Camera module

Abstract

The invention discloses a camera module, and the module comprises a lens assembly which comprises a lens barrel and a lens accommodated in the lens barrel, the lens barrel is provided with a first glue accommodating part, and the first glue accommodating part is annularly disposed at the peripheral side of the lens barrel in a direction perpendicular to an optical axis; the upper shell support is provided with a bearing surface, a containing cavity and a second glue containing part, the containing cavity is suitable for containing the lens barrel in the optical axis direction, the bearing surface is located on the inner surface of the upper shell support and annularly attached to the peripheral side of the lens barrel, and the second glue containing part is annularly arranged at the upper end of the bearing surface and faces the first glue containing part in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis; a glue accommodating space is formed between the first glue accommodating part and the second glue accommodating part; the first rubber material is filled in the rubber containing space, so that the lens assembly and the upper shell support are fixed, displacement or falling caused by looseness of the lens assembly is avoided, and the imaging effect of the camera module is guaranteed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of optical technology, and more specifically to a camera module. Background Art

[0002] As the wave of automobile intelligence sweeps in, the stability and reliability of vehicle-mounted cameras as the "eyes" of the autonomous driving system are crucial. However, existing vehicle-mounted cameras generally use threads and nuts to fix the lens. This traditional fixing method has exposed many disadvantages in practical applications. In northern my country, the outdoor temperature can reach -20°C or even lower in winter, while the temperature in the closed environment of the car can soar to more than 35°C in summer. Such a significant temperature difference makes the vehicle-mounted camera in a harsh environment of alternating high and low temperatures for a long time. Since the materials used to make threads, such as metals, have the characteristics of thermal expansion and contraction, the matching clearance between the threads will continue to change when the temperature changes repeatedly. Over time, it is very easy to loosen, which will lead to serious problems such as displacement or falling off of the lens. Once the lens position is offset, the captured image will be blurred, deformed, and the image clarity will be greatly reduced, which undoubtedly brings great challenges to the image recognition and analysis of the autonomous driving system.

[0003] From the perspective of manufacturing, the processing accuracy of threaded structures is extremely high, which requires the help of high-precision processing equipment and exquisite craftsmanship. In the actual production process, even the slightest processing error will lead to poor thread fit, resulting in low product yield. In order to ensure a certain shipment volume, companies have to invest more raw materials, manpower and time costs in production and screening, which ultimately leads to high processing costs.

[0004] What is more serious is that the instability of the lens and the decline in image quality may cause the autonomous driving system to make misjudgments. For example, under complex road conditions, if the autonomous driving system cannot accurately identify road markings, traffic lights, and surrounding vehicles and pedestrians due to lens offset, it is very likely to make wrong decisions, such as misjudging the distance between vehicles, leading to sudden braking or collision, which seriously threatens the life safety of drivers and passengers. It can be seen that the development of low-cost, high-reliability camera modules has become a key issue that needs to be urgently solved in the automotive industry. It is not only related to the performance improvement of on-board cameras, but also directly affects the safe application and long-term development of autonomous driving technology. Summary of the invention

[0005] One purpose of the present application is to provide a camera module with low cost and high stability, so as to avoid displacement or falling off caused by loosening of the lens assembly and ensure the imaging effect of the camera module.

[0006] To achieve the above object, the technical solution adopted in this application is as follows: An imaging module, comprising: a lens assembly, including a lens barrel and lenses accommodated in the lens barrel, the lens barrel being provided with a first glue accommodating portion which is annularly arranged on the outer peripheral side of the lens barrel in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis; an upper shell bracket, provided with a bearing surface, an accommodating cavity and a second glue accommodating portion, the accommodating cavity being adapted to accommodate the lens barrel along the optical axis direction, the bearing surface being located on the inner surface of the upper shell bracket, the bearing surface being annularly attached to the outer peripheral side of the lens barrel, the second glue accommodating portion being annularly arranged at the upper end of the bearing surface and facing the first glue accommodating portion in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis, so that a glue accommodating space is formed between the first glue accommodating portion and the second glue accommodating portion; a first glue material, the first glue material being filled in the glue accommodating space to fix the lens assembly and the upper shell bracket together.

[0007] As a preference, the opening of the first glue accommodating portion and the opening of the second glue accommodating portion opposite thereto are at least partially misaligned.

