A camera module

CN224843908UActive Publication Date: 2026-10-09ZHEJIANG SUNNY SMARTLEAD TECH CO LTD
View PDF 0 Cites 0 Cited by

Patent Information

Application Number
CN202522404283.2
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Utility models(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2025-11-12
Publication Date
2026-10-09
Estimated Expiration
2035-11-12

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

[0003]目前,常规的车载摄像头设计中,两块板子一般采用B to B(板对板)连接器的方式进行导通连接,但是,现有的车载摄像头的导通连接存在以下缺陷:连接器存在一定的盒高,传统B to B连接器自身的物理高度(盒高)会直接叠加到模组的总体尺寸中,进而增加模组的Z方向(即模组高度方向)的尺寸

Benefits of technology

(1)本申请采用第一电路板与第二电路板直接焊接的方式,可以减少B to B连接器的使用,缩减第一电路板和第二电路板之间的距离,从而降低摄像模组Z方向的尺寸,实现摄像模组内部空间的优化以及摄像模组小型化。

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

Smart Images

  • Figure CN224843908U_ABST
    Figure CN224843908U_ABST
Patent Text Reader

Abstract

The application discloses a camera module, which comprises a shell, a lens assembly, and a first circuit board and a second circuit board arranged in the shell. The first circuit board is provided with an image sensor and a flexible extension. The camera module further comprises a welding structure for electrically connecting the flexible extension and the second circuit board. The first circuit board and the second circuit board have a vacant area, which is suitable for arranging the flexible extension and the welding structure. The lens assembly has an optical axis. The flexible extension and the welding structure are located on the radial side away from the optical axis. The flexible extension extends downward from the first circuit board along the optical axis direction and is electrically connected to the second circuit board. The application reduces the circuit communication failure of the camera module and realizes the miniaturization of the camera module.
Need to check novelty before this filing date? Find Prior Art

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of camera modules, and mainly to a camera module. Background Technology

[0002] With the popularization of intelligent driving, the application of in-vehicle cameras is becoming increasingly widespread and has become an indispensable part, especially for pure vision-based intelligent driving solutions. Moreover, as the number of in-vehicle cameras used increases, car manufacturers are becoming more and more sensitive to the size and weight of the modules, especially the size, which should be as small as possible while maintaining packaging performance.

[0003] Currently, in conventional automotive camera designs, two boards are typically connected using B-to-B (board-to-board) connectors. However, existing automotive camera connections have the following drawbacks: the connectors have a certain box height, and the physical height of the traditional B-to-B connector itself (box height) directly adds to the overall size of the module, thus increasing the module's Z-axis (i.e., the module's height direction) dimensions. As camera pixel counts and functionalities increase, the number of internal components in the module may become more numerous, placing more stringent space requirements on it. This further strengthens the connector's presence, severely limiting the flexibility of camera module layout in limited installation locations (such as rearview mirrors or around the vehicle body).

[0004] Therefore, in compact designs where multi-layer circuit boards (such as sensor boards, ISP boards, and serializer boards) need to be stacked, the height of the connector has become a key bottleneck that makes it difficult to further reduce the Z-axis size of automotive cameras. Utility Model Content

[0005] One objective of this application is to reduce the size of the camera module in the Z direction, thereby miniaturizing the camera module.

[0006] Another objective of this application is to reduce circuit connectivity failures in the camera module and extend its service life.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted in this application is as follows: a camera module, including a housing, a lens assembly, and a first circuit board and a second circuit board disposed within the housing. The first circuit board is provided with an image sensor and a flexible extension, and also includes a welding structure for electrically connecting the flexible extension to the second circuit board. There is a void area between the first circuit board and the second circuit board, and the void area is suitable for disposing of the flexible extension and the welding structure. The lens assembly has an optical axis, and the flexible extension and the welding structure are both located on the radial side away from the optical axis. The flexible extension extends downward from the first circuit board along the optical axis and is electrically connected to the second circuit board.

[0008] As a preferred embodiment, the first circuit board has a first side close to the lens assembly, the second circuit board has a second side close to the lens assembly, and the flexible extension extends downward along the optical axis from the first side and is electrically connected to the second side.

[0009] As a preferred embodiment, the welding structure is an interface welding structure, wherein a first pad area is provided on the second circuit board, the first pad area is located on the side away from the optical axis, and the interface welding structure is disposed in the first pad area; the flexible extension extends downward from the first side and is welded to the interface welding structure.

