Camera module

Abstract

A camera module is provided. The camera module includes: a lens barrel; a bearing portion configured to accommodate the lens barrel; an image sensor positioned to face the lens barrel in an optical axis direction; a substrate electrically connected to the image sensor; and a sub-housing having an optical transmission hole, located between the lens barrel and the substrate, and configured to support the optical filter, in which the sub-housing includes: a filter supporting portion located in an inner region of the sub-housing adjacent to the optical transmission hole; and an external collision mitigating portion protruding further upward than the filter supporting portion in the optical axis direction, and wherein the external collision mitigating portion is positioned to face the bearing portion in the optical axis direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The following description pertains to the camera module. Background Technology

[0002] With the recent trend towards miniaturization and thinning of the form factor in portable electronic devices such as mobile phones, there has been a continuous effort to reduce the size of components installed in electronic devices. Furthermore, technologies are being developed to enable various operations of integrated electronic components. As an example, a camera module, as one such electronic component, can be implemented for use in smartphones, laptops, and vehicles.

[0003] With the increasing use of cameras, camera modules are also being used more in portable smartphones. In addition, high-performance camera modules are being installed in vehicles to enable cutting-edge Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), thereby achieving autonomous driving capabilities.

[0004] However, as camera modules have become highly pixelated and miniaturized, there is growing concern that they may be damaged by external forces. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The summary portion of this invention is intended to provide a brief overview of the chosen concepts, which will be further described in the detailed description portion below. This summary portion is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to help determine the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0006] In general, the camera module includes: a lens barrel; a carrier configured to house the lens barrel; an image sensor positioned facing the lens barrel in the optical axis direction; a substrate electrically connected to the image sensor; and a sub-housing having a light transmission aperture disposed between the lens barrel and the substrate, and configured to support an optical filter, wherein the sub-housing includes: a filter support portion located in an internal region of the sub-housing adjacent to the light transmission aperture; and an external impact mitigation portion protruding further upward in the optical axis direction than the filter support portion, and wherein the external impact mitigation portion is positioned facing the carrier in the optical axis direction.

[0007] The sub-housing may also include an internal collision mitigation section located between the filter support section and the external collision mitigation section.

[0008] The internal collision mitigation portion can protrude further upward in the optical axis direction than the filter support portion, and the external collision mitigation portion can protrude further upward in the optical axis direction than the internal collision mitigation portion.

[0009] The camera module may include a housing configured to accommodate the carrier.

[0010] The housing may include: a sidewall having a predetermined height in the optical axis direction; and a lower wall protruding from the lower end of the sidewall toward the sub-housing.

[0011] The lower wall can be configured to face the lower end of the bearing in the optical axis direction.

[0012] The height of the upper surface of the external impact mitigation section and the height of the upper surface of the lower wall of the shell can correspond to each other.

[0013] The support portion may include: an inner sidewall having a predetermined height in the optical axis direction; and an inner lower wall protruding from the lower end of the inner sidewall toward the lens barrel.

[0014] The lower inner wall of the bearing portion can face the external impact mitigation portion in the optical axis direction, and the lower end of the bearing portion can face the lower wall of the housing in the optical axis direction.

[0015] The distance between the external impact mitigation section and the inner lower wall can correspond to the distance between the lower wall of the housing and the lower end of the load-bearing section.

[0016] In general, the camera module includes: a lens barrel; a carrier configured to house the lens barrel; an image sensor positioned facing the lens barrel in the optical axis direction; a substrate electrically connected to the image sensor; and a sub-housing disposed between the lens barrel and the substrate and configured to support an optical filter, wherein at least a portion of the sub-housing is positioned facing the carrier in the optical axis direction.

[0017] The light transmission aperture may be located in the sub-housing, and the sub-housing may include: a filter support portion located in the inner region of the sub-housing adjacent to the light transmission aperture; and an external impact mitigation portion that protrudes further upward in the optical axis direction than the filter support portion.

[0018] The external collision mitigation section can face the load-bearing part in the optical axis direction.

[0019] Other features and aspects will become apparent from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 An exemplary camera module according to one or more embodiments is shown.

[0021] Figure 2 It shows Figure 1 An exploded stereoscopic view of an exemplary camera module.

[0022] Figure 3 It shows Figure 2 A diagram of the subshell in the middle.

[0023] Figure 4 It shows along Figure 3 The cross-sectional view taken by line A-A' in the diagram.

