Camera module and optical device including same

Abstract

A camera module according to an embodiment includes a lens driving device including an accommodation space and a lens barrel arranged in the accommodation space of the lens driving device, wherein the lens barrel includes a first coupling portion, the lens driving device includes a second coupling portion, the first coupling portion includes a first magnet, and the second coupling portion includes a second magnet corresponding to the first magnet.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The embodiments relate to a camera module, and more particularly to a camera module with improved coupling reliability between a lens barrel and a lens driving device, and an optical apparatus including the same. [Background technology]

[0002] As various types of mobile terminals have become widely used and wireless Internet services have become commercially available, consumer needs related to mobile terminals have become more diverse, and as a result, various types of additional devices have been installed on mobile terminals.

[0003] Among these, a camera module is a representative example that can take a photograph or video of a subject, store the image data, and then edit and transmit the data as needed.

[0004] In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for compact camera modules for a wide variety of multimedia applications, including notebook personal computers, camera phones, PDAs, smartphones, and toys, as well as for image input devices such as information terminals for surveillance cameras and video tape recorders.

[0005] As the pixel size of sensors applied to such camera modules becomes smaller and the height of the modules becomes lower, the development of a mounting structure to ensure the mechanical reliability of the camera module, such as managing the inflow of foreign matter and tilt and shift of the lens optical axis, is becoming a very important topic.

[0006] In camera modules where the lens barrel and bobbin are threadedly connected, friction between the male and female threads can generate foreign matter during focusing adjustment, which can degrade image quality. Therefore, screwless camera modules are being developed.

[0007] However, when epoxy or the like is used to assemble the lens barrel in the process of manufacturing a camera module having a screwless type lens barrel, the epoxy that has penetrated between the lens barrel and the bobbin may continue to move downward and transfer to the image area, which may cause foreign matter defects.

[0008] Furthermore, camera modules that include unthreaded lens barrels may experience reliability issues depending on the amount of epoxy used to assemble the lens barrel.

[0009] For example, if the amount of epoxy is less than the standard amount, the bonding strength between the lens barrel and the bobbin may be weakened, resulting in the lens barrel separating from the bobbin.Furthermore, if the amount of epoxy is less than the standard amount, the accuracy of the movement position of the lens barrel may be reduced when performing autofocus or image stabilization operations.

[0010] Furthermore, if the amount of epoxy is greater than the standard amount, the resolution of the lens may change during the curing process of the epoxy. For example, shrinkage may occur during the curing process of the epoxy, causing a change in the shape of the lens barrel. Furthermore, as the shape of the lens barrel changes, problems may occur such as lens curvature or misalignment of the assembly structure between the lens barrel and the lens, which may result in a misalignment of the optical axis of the lens.

[0011] Furthermore, if the lens barrel rotates from the bobbin of the lens driving device after the lens driving device and the lens barrel are coupled, the resolution of the camera module may change. Therefore, it is important to consider the coupling position when coupling the lens driving device and the lens barrel.

[0012] Conventionally, vision is used to determine the bonding position, but the rotation range that vision can control is about 10 degrees, which can cause errors in the vision to cause deviations in the bonding position, which can then lead to positional deviations during the subsequent bonding process using epoxy.

[0013] Furthermore, with the conventional structure, it is difficult to manage rotation between the lens barrel and the lens drive device within one degree, which results in the lens barrel not being able to be coupled in the correct position, resulting in a problem of reduced reliability. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0014] The embodiments provide a camera module and an optical apparatus including the same that can improve the accuracy of the coupling position between the lens barrel and the lens driving device.

[0015] Furthermore, the embodiments provide a camera module that can automatically align the lens barrel and the lens driving device in the optical axis direction, and an optical apparatus that includes the camera module.

[0016] Furthermore, the embodiments provide a camera module that can simplify the process of connecting the lens barrel and the lens driving device, and an optical device including the camera module.

[0017] Furthermore, the embodiments provide a camera module and an optical device including the same that allow easy confirmation of the amount of adhesive material applied between the lens barrel and the lens driving device.

[0018] In addition, the present invention provides a camera module and an optical device including the same that can easily adjust the amount of adhesive material applied between the lens barrel and the lens driving device.

[0019] The technical problems to be solved in the embodiments are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by a person skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains from the following description. [Means for solving the problem]

[0020] The camera module of the first embodiment includes a lens driving device including an accommodation space and a lens barrel arranged in the accommodation space of the lens driving device, wherein the lens barrel includes a first coupling portion, the lens driving device includes a second coupling portion, the first coupling portion includes a first magnet, and the second coupling portion includes a second magnet corresponding to the first magnet.

[0021] The first magnet is positioned above the second magnet, and the center of the first magnet and the center of the second magnet are aligned in the optical axis direction.

[0022] The lens barrel also includes a first flange portion, a protrusion protruding outward from the outer surface of the first flange portion, and a first insertion groove provided on the underside of the protrusion, and the first magnet is disposed in the first insertion groove.

[0023] The lens driving device also includes a second flange portion, a recessed portion provided on the second flange portion and corresponding to the protrusion, and a second insertion groove provided on the bottom surface of the recessed portion and aligned with the first insertion groove on the optical axis, and the second magnet is disposed in the second insertion groove.

[0024] The lens driving device also includes a bobbin that includes the accommodating space and has a coil of the driving unit arranged on its outer peripheral surface, and a housing that is arranged outside the bobbin and to which a driving magnet of the driving unit corresponding to the coil is connected, and the second flange portion, the recessed portion, and the second insertion groove are provided on the inner side of the bobbin.

[0025] The first coupling portion further includes a first yoke disposed on the protrusion at a distance from the first magnet and around the first magnet, the first yoke surrounding the first magnet, the first yoke surrounding an outer surface of the first magnet that faces the driving magnet.

[0026] The second coupling portion further includes a second yoke disposed in the recess away from the second magnet and around the second magnet, the second yoke surrounding the second magnet, the second yoke surrounding an outer surface of the second magnet that faces the driving magnet.

[0027] In addition, the protrusions are provided in plurality on an outer surface of the first flange portion, the first coupling portion includes a plurality of first magnets respectively provided on the plurality of protrusions, the recessed portion has a plurality of recessed portions corresponding to the plurality of protrusions, and the second coupling portion is aligned with the plurality of first magnets along the optical axis and is respectively provided in the plurality of recessed portions.

[0028] Furthermore, the planar area of ​​the first magnet is different from the planar area of ​​the second magnet.

[0029] Furthermore, the planar area of ​​the first magnet is smaller than the planar area of ​​the second magnet.

[0030] The camera module also includes a lens disposed within the lens barrel, the lens including a preformed lens.

[0031] The lens driving device further includes an adhesive member disposed between the lens barrel and the lens driving device.

[0032] The lens barrel also includes a step portion connected to the first flange portion and in contact with the adhesive member, and the step portion includes a first portion having a first inclination angle in the optical axis direction, and a second portion connected to an upper end of the first portion and having a second inclination angle in the optical axis direction that is different from the first inclination angle.

[0033] The camera module of the second embodiment includes a lens driving device including an accommodation space, a lens barrel arranged in the accommodation space of the lens driving device, and a connecting member that connects the lens driving device and the lens barrel, wherein the lens barrel includes a first metal member, the lens driving device includes a second metal member, and the connecting member is arranged on the first metal member and the second metal member.

[0034] Additionally, each of the first metal member and the second metal member includes a non-magnetic metal material.

[0035] The first metal member and the second metal member are coupled to the lens barrel and the lens driving device, respectively, by insert injection or double injection.

[0036] The lens barrel includes a first flange portion and a protrusion portion that protrudes outward from the first flange portion, and the first metal member includes a portion that is disposed on the protrusion portion.

[0037] The lens driving device also includes a bobbin, which corresponds to the first flange portion and includes a second flange portion having a step, and the second flange portion includes a first region in which the protrusion is seated, and a second region having a step with the first region and in which the second metal member is arranged.

[0038] In addition, the upper surface of the first metal member is exposed to the outside at the protrusion, the upper surface of the second metal member overlaps horizontally with the upper surface of the first metal member and is exposed to the outside from the bobbin, and the connecting member is arranged on the upper surface of the first metal member and the upper surface of the second metal member.

[0039] The camera module also includes a lens disposed within the lens barrel, the lens including a preformed lens.

[0040] The protrusion may be provided in plurality, and the first metal member may include a plurality of metal parts that are provided on the protrusions respectively and are not connected to each other.

[0041] Further, the protrusions are provided in plurality, and the first metal member includes a plurality of first metal parts provided on each of the plurality of protrusions and in contact with the connecting member, and a second metal part arranged within the lens barrel and connecting the plurality of first metal parts.

[0042] The bonding member includes solder, and the first metal member and the second metal member are bonding pads to which the solder is bonded.

[0043] The camera module of the third embodiment includes a lens driving device including an accommodation space, a lens barrel arranged in the accommodation space of the lens driving device, a reinforcing frame inserted into the lens barrel, and an adhesive member arranged between the inner surface of the lens driving device and the outer surface of the lens barrel, at least a portion of which contacts the reinforcing frame.

[0044] The reinforcing frame includes a metal material.

[0045] In addition, the metal material of the reinforcing frame is a non-magnetic material.

[0046] The reinforcing frame is coupled to the lens barrel by insert injection or double injection.

[0047] The lens barrel includes a first flange portion and a protrusion portion that protrudes outward from an outer surface of the first flange portion, and the reinforcing frame includes a portion that is disposed on the protrusion portion.

[0048] Additionally, the outer surface of the portion of the reinforcing frame contacts the adhesive member.

[0049] The protrusion may be provided in a plurality, and the reinforcing frame may include a plurality of reinforcing parts provided on the protrusions, respectively, and not connected to each other.

[0050] Further, the protrusions are provided in plurality, and the reinforcing frame includes a plurality of first reinforcing parts provided on each of the plurality of protrusions and in contact with the adhesive member, and a second reinforcing part arranged within the lens barrel and connecting the plurality of first reinforcing parts.

[0051] The lens module has an outer peripheral surface provided with an inwardly recessed receiving groove, and the reinforcing frame is disposed in the receiving groove along the circumferential direction of the outer peripheral surface of the lens module.

[0052] The lens driving device also includes a bobbin including the accommodating space, and the bobbin includes a second flange portion and a recessed portion provided on the second flange portion and corresponding to the protruding portion.

[0053] The camera module also includes a lens disposed within the lens barrel, the lens including a preformed lens.

[0054] The lens barrel also includes a step portion connected to the first flange portion and in contact with the adhesive member, and the step portion includes a first portion having a first inclination angle in the optical axis direction, and a second portion connected to an upper end of the first portion and having a second inclination angle in the optical axis direction that is different from the first inclination angle.

[0055] A camera module according to a fourth embodiment includes a lens driving device including an accommodation space and a lens barrel arranged in the accommodation space of the lens driving device, wherein the lens barrel includes a first flange portion, a protrusion protruding outward from an outer surface of the first flange portion, and a first coupling portion provided on the protrusion, and the lens driving device includes a second flange portion, a recessed portion provided on the second flange portion and corresponding to the protrusion, and a second coupling portion provided on the recessed portion and corresponding to the first coupling portion, wherein one of the first coupling portion and the second coupling portion includes a through hole, and the other of the first coupling portion and the second coupling portion includes a protrusion corresponding to the through hole.

[0056] The lens driving device also includes a bobbin that includes the accommodating space and has a first coil arranged on its outer peripheral surface, and a housing that is arranged outside the bobbin and to which a first magnet corresponding to the first coil is connected, and the second flange portion, the recessed portion, and the second connecting portion are provided on an inner portion of the bobbin.

[0057] Moreover, each of the first coupling portion and the second coupling portion includes a region whose width changes in the optical axis direction.

[0058] Furthermore, the width of each of the first and second coupling portions gradually increases from the bottom to the top.

[0059] In addition, the protrusions are provided in multiple numbers on the outer surface of the first flange portion, the first coupling portions are provided on each of the multiple protrusions, and the recesses and second coupling portions are provided in multiple numbers on the second flange portion corresponding to the multiple protrusions and the multiple first coupling portions.

[0060] The first coupling portion includes a through hole, and the second coupling portion includes a protrusion, the through hole being connected to an outer surface of the protrusion, and the protrusion being connected to an inner surface of the second flange portion.

[0061] The first coupling portion includes a through hole, and the second coupling portion includes a protrusion, the through hole being spaced apart from an outer surface of the protrusion, and the protrusion being spaced apart from an inner surface of the second flange portion.

[0062] Additionally, the curvature or radius of curvature of the first coupling portion is different from the curvature or radius of curvature of the second coupling portion.

[0063] Further, the first connecting portion includes a through hole, the second connecting portion includes a protrusion, the curvature of the inner surface of the through hole of the first connecting portion is greater than the curvature of the outer surface of the protrusion of the second connecting portion, and the radius of curvature of the inner surface of the through hole of the first connecting portion is smaller than the radius of curvature of the outer surface of the protrusion of the second connecting portion.

[0064] The camera module also includes a lens disposed within the lens barrel, the lens including a preformed lens.

[0065] The camera module further includes an adhesive member disposed between the lens barrel and the lens driving device.

[0066] The lens barrel also includes a step portion connected to the first flange portion and in contact with the adhesive member, and the step portion includes a first portion having a first inclination angle in the optical axis direction, and a second portion connected to an upper end of the first portion and having a second inclination angle in the optical axis direction that is different from the first inclination angle. [Effects of the Invention]

[0067] A camera module according to an embodiment may include a lens barrel and a lens driving device. The lens barrel may include a first flange, and the lens driving device may include a bobbin including a second flange. The first flange may include a protrusion, and the second flange may include a recess corresponding to the protrusion.

[0068] The protrusion can improve the bonding strength between the lens barrel and the bobbin. For example, the protrusion can increase the contact area with an adhesive member formed between the lens barrel and the bobbin. For example, the adhesive member can fill the interior of the recess of the bobbin and surround the protrusion of the first flange of the lens barrel. The protrusion increases the contact area between the lens barrel and the adhesive member, allowing the lens barrel to be firmly bonded to the bobbin. For example, the adhesive member can surround the bottom, side, and top surfaces of the protrusion. This increases the contact area between the adhesive member and the lens barrel compared to a comparative example without the protrusion, thereby improving the bonding strength between the lens barrel and the bobbin through the adhesive member.

[0069] The plurality of protrusions may include first coupling portions. The first coupling portion may include a first magnet. Meanwhile, the recess may include a second coupling portion corresponding to the first coupling portion. The second coupling portion may be a second magnet corresponding to the first magnet. The lens barrel and the bobbin may be coupled using the first coupling portion and the second coupling portion. This allows the embodiment to easily determine the coupling position between the lens barrel and the bobbin and further improve the accuracy of the coupling position. Furthermore, the embodiment may solve the problem of the lens barrel rotating within the bobbin due to an adhesive disposed between the lens barrel and the bobbin. For example, the lens barrel may rotate within the bobbin during a curing process before or after the adhesive is applied. In this case, the embodiment allows the lens barrel and the bobbin to be coupled using the first coupling portion and the second coupling portion, thereby solving the problem of rotation during the adhesive application process. As a result, the embodiment can improve the precision of coupling between the lens barrel and the bobbin, thereby improving the resolution and the operational characteristics of the camera module.

[0070] Furthermore, since each of the first coupling portion and the second coupling portion is provided with a magnet, the center of the first coupling portion and the center of the second coupling portion can be aligned in the optical axis direction simply by placing the first coupling portion on the second coupling portion. Therefore, in the embodiment, the alignment process between the lens barrel and the bobbin in the optical axis direction can be performed automatically, thereby simplifying the process. Furthermore, in the embodiment, the alignment is performed automatically, thereby improving the alignment accuracy between the lens barrel and the bobbin in the optical axis direction. Through this, the embodiment can improve the operating characteristics of the camera module.

[0071] In addition, the lens barrel of the camera module in the embodiment includes a first step portion divided into multiple sections with different inclination angles. The first step portion is formed on an upper side of a first flange portion of the lens barrel, thereby allowing for easy adjustment of the amount of adhesive material formed between the lens barrel and the bobbin while easily grasping the amount of adhesive material. For example, in a camera module including a threadless lens barrel as in the embodiment, the amount of adhesive material used to assemble the lens barrel may affect the reliability of the camera module. For example, if the amount of adhesive material is less than the standard amount, the bonding strength between the lens barrel and the bobbin may weaken, resulting in the lens barrel separating from the bobbin. Furthermore, if the amount of adhesive material is less than the standard amount, the accuracy of the lens barrel's movement position may decrease during autofocusing or image stabilization. Furthermore, if the amount of adhesive material is more than the standard amount, the resolution of the lens may change during the curing process of the epoxy constituting the adhesive material. For example, shrinkage may occur during the curing process of the epoxy, causing the shape of the lens barrel to change. Furthermore, as the shape of the lens barrel changes, problems such as lens curvature and misalignment of the assembly structure between the lens barrel and the lens may occur, which may result in a problem of misalignment of the optical axis of the lens.

