Externally-mounted electronic camera module and electronic equipment

Abstract

The utility model discloses an external mounting type electronic camera module and electronic equipment, the external mounting type electronic camera module is used for the electronic equipment, the camera module comprises a shell, a circuit substrate, a camera, an image processor and an electronic connector, the shell comprises a panel, a back plate and a frame located between the panel and the back plate; the electronic connector comprises a first end, a second end and a mounting part, the first end and the second end are opposite, the mounting part is located between the first end and the second end, the mounting part is provided with a skirt edge protruding outwards, the first end is provided with a connecting port used for being electrically connected with electronic equipment in a pluggable mode, and the connecting port is located outside the frame; a notch is further formed in the side, close to the back plate, of the frame, clamping grooves are further formed in the two sides of the notch, the installation part is located in the notch, and the skirt edge is connected with the clamping grooves in a clamped mode. According to the electronic camera module, not only is the assembly difficulty reduced, but also the installation stability of the electronic connector is effectively improved, and the situation that the connection port drives the whole electronic connector to move in the plugging direction in the plugging process is avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of electronic equipment, and in particular to an external electronic camera module and electronic equipment. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of modern technology, electronic devices are increasingly used in our daily lives and work. The widespread adoption of smartphones, tablets, laptops, and other portable electronic devices has led to increasing demand for their functionality, with cameras being particularly valued. The demand for high-quality photography and video calling is driving device manufacturers to continuously improve the performance of built-in cameras. However, due to limited internal space and the additional demands placed on heat dissipation and power, further improvements in built-in camera modules face numerous technical bottlenecks. Therefore, external electronic camera modules are becoming a proven solution.

[0003] There are various external camera modules on the market, but most designs have the problem of loose connection ports, which leads to camera signal interruption during use and affects the user experience. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of the utility model is to provide an external electronic camera module and an electronic device that can effectively ensure the connection stability between the camera and the electronic device.

[0005] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides an external electronic camera module for use in electronic equipment, wherein the camera module comprises:

[0006] A housing, the housing comprising a panel, a back panel, and a frame located between the panel and the back panel, wherein a receiving space is further provided on a side of the frame close to the back panel, and a light intake window is provided on the panel;

[0007] a circuit substrate, the circuit substrate being disposed in the accommodating space, the circuit substrate being electrically connected to a camera and an image processor, the camera being opposite to the light entrance window, and the image processor being configured to process an image captured by the camera;

[0008] An electronic connector, the electronic connector comprising a first end and a second end opposite to each other, and a mounting portion located between the first end and the second end, the mounting portion being provided with an outwardly protruding skirt, the first end being provided with a connection port for electrically connecting to the electronic device in a pluggable manner, the second end being used for electrically connecting to the circuit substrate, the connection port being located outside the frame;

[0009] A notch is provided on one side of the frame close to the back plate, and card slots are provided on both sides of the notch. The mounting portion is located in the notch, and the skirt is engaged with the card slots.

[0010] Preferably, the skirt enters the slot perpendicular to the back plate.

[0011] Preferably, a support plate is further provided in the accommodating space, and the circuit substrate is engaged and connected with the support plate.

[0012] Preferably, the second end of the electronic connector is crimped between the circuit substrate and the support plate.

[0013] Preferably, the connection port includes a plurality of conductive pillars.

[0014] Preferably, a first through hole is further provided on the frame to which the notch belongs, and a fixing member is further provided in the first through hole, and the fixing member is used to be connected to the surface of the electronic device in a detachable manner.

[0015] Preferably, the housing further comprises a cover plate, on which a second through hole adapted to the connection port is provided, and the cover plate is used to close the first through hole and the gap.

[0016] Preferably, the fixing member includes a magnetic member or a suction cup.

[0017] Preferably, the electronic connector is connected to the circuit substrate through a flexible circuit board.

[0018] The utility model also provides an electronic device, which comprises a device body and the external electronic camera module as described above.