[0008] As another preference, the first glue accommodating portion includes an upper groove end, a first inner groove surface, a second inner groove surface and a lower groove end, the upper groove end, the first inner groove surface, the second inner groove surface and the lower groove end are connected in sequence, the upper groove end and the lower groove end are arranged along the optical axis direction, the first inner groove surface and the second inner groove surface are inclinedly connected, and there is a first included angle between the first inner groove surface and the second inner groove surface in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis, and the first included angle is not greater than 90°.

[0009] Further preferably, the second glue accommodating portion is provided with a bracket upper surface, an inclined section and a gentle section which are connected in sequence, the inclined section and the gentle section are inclinedly connected, and there is a second included angle between the inclined section and the gentle section in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis, the bracket upper surface is higher than the upper groove end in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis, and the gentle section is higher than the lower groove end in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis, wherein the second included angle is not less than 90°.

[0010] Further preferably, the glue accommodating space is used to accommodate at least a part of the first glue material, the depth of the glue accommodating space is 0.4 mm - 1.3 mm, and the width of the glue accommodating space is 0.2 mm - 0.9 mm.

[0011] Further preferably, the imaging module further includes a photosensitive component, the photosensitive component is arranged opposite to the lens assembly along the optical axis direction, a cavity is formed between the photosensitive component and the lens assembly, and an air escape hole is provided on the photosensitive component, and the air escape hole is used for gas exchange between the cavity and the external environment.

[0012] Further preferably, the aperture of the air escape hole is 0.05 mm - 0.5 mm.

[0013] Further preferably, the air escape hole includes: a first air escape hole and a second air escape hole communicating with the first air escape hole. The air escape hole is used to accommodate at least a part of the second adhesive material, and the aperture of the first air escape hole is smaller than that of the second air escape hole.

[0014] Further preferably, the photosensitive component includes: a reinforcing plate and a circuit board. The reinforcing plate is attached to the lower surface of the circuit board. An air channel and a gap are provided on the reinforcing plate. The gap is opened on one side of the reinforcing plate close to the circuit board along a direction perpendicular to the optical axis. At least a part of the gap is blocked by the circuit board. A third air escape hole is provided on the circuit board. The third air escape hole and the air channel are respectively bent and communicated with both ends of the gap, and the air channel passes through the reinforcing plate along the optical axis direction. The third air escape hole, the gap and the air channel form a bent air escape channel.

[0015] Further preferably, the material of the first adhesive material is glue or solder. The first adhesive material continuously fills the glue containing space, or the first adhesive material is intermittently filled in the glue containing space. The material of the second adhesive material is glue.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present application are as follows:

[0017] (1) The first glue containing part and the second glue containing part form a glue containing space for filling the first adhesive material, thereby fixing the lens assembly and the upper shell bracket to each other. Compared with the threaded fixing method, it greatly avoids the loosening problem caused by thermal expansion and contraction in high and low temperature environments, reduces the risk of lens barrel displacement or detachment, ensures the stability of imaging clarity, and improves the mechanical stability of the camera module in complex environments. Description of the Drawings

[0018] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a camera module according to some embodiments of the present application;

[0019] Figure 2 is Figure 1 an enlarged view of area A in

[0020] Figure 3 is Figure 1 an enlarged view of area B in

[0021] Figure 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a camera module according to some other embodiments of the present application;

[0022] Figure 5 is a schematic structural diagram of a camera module according to some other embodiments of the present application;

[0023] Figure 6 is Figure 5Enlarged view of the middle region C.

[0024] In the figure: 1, camera module; 10, lens assembly; 11, lens barrel; 111, first glue-containing part; 1111, first inner groove surface; 1112, second inner groove surface; 1113, upper groove end; 1114, lower groove end; 20, upper shell bracket; 21, second glue-containing part; 211, inclined section; 212, gentle section; 213, upper surface of the bracket; 22, accommodation cavity; 23, bearing surface; 30, photosensitive component; 31, circuit board; 32, air escape hole; 321, first air escape hole; 322, second air escape hole; 323, third air escape hole; 33, reinforcement plate; 331, air duct; 332, gap; 41, first adhesive; 42, second adhesive; 2, glue-containing space. Specific embodiments

[0025] Next, in combination with specific embodiments, the present application will be further described. It should be noted that, on the premise of no conflict, the following-described embodiments or technical features can be arbitrarily combined to form new embodiments.

[0026] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that for orientation terms, such as the terms "center", "horizontal", "longitudinal", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", etc., the indicated orientation and positional relationship are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings. It is only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and should not be construed as limiting the specific protection scope of the present application.

[0027] It should be noted that the terms "first", "second", etc. in the description and claims of the present application are used to distinguish similar objects and do not necessarily need to describe a specific order or sequence.

