Unmanned aerial vehicle, camera module and carrier thereof

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of camera modules, in particular to an unmanned aerial vehicle, a camera module and a carrier thereof. The carrier is used for bearing a lens of a camera module, a guide space is formed on the carrier, a guide rod penetrates through the guide space so that the carrier can slide along the guide rod, a guide surface is arranged on the inner wall of the guide space and comprises an avoiding part and a contact part which are distributed in the sliding direction of the carrier, and the contact part can be in sliding contact with the guide rod. And the avoiding part can be separated from the guide rod. The contact length of the guide surface and the guide rod is short, so that the contact area between the inner wall of the guide space and the guide rod can be reduced, the friction force between the carrier and the guide rod is reduced, the obstruction of the inner wall of the guide space to the guide rod is reduced, the carrier and the lens move to the correct position in a shorter time to complete focusing, and the focusing efficiency is improved. Obviously, the focusing speed of the camera module can be increased, the focusing precision of the camera module can be improved, and the service life of the camera module can be prolonged.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of camera modules, in particular to a UAV, a camera module and a carrier thereof. BACKGROUND

[0002] The UAV is a machine without people on board controlled by radio remote control equipment. The UAV is widely used in the aerial photography field due to its small size and flexible maneuvering.

[0003] At present, the camera module used in the aerial photography process includes a carrier and a lens. The lens is installed on the carrier. The carrier and the lens are driven to move by a motor to realize focusing. However, in practice, the focusing speed of the UAV is slow, the focusing precision is low, and noise is generated during focusing. CONTENT OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The present application discloses a UAV, a camera module and a carrier thereof, which can solve the problem that the focusing speed of the current camera module is slow, the focusing precision is low, and noise is generated during focusing.

[0005] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, in a first aspect, the present application discloses a carrier of a camera module, which is used for carrying a lens of the camera module. A guide space is formed on the carrier. The guide space is used for penetrating a guide rod, so that the carrier can slide along the guide rod. An inner wall of the guide space has a guide surface. The guide surface includes an avoiding part and a contact part distributed along the sliding direction of the carrier. The contact part can slide in contact with the guide rod. The avoiding part can be separated from the guide rod.

[0006] In an optional embodiment, the contact part is a plane.

[0007] In an optional embodiment, the number of the avoiding parts is two. The two avoiding parts are respectively located on both sides of the contact part along the sliding direction.

[0008] In an optional embodiment, the avoiding part is an arc surface protruding towards the guide space.

[0009] In an optional embodiment, the avoiding part and the contact part are smoothly connected.

[0010] In an optional embodiment, the carrier includes a carrying body and two guide arms. The two guide arms are connected with the carrying body. The two guide arms are spaced apart and oppositely arranged. The guide space is formed between the two guide arms. The surfaces of the two guide arms facing the guide space are the guide surfaces.

[0011] In a second aspect, the present application discloses a camera module, which includes:

[0012] a guide rod;

[0013] the carrier as claimed in any one of the preceding embodiments;

[0014] The guide rod is slidably arranged in the guide space.

[0015] In an alternative embodiment, the carrier comprises a carrier body and two guide arms, both of which are connected to the carrier body, and are spaced apart and oppositely arranged, and the guide space is formed between the two guide arms, and the face of at least one of the guide arms facing the guide space is the guide face.

[0016] An opening is formed between the ends of the two guide arms away from the carrier body, and the opening is used for the guide rod to enter the guide space.

[0017] In an alternative embodiment, a part of the guide rod extends radially out of the opening.

[0018] In a third aspect, the embodiments of the present application disclose a UAV, which comprises the camera module as claimed in any one of the preceding embodiments.

[0019] Compared with the related art, the present application has the following beneficial effects:

[0020] In the present application, the inner wall of the guide space has a guide face, which comprises an avoiding part and a contact part distributed along the sliding direction of the carrier relative to the guide rod, the contact part is capable of slidingly contacting the guide rod, and the avoiding part is capable of being separated from the guide rod, that is, in the sliding direction of the carrier, the contact length of the guide face of the present application with the guide rod is short, which can reduce the contact area between the inner wall of the guide space and the guide rod, so as to reduce the friction between the carrier and the guide rod, thereby reducing the obstruction of the inner wall of the guide space to the guide rod, and enabling the carrier and the lens to move to the correct position to complete focusing in a shorter time. Obviously, this can increase the focusing speed of the camera module.

