the lens section 100 may include spherical lenses and aspherical lenses. Alternatively, the lenses in the lens section 100 may include spherical lenses. Alternatively, the lenses in the lens section 100 may include aspherical lenses. Here, the spherical lens is a lens whose object side surface and sensor side surface of the lens are spherical on the optical axis. An aspherical lens is a lens whose object side surface and sensor side surface on the optical axis are aspherical. A spherical lens can be made of glass. An aspherical lens can be made of plastic or glass mold.

[0039] In the lens portion 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the number of lenses made of glass may be one or more than the number of lenses made of plastic. Here, the lens portion 100 may be stacked with plastic lenses or / and glass lenses. The linear thermal expansion coefficient (CTE) of the plastic material is 5 times or more higher than the linear thermal expansion coefficient of the glass material, and the change value of the refractive index of the plastic material with temperature may be 10 times or more higher than the change value of the refractive index of the glass material with temperature. However, since plastic lenses are easier to manufacture and more convenient to design than glass lenses, the demand for their use is increasing. In addition, the glass mold material can provide an aspherical surface, which can improve the thickness of the thin lens and the optical properties. The embodiment of the present invention can reduce the weight of the camera module by mixing more plastic lenses into the camera module 1000, provide a cheaper manufacturing cost, and suppress the degradation of optical properties caused by temperature changes. Various types of plastic lenses can replace glass lenses, and the polishing and processing of lens surfaces (such as aspherical surfaces or free-form surfaces) can be easy.

[0040] The lens with the largest effective diameter in the camera module 1000 may be any one of the first to fourth lenses 101, 102, and 103 arranged from the object side. Preferably, the lens with the largest effective diameter may be made of glass. The effective diameter may be the diameter of the effective light entering the effective area of ​​each lens. The effective diameter is the average value of the effective diameter of the object side surface of each lens and the effective diameter of the sensor side surface. Each of the lenses may include an effective area and an ineffective area. The effective area is the area through which the light incident on each of the lenses passes. That is, the effective area may be defined as an effective area or an effective diameter in which the incident light is refracted to achieve optical characteristics. The ineffective area may be arranged around the effective area and may be defined as a flange portion. The ineffective area may be an area in which the effective light does not enter the plurality of lenses. That is, the ineffective area may be an area that is not related to the optical characteristics. In addition, the end of the ineffective area may be an area fixed to a structure that accommodates the lens.

[0041] The lens barrel 400 passes from the upper part to the lower part, and a plurality of lenses are coupled therein. The plurality of lenses can be coupled through the first opening portion 401 of the lens barrel 400. The plurality of lenses can be stacked in sequence from the lens 107 closest to the sensor side to the lens 101 closest to the object side. As another example, the lens can be coupled toward the object side through the opening portion on the sensor side, or can be coupled in two directions. The lens closest to the object side can be the first lens 101, and the sensor side lens closest to the filter 116 or the image sensor 112 can be the nth lens or the last lens 107, and n can be an integer of 5 or more, such as any one of 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9.

[0042] The lens barrel 400 can be spaced apart from the outer surface of the lens 101 to 107. The inner barrel 210 to 250 can extend between the inner surface 441 of the lens barrel 440 and the outer surface of the lens 101 to 107. Each of the inner barrels 210 to 250 can be spaced apart from the flange portion of two adjacent lenses, and the outer surface of the two lenses can be spaced apart from the lens barrel at a predetermined interval. The number of the inner barrels 210 to 250 can be less than the number of lenses, and can be n-2 or less, such as n-1 or n-2. The number of the inner barrels 210 to 250 can be 50% or more of the number of lenses and less than 100%. When the two lenses bonded in the lens are used as a cemented lens, the number of the inner barrels can be n-1, and when there is no cemented lens, the number of the inner barrels can be n-2. Here, n ranges from 4 to 9.

[0043] Each of the inner barrels 210 to 250 can maintain the interval between two adjacent lenses and the interval between the outer surfaces of the two adjacent lenses and the inner surface of the lens barrel based on the outer surface of the lens barrel 400. In addition, at least one of the inner barrels can be less than the optical axis distance of the two adjacent lenses, that is, the optical axis distance from the center of the object side surface of the object side lens to the center of the sensor side surface of the sensor side lens. In other words, the height of the inner barrel can be less than the maximum optical axis distance of the two lenses adjacent to the outer surface of the lens barrel. In addition, the height of the inner barrel can be greater than the minimum optical axis distance of the two lenses adjacent to the outer surface of the lens barrel. As another example, when a cemented lens is provided, the height of the inner barrel can be less than the maximum optical axis distance from the center of the object side surface of the cemented lens to the center of the lens sensor surface adjacent thereto. Therefore, the height of the cemented lens can be less than the maximum optical axis distance of two lenses or three lenses.

[0044] Hereinafter, for the sake of convenience of explanation, an example of a structure in which seven lenses are sequentially stacked in the lens barrel 400 starting from the sensor side will be described. The lens portion 100 may have a plurality of lenses aligned along the optical axis from the object side toward the image sensor 112, for example, the first lens 101, the second lens 102, the third lens 103, the fourth lens 104, the fifth lens 105, the sixth lens 106, and the seventh lens 107 may be aligned. The second lens 102 may be disposed between the first lens 101 and the third lens 103. The fourth lens 104 is disposed between the third lens 103 and the fifth lens 105, and the sixth lens 106 is disposed between the fifth lens 105 and the seventh lens 107. The lens portion 100 may include a cemented lens that bonds two adjacent lenses. The cemented lens may include a bonded second lens and a third lens, a bonded third lens and a fourth lens, or a bonded fifth lens and a sixth lens. The bonded lenses have opposite refractive powers and may compensate for chromatic aberration. As another example, lenses spaced apart from each other may be arranged in the lens portion 100 without a cemented lens.