[0028] The terms "including" and "having" in the description and claims of the present application, and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or device that includes a series of steps or units does not necessarily have to be limited to those steps or units clearly listed, but may include other steps or units not clearly listed or inherent to these processes, methods, products, or devices.

[0029] The present application provides a camera module 1, and the structure of the camera module 1 is as Figure 1As shown, the camera module 1 includes a lens assembly 10, an upper shell bracket 20, and a first adhesive 41. The lens assembly 10 includes a lens barrel 11 and lenses accommodated in the lens barrel 11. The lens barrel 11 is provided with a first glue receiving portion 111, and the first glue receiving portion 111 is annularly arranged on the outer peripheral side of the lens barrel 11 in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis C; the upper shell bracket 20 is provided with a second glue receiving portion 21, a receiving cavity 22, and a bearing surface 23. As Figure 1 shown, the receiving cavity 22 is used to accommodate the lens barrel 11 along the direction of the optical axis C. As Figure 3 shown, wherein, Figure 3 is Figure 1 an enlarged view of area B in

[0030] . The bearing surface 23 is provided on the inner surface of the upper shell bracket 20, and the bearing surface 23 is annularly attached to the outer peripheral side of the lens barrel 11. The second glue receiving portion 21 is annularly arranged at the upper end of the bearing surface 23 and faces the first glue receiving portion 111 in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis C, so that a glue receiving space 2 is formed between the first glue receiving portion 111 and the second glue receiving portion 21, and the first adhesive 41 is filled in the glue receiving space 2 to fix the lens assembly 10 and the upper shell bracket 20 to each other.

[0031] Specifically, the first adhesive 41 is filled in the glue receiving space 2 to fix the lens assembly 10 and the upper shell bracket 20. Compared with the prior art in which the lens assembly 10 and the upper shell bracket 20 are fixed by the mutual engagement of a screw and a nut, the problem of loosening caused by the thermal expansion and contraction characteristics of the material at high and low temperatures is greatly avoided, the risk of displacement or detachment of the lens barrel 11 is reduced, and the stability of the imaging clarity is ensured. Compared with the fixing method of mutual engagement of a screw and a nut, the fixing method using the first adhesive 41 can effectively increase the tensile strength and improve the mechanical stability of the camera module 1 in a complex environment. Figure 3 In some embodiments, the opening of the first glue receiving portion 111 and the opening of the second glue receiving portion 21 opposite thereto are at least partially misaligned. As shown, the opening of the first glue receiving portion 111 is lower than the opening of the second glue receiving portion 21. First, during the process of filling the first adhesive 41, the first adhesive 41 can be guided to flow from a high place to a low place, forming a specific flow path of the first adhesive 41, avoiding the overflow of the first adhesive 41, so that the first adhesive 41 can be more evenly distributed in the entire glue receiving space 2; second, the contact area between the first adhesive 41 and the bearing surface 23 is increased. If the opening of the first glue receiving portion 111 and the opening of the second glue receiving portion 21 are at the same height, then the area that the first adhesive 41 can contact with the upper shell bracket 20 is only the second glue receiving portion 21. If the opening of the first glue receiving portion 111 is lower than the opening of the second glue receiving portion 21, at least a part of the bearing surface 23 can correspond to the opening of the first glue receiving portion 111, so that the first adhesive 41 can not only contact with the second glue receiving portion 21, but also contact with at least a part of the bearing surface 23, increasing the stability of the camera module 1.

[0032] In some embodiments, the first glue accommodating portion 111 includes an upper groove end 1113, a first inner groove surface 1111, a second inner groove surface 1112, and a lower groove end 1114. The upper groove end 1113, the first inner groove surface 1111, the second inner groove surface 1112, and the lower groove end 1114 are connected in sequence. The upper groove end 1113 and the lower groove end 1114 are arranged along the optical axis C direction. The first inner groove surface 1111 and the second inner groove surface 1112 are obliquely connected. There is a first included angle between the first inner groove surface 1111 and the second inner groove surface 1112 in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis C, and the first included angle is not greater than 90°.

