Lens locking structure and imaging device

Abstract

The application provides a lens locking structure and an imaging device. The lens locking structure comprises a lens barrel, a mounting flange and a tension nut. The mounting flange comprises a connecting barrel, the connecting barrel comprises a fixed part and a tightening part, the tightening part is arranged close to the lens barrel, one end of the lens barrel is inserted into the connecting barrel and is detachably connected with the fixed part, and the tension nut is sleeved outside the connecting barrel, one end of the tension nut is fixedly connected with the outer wall of the connecting barrel, and the other end of the tension nut presses the tightening part, so that the tightening part is tightened to the center of the connecting barrel, and the lens barrel is locked. The lens locking structure and the imaging device provided by the application improve the coaxiality of the lens and the mounting flange of the core, improve the impact resistance and vibration resistance of the lens of the device, and effectively reduce the risk of lens defocus.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of optical equipment technology, and in particular to a lens locking structure and imaging device. Background Technology

[0002] Imaging devices typically consist of a camera module and a lens, which need to be locked together and kept coaxial. Currently, the commonly used locking structure for camera modules and lenses in imaging devices mainly involves connecting them via threads and then tightening them radially using set screws or clamps. In developing this application, the inventors discovered that the prior art has at least the following problems: In the set screw tightening design, due to the gap between the lens thread and the flange thread fixing the camera module, the coaxiality of the lens and camera module decreases after tightening, resulting in defocusing. If a clamp tightening design is used, the clamp deforms more on one side and less on the other during the locking process, similarly increasing the risk of defocusing. Furthermore, the clamp occupies a large space, resulting in an excessively large outer envelope of the camera module and lens structure, leading to a larger overall device size. Additionally, since camera modules typically have high requirements for vibration and impact resistance, the set screw or clamp tightening design increases the risk of defocusing during impact and vibration. Utility Model Content

[0003] Based on this, this application provides a lens locking structure and imaging device to improve the problems of low coaxiality between the lens and the camera body flange and weak resistance to impact and vibration in the prior art.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution of this application embodiment is implemented as follows: On one hand, this application provides a lens locking structure, including a lens barrel, a mounting flange, and a tightening nut; the mounting flange includes a connecting cylinder, the connecting cylinder includes a fixing part and a tightening part, the tightening part is disposed close to the lens barrel, one end of the lens barrel is inserted into the connecting cylinder and detachably connected to the fixing part; the tightening nut is sleeved on the outside of the connecting cylinder, one end of the tightening nut is fixedly connected to the outer wall of the connecting cylinder, and the other end presses the tightening part, causing the tightening part to tighten towards the center of the connecting cylinder, so as to lock the lens barrel.

[0005] In one embodiment, the mounting flange further includes a flange portion surrounding the periphery of the end of the fixing portion; the end of the connecting cylinder away from the flange portion has a plurality of strip grooves along the axial direction to form the tightening portion.

[0006] In one embodiment, the outer diameter of the tightening portion is uniform, and the outer diameter of the tightening portion is smaller than the outer diameter of the fixing portion.

[0007] In one embodiment, the outer surface of the tightening portion near the end is provided with a tapered surface, the outer diameter of the tapered surface gradually decreases from the fixing portion toward the tightening portion, and the maximum outer diameter of the tapered surface is not greater than the outer diameter of the fixing portion.

[0008] In one embodiment, the tightening nut includes a connecting section and a locking section connected together. The connecting section is provided with an internal thread, and the outer surface of the fixing part is provided with an external thread. The internal thread of the connecting section and the external thread of the fixing part are threadedly connected. The inner wall surface of the locking section is a conical surface, and the inner diameter of the locking section gradually decreases from the connecting section to the locking section.

[0009] In one embodiment, the circumferential wall of the expansion nut is provided with a mounting hole for mounting a rotating fixture, so that the expansion nut and the connecting cylinder can be locked together by means of a threaded connection through the rotating fixture.

[0010] In one embodiment, the lens locking structure further includes a mechanism mounted on the flange at the end away from the lens barrel.

[0011] In one embodiment, the outer wall of the lens barrel is provided with an external thread, and the inner wall of the fixing part is provided with an internal thread that mates with it. The lens barrel and the fixing part are connected by threads to form the detachable connection.