[0019] Compared to the prior art, the electronic camera module provided by the above technical solution of the present invention is independent of the electronic device. The camera module is pluggably connected to the electronic device via a connection port to form an external plug-in structure. This allows the camera module to be free from the internal space constraints of existing electronic devices, allowing for easy upgrades of the camera and image processor to support more functions and cope with more complex application scenarios, while significantly increasing the screen-to-body ratio of the electronic device. In addition, the connection port is provided on an electronic connector, which is connected to the housing via a notch and a slot. This not only reduces the difficulty of installing the electronic connector, but also effectively improves the installation stability of the electronic connector, preventing the connection port from causing the entire electronic connector to shift in the plug-in and unplugging direction during plug-in and unplugging. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 This is a front perspective structural diagram of the camera module in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of the back and front sides of the camera module in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 3 This is a front structural diagram of the shell in an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0023] Figure 4 This is a back structural diagram of the shell in an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0024] Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of an electronic connector in an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0025] Figure 6 This is an exploded view of the camera module in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 7 This is an end view of the interior of the shell in an embodiment of the present utility model. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] In order to explain the technical content, structural features, achieved objectives and effects of the present invention in detail, the following is a detailed description in conjunction with the embodiments and the accompanying drawings.

[0028] This embodiment discloses an external electronic camera module, which is used to be connected to an electronic device in an external manner, that is, the camera module is used as an independent accessory device of the electronic device.

[0029] like Figures 1 to 6 The camera module includes a housing, a circuit substrate 20, a camera 3, an image processor 40 and an electronic connector 6.

[0030] The housing includes a front panel 11, a back panel 12, and a frame 10 positioned between the front panel 11 and the back panel 12. A housing 13 is provided within the frame 10 on one side near the back panel 12. A light inlet window 5 is provided on the front panel 11. The circuit board 20, camera 3, image processor 40, and electronic connector 6 are located within this housing 13.

[0031] The circuit substrate 20 is electrically connected to the camera 3 and the image processor 40 . The camera 3 faces the light-entering window 5 so as to view the scene through the light-entering window 5 . The image processor 40 is used to process the image captured by the camera 3 .

[0032] The electronic connector 6 includes a first end 60, a second end 61 and a mounting portion 62 located between the first end 60 and the second end 61. The mounting portion 62 is provided with a skirt 63 protruding outward. The first end 60 is provided with a connection port 64 for electrically connecting to an electronic device in a pluggable manner. The second end 61 is used to electrically connect to the circuit substrate 20. The connection port 64 is located outside the frame 10.

[0033] The frame 10 is further provided with a notch 14 near one side of the back plate 12, and the notch 14 is further provided with a clamping groove 15 on both sides. The mounting portion 62 is located in the notch 14, and the skirt 63 is clamped and connected with the clamping groove 15.

[0034] In this embodiment, first, because the camera module adopts an external design, the camera module is not limited by the internal space of the existing electronic device, and the camera 3 and the image processor 40 can be easily upgraded, thereby supporting more functions. For example, high-speed continuous shooting, K video recording, and augmented reality functions.

[0035] Secondly, the camera module is electrically connected with the electronic device in a plug-in manner through the connection port 64 arranged on the frame 10. This design makes the installation and disassembly process of the camera module simple and fast, and can be completed without professional skills. This significantly improves the user experience, simplifies the installation process, and reduces the installation time and maintenance cost.

[0036] Furthermore, the connection port 64 is arranged on an electronic connector 6, and the electronic connector 6 is limitingly connected with the shell through the notch 14 and the clamping groove 15. This not only reduces the installation difficulty of the electronic connector 6, but also effectively improves the installation stability of the electronic connector 6, avoids the displacement of the connection port 64 in the plugging direction during the plugging process, and thus ensures the reliable connection between the connection port 64 and the electronic device.

[0037] On the other hand, the skirt 63 enters the clamping groove 15 in a manner perpendicular to the back plate 12. During assembly, the operator can easily install the electronic connector 6 on the shell without using any professional equipment, and realize the stability of the electronic connector 6, thereby effectively improving the assembly efficiency and further reducing the assembly difficulty.

[0038] On the other hand, the accommodation space 13 is further provided with a support plate 9, and the circuit board 20 is clamped and connected with the support plate 9, thereby effectively reducing the installation difficulty of the circuit board 20. Specifically, the circuit board 20 is provided with a clamping hole 21, and the support plate 9 is provided with a clamping protrusion 90 matched with the clamping hole.

