Camera Module

Abstract

This camera module comprises: a housing; a lens barrel member; a sensor substrate; and a metal shield case. The housing has: a first case having an opening section; and a second case joined to the first case. The lens barrel member has a lens barrel part that is disposed within the first case and fits in the opening section in the optical axis direction. The sensor substrate has an imaging element facing the lens barrel part and is disposed within the housing. The shield case is disposed between the lens barrel part and the second case. The shield case has: a peripheral wall section that covers the periphery of a sensor element; and an elastic piece that is provided at an end of the peripheral wall section and urges the lens barrel member toward the opening section. The elastic piece has a regulating section that regulates the approach of the lens barrel member to the second case by a prescribed value or more.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present technology relates to, for example, a camera module mounted on a vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in order to improve the convenience and safety of automobiles, a camera device has been provided that is mounted on a vehicle and visually recognized by a monitor device installed near the cockpit. This type of camera device has a substantially rectangular housing incorporating an imaging lens, an image sensor, an external connector, etc., and this housing is built in or attached to the rear door, side mirror, front spoiler, etc. of the vehicle body so that the imaging lens faces outward. According to such a camera device, it is possible to capture the periphery of the vehicle, which is a blind spot for the driver, and improve safety and convenience.

[0003] As this type of camera device, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a structure including a housing composed of a joined body of a front case and a rear case, a substrate having an image sensor disposed inside the housing, a lens barrel member disposed between the image sensor and the front case, and a shield case surrounding the periphery of the substrate, and fixing the lens barrel member in the housing using the spring force of this shield case.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In this type of camera module, the lens barrel portion of the lens barrel member is configured to be exposed to the outside through an opening formed in the front portion of the front case. Therefore, when a large external force acts on the lens barrel portion, the shield case may be deformed beyond its elastic limit. As a result, there is a problem that the positional accuracy of the lens barrel member inside the housing decreases, and the quality of the camera image is greatly reduced.

[0006] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present technology is to provide a camera module capable of enhancing the durability against an external force acting on the lens barrel portion and preventing a decrease in image quality.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] A camera module according to one embodiment of the present technology includes a housing, a lens barrel member, a sensor substrate, and a metal shield case. The housing has a first case having an opening and a second case joined to the first case. The lens barrel member is disposed inside the housing and has a lens barrel portion that fits in the optical axis direction into the opening. The sensor substrate has an imaging element facing the lens barrel portion and is disposed inside the housing. The shield case is disposed between the lens barrel member and the second case. The shield case has a peripheral wall portion that covers the periphery of the sensor element and an elastic piece provided at an end of the peripheral wall portion that biases the lens barrel member toward the opening. The elastic piece has a restricting portion that restricts a predetermined or more approach of the lens barrel member to the second case.

[0008] The elastic piece may have an arch shape that is bent in multiple steps from the end of the peripheral wall portion toward the inside of the shield case. The restricting portion is the tip or the base end of the arch shape.

[0009] The regulating portion may be the tip portion of the arch shape. In this case, the elastic piece is provided at the end portion of the peripheral wall portion on the side of the lens barrel member. The elastic piece is elastically deformable between a first state in which the apex portion of the arch shape contacts the lens barrel member and a second state in which the tip portion and the apex portion of the arch shape contact the lens barrel member, and in the second state, restricts the lens barrel member from approaching the second case by a predetermined amount or more.

[0010] In this case, the lens barrel member may further have a flange portion with which the elastic piece contacts and a leg portion extending from the flange portion toward the sensor substrate. The tip portion of the arch shape of the elastic piece contacts the leg portion in the second state.

[0011] On the other hand, the regulating portion may be the base end portion of the arch shape. In this case, the elastic piece is provided at the end portion of the peripheral wall portion on the side of the second case. The elastic piece is elastically deformable between a first state in which the tip portion and the apex portion of the arch shape contact the second case and a second state in which the tip portion, the apex portion, and the base end portion of the arch shape contact the second case, and in the second state, restricts the lens barrel member from approaching the second case by a predetermined amount or more.