[0033] In some embodiments, as Figure 3 shown, the upper groove end 1113 and the lower groove end 1114 are arranged along the extending direction of the optical axis C. The first inner groove surface 1111 and the second inner groove surface 1112 are bent and connected, so that there is a first included angle between them in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis C. This can not only increase the space for accommodating the first glue material 41, but also increase the contact area between the first glue material 41 and the lens barrel 11. If the first glue accommodating portion 111 is not provided on the lens barrel 11, then the first glue material 41 can only contact the outer side surface of the lens barrel 11, and the contact area between the two is small, resulting in a reduction in the reliability of the connection between the lens barrel 11 and the upper shell bracket 20, and a high risk of displacement or detachment of the lens barrel 11; as Figure 3 shown, when the first glue material 41 is filled in the glue accommodating space 2, the first included angle is not greater than 90°. The positions where the first glue material 41 can contact the lens barrel 11 are at least a part of the first inner groove surface 1111, the second inner groove surface 1112, and the outer peripheral side of the lens barrel 11. Moreover, the smaller the degree of the first included angle, the more it can limit the overflow of the first glue material 41, thereby restricting the first glue material 41 between the glue accommodating spaces 2 and increasing the connection reliability; if the first included angle is greater than 90°, the contact area between the first glue material 41 and the lens barrel 11 decreases. That is to say, when the angle of the first included angle becomes larger, although the area of the first inner groove surface 1111 will increase, the first glue material 41 cannot contact the outer peripheral side of the lens barrel 11, resulting in a reduction in the sum of the contact areas between the first glue material 41 and the lens barrel 11. Therefore, the first included angle is not greater than 90°, which greatly increases the contact area between the first glue material 41 and the lens barrel 11 and ensures the effectiveness of the connection of the first glue material 41.

[0034] In some embodiments, the first included angle is preferably 75°.

[0035] In some embodiments, the second glue-containing part 21 is provided with a bracket upper surface 213, an inclined section 211, and a gentle section 212 that are sequentially connected. The inclined section 211 is inclinedly connected to the gentle section 212, and there is a second included angle between the inclined section 211 and the gentle section 212 in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis C. The bracket upper surface 213 is higher than the upper groove end 1113 in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis C, and the gentle section 212 is higher than the lower groove end 1114 in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis C. Among them, the second included angle is not less than 90°.

[0036] Specifically, as Figure 3 shown, the bracket upper surface 213, the inclined section 211, and the gentle section 212 are sequentially connected to form the second glue-containing part 21. When the first glue material 41 is filled into the glue-containing space 2, the first glue material 41 can flow along the inclined section 211 to the gentle section 212, improving the fluidity of the first glue material 41. Secondly, there is a second included angle between the inclined section 211 and the gentle section 212, and the second included angle is not less than 90°, so that the contact area between the first glue material 41 and the upper shell bracket 20 becomes larger, and at the same time, the space of the second glue-containing part 21 is increased, thereby increasing the glue-containing space 2 to accommodate more first glue material 41.

[0037] In some embodiments, the second included angle is preferably 115°.

[0038] In some embodiments, the openings of the first glue-containing part 111 and the second glue-containing part 21 are arranged in a staggered manner, thereby forming the glue-containing space 2 to limit the amount of glue filled in the glue-containing space 2; if a large amount of glue is filled into the glue-containing space 2, under high and low temperature impacts, the expansion and contraction deformations of the glue and the lens barrel 11 will be different, and thus stress will be generated between the lens barrel 11 and the glue. The stress acts on the lens barrel 11 to cause the lens barrel 11 to deform, and it will also cause the lens mounting holes for mounting lenses inside the lens assembly 10 to deform. Therefore, by restricting the filling amount of the first glue material 41, on the one hand, the lens assembly 10 and the upper shell bracket 20 can be fixed to each other to avoid the problem of the lens assembly 10 and the upper shell bracket 20 separating from each other, and on the other hand, during the curing process of the first glue material 41, the problems of stress concentration and deformation of the lens barrel 11 and the mounting holes for mounting lenses can be avoided, so as to enhance the stability of the imaging module 1 and ensure the imaging effect of the imaging module 1.

[0039] In some embodiments, the surfaces of the inclined section 211 and the gentle section 212 are provided with serrated textures to increase the adhesion of the first glue material 41.

[0040] In some embodiments, the glue storage space 2 is used to accommodate at least a part of the first glue material 41. The depth range of the glue storage space 2 is 0.4 mm - 1.3 mm, or the depth of the glue storage space 2 satisfies the numerical range of 0.5 mm - 1.2 mm. Specifically, it can be 0.5 mm, 0.55 mm, 0.6 mm, 0.65 mm, 0.7 mm, 0.75 mm, 0.8 mm, 0.85 mm, 0.9 mm, 0.95 mm, 1.0 mm, 1.1 mm, 1.15 mm, 1.2 mm. The width of the glue storage space 2 is 0.2 mm - 0.9 mm, or the width of the glue storage space 2 satisfies the numerical range of 0.3 mm - 0.8 mm. Specifically, it can be 0.3 mm, 0.35 mm, 0.4 mm, 0.45 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.55 mm, 0.6 mm, 0.65 mm, 0.7 mm, 0.75 mm, 0.8 mm.