[0072] Accordingly, in an embodiment, a first step portion is formed on the outer surface of the lens barrel so that the amount of adhesive applied between the lens barrel and the bobbin can be easily determined and the amount of adhesive applied can be easily adjusted. The first step portion may have a step. That is, the first step portion may include a plurality of step portions. For example, the first step portion may include a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion. The first portion, the second portion, and the third portion may have different inclination angles in the optical axis direction. Accordingly, in an embodiment, the adhesive may cover only the first portion, the first portion and the second portion, or the first portion, the second portion, and the third portion, thereby making it possible to easily determine the amount of adhesive applied between the lens barrel and the bobbin and easily adjust the amount of adhesive applied.

[0073] In addition, in the embodiment, the bobbin may include a second step portion formed on the inner portion. The second step portion may allow for checking and adjusting the amount of adhesive material applied between the lens barrel and the bobbin. For example, the lens barrel may include a first step portion divided into three step portions. As a result, in the embodiment, the amount of adhesive material applied and checking may be performed in three stages based on the three step portions. However, the amount of adhesive material applied and checking may need to be performed in four or more stages depending on product specifications.

[0074] In this embodiment, a second step portion is formed on the bobbin. For example, the second step portion includes a first portion having a step with the inner portion and a second portion having a step with the first portion. In this case, the first portion of the second step portion may be positioned higher than the first step portion formed on the lens barrel. For example, the bottom end of the first portion of the second step portion may be positioned higher than the top end of the third portion of the first step portion of the lens barrel. This makes it possible to check and determine the amount of additional adhesive material to be applied via the first portion of the second step portion.

[0075] Furthermore, if an error occurs in the adjustment of the amount of adhesive applied, and a portion of the adhesive flows into the lens driving device, the lens barrel may not be driven normally. In this case, the second step portion of the bobbin includes a plurality of step portions, which allow the amount of adhesive applied to be checked and adjusted, and also prevent the adhesive from overflowing into the lens driving device.

[0076] In addition, in the embodiment, the lens barrel and the lens driving device may be coupled using a solder bonding method. Specifically, the lens barrel of the embodiment may include a first metal member. Furthermore, the bobbin of the lens driving device may include a second metal member corresponding to the first metal member. The first and second metal members may be used as bonding pads for bonding a coupling member such as solder. In the embodiment, the coupling member may be formed by bonding the first and second metal members using solder. As a result, in the embodiment, it is possible to minimize characteristic changes that occur when the lens barrel and the lens driving device are coupled.

[0077] Specifically, in the conventional technology, the lens barrel and the lens driver are connected using epoxy. When the epoxy is used, shrinkage and expansion occur during curing, which causes deformation of the lens barrel and changes in characteristics. In contrast, the embodiment can prevent changes in characteristics due to deformation of the lens barrel. As a result, the embodiment can prevent dimensional changes in the lens barrel and solve the problem of reduced resolution of the camera module due to the dimensional changes. As a result, the embodiment can improve the operating characteristics of the camera module.

[0078] In addition, in the embodiment, the rigidity of the lens barrel and the lens driving device can be improved by using the first metal member and the second metal member, thereby improving the movement accuracy of the lens barrel and / or the lens driving device.

[0079] In another embodiment, the camera module may include a lens barrel and a lens driving device. The lens barrel may include a first flange, and the lens driving device may include a bobbin including a second flange. The first flange may include a protrusion, and the second flange may include a recess corresponding to the protrusion.

[0080] The protrusion can improve the bonding strength between the lens barrel and the bobbin. For example, the protrusion can increase the contact area with an adhesive member formed between the lens barrel and the bobbin. For example, the adhesive member can fill the interior of the recess of the bobbin and surround the protrusion of the first flange of the lens barrel. The protrusion increases the contact area between the lens barrel and the adhesive member, allowing the lens barrel to be firmly bonded to the bobbin. For example, the adhesive member can surround the bottom, side, and top surfaces of the protrusion. This increases the contact area between the adhesive member and the lens barrel compared to a comparative example without the protrusion, thereby improving the bonding strength between the lens barrel and the bobbin through the adhesive member.

[0081] In the embodiment, the lens barrel may include a reinforcing frame made of a metal material. The reinforcing frame may be inserted into the lens barrel. The lens barrel and the reinforcing frame may be injection molded products manufactured by double injection or insert injection. The reinforcing frame may improve the rigidity of the lens barrel. The reinforcing frame may also prevent changes in the characteristics of the lens barrel. For example, the reinforcing frame may prevent changes in the characteristics of the lens barrel due to contraction and expansion that occur when an adhesive member hardens. As a result, the embodiment may prevent dimensional changes in the lens barrel, thereby solving the problem of reduced resolution of a camera module caused by such dimensional changes.

[0082] Meanwhile, at least a portion of the reinforcing frame may be exposed to the outer surface of the lens barrel. For example, the reinforcing frame may include a portion exposed through the outer surface of the protrusion of the lens barrel. At least a portion of an adhesive member applied to connect the lens driving device and the lens barrel may contact the reinforcing frame. The adhesive member may have a stronger adhesive strength with the reinforcing frame, which is made of a metal material, than with the lens barrel or the bobbin of the lens driving device, which are made of an insulating material. This may further increase the bonding strength between the lens barrel and the lens driving device in this embodiment.

[0083] Furthermore, in the embodiment, the adhesive member contacts the reinforcing frame of the lens barrel, thereby improving heat dissipation characteristics. For example, the reinforcing frame may not only improve the rigidity of the lens barrel, but also transfer heat generated in the lens barrel. As a result, the adhesive member can dissipate heat transferred via the reinforcing frame to the outside. As a result, the embodiment can improve the heat dissipation characteristics of the camera module and the operational reliability of the camera module.

[0084] Furthermore, in another embodiment, the first coupling portions provided on the plurality of protrusions may be recessed inward from the outer surfaces of the protrusions. The first coupling portions may be through-holes that penetrate the protrusions. The recesses may be provided with second coupling portions corresponding to the first coupling portions. The second coupling portions may be protrusions that are inserted into the through-holes. The lens barrel and the bobbin may be coupled using the first coupling portions and the second coupling portions. This allows the embodiment to easily determine the coupling position between the lens barrel and the bobbin and further improve the accuracy of the coupling position. Furthermore, the embodiment may solve the problem of the lens barrel rotating within the bobbin due to an adhesive disposed between the lens barrel and the bobbin. For example, the lens barrel may rotate within the bobbin during a curing process before or after the adhesive is applied. In this case, the embodiment allows the lens barrel and the bobbin to be coupled using the first coupling portions and the second coupling portions, thereby solving the problem of rotation during the adhesive application process. As a result, the embodiment can improve the precision of coupling between the lens barrel and the bobbin, thereby improving the resolution and the operational characteristics of the camera module.

[0085] Furthermore, the first coupling portion may have a shape and size corresponding to the second coupling portion. Preferably, the first coupling portion may have a radius of curvature smaller than that of the second coupling portion. The radius of curvature of the first coupling portion may refer to the radius of curvature of the inner surface of the first coupling portion. Accordingly, the curvature of the inner surface of the first coupling portion may be greater than the curvature of the outer surface of the second coupling portion. As a result, when the first coupling portion is inserted into the second coupling portion, the lens barrel can be rotated relative to the bobbin within a certain angle. As a result, in this embodiment, the rotation of the lens barrel on the bobbin can be controlled to within 1 degree. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0086] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a camera module according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a camera module according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] 2 is a cross-sectional view of the camera module of FIG. 1 taken along the line AA'. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 3. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a lens barrel according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the outer surface of the lens barrel of FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the lens barrel. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a lens driving device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of the inner surface of the bobbin in FIG. 8. [Figure 10] 2 is an enlarged view of a partial area of ​​the cross-sectional view of the camera module in FIG. 1 taken along the line AA'. [Figure 11] 2 is an enlarged view of a partial area of ​​the cross-sectional view taken along the line BB' in FIG. [Figure 12] 4A and 4B are diagrams illustrating the relationship between a first step portion of the lens barrel and a lens according to the embodiment. [Figure 13] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing the bonding strength between the lens barrel and the bobbin depending on the amount of adhesive material applied in the examples. [Figure 14-15] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing the degree of deformation of the lens barrel depending on the amount of adhesive material applied in the examples. [Figure 16-19] 10A and 10B are plan views showing modified examples of the first coupling portion, the second coupling portion, the lens barrel, and the bobbin according to the first embodiment. [Figure 20] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a camera module according to a second embodiment. [Figure 21] FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of a camera module according to a second embodiment. [Figure 22] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a lens barrel according to a second embodiment. [Figure 23-24]21 is a cross-sectional view of the lens barrel of FIG. 20 cut in the horizontal direction. [Figure 25] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a lens driving device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 26] FIG. 26 is an enlarged view of the inner surface of the bobbin of FIG. 25. [Figure 27] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the coupled state of the lens barrel and the lens driving device before the coupling member of the second embodiment is arranged. [Figure 28] 28 is a diagram showing a state in which the coupling member is arranged in the coupled state of FIG. 27. FIG. [Figure 29] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing deformation of a lens barrel in an epoxy bonding method of a comparative example. [Figure 30] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a lens barrel according to a third embodiment. [Figure 31] FIG. 31 is an enlarged view of the outer surface of the lens barrel of FIG. 30. [Figure 32-33] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the lens barrel of the third embodiment taken horizontally. [Figure 34] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a lens driving device according to a third embodiment. [Figure 35] FIG. 35 is an enlarged view of the inner surface of the bobbin of FIG. 34. [Figure 36] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing modified examples of the lens barrel and the reinforcing frame according to the third embodiment. [Figure 37] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a lens barrel according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 38] FIG. 38 is an enlarged view of the outer surface of the lens barrel of FIG. 37. [Figure 39] FIG. 10 is a plan view of a lens barrel according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 40] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a lens driving device according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 41] FIG. 41 is an enlarged view of the inner surface of the bobbin of FIG. 40. [Figure 42] FIG. 10 is a plan view of a lens driving device according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 43] FIG. 10 is a view showing the coupling between the lens barrel and the bobbin according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 44]FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a modified example of the lens barrel according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 45] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a modified example of the bobbin of the lens driving device according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 46] FIG. 46 is a view showing the lens barrel and the bobbin of the lens driving device according to FIGS. 44 and 45. [Figure 47] 1 is a perspective view of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment; [Figure 48] FIG. 48 is a diagram showing the configuration of the portable terminal shown in FIG. 47. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0087] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0088] However, the technical concept of the present invention is not limited to the several embodiments described, but may be realized in various different forms, and one or more of the components of the embodiments may be selectively combined or substituted within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention.

[0089] Furthermore, unless otherwise clearly defined and described, terms (including technical and scientific terms) used in the examples of the present invention are to be interpreted as meanings that can be commonly understood by a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention belongs, and commonly used terms such as predefined terms may be interpreted in light of the contextual meaning of the relevant art.

[0090] Furthermore, the terms used in the embodiments of the present invention are intended to describe the embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. In this specification, the singular form can also include the plural form unless otherwise specified, and when it is described as "A and (and) at least one (or more) of B and C," it can include one or more of all combinations of A, B, and C.

[0091] Furthermore, when describing components of embodiments of the present invention, terms such as "first," "second," "A," "B," "(a)," and "b" may be used. These terms are used merely to distinguish the component from other components, and do not limit the essence, order, or procedure of the components. Furthermore, when a component is described as being "coupled," "coupled," or "connected" to another component, it may include not only a case where the component is directly coupled or connected to the other component, but also a case where the component is "coupled," "coupled," or "connected" to the other component by another component or between the component and the other component.

[0092] Furthermore, when it is stated that something is formed or disposed "above (upper) or below (lower)" a component, the above (upper) or below (lower) refers not only to the case where two components are in direct contact with each other, but also to the case where one or more other components are formed or disposed between the two components. Furthermore, when it is expressed as "above (upper) or below (lower)," it can mean not only the upper direction but also the lower direction based on one component.

[0093] The optical axis direction used below can be defined as the optical axis direction of a lens coupled to a camera actuator or a camera module, and the vertical direction can be defined as the direction perpendicular to the optical axis.

[0094] The autofocus function used hereinafter can be defined as a function of automatically focusing on a subject by adjusting the distance to the image sensor by moving the lens in the optical axis direction according to the distance to the subject so that a clear image of the subject is acquired on the image sensor.

[0095] Meanwhile, autofocus can be referred to as AF (Auto Focus). Also, autofocus feedback CLAF (closed-loop auto focus) control can be defined as sensing the distance between the image sensor and the lens and controlling the lens position in real time through feedback in order to improve the accuracy of focus adjustment.

[0096] Furthermore, before describing the embodiments, the first direction may refer to the x-axis direction shown in the drawings, and the second direction may be a direction different from the first direction. For example, the second direction may refer to the y-axis direction shown in the drawings, which is perpendicular to the first direction. Furthermore, the third direction may be a direction different from the first and second directions. For example, the third direction may refer to the z-axis direction shown in the drawings, which is perpendicular to the first and second directions. Here, the third direction may refer to the optical axis direction.

[0097] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a camera module according to a first embodiment, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the camera module according to the first embodiment, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the camera module of FIG. 1 taken along the line A-A', and FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 3.

[0098] 1 to 4, the camera module 100 may include a lens 110, a lens barrel 120, a lens driving device 130, a filter 140, a holder 150, a circuit board 160, a reinforcing plate 170, an image sensor 180, and an adhesive member 190. Here, the camera module 100 may be expressed as an image capture device or a camera, and the holder 150 may be expressed as a sensor base. The lens driving device 130 may also be referred to as an actuator that drives the lens or the lens barrel.

[0099] Although not shown in the drawings, the camera module of the embodiment may further include a blocking member (not shown) disposed on the filter 140.

[0100] In addition, the camera module of the embodiment may further include an adhesive member (not shown) disposed between the holder 150 and the filter 140 .

[0101] The example camera module may also include a motion sensor (not shown), control elements (not shown), and connectors (not shown) disposed on the circuit board 160 .

[0102] The lens 110 or the lens barrel 120 may be attached to the lens driving device 130. Preferably, the lens 110 may be disposed in the lens barrel 120. The lens barrel 120 may be attached to the lens driving device 130.

[0103] Specifically, the lens driving device 130 may include a bobbin (described below). The lens barrel 120 may be coupled to the bobbin of the lens driving device 130. To this end, an adhesive member 190 may be disposed between the outer surface of the lens barrel 120 and the inner surface of the bobbin. The lens barrel 120 may be coupled to the bobbin of the lens driving device 130 via the adhesive member 190.

[0104] The lens driving device 130 can drive the lens barrel 120 in which the lens 110 is housed.

[0105] The lens 110 may be an optical system having three or more stacked lenses. The lens 110 may be an optical system having five or more stacked lenses. The lens 110 may be an optical system having eight or more stacked lenses. While the drawings illustrate the lens 110 as including eight lenses, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the lens 110 may have a stacked structure of fewer than eight lenses, or alternatively, may have a stacked structure of nine or more lenses. The lens 110 may include at least one plastic lens, or at least one glass lens and a plastic lens. The lens 110 according to an embodiment of the present invention may have more plastic lenses than glass lenses, or two or more plastic lenses. Here, the lens 110 may be stacked with plastic lenses and / or glass lenses. Here, the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the plastic material may be five or more times higher than that of the glass material, and the change in refractive index as a function of temperature (|dN / dT|) of the plastic material may be ten or more times higher than that of the glass material. Here, dN is the change in the refractive index of the lens, and dT is the change in temperature.

[0106] Preferably, the lens 110 may include a preformed lens, and in an embodiment, the coupling structure between the lens barrel 120 and the bobbin 132 may be maximized when the lens is a preformed lens.