[0024] Figure 5 It shows along Figure 1 The cross-sectional view taken by line B-B' in the diagram.

[0025] Figure 6 It shows Figure 5 The diagram of region A in the image.

[0026] Figure 7 This illustrates the state in which the components of the camera module collide with each other as the support moves downward.

[0027] Throughout the accompanying drawings and detailed embodiments, the same reference numerals refer to the same elements unless otherwise described. For purposes of clarity, illustration, and convenience, the drawings may not be drawn to scale, and the relative dimensions, scale, and descriptions of elements in the drawings may be exaggerated. Detailed Implementation

[0028] The following detailed embodiments are provided to help the reader gain a comprehensive understanding of the methods, apparatus, and / or systems described herein. However, various changes, modifications, and equivalents of the methods, apparatus, and / or systems described herein will become apparent upon understanding the disclosure of this application. For example, the order of operations described herein and / or the sequence of operations described herein are merely examples and are not limited to the order set forth herein, except for the order of operations and / or the order of operations which must occur in a specific sequence, but can be varied, as will become apparent upon understanding the disclosure of this application. As another example, the order of operations and / or the order of operations can be performed in parallel, except for the order of operations and / or at least a portion of the order of operations which must occur in a sequence (e.g., a specific sequence). Furthermore, for clarity and conciseness, descriptions of features known upon understanding the disclosure of this application may be omitted.

[0029] Although terms such as “first,” “second,” and “third,” or A, B, (a), (b), may be used herein to describe various components, parts, regions, layers, or sections, these components, parts, regions, layers, or sections are not limited by these terms. Each of these terms is not intended to define, for example, the importance, sequence, or order of the corresponding component, part, region, layer, or section, but only to distinguish the corresponding component, part, region, layer, or section from other components, parts, regions, layers, or sections. Therefore, without departing from the teachings of the examples described herein, the first component, first part, first region, first layer, or first section mentioned in these examples may also be referred to as the second component, second part, second region, second layer, or second section.

[0030] Throughout this specification, when a component, element, or layer is described as "on another component, element, or layer," "connected to," "attached to," or "joined to" another component, element, or layer, it may be directly "on another component, element, or layer," directly "connected to," "attached to," or "joined to" another component, element, or layer (e.g., in contact with another component, element, or layer), or one or more other components, elements, or layers may reasonably be present between that component, element, or layer and that other component, element, or layer. When a component, element, or layer is described as "directly on another component, element, or layer," "directly connected to," "directly attached to," or "directly joined to" another component, element, or layer, then there are no other components, elements, or layers between that component, element, or layer and that other component, element, or layer. Similarly, expressions such as "between" and "directly between," and "adjacent" and "directly adjacent" may also be interpreted as described above.

[0031] The terminology used herein is for describing various examples only and is not intended to limit this disclosure. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the terms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to equally include the plural forms. As non-limiting examples, the terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” indicate the presence of the stated features, quantities, operations, components, elements, and / or combinations thereof, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, quantities, operations, components, elements, and / or combinations thereof, or alternatives to the stated features, quantities, operations, components, elements, and / or combinations thereof. Furthermore, while one embodiment may describe the presence of the stated features, quantities, operations, components, elements, and / or combinations thereof using the terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having,” other embodiments may exist in which one or more of the stated features, quantities, operations, components, elements, and / or combinations thereof are absent.

[0032] As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any one of the associated listed items and any combination of any two or more items. Phrases such as “at least one of A, B, and C” are intended to have a disjunctive meaning, and these phrases also include examples in which one or more of A, B, and C may be present (e.g., any combination of one or more of A, B, and C), unless the corresponding description and implementation require that the enumeration (e.g., “at least one of A, B, and C”) be interpreted as having a conjunctive meaning.

[0033] The features described herein may be embodied in various forms and should not be construed as being limited to the examples described herein. Rather, the examples described herein are provided merely to illustrate some of the many possible ways in which the methods, apparatus, and / or systems described herein will be apparent upon understanding the disclosure of this application. In this document, the use of the term “may” (e.g., regarding what an example or implementation may include or implement) with respect to an example or implementation means that there exists at least one example or implementation that includes or implements such a feature, and that all examples or implementations are not limited thereto. The terms “example” or “implementation” as used herein have the same meaning (e.g., the phrase “in one example” has the same meaning as “in one implementation,” and “in one or more examples” has the same meaning as “in one or more implementations”).