[0012] In this case, the second case may have a bottom surface portion and a protruding portion extending from the bottom surface portion toward the sensor substrate. The tip portion and the apex portion of the arch shape of the elastic piece elastically contact the side surface and the bottom surface portion of the protruding portion, respectively, in the first state, and the base end portion of the arch shape of the elastic piece contacts the bottom surface portion in the second state.

[0013] The elastic pieces may be provided at a plurality of locations at the end portion of the peripheral wall portion.

[0014] In this case, the elastic pieces may be provided at a plurality of locations at the end portions of the peripheral wall portion facing each other with the sensor substrate interposed therebetween.

[0015] The camera module may further include an external connector. The external connector is provided in the second case and is electrically connected to the sensor substrate.

[0016] The camera module may be configured to be attachable to a vehicle.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present technology will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0019] <First Embodiment> FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of a camera module 100 according to an embodiment of the present technology, and FIG. 2 is a schematic side sectional view of the camera module 100. The camera module 100 of the present embodiment is configured as a camera module for in-vehicle use.

[0020] The camera module 100 is configured to be attachable to a vehicle. The camera module 100 is disposed, for example, outside a vehicle body (object to be attached), which is not shown, and images the front, rear, or side of the vehicle according to the attachment position. For example, the camera module 100 attached to the front part of the vehicle body (e.g., front grille) images the environment in front of the vehicle. Also, the camera module 100 attached to the rear part (e.g., on the license plate) images the environment behind the vehicle. Further, the camera module 100 attached to the side of the vehicle (e.g., the upper part of the pillar (A pillar, B pillar, the pillar at the rearmost part of the vehicle (C pillar, D pillar)), or the side mirror) images the environment in the lateral direction of the vehicle.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 1, the camera module 100 of the present embodiment includes a housing 10, a sensor substrate 20, a shield case 50, a lens barrel member 60, and the like.

[0022] (Housing) The housing 10 is configured by combining a front case 11 as a first case and a rear case 12 as a second case in the optical axis Z direction. The front case 11 and the rear case 12 are typically formed of injection molded bodies of synthetic resin materials.

[0023] The front case 11 has a front surface portion 111 formed substantially perpendicular to the front-rear direction (Z direction), and side surface portions 112 extending from the periphery of the front surface portion 111 toward the rear case 12. In the present embodiment, the shape of the front surface portion 111 as viewed from the optical axis Z direction is substantially rectangular. The front case 11 is hollow, and a space for accommodating the sensor substrate 20, the lens barrel member 61, and the like is formed in the region surrounded by the front surface portion 111 and the side surface portions 112.

[0024] The front part 111 of the front case 11 has an opening 113 at its central part. The front case 11 has an opening end 114 welded to the rear case 12 at the end of the side part 112 on the rear case 12 side. The opening end 114 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape corresponding to the outer shape of the front part 111. Note that the shapes of the front part 111 and the opening end 114 are not limited to rectangles, and may be formed in other shapes such as circles and triangles.

[0025] The rear case 12 is formed in a substantially rectangular shallow dish shape having a bottom part 121 formed substantially perpendicular to the front-rear direction and a side part 122 extending from the periphery of the bottom part 121 toward the front case 11. A space for accommodating a shield case 50 or the like is formed in the region surrounded between the bottom part 121 and the side part 122. A substantially rectangular step part 123 is formed between the outer peripheral surface side of the bottom part 121 and the side part 122. By welding the opening end 114 of the front case 11 to this step part 123, the front case 11 and the rear case 12 are integrally formed with each other. The welding method is not particularly limited, and an ultrasonic welding method, a laser welding method, etc. are applicable.

[0026] (Lens barrel member) The lens barrel member 60 is disposed inside the front case 11. The lens barrel member 60 has a lens barrel part 601 that fits into the opening 113 in the optical axis Z direction via a seal ring 62. The lens barrel part 601 is a cylindrical part that supports the photographing lens 602 and protrudes forward from the front case 11 through the opening 113.