[0107] That is, the preformed lens may have an asymmetric structure. The preformed lens may be sensitive to rotation, resulting in a change in resolution. Therefore, in this embodiment, rotation of the lens module may be prevented when the lens module is disposed in a lens driving device, thereby improving the operational characteristics of the camera module.

[0108] The camera module 100 may be either an AF (Auto Focus) camera module or an OIS (Optical Image Stabilizer) camera module. The AF camera module is capable of performing only the autofocus function, while the OIS camera module is capable of performing both the autofocus function and the OIS (Optical Image Stabilizer) function.

[0109] For example, the lens driving device 130 may be an AF lens driving device or an OIS lens driving device, where the meanings of "for AF" and "for OIS" may be the same as those described for the AF camera module and the OIS camera module.

[0110] For example, the lens driver 130 of the camera module 100 may be a lens driver for an OIS.

[0111] The lens driver 130 may include a housing 131 and a bobbin 132 disposed within the housing 131 and coupled to the lens barrel 120 .

[0112] Although not specifically shown in the drawings, the lens driving device 130 may include a first coil (not shown) disposed on the bobbin 132, and a magnet (not shown) disposed in the housing 131 and facing the first coil. The lens driving device 130 may also include at least one upper elastic member (not shown) coupled to an upper portion of the housing 131 and an upper portion of the bobbin 132, and at least one lower elastic member (not shown) coupled to a lower portion of the bobbin 132 and a lower portion of the housing 131.

[0113] The lens driving device 130 may also include a second coil (not shown) arranged under the bobbin 132 or the housing 131, a driving board (not shown) arranged under the second coil, and a base (not shown) arranged under the driving board.

[0114] Meanwhile, the bobbin 132 can also be called a "holder" to which the lens barrel 120 is coupled.

[0115] The lens driving device 130 may also include a cover member 133 coupled to the base and providing a space for accommodating the components of the lens driving device 130 together with the base.

[0116] In addition, the lens driving device 130 may further include a support member (not shown) that electrically connects the driving board and the upper elastic member and supports the housing 131 relative to the base. Each of the first coil and the second coil may be electrically connected to the driving board and may receive a driving signal (driving current) from the driving board.

[0117] For example, the upper elastic member may include a plurality of upper springs, the support member may include a support member connected to the upper springs, and the first coil may be electrically connected to the drive board via the upper springs and the support member. The drive board may include a plurality of terminals, some of which may be electrically connected to the first coil and / or the second coil, respectively.

[0118] The lens driving device 130 of the embodiment can move the bobbin 132 and the lens or lens barrel 120 coupled thereto in the optical axis direction by the electromagnetic force generated by the interaction between the first coil and the magnet. The electromagnetic force controls the displacement of the bobbin 132, the lens barrel 120 coupled to the bobbin 132, and the lens 110 coupled to the lens barrel 120 in the optical axis direction, thereby realizing AF drive.

[0119] In addition, the housing 131 of the lens driving device 130 may be moved in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis by an electromagnetic force generated by interaction between the second coil and the magnet, thereby realizing image stabilization or OIS driving.

[0120] For AF feedback driving, the lens driving device 130 of the camera module 100 may further include a sensing magnet (not shown) disposed on the bobbin 132 and an AF position sensor (e.g., a hall sensor (not shown)) disposed on the housing 131. The lens driving device 130 may also include a circuit board (not shown) disposed on the housing and / or base, on which the AF position sensor is disposed or mounted. In another embodiment, the AF position sensor may be disposed on the bobbin, and the sensing magnet may be disposed on the housing. The lens driving device 130 may also include a balancing magnet disposed on the bobbin 132 corresponding to the sensing magnet.

[0121] The AF position sensor can output an output signal according to the result of sensing the strength of the magnetic field of the sensing magnet accompanying the movement of the bobbin 132. The AF position sensor can be electrically connected to a drive board via the upper elastic member (or lower elastic member) and / or the support member. The drive board can provide a drive signal to the AF position sensor, and the output of the AF position sensor can be transmitted to the drive board.

[0122] A camera module according to another embodiment may include a housing coupled to and fixed to the lens or lens barrel 120 instead of the lens driving device 130 of FIG. 1, and the housing may be coupled to or attached to the upper surface of the holder 150. The housing attached or fixed to the holder 150 does not need to be moved, and the position of the housing may be fixed when attached to the holder 150.

[0123] The circuit board may be electrically connected to the coil and the AF position sensor, and a drive signal may be provided to each of the coil and the AF position sensor via the circuit board, and an output of the AF position sensor may be transmitted to the circuit board.

[0124] The holder 150 may be disposed below the lens driver 130 .

[0125] The filter 140 is mounted on a holder 150, and the holder 150 may have a seating portion on which the filter 140 is seated.

[0126] At this time, an adhesive member (not shown) may be applied between the holder 150 and the filter 140, and the holder 150 may be coupled or attached to the lens driving device 130 through the adhesive member. For example, the adhesive member may be disposed between the lower surface of the base constituting the lens driving device 130 and the upper surface of the holder 150 to bond them together. The adhesive member disposed between the holder 150 and the lens driving device 130 may also serve to prevent foreign matter from entering the inside of the lens driving device 130. For example, the adhesive member may be epoxy, a thermosetting adhesive, an ultraviolet curing adhesive, etc.

[0127] The filter 140 may be placed in a mounting portion of the holder 150. For example, the mounting portion of the holder 150 may be a protrusion that protrudes from the upper surface of the holder 150. For example, the mounting portion of the holder 150 may be in the form of a recess, cavity, or hole that is recessed from the upper surface of the holder 150.

[0128] The seating portion of the holder 150 may serve to prevent the lens 110 or the lower end of the lens barrel 120 from contacting or colliding with the filter 140 .

[0129] In this case, the protrusion of the holder 150 may be formed to protrude in the optical axis direction along the side surface of the filter 140. For example, the protrusion of the holder 150 may be disposed around the side surface of the filter 140 so as to surround the side surface of the filter 140.

[0130] The inner surface of the protrusion of the holder 150 may be provided to face the side surface of the filter 140, or they may be spaced apart from each other to ensure a processing tolerance that allows the filter 140 to be easily mounted inside the seating portion of the holder 150.

[0131] In addition, the upper surface of the protrusion of the holder 150 may be located higher in the optical axis direction than the upper surface of the filter 140. This is to prevent the lower end of the lens 110 or the lens barrel 120 from directly colliding with the filter 140 when the lens 110 or the lens barrel 120 moves in the optical axis direction after being attached to the lens driving device 130 or moves toward the filter 140 due to an external impact.

[0132] The shape of the protrusion of the mounting portion when viewed from above may be, but is not limited to, the same as the shape of the filter 140. In other embodiments, the shape of the protrusion of the mounting portion may be similar to or different from the shape of the filter 140.

[0133] The holder 150 may have an opening formed in the area where the filter 140 is mounted or disposed so that light passing through the filter 140 can be incident on the image sensor 180 .

[0134] For example, the opening can pass through the holder 150 in the optical axis direction, and can also be expressed as a "through hole."

[0135] For example, an opening can run through the center of holder 150 and can be provided in the seat, and the area of ​​the opening can be smaller than the area of ​​filter 140 .

[0136] The holder 150 is disposed on the circuit board 160 and can house the filter 140 therein. The holder 150 can support the lens driver 130 located thereon. The lower surface of the base of the lens driver 130 can be disposed on the upper surface of the holder 150.

[0137] For example, the lower surface of the base of the lens driving device 130 can be in contact with the upper surface of the holder 150 and can be supported by the upper surface of the holder 150 .

[0138] For example, filter 140 may be disposed within a mounting portion of holder 150. Filter 140 may serve to block light of a specific frequency band from passing through lens barrel 120 from entering image sensor 180. For example, filter 140 may be, but is not limited to, an infrared cut filter. For example, filter 140 may be disposed parallel to an xy plane perpendicular to optical axis OA.

[0139] The circuit board 160 may be disposed below the holder 150 , and the holder 150 may be disposed on the upper surface of the circuit board 160 .

[0140] The holder 150 may be attached or fixed to the upper surface of the circuit board 160 by an adhesive such as epoxy, a heat-curable adhesive, or an ultraviolet-curable adhesive. In this case, the adhesive may be disposed between the lower surface of the holder 150 and the upper surface of the circuit board 160.

[0141] The circuit board 160 may have a cavity 161 corresponding to the opening of the holder 150. The cavity 161 of the circuit board 160 may be in the form of a through-hole that passes through the circuit board 160 in the optical axis direction.

[0142] An image sensor 180 may be disposed within the cavity 161 of the circuit board 160 .

[0143] The reinforcing plate 170 is disposed under the circuit board 160, corresponds to the cavity 161 of the circuit board 160, and may include a protrusion 171 for mounting the image sensor 180 thereon.

[0144] The protrusion 171 may protrude in the optical axis direction from a region on the upper surface of the reinforcing plate 170. The image sensor 180 may be disposed on the upper surface of the protrusion 171 and exposed through the cavity 161 of the circuit board 160.

[0145] The image sensor 180 disposed on the upper surface of the protrusion 171 of the reinforcing plate 170 may be electrically connected to the circuit board 160 via the wire 21. For example, the wire 21 may connect the terminal 181 of the image sensor 180 to the terminal 162 of the circuit board 160.

[0146] The reinforcing plate 170 is a plate-shaped member having a predetermined thickness and hardness, and can stably support the image sensor 180 and prevent the image sensor from being damaged by external impact or contact.

[0147] In addition, the reinforcing plate 170 can improve the heat dissipation effect of dissipating heat generated from the image sensor to the outside.

[0148] For example, the reinforcing plate 170 may be made of a metal material with high thermal conductivity, such as, but not limited to, SUS, aluminum, etc. In other embodiments, the reinforcing plate 170 may be made of glass epoxy, plastic, synthetic resin, etc.

[0149] In addition, the reinforcing plate 170 is electrically connected to the ground terminal of the circuit board 160, and can therefore also serve as a ground for protecting the camera module from ESD (Electrostatic Discharge Protection).

[0150] The image sensor 180 may be a portion where light passing through the filter 140 is incident and an image contained in the light is formed.

[0151] The circuit board 160 may include various circuits, elements, a control unit, etc. to convert an image formed on the image sensor 180 into an electrical signal and transmit the signal to an external device. The circuit board 160 may have a circuit pattern formed thereon that is electrically connected to the image sensor and various elements.

[0152] The holder 150 may be expressed as a first holder, and the circuit board 160 may be expressed as a second holder.

[0153] The image sensor 180 can receive an image contained in the light incident via the lens driving device 130 and convert the received image into an electrical signal.

[0154] The filter 140 and the image sensor 180 may be spaced apart and disposed to face each other in the optical axis OA direction or the first direction.

[0155] Meanwhile, a blocking member (not shown) may be disposed on the upper surface of the filter 140. The blocking member may be expressed as a "masking portion."

[0156] For example, a blocking member may be disposed on an edge region of the top surface of filter 140 and may serve to block at least a portion of light passing through lens 110 or lens barrel 120 and incident toward the edge region of filter 140 from passing through filter 140. For example, the blocking member may be bonded or attached to the top surface of filter 140.

[0157] For example, the filter 140 may be formed in a quadrilateral shape when viewed in the optical axis direction, and the blocking members may be formed symmetrically with respect to the filter 140 along each side of the upper surface of the filter 140 .

[0158] In this case, the blocking member may be formed to have a certain width on each side of the upper surface of the filter 140 .

[0159] The blocking member may be made of an opaque material. For example, the blocking member may be provided as an opaque adhesive substance applied to the filter 140, or may be provided in the form of a film that adheres to the filter 140.

[0160] The filter 140 and the image sensor 180 may be arranged to face each other in the optical axis direction, and the blocking member may at least partially overlap with the terminals 162 and / or wires 21 arranged on the circuit board 160 in the optical axis direction.

[0161] The wires 21 and the terminals 162 may be formed of a conductive material, such as gold, silver, copper, or a copper alloy, and such conductive material may have light-reflecting properties. Light passing through the filter 140 may be reflected by the terminals 162 and the wires 21 of the circuit board 160. This reflected light may cause momentary glare, or a flare phenomenon, which may distort the image formed on the image sensor 180 or reduce the image quality.

[0162] The blocking member is positioned so that it overlaps at least partially with the terminal 162 and / or the wire 21 in the optical axis direction, thereby blocking light that has passed through the lens 110 or the lens barrel 120 and is directed toward the terminal 162 and / or the wire 21 of the circuit board 160, thereby preventing the occurrence of the above-mentioned flare phenomenon, and thereby preventing distortion of the image formed on the image sensor 180 and deterioration of image quality.

[0163] Meanwhile, a motion sensor (not shown) may be mounted or disposed on the circuit board 160, and the motion sensor may be electrically connected to a control element (not shown) via a circuit pattern provided on the circuit board 160.

[0164] The motion sensor outputs rotational angular velocity information according to the movement of the camera module 100. The motion sensor may be implemented as a two-axis or three-axis gyro sensor or an angular velocity sensor. The control element is mounted or disposed on the circuit board 160.

[0165] The circuit board 160 may be electrically connected to the lens driver 130. For example, the circuit board 160 may be electrically connected to a driver board of the lens driver 130.

[0166] For example, a drive signal may be provided to each of the first coil and the second coil of the lens driving device 130 via the circuit board 160, and a drive signal may be provided to the AF position sensor (or the OIS position sensor). In addition, an output of the AF position sensor (or the OIS position sensor) may be transmitted to the circuit board 160.

[0167] The connector 195 is electrically connected to the circuit board 160 and may include a port for electrically connecting to an external device.

[0168] A first adhesive member 175 may be disposed between the lower surface of the image sensor 180 and the reinforcing plate 170 , and the image sensor 180 may be attached or fixed onto the reinforcing plate 170 by the first adhesive member 175 .

[0169] In this case, the reinforcing plate 170 may be divided into a plurality of regions. For example, the reinforcing plate 170 may include a first region S1 and a second region S2. The first region S1 may be a region overlapping with the image sensor 180 in the optical axis direction OA. The first region S1 may be a region overlapping with the cavity 161 of the circuit board 160 in the optical axis direction OA. The first region S1 may be a region where the image sensor 180 is attached. The second region S2 may be a region where the second adhesive member 165 is disposed. The second region S2 may be a region overlapping with the circuit board 160 in the optical axis direction OA.

[0170] The protrusion 171 is located in the first region S1 of the reinforcing plate 170. The reinforcing plate 170 and the protrusion 171 may be integrally formed as a single plate.

[0171] The image sensor 180 may be attached or fixed to an upper surface of the protrusion 171. For example, at least a portion of the lower surface of the image sensor 180 may be in direct contact with the upper surface of the protrusion 171. That is, in the embodiment, the first adhesive member 175 may be selectively formed in an area of ​​the first region S1 where the protrusion 171 is not formed. As a result, at least a first portion of the image sensor 180 may be in direct contact with the protrusion 171, and at least a second portion of the image sensor 180 may be in direct contact with the first adhesive member 175. That is, the second portion of the image sensor 180 may be attached or fixed to the first adhesive member 175 while the first portion is supported by the protrusion of the reinforcing plate 170. As a result, in the embodiment, at least a portion of the image sensor 180 may be in direct contact with the protrusion 171 of the reinforcing plate 170, thereby minimizing warpage of the image sensor 180. In addition, in the embodiment, at least a portion of the image sensor 180 is in direct contact with the protrusion of the reinforcing plate 170, so that heat generated from the image sensor 180 can be efficiently transferred to the outside.

[0172] Therefore, in the embodiment, the area of ​​the image sensor 180 may be larger than the area of ​​the first adhesive member 175. That is, only a portion of the area of ​​the image sensor 180 may be in contact with the first adhesive member 175. That is, in the first embodiment, a first portion of the lower surface of the image sensor 180 may be in contact with the protrusion 171 of the reinforcing plate 170, and a second portion excluding the first portion may be in contact with the first adhesive member 175.

[0173] The first adhesive member 175 may be, but is not limited to, epoxy, a heat-curable adhesive, an ultraviolet-curable adhesive, an adhesive film, or the like.

[0174] In addition, a second adhesive member 165 may be disposed between the lower surface of the circuit board 160 and the upper surface of the second region S2 of the reinforcing plate 170, and the circuit board 160 may be attached or fixed to the reinforcing plate 170 by the second adhesive member 165. For example, the second adhesive member 165 may be, but is not limited to, epoxy, a thermosetting adhesive, an ultraviolet curing adhesive, or an adhesive film.