[0010] As a preferred embodiment, adhesive is applied to the connection edge between the flexible extension and the interface welding structure to form a closed sealing layer.

[0011] As a preferred embodiment, the welding structure is a slot welding structure, wherein the second circuit board has a through groove, the inner wall of the through groove is provided with a second pad area, the flexible extension extends from the first side and is inserted into the through groove, and is fixed to the second pad area by welding.

[0012] As a preferred embodiment, potting compound is filled at the opening of the through groove and in the surrounding area to completely encapsulate the weld joints formed by the welded structure.

[0013] As a preferred embodiment, the end of the flexible extension has two opposing main surfaces, and each of the two main surfaces is provided with a conductive pad corresponding to the second pad area, so as to increase the welding area and improve the connection reliability.

[0014] As a preferred embodiment, the end of the flexible extension is further provided with an alignment structure on the second circuit board for precise positioning before welding; the alignment structure includes optical identification points provided on the flexible extension and the second circuit board, and / or includes positioning holes opened on the flexible extension that cooperate with positioning posts provided on the second circuit board.

[0015] As a preferred embodiment, the housing includes an inner sidewall, and the flexible extension has a preset gentle bending shape in the assembled state, with a preset gap maintained between the bent portion and the inner sidewall of the housing.

[0016] As a preferred embodiment, reinforcing ribs are attached to the outer or inner side of the bent portion of the flexible extension to fix its bending shape and distribute stress.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this application are as follows: (1) This application adopts the method of direct soldering of the first circuit board and the second circuit board, which can reduce the use of B to B connectors, reduce the distance between the first circuit board and the second circuit board, thereby reducing the size of the camera module in the Z direction, optimizing the internal space of the camera module and miniaturizing the camera module.

[0018] (2) This application adopts the method of direct soldering of the first circuit board and the second circuit board, which can eliminate the problem of poor physical contact of the connector and avoid foreign objects adhering to the connector connection end, resulting in line failure. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a camera module in the prior art.

[0020] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a camera module in one embodiment of this application.

[0021] Figure 3 This is a partially enlarged schematic diagram of the camera module in one embodiment of this application.

[0022] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the camera module in another embodiment of this application.

[0023] Figure 5 This is a partially enlarged schematic diagram of the camera module in another embodiment of this application.

[0024] In the figure: 10, lens assembly; 20, housing; 21, first circuit board; 211, first side; 212, image sensor; 213, flexible extension; 2131, first end; 2132, second end; 22, second circuit board; 221, second side; 2211, first pad area; 2212, second pad area; 23, inner wall of housing; 30. Welded structure; 31. Interface welded structure; 311. First part; 312. Second part; 32. Slot welding structure; 321. Through slot; 40. Vacant area; 50. External connection device; 121. First conductive plate; 122. Second conductive plate; 130. Connector; Detailed Implementation

[0025] The present application will be further described below with reference to specific embodiments. It should be noted that, without conflict, the various embodiments or technical features described below can be arbitrarily combined to form new embodiments.

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

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

[0028] The terms “comprising” and “having”, and any variations thereof, in the specification and claims of this application are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, for example, a process, method, system, product, or device that includes a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units that are explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units that are not explicitly listed or that are inherent to such process, method, product, or device.

[0029] like Figure 1 As shown, in conventional vehicle camera designs, the first conductive plate 121 and the second conductive plate 122 are typically connected via a connector 130. The connector 130 is fixed to the pre-set pad areas of the first and second conductive plates 121 and 122 by soldering or plugging, and its pins make electrical contact with the conductive lines of the circuit board. When the two circuit boards are stacked and aligned, the male and female ends of the connector 130 achieve a physical connection through mechanical mating. However, the physical height (box height) of the connector 130 is directly added to the total thickness of the camera module. As camera pixel counts and functions increase, the density of internal components in the module rises, making the height of the connector 130 a "critical bottleneck," hindering further compression of the camera module's dimensions along the optical axis. Figure 1 As shown, the connector 130 is located between the first conductive plate 121 and the second conductive plate 122. Due to the height occupied by the connector 130, the module cannot be adapted to narrow installation spaces, such as rearview mirrors or around the vehicle body.