[0027] The lens barrel member 60 further has a substantially rectangular flange part 603 that protrudes outward at the end of the lens barrel part 601 on the rear case 12 side. The flange part 603 is a part that abuts against an elastic piece 53 provided at the end of the peripheral wall part 52 of the shield case 50 described later. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the flange part 601 is provided with a notch part 604 that engages with a positioning piece 54 provided at the end of the peripheral wall part 52 of the shield case 50.

[0028] (Sensor substrate) The sensor substrate 20 is disposed within the housing 10. The sensor substrate 20 includes a front substrate 21 facing the front surface portion 111 of the front case 11, a rear substrate 22 facing the bottom surface portion 121 of the rear case 12, and a spacer 23 disposed between the front substrate 21 and the rear substrate 22.

[0029] The front substrate 21 and the rear substrate 22 are composed of rigid double-sided wiring boards such as glass epoxy boards, and the opposing distance between the substrates is defined by the spacer 23. The front substrate 21 and the rear substrate 22 are mechanically and electrically connected via a substrate connector (BtoB connector) not shown. The sensor substrate 20 is not limited to an example composed of two substrates, the front substrate 21 and the rear substrate 22, and may be composed of a single substrate.

[0030] An imaging element 24 is mounted on the front substrate 21 as a sensor element. The imaging element 24 is an image sensor such as a CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor) or a CCD (Charge Coupled Device). The front substrate 21 is joined to the lens barrel member 61 via a rectangular ring-shaped cushion material 64, and the imaging element 24 is disposed to face the lens barrel portion 601.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 2, the cushion material 64 is disposed on the inner peripheral side of a rectangular ring-shaped leg portion 605 extending from the flange portion 603 of the lens barrel member 60 toward the sensor substrate 20. When the front case 11 and the rear case 12 are joined, the cushion material 64 is sandwiched between the sensor substrate 20 and the bottom surface portion 121 of the rear case 12, thereby pressing the sensor substrate 20 toward the lens barrel portion 61 and stably maintaining the opposing distance between the lens barrel portion 61 and the imaging element 24.

[0032] The rear substrate 22 is electrically connected to an external connector 30 provided on the bottom surface portion 121 of the rear case 12 via a flexible wiring substrate 40. A cushioning material 65 (see FIG. 1) that biases the sensor substrate 20 toward the front case 11 and the lens barrel member 60 is disposed between the rear substrate 22 and the bottom surface portion 121 of the rear case 12.

[0033] (External Connector) The external connector 30 is provided on the rear case 12. The external connector 30 is for electrically connecting the sensor substrate 20 and the vehicle body side. Power is supplied from the vehicle body side to the sensor substrate 20 via the external connector 30, and an image signal (output signal of the imaging element 24) is transmitted from the sensor substrate 20 to the vehicle body side.

[0034] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional perspective view of a main part of the rear case 12 showing the configuration of the external connector 30.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 3, the external connector 30 includes signal terminals 31 provided on the bottom surface portion 121 of the rear case 12, a cylindrical shield terminal 32 formed concentrically with the signal terminals 31, and an insulating member 33 disposed between the signal terminals 31 and the shield terminal 32. The signal terminals 31 and the shield terminal 32 are each made of a metal material and are configured to be connectable to a coaxial cable (not shown).

[0036] A cylindrical portion 124 concentric with the external connector 30 is provided on the bottom surface portion 121 of the rear case 12. The cylindrical portion 124 is for protecting the signal terminals 31 and the shield terminal 32 from the outside and is formed concentrically with the external connector 30 outside the external connector 30.

[0037] The external connector 30 further includes a first connection pin 301, a second connection pin 302, and a third connection pin 303. The first connection pin 301 penetrates the bottom surface portion 121 of the rear case 12 and is integrally formed at one end of the signal terminal 31. The second connection pin 302 and the third connection pin 303 penetrate the bottom surface portion 121 of the rear case 12 and are integrally formed at one end of the shield terminal 32.