[0034] Furthermore, throughout the specification, the phrase "in a plan view" refers to a view obtained when the object is viewed from above, and the phrase "in a cross-sectional view" refers to a view obtained when the object is viewed from the side through a cross-section obtained by cutting it vertically.

[0035] One or more examples can provide a camera module that is unlikely to be damaged by forces applied from the outside.

[0036] In the following text, the optical axis OA (which is parallel to the central axis of the lens housed in the lens barrel 10) may refer to the z-axis direction in the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, the direction intersecting the optical axis OA may refer to the x-axis direction in the accompanying drawings, and the direction intersecting both the optical axis OA and the x-axis may refer to the y-axis direction in the accompanying drawings. For example, the z-axis, x-axis, and y-axis may be orthogonal to each other.

[0037] In the following text, the direction in which the lens barrel 10 is positioned relative to the substrate 60, based on the optical axis OA, is referred to as the upward direction, and the direction in which the substrate 60 is positioned relative to the lens barrel 10 is referred to as the downward direction.

[0038] Figure 1 This is a diagram illustrating an exemplary camera module 1 according to one or more embodiments, and Figure 2 yes Figure 1 An exploded perspective view of an exemplary camera module 1.

[0039] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 According to one or more embodiments, the camera module 1 may include a lens barrel 10, a support portion 20, a housing 30, a cover 40, an image sensor 50, a substrate 60, and a sub-housing 70.

[0040] The lens barrel 10 may have a hollow cylindrical shape and may house at least one lens configured to capture an image of an object. In an example, the lens barrel 10 may have a hollow cylindrical shape to house multiple lenses. The multiple lenses may be aligned in the optical axis OA direction and may be mounted in the lens barrel 10. The multiple lenses may be arranged with the required number of lenses determined according to the implementation of the lens barrel 10. The multiple lenses may be the same or different from each other in terms of optical properties such as refractive index.

[0041] The support portion 20 can accommodate the lens barrel 10. The lens barrel alignment hole 21 can be located in the central region of the support portion 20. Furthermore, the lens barrel 10 can be disposed in the lens barrel alignment hole 21 and can be aligned in the optical axis OA direction.

[0042] The housing 30 can accommodate the support portion 20. That is, the accommodating space can be located within the housing 30, and the support portion 20 accommodating the lens barrel 10 can be accommodated within the housing 30. The sub-housing alignment hole 31 can be located in the central region of the housing 30. The housing 30 can have a polyhedral shape, which has a generally quadrilateral cross section and a predetermined height. However, one or more examples are not limited to this. In the example, the housing 30 can have a box structure with its upper and lower sides open. The support portion 20 can be accommodated within the housing 30 by being inserted into it from top to bottom.

[0043] The carrier portion 20 housing the lens barrel 10 can move relative to the housing 30 in the optical axis OA direction. For example, the camera module 1 may include an autofocus (AF) drive portion. The AF drive portion may include an AF drive magnet and an AF drive coil. In this example, the AF drive magnet may be mounted in the carrier portion 20. In this example, the AF drive magnet may be mounted on one surface of the carrier portion 20. The AF drive coil may be positioned facing the AF drive magnet. The AF drive magnet and the AF drive coil may be positioned facing each other in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis OA. In this example, the AF drive coil may be mounted on a side surface of the housing 30. When power is applied to the AF drive coil, the AF drive magnet and the carrier portion 20 in which the AF drive magnet is mounted can move in the optical axis OA direction based on the electromagnetic force between the AF drive magnet and the AF drive coil.

[0044] The cover 40 can be attached to the housing 30 and can surround the outer surface of the housing 30. The cover 40 can protect the internal components in the camera module 1. In addition, the cover 40 can block electromagnetic waves. For example, the cover 40 can block electromagnetic waves so that electromagnetic waves generated in the camera module 1 do not affect other electronic components in the electronic device in which the camera module 1 is installed.

[0045] Image sensor 50 may face lens barrel 10 along optical axis OA. Image sensor 50 may be positioned below lens barrel 10 along optical axis OA. Image sensor 50 may convert light entering image sensor 50 after passing through lens barrel 10 into an electrical signal. In a non-limiting example, by way of example only, image sensor 50 may be a charge-coupled device (CCD), metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS), charge-initiating device (CPD), charge-injecting device (CID), or complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS). The electrical signal converted by image sensor 50 may be output as an image through a display device of an electronic device such as a smartphone. Image sensor 50 may be electrically connected to substrate 60. For example, image sensor 50 may be directly connected to substrate 60 via wire bonding. The two opposite ends of the wire may be bonded to connection terminals of image sensor 50 and connection terminals of substrate 60, respectively.