[0045] The first lens 101 may be made of glass or plastic. The first lens 101 may have a positive (+) refractive power or a negative (-) refractive power on the optical axis OA. The first lens 101 may have a negative (-) refractive power. In the lens, the first lens 101 is arranged closest to the object, and may have, for example, an object-side first surface S1 concave from the optical axis and a convex sensor-side second surface S2. Since the object-side first surface of the first lens 101 has a concave shape on the optical axis, problems of contact with an external structure or damage from an external impact can be prevented. In addition, the first lens 101 may be made of glass. The first lens 101 may be arranged in an injection-molded shape made of glass, and the first surface S1 on the object side and the second surface S2 on the sensor side may be aspherical. As another example, the first lens 101 may have a convex first surface S1 and a concave second surface S2 at the optical axis, and the first lens 101 may have a convex object-side surface. By doing so, the amount of incident light can be increased. Alternatively, the first lens 101 may have a concave shape on both sides of the optical axis. The first lens 101 made of glass can reduce changes in the center position and the radius of curvature due to temperature changes according to the surrounding environment, and protect the incident side surface of the optical system 1000. In addition, the flange portion 101A of the first lens 101 may have a flat surface on the object side, and the flat surface can block foreign matter from entering from the outside. Since the first lens 101 is made of a mold material, it is possible to improve the contact with the cover 500 (see Figure 4 ) adhesion. Figure 4 As shown in FIG. 5 , the cover 500 is coupled to the upper periphery of the flange portion 101A of the first lens 101, and the cover 500 may be coupled to the upper periphery of the lens barrel 400. The cover 500 may be made of the same metal material as the lens barrel 400, for example, aluminum.

[0046] The camera module 1000 according to the embodiment may include an aperture stop. The aperture stop may control the amount of light incident on the optical system 1000. The aperture stop may be placed at a set position. For example, the aperture stop may be arranged around the periphery between the first lens 101 and the second lens 102. Any one of the object side inner barrels 210, 220 and 230 may be used as the aperture stop. Alternatively, a light blocking material coated on the surface of any one of the object side inner barrels 210, 220 and 230 may be used as the aperture stop. Alternatively, the periphery of the sensor side surface of the first lens 101 or the object side surface of the second lens 102 may be coated with a light blocking material to serve as an aperture stop for adjusting the amount of light. The first inner barrel 210 is arranged around the periphery between the first lens 101 and the second lens 102, and the interval between the first lens 101 and the second lens 102 and the interval between the first lens 101 and the second lens 102 and the lens barrel 400 may be maintained. The first inner barrel 210 may have a ring shape.

[0047] The second lens 102 may have a positive (+) refractive power or a negative (-) refractive power on the optical axis (OA). The second lens 102 may have a positive (+) refractive power. The second lens 102 may have both convex surfaces S3 and S4 at the optical axis. Alternatively, the second lens 102 may have a concave object-side third surface S3 and a convex sensor-side fourth surface S4 at the optical axis. Alternatively, the second lens 102 may have a meniscus shape convex toward the object or a shape concave on both sides. The second lens 102 may be made of plastic or glass, for example, glass. The object-side surface and the sensor-side surface of the second lens 102 may be spherical.

[0048] The third lens 103 may have a positive (+) refractive power or a negative (-) refractive power on the optical axis (OA). The third lens 103 may include a flat or concave object side fifth surface S5 and a concave sensor side sixth surface S6 on the optical axis. Alternatively, the third lens 103 may have a convex object side surface and a convex sensor side surface on the optical axis. Alternatively, the third lens 103 may have a meniscus shape convex toward the sensor or a shape convex on both sides. The third lens 103 may be made of plastic or glass, for example, made of glass. The object side surface and the sensor side surface of the third lens 103 may be spherical. The second inner barrel 220 is disposed on the periphery between the second lens 102 and the third lens 103, and the interval between the second lens 102 and the third lens 103, and the interval between the second lens 102 and the third lens 103 and the lens barrel 400 may be maintained. The second inner barrel 220 may have an annular shape.

[0049] The fourth lens 104 may have a positive (+) refractive power or a negative (-) refractive power on the optical axis (OA). For example, the fourth lens 104 may have a convex object-side seventh surface and a convex sensor-side eighth surface S8 on the optical axis. Alternatively, the fourth lens 104 may have a meniscus shape convex toward the sensor or a shape concave on both sides. The fourth lens 104 may be made of plastic or glass, for example, glass. The object-side surface and the sensor-side surface of the fourth lens 104 may be spherical. The third lens 103 and the fourth lens 104 may be bonded to form a cemented lens. The sensor-side sixth surface S6 of the third lens 103 and the object-side surface of the fourth lens 104 may be bonded. The third lens 103 and the fourth lens 104 may have opposite refractive powers. The combined refractive power of the third lens 103 and the fourth lens 104 may have a positive (+) refractive power or a negative refractive power. The product of the refractive power of the object-side lens of the cemented lens and the refractive power of the sensor-side lens may be less than 0. The product of the focal length of the object side lens of the cemented lens and the focal length of the sensor side lens may be less than 0. Therefore, the aberration characteristics of the optical system may be improved. When the refractive power of the two lenses of the cemented lens is the same, the improvement of the aberration is limited. The diameter of the fourth lens 104 may be larger than the diameter of the third lens 103.