[0038] (Flexible Printed Circuit Board) The flexible printed circuit board 40 electrically connects between the sensor substrate 20 and the external connector 30. The flexible printed circuit board 40 is a wiring board in which signal lines and ground lines are routed on a flexible base material such as polyimide. The signal line is a wiring part that transmits an image signal from the sensor substrate 20, and the ground line is a wiring part connected to the ground line of the sensor substrate 20. By connecting between the sensor substrate 20 and the external connector 30 with the flexible printed circuit board 40, variations (tolerances) in the distance between the sensor substrate 20 and the external connector 30 can be absorbed, and stable electrical connection reliability between them can be ensured.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 1, the flexible printed circuit board 40 has a first base material end 41 connected to the sensor substrate 20 (rear substrate 22) and a second base material end 42 connected to the external connector 30. The first base material end 41 is connected to the rear substrate 22 via, for example, a connector member 43. The second base material end 42 is connected to the external connector 30 by soldering.

[0040] The second end 42 of the flexible printed circuit board 40 has a land part connected to the signal line and the ground line. The first connection pin 301 of the external connector 30 is soldered in a state of being inserted into the land part connected to the signal line, and the second connection pin 302 of the external connector 30 is soldered in a state of being inserted into the land part connected to the ground line (see FIG. 3).

[0041] The second base material end 42 of the flexible printed circuit board 40 further has an opening 403 through which the third connection pin 303 of the external connector 30 passes (see FIG. 3). The opening 403 is a region that forms a pool of solder material for joining the third connection pin 303 to the shield case 50.

[0042] (Shield Case) The shield case 50 is composed of a substantially rectangular box body with one end on the front case 11 side open. The shield case 50 is typically made of a metal material such as stainless steel or aluminum alloy, and is one of the EMC (Electromagnetic Compatibility) countermeasure components that protect the sensor substrate 20 from electromagnetic noise.

[0043] The shield case 50 is disposed in a space formed by the bottom surface portion 121 and the side surface portion 122 of the rear case 12. The shield case 50 has a bottom portion 51 disposed on the bottom surface portion 121 of the rear case 12 and a peripheral wall portion 52 that covers the periphery of the sensor substrate 20.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 3, the bottom portion 51 of the shield case 50 is disposed between the second base material end portion 42 of the flexible wiring board 40 and the external connector 30. The bottom portion 51 is a substantially rectangular flat plate portion parallel to the bottom surface portion 121 of the rear case 12, and has a plurality of through holes through which the first to third connection pins 301 to 303 of the external connector 30 respectively penetrate.

[0045] The peripheral wall portion 52 of the shield case 50 extends from the peripheral edge portion of the bottom portion 51 toward the front case 11 side, and forms a space portion for accommodating the sensor substrate 20. An elastic piece 53 is provided at the end of the peripheral wall portion 52 that elastically contacts the flange portion 603 of the lens barrel member 60 and biases the lens barrel member 60 toward the opening 113 of the front case 11.

[0046] FIG. 4 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of the elastic piece 53. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the elastic piece 53 is a plate-like portion with a predetermined width, and has an arch shape that is bent in multiple stages from the end of the peripheral wall portion 52 toward the inside of the shield case 50. The elastic piece 53 has a base end portion 53a, a regulating portion 53b, and a top portion 53c. The base end portion 53a is the first-stage step portion connected to the peripheral wall portion 52. The regulating portion 53b corresponds to the tip of the arch shape and faces the outer peripheral surface of the leg portion 605 of the lens barrel member 60. The top portion 53c corresponds to the apex of the arch shape and is the second-stage step portion located between the base end portion 53a and the tip portion 53b.