[0021] Moreover, the smooth movement of the carrier on the guide rod after the reduction of the friction can reduce the risk that the carrier cannot accurately stop at the required position for docking after the motor stops driving, thereby failing to achieve the ideal focusing accuracy. In addition, the reduction of the friction can also reduce the friction noise generated by the carrier during the movement relative to the guide rod, and can reduce the wear of the guide rod and the carrier, thereby prolonging the service life of the camera module. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0022] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following will briefly introduce the drawings needed to be used in the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described in the following embodiments are only some embodiments of the present application, and for those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative effort.

[0023] Figure 1 Structure schematic diagram of the camera module disclosed in the embodiments of the present application;

[0024] Figure 2 Structure schematic diagram of the camera module disclosed in the embodiments of the present application;

[0025] Figure 3 Assembly schematic diagram between the carrier and the guide rod disclosed in the embodiments of the present application Figure 1 ;

[0026] Figure 4 Structure schematic diagram of the carrier disclosed in the embodiments of the present application;

[0027] Figure 5 Enlarged schematic diagram of A in the embodiments of the present application Figure 4 ;

[0028] Figure 6 Assembly schematic diagram between the carrier and the guide rod disclosed in the embodiments of the present application Figure 2 ;

[0029] Figure 7 Enlarged schematic diagram of B in the embodiments of the present application Figure 6 .

[0030] Explanation of reference signs:

[0031] 100, carrier; 101, opening; 110, guide space; 120, guide surface; 121, avoiding part; 122, contact part; 130, bearing body; 140, guide arm; 200, guide rod; 300, shell; 400, lens. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described clearly and completely in the following with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present application, not all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without any creative effort belong to the scope of protection of the present application.

[0033] In the present application, the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "front", "back", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "vertical", "horizontal", "lateral", "longitudinal" and the like indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings. These terms are mainly used to better describe the present application and its embodiments, and are not intended to limit the indicated devices, elements or components to have a specific orientation, or to be constructed and operated in a specific orientation.

[0034] In addition, in addition to indicating the orientation or positional relationship, the above-mentioned partial terms may also be used to indicate other meanings, for example, the term "upper" may also be used to indicate a certain dependent relationship or connection relationship in some cases. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of these terms in the present application can be understood according to the specific situation.

[0035] In addition, the terms "mount", "set", "provided with", "connected", "connected" should be broadly understood. For example, it can be fixedly connected, detachably connected, or integrally constructed; it can be mechanically connected, or electrically connected; it can be directly connected, or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or internal communication between two devices, elements or components. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to the specific situation.

[0036] In addition, the terms "first", "second" and the like are mainly used to distinguish different devices, elements or components (the specific type and structure may be the same or different), and are not intended to indicate or imply the relative importance and quantity of the indicated devices, elements or components. Unless otherwise stated, the meaning of "a plurality of" is two or more.

[0037] The unmanned aerial vehicle is a machine controlled by radio remote control equipment without carrying people. Due to the advantages of small size and flexible maneuvering, the unmanned aerial vehicle is widely used in aerial photography field.

[0038] At present, the camera module used in aerial photography includes a carrier and a lens, the lens is installed on the carrier, and the carrier and the lens are driven to move by a motor to realize focusing. However, in practice, the unmanned aerial vehicle has slow focusing speed, low precision and generates noise during focusing.

[0039] The inventor finds that the current camera module of the unmanned aerial vehicle is provided with a guide rod on the shell, and a guide space is provided on the carrier, the guide rod is slidably arranged in the guide space, that is, the guide rod is in contact with the inner wall of the guide space, and the inventor further finds that the contact length of the carrier and the guide rod in the sliding direction therebetween is relatively long, which will generate a relatively large friction force, the friction force will hinder the movement of the carrier, and the carrier and the lens need a longer time to move to the correct position to complete focusing. Obviously, this will reduce the focusing speed of the camera module.