[0046] The substrate 60 can be disposed below the housing 30. The image sensor 50 can be mounted on the substrate 60. The substrate 60 can transmit the image signal transmitted from the image sensor 50 to another component in an electronic device in which the camera module 1 is mounted. The electrical signal converted by the image sensor 50 can be output as an image through the display device of the portable electronic device.

[0047] The substrate 60 may include a main mounting portion 61, a connecting substrate portion 62, and a connector 63.

[0048] The main mounting portion 61 may have a predetermined area. The image sensor 50 may be mounted on the main mounting portion 61. The housing 30 may be disposed on the main mounting portion 61. By way of example only, the main mounting portion 61 may be a printed circuit board (PCB) or a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB).

[0049] Reference Figure 6 The opening 600 can be disposed in the central region of the main mounting portion 61. The opening 600 can be formed through two opposing surfaces of the main mounting portion 61. Therefore, the spaces located on two opposing sides of the main mounting portion 61 can communicate with each other in the optical axis OA direction through the opening 600. The opening 600 can have a shape corresponding to the shape of the image sensor 50. The area of ​​the opening 600 can be equal to or greater than the area of ​​the image sensor 50. Therefore, the image sensor 50 can be disposed in the opening 600.

[0050] The image sensor 50 is disposed in the opening 600 of the main mounting portion 61, and then the image sensor 50 is electrically connected to the main mounting portion 61, so that space efficiency can be maximized and the size of the camera module 1 can be reduced.

[0051] Reinforcing member 65 (see) Figure 5 The reinforcing member 65 can be disposed on one side of the main mounting portion 61. The reinforcing member 65 can be disposed opposite to the lens barrel 10 based on the main mounting portion 61. The reinforcing member 65 can be disposed below the main mounting portion 61 based on the optical axis OA direction. The reinforcing member 65 can be connected to the main mounting portion 61. The reinforcing member 65 can support the main mounting portion 61 and prevent the main mounting portion 61 from deforming or being damaged due to external forces.

[0052] One end of the connecting substrate portion 62 can be connected to the main mounting portion 61. The other end of the connecting substrate portion 62 can be connected to the connector 63. The connecting substrate portion 62 electrically connects the main mounting portion 61 and the connector 63. That is, electrical signals from the main mounting portion 61 can be transmitted to the connector 63 through the connecting substrate portion 62. The connecting substrate portion 62 may include an FPCB, etc. The camera module 1 can be electrically connected to an external device through the connector 63.

[0053] A sub-housing 70 can be disposed on the substrate 60. The sub-housing 70 can be disposed on the main mounting portion 61. The sub-housing 70 can be disposed between the lens barrel 10 and the substrate 60. Furthermore, at least a portion of the sub-housing 70 can be located between the substrate 60 and the support portion 20. That is, at least a portion of the sub-housing 70 can be positioned facing the support portion 20 in the optical axis OA direction. The sub-housing 70 can support an optical filter 80. The optical filter 80 can be disposed between the lens barrel 10 and the image sensor 50. The optical filter 80 can filter out light beams with a predetermined wavelength band entering the optical filter 80 along the optical axis OA direction. Therefore, in the light beam entering the lens barrel 10, light beams with a predetermined wavelength band can be filtered out while passing through the optical filter 80, and light beams with remaining wavelength bands can enter the image sensor 50. For example, the optical filter 80 can filter out infrared light.

[0054] Figure 3 It is shown Figure 2 A diagram of the subshell 70 in the middle, and Figure 4 It is along Figure 3 The cross-sectional view taken by line A-A' in the diagram.

[0055] For ease of description, Figure 6 Optical filter 80 is also shown.

[0056] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 4 In this example, the sub-housing 70 may have an annular structure, and the light transmission aperture 700 may be located at the inner center of the sub-housing 70. In this example, the area of ​​the light transmission aperture 700 may be smaller than the area of ​​the lower end of the lens barrel 10.

[0057] The sub-housing 70 may include a filter support portion 701, an internal impact mitigation portion 702, and an external impact mitigation portion 703.