[0050] One of the first lens 101, the second lens 102, and the third lens 103 may have the largest diameter, and the diameter may gradually decrease from one of the first lens 101, the second lens 102, and the third lens 103 to the last lens. Therefore, the interval between the outer surface of the second inner barrel 300 and the inner surface of the lens barrel 400 may gradually increase toward the sensor side from a region corresponding to the outer surface of the lens having a larger diameter among the second lens, the third lens, the fourth lens, and the fifth lens.

[0051] The fifth lens 105 may have a positive (+) refractive power or a negative (-) refractive power on the optical axis (OA). The fifth lens 105 may include plastic or glass. For example, the fifth lens 105 may have a convex object side surface and a concave sensor side surface on the optical axis. Alternatively, the fifth lens 105 may have a meniscus shape convex toward the sensor or a shape concave on both sides. The object side surface and the sensor side surface of the fifth lens 105 may be spherical or aspherical. The third inner barrel 230 is disposed on the periphery between the third lens 103 and the fifth lens 105, and the interval between the third lens 103 and the fifth lens 105 and the interval between the third lens to the fifth lens 103, 104 and 105 and the lens barrel 400 may be maintained. The third inner barrel 230 may have an annular shape.

[0052] The sixth lens 106 may have a positive (+) refractive power or a negative (-) refractive power on the optical axis (OA). The sixth lens 106 may include plastic or glass. The sixth lens 106 may have a convex object side surface and a concave sensor side surface on the optical axis. The sixth lens 106 may have a meniscus shape convex toward the object. Alternatively, the sixth lens 106 may have a meniscus shape convex from the optical axis toward the sensor or a shape concave on both sides. The object side surface and the sensor side surface of the sixth lens 106 may be aspherical. The fourth inner barrel 240 is disposed on the periphery between the fifth lens 105 and the sixth lens 106, and the interval between the fifth lens 105 and the sixth lens 106, and the interval between the fifth lens 105 and the sixth lens 106 and the lens barrel 400 may be maintained. The fourth inner barrel 240 may have an annular shape.

[0053] The seventh lens 107 may have a positive (+) refractive power or a negative (-) refractive power on the optical axis (OA). The seventh lens 107 may have a negative (-) refractive power. The seventh lens 107 may include plastic or glass. For example, the seventh lens 107 may be made of plastic. The seventh lens 107 may have a meniscus shape convex from the optical axis toward the object. Alternatively, the seventh lens 107 may have a meniscus shape convex from the optical axis (OA) toward the sensor, or may have a shape concave on both sides. The object side surface and the sensor side surface of the seventh lens 107 may be aspherical.

[0054] The seventh lens 107 can be a plastic lens closest to the image sensor 400. By arranging the plastic lens to be closest to the image sensor 112, the optical performance can be improved by the lens surface having an aspherical surface, thereby improving the aberration characteristics and controlling the impact on the resolution. In addition, by placing the plastic lens as the lens closest to the image sensor 112, the plastic lens may be insensitive to assembly tolerances compared to the glass lens. In other words, being insensitive to assembly tolerances means that even if the assembled components have slight differences compared to the design, the optical performance may not be significantly affected. The fifth inner barrel 250 is arranged on the periphery between the sixth lens 106 and the seventh lens 107, and the interval between the sixth lens 106 and the seventh lens 107, as well as the interval between the sixth lens 106 and the seventh lens 107 and the lens barrel 400 can be maintained. The fifth inner barrel 250 can have an annular shape.

[0055] The first inner barrel 210 may be disposed between the first flange portion 101A of the first lens 101 and the second flange portion 102A of the second lens 102. The upper protrusion 211 of the first inner barrel 210 extends to the center of the outer surface of the first flange portion 101A of the first lens 101, and may be located at a lower position than the upper end of the outer surface of the first flange portion 101A of the first lens 101. The upper protrusion 211 of the first inner barrel 210 may be exposed on the first opening portion 401. The lower protrusion 212 of the first inner barrel 210 extends to the center of the outer surface of the second flange portion 102A of the second lens 102, and may be located at a higher position than the lower end of the outer surface of the second flange portion 102A. The outer surface of the upper protrusion 211 of the first inner barrel 210 and the outer surface of the lower protrusion 212 can be spaced apart from the inner surface 441 of the lens barrel 400 at a minimum interval, and the minimum interval is an interval that can be deformed when at least one of the first lens 101 and the second lens 102 expands in the horizontal direction, and can be 0.1mm or less, for example, in the range of 0.05mm to 0.1mm. When the lens barrel 400 is made of a metal material, the first inner barrel 210 is made of a plastic material, and at least one of the first lens 101 and the second lens 102 is made of glass, the minimum interval can be the maximum interval that can expand when the lenses 101 and 102 are thermally expanded in the horizontal direction at a high temperature (that is, in the range of 85 degrees to 105 degrees). The horizontal direction can be perpendicular to the optical axis. The minimum interval has the effect of keeping the inner barrel and the lens barrel separated, so that even if the plastic lens expands at a high temperature, the inner barrel and the lens barrel will not contact each other, or even if the inner barrel and the lens barrel do contact, no significant stress will be generated on the lens. In addition, when the lens, the inner barrel, etc. expand / contract at high / low temperatures, the shape of the inner barrel can be set in a structure that changes positions without affecting each other.