[0012] On the other hand, embodiments of this application provide an imaging device including the lens locking structure described above.

[0013] In one embodiment, the imaging device is an infrared imaging device; the mechanism is an infrared mechanism.

[0014] This application has at least the following beneficial effects: The lens locking structure provided by this application locks the lens barrel and mounting flange using a tightening nut. By clamping the lens barrel located inside the connecting cylinder with the tightening part towards the center, the lens barrel and mounting flange are locked together, and their coaxiality is improved, thus avoiding defocusing problems caused by low coaxiality. Furthermore, the tightening nut does not result in an excessively large outer envelope of the mounting flange and lens barrel, which is beneficial for the miniaturization of the equipment. The tightening nut causes the tightening part to tighten towards the center, thereby enclosing the lens barrel inside it and applying a uniform clamping force throughout the entire circumference of the lens barrel, rather than applying force to one side of the lens barrel as with traditional set screws and clamps. This makes the locking between the lens barrel and the mounting flange more reliable, improves the lens barrel's impact and vibration resistance, and reduces the risk of defocusing. The imaging device provided by this application includes the above-mentioned lens locking structure, and therefore also has the above-mentioned beneficial effects. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the lens locking structure according to an embodiment of this application.

[0016] Figure 2 for Figure 1 An exploded view of the lens locking structure.

[0017] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the mounting flange according to an embodiment of this application.

[0018] Figure 4 for Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of the mounting flange.

[0019] Figure 5 for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the main structure of the mounting flange.

[0020] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view of the expansion nut according to an embodiment of this application.

[0021] The meanings of the labels in the attached diagram are as follows: 1. Lens tube; 3. Mounting flange; 31. Flange part; 32. Connecting cylinder; 321. Fixing part; 322. Tightening part; 323. Strip groove; 33. Mounting part; 2. Expansion nut; 21. Mounting hole; 22. Connecting section; 23. Locking section; 4. Movement. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The technical solution of this application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0023] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terminology used herein in the specification of this application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the ways in which this application may be implemented. The term "and / or" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0024] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, are used 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 therefore should not be construed as a limitation on this application. In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0025] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "joining" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0026] Please see Figures 1 to 3 The lens locking structure of this application embodiment includes a lens barrel 1, a mounting flange 3, and a tightening nut 2. The mounting flange 3 includes a connecting cylinder 32, which includes a fixing part 321 and a tightening part 322. The tightening part 322 is disposed close to the lens barrel 1. One end of the lens barrel 1 is inserted into the connecting cylinder 32 and is detachably connected to the fixing part 321. The tightening nut 2 is sleeved on the outside of the connecting cylinder 32. One end of the tightening nut 2 is fixedly connected to the outer wall of the connecting cylinder 32, and the other end presses against the tightening part 322, causing the tightening part 322 to tighten towards the center of the connecting cylinder 32, thereby locking the lens barrel 1.

