Integrated camera module self-cleaning system

Abstract

According to the integrated camera module self-cleaning system, the cleaning module is arranged on the front shell of the camera module body, the driving device in the module drives the cleaning module to remove dirt on the surface of a lens, the imaging quality of camera equipment is guaranteed, the driving device is integrated in the camera module body, the size is small, and the driving device is convenient to use. According to the integrated module self-cleaning system, parts are concentrated, compared with a traditional self-cleaning camera module, the integrated module self-cleaning system does not need an additional space structure for fixing, only the camera module body needs to be fixed, the space of a client host is saved, the number of client parts and installation procedures are reduced, the cost is saved, the driving device is internally arranged, and the camera module body is provided with a power supply interface. The client host does not need to provide an additional power supply interface to power the driving device, and user experience is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of lens cleaning, and particularly to an integrated camera module self-cleaning system. Background Art

[0002] With the innovation of science and technology, the application fields of camera devices tend to be diversified, and the installation quantity has also increased rapidly. From security monitoring to drones and intelligent driving in automobiles, due to the increasing demand for outdoor use, the impact of environmental factors such as dust and rain on the imaging quality of camera modules has also attracted much attention from users; some camera devices used in the external environment, such as highway monitoring cameras, are installed in high and inaccessible positions, making manual cleaning difficult and the maintenance cost relatively high; for camera modules in intelligent driving in automobiles such as CMS, it is necessary to timely clean the dust and rain attached to the lens surface to ensure its imaging effect, thereby improving the user experience. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To solve the problem that existing camera devices cannot clean the lens surface in time, the present invention provides an idea of an integrated module self-cleaning system, which drives a cleaning module to remove the dirt on the lens surface through a driving device built in the module, so as to ensure the imaging quality of the camera device.

[0004] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides an integrated camera module self-cleaning system, which includes a module housing, a lens disposed on the front side of the module housing and exposed therefrom, and a circuit board assembly disposed in the module housing. It further includes a cleaning module and a driving device disposed on the front side of the module housing. The input end of the driving device is electrically connected to the circuit board assembly, and the output end is drivingly connected to the cleaning module. The cleaning module is disposed on the periphery of the lens surface and can be moved to the lens surface under the drive of the driving device to wipe it.

[0005] An integrated camera module self-cleaning system as described above, the cleaning module includes: A bracket, which is disposed on the front side of the module housing; Cleaning blades, which are hingedly disposed on the bracket and can be rotated to fit or disengage from the lens surface; A transmission disk, which is rotatably disposed on the bracket and is respectively connected to the driving device and the cleaning blades, and is used to drive the cleaning blades to rotate under the drive of the driving device; A gland, which cooperates with the bracket to limit the transmission disk and the cleaning blades on the bracket.

[0006] An integrated camera module self-cleaning system as described above, there is a lens passage for accommodating the lens in the middle between the bracket, the transmission disk and the gland, and the cleaning blades can be moved into or out of the lens passage.

[0007] An integrated camera module self-cleaning system as described above, the cleaning blade is composed of multiple blade units, and the bracket is provided with multiple hinge shafts for respectively hinging the multiple blade units; The multiple blade units can be synchronously driven by the transmission disk and move along the circumferential side of the lens surface to the middle of the lens surface around the hinge, so that the multiple blade units cooperate to cover the entire surface of the lens; The multiple blade units can also be synchronously driven by the transmission disk and move from the middle of the lens surface to the circumferential side of the lens around the hinge, so that the multiple blade units are separated from the entire surface of the lens.

[0008] An integrated camera module self-cleaning system as described above, a toggle rod is provided on each of the multiple blade units, and multiple transmission inclined grooves are provided on the transmission disk and are obliquely arranged for correspondingly sleeving the toggle rod.

[0009] An integrated camera module self-cleaning system as described above, the blade unit is of a blade structure and is formed by bonding a plastic layer and a silica gel layer. The plastic layer is on the side close to the transmission disk, and the silica gel layer is on the side close to the lens.

[0010] An integrated camera module self-cleaning system as described above, the number of blade units is 4.