[0056] The inner protrusion P1 of the first inner barrel 210 may extend around the object side surface of the second lens 102. The inner protrusion P1 may be used as an aperture stop. It may be a first interval G3 between the outer surface of the first inner barrel 210 and the inner surface 441 of the lens barrel 400. When at least one of the first lens 101 and the second lens 102 expands in the horizontal direction with the first interval G3, the outer surface of the first inner barrel 210 deforms outwardly and recovers when contracted. The first interval G3 between the first inner barrel 210 and the lens barrel 400 may be greater than the minimum interval between the first inner barrel 210 and the lens barrel 400. The first interval G3 is greater than the interval at which at least one of the lower lenses may be deformed when expanded in the horizontal direction, and may be 0.5 mm or less, for example, in the range of 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm. When the first inner barrel 210 is made of plastic material and at least one of the fifth to seventh lenses 105, 106 and 107 is made of plastic material, the first interval G3 may be the maximum interval that the lower lens can expand when it is thermally expanded in the horizontal direction at a high temperature (that is, in the range of 85 degrees to 105 degrees). The first interval G1 may be 10% or more of the thickness of the first inner barrel 210 (that is, the distance between the inner surface and the outer surface), for example, 10% to 50%. When the first interval G3 is less than the above range, a problem may occur that at least one of the lower lenses is tilted relative to the optical axis due to temperature changes, and when the first interval G3 is greater than the above range, the support and fixing force of the lower lens may be difficult.

[0057] The height H11 of the first inner barrel 210 may be greater than the center thickness of the first lens 101, and, for example, may be greater than the optical axis distance from the object side surface of the first lens 101 to the object side surface of the second lens 102. The height H11 of the first inner barrel 210 may be less than the optical axis distance from the object side surface of the first lens 101 to the sensor side surface of the second lens 102. The first inner barrel 210 serves as a spacer for maintaining the interval between the two adjacent lenses 101 and 102, and may also serve as a deformation barrel for maintaining the deformation interval between the outer surfaces of the two adjacent lenses 101 and 102 and the lens barrel 400. In addition, the first inner barrel 210 may transmit an elastic repulsive force so that the horizontal position can be restored according to the expansion and contraction of the two adjacent lenses.

[0058] The second inner barrel 220 may be disposed between the second flange portion 102A of the second lens 102 and the third flange portion 103A of the third lens 103. The upper protrusion 221 of the second inner barrel 220 extends to the center of the outer surface of the second flange portion 102A of the second lens 102, and may be located at a lower position than the upper end of the outer surface of the second flange portion 102A of the second lens 102. The upper protrusion 221 of the second inner barrel 220 may face the lower protrusion 212 of the first inner barrel 210 in the vertical direction. Here, the upper protrusion 221 of the second inner barrel 220 facing the outer surface of the second lens 102 and the lower protrusion 212 of the first inner barrel 210 may be spaced apart at a predetermined interval G11, and the interval G11 is a minimum interval that takes into account the vertical expansion of the inner barrels 210 to 250.

[0059] The lower protrusion 222 of the second inner barrel 220 extends to the center of the outer surface of the third flange portion 103A of the third lens 103, and may be located at a higher position than the lower end of the outer surface of the third flange portion 103A. The outer surface of the upper protrusion 221 and the outer surface of the lower protrusion 222 of the second inner barrel 220 may be spaced apart from the inner surface 441 of the lens barrel 400 by the first interval G3 through the outer protrusion 25, and the protruding length of the outer protrusion 25 may be equal to or greater than the first interval G3 disclosed above. Therefore, when the lens barrel 400 is made of a metal material, the second inner barrel 220 is made of a plastic material, and at least one of the second lens 102 and the third lens 103 is made of glass, when the lenses 102 and 103 expand the first interval G3 at a high temperature or shrink at the first interval G3 at a low temperature, the first interval G3 may be a deformable interval. The outer protrusion 25 may be spaced apart from the inner surface 441 of the lens barrel 400 at a minimum interval. The outer protrusion 25 may protrude from the outer surface corresponding to the area between the second flange portion 102A and the third flange portion 103A, and may not collide with the expansion direction of each lens. The vertical thickness of the outer protrusion 25 may be less than the vertical thickness of the inner portion P2 of the second inner barrel 220. Therefore, elasticity may be provided to the upper protrusion 221 and the lower protrusion 222 of the second inner barrel 220.

[0060] The height H12 of the second inner barrel 220 may be greater than the center interval between the second lens 102 and the third lens 103, and, for example, may be greater than the interval between the second flange portion 102A of the second lens 102 and the third flange portion 103A of the third lens 103. The height H12 of the second inner barrel 220 may be less than the optical axis distance from the object side surface of the second lens 102 to the object side surface of the third lens 103. The second inner barrel 220 serves as a spacer for maintaining the interval between the two adjacent lenses 102 and 103, and may also serve as a deformation barrel for maintaining the deformation interval between the outer surfaces of the two adjacent lenses 102 and 103 and the lens barrel 400. In addition, the second inner barrel 220 may transmit an elastic repulsive force so that the horizontal position can be restored according to the expansion and contraction of the two adjacent lenses 102 and 103.