[0041] In some embodiments, the camera module 1 can be arranged inside or outside the cabin. Since the environmental differences between inside and outside the cabin are relatively large, the specific structure of the camera module 1 is slightly different. The following will be divided into two embodiments to elaborate on the specific structure of the camera module 1 under different installation environments.

[0042] In some embodiments, for the camera module 1 arranged inside the cabin, the camera module 1 further includes a photosensitive component 30. The photosensitive component 30 is arranged opposite to the lens component 10 along the optical axis C direction. The photosensitive component 30 includes a filter, a filter holder for fixing the filter, a photosensitive chip, and electronic components. A cavity is formed between the photosensitive component 30 and the lens component 10. The photosensitive component 30 further includes a circuit board 31, an air escape hole 32, and a reinforcing plate 33. The reinforcing plate 33 is attached to the lower surface of the circuit board 31. That is to say, the reinforcing plate 33 is attached to the side of the circuit board 31 away from the cavity, providing mechanical support for the circuit board 31, making the circuit board 31 more solid and not easily deformed. At the same time, it improves the heat dissipation effect of the circuit board 31 and avoids heat concentration on the circuit board 31; such as Figure 2As shown in the figure, the air escape hole 32 includes a third air escape hole 323 provided on the circuit board 31, an air passage 331 and a gap 332 provided on the reinforcing plate 33. The gap 332 is opened on the side of the reinforcing plate 33 close to the circuit board 31. That is to say, the gap 332 is equivalent to a groove provided on the reinforcing plate 33. The air passage 331 is arranged along the optical axis C direction. Moreover, the third air escape hole 323 and the air passage 331 are respectively bent and communicated with both ends of the gap 332 to form the air escape hole 32. The air escape hole 32 is implemented as a bent air escape channel, so that the gas inside the cavity can flow to the outside through the air escape hole 32, avoiding damage to the photosensitive component 30 due to pressure imbalance. Since the camera module 1 is installed in the cabin, the dust content in the air in the cabin is lower than that in the air outside the cabin. Therefore, the air escape hole 32 of the camera module 1 installed in the cabin does not need to be sealed with glue. In order to avoid a large amount of dust entering the cavity, a bent air escape hole 32 is provided; when the air in the external environment enters the cavity through the bent air escape hole 32, due to the bent extension of the air escape hole 32, the dust and impurities in the air are retained in the bent air escape channel, and the gas enters the cavity, so as to achieve the purpose of filtering dust and impurities, preventing dust and impurities from entering the cavity and affecting the imaging of the camera module 1, and ensuring the imaging effect of the camera module 1.

[0043] In some embodiments, at the opening of the end of the air passage 331 far from the gap 332, a waterproof and breathable membrane is covered. On the one hand, it can ensure the gas exchange between the cavity and the external environment, make the air pressure inside the cavity more stable, and avoid a large pressure difference between the inside and outside of the cavity. On the other hand, the waterproof and breathable membrane can prevent the water vapor in the air from entering the cavity, avoid the humidity of the internal environment of the cavity affecting the imaging effect, and can also block the impurities in the air from entering, ensuring the imaging effect of the camera module 1.

[0044] Specifically, the waterproof and breathable membrane can be selected from: PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) waterproof and breathable membrane, TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer) waterproof and breathable membrane, silicone waterproof and breathable membrane or polyester fiber waterproof and breathable membrane. The types of the waterproof and breathable membrane are not limited herein.

[0045] In some embodiments, for the camera module 1 installed outside the cabin, the temperature difference in the external environment is large, and there are more dust and impurities in the air. These dust will affect the imaging effect of the camera module 1. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the sealing performance of the camera module 1 to prevent dust and impurities from entering.

[0046] In some embodiments, the air escape hole 32 includes: a first air escape hole 321 and a second air escape hole 322 communicating with the first air escape hole 321. The air escape hole 32 is used to accommodate at least a part of the second glue 42, and the aperture of the first air escape hole 321 is smaller than that of the second air escape hole 322.