[0011] An integrated camera module self-cleaning system as described above, the bracket is provided with an annular guide groove, and a through toggle rod groove is provided in the annular guide groove. The rear end of the transmission disk is sleeved in the annular guide groove to form a rotational connection, and a transmission toggle rod is provided on the rear end of the transmission disk and is in transmission connection with the driving device after passing through the toggle rod groove.

[0012] An integrated camera module self-cleaning system as described above, the driving device includes a solenoid valve provided on the front side of the module housing. The output end of the solenoid valve is in transmission connection with the transmission toggle rod through a connecting rod, and the input end is electrically connected to the circuit board assembly through a wire.

[0013] An integrated camera module self-cleaning system as described above, two solenoid valves are provided on the front side of the module housing, two transmission toggle rods corresponding to connecting the two solenoid valves are provided on the rear end of the transmission disk, and the driving directions of the two solenoid valves are opposite.

[0014] An integrated camera module self-cleaning system as described above, the bottom of the solenoid valve is in a sealed connection with the module housing.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present application are as follows: The present application provides an integrated camera module self-cleaning system, in which a cleaning module is arranged on the front shell of the camera module body, and the cleaning module is driven by a driving device in the module to remove dirt on the lens surface, thereby ensuring the imaging quality of the camera equipment. The driving device of the present application is integrated inside the camera module body, has a small size, and has concentrated parts. Compared with the traditional self-cleaning camera module, the integrated module self-cleaning system does not require an additional spatial structure for fixing, but only needs to fix the camera module body, thereby saving space on the customer host, reducing the number of client parts and installation procedures, and saving costs. In addition, the driving device is built-in, and the camera module body has its own power supply interface, so there is no need for the customer host to provide an additional power supply interface to power the driving device, thereby improving the user experience. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for describing the embodiments.

[0017] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of an integrated camera module self-cleaning system in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 2 is an exploded schematic diagram of an integrated camera module self-cleaning system in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the cleaning module in the embodiment of the present application when the blades are in an open state; Figure 4 is an exploded schematic diagram of the cleaning module blades in the embodiment of the present application when they are in an open state; Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the structure when the blades of the cleaning module in the embodiment of the present application are in a closed state; Figure 6 is an exploded schematic diagram of the cleaning module blades in the closed state in the embodiment of the present application; Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the solenoid valve of the driving device in the embodiment of the present application when it is in a retracted state; Figure 8 is an exploded schematic diagram of the solenoid valve of the drive device in the embodiment of the present application when it is in a retracted state; Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the solenoid valve of the driving device in the embodiment of the present application when it is in an extended state; Figure 10 is an exploded schematic diagram of the solenoid valve of the drive device in the embodiment of the present application when it is in an extended state; Figure 11 It is a schematic diagram of the working principle of an integrated camera module self-cleaning system in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] like Figures 1-11As shown in the figure, the present application provides an integrated camera module self-cleaning system, which includes a module housing 1, a lens 2 disposed on the front side of the module housing 1 and exposed therefrom, and a circuit board assembly 3 disposed in the module housing 1. The system further includes a cleaning module 4 and a driving device 5 disposed on the front side of the module housing 1. The input end of the driving device 5 is electrically connected to the circuit board assembly 3, and the output end is drivingly connected to the cleaning module 4. The cleaning module 4 is disposed on the periphery of the surface of the lens 2 and can be moved to the surface of the lens 2 under the driving of the driving device 5 to wipe it.

[0019] The present application provides an integrated camera module self-cleaning system. The cleaning module is arranged on the front shell of the camera module main body. The driving device in the module drives the cleaning module to remove the dirt on the surface of the lens, ensuring the imaging quality of the imaging device. The driving device of the present application is integrated inside the camera module main body, with small size and concentrated parts. Compared with the traditional self-cleaning camera module, this integrated module self-cleaning system does not require additional space structure for fixation, and only needs to fix the camera module main body, saving the customer's host space, reducing the number of parts and installation procedures on the client side, saving costs, and the driving device is built-in. The camera module body has its own power supply interface, and there is no need for the customer's host to provide an additional power supply interface to supply power to the driving device, improving the user experience.

[0020] The working principle of this solution is as follows: When the camera module is working while connected to the host, due to dust, rain, etc., the surface of the lens becomes dirty, affecting the imaging clarity. At this time, the user can issue a cleaning command through the host. The camera module main body receives the signal, supplies power to the driving device, and the driving device outputs power to drive the cleaning module to perform cleaning; when the cleaning is completed and the user ends the cleaning command, the driving module stops supplying power to the driving device of the cleaning module, and the cleaning action ends.