[0061] The third inner barrel 230 may be disposed between the third flange portion 103A of the third lens 103 and the fifth flange portion 105A of the fifth lens 105. The upper protrusion 231 of the third inner barrel 230 extends to the center of the outer surface of the third flange portion 103A of the third lens 103 and may be located at a lower position than the upper end of the outer surface of the third flange portion 103A of the third lens 103. The upper protrusion 231 of the third inner barrel 230 may face the lower protrusion 222 of the second inner barrel 220 in the vertical direction. Here, the upper protrusion 231 of the third inner barrel 230 facing the outer surface of the third lens 103 and the lower protrusion 222 of the second inner barrel 220 may be spaced apart by a predetermined interval G12, which is an interval formed by the minimum length of the upper and lower protrusions 222, 231 protruding to support the outer surface of the third lens 103.

[0062] The lower protrusion 232 of the third inner barrel 230 extends to the center of the outer surface of the fifth flange portion 105A of the fifth lens 105, and can be located at a higher position than the lower end of the outer surface of the fifth flange portion 105A. The outer surface of the upper protrusion 231 of the third inner barrel 230 and the outer surface of the lower protrusion 232 can be spaced apart from the inner surface 441 of the lens barrel 400 by the outer protrusion 26 at the first interval G3, and the protruding length of the outer protrusion 26 can be greater than or equal to the first interval G3 disclosed above. Therefore, when the lens barrel 400 is made of a metal material, the third inner barrel 230 is made of a plastic material, and at least one of the third lens 103 and the fifth lens 105 is made of glass or plastic, when the lenses 103 and 105 expand the third interval at a high temperature or shrink the third interval at a low temperature, the third interval can be a deformable interval. The outer protrusion 26 can be spaced apart from the inner surface 441 of the lens barrel 400 at a minimum interval. The outer protrusion 26 may protrude from the outer surface corresponding to the area between the third flange portion 103A and the fifth flange portion 105A, and may not collide with the expansion direction of each lens. The vertical thickness of the outer protrusion 26 may be greater than the center interval between the fifth lens 105 and the sixth lens 106, and may be less than the interval G12 between the second inner barrel 220 and the third inner barrel 230. Therefore, the upper protrusion 231 and the lower protrusion 232 of the third inner barrel 230 may provide elasticity based on the outer protrusion 26. The inner protrusion 233 of the third inner barrel 230 may extend to the outer periphery of the object side surface of the fifth lens 105.

[0063] The height H13 of the third inner barrel 230 may be greater than the center distance between the third lens 103 and the fifth lens 105, and, for example, may be greater than the optical axis distance from the center of the object side surface of the fourth lens 104 to the center of the object side surface of the fifth lens 105. The height H13 of the third inner barrel 230 may be less than the optical axis distance from the object side surface of the third lens 103 to the object side surface of the fifth lens 105. The third inner barrel 230 serves as a spacer for maintaining the interval between the two adjacent lenses 103 and 105, and may also serve as a deformation barrel for maintaining the deformation interval between the outer surfaces of the two adjacent lenses 103 and 105 and the lens barrel 400. In addition, the third inner barrel 230 may transmit an elastic repulsive force so that the horizontal position can be restored according to the expansion and contraction of the two adjacent lenses 103 and 105.

[0064] The fourth inner barrel 240 may be disposed between the fifth flange portion 105A of the fifth lens 105 and the sixth flange portion 106A of the sixth lens 106. An upper protrusion 241 of the fourth inner barrel 240 extends to the center of the outer surface of the fifth flange portion 105A of the fifth lens 105 and may be located at a lower position than the upper end of the outer surface of the fifth flange portion 105A of the fifth lens 105. The upper protrusion 241 of the fourth inner barrel 240 may face the lower protrusion 232 of the third inner barrel 230 in the vertical direction. Here, the upper protrusion 241 of the fourth inner barrel 240 and the lower protrusion 232 of the third inner barrel 230 facing the outer surface of the fifth lens 105 may be spaced apart at a predetermined interval G13, and the interval G13 is a minimum interval that takes into account the vertical expansion of the inner barrels 210 to 250 and the plastic lens.

[0065] The lower protrusion 242 of the fourth inner barrel 240 extends to the center of the outer surface of the sixth flange portion 106A of the sixth lens 106, and may be located at a higher position than the lower end of the outer surface of the sixth flange portion 106A. The outer surface of the upper protrusion 241 of the fourth inner barrel 240 and the outer surface of the lower protrusion 242 may be spaced apart from the inner surface 441 of the lens barrel 400 by the outer protrusion 27 at the first interval G3, and the protruding length of the outer protrusion 27 may be greater than or equal to the first interval G3 disclosed above. Therefore, when the lens barrel 400 is made of a metal material, the fourth inner barrel 240 is made of a plastic material, and at least one of the fifth lens 105 and the sixth lens 106 is made of a plastic material, when the lenses 105 and 106 expand at the first interval G3 at a high temperature or contract at the first interval G3 at a low temperature, the first interval G3 may be a deformable interval. The outer protrusion 26 may be spaced apart from the inner surface 441 of the lens barrel 400 at a minimum interval. The outer protrusion 27 may protrude from the outer surface corresponding to the area between the fifth flange portion 105A and the sixth flange portion 106A, and may not collide with the expansion direction of each lens. The vertical thickness of the outer protrusion 27 may be less than the vertical thickness of the inner portion P3 of the fourth inner barrel 240. Therefore, the upper protrusion 241 and the lower protrusion 242 of the fourth inner barrel 240 may provide elasticity at the upper portion and the lower portion relative to the outer protrusion 27.