[0047] Specifically, as shown in Figure 5 and Figure 6 , among which, Figure 6 is Figure 5 an enlarged view of area C in . There is a cavity between the photosensitive component 30 and the lens component 10. By baking, the moist air in the cavity is exhausted. The air in the cavity can be discharged through the escape holes 32, so that the cavity remains dry and prevents water vapor from affecting the imaging effect of the imaging module 1.

[0048] As described in Figure 6 , the first escape hole 321 and the second escape hole 322 are arranged along a direction parallel to the optical axis C. After baking and exhausting, the escape holes 32 need to be blocked by the second adhesive 42, as shown in Figure 4 , to prevent the air with water vapor or dust impurities in the outside world from entering the cavity, so that the cavity always maintains a dry and sealed environment and ensures the imaging effect of the imaging module 1.

[0049] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 6 , the aperture of the first escape hole 321 is smaller than that of the second escape hole 322. That is to say, the escape hole 32 is in a stepped shape, so that during the process of filling the second adhesive 42, due to the change of the aperture, it stays in the escape hole 32, which can realize the precise control of the filling position and filling amount of the second adhesive 42, and avoid the problems of excessive filling or inaccurate filling position of the colloid; moreover, the second escape hole 322 is convenient for the glue to penetrate, and the first escape hole 321 can prevent the glue from dripping onto the lens and prevent the lens from being contaminated by the glue.

[0050] In some embodiments, the aperture of the escape hole 32 is 0.05 mm - 0.5 mm, specifically, it can be 0.05 mm, 0.06 mm, 0.07 mm, 0.08 mm, 0.09 mm, 0.1 mm, 0.15 mm, 0.2 mm, 0.25 mm, 0.3 mm, 0.35 mm, 0.4 mm, 0.45 mm, 0.5 mm. For example, if the aperture of the first escape hole 321 is 0.08 mm, then the aperture of the second escape hole 322 can be 0.3 mm, as long as the aperture of the first escape hole 321 is smaller than that of the second escape hole 322, and there is no limitation here.

[0051] In some embodiments, after filling the second adhesive 42, it is necessary to bake the second adhesive 42 to cure it.

[0052] In some embodiments, the material of the first adhesive 41 is glue or solder. The first adhesive 41 continuously fills the glue storage space 2, or the first adhesive 41 discontinuously fills the glue storage space 2, and the material of the second adhesive 42 is glue.

[0053] In some embodiments, when the material of the first adhesive 41 is glue, one or more of ultraviolet curable glue, epoxy resin, curing glue, and hot melt glue can be selected to bond the lens assembly 10 and the upper shell bracket 20 and provide good bonding performance, further improving the reliability of the imaging module 1, thereby enhancing the imaging quality of the imaging module 1. If epoxy resin is used, flexibility and weather resistance can be balanced, and the temperature resistance should meet -40°C to 150°C to adapt to the high and low temperature impacts of vehicles. Selection can be made according to actual usage requirements and will not be limited here.

[0054] In some embodiments, when the material of the first adhesive 41 is solder, low-temperature lead-free solder can be selected. The melting point of the low-temperature lead-free solder is ≤200°C, which can effectively avoid high-temperature damage to the imaging module 1 and make the imaging module 1 more beautiful.

[0055] In some embodiments, when the material of the second adhesive 42 is glue, one or more of ultraviolet curable glue, epoxy resin, curing glue, and hot melt glue can be selected. Selection can be made according to actual usage requirements and will not be limited here.

[0056] In some embodiments, the first adhesive 41 continuously fills the glue-containing space 2, increasing the contact area between the first adhesive 41 and the lens assembly 10 and the upper shell bracket 20, thereby increasing the reliability of fixing the lens assembly 10 inside the upper shell bracket 20, preventing the lens assembly 10 from shifting or falling off, and making the imaging module 1 more suitable for occasions with more vibration environments, such as in-vehicle cameras, action cameras, and other application scenarios. During device use, the imaging module 1 is often subject to vibration and impact. By increasing the contact area between the first adhesive 41 and the lens assembly 10 and the upper shell bracket 20, the reliability of fixing the lens assembly 10 is improved, enabling better resistance to vibration and impact, preventing the lens assembly 10 from shifting or falling off, and ensuring that the shooting quality is not affected.