[0175] Meanwhile, the area of ​​the upper surface of the protrusion 171 may be smaller than the area of ​​the lower surface of the image sensor 180. For example, only a first portion of the lower surface of the image sensor 180 may be in contact with the protrusion 171. Thus, the area of ​​the upper surface of the protrusion 171 is smaller than the area of ​​the lower surface of the image sensor 180.

[0176] With respect to the lower surface of the reinforcing plate 170, the height of the upper surface of the protrusion 171 of the reinforcing plate 170 may be lower than the height of the upper surface of the circuit board 160 disposed on the reinforcing plate 170. For example, the reinforcing plate 170 may include a first region S1 and a second region S2, where the first region S1 may be a region where the image sensor 180 is attached and the second region S2 may be a region where the circuit board 160 is attached.

[0177] The first region S1 may include a 1-1 region S1-1 where the first adhesive member 175 is disposed and a 1-2 region S1-2 where the protrusion 171 is disposed. The 1-1 region S1-1 may have the same height as the second region S2.

[0178] The first region S1 of the reinforcing plate 170 may include a protrusion 171 that protrudes from the lower surface of the reinforcing plate toward the upper surface of the reinforcing plate based on the 1-1 region S1-1, and the image sensor 180 may be disposed on the upper surface of the protrusion 171.

[0179] For example, the 1-2 region S1-2 of the first region S1 of the reinforcing plate 170 may include a protruding portion 171 that protrudes further than the 1-1 region S1-1 and the second region S2 of the reinforcing plate 170.

[0180] The thickness T1 of the 1-2 region S1-2 of the reinforcing plate 170 is thicker than the thickness T2 of the 1-1 region S1-1 and the second region S2 (T1>T2). Since T1>T2, distortion of the upper surface of the protrusion 171 of the reinforcing plate 170 can be suppressed, and the flatness of the upper surface of the protrusion 171 can be improved. As a result, in this embodiment, the reliability of the image sensor 180 arranged on the upper surface of the protrusion 171 can be improved, and the optical performance of the camera module can be improved.

[0181] The second region S2 of the reinforcing plate 170 has a constant thickness, so that the embodiment may not be affected by the overall height of the camera module. Furthermore, since the image sensor 180 is disposed on the upper surface of the protrusion 171 in direct contact with the protrusion, the height difference between the upper surface of the circuit board 160 and the upper surface of the image sensor 180 is reduced, and the length of the wire between the circuit board 160 and the image sensor 180 is shortened, thereby improving the reliability of wire bonding.

[0182] The protrusion 171 of the reinforcing plate 170 may include a plurality of protrusions spaced apart from each other across the first-1 region S1-1 in the first region S1 of the reinforcing plate 170.

[0183] Meanwhile, in the embodiment, the lens barrel 120 housing the lens 110 and the bobbin 132 of the lens driver 130 may be coupled without threads. In recent years, in response to the trend toward higher performance camera modules, the tolerance for optical axis alignment is becoming more stringent, so the threadless coupling method may be more efficient than the thread coupling method.

[0184] In this threadless coupling method, the lens barrel 120 is inserted into the hollow portion of the bobbin 132 from above or below, and then the lens barrel 120 can be fixed to the bobbin 132 using an adhesive member 190 .

[0185] In this case, the lens barrel 120 may include a first coupling portion 126. The bobbin 132 may include a second coupling portion 135 corresponding to the first coupling portion 126.

[0186] The coupling part 126 may be a first magnetic body provided on the lens barrel 120. For example, the first coupling part 126 may be a magnet.

[0187] The coupling part 135 may be a second magnetic body provided on the bobbin 132. For example, the second coupling part 135 may be a magnet, but the embodiment is not limited thereto.

[0188] For example, the first coupling part 126 and the second coupling part 135 may be configured to generate an attractive force between each other. However, in this embodiment, the first coupling part 126 and the second coupling part 135 are coupled to each other when the centers of the first coupling part 126 and the second coupling part 135 are aligned in the optical axis direction. To this end, the first coupling part 126 and the second coupling part 135 may include magnets so that the first coupling part 126 and the second coupling part 135 are coupled to each other when their centers are aligned in the optical axis direction.

[0189] The lens barrel 120 may have a first insertion groove into which the first coupling part 126 is inserted. The bobbin 132 may have a second insertion groove into which the second coupling part 135 is inserted. Thus, the first coupling part 126 may be inserted and fixed in the first insertion groove. The second coupling part 135 may be inserted and fixed in the second insertion groove.

[0190] The lens barrel 120 and the bobbin 132 may be coupled together using the first coupling portion 126 and the second coupling portion 135. This allows the embodiment to easily determine the coupling position between the lens barrel 120 and the bobbin 132 and further improve the accuracy of the coupling position. Furthermore, the embodiment may solve the problem of the lens barrel 120 rotating within the bobbin 132 during the process of applying or curing an adhesive 190 between the lens barrel 120 and the bobbin 132. For example, the lens barrel 120 may rotate within the bobbin 132 before applying the adhesive 190 or during the curing process after applying the adhesive 190. In this case, the embodiment allows the lens barrel 120 and the bobbin 132 to be coupled together using the first coupling portion 126 and the second coupling portion 135, thereby solving the problem of rotation during the process of applying the adhesive 190. Thus, the embodiment can improve the precision of the coupling position between the lens barrel 120 and the bobbin 132, thereby improving the resolution and the operational characteristics of the camera module.

[0191] Meanwhile, with the lens barrel 120 and the bobbin 132 connected by the first connecting portion 126 and the second connecting portion 135, the adhesive member 190 can be applied between the inner surface of the bobbin 132 and the outer surface of the lens barrel 120, thereby firmly fixing the bobbin 132 and the lens barrel 120.

[0192] The adhesive member 190 may be made of thermosetting epoxy or UV epoxy and may be hardened by exposure to heat or UV. However, if the adhesive member 190 is made of thermosetting epoxy, it may be hardened by placing the bobbin 132 and the lens barrel 120 in an oven or by directly applying heat. If the adhesive member 190 is made of UV (ultraviolet) epoxy, it may be hardened by applying UV light to the adhesive member 190. The adhesive member 190 may be made of epoxy that can be hardened by both thermosetting and UV light, or it may be epoxy that can be hardened by selecting either thermosetting or UV light. The adhesive member 190 is not limited to epoxy, and any adhesive material that can fix the lens barrel 120 to the bobbin 132 may be used instead.

[0193] The lens barrel 120, the bobbin 132, and the connecting structure therebetween according to the embodiment will be specifically described below.

[0194] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the lens barrel according to the first embodiment, FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the outer surface of the lens barrel of FIG. 5, and FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the lens barrel.

[0195] 5 to 7, the lens barrel 120 according to the embodiment may include an opening 121 penetrating in the optical axis direction. The opening 121 may expose the lens 110 accommodated inside the lens barrel 120.

[0196] The lens barrel 120 may include a side portion. The side portion of the lens barrel 120 may have different inclination angles depending on the region. For example, the lens barrel 120 may have an outer diameter corresponding to the outer diameter of the lens 110 accommodated therein. However, in some embodiments, the lens barrel 120 may include a portion having an outer diameter for coupling between the lens barrel 120 and the bobbin 132, regardless of the outer diameter of the lens 110 accommodated therein.

[0197] For example, the lens barrel 120 may include a first flange portion 122 .

[0198] The first flange portion 122 may protrude outward from the outer surface of the lens barrel 120. The first flange portion 122 may refer to a portion of the lens barrel 120 having the largest outer diameter. The first flange portion 122 may function as a stopper that limits downward movement of the lens barrel 120 when the lens barrel 120 is assembled to the bobbin 132. For example, when the bobbin 132 and the lens barrel 120 are coupled together, the lens barrel 120 may enter the upper end of the bobbin 132 and move downward. In this case, the first flange portion 122 may limit downward movement of the lens barrel 120 within the bobbin 132. For example, the bobbin 132 may include a second flange portion (described below) that corresponds to the first flange portion 122 of the lens barrel 120. When the lens barrel 120 moves downward to the maximum extent within the bobbin 132, the first flange portion 122 of the lens barrel 120 can come into contact with the second flange portion of the bobbin 132, thereby restricting downward movement.

[0199] However, in the embodiment, the outer surface of the lens barrel 120 and the inner surface of the bobbin 132 do not directly contact each other. For example, there is no contact surface between the outer surface of the lens barrel 120 and the inner surface of the bobbin 132 that directly contacts each other. For example, an air gap of a certain width may be formed between the outer surface of the lens barrel 120 and the inner surface of the bobbin 132, and the adhesive member 190 may be provided to fill the air gap. As a result, the first flange portion 122 of the lens barrel 120 may not substantially directly contact the second flange portion of the bobbin 132.

[0200] Meanwhile, in an embodiment, a protrusion 122-1 may be formed on the first flange portion 122 of the lens barrel 120. The protrusion 122-1 may protrude outward from an outer surface of the first flange portion 122 of the lens barrel 120. A plurality of the protrusions 122-1 may be formed on the outer surface of the first flange portion 122. For example, the protrusions 122-1 may be formed to face each other around the optical axis in a first direction (e.g., x-axis direction) perpendicular to the optical axis. For example, the protrusions 122-1 may be formed to face each other around the optical axis in a second direction (e.g., y-axis direction) perpendicular to the optical axis and the first direction.

[0201] The protrusion 122-1 may function as a stopper for the first flange portion 122. For example, when the lens barrel 120 is assembled to the bobbin 132, if the lens barrel 120 moves downward to the maximum extent within the bobbin 132, the protrusion 122-1 may be received in a recess (described below) of the bobbin 132 and, together with the first flange portion 122, limit the downward movement of the lens barrel 120.

[0202] Furthermore, the protrusion 122-1 may improve the bonding strength between the lens barrel 120 and the bobbin 132. For example, the protrusion 122-1 may increase the contact area with the adhesive member 190 formed between the lens barrel 120 and the bobbin 132. For example, the adhesive member 190 may fill the inside of the recess 132-4 of the bobbin 132 and surround the protrusion 122-1 of the first flange portion 122 of the lens barrel 120. The protrusion 122-1 increases the contact area between the lens barrel 120 and the adhesive member 190, allowing the lens barrel 120 to be firmly bonded to the bobbin 132. For example, the adhesive member 190 may be formed to surround the bottom, side, and top surfaces of the protrusion 122-1. This increases the contact area between the adhesive member 190 and the lens barrel 120 compared to a comparative example that does not include the protrusion 122-1, thereby improving the bonding strength between the lens barrel 120 and the bobbin 132 by the adhesive member 190.

[0203] Meanwhile, different indicators (not shown) may be engraved on the plurality of protrusions 122-1. For example, different characters may be engraved on the plurality of protrusions 122-1. As a result, in this embodiment, when the bobbin 132 and the lens barrel 120 are coupled together, the coupling position of the lens barrel 120 can be accurately recognized, thereby improving the efficiency of the coupling process between the bobbin 132 and the lens barrel 120.

[0204] The plurality of protrusions 122-1 may be provided with first coupling portions 126. Preferably, the first coupling portions 126 may be provided on each of the plurality of protrusions 122-1. In this case, the number of the plurality of protrusions 122-1 may be four, and accordingly, the number of the first coupling portions 126 may also be four. However, the embodiment is not limited thereto. For example, in the embodiment, the first coupling portions 126 may be provided on only two protrusions 122-1 facing each other around the optical axis.

[0205] The first coupling portion 126 may be provided on the plurality of protrusions 122-1 facing the bottom surface of the recess of the bobbin 132. For example, the plurality of protrusions 122-1 may include a lower surface facing the bottom surface of the recess of the bobbin 132. A first insertion groove 122-1R may be provided on the lower surface of the protrusion 122-1.

[0206] The first coupling part 126 may be inserted into and fixed to a first insertion groove 122-1R provided on a lower surface of the protrusion 122-1. The first coupling part 126 may be a magnetic material. The first coupling part 126 may be a magnet. The first coupling part 126 may generate an attractive force together with the second coupling part 135. Therefore, the first coupling part 126 may be coupled to the second coupling part 135 with the centers of the optical axis directions aligned.

[0207] In one embodiment, the planar area of ​​the first coupling portion 126 may be the same as the planar area of ​​the second coupling portion 135 .

[0208] In another embodiment, the planar area of ​​the first coupling portion 126 may be different from the planar area of ​​the second coupling portion 135. Preferably, when the lens barrel 120 and the bobbin 132 are coupled together, the first coupling portion 126 is located above the second coupling portion 135. Accordingly, in this embodiment, the planar area of ​​the second coupling portion 135, which is located lower among the first coupling portion 126 and the second coupling portion 135, is set to be larger than the planar area of ​​the first coupling portion 126. Thus, in this embodiment, the centers of the first coupling portion 126 and the second coupling portion 135 can be easily aligned.

[0209] The lens barrel 120 may include a lower end 123 positioned below the first flange portion 122 with the first flange portion 122 at the center, and an upper end 124 positioned above the first flange portion 122.

[0210] The lower end 123 of the lens barrel 120 may have an outer diameter corresponding to the outer diameter of the lens 110 accommodated in the accommodation portion corresponding to the lower end 123 of the lens barrel 120 .

[0211] In addition, the upper end 124 of the lens barrel 120 may have an outer diameter corresponding to the outer diameter of the lens 110 accommodated in the accommodation portion corresponding to the upper end 124 of the lens barrel 120 .

[0212] In this case, the outer surfaces of the upper end 124 and the lower end 123 of the lens barrel 120 may have a certain inclination angle in the optical axis direction, but are not limited thereto.

[0213] The outer diameter of the upper end 124 of the lens barrel 120 may be smaller than the outer diameter of the first flange portion 122. The outer diameter of the upper end 124 of the lens barrel 120 may also be smaller than the outer diameter of the lower end 123 of the lens barrel 120. The outer diameter of the lower end 123 of the lens barrel 120 may also be larger than the outer diameters of the first flange portion 122 and the upper end 124.

[0214] Meanwhile, in the embodiment, a first step portion 125 may be formed between the first flange portion 122 and the upper end portion 124 of the lens barrel 120 .

[0215] The first step portion 125 is formed between the first flange portion 122 and the upper end portion 124 of the lens barrel 120 and may have a constant inclination angle in the optical axis direction. For example, the outer surface of the first step portion 125 may have a constant inclination angle in the optical axis direction. In this case, the outer surface of the first step portion 125 may include a first portion 125-1 having a first inclination angle and a second portion 125-2 having a second inclination angle different from the first inclination angle. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the outer surface of the first step portion 125 may include a third portion 125-3 having a third inclination angle different from the second inclination angle.

[0216] In the embodiment, the lens barrel 120 includes a first step portion 125 divided into a plurality of sections having different inclination angles.

[0217] The first step portion 125 is formed on the upper side of the first flange portion 122 of the lens barrel 120, thereby making it easy to grasp the amount of adhesive material 190 formed between the lens barrel 120 and the bobbin 132 and to easily adjust the amount of the adhesive material 190.

[0218] For example, in a camera module including a screwless lens barrel as in the embodiment, reliability problems may occur in the camera module depending on the amount of adhesive material 190 used to assemble the lens barrel.

[0219] For example, if the amount of adhesive material 190 is less than the standard amount, the bonding strength between the lens barrel 120 and the bobbin 132 may be weak, resulting in the lens barrel 120 becoming detached from the bobbin 132. Furthermore, if the amount of adhesive material 190 is less than the standard amount, the accuracy of the movement position of the lens barrel 120 may decrease during autofocusing or image stabilization. Furthermore, if the amount of adhesive material 190 is more than the standard amount, the resolving power of the lens 110 may change during the curing process of the epoxy constituting the adhesive material 190. For example, shrinkage may occur during the curing process of the epoxy, causing a change in shape of the lens barrel 120. Furthermore, as the shape of the lens barrel 120 changes, the lens 110 may be curved or the assembly structure between the lens barrel 120 and the lens 110 may become misaligned, resulting in a misalignment of the optical axis of the lens 110.