[0030] Furthermore, the pins of connector 130 do not make contact across their entire surface. To ensure good electrical contact and reduce insertion force, pins are typically designed as point or line contacts, often with a tiny raised or curved contact point. This area of ​​actual physical contact is very small, typically between 0.1mm and 0.3mm in width or diameter. Therefore, if a foreign object larger than the contact point width (e.g., a fiber or dust particle ≥ 0.3mm wide or diameter) is located between the two pins, it can create a gap between the metal surfaces that should be in close contact. This disrupts a stable low-impedance connection, leading to open circuits, signal interruptions, or unstable performance, affecting image transmission stability.

[0031] Based on this, such as Figures 2-5 As shown, this application proposes a camera module, including a housing 20, a lens assembly 10, and a first circuit board 21 and a second circuit board 22 disposed within the housing 20. The first circuit board 21 is provided with an image sensor 212 and a flexible extension 213, and the second circuit board 22 is provided with a welding structure 30 for electrically connecting the flexible extension 213 to the second circuit board 22. Specifically, the image sensor 212 on the first circuit board 21 is responsible for receiving light signals from the lens assembly 10 and transmitting the received light signals to the second circuit board 22 through the flexible extension 213. The second circuit board 22 performs image processing (such as noise reduction and color correction) on the received electrical signals and undertakes power management and data communication functions to output usable high-quality image data.

[0032] It is worth mentioning that the welding structure 30 is an electrical interconnection component used to directly connect the flexible extension 213 to the second circuit board 22. It uses solder to fuse the end of the flexible extension 213 to the corresponding pad area on the second circuit board 22, forming a mechanical fixation and electrical path. The welding structure 30 has no independent housing or plug-in terminals. Its "height" is determined only by the thickness of the solder layer and the flexible extension 213, and can usually be controlled within 0.1-0.3mm, which is much lower than the 1.0-2.0mm box height of the conventional BTB connector 130.

[0033] Furthermore, there is an empty area 40 between the first circuit board 21 and the second circuit board 22. Since the first circuit board 21 carries the image sensor 212, it needs to receive optical signals and convert them into electrical signals; the second circuit board 22 is responsible for image processing and external communication. Due to defects such as electrical isolation, mechanical interference, and thermal management, the first circuit board 21 and the second circuit board 22 cannot form an effective circuit path through direct connection. Therefore, an empty area 40 needs to be reserved between the first circuit board 21 and the second circuit board 22 to provide a certain gap between them, thereby enabling stable electrical conduction between the first circuit board 21 and the second circuit board 22 through some connection structures. In this application, the empty area 40 is suitable for setting the flexible extension 213 and the welding structure 30. It should be understood that since the height of the welding structure 30 is very low, the empty area 40 can be shortened along the optical axis, thereby reducing the overall height of the camera module and achieving miniaturization of the camera module. In addition, since the welding structure 30 is close to the surface of the second circuit board 22, the overall center of gravity of the module can be lowered, reducing the torque and sway amplitude caused by the "tall" connector 130 in the vehicle vibration environment.

[0034] Furthermore, the lens assembly 10 has an optical axis, and the flexible extension 213 and the welded structure 30 are both located on the radial side away from the optical axis, such as... Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, the optical axis is marked by a dashed line. The flexible extension 213 extends downward from the first circuit board 21 along the optical axis and is electrically connected to the second circuit board 22, allowing the flexible extension 213 and the welding structure 30 to converge in the same space. On the one hand, this avoids excessive extension of the overall length of the flexible extension 213, preventing unnecessary material waste. On the other hand, it achieves extreme simplification in the assembly process. Automated equipment on the production line can operate on one side of the module without flipping or repositioning. This not only significantly improves production efficiency but, more importantly, reduces the risk of alignment errors caused by multiple positioning and complex operation steps, thereby improving product yield.

[0035] Furthermore, the first circuit board 21 has a first side 211 near the lens assembly 10, and the second circuit board 22 has a second side 221 near the lens assembly 10. The flexible extension 213 extends downward from the first side 211 along the optical axis and is electrically connected to the second side 221. Specifically, the flexible extension 213 includes a first end 2131 and a second end 2132. The first end 2131 is electrically connected to the image sensor 212 located on the first side 211 of the first circuit board 21, and the second end 2132 is electrically connected to the welding structure 30 located on the second side 221 of the second circuit board 22. It should be understood that since the image sensor 212 is located on the side near the lens assembly 10, directly connecting the first end 2131 of the flexible extension 213 to the image sensor 212 can avoid the need to cut a slot below the first circuit board 21 to set additional mating pads, which would damage the integrity of the first circuit board 21, occupy the internal space of the empty area 40, and increase the height of the camera module. Furthermore, the direct connection between the image sensor 212 and the flexible extension 213 reduces exposed interface points and enhances signal shielding, thereby improving the image signal-to-noise ratio and color accuracy.