[0057] In some embodiments, the first adhesive material 41 is discontinuously filled in the glue-containing space 2. That is to say, the first adhesive material 41 is filled in the glue-containing space 2 by means of dot coating, which can accurately place an appropriate amount of the first adhesive material 41 at the required position, avoid waste of the first adhesive material 41, and at the same time prevent overflow due to excessive amount of the first adhesive material 41, which may affect the appearance of the product or cause contamination of other components. Moreover, dot coating can complete the filling of the first adhesive material 41 in the glue-containing space 2 more quickly, reduce the glue coating time, and contribute to improving the overall production efficiency. Dot coating equipment can usually achieve automated operation, further enhancing the consistency and efficiency of production, making the camera module 1 more suitable for the consumer electronics field, such as mobile phones or tablet computers. The discontinuous filling method can accurately control the dosage and position of the first adhesive material 41, adapt to the compact space layout inside mobile phones or tablet computers, and contribute to the miniaturization and thin-and-light design of the camera module 1.

[0058] In the prior art, a threaded engagement structure is generally used to fix the lens assembly 10 and the upper housing bracket 20 to each other. However, due to the characteristics of thermal expansion and contraction of the material itself, it is easy for the lens assembly 10 and the upper housing bracket 20 to become loose, resulting in the detachment of the lens assembly 10. Therefore, some technical solutions have emerged to fix the lens assembly 10 to the upper housing bracket 20 with glue. When the lens assembly 10 and the upper housing bracket 20 are fixed to each other with glue, a relatively complex space for accommodating the glue is mostly designed, and then a large amount of glue is filled in this complex space to fix the lens and the bracket together. Filling a large amount of glue can indeed increase the reliability of the fixation, but new problems will also be faced: for example, the space for accommodating the glue is too complex, and for some glues with poor fluidity, the space cannot be completely filled, resulting in a situation where there is unfilled glue in the space. That is to say, poor glue fluidity will cause a part of the space not to be filled with glue, easily leading to lens loosening. Therefore, in order to fully fill the space, a glue with stronger fluidity needs to be selected, which will limit the choice of glue; secondly, the space for accommodating the glue is large, and in order to fill the space, more glue needs to be used. In addition to increasing the production cost, it will also cause the lens assembly 10 to be deformed by extrusion. Moreover, the more glue there is, the greater the degree of deformation of the lens assembly 10. When the glue cures, it will shrink and there is a risk of variation, making the glue attached to the outer peripheral wall of the lens assembly 10 prone to cause deformation of the lens mounting holes inside the lens barrel 11 during curing, resulting in deformation of the peripheral edges of the lenses mounted in the lens mounting holes due to extrusion, ultimately affecting the imaging performance of the imaging module 1. And, the more glue is attached to the outer peripheral wall of the lens barrel 11, the more obvious the deformation of the lens mounting holes in the lens barrel 11 caused by the curing variation of the glue, that is, the more obvious the impact on the optical performance of the imaging module 1. Further, due to the different coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) of the glue and the lens barrel 11, under high and low temperature impacts, the expansion and contraction deformations of the glue and the lens barrel 11 will be different, and then stress will be generated between the lens barrel 11 and the glue. The stress acting on the lens barrel 11 causes the lens barrel 11 to deform, and it will also cause deformation of the lens mounting holes inside the lens assembly 10 for mounting lenses, resulting in deformation of the peripheral edges of the lenses mounted in the lens mounting holes due to extrusion, ultimately affecting the imaging performance of the imaging module 1; finally, setting a relatively complex space has a relatively complex processing technology and will also increase the production cost.

[0059] Based on the above analysis, in view of the problems mentioned in the above analysis, the present application provides an imaging module 1. The first glue accommodating portion 111 provided on the lens assembly 10 and the second glue accommodating portion 21 provided on the upper housing bracket 20 together form a glue accommodating space 2 for accommodating the first adhesive material 41, such as Figure 1 and Figure 3As shown, the first glue-containing part 111 is provided on the outer peripheral side of the lens module 10, and the second glue-containing part 21 is provided at the upper end of the bearing surface 23 of the upper shell bracket 20. That is to say, the second glue-containing part 21 is provided at the upper end of the upper shell bracket 20 and is arranged in a staggered manner with the first glue-containing part 111. Therefore, the first glue material 41 is arranged in the glue-containing space 2. After the first glue material 41 solidifies, a mechanical interlock is formed, and the tensile strength is much greater than that of screw fixation, avoiding displacement or detachment of the lens module 10. First, the structure of the glue-containing space 2 is relatively simple, facilitating the flow of glue to fill the glue-containing space 2. Therefore, the choice of glue is not restricted by the fluidity of the glue, and even glue with poor fluidity can fill the glue-containing space 2, expanding the range of glue selection. Secondly, the glue filling amount in the glue-containing space 2 is relatively reasonable, restricting the glue filling amount to avoid problems such as deformation of the lens mounting holes inside the lens barrel 11 during glue curing and stress concentration problems, ensuring the imaging performance of the camera module 1 and improving the stability of the camera module 1. Finally, for the glue-containing space 2 provided in this application, the processing technology is simpler, the processing cost is lower, it is more suitable for large-scale automated production, and the product consistency is higher.