[0040] Moreover, the excessive friction force can cause the carrier to move unsmoothly on the guide rod, and after the motor stops driving, the carrier can not accurately stop at the required position for docking due to the excessive friction force, so that the ideal focusing accuracy cannot be achieved. In addition, the excessive friction force will also generate friction noise during the movement of the carrier relative to the guide rod, and will accelerate the wear of the guide rod and the carrier, thereby shortening the service life of the camera module.

[0041] The unmanned aerial vehicle, the camera module and the carrier thereof provided by the embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below in combination with the drawings, specific embodiments and application scenarios.

[0042] As shown in Figures 3 to 7 The carrier of the camera module disclosed by the embodiments of the present application is used for carrying the lens 400 of the camera module. Exemplarily, the carrier 100 can have a ring structure, and an accommodation space is formed in the carrier 100. A part of the lens 400 extends into the accommodation space in the carrier 100. The carrier 100 is provided with a mounting structure for mounting the lens 400. The mounting structure can be a mounting groove, and the lens 400 can be mounted in the mounting groove to prevent the lens 400 from rotating relative to the carrier 100. The present application is not limited in this regard.

[0043] The carrier 100 is provided with a guide space 110, and the guide rod 200 is arranged in the guide space 110, so that the carrier 100 can slide along the guide rod 200, that is, the carrier 100 can slide along the axis direction of the guide rod 200. The inner wall of the guide space 110 has a guide surface 120, and the guide surface 120 includes a clearance portion 121 and a contact portion 122 distributed along the sliding direction of the carrier 100. The contact portion 122 can be in sliding contact with the guide rod 200, and the clearance portion 121 can be separated from the guide rod 200, that is, the clearance portion 121 is located on the side of the contact portion 122 away from the guide space 110, and the clearance portion 121 is farther away from the guide rod 200 than the contact portion 122.

[0044] In the present application, the inner wall of the guide space 110 has a guide surface 120, which includes an avoiding part 121 and a contacting part 122 distributed along the sliding direction of the carrier 100 relative to the guide rod 200, the contacting part 122 can be in sliding contact with the guide rod 200, and the avoiding part 121 can be separated from the guide rod 200, that is, the contact length of the guide surface 120 of the present application with the guide rod 200 is short in the sliding direction of the carrier 100, which can reduce the contact area between the inner wall of the guide space 110 and the guide rod 200, so as to reduce the friction between the carrier 100 and the guide rod 200, thereby reducing the obstruction of the inner wall of the guide space 110 to the guide rod 200, so that the carrier 100 and the lens 400 can be moved to the correct position to complete focusing in a shorter time. Obviously, this can increase the focusing speed of the camera module.

[0045] Moreover, the smooth movement of the carrier 100 on the guide rod 200 after the reduction of the friction can reduce the risk that the carrier 100 cannot accurately stop at the required position for docking when the motor stops driving, thereby failing to achieve the ideal focusing accuracy. In addition, the reduction of the friction can also reduce the friction noise generated during the movement of the carrier 100 relative to the guide rod 200, and can reduce the wear of the guide rod 200 and the carrier 100, thereby prolonging the service life of the camera module.

[0046] In some embodiments, the contacting part 122 can be a cylindrical surface, and at this time the guide rod 200 is also cylindrical, and the contacting part 122 can wrap the guide rod 200, and the two are in surface contact, and the guide rod 200 and the carrier 100 still have a large contact area. In order to further reduce the contact area between the carrier 100 and the guide rod 200 and reduce the friction generated therebetween, in an alternative embodiment, please refer to Figure 5 , the contacting part 122 is a flat surface.