[0027] Specifically, such as Figures 3 to 5 As shown, the mounting flange 3 also includes a flange portion 31, which surrounds the periphery of the end of the fixing portion 321. The connecting cylinder 32, away from the flange portion 31, has multiple axially oriented grooves 323 forming a tightening portion 322. For example... Figure 1 and Figure 3As shown, the outer contour of the flange 31 in this embodiment is approximately square, and its overall shape matches the shape of the movement 4, used for mounting and fixing the movement 4. The movement 4 is fixed to the end of the flange 31 away from the end of the lens barrel 1. The mounting flange 3 is also provided with a mounting part 33, which is formed by extending from the side wall of the inner hole of the flange 31 towards the center, or it can be said to be formed by extending from the inner wall of the inner hole of the connecting cylinder 32 towards the center. The mounting part 33 protrudes from the inner wall surface of the inner hole of the connecting cylinder 32, so that the movement 4 can be abutted against the mounting part 33 during installation. After the mounting part 33 is set, it forms an approximately square inner hole, and chamfers are set at the four apex corners of the square to form an octagonal cross-section inner hole. Threaded holes are set near the four chamfered edges. The movement 4 is fixed to the flange 31 by screws engaging with the threaded holes, and the movement 4 is in contact with the mounting part 33 on all four sides. The connecting cylinder 32 is cylindrical. At the end of the connecting cylinder 32 furthest from the flange 31, several evenly spaced slots 323 are formed axially to create a tightening section 322. The mounting flange 3 can be made of plastic, for example. An axial slot is formed at the end of the connecting cylinder 32 to allow for radial deformation, so that the tightening section 322 can converge towards the center of the connecting cylinder 32, thereby clamping the lens barrel 1. In this embodiment, the fixing section 321 is a cylindrical tube with a uniform inner and outer diameter. The tightening section 322 can also be designed as a cylindrical tube with a uniform inner and outer diameter. The inner diameter of the tightening section 322 is the same as the inner diameter of the fixing section 321, and the outer diameter of the tightening section 322 is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the fixing section 321, so that the expansion nut 2 can be fitted onto the fixing section 321 and threadedly connected to it. Alternatively, the outer surface of the tightening section 322 near its end may have a tapered surface (e.g., Figure 4 As shown, the outer diameter of the conical surface gradually decreases from the fixing part 321 towards the tightening part 322, and the maximum outer diameter of the conical surface is not greater than the outer diameter of the fixing part 321. This conical surface can, for example, extend from the end of the tightening part 322 towards the fixing part 321 to the bottom of the groove 323, meaning the entire outer wall of the tightening part 322 is a conical surface; or, only a portion of the outer wall of the tightening part 322 near its end is a conical surface. When the outer wall of the tightening part 322 has a conical surface, its maximum outer diameter is not greater than the outer diameter of the fixing part 321.

[0028] The end of the lens barrel 1 near the mounting flange 3 has an external thread, and the inner wall of the fixing part 321 has an internal thread that mates with it. The external thread of the lens barrel 1 and the internal thread of the fixing part 321 form a threaded connection. After this detachable connection is formed, it can play a role in the initial positioning of the lens barrel 1 and the mounting flange 3. The lens barrel 1 and the fixing part 321 can also be positioned and connected by other means, such as snap-fit, etc., and the specific connection method is not limited.

[0029] The outer wall surface of the fixing part 321 is provided with external threads. For example... Figure 2 and Figure 6As shown, the expansion nut 2 includes a connecting section 22 and a locking section 23 connected together. The connecting section 22 has an internal thread, and the outer surface of the fixing part 321 has a corresponding external thread. The internal thread of the connecting section 22 and the external thread of the fixing part 321 are threadedly connected. The inner wall surface of the locking section 23 is a conical surface, and the inner diameter of the locking section 23 gradually decreases from the connecting section 22 to the locking section 23. The connecting section 22 is a cylindrical tube with the same inner and outer diameters. The outer diameter of the locking section 23 is the same as that of the connecting section 22, and only the inner diameter gradually decreases from the connecting section 22 to the locking section 23. The inner wall surface of the connecting section 22 has an internal thread, and the internal thread of the connecting section 22 and the external thread of the fixing part 321 form a threaded fit. During assembly, the lens barrel 1 is first inserted into the connecting sleeve 32 of the mounting flange 3 and fixedly connected to the mounting flange 3. Then, the expansion nut 2 is fitted onto the end of the connecting sleeve 32 and tightened, causing the expansion nut 2 to move closer to the flange 31. At this time, the inner conical surface of the locking section 23 of the expansion nut 2 presses against the tightening part 322, causing the end of the tightening part 322 to tighten towards the center of the connecting sleeve 32, thereby locking the lens barrel 1 onto the mounting flange 3. The locking method of the expansion nut 2 and the tightening part 322 ensures that the lens barrel 1 is subjected to uniform force in all directions when locked, maintaining coaxiality with the mounting flange 3, thus achieving axial consistency between the optical system and the movement 4, avoiding defocusing problems caused by misalignment. Furthermore, this locking method improves the vibration and impact resistance of the movement 4 and the lens barrel 1, further preventing defocusing problems.