[0066] The height H14 of the fourth inner barrel 240 may be greater than the center interval between the fifth lens 105 and the sixth lens 106, and, for example, may be less than the optical axis distance from the center of the object-side surface of the fifth lens 105 to the center of the object-side surface of the sixth lens 106. The fourth inner barrel 240 serves as a spacer for maintaining the interval between the two adjacent lenses 105 and 106, and may also serve as a deformation barrel for maintaining the deformation interval between the outer surfaces of the two adjacent lenses 105 and 106 and the lens barrel 400. In addition, the fourth inner barrel 240 may transmit an elastic repulsive force so that the horizontal position can be restored according to the expansion and contraction of the two adjacent lenses 105 and 106.

[0067] The fifth inner barrel 250 may be disposed between the sixth flange portion 106A of the sixth lens 106 and the seventh flange portion 107A of the seventh lens 107. The upper protrusion 251 of the fifth inner barrel 250 extends to the center of the outer surface of the sixth flange portion 106A of the sixth lens 106, and may be located at a lower position than the upper end of the outer surface of the sixth flange portion 106A of the sixth lens 106. The upper protrusion 251 of the fifth inner barrel 250 may face the lower protrusion 242 of the fourth inner barrel 240 in the vertical direction on the outer surface of the sixth lens 106. Here, the upper protrusion 251 of the fifth inner barrel 250 and the lower protrusion 242 of the fourth inner barrel 240 may be spaced apart at a predetermined interval G14, and the interval G14 is an interval formed by a minimum interval taking into account the vertical expansion of the inner barrels 210 to 250 and the plastic lens.

[0068] The lower protrusion 252 of the fifth inner barrel 250 extends to the center of the outer surface of the seventh flange portion 107A of the seventh lens 107, and may be located at a higher position than the lower end of the outer surface of the seventh flange portion 107A. The outer surface of the upper protrusion 251 and the outer surface of the lower protrusion 252 of the fifth inner barrel 250 may be spaced apart from the inner surface 441 of the lens barrel 400 by the outer protrusion 28 at a first interval G3, and the protruding length of the outer protrusion 28 may be greater than or equal to the first interval G3 disclosed above. Therefore, when the lens barrel 400 is made of a metal material, the fifth inner barrel 250 is made of a plastic material, and at least one of the sixth lens 105 and the seventh lens 106 is made of a plastic material, when the lenses 106 and 107 expand at the first interval G3 at a high temperature or contract at the first interval G3 at a low temperature, the first interval G3 may be a deformable interval.

[0069] The outer protrusion 28 can be spaced apart from the inner surface 441 of the lens barrel 400 at a minimum interval. The outer protrusion 28 can protrude from the outer surface corresponding to the area between the sixth flange portion 106A and the seventh flange portion 107A, and can not collide with the expansion direction of each lens. The vertical thickness of the outer protrusion 28 can be less than the vertical thickness of the inner portion P4 of the fifth inner barrel 250. Therefore, the upper protrusion 251 and the lower protrusion 252 of the fifth inner barrel 250 can provide elasticity at the upper part and the lower part relative to the outer protrusion 28.

[0070] The height H15 of the fifth inner barrel 250 may be greater than the center distance between the sixth lens 106 and the seventh lens 107, and may be less than the optical axis distance from the center of the object-side surface of the sixth lens 106 to the center of the object-side surface of the seventh lens 107. The fifth inner barrel 250 serves as a spacer for maintaining the interval between the two adjacent lenses 106 and 107, and may also serve as a spacer for maintaining a deformable barrel that maintains a deformed interval between the outer surfaces of the two adjacent lenses 106 and 107 and the lens barrel 400. In addition, the fifth inner barrel 250 may transmit an elastic repulsive force so that a horizontal position can be restored according to expansion and contraction of the two adjacent lenses 106 and 107.

[0071] The effective diameters of the first lens 101, the second lens 102, and the third lens 103 may be greater than the effective diameters of the sixth lens 106 and the seventh lens 107. The third interval between the outer surfaces of the fourth to fifth inner barrels 240 and 250 and the lens barrel 400 may be greater than the third interval between the outer surfaces of the first and second inner barrels 210 and 220 and the lens barrel 400. The third interval may be the same or may become larger closer to the sensor, depending on the difference in the effective diameters of the lenses.

[0072] At least one or all of the inner barrels 210 to 250 can be made of a material different from the lens barrel 400. The first inner barrel 210 to the fifth inner barrel 250 can be made of the same plastic material. Alternatively, at least one of the inner barrels 210 to 250 can be made of a metal material, such as the lens barrel 400, and for example, one of the second inner barrel, the third inner barrel and the fourth inner barrel can be made of a metal material or a glass material. This allows the inner barrel made of metal or glass to be arranged on the outside of the glass lens. In addition, the material of the first inner barrel 210 to the fifth inner barrel 250 can include light blocking or light absorbing materials or particles on the surface or inside to block light interference.

[0073] When at least one of the lenses 101 to 107 expands or contracts in the horizontal direction according to the temperature change in the lens barrel 400, the inner barrels 210 to 250 are interlocked in the horizontal direction, thereby preventing the resolution reduction caused by the temperature change. The stress generated on the plastic lens due to the temperature change can also be reduced, and the eccentricity of the optical axis can be minimized. In addition, compared with the structure in which the glass lens is directly coupled to the lens barrel, the lens coupling tolerance can be reduced, thereby reducing the eccentricity and tilt on the optical axis. In addition, when the plastic lens is applied together with the inner barrel made of plastic, it has the same thermal expansion coefficient, which can reduce the influence on the optical properties due to thermal expansion or contraction. In addition, by placing the inner barrel between the lens barrel and the outer surface of the lens, the stress generated when the lens is in direct contact with the lens barrel can be reduced.