[0058] The filter support portion 701 supports the optical filter 80. Based on the direction intersecting the optical axis OA, the filter support portion 701 can be located in the inner region of the sub-housing 700 adjacent to the light transmission aperture 700. The filter support portion 701 can be positioned along the circumference of the light transmission aperture 700. The filter support portion 701 can have a structure corresponding to the outer periphery of the optical filter 80. Therefore, when the sub-housing 70 supports the optical filter 80, the edge region of the optical filter 80 can be located on the filter support portion 701, and the remaining region of the optical filter 80 can be located on the light transmission aperture 700.

[0059] The internal collision mitigation portion 702 can be configured to protrude further upward than the filter support portion 701 in the optical axis direction. Based on the direction intersecting the optical axis OA, the internal region of the internal collision mitigation portion 702 can be adjacent to the filter support portion 701. That is, the filter support portion 701 can also be understood as having a structure that is recessed further downward by a predetermined depth than the internal collision mitigation portion 702. The height h of the internal collision mitigation portion 702 can be equal to or greater than the thickness t of the optical filter 80. In this example, the height h of the internal collision mitigation portion 702 can be the height difference between the filter support portion 701 and the internal collision mitigation portion 702 in the optical axis OA direction. The upper surface of the internal collision mitigation portion 702 can have a planar structure.

[0060] The sub-housing 70 may include a first frame portion 71, a second frame portion 72, a third frame portion 73, and a fourth frame portion 74. The first frame portion 71 may face the second frame portion 72, and an optical transmission aperture 700 is disposed between the first frame portion 71 and the second frame portion 72. The third frame portion 73 may face the fourth frame portion 74, and the optical transmission aperture 700 is disposed between the third frame portion 73 and the fourth frame portion 74. An internal collision mitigation portion 702 may be located on at least one of the first frame portion 71, the second frame portion 72, the third frame portion 73, and the fourth frame portion 74. Figure 3 The internal collision mitigation section 702 is shown located on the first frame section 71 and the second frame section 72.

[0061] The external collision mitigation portion 703 may be configured to protrude further upward than the filter support portion 701. The external collision mitigation portion 703 may also be configured to protrude further upward than the internal collision mitigation portion 702. The internal collision mitigation portion 702 may be located between the filter support portion 701 and the external collision mitigation portion 703. Based on the direction intersecting the optical axis OA, the internal region of the external collision mitigation portion 703 may be adjacent to the internal collision mitigation portion 702. Based on the direction intersecting the optical axis OA, the external collision mitigation portion 703 may be located in the region opposite to the light transmission aperture 700, i.e., in the external region of the sub-housing 70. The upper surface of the external collision mitigation portion 703 may have a planar structure.

[0062] Figure 5 It is along Figure 1 The cross-sectional view taken by line B-B' in the diagram, and Figure 6 It is shown Figure 5 The diagram of region A in the image.

[0063] Reference Figure 5 and Figure 6 The housing 30 may include a sidewall 310 and a lower wall 320. The sidewall 310 may have a predetermined height in the direction of the optical axis OA. The receiving space for accommodating the support portion 20 may be located inside the sidewall 310. A hole or groove formed through the sidewall 310 in a direction intersecting the optical axis OA may be located in a portion of the sidewall 310.

[0064] The lower wall 320 can be connected to the lower end of the side wall 310 of the housing 30. The lower wall 320 can protrude from the lower end of the side wall 310 into the receiving space in the housing 30. That is, the lower wall 320 can protrude from the lower end of the side wall 310 toward the sub-housing 70. Furthermore, the sub-housing alignment hole 31 can be located in the central region of the lower wall 320. Therefore, when the housing 30 is disposed on the substrate 60, the sub-housing 70 can be disposed in the sub-housing alignment hole 31. The lower wall 320 can be configured to be spaced apart from the sub-housing 70.

[0065] The support portion 20 may include an inner sidewall 210 and an inner lower wall 220. The inner sidewall 210 may have a predetermined height in the direction of the optical axis OA. The lens barrel accommodating space therein, in which the lens barrel 10 is housed, may be located inside the inner sidewall 210. A hole or groove formed through the inner sidewall 210 in a direction intersecting the optical axis OA may be located in a portion of the inner sidewall 210.