[0021] Further, the cleaning module 4 includes a bracket 41, a cleaning blade 42, a transmission disk 43, and a gland 44; the bracket 41 is disposed on the front side of the module housing 1; the cleaning blade 42 is hingedly disposed on the bracket 41 and can be rotated to fit or disengage from the surface of the lens 2; the transmission disk 43 is rotatably disposed on the bracket 41 and is respectively connected to the driving device 5 and the cleaning blade 42, and is used to drive the cleaning blade 42 to rotate under the driving of the driving device 5; the gland 44 cooperates with the bracket 41 to limit the transmission disk 43 and the cleaning blade 42 on the bracket 41. Specifically, the gland is connected to the bracket by threads to fix the transmission disk. The transmission disk 43 is driven by the driving device to rotate within the bracket 41, driving the cleaning blade 42 to wipe the surface of the lens.

[0022] Still more preferably, a lens channel 40 for making way for the lens 2 is provided in the middle between the bracket 41, the transmission plate 43 and the pressure cover 44, and the cleaning blade 42 can be moved into or out of the lens channel 40. The lens 2 performs normal video recording through the lens channel 40. This design can avoid affecting the normal operation of the lens 2.

[0023] As a further preferred embodiment, the cleaning blade 42 is composed of a plurality of blade pieces 421, and a plurality of hinge shafts 411 are provided on the bracket 41 for respectively hingedly connecting the plurality of blade pieces 421; the plurality of blade pieces 421 can be synchronously driven by the transmission disk 43, and move into the middle of the surface of the lens 2 along the peripheral side of the surface of the lens 2 around the hinge, so that the plurality of blade pieces 421 cooperate to cover the entire surface of the lens 2; the plurality of blade pieces 421 can also be synchronously driven by the transmission disk 43, and move out from the middle of the surface of the lens 2 to the peripheral side of the lens 2 around the hinge, so that the plurality of blade pieces 421 are separated from the entire surface of the lens 2. In the specific embodiment of the present application, the number of blade pieces 421 is 4; the rotation center of the four blades is fixed on the hinge shaft 411 of the bracket.

[0024] As a further preferred embodiment, the bracket 41 is provided with an annular guide groove 412, and a lever groove 413 is provided in the annular guide groove 412. The rear end of the transmission disc 43 is sleeved in the annular guide groove 412 to form a rotation connection. The rear end of the transmission disc 43 is provided with a transmission lever 432 that passes through the lever groove 413 and is transmission-connected to the driving device 5. The transmission disc is supported by the bracket and rotates in the annular guide groove. The transmission disc is made of metal (preferably aluminum alloy: light weight, high strength, and wide application), and the side end is used as a lever. The transmission disc is supported by the bracket and rotates in the annular guide groove.

[0025] As a further preferred embodiment, a plurality of blade units 421 are each provided with a toggle rod 422, and a plurality of obliquely arranged transmission slots 431 are provided on the transmission disk 43 for correspondingly sleeved with the toggle rod 422. The toggle rod 422 is in the transmission slot 431, and according to the rotation center position of the cleaning blade, the shape of the blade is determined to cover the cleaning surface when closed, thereby determining the rotation angle of the blade; according to the rotation center, the position of the toggle rod 422 and the rotation angle of the blade, the position and angle of the transmission slot 431 are determined, thereby determining the rotation angle of the transmission disk; according to the rotation angle of the transmission disk, the position of the toggle rod and the mechanical limit angle of the transmission disk are determined.

[0026] The blade single piece 421 of the present application is a blade-type structure, which is formed by bonding a plastic layer and a silicone layer. The side close to the transmission plate 43 is a plastic layer, and the side close to the lens 2 is a silicone layer. The blade adopts a plastic + silicone structure (to facilitate lightweight and reduce driving resistance). The upper layer of plastic uses PA + glass fiber material, which takes into account hardness while ensuring a certain toughness, thereby ensuring the impact resistance of the blade; the lower layer uses materials such as silicone with moderate hardness, which ensures the cleaning effect while not scratching the lens.