[0047] In the present embodiment, the contacting part 122 on the carrier 100 is a flat surface, and in the case that the guide rod 200 is cylindrical, the guide rod 200 and the contacting part 122 are in line contact, which can greatly reduce the contact area between the guide rod 200 and the contacting part 122, thereby reducing the friction generated therebetween. Moreover, when the guide rod 200 is subjected to an eccentric force, the two edges of the contacting part 122 along the sliding direction of the carrier 100 can limit the guide rod 200, thereby preventing the guide rod 200 from being twisted and tilted when subjected to the eccentric force. In addition, the contacting part 122 being a flat surface is easier to process than being a curved surface such as a wavy surface, an arc surface, a cylindrical surface, etc. Of course, in other embodiments, the contacting part 122 can also be an arc surface recessed away from the guide space 110, and the present application does not limit the specific shape of the contacting part 122.

[0048] In some embodiments, the number of the avoiding portions 121 can be only one, and the avoiding portion 121 and the contact portion 122 are sequentially distributed in the sliding direction of the carrier 100.

[0049] In an alternative embodiment, please refer to Figure 5 , the number of the avoiding portions 121 is two, and the two avoiding portions 121 are respectively located on both sides of the contact portion 122 in the sliding direction.

[0050] In this embodiment, the number of the avoiding portions 121 is two, and the two avoiding portions 121 are distributed on both sides of the contact portion 122 in the sliding direction of the carrier 100, which can make the contact portion 122 closer to the middle part of the guide space 110 in the above-mentioned sliding direction. The contact portion 122 arranged in the middle part can better constrain the movement trajectory of the carrier 100, so that it maintains high straightness during sliding, thereby ensuring the focusing accuracy of the camera module. In contrast, if the contact portion 122 is located at the end position of the guide space 110, the carrier 100 may produce a certain deviation or swing when moving due to uneven force, which affects its straight movement accuracy, and further affects the focusing accuracy of the camera module.

[0051] In some embodiments, the avoiding portion 121 can be a plane inclined to the sliding direction of the carrier 100, which will make the middle part of the avoiding portion 121 along its extension direction too far from the guide rod 200, thereby removing too much material from the carrier 100, which will cause the cross-sectional area of the carrier 100 to become smaller and the structural strength to become lower. When this embodiment is combined with the embodiment of “the carrier 100 comprises the bearing body 130 and two guide arms 140”, the avoiding portion 121 being an inclined plane will cause the guide arm 140 to be removed too much material, resulting in the cross-sectional area of the guide arm 140 becoming smaller and the structural strength becoming lower.

[0052] In order to improve the structural strength of the carrier 100, in an alternative embodiment, please refer to Figure 5 , the avoiding portion 121 is a convex arc surface facing the guide space 110.

[0053] In this embodiment, the avoiding portion 121 is a convex arc surface facing the guide space 110, which is closer to the guide rod 200 than the inclined plane in the middle part along its extension direction, which can reduce the material removed from the carrier 100, thereby increasing the cross-sectional area of the carrier 100 to improve the structural strength of the carrier 100. When this embodiment is combined with the embodiment of “the carrier 100 comprises the bearing body 130 and two guide arms 140”, the avoiding portion 121 being a convex arc surface can reduce the material removed from the carrier 100, so that the cross-sectional area and the structural strength of the guide arm 140 become larger.

[0054] In an alternative embodiment, please refer toFigure 5 The avoiding portion 121 and the contacting portion 122 are smoothly connected. For example, when the avoiding portion 121 is a convex arc surface and the contacting portion 122 is a flat surface, the avoiding portion 121 and the contacting portion 122 are smoothly connected by tangency; when the avoiding portion 121 is an inclined flat surface and the contacting portion 122 is a flat surface, the avoiding portion 121 and the contacting portion 122 are smoothly connected by chamfering.

[0055] The embodiment makes the avoiding portion 121 and the contacting portion 122 smoothly connected, and when the carrier 100 is subjected to a load, the smooth connection can reduce stress concentration at the joint of the avoiding portion 121 and the contacting portion 122, thereby preventing the carrier 100 from being damaged when subjected to internal stress for a long time.