[0036] Furthermore, the housing 20 also includes an inner wall 23, and the flexible extension 213 has a preset gentle bending shape in the assembled state, and a preset gap is maintained between the bent part and the inner wall 23, so that the bent part is in a free suspension state when the module is vibrated.

[0037] In some embodiments, the distance between one end of the first circuit board 21 with the flexible extension 213 and the inner sidewall 23 of the housing is greater than the other end of the first circuit board 21 without the flexible extension 213. By increasing the distance between one end of the flexible extension 213 and the inner sidewall 23 of the housing, sufficient arc bending space is provided for the flexible extension 213 to ensure that it extends downward to the second circuit board 22 in a gentle curve, avoiding mechanical damage caused by sharp bends.

[0038] In some embodiments, the distance between one end of the flexible extension 213 of the first circuit board 21 and the inner wall 23 of the housing is greater than the distance between one end of the flexible extension 213 electrically connected to the second circuit board 22 and the inner wall 23 of the housing. This allows the flexible extension 213 to extend almost vertically to the second circuit board 22 after bending, reducing signal transmission delay and loss. Simultaneously, the straight path avoids impedance discontinuities introduced by sharp bends, reducing signal reflection and distortion, which is particularly beneficial for high-speed data streams (such as MIPI signals) of high-pixel sensors.

[0039] It should be understood that the flexible extension 213 is a key structure for achieving electrical connection between the first circuit board 21 and the second circuit board 22. It includes features such as elastic contacts and FPC bending sections, requiring additional space for mechanical compensation (e.g., displacement due to thermal expansion and contraction, vibration) or electrical connection actions (e.g., the stroke of elastic insertion and removal). Therefore, the design of "one end away from the inner wall 23 of the housing" is to reserve sufficient installation / movement space for the flexible extension 213, avoid interference with the inner wall 23 of the housing, and ensure the reliability of the electrical connection.

[0040] In some embodiments, the distance between one end of the second circuit board 22 electrically connected to the flexible extension 213 and the inner wall 23 of the housing is equal to the other end of the second circuit board 22 without the flexible extension 213. The fact that "both ends of the second circuit board 22 are equidistant from the inner wall 23 of the housing" means that its center of gravity is closer to the geometric center. This symmetrical structure reduces the risk of deflection due to a shift in the center of gravity, resulting in greater stability after installation and less interference with the overall balance of the module.

[0041] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 , Figure 3 As shown, the welding structure 30 is an interface welding structure 31. A first pad area 2211 is provided on the second circuit board 22, located on the side away from the optical axis. The interface welding structure 31 is disposed on the first pad area 2211. The flexible extension 213 extends from the first side 211 and is welded to the interface welding structure 31. It should be understood that the first pad area 2211 is located away from the optical axis, allowing the flexible extension 213 to extend directly from the first side 211 of the first circuit board 21 without needing to detour or cross a long distance, thus connecting directly to the second circuit board 22 via the shortest straight path. This avoids the risk of loosening, twisting, or interference caused by excessive extension of the flexible circuit. Furthermore, by covering the flexible extension 213 with the welding structure 30, a continuous physical barrier is formed, completely preventing dust, fibers, or other airborne particles from entering the contact interface between the flexible extension 213 and the welding structure 30. This prevents the contact point between the flexible extension 213 and the welding structure 30 from being covered by dust, thus avoiding electrical blockage. This is particularly suitable for dusty scenarios in automotive environments, such as road dust.

[0042] In some embodiments, the interface welding structure 31 includes a first portion 311 covering the first pad area 2211 and a second portion 312 covering the second end 2132 of the flexible extension 213. The first portion 311 is higher than the second portion 312 along the optical axis. Specifically, the first portion 311 is higher, allowing it to bear the main support function, while the second portion 312 is lower to fit the flexible extension 213. This keeps the overall thickness of the welding structure 30 at a low level, contributing to the reduction of the camera module's height dimension. Furthermore, the height difference forms a natural alignment reference. During reflow soldering, when the solder melts, the higher point of the first portion 311 contacts the flexible extension 213 first, guiding it to accurately fall to the center of the first pad area 2211, avoiding misalignment and improving welding accuracy. The height difference between the first portion 311 and the second portion 312 also allows for micro-displacement differences during thermal expansion and contraction, preventing thermal stress concentration. For example, when the temperature rises and the flexible extension 213 expands, the second part 312 can slide slightly along the inclined surface of the first part 311, reducing the risk of thermal fatigue cracks at the weld joint.