[0220] Accordingly, in this embodiment, a first step portion 125 is formed on the outer surface of the lens barrel 120 so that the amount of adhesive 190 applied between the lens barrel 120 and the bobbin 132 can be easily determined and the amount of adhesive 190 can be easily adjusted. The first step portion 125 may have a step. That is, the first step portion 125 may include a plurality of step portions. For example, the first step portion 125 may include at least two portions having different inclination angles. However, the embodiment is not limited thereto, and the first step portion 125 may include three or more step portions. That is, as shown in the drawings, the step portions that constitute the first step portion 125 may include a first portion 125-1, a second portion 125-2, and a third portion 125-3. The first portion 125-1, the second portion 125-2, and the third portion 125-3 may have different inclination angles in the optical axis direction. Therefore, in the embodiment, the adhesive material 190 can be configured to cover only the first portion 125-1, or to cover the first portion 125-1 and the second portion 125-2, or to cover the first portion 125-1, the second portion 125-2, and the third portion 125-3, thereby making it possible to easily grasp the amount of adhesive material 190 applied between the lens barrel 120 and the bobbin 132 and easily adjust the amount of adhesive material 190.

[0221] For example, when applying the adhesive material 190, the amount must be determined to maintain the bonding strength between the lens barrel 120 and the bobbin 132 while minimizing deformation of the lens barrel 120 and changes in the resolution of the lens 110 when the adhesive material 190 hardens.

[0222] However, in the case of the conventional lens barrel or bobbin, it is difficult to easily and intuitively grasp how much adhesive has been applied and how much more needs to be applied during the process of applying the adhesive.

[0223] Therefore, in this embodiment, a first step portion 125 is formed on the outer surface of the lens barrel 120 at the portion where the adhesive material 190 is applied, and the amount of adhesive material 190 to be applied can be easily grasped and adjusted using the first step portion 125.

[0224] For example, the first step portion 125 includes a first portion 125-1, a second portion 125-2, and a third portion 125-3 having different inclination angles.

[0225] The positions of the top ends of the first portion 125-1, the second portion 125-2, and the third portion 125-3 may be classified according to the amount of adhesive material 190 applied. For example, when the adhesive material 190 is applied up to the first portion 125-1, the amount of adhesive material 190 applied thereto may be "A," when the adhesive material 190 is applied up to the second portion 125-2, the amount of adhesive material 190 applied thereto may be "B," and when the adhesive material 190 is applied up to the third portion 125-3, the amount of adhesive material 190 applied thereto may be "C."

[0226] Accordingly, in the embodiment, when the application amount of the adhesive member 190 for preventing deformation of the lens barrel 120 and a change in the resolution of the lens 110 while maintaining the bonding strength between the lens barrel 120 and the bobbin 132 is "A" during the assembly process of the camera module 100, the application amount of the adhesive member 190 can be easily adjusted by applying the adhesive member 190 up to a position corresponding to the first portion 125-1. In this case, when the application amount of the adhesive member 190 is "A", the first portion 125-1 of the first step portion 125 is entirely covered by the adhesive member 190, so that the outer surface of the first portion 125-1 cannot be seen from the outside, but the outer surfaces of the second portion 125-2 and the third portion 125-3 of the first step portion 125 can be seen from the outside. In this embodiment, the application amount of the adhesive member 190 can be determined, the application amount of the adhesive member 190 can be checked and adjusted using the first step portion 125, and the adhesive member 190 can be formed according to the determined application amount. In this embodiment, the application amount of the adhesive member 190 can be easily checked and adjusted, ensuring ease of the bonding process between the lens barrel 120 and the bobbin 132. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the amount of the adhesive member 190 can be accurately adjusted by a predetermined amount, improving the bonding strength between the lens barrel 120 and the bobbin 132 and minimizing deformation of the lens barrel 120 and reduction in resolution of the lens 110 due to hardening of the adhesive member 190.

[0227] Meanwhile, the first inclination angle of the first portion 125-1 of the first step portion 125, the second inclination angle of the second portion 125-2, and the third inclination angle of the third portion 125-3 may each have an angle that approaches the inside of the lens barrel 120 as it moves upward.

[0228] Specifically, the outer diameter of the first portion 125-1 of the first step portion 125 of the lens barrel 120 may decrease upward. Also, the outer diameter of the second portion 125-2 of the first step portion 125 of the lens barrel 120 may decrease upward. Also, the outer diameter of the third portion 125-3 of the first step portion 125 of the lens barrel 120 may decrease upward. As a result, in this embodiment, it is easy to check from the outside whether the outer surfaces of the first portion 125-1, the second portion 125-2, and the third portion 125-3 are exposed depending on the amount of adhesive material 190 applied.

[0229] For example, if the first step portion 125 of the lens barrel 120 has an inclination angle such that the outer diameter increases upward, the first step portion 125 cannot be seen from the outside, and therefore the amount of adhesive material 190 applied cannot be easily confirmed.

[0230] Meanwhile, the first step portion 125 may have more than three step portions, but if the number of step portions is increased in the lens barrel 120, the thickness of the lens barrel 120 may become too thin toward the upper side, which may cause a problem that the lens 110 cannot be stably disposed therein. Therefore, in this embodiment, the first step portion 125 includes three step portions. However, the number of step portions formed in the lens barrel 120 may be increased or decreased depending on the number of lenses 110 accommodated in the lens barrel 120.

[0231] Meanwhile, in an embodiment, the outer diameters of the respective step portions of the first step portion 125 may be different from each other.

[0232] For example, the average outer diameter of the first portion 125-1 of the first step portion 125 may be larger than the average outer diameter of the second portion 125-2 of the first step portion 125. Furthermore, the average outer diameter of the third portion 125-3 of the first step portion 125 may be smaller than the average outer diameters of the first portion 125-1 and the second portion 125-2 of the first step portion 125. This makes it easy to check the amount of adhesive material 190 applied from the outside, and based on this, makes it easy to adjust the amount of adhesive material 190 applied.

[0233] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the lens driving device according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of the inner surface of the bobbin in FIG.

[0234] 8 and 9, the lens driving device 130 may include a bobbin 132. The bobbin 132 may include a hollow portion 132-1 in which the lens barrel 120 is accommodated. The bobbin 132 may include an inner surface facing an outer surface of the lens barrel 120. For example, the bobbin 132 may include a second flange portion 132-2. The second flange portion 132-2 may function as a stopper, together with the first flange portion 122 of the lens barrel 120, to limit the movement of the lens barrel 120 when the lens barrel 120 moves downward to its maximum within the hollow portion 132-1.

[0235] The bobbin 132 may include an inner portion 132-3 on the second flange portion 132-2. The inner portion 132-3 of the bobbin 132 may refer to an inner surface of the bobbin 132 that faces the first flange portion 122 and the first step portion 125 of the lens barrel 120.

[0236] The inner portion 132-3 of the bobbin 132 may include a recess 132-4 corresponding to the protrusion 122-1 formed on the first flange portion 122 of the lens barrel 120. When the lens barrel 120 moves downward to the maximum extent within the hollow portion of the bobbin 132, the recess 132-4 may come into contact with the protrusion 122-1 of the lens barrel 120 to restrict the downward movement of the lens barrel 120.

[0237] The recess 132-4 of the bobbin 132 may include a second coupling portion 135 corresponding to the first coupling portion 126. The second coupling portion 135 may be disposed on a bottom surface of the recess 132-4.

[0238] Specifically, a second insertion groove 132-4R may be formed in the bottom surface of the recess 132-4 of the bobbin 132. The second coupling portion 135 may be disposed in the second insertion groove 132-4R.

[0239] Meanwhile, the recesses 132-4 may be provided in plural. For example, the recesses 132-4 may include plural recesses 132-4 corresponding to the respective protrusions 122-1. The recesses 132-4 may be four in number, corresponding to the protrusions 122-1 in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis.

[0240] The inner portion 132-3 of the bobbin 132 may face the first stepped portion 125 of the lens barrel 120. A step may not be formed in a region of the inner portion 132-3 of the bobbin 132 facing the first stepped portion 125 of the lens barrel 120. However, the recessed portion 132-4 is formed in one region of the inner portion 132-3, and therefore, the region of the inner portion 132-3 where no step is formed may refer to a region excluding the region where the recessed portion 132-4 is formed.

[0241] For example, if a step is formed on the inner portion 132-3 of the bobbin 132 facing the first step portion 125 of the lens barrel 120, it may be necessary to check the amount of adhesive 190 to be applied on the step portion of the lens barrel 120 and the step of the inner portion 132-3 when adjusting the amount of adhesive 190 to be applied, which may make it difficult to accurately check and adjust the amount of adhesive 190 to be applied. Therefore, in this embodiment, no step is formed in a first region of the inner portion 132-3 of the bobbin 132 facing the first step portion 125 of the lens barrel 120, excluding the recess 132-4.

[0242] The amount of adhesive 190 applied is determined by a first step 125 formed on the lens barrel 120. At this time, the first step 125 has a limited area to stably support the lens 110 accommodated in the lens barrel 120.

[0243] Accordingly, in the embodiment, the bobbin 132 may include a second stepped portion 132-5 formed on the inner portion 132-3.

[0244] The second step portion 132-5 may allow the amount of adhesive 190 applied between the lens barrel 120 and the bobbin 132 to be checked and adjusted.

[0245] For example, the lens barrel 120 includes a first step portion 125 divided into three step portions. In this embodiment, the application amount and confirmation of the adhesive member 190 can be performed in three stages based on the three step portions. However, depending on the product specifications, the application amount and confirmation of the adhesive member 190 may need to be performed in four or more stages.

[0246] Through this, in the embodiment, the bobbin 132 is formed with a second step portion 132-5.

[0247] For example, the second stepped portion 132-5 includes a first portion 132-51 having a step with the inner portion 132-3 and a second portion 132-52 having a step with the first portion 132-51. In this case, the first portion 132-51 of the second stepped portion 132-5 may be positioned higher than the first stepped portion 125 formed on the lens barrel 120. For example, the bottom end of the first portion 132-51 of the second stepped portion 132-5 may be positioned higher than the top end of the third portion 125-3 of the first stepped portion 125 of the lens barrel 120. For this reason, the amount of application of the additional adhesive member 190 can be determined and confirmed via the first portion 132-51 of the second stepped portion 132-5.

[0248] Furthermore, if a portion of the adhesive 190 flows into the lens driving device 130 due to an error in the application amount of the adhesive 190, the lens barrel 120 may not be driven normally.

[0249] The second step portion 132-5 of the bobbin 132 includes a plurality of step portions, through which the amount of adhesive material 190 to be applied can be checked and adjusted, and the adhesive material 190 can be prevented from overflowing into the lens driving device 130.

[0250] The coupling structure between the lens barrel 120 and the bobbin 132 will be described as follows. A protrusion 122-1 may be provided on a first flange portion of the lens barrel 120. A first insertion groove 122-1R may be provided on a lower surface of the protrusion 122-1. A first coupling portion 126 may be inserted into and fixed to the first insertion groove 122-1R.

[0251] The bobbin 132 may have a recess 132-4. The recess 132-4 may correspond to the protrusion 122-1 of the lens barrel 120. A second insertion groove 132-4R may be formed on the bottom surface of the recess 132-4 of the bobbin 132. The second coupling part 135 may be inserted into and fixed to the second insertion groove 132-4R.

[0252] When the protrusion 122-1 is seated in the recess 132-4 with the lens barrel 120 disposed in the receiving space of the bobbin 132, mutual coupling may be achieved by magnetism acting on the first coupling part 126 and the second coupling part 135. At this time, the center of the first coupling part 126 and the center of the second coupling part 135 may be automatically aligned in the optical axis direction by the magnetism. As a result, this embodiment may omit a separate process for the alignment, thereby achieving process simplification.

[0253] 10 is an enlarged view of a partial area of ​​the cross section of the camera module in FIG. 1 taken along the line AA', and FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of a partial area of ​​the cross section of FIG. 1 taken along the line BB'.

[0254] 10, in this embodiment, an adhesive member 190 may be applied between the outer surface of the lens barrel 120 and the inner surface of the bobbin 132. In this case, the outer surface of the lens barrel 120 includes a first flange portion 122 and a first step portion 125.

[0255] The inner surface of the bobbin 132 includes an inner portion 132-3 facing the outer surfaces of the first flange portion 122 and the first step portion 125. In this embodiment, when the adhesive material 190 is applied between the first flange portion 122 and the first step portion 125 of the lens barrel 120 and the inner portion 132-3 of the bobbin 132, the adhesive material 190 can be divided into a first stage (applied only up to the top end of the first flange portion) in which the adhesive material 190 completely exposes the first step portion 125, a second stage in which the adhesive material 190 is applied up to a first portion 125-1 of the first step portion 125, a third stage in which the adhesive material 190 is applied up to a second portion 125-2 of the first step portion 125, and a fourth stage in which the adhesive material 190 is applied up to a third portion 125-3 of the first step portion 125. Therefore, in this embodiment, during the application of the adhesive material 190, the amount of application of the adhesive material 190 can be easily confirmed depending on whether the outer surface of each step portion of the first step portion 125 is exposed or not, and the amount of application of the adhesive material 190 can be easily adjusted based on this.

[0256] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a second step portion 132-5 is formed on the bobbin 132 in case the adhesive material 190 is applied excessively and overflows the lens driving device 130, or in case the amount of adhesive material 190 to be applied needs to be further adjusted.

[0257] 11, in this embodiment, the lens barrel 120 and the bobbin 132 may be coupled together by disposing the lens barrel 120 at a predetermined position within the hollow portion of the bobbin 132 using a coupling jig (not shown) and then applying the adhesive member 190. At this time, a predetermined air gap may exist between the outer surface of the lens barrel 120 and the inner surface of the bobbin 132, and the adhesive member 190 may be applied across the air gap.

[0258] At this time, the protrusion 122-1 of the first flange portion 122 of the lens barrel 120 and the recessed portion 132-4 of the bobbin 132 may be in direct contact with each other, but in the embodiment, there is an air gap of a certain space between the protrusion 122-1 and the recessed portion 132-4.

[0259] As a result, the adhesive member 190 may be applied to surround the upper surface, outer surface, and lower surface of the protrusion 122-1 of the lens barrel 120. This increases the contact area between the adhesive member 190 and the lens barrel 120, thereby improving the bonding strength between the lens barrel 120 and the bobbin 132, in this embodiment.

[0260] Meanwhile, in the drawing, an air gap also exists in a region A between the second flange portion 132-2 of the bobbin 132 and the lower end portion 123 of the lens barrel 120, and the adhesive member 190 may also be applied to the region A.

[0261] At this time, a first coupling portion 126 and a second coupling portion 135 may be disposed on the protrusion 122-1 and the depression 132-4, respectively. As a result, the lens barrel 120 and the bobbin 132 may be coupled to each other before the adhesive member 190 is applied. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent the lens barrel 120 from rotating from the bobbin 132 due to stress generated in the process of applying and / or curing the adhesive member 190.

[0262] FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between the first step portion of the lens barrel and the lens according to the embodiment.

[0263] Referring to FIG. 12, the lens barrel 120 includes first stepped portions 125 having different inclination angles.

[0264] In this case, the conventional lens barrel may also have multiple steps on its outer surface, but the steps of the conventional lens barrel are determined by the thickness of the lens accommodated therein, rather than being used to check and adjust the amount of adhesive material 190 applied, as in the embodiment.

[0265] For example, the steps on the outer surface of a conventional lens barrel are determined by the thickness of the multiple lenses housed inside. For example, the steps on the outer surface of a conventional lens barrel are formed to correspond to the multiple lenses housed inside the lens barrel. For example, if the lenses include a first lens, a second lens, and a third lens, the outer surface of the conventional lens barrel will have a first step overlapping the first lens in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis, a second step overlapping the second lens in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis, and a third step overlapping the third lens in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis.

[0266] In contrast, in this embodiment, the first step 125 of the lens barrel 120 is formed to check and adjust the amount of adhesive 190 applied, regardless of the lens 110 accommodated in the lens barrel 120 .

[0267] Thus, in the embodiment, the lens 110 accommodated in the lens barrel 120 may include a first lens 110a. In the embodiment, at least a portion of each of a first portion 125-1, a second portion 125-2, and a third portion 125-3 of the first step portion 125 of the lens barrel 120 may overlap the first lens 110a in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis. For example, in a typical lens barrel, only one step portion may be formed in an area H that overlaps one lens in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis, but in the embodiment, multiple step portions are formed in an area H that overlaps one lens in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis.

[0268] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the bonding strength between the lens barrel and the bobbin depending on the amount of adhesive material applied according to the example.

[0269] Case 1 in Figure 13 shows a case where adhesive material 190 is applied up to the first portion 125-1 of the first step portion 125 of the lens barrel 120, case 2 shows a case where adhesive material 190 is applied up to the second portion 125-2 of the first step portion 125 of the lens barrel 120, and case 3 shows a case where adhesive material 190 is applied up to the third portion 125-3 of the first step portion 125 of the lens barrel 120.