[0060] The basic principles, main features and advantages of this application have been described above. Those skilled in the art should understand that this application is not limited by the above embodiments. What is described in the above embodiments and the specification is only the principle of this application. Without departing from the spirit and scope of this application, various changes and improvements will occur to this application, and these changes and improvements all fall within the scope of this application claimed. The scope of protection required by this application is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An imaging module, characterized in that, Comprising: A lens assembly, including a lens barrel and lenses accommodated in the lens barrel. The lens barrel is provided with a first glue accommodating portion, and the first glue accommodating portion is annularly arranged on the outer peripheral side of the lens barrel in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis. An upper shell bracket, provided with a bearing surface, a receiving cavity, and a second glue accommodating portion. The receiving cavity is adapted to accommodate the lens barrel along the optical axis direction. The bearing surface is located on the inner surface of the upper shell bracket, and the bearing surface is annularly attached to the outer peripheral side of the lens barrel. The second glue accommodating portion is annularly arranged at the upper end of the bearing surface and faces the first glue accommodating portion in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis, so that a glue accommodating space is formed between the first glue accommodating portion and the second glue accommodating portion. A first glue material, which is filled in the glue accommodating space to fix the lens assembly and the upper shell bracket.

2. The imaging module according to claim 1, wherein The opening of the first glue accommodating portion and the opening of the second glue accommodating portion opposite thereto are at least partially misaligned.

3. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein The first glue accommodating portion includes an upper groove end, a first inner groove surface, a second inner groove surface, and a lower groove end. The upper groove end, the first inner groove surface, the second inner groove surface, and the lower groove end are sequentially connected. The upper groove end and the lower groove end are arranged along the optical axis direction. The first inner groove surface and the second inner groove surface are obliquely connected. There is a first included angle between the first inner groove surface and the second inner groove surface in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis, and the first included angle is not greater than 90°.

4. The camera module according to claim 3, wherein The second glue accommodating portion is provided with a bracket upper surface, an inclined section, and a gentle section that are sequentially connected. The inclined section and the gentle section are obliquely connected, and there is a second included angle between the inclined section and the gentle section in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis. The bracket upper surface is higher than the upper groove end in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis, and the gentle section is higher than the lower groove end in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis. Among them, the second included angle is not less than 90°.

5. The imaging module according to claim 4, wherein The glue accommodating space is used to accommodate at least a part of the first glue material. The depth of the glue accommodating space is 0.4 mm - 1.3 mm, and the width of the glue accommodating space is 0.2 mm - 0.9 mm.

6. The imaging module according to claim 5, wherein The imaging module further includes a photosensitive component, and the photosensitive component is arranged opposite to the lens assembly along the optical axis direction. A cavity is formed between the photosensitive component and the lens assembly. The photosensitive component is provided with an air escape hole, and the air escape hole is used for gas exchange between the cavity and the external environment.

7. The camera module according to claim 6, wherein The aperture of the air escape hole is 0.05 mm - 0.5 mm.

8. The camera module according to claim 7, wherein The air escape hole includes: a first air escape hole and a second air escape hole that communicates with the first air escape hole. The air escape hole is used to accommodate at least a part of the second glue material, and the aperture of the first air escape hole is smaller than the aperture of the second air escape hole.

9. The camera module according to claim 6, wherein, The photosensitive component includes: a reinforcement plate and a circuit board. The reinforcement plate is attached to the lower surface of the circuit board. An air passage and a gap are provided on the reinforcement plate. The gap is formed on one side of the reinforcement plate close to the circuit board along a direction perpendicular to the optical axis. At least a part of the gap is blocked by the circuit board. A third air escape hole is provided on the circuit board. The third air escape hole and the air passage are respectively bent and communicated with two ends of the gap. And the air passage passes through the reinforcement plate along the optical axis direction. The third air escape hole, the gap and the air passage form a bent air escape channel.

10. The camera module according to claim 8, wherein The material of the first adhesive is glue or solder. The first adhesive continuously fills the glue-containing space, or the first adhesive is intermittently filled in the glue-containing space. The material of the second adhesive is glue.

Images