[0030] To facilitate tightening of the expansion nut 2, a mounting hole 21 can be provided on the circumferential wall of the expansion nut 2. This mounting hole 21 can be used to install a rotating fixture, so that the expansion nut 2 and the connecting cylinder 32 can be locked together by a threaded connection through the rotating fixture. The mounting hole 21 can be, for example, a through hole. The mounting hole 21 is located on the circumferential wall of the locking section 23. There can be one, two, or more mounting holes 21. Providing two or more mounting holes 21 makes it easier to quickly tighten the expansion nut 2. The rotating fixture can be, for example, a wrench. Inserting the wrench into the mounting hole 21 and pushing the wrench will lock the expansion nut 2 and the connecting cylinder 32 together.

[0031] This application also provides an imaging device, including the lens locking structure of the above embodiment, and further including an optical lens disposed inside the lens barrel 1. This imaging device may be, for example, an infrared imaging device such as an infrared thermal imager, and the mechanism 4 may be, for example, an infrared mechanism.

[0032] The lens locking structure and imaging device provided in this application embodiment achieve locking between the lens barrel and the mounting flange of the camera mechanism through expansion, effectively preventing the lens barrel from going out of focus during the locking process. This improves the vibration and shock resistance of the infrared device lens, avoiding instability caused by vibration and impact. Simultaneously, it reduces the overall outer envelope of the camera mechanism and lens barrel, resulting in a compact structure. The lens locking structure provided in this application embodiment utilizes the principle of expansion to lock the camera mechanism lens. This device has the advantages of compact structure, high coaxiality between the lens and the camera mechanism, and strong vibration and shock resistance, greatly improving locking reliability, reducing the risk of lens going out of focus, and reducing the outer envelope size of the camera mechanism, which is beneficial for the development of thinner and lighter imaging devices.

[0033] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Unless otherwise specified, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes that element.

[0034] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A lens locking structure, characterized in that, The system includes a lens barrel (1), a mounting flange (3), and a tightening nut (2). The mounting flange (3) includes a connecting tube (32), which includes a fixing part (321) and a tightening part (322). The tightening part (322) is located close to the lens barrel (1). One end of the lens barrel (1) is inserted into the connecting tube (32) and is detachably connected to the fixing part (321). The tightening nut (2) is sleeved on the outside of the connecting tube (32). One end of the tightening nut (2) is fixedly connected to the outer wall of the connecting tube (32), and the other end presses the tightening part (322) to tighten the tightening part (322) toward the center of the connecting tube (32) to lock the lens barrel (1).

2. The lens locking structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The mounting flange (3) also includes a flange portion (31), which surrounds the periphery of the end of the fixing portion (321); the connecting cylinder (32) has a plurality of strip grooves (323) axially formed at one end away from the flange portion (31) to form the tightening portion (322).

3. The lens locking structure as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The outer diameter of the tightening part (322) is uniform, and the outer diameter of the tightening part (322) is smaller than the outer diameter of the fixing part (321).

4. The lens locking structure as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The tightening part (322) has a tapered surface on its outer surface near the end. The outer diameter of the tapered surface gradually decreases from the fixing part (321) toward the tightening part (322), and the maximum outer diameter of the tapered surface is not greater than the outer diameter of the fixing part (321).

5. The lens locking structure as described in claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, The expansion nut (2) includes a connecting section (22) and a locking section (23) connected together. The connecting section (22) is provided with an internal thread, and the outer surface of the fixing part (321) is provided with an external thread. The internal thread of the connecting section (22) and the external thread of the fixing part (321) are threadedly connected. The inner wall surface of the locking section (23) is a conical surface, and the inner diameter of the locking section (23) gradually decreases from the connecting section (22) to the locking section (23).

6. The lens locking structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The expansion nut (2) has a mounting hole (21) on its circumferential wall. The mounting hole (21) is used to install a rotating fixture so that the expansion nut (2) and the connecting cylinder (32) can be locked together by a threaded connection through the rotating fixture.

7. The lens locking structure as described in claim 2, characterized in that, It also includes a movement (4), which is mounted on the flange (31) at the end away from the lens barrel (1).

8. The lens locking structure as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The outer wall of the lens barrel (1) is provided with an external thread, and the inner wall of the fixing part (321) is provided with an internal thread that matches it. The lens barrel (1) and the fixing part (321) are connected by threads to form the detachable connection.

9. An imaging device, characterized in that, Includes the lens locking structure as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The imaging device as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The imaging device is an infrared imaging device; the mechanism (4) is an infrared mechanism.

Images