[0056] In an alternative embodiment, please continue to refer to Figure 5 The carrier 100 comprises a bearing body 130 and two guide arms 140. The bearing body 130 is used to bear the lens 400, and the mounting structure described above can be arranged on the bearing body 130. The two guide arms 140 are connected to the bearing body 130, for example, the guide arms 140 can be connected to the outer circumferential surface of the bearing body 130, or the guide arms 140 can be connected to the end surface of the bearing body 130.

[0057] The two guide arms 140 are spaced apart and oppositely arranged, and a guide space 110 is formed between the two guide arms 140. The faces of the two guide arms 140 facing the guide space 110 are guide surfaces 120, that is, the face of the first guide arm 140 facing the second guide arm 140 is a guide surface 120, and the face of the second guide arm 140 facing the first guide arm 140 is also a guide surface 120.

[0058] In the embodiment, the two guide arms 140 are each provided with a guide surface 120, that is, the number of guide surfaces 120 includes two, which can further reduce the contact area between the inner wall of the guide space 110 and the guide rod, and further reduce the friction therebetween. Furthermore, the guide rod 200 is clamped between the two guide surfaces 120, which can ensure the stability of the sliding of the carrier 100 relative to the guide rod 200. Moreover, the embodiment forms the guide space 110 between the two guide arms 140, and the guide arms 140 are independent of the bearing body 130, that is, the guide space 110 is not arranged on the bearing body 130, and the arrangement of the guide space 110 does not reduce the structural strength of the bearing body 130, thereby providing stable support for the lens 400.

[0059] As shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2 , the embodiment of the application further discloses a camera module, comprising:

[0060] The guide rod 200 can be a round rod or a square rod, and the application does not limit the shape of the guide rod 200.

[0061] The carrier 100 according to any one of the above embodiments, so that the camera module has the beneficial effects of the carrier 100, which will not be repeated here.

[0062] The guide rod 200 is slidably arranged in the guide space 110.

[0063] The camera module can be applied to handheld electronic devices such as mobile phones, tablets, cameras, and handheld game consoles, and can also be applied to non-handheld electronic devices such as drones, and the application does not limit the application scenarios of the camera module and the carrier 100.

[0064] In some embodiments, the camera module can include a lens 400 carried on the carrier 100, and the lens 400 can concentrate light onto an image sensor of the camera module to form a clear image. By adjusting the distance between the lens 400 and the image sensor, the focal length of the camera module can be adjusted to change the distance and size of the photographed object.

[0065] In further embodiments, referring to Figure 1 The camera module further includes a housing 300, and the lens 400 and the guide rod 200 are arranged in the housing 300. The housing 300 can provide a mounting base and protection for the lens 400, the guide rod 200, the carrier 100, and other components to prevent damage to these components. The guide rod 200 is fixedly connected to the housing 300, for example, a socket can be provided in the housing 300, and the guide rod 200 is inserted into the socket. The socket and the guide rod 200 are transitionally fitted or interference fitted to achieve the fixation of the two.

[0066] In some embodiments, the guide rod 200 can be inserted into the guide space 110 along the sliding direction of the carrier 100, but this assembly method is more complex for completing the assembly of the guide rod 200 and the carrier 100.

[0067] To reduce the assembly difficulty between the guide rod 200 and the carrier 100, in an alternative embodiment, referring to Figure 7 The carrier 100 includes a carrier body 130 and two guide arms 140. The two guide arms 140 are connected to the carrier body 130, and the two guide arms 140 are spaced apart and oppositely arranged. The guide space 110 is formed between the two guide arms 140, and at least one guide arm 140 has a guide surface 120 facing the guide space 110.

[0068] Two guiding arms 140 are formed with an opening 101 between the ends thereof away from the bearing body 130, and the opening 101 is used for the guide rod 200 to enter the guiding space 110.

[0069] In the embodiment, two guiding arms 140 are formed with an opening 101 between the ends thereof away from the bearing body 130, and when the guide rod 200 is assembled to the carrier 100, the guide rod 200 can be directly assembled into the guiding space 110 from the opening 101 in the direction from one end of the guiding arm 140 away from the bearing body 130 to the other end, so that the assembly difficulty between the guide rod 200 and the carrier 100 can be reduced. Moreover, after the two guiding arms 140 are formed with the opening 101 between the ends thereof away from the bearing body 130, the guiding space 110 can be a non-closed structure along the circumference thereof, that is, compared with the guiding space 110 being a closed structure along the circumference thereof, the embodiment can further reduce the contact area between the guide rod 200 and the carrier 100, so as to further reduce the friction therebetween.