[0039] To further improve the stability of the electronic connector 6, the second end 61 of the electronic connector 6 is crimped between the circuit board 20 and the support plate 9. In this embodiment, through the cooperation of the clamping groove 15 and the skirt 63, the stability of the electronic connector 6 in the first direction is ensured, and through the crimping of the second end 61 of the electronic connector 6 by the circuit board 20, the stability of the electronic connector 6 in the second direction is ensured. The first direction is perpendicular to the second direction, thereby comprehensively ensuring the installation stability of the electronic connector 6 in the shell.

[0040] On the other hand, the connection port 64 includes a plurality of conductive posts 64 protruding from the housing.

[0041] On the other hand, a first through hole 16 is further provided on the frame 10 to which the notch 14 belongs. A fixing member 7 is further provided in the first through hole 16 . The fixing member 7 is used to be connected to the surface of the electronic device in a detachable manner.

[0042] In this embodiment, when the camera module is connected to the electronic device through the connection port 64 , the housing of the camera module is firmly connected to the electronic device through the fixing member 7 .

[0043] Specifically, the fixing member 7 includes a magnetic member or a suction cup.

[0044] On the other hand, the housing further includes a cover plate 8 , on which a second through hole 80 adapted to the connection port 64 is provided. The cover plate 8 is used to close the first through hole 16 and the notch 14 .

[0045] On the other hand, the circuit substrate 20 is also provided with a power conversion circuit 41 to process the power signal obtained from the electronic device and provide it to the electronic functional modules such as the camera 3 and the image processor 40. Therefore, there is no need to configure a separate power circuit for the camera module in the electronic device.

[0046] On the other hand, a memory 42 electrically connected to the circuit substrate 20 is further provided in the housing, and the memory is used to store image data captured by the camera 3 .

[0047] On the other hand, if Figure 7 The electronic connector 6 is connected to the circuit substrate 20 through the flexible circuit board 22, which facilitates the effective use of the space inside the housing.

[0048] In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, an electronic device is disclosed, which includes a device body and an external electronic camera module with the above structure. The camera module serves as an external device of the electronic device and is connected to the electronic device in a pluggable manner.

[0049] The above disclosure is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and certainly cannot be used to limit the scope of rights of the present invention. Therefore, equivalent changes made according to the scope of the patent application of the present invention are still within the scope covered by the present invention.

Claims

1. An external electronic camera module for electronic equipment, characterized in that: The camera module includes: A housing, the housing comprising a panel, a back panel, and a frame located between the panel and the back panel, wherein a receiving space is further provided on one side of the frame close to the back panel, and a light intake window is provided on the panel; a circuit substrate, the circuit substrate being disposed in the accommodating space, the circuit substrate being electrically connected to a camera and an image processor, the camera being opposite to the light entrance window, and the image processor being configured to process an image captured by the camera; An electronic connector, the electronic connector comprising a first end and a second end opposite to each other, and a mounting portion located between the first end and the second end, the mounting portion being provided with an outwardly protruding skirt, the first end being provided with a connection port for electrically connecting to the electronic device in a pluggable manner, the second end being used for electrically connecting to the circuit substrate, the connection port being located outside the frame; A notch is provided on one side of the frame close to the back plate, and card slots are provided on both sides of the notch. The mounting portion is located in the notch, and the skirt is engaged with the card slots.

2. The external electronic camera module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The skirt enters the slot in a manner perpendicular to the back plate.

3. The external electronic camera module according to claim 1, characterized in that: A support plate is further provided in the accommodating space, and the circuit substrate is engaged and connected with the support plate.

4. The external electronic camera module according to claim 3, characterized in that: The second end of the electronic connector is pressed between the circuit substrate and the support plate.

5. The external electronic camera module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connection port includes a plurality of conductive pillars.

6. The external electronic camera module according to claim 1, characterized in that: A first through hole is further provided on the frame to which the notch belongs. A fixing piece is further provided in the first through hole. The fixing piece is used to be connected to the surface of the electronic device in contact in a detachable manner.

7. The external electronic camera module according to claim 6, characterized in that: The housing further includes a cover plate, on which a second through hole adapted to the connection port is provided, and the cover plate is used to close the first through hole and the gap.

8. The external electronic camera module according to claim 6, characterized in that: The fixing member includes a magnetic member or a suction cup.

9. The external electronic camera module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The electronic connector is connected to the circuit substrate via a flexible circuit board.

10. An electronic device, characterized in that: It comprises a device body and an external electronic camera module as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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