[0043] In some embodiments, the end of the flexible extension 213 and the second circuit board 22 are further provided with an alignment structure for precise positioning before soldering. The alignment structure includes optical identification points provided on the flexible extension 213 and the second circuit board 22, and / or includes positioning holes opened on the flexible extension 213 that cooperate with positioning posts provided on the second circuit board 22. Specifically, the second circuit board 22 is provided with metal or plastic positioning posts, and the flexible extension 213 has through holes or blind holes at corresponding positions. When inserted, the posts and holes form a mechanical guide, and the coarse positioning error can be controlled within ±0.05mm. After fine correction by an optical system, the rate of poor soldering is reduced.

[0044] In some embodiments, adhesive is applied to the connection edge between the flexible extension 213 and the interface welding structure 31 to form a closed sealing layer. Specifically, a reinforcing adhesive for buffering stress and enhancing mechanical strength is applied at the joint between the flexible extension 213 and the interface welding structure 31. The reinforcing adhesive has extremely low water vapor permeability, which can effectively block corrosive media such as moisture and salt spray, and prevent oxidation or electrochemical migration of the weld joint. This is crucial for the long-term stable operation of the vehicle camera in rain, snow, and high humidity environments, and directly improves the environmental adaptability level of the module.

[0045] In some embodiments, the reinforcing adhesive may be selected as UV-curable adhesive, epoxy resin adhesive, polyurethane adhesive, etc., and is applied to the junction of the flexible extension 213 and the interface welding structure 31 by a dispensing process to form an annular sealing structure.

[0046] In some embodiments, UV-curable adhesive is preferred. Before curing, the UV adhesive is a low-viscosity liquid. It can be precisely applied with a uniform width and consistent thickness along the edge of the joint between the flexible extension 213 and the interface welding structure 31 by a precision dispensing head, ensuring the continuity of the sealing ring and avoiding adhesive breaks or excessive adhesive application.

[0047] In some embodiments, such as Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the welding structure 30 is a slot welding structure 32. The second circuit board 22 has a through slot 321, and a second pad area 2212 is provided on the inner wall of the through slot 321. The flexible extension 213 extends downward from the first side 211 and inserts into the through slot 321, and is fixed to the second pad area 2212 by welding. Specifically, the second pad area 2212 on the inner wall of the through slot 321 forms a conductive layer through a metallization process (such as immersion gold or tin plating), providing an interface for welding between the flexible extension 213 and the through slot 321. It should be understood that after the flexible extension 213 is inserted into the through slot 321, its connection point is completely embedded inside the body of the second circuit board 22, eliminating the height occupation of traditional welding or connector 130 on the circuit board surface. This allows the thickness of the empty area 40 between the first circuit board 21 and the second circuit board 22 to be compressed to the minimum requirement of just meeting the insertion operation. Compared to the BTB connector 130, the axial dimension of the camera module is further reduced. In addition, the flexible extension 213 extends downward from the first circuit board 21 and is directly welded to the through slot 321 on the second circuit board 22, further reducing the bending points of the flexible extension 213, making the flexible extension 213 less prone to bending and extending its service life.

[0048] In some embodiments, the opening and surrounding area of ​​the through groove 321 are filled with potting compound to completely encapsulate the weld points formed by the welded structure 30, thereby improving moisture resistance and vibration resistance.

[0049] In some embodiments, the flexible extension 213 has two opposing main surfaces at its ends, each with conductive pads corresponding to the second pad area 2212, to increase the welding area and improve connection reliability. Specifically, the flexible extension 213 is inserted into the through groove 321. After the second end 2132 of the flexible extension 213 is inserted into the through groove 321, the conductive pads (such as gold-plated copper foil) on its two main surfaces (front and back) are tightly fitted with the second pad areas 2212 on both sides of the inner wall of the through groove 321. During welding, the solder simultaneously wets both the double-sided conductive pads and the pads on the inner wall of the through groove 321, forming a circumferential metallurgical bond rather than a single-point contact. It should be understood that double-sided welding evenly distributes stress to the inner walls on both sides of the through groove 321, significantly improving vibration resistance.