[0070] In order to further reduce the contact area between the guide rod 200 and the carrier 100, in an alternative embodiment, please continue to refer to Figure 7 , a part of the guide rod 200 extends radially out of the opening 101.

[0071] In the embodiment, a part of the guide rod 200 extends radially out of the opening 101, where the radial direction is the radial direction of the guide rod 200, and the part of the guide rod 200 extending radially out of the opening 101 can further reduce the contact area between the guide rod 200 and the carrier 100, so as to further reduce the friction therebetween. Of course, the guide rod 200 can also not have the part extending radially out of the opening 101, that is, all parts of the guide rod 200 along the radial direction thereof are between the two guiding arms 140, and the present application does not limit this.

[0072] In an alternative embodiment, please continue to refer to Figure 7 , the guide rod 200 is arranged to be spaced apart from the bearing body 130.

[0073] In the embodiment, the guide rod 200 has a gap with the bearing body 130, that is, the guide rod 200 does not contact the bearing body 130, and only the two guiding surfaces 120 contact the guide rod 200, which can make the contact area between the guide rod 200 and the carrier 100 very small, so as to make the friction therebetween very small. Of course, the guide rod 200 can also contact the bearing body 130, and the present application does not limit this.

[0074] The present application also discloses an unmanned aerial vehicle comprising the camera module according to any one of the above embodiments, so that the unmanned aerial vehicle has the beneficial effects of the camera module, which will not be described herein again.

[0075] The above embodiments of the present application mainly describe the differences between various embodiments, and the different optimization features between various embodiments can be combined to form a better embodiment as long as they are not contradictory. In view of concise writing, details are not described herein. The embodiments of the present application are described above in combination with the drawings, but the present application is not limited to the above specific embodiments. The above specific embodiments are only illustrative, but not restrictive. Those skilled in the art can make many forms under the inspiration of the present application without departing from the scope of the present application and the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A carrier of an image capturing module, configured to carry a lens of an image capturing module, characterized in that, The carrier is provided with a guide space for penetrating a guide rod to enable the carrier to slide along the guide rod, an inner wall of the guide space is provided with a guide surface, the guide surface comprises an avoiding part and a contacting part distributed along a sliding direction of the carrier, the contacting part is capable of sliding contact with the guide rod, and the avoiding part is capable of being separated from the guide rod.

2. The carrier of claim 1, wherein, The contacting part is a plane.

3. The carrier of claim 1, wherein, The avoiding part is two in number, and the two avoiding parts are respectively located on two sides of the contacting part along the sliding direction.

4. The carrier of claim 1, wherein, The avoiding part is an arc surface protruding towards the guide space.

5. The carrier of claim 1, wherein, The avoiding part and the contacting part are smoothly connected.

6. The carrier of claim 1, wherein, The carrier comprises a bearing body and two guide arms, the two guide arms are connected with the bearing body, the two guide arms are spaced apart and oppositely arranged, the guide space is formed between the two guide arms, and the surfaces of the two guide arms towards the guide space are the guide surfaces.

7. An image capture module, comprising: It comprises: a guide rod; the carrier as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6; the guide rod is slidably penetrated into the guide space.

8. The camera module of claim 7, wherein, The carrier comprises a bearing body and two guide arms, the two guide arms are connected with the bearing body, the two guide arms are spaced apart and oppositely arranged, the guide space is formed between the two guide arms, and the surfaces of the two guide arms towards the guide space are the guide surfaces. An opening is formed between the end portions of the two guide arms away from the bearing body, and the opening is used for the guide rod to enter the guide space.

9. The camera module of claim 8, wherein, A part of the guide rod protrudes radially out of the opening.

10. A drone, characterized in that, It comprises the camera module as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 9.

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