[0074] like Figure 4 As shown in , it may include a cover 500 coupled to the upper portion of the lens barrel 400. The annular member 191 may be arranged around the periphery between the lens barrel 400 and the first lens. The annular member 191 may be made of an elastic material or a resin material such as silicone or epoxy. The upper inner side 491 of the lens barrel 400 may have a groove or a concave curved shape for coupling the annular member 191. As another example, the annular member 191 may be coupled between the lens barrel 400 and the cover. The annular member 191 may perform waterproof and dustproof functions inside and / or outside the lens barrel 400. ,

[0075] Here, when explaining the order of combining each of the above components, the seventh lens 107, the fifth inner barrel 250, the sixth lens 106, the fourth inner barrel 240, the fifth lens 105, and the third inner barrel 230 may be sequentially stacked in the lens barrel 400, and then the cemented lens having the third lens 103 and the fourth lens 104 may be coupled to the third inner barrel 230. Here, before coupling the lens barrel 400, the filter 116 may be coupled to the inner bottom of the lens barrel 400, or may be coupled to the outer lower portion of the lens barrel 400. As another example, the seventh lens 107 to the third lens may be connected through the lower portion of the lens barrel 400. Thereafter, when the third lens 103 is combined, the second inner barrel 220 is stacked, the second lens 102 is stacked on the inner side of the second inner barrel 220, and the first inner barrel 210 may be stacked around the outer periphery of the second lens 102, and then the first lenses 101 may be coupled to each other.

[0076] When at least one of the lenses 101 to 107 expands or contracts in the horizontal direction according to the temperature change in the lens barrel 400, the inner barrels 210 to 250 are interlocked in the horizontal direction, thereby preventing the resolution from being reduced due to the temperature change. The stress generated on the plastic lens due to the temperature change can also be reduced, and the eccentricity of the optical axis can be minimized. In addition, compared with the structure in which the glass lens is directly coupled to the lens barrel, the lens coupling tolerance can be reduced, thereby reducing the eccentricity and tilt on the optical axis. In addition, when the plastic lens is applied together with the inner barrel made of plastic, it has the same thermal expansion coefficient, which can reduce the influence of thermal expansion or contraction on the optical properties. In addition, by placing the inner barrel between the lens barrel and the outer surface of the lens, the stress generated when the lens is in direct contact with the lens barrel can be reduced.

[0077] Figure 5 1 is an example of a top view of a vehicle to which the camera module according to the embodiment of the present invention is applied.

[0078] Reference Figure 5 , the vehicle camera system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an image generating unit 11, a first information generating unit 12, second information generating units 21, 22, 23, 24 and a control unit 14. The image generating unit 11 may include at least one camera module 20 provided in the vehicle, and may generate a front image or an in-vehicle image of the vehicle by photographing the front of the vehicle and / or the driver. In addition, the image generating unit 11 may generate an image captured by the driver in one or more directions and in front of the vehicle or the surroundings of the vehicle by using the camera module 20. Here, the front image and the surrounding image may be digital images, and may include color images, black and white images and infrared images. In addition, the front image and the surrounding image may include still images and moving images. The image generating unit 11 provides the driver image, the front image and the surrounding image to the control unit 14. Next, the first information generating unit 12 may include at least one radar and / or camera provided on the vehicle, and generates the first detection information by detecting the front of the vehicle. Specifically, the first information generating unit 12 is provided in the host vehicle, and generates first sensing information by detecting the position and speed of a vehicle located in front of the host vehicle, the presence and position of a pedestrian, and the like.

[0079] By using the first detection information generated by the first information generating unit 12, control can be performed to maintain a constant distance between the vehicle and the vehicle in front, and the stability of the vehicle operation can be improved in pre-set specific situations, such as when the driver wants to change the driving lane of the vehicle or reverse parking. The first information generating unit 12 provides the first detection information to the control unit 14. The second information generating units 21, 22, 23, and 24 detect each side of the vehicle and generate second sensing information based on the front image generated by the image generating unit 11 and the first sensing information generated by the first information generating unit 12. Specifically, the second information generating units 21, 22, 23, and 24 may include at least one radar and / or camera device arranged on the vehicle, and detect the position and speed of the vehicle located on the side of the vehicle, or may shoot a video. Here, the second information generating units 21, 22, 23, and 24 may be respectively arranged on the front and rear sides of the vehicle. Such a vehicle camera system may include the following camera modules, and may protect the vehicle and objects from being affected by autonomous driving or protect surrounding safety by providing a user with information obtained through the front, rear, each side, or corner areas of the vehicle or processing the information.

[0080] At least one information generating unit of such a vehicle camera system may include a camera module as described below, and may provide or process information obtained through the front, rear, each side or corner area of ​​the vehicle to the user to protect the vehicle and objects from the impact of autonomous driving or protect environmental safety. The optical system of the camera module according to an embodiment of the present invention may be installed in a vehicle for safety adjustment, enhancing autonomous driving functions and increasing convenience. In addition, the optical system of the camera module is part of the control for a lane keeping assist system (LKAS), a lane departure warning system (LDWS) and a driver monitoring system (DMS), and is applied to a vehicle. Such a vehicle camera module can achieve stable optical performance even when the ambient temperature changes, and provide a module with a competitive price, thereby ensuring the reliability of vehicle components.