[0050] In some embodiments, a reinforcing rib is attached to the outer or inner side of the bent portion of the flexible extension 213 to fix its bending shape and distribute stress. After the reinforcing rib is attached at the bending point, its rigidity constrains the bending radius of the flexible extension 213, preventing curvature drift under temperature changes. Moreover, if the flexible extension 213 is accidentally touched during assembly or maintenance, the reinforcing rib can resist excessive bending and avoid permanent deformation.

[0051] In some embodiments, the flexible extension 213 may be a flexible printed circuit board (FPC), a flexible flat cable (FFC), etc., preferably a flexible printed circuit board. The FPC substrate is resistant to chemical corrosion and can be coated with reinforcing adhesive or potting compound to further improve its moisture resistance and vibration resistance. The copper foil pads of the FPC can also be precisely processed (such as laser etching) to meet the requirements of double-sided pad design and increase the welding area.

[0052] Furthermore, the camera module of this application also includes an external connection device 50, wherein the first circuit board 21 is fixed to the lens assembly 10 to ensure that the image sensor 212 is accurately located at the center of the lens optical axis for receiving light signals and converting them into electrical signals; the second circuit board 22 is located below the first circuit board 21 and is electrically connected to the external connection device 50, and the flexible extension 213 extends from the first side 211 of the first circuit board 21 to the second side 221 of the second circuit board 22 to realize the circuit connection between the internal image sensor 212 and the external connection device 50 for transmitting image information.

[0053] Compared to conventional technologies that use B-to-B connectors 130 for conductive connections, which have a housing height of approximately 3 to 5 mm, this application can reduce the use of B-to-B connectors 130, thus reducing the size of the camera module along the optical axis by 3 to 5 mm. Furthermore, the pin contacts of conventional connectors 130 are only 0.3 mm wide; foreign objects larger than 0.3 mm can affect circuit conductivity. This application avoids this problem, thereby improving reliability.

[0054] 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 to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely the principles of this application. Various changes and modifications can be made to this application without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the claims. The scope of protection claimed by this application is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A camera module, comprising a housing, a lens assembly, and a first circuit board and a second circuit board disposed within the housing, wherein the first circuit board is provided with an image sensor and a flexible extension, characterized in that, It also includes a welding structure for electrically connecting the flexible extension to the second circuit board, with a void area between the first circuit board and the second circuit board, the void area being adapted to accommodate the flexible extension and the welding structure; the lens assembly has an optical axis, the flexible extension and the welding structure are both located on the radial side away from the optical axis, the flexible extension extending downward from the first circuit board along the optical axis and electrically connected to the second circuit board.

2. The camera module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first circuit board has a first side close to the lens assembly, the second circuit board has a second side close to the lens assembly, and the flexible extension extends downward along the optical axis from the first side and is electrically connected to the second side.

3. The camera module according to claim 2, characterized in that, The welding structure is an interface welding structure. A first pad area is provided on the second circuit board. The first pad area is located on the side away from the optical axis. The interface welding structure is disposed in the first pad area. The flexible extension extends downward from the first side and is welded to the interface welding structure.

4. The camera module according to claim 3, characterized in that, Adhesive is applied to the connection edge between the flexible extension and the interface welding structure to form a closed sealing layer.

5. The camera module according to claim 2, characterized in that, The welding structure is a slot welding structure, wherein the second circuit board has a through groove, and the inner wall of the through groove is provided with a second pad area. The flexible extension extends from the first side and is inserted into the through groove, and is fixed to the second pad area by welding.

6. The camera module according to claim 5, characterized in that, The opening and surrounding area of ​​the through groove are filled with potting compound to completely encapsulate the weld joints formed by the welded structure.

7. The camera module according to claim 5, characterized in that, The flexible extension has two opposing main surfaces at its ends, and each of the two main surfaces is provided with a conductive pad corresponding to the second pad area, so as to increase the welding area and improve the connection reliability.

8. The camera module according to claim 3, characterized in that, The end of the flexible extension is provided with an alignment structure on the second circuit board for precise positioning before welding; the alignment structure includes optical identification points provided on the flexible extension and the second circuit board, and / or includes positioning holes opened on the flexible extension that cooperate with positioning posts provided on the second circuit board.

9. The camera module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The housing includes an inner wall, and the flexible extension has a preset gentle bending shape in the assembled state, and the bent part maintains a preset gap with the inner wall of the housing.

10. The camera module according to claim 9, characterized in that, A reinforcing rib is attached to the outer or inner side of the bent portion of the flexible extension to fix its bending shape and distribute stress.