[0270] At this time, it was confirmed that the removal force measurement result for Case 1 was lower than the standard value of 15 kgf, while the removal force results for Cases 2 and 3 were higher than the standard value. Furthermore, it was confirmed that Case 2 had a higher removal force value than Case 3.

[0271] 14 and 15 show the degree of deformation of the lens barrel depending on the amount of adhesive material applied according to the example.

[0272] (a) of Figure 14 shows the degree of deformation of the lens barrel during the curing process (lens not contained) corresponding to case 1 of Figure 13, (b) of Figure 14 shows the degree of deformation of the lens barrel during the curing process (lens not contained) corresponding to case 2 of Figure 13, and (c) of Figure 14 shows the degree of deformation of the lens barrel during the curing process (lens not contained) corresponding to case 3 of Figure 13.

[0273] As shown in (a) to (c) of Figure 14, it was confirmed that the degree of deformation of the lens barrel for case 1 was approximately 0.02672 mm, for case 2 the degree of deformation of the lens barrel was approximately 0.02660 mm, and for case 3 the degree of deformation of the lens barrel was approximately 0.02619 mm.This confirmed that there was almost no deformation of the lens barrel when adhesive materials corresponding to cases 1 to 3 were applied.

[0274] 15 shows the degree of deformation of the lens barrel when adhesive member 190 corresponding to case 2 is applied to the lens barrel with the lens housed in it. As shown in FIG. 15, it was confirmed that the degree of deformation of the lens barrel is even lower when lens 110 is housed in lens barrel 120.

[0275] In the case of the product specifications of the camera module of the embodiment, the adhesive member 190 can be applied to the case 2 having a certain level of removal force or more and a low degree of deformation of the lens barrel. Based on this, in the embodiment, in the process of applying the adhesive member 190, the adhesive member 190 can be applied to a height such that the outer surface of the second portion 125-2 of the first step portion 125 of the lens barrel 120 is completely covered with the adhesive member 190, and the outer surface of the third portion 125-3 is completely exposed.

[0276] For example, in the embodiment, the adhesive member 190 may be formed to cover the outer surfaces of the first portion 125-1 and the second portion 125-2 of the first step portion 125, while exposing the outer surface of the third portion 125-3. For example, the adhesive member 190 may be applied only up to the upper end of the second portion 125-2 of the first step portion 125 of the lens barrel 120, thereby minimizing deformation of the lens barrel and changes in lens resolution while maintaining optimal bonding strength.

[0277] 16 to 19 are plan views showing modified examples of the first coupling portion, the second coupling portion, the lens barrel, and the bobbin according to the first embodiment.

[0278] 16 to 19, each of the first coupling part 126 and the second coupling part 135 may further include a member for preventing magnetic interference.

[0279] For example, the first coupling part 126 may include a first magnet 126-1, which may correspond to the first coupling part 126 of the first embodiment.

[0280] The first coupling part 126 may include a first yoke 126-2 disposed adjacent to the first magnet 126-1. The first yoke 126-2 may be spaced apart from the first magnet 126-1 by a predetermined distance. The first yoke 126-2 may be disposed to surround at least a portion of the outer surface of the first magnet 126-1.

[0281] Preferably, the first yoke 126-2 may be provided to surround at least a portion of the outer surface of the first magnet 126-1 at a position spaced apart from the first magnet 126-1.

[0282] Specifically, the lens driving device 130 may include a driving unit. The driving unit may provide a driving force for moving the lens barrel 120 relative to the bobbin 132. For example, the driving unit may include a coil and a driving magnet. The driving magnet interacts with the coil to generate a driving force for moving the lens barrel 120 to a precise position. If other magnetic materials are present around the driving magnet, the driving force may vary, which may reduce the positional accuracy of the lens barrel 120.

[0283] Accordingly, the first coupling part 126 of the embodiment may include a first magnet 126-1 and a first yoke 126-2. The first yoke 126-2 may be provided between the first magnet 126-1 and the driving magnet, thereby minimizing magnetic interference between the first magnet 126-1 and the driving magnet.

[0284] In this case, the yoke 126-2 may be disposed around the outer surface of the first magnet 126-1 that faces the driving magnet. Meanwhile, the protrusion 122-1 of the lens barrel 120 may be provided with a first insertion groove 122-1R into which the first magnet 126-1 is inserted, as well as an insertion groove into which the first yoke 126-2 is inserted.

[0285] Meanwhile, the second coupling part 135 may include a second magnet 135-1 and a second yoke 135-2.

[0286] The second yoke 135-2 may be disposed at a position spaced apart from the second magnet 135-1 and surround at least a portion of the outer surface of the second magnet 135-1. For example, the second yoke 135-2 may be disposed around the outer surface of the second magnet 135-1 that faces the driving magnet.

[0287] As a result, the embodiment can prevent a change in the driving force of the driving unit of the lens driving device 130 from occurring due to the first coupling unit 126 and the second coupling unit 135. As a result, the embodiment can improve the operating characteristics of the camera module.

[0288] The second embodiment will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Components that are the same as or correspond to those described in the previous embodiment will be given different reference numerals, and redundant descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0289] 20 is a perspective view of a camera module according to the second embodiment, FIG. 21 is an exploded perspective view of the camera module according to the second embodiment, FIG. 22 is a perspective view of a lens barrel according to the second embodiment, FIGS. 23 and 24 are cross-sectional views of the lens barrel of FIG. 20 cut horizontally, FIG. 25 is a perspective view of a lens driving device according to the second embodiment, FIG. 26 is an enlarged view of the inner surface of the bobbin of FIG. 25, FIG. 27 is a diagram showing the connected state of the lens barrel and lens driving device of the second embodiment before the connecting member is arranged, FIG. 28 is a diagram showing the connected state of FIG. 27 with the connecting member arranged, and FIG. 29 is a diagram showing deformation of the lens barrel in the epoxy bonding method of the comparative example.

[0290] 20 and 21 , a camera module 1100 may include a lens 1110, a lens barrel 1120, a lens driver 1130, a filter 1140, a holder 1150, a circuit board 1160, a reinforcing plate 1170, an image sensor 1180, and a coupling member 1190. In this embodiment, the lens barrel 1120 housing the lens 1110 and the bobbin 1132 of the lens driver 1130 may be coupled without threads. In recent years, in response to the trend toward higher performance camera modules, the tolerance for optical axis alignment is becoming increasingly stringent, and therefore the threadless coupling method may be more efficient than the threaded coupling method.

[0291] In this threadless coupling method, the lens barrel 1120 is inserted into the hollow portion of the bobbin 1132 from above or below, and then the lens barrel 1120 can be fixed to the bobbin 1132 using a coupling member 1190 .

[0292] As will be described later, the lens barrel 1120 of the embodiment may be an injection molded product manufactured by insert injection or dual injection. Also, the bobbin 1132 of the lens driver 1130 may be an injection molded product manufactured by insert injection or dual injection.

[0293] Thus, the lens barrel 1120 may include a frame of a body constituting the lens barrel 1120 and a first metal member 1126 inserted into the frame.

[0294] That is, the frame of the lens barrel 1120 may be formed of an insulating material. For example, the frame of the lens barrel 1120 may be formed of resin. For example, the frame of the lens barrel 1120 may be formed of plastic. The first metal member 1126 of the lens barrel 1120 may include a different material from the frame. For example, the first metal member 1126 may include a metal material. More preferably, the first metal member 1126 may include a non-magnetic metal material.

[0295] In the embodiment, the lens barrel 1120 may include the first metal member 1126 made of a metal material. At least a portion of the first metal member 1126 may be exposed to the outside of the lens barrel 1120. The exposed portion of the first metal member 1126 may function as a bonding portion for connecting the lens barrel 1120 to a bobbin 1132 of the lens driving device 1130.

[0296] Furthermore, the first metal member 1126 may be inserted into a frame of the lens barrel 1120. The first metal member 1126 may function as a bonding portion and also as a function of improving the rigidity of the lens barrel 1120. The first metal member 1126 may also prevent characteristic changes of the lens barrel 1120. For example, the first metal member 1126 may prevent characteristic changes caused by deformation of the lens barrel 1120 due to various factors. As a result, the embodiment may prevent dimensional changes of the lens barrel 1120 and solve the problem of reduced resolution of the camera module due to the dimensional changes. This will be described in more detail below.

[0297] Correspondingly, the bobbin 1132 of the lens driving device 1130 may include a frame of the bobbin 1132 and a second metal member 1132-3 inserted into the frame. The second metal member 1132-3 may be inserted into the bobbin 1132. The second metal member 1132-3 may include a metal material. Preferably, the second metal member 1132-3 may include a non-magnetic metal material.

[0298] The second metal member 1132-3 may include a portion exposed to the outside of the bobbin 1132. The exposed portion of the second metal member 1132-3 may function as a bonding portion when coupled to the lens barrel 1120.

[0299] Specifically, the second metal member 1132-3 may be positioned adjacent to the first metal member 1126. Thus, the lens barrel 1120 and the bobbin 1132 of the lens driving device 1130 may be coupled to each other using the first metal member 1126 and the second metal member 1132-3.

[0300] In addition to functioning as a bonding portion, the second metal member 1132-3 may also function to improve the rigidity of the bobbin 1132. Furthermore, the second metal member 1132-3 may prevent changes in the characteristics of the bobbin 1132. Thus, the embodiment may prevent deformation of the bobbin 1132. Thus, the embodiment may allow the lens driving device 1130 to move the lens barrel 1120 to a more accurate position. As a result, the embodiment may further improve the operating characteristics of the camera module.

[0301] Meanwhile, the lens barrel 1120 and the lens driving device 1130 may be coupled to each other by disposing a coupling member 1190 on the first metal member 1126 and the second metal member 1132-3.

[0302] The coupling member 1190 may include solder, that is, the lens barrel 1120 and the lens driving device 1130 may be coupled to each other by solder bonding according to the embodiment.

[0303] As a result, the embodiment can prevent deformation of the lens barrel 1120 and / or the bobbin 1132 that occurs when the epoxy hardens, compared to the conventional technique that uses epoxy.

[0304] 22 to 24 , the lens barrel 1120 according to the embodiment may include an opening 1121 penetrating in the optical axis direction and a first flange portion 1122. The first flange portion 1122 may have a protrusion 1122-1 formed thereon. The lens barrel 1120 may include a first metal member 1126. The first metal member 1126 may be inserted into the lens barrel 1120. The first metal member 1126 may include a different material from that of the lens barrel 1120. The first metal member 1126 may include a metal material. The first metal member 1126 may impart rigidity to the lens barrel 1120. To this end, the first metal member 1126 may include a metal material having a certain rigidity. The first metal member 1126 may be used as a bonding pad for bonding a coupling member 1190 when the lens barrel 1120 is coupled to a bobbin 1132 of a lens driving device 1130. The lens barrel 1120 and the first metal member 1126 may be integrally manufactured through double injection or insert injection, rather than being manufactured separately through separate processes and then combined. Briefly describing the manufacturing method, in one embodiment, the first metal member 1126 may be placed in an injection mold. Then, in one embodiment, the lens barrel 1120 may be manufactured by injecting an insulating material into the injection mold with the first metal member 1126 placed therein. In this manner, the first metal member 1126 may be inserted into the lens barrel 1120.

[0305] 23, the first metal member 1126 may include a plurality of metal parts separated from one another. For example, the first metal member 1126 may include a plurality of metal parts provided on each of a plurality of protrusions 1122-1 of the lens barrel 1120. That is, the lens barrel 1120 may include a plurality of protrusions 1122-1. For example, the lens barrel 1120 may include four protrusions 1122-1. The first metal member 1126 may be provided on each of the four protrusions 1122-1. For example, the first metal member 1126 may include the first to fourth metal parts 1126-1, 1126-2, 1126-3, and 1126-4.

[0306] The first to fourth metal parts 1126-1, 1126-2, 1126-3, and 1126-4 may be provided on four protrusions 1122-1 of the lens barrel 1120, respectively. The first to fourth metal parts 1126-1, 1126-2, 1126-3, and 1126-4 may be separated from one another. That is, the lens barrel 1120 may be coupled to the bobbin of the lens driving device 1130 at the protrusions 1122-1. The first metal member 1126 may be provided only on the protrusions 1122-1 of the lens barrel 1120. Therefore, this embodiment may improve the processability of coupling between the lens barrel 1120 and the bobbin 1132 while minimizing manufacturing costs.

[0307] 24, the first metal member 1126 may be provided as a single integrated frame. For example, the first metal member 1126 may be provided within the lens barrel 1120 and have a ring shape along the outer periphery of the lens barrel 1120. For example, the first metal member 1126 may include first metal parts 1126a disposed on four protrusions 1122-1 of the lens barrel 1120. The first metal member 1126 may also include second metal parts 1126b connecting the first metal parts 1126a disposed on the protrusions 1122-1 to each other. Thus, in the second embodiment, the rigidity of the lens barrel 1120 may be improved by using the first metal members 1126 connected to each other in a ring shape, and the lens barrel 1120 may be coupled to the bobbin 1132 of the lens driving device 1130.

[0308] At least a portion of the first metal member 1126 may be exposed to the outer surface of the lens barrel 1120. For example, the first metal member 1126 may include a portion exposed through the outer surface of the protrusion 1122-1 of the lens barrel 1120. For example, the top surface of the first metal member 1126 may not contact the lens barrel 1120. Furthermore, at least a portion of the side surface of the first metal member 1126 may not contact the lens barrel 1120. The portion of the first metal member 1126 that does not contact the lens barrel 1120 or the exposed portion may be used as a bonding pad for bonding a coupling member 1190 when coupling to the lens driving device 1130.

[0309] The lens barrel 1120 may include a lower end 1123 located below the first flange 1122 with the first flange 1122 as the center, and an upper end 1124 located above the first flange 1122. A step 1125 may be formed between the first flange 1122 and the upper end 1124 of the lens barrel 1120. An outer surface of the step 1125 may include a first portion 1125-1 having a first inclination angle and a second portion 1125-2 having a second inclination angle different from the first inclination angle. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the outer surface of the step 1125 may include a third portion 1125-3 having a third inclination angle different from the second inclination angle.

[0310] 25 and 26, the lens driving device 1130 may include a bobbin 1132. The bobbin 1132 may include a hollow portion 1132-1 in which the lens barrel 1120 is housed. The bobbin 1132 may include an inner surface facing an outer surface of the lens barrel 1120.

[0311] For example, the bobbin 1132 may include a second flange portion 1132-2. When the lens barrel 1120 moves downward in the hollow portion 1132-1 to the maximum extent, the second flange portion 1132-2 may function as a stopper that limits the movement of the lens barrel 1120 together with the first flange portion 1122 of the lens barrel 1120. The second flange portion 1132-2 may have a step. The second flange portion 1132-2 may be a recessed portion recessed inward from the inner surface of the bobbin 1132.

[0312] The second flange portion 1132-2 may include a first region 1132-21 having a first height. The second flange portion 1132-2 may include a second region 1132-22 having a second height greater than the first height. The first region 1132-21 of the second flange portion 1132-2 may function as a seat on which the protrusion 1122-1 of the lens barrel 1120 is seated when coupled to the lens barrel 1120.

[0313] The second region 1132-22 of the second flange portion 1132-2 may be a region where a second metal member 1132-3 inserted into the bobbin 1132 is disposed. That is, the second metal member 1132-3 may be disposed in the second region 1132-22 of the second flange portion 1132-2. In this case, the upper surface of the second metal member 1132-3 may be exposed to the outside while disposed in the second region 1132-22 of the second flange portion 1132-2.

[0314] The second region 1132-22 of the second flange portion 1132-2 may be a portion for adjusting the height of the first metal member 1126 and the second metal member 1132-3 disposed on the lens barrel 1120. For example, the height of the step between the first region 1132-21 and the second region 1132-22 of the second flange portion 1132-2 may correspond to the thickness of the protrusion 1122-1 of the lens barrel 1120.

[0315] As a result, the upper surface of the second metal member 1132-3 disposed in the second region 1132-22 of the second flange portion 1132-2 may have a height corresponding to the upper surface of the first metal member 1126 provided on the protrusion 1122-1 of the lens barrel 1120. As a result, the embodiment may facilitate solder bonding of the coupling member 1190 on the first metal member 1126 and the second metal member 1132-3. As a result, the embodiment may improve processability.