[0066] The inner lower wall 220 can be connected to the lower end of the inner side wall 210. The inner lower wall 220 can protrude from the lower end of the inner side wall 210 toward the lens barrel receiving space in the support portion 20. That is, the inner lower wall 220 can protrude from the lower end of the inner side wall 210 toward the lens barrel 10. In addition, the lens barrel alignment hole 21 can be located in the central region of the inner lower wall 220.

[0067] The lower end of the support portion 20 can be configured to face at least a portion of the sub-housing 70 in the optical axis OA direction. The inner lower wall 220 of the support portion 20 can be configured to face at least a portion of the external impact mitigation portion 703 of the sub-housing 70 in the optical axis OA direction. Additionally, the lower end of the support portion 20 can face at least a portion of the housing 30 in the optical axis OA direction. The lower end of the support portion 20 can also face the lower wall 320 of the housing 30 in the optical axis OA direction. That is, at least a portion of the inner lower wall 220 of the support portion 20 can protrude further toward the lens barrel 10 than the lower wall 320 of the housing 30. Therefore, the lower end of the inner sidewall 210 of the support portion 20 can face the lower wall 320 of the housing 30 in the optical axis OA direction. Furthermore, a portion of the inner lower wall 220 of the support portion 20 can face the lower wall 320 of the housing 30 in the optical axis OA direction. In addition, a portion of the inner lower wall 220 of the support portion 20 can face the external collision mitigation portion 703 of the sub-housing 70 in the optical axis OA direction.

[0068] When the sub-shell 70 and the shell 30 are mounted on the substrate 60, the height of the upper surface of the external impact mitigation portion 703 and the height of the upper surface of the lower wall 320 of the shell 30 can correspond to each other. Therefore, the distance between the external impact mitigation portion 703 of the sub-shell 70 and the inner lower wall 220 of the support portion 20 in the optical axis OA direction can correspond to the distance between the lower wall 320 of the shell 30 and the lower end of the support portion 20 in the optical axis OA direction.

[0069] At least a portion of the outer edge region of the lower end of the lens barrel 10 may face the internal collision mitigation portion 702 in the optical axis OA direction. For example, the protrusion 100 may be located in at least a portion of the outer edge region of the lower end of the lens barrel 10. The protrusion 100 may be configured to protrude further downward than the adjacent region of the outer edge region of the lower end of the lens barrel 10. Therefore, the protrusion 100 may be configured to have the lowest height in the upward / downward direction in the outer edge region of the lower end of the lens barrel 10. Furthermore, when viewed in the optical axis OA direction, the protrusion 100 may be located only in the internal collision mitigation portion 702.

[0070] Therefore, the area of ​​the internal impact mitigation portion 702 can be larger than the area of ​​the lower end of the protrusion 100 of the lens barrel 10. The distance between the protrusion 100 and the internal impact mitigation portion 702 of the sub-housing 70 in the optical axis OA direction can be longer than the distance between the external impact mitigation portion 703 of the sub-housing 70 and the support portion 20 in the optical axis OA direction.

[0071] Figure 7An example is shown where the components of the camera module 1 collide with each other when the support 20 moves downward in the optical axis direction.

[0072] Reference Figure 7 During use of the camera module 1, the lens barrel 10 and the support portion 20 housing the lens barrel 10 move along the optical axis OA. This movement of the support portion 20 can be generated not only by normal operation of the AF drive section but also by external impacts. When the lens barrel 10 collides with components of the camera module 1 located below it due to the aforementioned abnormal movement of the support portion 20, the lens barrel 10, optical filter 80, image sensor 50, etc., may be damaged.

[0073] Conversely, the camera module 1 according to the embodiment is configured such that the support portion 20 faces the external impact mitigation portion 703 of the sub-housing 70 in the optical axis OA direction. Therefore, even in the example where the support portion 20 moves downward due to an impact, the support portion 20 and the external impact mitigation portion 703 of the sub-housing 70 collide with each other before the lens barrel 10 collides with the sub-housing 70. The collision between the support portion 20 and the external impact mitigation portion 703 of the sub-housing 70 prevents the support portion 20 and the lens barrel 10 from moving downward further, thereby preventing the lens barrel 10 from colliding with the components located on the lower side. In addition, the collision between the support portion 20 and the external impact mitigation portion 703 of the sub-housing 70 primarily offsets the impact applied from the outside, so that even if the lens barrel 10 moves downward further, the amount of impact applied between the lens barrel 10 and another component can be reduced.