[0027] Further, the driving device 5 includes a solenoid valve 51 disposed on the front side of the module housing 1. The output end of the solenoid valve 51 is drivingly connected to the transmission lever 432 through a connecting rod 52, and the input end is electrically connected to the circuit board assembly 3 through a wire 53. Specifically, the circuit board assembly 3 includes a PCBA-1 board 31 and a PCBA-2 board 32. The power of the driving device is input through the connecting rod 52; the cleaning blade is driven by the transmission disk to clean the surface of the camera module lens. The driving device is fixed on the housing of the camera module body by screws; it is soft-connected to the circuit board assembly 3 in the module through a wire; it obtains the driving voltage and signal through the wire; and it outputs the thrust to the cleaning module through the connecting rod. Due to the characteristics of the solenoid valve, it has only two states of on and off during operation, and will not cause the transmission disk to stay in the intermediate state after the operation ends; when designing the control circuit in this application, the design can be simplified, and only the opening and closing of the cleaning blade needs to be judged.

[0028] In the specific implementation manner of this application, two solenoid valves 51 are disposed on the front side of the module housing 1, and two transmission levers 432 corresponding to the two solenoid valves 51 are disposed at the rear end of the transmission disk 43. The driving directions of the two solenoid valves 51 are opposite. This design makes the driving more labor-saving and can improve the driving stability. The driving device is two solenoid valves, which are fixed on the front shell by screws, and a sealing ring is pressed at the bottom: the solenoid valves are exposed outside the camera module housing, and the power supply wires are connected to the inside of the camera module through the through holes of the front shell and are plugged on the PCBA-2; the solenoid valves are fixed on the front shell of the camera module by screws and have no hard connection with other components at the rear end. They are soft-connected to the PCBA-2 through wires, avoiding the vibration of the driving device (moving part) from affecting the imaging effect of the module; the wires and the PCBA-2 are connected through a board-to-wire connector to supply power and control the driving device. Compared with the traditional module self-cleaning device, it has a smaller volume and more convenient control.

[0029] As a further preferred implementation manner, the bottom of the solenoid valve 51 is hermetically connected to the module housing 1. As Figures 7-10 , the winding coil of the solenoid valve itself needs to use enameled wire to meet the waterproof requirement; the solenoid valve is fixed on the front shell of the camera module by screws. The wire is led out from the bottom of the solenoid valve, and the outlet position is plugged with a terminal and connected to the inside of the module through the opening of the front shell of the camera module, and is plugged on the PCBA module of the camera module through a connector; after the solenoid valve is installed, the non-moving parts of the solenoid valve are sealed with glue to ensure that the inside of the camera module meets the protection requirement.

[0030] Specifically, the module housing 1 includes a front shell 11 and a rear shell 12. The top of the front shell is designed with a through hole, a sealing groove and a solenoid valve fixing structure for passing through the solenoid valve power supply line, sealing and fixing the solenoid valve; the sensor chip and the connector are soldered to the PCBA circuit board by reflow soldering; the PCBA circuit board is fixed to the front shell by screws, and the two PCBA boards are connected by a connector. The PCBA circuit board realizes the power supply and control of the solenoid valve through the connector; the lens is fixed to the front shell by AA glue; the front and rear shells are laser welded to ensure connection and sealing; the coaxial connector and the front end of the power supply line are crimped with a sealing ring and fixed to the rear shell by screws.

[0031] As Figure 11 shown, the working principle of this application is as follows: When the camera module is used outdoors, due to environmental reasons or long usage time, the surface of the camera module lens is contaminated by rainwater, dust, etc., which affects the normal shooting or recording picture quality of the camera module. At this time, the user can issue a cleaning instruction through the host. The camera module main body receives the signal, powers the solenoid valve, and the solenoid valve outputs power through the connecting rod. The power is transmitted to the transmission disc through the transmission disc lever, driving the cleaning blade to clean. When the cleaning is completed, the user ends the cleaning instruction, and the module stops powering the solenoid valve, and the cleaning action is completed; compared with the traditional camera module without a cleaning module, some cannot clean the dust and rainwater attached to the lens surface in time, and some are difficult to clean due to the inconvenient installation position, and manual cleaning is difficult and the maintenance cost is high. In contrast, if an integrated module self-cleaning system is used, the cleaning difficulty can be reduced, the cleaning cost can be saved, and the camera module will be safer during operation.