[0316] 27, in this embodiment, a lens barrel 1120 may be inserted into a hollow portion of a bobbin 1132 of a lens driver 1130. When the lens barrel 1120 is inserted into the hollow portion of the bobbin 1132, a lower surface of a protrusion 1122-1 of the lens barrel 1120 may be seated on a first region 1132-21 of a second flange portion 1132-2 of the bobbin 1132. When the protrusion 1122-1 of the lens barrel 1120 is seated on the first region 1132-21 of the second flange portion 1132-2 of the bobbin 1132, a metal member 1126 provided on the lens barrel 1120 and a second metal member 1132-3 provided on the second region 1132-22 of the second flange portion 1132-2 of the bobbin 1132 may be aligned on substantially the same plane. For example, at least a portion of the first metal member 1126 provided on the lens barrel 1120 may overlap with the second metal member 1132-3 provided on the bobbin 1132 in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction.

[0317] 28, in an embodiment, a bonding member 1190 may be applied to the first metal member 1126 and the second metal member 1132-3 while the first metal member 1126 and the second metal member 1132-3 are aligned. Specifically, solder may be disposed on the first metal member 1126 and the second metal member 1132-3. In this manner, in an embodiment, the first metal member 1126 and the second metal member 1132-3 may be used as bonding pads for the solder bonding. Furthermore, in an embodiment, the lens barrel 1120 and the bobbin 1132 of the lens driver 1130 may be bonded to each other using a solder bonding method.

[0318] 29, when the lens barrel and bobbin are joined using the epoxy of the comparative example, the characteristics of the lens barrel may change due to contraction and expansion that occurs when the epoxy hardens. Specifically, in the comparative example, it was confirmed that a numerical change of about 1.27 μm occurred in the portion corresponding to the protruding portion of the lens barrel. Also, in the comparative example, it was confirmed that a numerical change of about 7.54 μm occurred in the lower portion of the protruding portion of the lens barrel. When the numerical change of the lens barrel occurs, the resolution of the lens decreases, which causes a problem of degrading the overall operating characteristics of the camera module.

[0319] Alternatively, in this embodiment, the lens barrel 1120 may be connected to the bobbin 1132 of the lens driver 1130 using a solder bonding method, thereby preventing deformation of the lens barrel 1120.

[0320] In an embodiment, a lens barrel and a lens driving device may be coupled using a solder bonding method. Specifically, the lens barrel of the embodiment may include a first metal member. Furthermore, a bobbin of the lens driving device may include a second metal member corresponding to the first metal member. The first and second metal members may be used as bonding pads for bonding a coupling member such as solder. In an embodiment, the coupling member may be formed by bonding the first and second metal members using solder. As a result, in an embodiment, it is possible to minimize characteristic changes that occur when the lens barrel and the lens driving device are coupled.

[0321] Figure 30 is an oblique view of a lens barrel according to the third embodiment, Figure 31 is an enlarged view of the outer surface of the lens barrel of Figure 30, Figures 32 and 33 are cross-sectional views of the lens barrel of the third embodiment cut horizontally, Figure 34 is an oblique view of a lens driving device according to the third embodiment, Figure 35 is an enlarged view of the inner surface of the bobbin of Figure 34, and Figure 36 is a diagram showing a modified example of the lens barrel and reinforcing frame according to the third embodiment.

[0322] Hereinafter, the third embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Components that are the same as or correspond to those described in the previous embodiment will be given different reference numerals, and redundant descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0323] The lens barrel 2120 of the third embodiment may include a reinforcing portion made of a metal material. The reinforcing portion may be inserted into a frame of the lens barrel 2120. The reinforcing portion may improve the rigidity of the lens barrel 2120. The reinforcing portion may also prevent changes in the characteristics of the lens barrel 2120. For example, the reinforcing portion may prevent changes in the characteristics of the lens barrel 2120 due to contraction and expansion that occur when the adhesive member 2190 hardens. This prevents dimensional changes in the lens barrel 2120, thereby solving the problem of reduced resolution of the camera module caused by the dimensional changes.

[0324] The basic configuration of the lens barrel 2120 according to the third embodiment corresponds to that of the lens barrel 120 according to the first embodiment, and therefore, overlapping explanations will be omitted.

[0325] 30 to 33, the lens barrel 2120 of the third embodiment may include a reinforcing frame 2126. The reinforcing frame 2126 may be inserted into the lens barrel 2120. The reinforcing frame 2126 may include a different material from the lens barrel 2120. The reinforcing frame 2126 may include a metal material. The reinforcing frame 2126 may provide rigidity to the lens barrel 2120. To this end, the reinforcing frame 2126 may include a metal material having a certain rigidity. The lens barrel 2120 and the reinforcing frame 2126 may not be manufactured separately through separate processes and then combined, but may be integrally manufactured through double injection or insert injection. That is, in this embodiment, the reinforcing frame 2126 may be disposed in an injection mold. Then, in this embodiment, the lens barrel 2120 may be manufactured by injecting an insulating material into the injection mold with the reinforcing frame 2126 disposed therein. In this manner, the reinforcing frame 2126 may be inserted into the lens barrel 2120.

[0326] The reinforcing frame 2126 may include a plurality of reinforcing parts separated from each other. For example, the reinforcing frame 2126 may include a plurality of reinforcing parts provided on the plurality of protrusions 2122-1 of the lens barrel 2120, respectively.

[0327] That is, the lens barrel 2120 may include a plurality of protrusions 2122-1. For example, the lens barrel 2120 may include four protrusions 2122-1. The reinforcing frame 2126 may be provided on each of the four protrusions 2122-1. For example, the reinforcing frame 2126 may include the first to fourth reinforcing parts 2126-1, 2126-2, 2126-3, and 2126-4.

[0328] The first to fourth reinforcing parts 2126-1, 2126-2, 2126-3, and 2126-4 may be respectively provided on four protrusions 2122-1 of the lens barrel 2120. The first to fourth reinforcing parts 2126-1, 2126-2, 2126-3, and 2126-4 may be separated from each other.

[0329] That is, the lens barrel 2120 may be coupled to the bobbin of the lens driving device 2130 at the protrusion 2122-1. When the lens barrel 2120 and the lens driving device 2130 are coupled, a change in characteristics may occur primarily at the protrusion 2122-1. Therefore, in the first embodiment, the reinforcing frame 2126 may be provided only at the protrusion 2122-1 of the lens barrel 2120. Therefore, this embodiment may maximize the rigidity of the lens barrel 2120 while minimizing manufacturing costs. The reinforcing frame 2126 may be provided as a single, integrated frame. For example, the reinforcing frame 2126 may be provided in the lens barrel 2120 and have a ring shape along the outer periphery of the lens barrel 2120.

[0330] For example, the reinforcing frame 2126 may include first reinforcing parts 2126a disposed on the four protrusions 2122-1 of the lens barrel 2120. The reinforcing frame 2126 may also include second reinforcing parts 2126b connecting the first reinforcing parts 2126a disposed on the protrusions 2122-1 to each other. Thus, the rigidity of the lens barrel 2120 may be further improved by using the ring-shaped reinforcing frames 2126 connected to each other.

[0331] At least a portion of the reinforcing frame 2126 may be exposed on the outer surface of the lens barrel 2120. For example, the reinforcing frame 2126 may include a portion exposed through the outer surface of the protrusion 2122-1 of the lens barrel 2120.

[0332] For example, the side surfaces of the reinforcing frame 2126 may not be in contact with the lens barrel 2120. The top and side surfaces of the reinforcing frame 2126 may be in contact with the lens barrel 2120 and fixed to the lens barrel 2120.

[0333] As a result, at least a portion of the adhesive member 2190 applied to connect the lens driving device 2130 and the lens barrel 2120 may come into contact with the reinforcing frame 2126. The adhesive member 2190 may have a stronger adhesive strength with the reinforcing frame 2126 made of a metal material than with the lens barrel 2120 made of an insulating material or the bobbin of the lens driving device 2130. As a result, this embodiment may further increase the bonding strength between the lens barrel 2120 and the lens driving device 2130.

[0334] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the adhesive member 2190 may contact the reinforcing frame 2126 of the lens barrel 2120, thereby improving heat dissipation characteristics. For example, the reinforcing frame 2126 may not only improve the rigidity of the lens barrel 2120, but also transfer heat generated in the lens barrel 2120. As a result, the adhesive member 2190 may release the heat transferred via the reinforcing frame 2126 to the outside. As a result, this embodiment may improve the heat dissipation characteristics of the camera module, thereby improving the operational reliability of the camera module.

[0335] 34 and 35, the lens driving device 2130 may include a bobbin 2132. The bobbin 2132 may include a hollow portion 2132-1 in which the lens barrel 2120 is housed. The bobbin 2132 may include a second flange portion 2132-2. The bobbin 2132 may include an inner portion 2132-3 on the second flange portion 2132-2.

[0336] The inner portion 2132-3 of the bobbin 2132 may include a recessed portion 2132-4 corresponding to the protrusion 2122-1 formed on the first flange portion 2122 of the lens barrel 2120. When the lens barrel 2120 moves downward to its maximum within the hollow portion of the bobbin 2132, the recessed portion 2132-4 may come into contact with the protrusion 2122-1 of the lens barrel 2120 to limit the downward movement of the lens barrel 2120. The inner portion 2132-3 of the bobbin 2132 may face the first stepped portion 2125 of the lens barrel 2120. A step may not be formed in a region of the inner portion 2132-3 of the bobbin 2132 facing the first stepped portion 2125 of the lens barrel 2120. However, the recess 2132-4 is formed in one region of the inner portion 2132-3, and therefore, the region of the inner portion 2132-3 where the step is not formed may refer to the region excluding the region where the recess 2132-4 is formed.

[0337] The bobbin 2132 may include a second step portion 2132-5 formed on the inner portion 2132-3. The second step portion 2132-5 may allow for checking and adjusting the amount of adhesive material 2190 applied between the lens barrel 2120 and the bobbin 2132. For example, the lens barrel 2120 may include a first step portion 2125 divided into three step portions. Thus, in this embodiment, the application amount of the adhesive material 2190 may be checked and adjusted in three stages based on the three step portions. However, the application amount of the adhesive material 2190 may need to be checked and adjusted in four or more stages depending on product specifications.

[0338] Accordingly, in this embodiment, a second step portion 2132-5 is formed on the bobbin 2132. For example, the second step portion 2132-5 includes a first portion 2132-51 having a step with the inner portion 2132-3, and a second portion 2132-52 having a step with the first portion 2132-51. In this case, the first portion 2132-51 of the second step portion 2132-5 may be positioned higher than the first step portion 2125 formed on the lens barrel 2120. For example, the bottom end of the first portion 2132-51 of the second step portion 2132-5 may be positioned higher than the top end of the third portion 2125-3 of the first step portion 2125 of the lens barrel 2120. For this reason, the application amount of the additional adhesive member 2190 can be determined and confirmed via the first portion 2132-51 of the second step portion 2132-5.

[0339] Furthermore, if an error occurs in adjusting the amount of adhesive 2190 applied, and a portion of the adhesive 2190 flows into the lens driving device 2130, the lens barrel 2120 may not operate normally. The second stepped portion 2132-5 of the bobbin 2132 includes a plurality of stepped portions, which enable checking and adjusting the amount of adhesive 2190 applied and also prevent the adhesive 2190 from overflowing into the lens driving device 2130.

[0340] 36, in another embodiment, a lens barrel 2120′ may have a recessed receiving groove on its outer surface. The receiving groove may be provided along the periphery of the outer surface of the lens barrel 2120′.

[0341] The reinforcing frame 2126' may be provided in the receiving groove, and thereby the outer surface of the reinforcing frame 2126' may be entirely exposed along the circumferential direction of the outer surface of the lens barrel 2120'.

[0342] Figure 37 is an oblique view of a lens barrel according to the fourth embodiment, Figure 38 is an enlarged view of the outer surface of the lens barrel of Figure 37, Figure 39 is a plan view of the lens barrel according to the fourth embodiment, Figure 40 is an oblique view of a lens driving device according to the fourth embodiment, Figure 41 is an enlarged view of the inner surface of the bobbin of Figure 40, Figure 42 is a plan view of the lens driving device according to the fourth embodiment, Figure 43 is a diagram of the lens barrel and bobbin connected together according to the fourth embodiment, Figure 44 is a plan view showing a modified example of the lens barrel according to the fourth embodiment, Figure 45 is a plan view showing a modified example of the bobbin of the lens driving device according to the fourth embodiment, and Figure 46 is a diagram of the lens barrel according to Figures 44 and 45 connected together with the bobbin of the lens driving device.

[0343] The fourth embodiment will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Components that are the same as or correspond to those described in the previous embodiment will be given different reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0344] In this case, the lens barrel 3120 may include a first coupling portion 3122-2. The bobbin 3132 may include a second coupling portion 3132-6 corresponding to the first coupling portion 3122-2. The first coupling portion 3122-2 may be a through-hole provided in the lens barrel 3120, and the second coupling portion 3132-6 may be a protrusion provided in the bobbin 3132 and corresponding to the through-hole. However, the embodiment is not limited thereto. The first coupling portion 3122-2 may be a protrusion, and the second coupling portion 3132-6 may be a through-hole. Furthermore, the through-hole may be provided in the form of a recess into which the protrusion can be inserted. The lens barrel 3120 and the bobbin 3132 may be coupled to each other using the first coupling portion 3122-2 and the second coupling portion 3132-6. As a result, the embodiment can easily determine the coupling position between the lens barrel 3120 and the bobbin 3132 and further improve the accuracy of the coupling position. Furthermore, the embodiment can solve the problem of the lens barrel 3120 rotating within the bobbin 3132 due to the adhesive member 3190 disposed between the lens barrel 3120 and the bobbin 3132. For example, the lens barrel 3120 may rotate within the bobbin 3132 before the adhesive member 3190 is applied or during a curing process after the adhesive member 3190 is applied. In this case, the embodiment can solve the problem of rotation during the process of applying the adhesive member 3190 because the lens barrel 3120 and the bobbin 3132 are coupled together using the first coupling portion 3122-2 and the second coupling portion 3132-6. As a result, the embodiment can improve the accuracy of the coupling position between the lens barrel 3120 and the bobbin 3132, thereby improving the resolution and, thereby, the operating characteristics of the camera module.

[0345] Meanwhile, with the lens barrel 3120 and the bobbin 3132 connected by the first connecting portion 3122-2 and the second connecting portion 3132-6, an adhesive material 3190 can be applied between the inner surface of the bobbin 3132 and the outer surface of the lens barrel 3120, thereby firmly fixing the bobbin 3132 and the lens barrel 3120.

[0346] 37 to 39, the lens barrel 3120 may include an opening 3121 and a first flange portion 3122. The first flange portion 3122 of the lens barrel 3120 may be formed with a protrusion 3122-1.

[0347] The plurality of protrusions 3122-1 may be provided with first coupling portions 3122-2. Preferably, the first coupling portions 3122-2 may be provided on each of the plurality of protrusions 3122-1. In this case, the number of the plurality of protrusions 3122-1 may be four, and accordingly, the number of the first coupling portions 3122-2 may also be four. However, the embodiment is not limited thereto. For example, in the embodiment, the first coupling portions 3122-2 may be provided on only two protrusions 3122-1 facing each other around the optical axis.

[0348] For example, the plurality of protrusions 3122-1 may include first to fourth protrusions 3122-1a, 3122-1b, 3122-1c, and 3122-1d. The first coupling portion 3122-2 may be provided on at least two of the first to fourth protrusions 3122-1a, 3122-1b, 3122-1c, and 3122-1d. For example, the first coupling portion 3122-2 may be provided on the first to third protrusions 3122-1a, 3122-1b, and 3122-1c of the first to fourth protrusions 3122-1a, 3122-1b, 3122-1c, and the fourth protrusion 3122-1d may not be provided with the first coupling portion. The first coupling portion 3122-2 may be recessed inward from the outer surface of the protrusion 3122-1. The first coupling portion 3122-2 may be a through-hole that penetrates the protrusion 3122-1. The first coupling portion 3122-2 may be connected to the outer surface of the protrusion 3122-1.