[0074] Furthermore, in the example where the distance between the external impact mitigation portion 703 of the sub-housing 70 and the support portion 20 in the optical axis OA direction corresponds to the distance between the lower wall 320 of the housing 30 and the support portion 20 in the optical axis OA direction, the collision between the support portion 20 and the sub-housing 70 and the collision between the support portion 20 and the housing 30 can occur almost simultaneously. Therefore, the impact amount can be dispersed by the two collisions, which can more effectively reduce the impact applied from the outside.

[0075] Furthermore, even in the example where the lens barrel 10 moves downward relative to the support portion 20 after the support portion 20 collides with the component located on the lower side, the lens barrel 10 can also collide with the internal collision mitigation portion 702, which can prevent the lens barrel 10 from colliding with the optical filter 80.

[0076] While this disclosure includes specific examples, it will be apparent upon understanding the disclosure of this application that various changes in form and detail may be made to these examples without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims and their equivalents. The examples described herein are to be understood in a descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. The description of features or aspects in each example should be considered applicable to similar features or aspects in other examples. Appropriate results may still be achieved if the described techniques are performed in a different order, and / or if components in the described system, architecture, device, or circuit are combined in a different manner and / or replaced or supplemented by other components or their equivalents.

[0077] Therefore, in addition to the above disclosure and all the accompanying drawings, the scope of this disclosure also includes the claims and their equivalents, that is, all variations within the scope of the claims and their equivalents should be understood to be included in this disclosure.

Claims

1. Camera module, including: Lens tube; The support portion is configured to accommodate the lens barrel; An image sensor is configured to face the lens barrel in the optical axis direction; A substrate electrically connected to the image sensor, and having an opening therein in which the image sensor is disposed; as well as The sub-housing, having a light transmission hole, is disposed between the lens barrel and the substrate, and is configured to support the optical filter. The sub-shell includes: The filter support portion is located in the internal region of the sub-housing adjacent to the light transmission aperture; and The external impact mitigation portion protrudes further upward in the optical axis direction than the filter support portion, and The external collision mitigation portion is positioned to face the bearing portion in the direction of the optical axis.

2. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein: The sub-housing also includes an internal collision mitigation portion located between the filter support portion and the external collision mitigation portion.

3. The camera module according to claim 2, wherein: The internal collision mitigation portion protrudes further upward in the optical axis direction than the filter support portion, and The external collision mitigation portion protrudes further upward in the optical axis direction than the internal collision mitigation portion.

4. The camera module according to claim 1, further comprising: A housing configured to accommodate the support portion.

5. The camera module according to claim 4, wherein: The housing includes: The sidewall has a predetermined height in the direction of the optical axis; and The lower wall protrudes from the lower end of the side wall toward the sub-shell.

6. The camera module according to claim 5, wherein: The lower wall is configured to face the lower end of the support portion in the direction of the optical axis.

7. The camera module according to claim 5, wherein: The height of the upper surface of the external impact mitigation portion corresponds to the height of the upper surface of the lower wall of the housing.

8. The camera module according to claim 5, wherein: The bearing portion includes: The inner sidewall has a predetermined height in the direction of the optical axis; and The lower inner wall protrudes from the lower end of the inner sidewall toward the lens barrel.

9. The camera module according to claim 8, wherein: The inner lower wall of the bearing portion faces the external collision mitigation portion in the optical axis direction, and The lower end of the support portion faces the lower wall of the housing in the optical axis direction.

10. The camera module according to claim 9, wherein: The distance between the external impact mitigation portion and the inner lower wall corresponds to the distance between the lower wall and the lower end of the bearing portion.

11. Camera module, including: Lens tube; The support portion is configured to accommodate the lens barrel; An image sensor is configured to face the lens barrel in the optical axis direction; A substrate electrically connected to the image sensor, and having an opening therein in which the image sensor is disposed; as well as A sub-housing is disposed between the lens barrel and the substrate, and is configured to support the optical filter. At least a portion of the sub-shell is positioned to face the support portion in the direction of the optical axis.

12. The camera module according to claim 11, wherein: The optical transmission aperture is located in the sub-housing, and The sub-shell includes: The filter support portion is located in the internal region of the sub-housing adjacent to the light transmission aperture; and The external impact mitigation portion protrudes further upward in the direction of the optical axis than the filter support portion.

13. The camera module according to claim 12, wherein: The external collision mitigation portion faces the bearing portion in the optical axis direction.

Images