[0032] The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, and improvements made within the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An integrated camera module self-cleaning system, comprising a module housing (1), a lens (2) disposed on the front side of the module housing (1) and exposed therefrom, and a circuit board assembly (3) disposed in the module housing (1), characterized in that: It also comprises a cleaning module (4) and a driving device (5) arranged on the front side of the module housing (1); the input end of the driving device (5) is electrically connected to the circuit board assembly (3), and the output end is drivingly connected to the cleaning module (4); the cleaning module (4) is arranged on the peripheral side of the surface of the lens (2), and can be moved to the surface of the lens (2) to wipe it under the drive of the driving device (5).

2. The integrated camera module self-cleaning system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cleaning module (4) comprises: A bracket (41) disposed on the front side of the module housing (1); A cleaning blade (42) is hingedly mounted on the bracket (41) and can be rotated to fit the surface of the lens (2) or to be detached from the surface of the lens (2); a transmission plate (43) rotatably disposed on the support (41) and connected to the driving device (5) and the cleaning blade (42) respectively, and used for driving the cleaning blade (42) to rotate when driven by the driving device (5); A pressure cover (44) cooperates with the bracket (41) to restrict the transmission disc (43) and the cleaning blade (42) to be positioned on the bracket (41).

3. The integrated camera module self-cleaning system according to claim 2, characterized in that: A lens passage (40) for accommodating the lens (2) is provided in the middle between the support (41), the transmission plate (43) and the pressure cover (44), and a cleaning blade (42) can be moved into or out of the lens passage (40).

4. The integrated camera module self-cleaning system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The cleaning blade (42) is composed of a plurality of blade pieces (421), and the bracket (41) is provided with a plurality of hinge shafts (411) for respectively hingedly connecting the plurality of blade pieces (421); The plurality of blade pieces (421) can be moved into the middle of the surface of the lens (2) along the circumference of the surface of the lens (2) around the hinged portion under synchronous driving of the transmission disk (43), so that the plurality of blade pieces (421) cooperate to cover the entire surface of the lens (2); The plurality of blade pieces (421) can also be moved from the middle of the surface of the lens (2) to the peripheral side of the lens (2) around the hinge under the synchronous drive of the transmission disk (43), so that the plurality of blade pieces (421) are separated from the entire surface of the lens (2).

5. The integrated camera module self-cleaning system according to claim 4, characterized in that: A plurality of blade individual pieces (421) are each provided with a toggle rod (422), and a plurality of transmission inclined grooves (431) arranged obliquely for correspondingly sleeved on the toggle rod (422) are provided on the transmission disc (43).

6. The integrated camera module self-cleaning system according to claim 4, characterized in that: The blade single piece (421) is a blade-type structure, formed by bonding a plastic layer and a silicone layer, the side close to the transmission plate (43) is the plastic layer, and the side close to the lens (2) is the silicone layer; and / or The number of blade single pieces (421) is 4.

7. The integrated camera module self-cleaning system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The bracket (41) is provided with an annular guide groove (412), a lever groove (413) penetrating therein is provided in the annular guide groove (412), a rear end of the transmission disc (43) is sleeved in the annular guide groove (412) to form a rotational connection, and a transmission lever (432) is provided on the rear end of the transmission disc (43) and passes through the lever groove (413) to be transmission-connected to the driving device (5).

8. The integrated camera module self-cleaning system according to claim 7, characterized in that: The driving device (5) comprises a solenoid valve (51) arranged on the front side of the module housing (1); the output end of the solenoid valve (51) is transmission-connected to the transmission lever (432) via a connecting rod (52), and the input end is electrically connected to the circuit board assembly (3) via a wire (53).

9. The integrated camera module self-cleaning system according to claim 8, characterized in that: Two solenoid valves (51) are provided on the front side of the module housing (1), and two transmission levers (432) correspondingly connected to the two solenoid valves (51) are provided on the rear end of the transmission disc (43), and the two solenoid valves (51) are driven in opposite directions.

10. An integrated camera module self-cleaning system according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that: The bottom of the solenoid valve (51) is sealed to the module housing (1).

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