[0081] The features, structures, effects, etc. described in the above embodiments are included in at least one embodiment of the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to only one embodiment. In addition, the features, structures, effects, etc. shown in each embodiment can be combined or modified for other embodiments by a person skilled in the art to which the embodiments belong. Therefore, the content related to such combinations and modifications should be interpreted as being included in the scope of the present invention. In addition, although described above, this is only an example, and does not limit the present invention, and a person skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs will recognize that various modifications and applications not shown above can be made without departing from the basic features of the present embodiment. For example, each component specifically shown in the present embodiment can be modified and implemented. In addition, the differences associated with these modifications and applications should be interpreted as being included in the scope of the present invention defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A camera module, comprising: a plurality of lenses aligned along an optical axis; a lens barrel, wherein the plurality of lenses are disposed in the lens barrel; as well as a plurality of inner barrels, the plurality of inner barrels being arranged between the plurality of lenses and the lens barrel, wherein at least one of the plurality of inner barrels is disposed on an outer periphery between two adjacent lenses and on an area between an outer surface of the two adjacent lenses and the lens barrel, At least one of the plurality of inner barrels maintains a spacing between two adjacent lenses and a spacing between outer surfaces of the two adjacent lenses and the lens barrel.

2. The camera module according to claim 1, in, Each of the plurality of inner barrels maintains an interval between the two adjacent lenses and an interval between the outer surfaces of the two adjacent lenses and the lens barrel based on the outer surface of the lens barrel.

3. The camera module according to claim 1, in, The plurality of lenses include first to third lenses aligned along the optical axis from the object side toward the sensor side, The plurality of inner lens barrels include: a first inner lens barrel extending from the outer surface of the first lens and the periphery of the sensor side surface to the outer surface of the second lens and the periphery of the object side surface; and a second inner lens barrel extending from the outer surface of the second lens and the periphery of the sensor side surface to the outer surface of the third lens and the periphery of the object side surface.

4. The camera module according to claim 3, in, the plurality of lenses includes an nth lens aligned with the optical axis on the sensor side of the third lens, where n is any one of 5, 6, and 7, The plurality of inner barrels include a third inner barrel extending from the outer surface of the third lens and a periphery of a sensor-side surface to the outer surface of the fifth lens and a periphery of an object-side surface.

5. The camera module according to claim 4, in, The third lens and the fourth lens are joined to form a cemented lens, wherein the third inner lens barrel is disposed between a third lens on the object side of the cemented lens and a fifth lens on the sensor side that is not the cemented lens, Wherein, the outer surface of the fourth lens faces the inner surface of the third inner lens barrel.

6. The camera module according to claim 5, in, The plurality of inner barrels include a fourth inner barrel extending from the outer surface of the fifth lens and the periphery of the sensor-side surface to the outer surface of the sixth lens and the periphery of the object-side surface, and The plurality of inner lens barrels include a fifth inner lens barrel extending from the outer surface of the sixth lens and a periphery of a sensor-side surface to the outer surface of the seventh lens and a periphery of the object-side surface.

7. The camera module according to any one of claims 1 to 4, in, The number of the plurality of inner barrels is 50% or more of the number of lenses, Among them, an inner lens barrel disposed outside the lens adjacent to the object side among the plurality of inner lens barrels functions as an aperture stop.

8. The camera module according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising: an image sensor disposed on a sensor side of the lens barrel; a cover glass disposed on the image sensor; as well as a filter disposed between the cover glass and a lens closest to the image sensor, When the number of lenses is n, the number of inner barrels is n-2 or less, where n=one of 5, 6 or 7.

9. The camera module according to any one of claims 1 to 4, in, An inner lens barrel among the plurality of inner lens barrels closest to the image sensor is disposed between an nth lens adjacent to the image sensor and an n-1th lens adjacent to the nth lens, and extends to outer surfaces of the nth lens and the n-1th lens.

10. The camera module according to any one of claims 1 to 5, in, The multiple inner barrels have different heights, wherein the plurality of inner lens barrels overlap in the vertical direction, Wherein, the plurality of inner lens barrels are made of plastic material, Wherein, at least one of the plurality of lenses is made of plastic material.

11. The camera module according to any one of claims 1 to 5, in, The multiple inner barrels have different heights, wherein the plurality of inner lens barrels overlap in the vertical direction, Wherein, the lens barrel is made of metal material. Wherein, the plurality of inner lens barrels are made of plastic material, At least two lenses of the plurality of lenses adjacent to the image sensor are made of plastic material.

12. The camera module according to any one of claims 1 to 5, in, The height of each of the plurality of inner barrels is smaller than the maximum optical axis distance between two lenses adjacent to the outer surface of the lens barrel, The height of each of the plurality of inner barrels is greater than a minimum optical axis distance between two lenses adjacent to the outer surface of the lens barrel.

13. A vehicle comprising: a camera module comprising a plurality of lenses aligned with the optical axis; a lens barrel having an opening portion extending therethrough in the direction of the optical axis; a plurality of inner barrels disposed between each outer surface of the plurality of lenses and an inner surface of the lens barrel; and an image sensor disposed on a sensor side of a last lens among the plurality of lenses, The camera module comprises the camera module according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the plurality of inner lens barrels and at least two of the plurality of lenses are made of plastic material, and The plurality of inner barrels overlap each other in a vertical direction.

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