[0349] The first coupling portion 3122-2 may have a shape and size corresponding to the second coupling portion 3132-6 of the bobbin 3132. Preferably, the first coupling portion 3122-2 may have a radius of curvature smaller than the radius of curvature of the second coupling portion 3132-6. The radius of curvature of the first coupling portion 3122-2 may refer to the radius of curvature of the inner surface of the first coupling portion 3122-2. Thus, the curvature of the inner surface of the first coupling portion 3122-2 may be larger than the curvature of the outer surface of the second coupling portion 3132-6. Thus, when the first coupling portion 3122-2 is inserted into the second coupling portion 3132-6, the lens barrel 3120 may be rotated within a certain angle relative to the bobbin 3132. In this embodiment, the rotation is controlled to within 1 degree. Therefore, the difference between the radius or curvature of the first coupling portion 3122-2 and the radius or curvature of the second coupling portion 3132-6 may be a value that allows the rotation of the lens barrel 3120 on the bobbin 3132 to be within 1 degree.

[0350] 40 and 42, the lens driving device 3130 may include a bobbin 3132. The bobbin 3132 may include a hollow portion 3132-1 in which the lens barrel 3120 is accommodated. The bobbin 3132 may include a second flange portion 3132-2. The bobbin 3132 may include an inner portion 3132-3 on the second flange portion 3132-2. The inner portion 3132-3 of the bobbin 3132 may refer to an inner surface of the bobbin 3132 that faces the first flange portion 3122 and the first step portion 3125 of the lens barrel 3120. The inner portion 3132-3 of the bobbin 3132 may include a recessed portion 3132-4 that corresponds to the protrusion 3122-1 formed on the first flange portion 3122 of the lens barrel 3120. When the lens barrel 3120 moves downward to its maximum extent within the hollow portion of the bobbin 3132, the recessed portion 3132-4 may come into contact with the protruding portion 3122-1 of the lens barrel 3120 to restrict the downward movement of the lens barrel 3120. A second coupling portion 3132-6 corresponding to the first coupling portion 3122-2 may be provided in the recessed portion 3132-4 of the bobbin 3132. The second coupling portion 3132-6 may be a protrusion protruding upward from the bottom surface of the recessed portion 3132-4. In this case, the first coupling portion 3122-2 is provided in a form that is connected to the outer surface of the protruding portion 3122-1 of the lens barrel 3120. Accordingly, the second coupling portion 3132-6 may be provided at the bottom surface of the recessed portion 3132-4 of the bobbin 3132 and connected to the inner portion 3132-3 of the bobbin 3132.

[0351] A plurality of the recesses 3132-4 may be provided. For example, the recesses 3132-4 may include a plurality of recesses 3132-4 corresponding to the plurality of protrusions 3122-1, respectively. The plurality of recesses 3132-4 may include first to fourth recesses 3132-4a, 3132-4b, 3132-4c, and 3132-4d corresponding to the first to fourth protrusions 3122-1a, 3122-1b, 3122-1c, and 3122-1d. The second coupling portion 3132-6 may be provided in at least two of the first to fourth recesses 3132-4a, 3132-4b, 3132-4c, and 3132-4d that face each other. For example, the second coupling portion 3132-6 may be provided in the first to third recesses 3132-4a, 3132-4b, and 3132-4c in correspondence with the first coupling portion 3122-2. Also, the second coupling portion 3132-6 may not be provided in the fourth recess 3132-4d.

[0352] The outer surface of the second coupling part 3132-6 may have a curvature or radius of curvature corresponding to the inner surface of the first coupling part 3122-2. Preferably, the outer surface of the second coupling part 3132-6 may have a curvature greater than the curvature of the inner surface of the first coupling part 3122-2. For example, the outer surface of the second coupling part 3132-6 may have a radius of curvature smaller than the radius of curvature of the inner surface of the first coupling part 3122-2.

[0353] 43, a protrusion 3122-1 may be provided on a first flange of the lens barrel 3120. A first coupling portion 3122-2 may be provided on the protrusion 3122-1. The first coupling portion 3122-2 may be connected to an outer surface of the protrusion 3122-1 and may penetrate the upper and lower surfaces of the protrusion 3122-1.

[0354] The bobbin 3132 may have a recess 3132-4 that corresponds to the protrusion 3122-1 of the lens barrel 3120.

[0355] In addition, a second coupling portion 3132-6 may be provided in the recess 3132-4 of the bobbin 3132. The second coupling portion 3132-6 may correspond to the first coupling portion 3122-2.

[0356] In this case, an inner surface 3122-21 of the first coupling part 3122-2 may have a curvature in the horizontal direction, and an outer surface 3132-61 of the second coupling part 3132-6 may have a curvature in the horizontal direction.

[0357] In this case, the curvature of the inner surface 3122-21 of the first coupling portion 3122-2 may be different from the curvature of the outer surface 3132-61 of the second coupling portion 3132-6. For example, the curvature of the inner surface 3122-21 of the first coupling portion 3122-2 may be greater than the curvature of the outer surface 3132-61 of the second coupling portion 3132-6. For example, the curvature radius of the inner surface 3122-21 of the first coupling portion 3122-2 may be smaller than the curvature radius of the outer surface 3132-61 of the second coupling portion 3132-6.

[0358] Therefore, when the first coupling part 3122-2 is inserted into the second coupling part 3132-6, the inner surface of the first coupling part 3122-2 does not need to contact the outer surface of the second coupling part 3132-6. For example, when the first coupling part 3122-2 is inserted into the second coupling part 3132-6, the lens barrel 3120 may be rotated within a certain angle relative to the bobbin 3132. In this case, in this embodiment, the rotated angle can be managed within 1 degree, and based on this, a difference between the curvature or radius of curvature of the inner surface 3122-21 of the first coupling part 3122-2 and the curvature or radius of curvature of the second coupling part 3132-6 is determined.

[0359] Meanwhile, the first coupling portion 3122-2 and the second coupling portion 3132-6 may include a region whose width varies. For example, the first coupling portion 3122-2 may be a through hole whose width varies gradually in the optical axis direction. The second coupling portion 3132-6 may be a protrusion whose width varies gradually in the optical axis direction. Preferably, the width of the first coupling portion 3122-2 may decrease from the bottom to the top. The width of the second coupling portion 3132-6 may decrease from the bottom to the top corresponding to the first coupling portion 3122-2. The curvature or radius of curvature of each of the first coupling portion 3122-2 and the second coupling portion 3132-6 may refer to the curvature or radius of curvature of the widest or narrowest region of each of the first coupling portion 3122-2 and the second coupling portion 3132-6. In this embodiment, the first coupling portion 3122-2 and the second coupling portion 3132-6 include regions of varying width, making it easy to insert the first coupling portion 3122-2 into the second coupling portion 3132-6, thereby allowing the alignment between them to be automatically adjusted as the first coupling portion 3122-2 is inserted into the second coupling portion 3132-6.

[0360] 44 to 46, a protrusion 3122-1 may be provided on a first flange portion of the lens barrel 3120. The protrusion 3122-1 may be provided with a first coupling portion 3122-21. The protrusion 3122-1 may include first to fourth protrusions 3122-1a1, 3122-1b1, 3122-1c1, and 3122-1d1. The first coupling portion 3122-21 may be provided on the first to third protrusions 3122-1a1, 3122-1b1, and 3122-1c1 of the first to fourth protrusions 3122-1a, 3122-1b1, 3122-1c1, and 3122-1d1. The first coupling portion 3122-21 may include three coupling portions 3122-2a1, 3122-1b1, and 3122-1c1.

[0361] The first coupling portion 3122-21 may not be connected to the outer surface of the protrusion 3122-1. For example, the first coupling portion 3122-21 may penetrate the upper and lower surfaces of the protrusion 3122-1 at a position spaced apart from the outer surface of the protrusion 3122-1.

[0362] Also, a second coupling portion 3132-61 may be provided in the recess of the bobbin 3132. The second coupling portion 3132-61 may correspond to the first coupling portion 3122-21.

[0363] The second coupling portions 3132-61 may not be connected to the inner surface of the recessed portion of the bobbin 3132. For example, the second coupling portions 3132-61 may protrude from the bottom surface of the recessed portion at positions spaced apart from the inner surface of the recessed portion of the bobbin 3132.

[0364] The recesses may include first to fourth recesses 3132-4a1, 3132-4b1, 3132-4c1, and 3132-4d1. The second coupling portion 3132-61 may be provided in the first to third recesses 3132-4a1, 3132-4b1, and 3132-4c1 of the first to fourth recesses 3132-4a1, 3132-4b1, 3132-4c1, and 3132-4d1. The second coupling portion 3132-61 may include three coupling portions 3132-6a1, 3132-6b1, and 3132-6c1.

[0365] In this case, the first coupling portion 3122-21 may be a through hole having a circular shape with a specific curvature, and the second coupling portion 3132-61 may be a protrusion having a circular shape corresponding to the first coupling portion 3122-21.

[0366] In this case, the curvature of the first coupling portion 3122-21 may be different from the curvature of the second coupling portion 3132-61. For example, the curvature of the first coupling portion 3122-21 may be greater than the curvature of the second coupling portion 3132-61. For example, the curvature radius of the first coupling portion 3122-21 may be smaller than the curvature radius of the second coupling portion 3132-61.

[0367] Therefore, when the first coupling part 3122-21 is inserted into the second coupling part 3132-61, the inner surface of the first coupling part 3122-21 does not need to contact the outer surface of the second coupling part 3132-61. For example, when the first coupling part 3122-21 is inserted into the second coupling part 3132-61, the lens barrel 3120 may be rotated within a certain angle relative to the bobbin 3132. In this case, in this embodiment, the rotation angle can be controlled within 1 degree, and based on this, a difference between the curvature or radius of curvature of the inner surface of the first coupling part 3122-21 and the curvature or radius of curvature of the second coupling part 3132-61 is determined.

[0368] FIG. 47 is a perspective view of a portable terminal according to an embodiment, and FIG. 48 is a diagram showing the configuration of the portable terminal shown in FIG.

[0369] Referring to Figures 47 and 48, the mobile terminal 200A (hereinafter referred to as the "terminal") may include a body 850, a wireless communication unit 710, an A / V input unit 720, a sensing unit 740, an input / output unit 750, a memory unit 760, an interface unit 770, a control unit 780, and a power supply unit 790.

[0370] The body 850 shown in FIG. 47 is in the form of a bar, but is not limited to this and may have various structures such as a slide type, folder type, swing type, swirl type, etc., in which two or more sub-bodies are connected to each other so that they can move relative to each other.

[0371] The body 850 may include a case (such as a casing, housing, or cover) that forms the exterior. For example, the body 850 may be divided into a front case 851 and a rear case 852. Various electronic components of the terminal may be installed in the space formed between the front case 851 and the rear case 852.

[0372] The wireless communication unit 710 may include one or more modules that enable wireless communication between the terminal 200A and a wireless communication system or between the terminal 200A and a network in which the terminal 200A is located. For example, the wireless communication unit 710 may include a broadcast receiving module 711, a mobile communication module 712, a wireless Internet module 713, a short-range communication module 714, and a location information module 715.

[0373] The A / V (Audio / Video) input unit 720 is for inputting an audio signal or a video signal, and may include a camera 721, a microphone 722, and the like.

[0374] The camera 721 may include a camera module according to the embodiments shown in FIGS.

[0375] The sensing unit 740 can sense the current state of the terminal 200A, such as the open / closed state of the terminal 200A, the position of the terminal 200A, whether or not the user touches the terminal 200A, the orientation of the terminal 200A, and the acceleration / deceleration of the terminal 200A, and generate a sensing signal for controlling the operation of the terminal 200A. For example, if the terminal 200A is a slide phone, the sensing unit 740 can sense whether or not the slide phone is open / closed. The sensing unit 740 also performs sensing functions related to whether or not the power supply unit 790 supplies power, whether or not the interface unit 770 is connected to an external device, etc.

[0376] The input / output unit 750 generates input or output related to vision, hearing, touch, etc. The input / output unit 750 can generate input data for operational control of the terminal 200A and can display information processed by the terminal 200A.

[0377] The input / output unit 750 can include a keypad unit 730, a display module 751, an audio output module 752, and a touch screen panel 753. The keypad unit 730 can generate input data through keypad input.

[0378] The display module 751 may include a plurality of pixels whose colors change in response to an electric signal. For example, the display module 751 may include at least one of a liquid crystal display, a thin film transistor-liquid crystal display, an organic light-emitting diode, a flexible display, and a 3D display.

[0379] The audio output module 752 can output audio data received from the wireless communication unit 710 in a call signal reception, conversation mode, recording mode, voice recognition mode, or broadcast reception mode, or can output audio data stored in the memory unit 760.

[0380] The touchscreen panel 753 can convert changes in capacitance caused by a user touching a particular area of ​​the touchscreen into an electrical input signal.

[0381] The memory unit 760 may store programs for processing and controlling the control unit 780 and may temporarily store input / output data (e.g., phonebook, messages, audio, still images, photos, videos, etc.) For example, the memory unit 760 may store images, such as photos or videos, captured by the camera 721.

[0382] The interface unit 770 serves as a path for connection with an external device connected to the terminal 200A. The interface unit 770 receives data from an external device, receives power and transmits it to each component inside the terminal 200A, and transmits data inside the terminal 200A to an external device. For example, the interface unit 770 may include a wired / wireless headset port, an external charger port, a wired / wireless data port, a memory card port, a port for connecting a device equipped with an identification module, an audio I / O (Input / Output) port, a video I / O (Input / Output) port, an earphone port, etc.

[0383] The controller 780 may control the overall operation of the terminal 200A. For example, the controller 780 may perform control and processing related to voice calls, data communications, video calls, and the like.

[0384] The control unit 780 may include a multimedia module 781 for multimedia playback. The multimedia module 781 may be implemented within the control unit 180 or may be implemented separately from the control unit 780.

[0385] The control unit 780 can perform a pattern recognition process that can recognize handwritten or pictorial inputs made on the touch screen as characters and images, respectively.

[0386] The power supply unit 790 receives an external power source or an internal power source under the control of the control unit 780, and can supply power necessary for the operation of each component.

[0387] The features, structures, effects, etc. described in the above embodiments are included in at least one embodiment and are not necessarily limited to only one embodiment. Furthermore, the features, structures, effects, etc. exemplified in each embodiment can be combined or modified in other embodiments by a person skilled in the art to which the embodiment belongs. Therefore, content related to such combinations and modifications should be interpreted as being included in the scope of the embodiments.

Claims

1. a lens driving device including a housing space; a lens barrel disposed in the accommodation space of the lens driving device, the lens barrel includes a first coupling portion; the lens driving device includes a second coupling portion; the first coupling portion includes a first magnet, The second coupling portion includes a second magnet corresponding to the first magnet.

2. the first magnet is positioned above the second magnet; The camera module of claim 1 , wherein the center of the first magnet and the center of the second magnet are aligned in an optical axis direction.

3. The lens barrel is A first flange portion; a protrusion protruding outward from an outer surface of the first flange portion; a first insertion groove provided on a lower surface of the protrusion, The camera module according to claim 1 , wherein the first magnet is disposed in the first insertion groove.

4. The lens driving device A second flange portion; a recessed portion provided in the second flange portion and corresponding to the protruding portion; a second insertion groove provided on a bottom surface of the recess and aligned with the first insertion groove along an optical axis; The camera module according to claim 3 , wherein the second magnet is disposed in the second insertion groove.

5. The lens driving device a bobbin including the accommodation space and having a coil of a driving unit disposed on an outer peripheral surface thereof; a housing disposed outside the bobbin and to which a drive magnet of the drive unit corresponding to the coil is coupled, The camera module according to claim 4 , wherein the second flange portion, the recessed portion, and the second insertion groove are provided on an inner side of the bobbin.

6. the first coupling part further includes a first yoke disposed on the protruding part and spaced apart from the first magnet and disposed around the first magnet; The first yoke is The camera module according to claim 5 , wherein the magnet cover is provided to enclose an outer surface of the first magnet that faces the drive magnet.

7. the second coupling portion further includes a second yoke disposed in the recess apart from the second magnet and around the second magnet; The second yoke is The camera module according to claim 5 , wherein the magnet cover is provided to enclose an outer surface of the second magnet that faces the drive magnet.

8. The protrusion is provided on the outer surface of the first flange portion, the first coupling portion includes a plurality of first magnets respectively provided on the plurality of protrusions, the recessed portion includes a plurality of recessed portions corresponding to the plurality of protruding portions, respectively; The camera module of claim 5 , wherein the second coupling portions are aligned with the first magnets along an optical axis and are provided in the recesses, respectively.

9. The camera module according to claim 1 , wherein a planar area of ​​the first magnet is smaller than a planar area of ​​the second magnet.

10. a lens disposed within the lens barrel; The camera module of claim 1 , wherein the lens comprises a preformed lens.

Images