[0047] The elastic piece 53 urges the lens barrel member 60 toward the front case 11 by elastically contacting the back surface (the lower surface in FIG. 2) of the flange portion 603 of the lens barrel member 60, and positions the lens barrel member 60 with respect to the front case 11. At this time, the front case 11 may be provided with a portion that defines the positioning position by contacting the lens barrel member 60. In the present embodiment, for example, the end portion of the cylindrical portion 115 that supports the outer peripheral surface of the seal ring 62 is formed as a positioning portion that contacts the front surface (the upper surface in FIG. 2) of the flange portion 603 of the lens barrel member 60.

[0048] The elastic pieces 53 are provided at a plurality of locations at the end portions of the peripheral wall portion 52 of the shield case 50. In the present embodiment, the elastic pieces 53 are provided at a plurality of locations at the end portions of the peripheral wall portion 52 that face each other with the sensor substrate 20 interposed therebetween. Thereby, the lens barrel member 60 can be stably supported, and the deviation of the optical axis between the lens barrel member 60 and the imaging element 24 can be prevented.

[0049] As described above, in the state where the lens barrel member 60 is positioned by the flange portion 603 of the lens barrel member 60 abutting against the cylindrical portion 115 of the front case 11 (hereinafter, the first state), the regulating portion 53b of the elastic piece 53 is, as shown in FIG. 4, at a position separated by a distance D in a direction orthogonal to the optical axis direction with respect to the side surface of the leg portion 605 of the lens barrel member 60.

[0050] This distance D is set to a magnitude that can absorb the dimensional tolerances along the optical axis direction of the front case 11, the rear case 12, the lens barrel member 60, etc. by the elastic deformation of the elastic piece 53 when assembling the housing 10. That is, the elastic piece 53 of the shield case 50 has a function of absorbing the assembly error in the optical axis direction of the camera module 100.

[0051] In addition, the camera module 100 can sink the lens barrel member 60 toward the rear case 12 according to the amount of elastic deformation of the elastic piece 53. Therefore, when an external force acts such that the lens barrel member 60 is pushed toward the rear case 12, the stress applied to the lens barrel member 60 is absorbed by the elastic deformation of the elastic piece 53, and it also has a function of protecting the lens barrel 601 or the imaging lens 602 from the external force.

[0052] On the other hand, when an external force acts to greatly deform the elastic piece 53 beyond the elastic limit of the elastic piece 53, the elastic piece 53 undergoes plastic deformation and the lens barrel 61 cannot return to the first state, and the position of the lens barrel member 60 in the optical axis direction inside the housing 10 fluctuates, and there is a risk that the quality of the camera image (output of the imaging element 24) will be greatly reduced due to the decrease in the positional accuracy of the lens barrel member 60.

[0053] In order to solve such problems, the elastic piece 53 in the camera module 100 of the present embodiment has a restricting portion 53b that restricts the lens barrel member 60 from approaching the rear case 12 by more than a predetermined amount. The details will be described below.

[0054] In a state where no external force is acting to push the lens barrel member 60 toward the rear case 12 (the first state), as shown in FIG. 4, the top portion 53c of the elastic piece 53 is elastically in contact with the flange portion 603 of the lens barrel member 60, and biases the lens barrel member 60 toward the front case 11. When an external force F that pushes the lens barrel member 60 toward the rear case 12 acts from this state, as shown in FIG. 5, as the elastic piece 53 of the shield case 50 elastically deforms, the support position of the top portion 53c with respect to the flange portion 603 gradually shifts to the inner peripheral side of the flange portion 603, whereby the restricting portion 53b, which is the tip of the elastic piece 53, approaches the leg portion 605 of the lens barrel member 60, and finally, the restricting portion 53b contacts the leg portion 605. Hereinafter, this state is also referred to as the second state.

[0055] In this way, the elastic piece 53 can be elastically deformed between a first state in which the top portion 53c contacts the flange portion 603 of the lens barrel member 60 and a second state in which the restricting portion 53b and the top portion 53c contact the leg portion 605 and the flange portion 603 of the lens barrel member 60, respectively. In the second state, the restricting portion 53b elastically presses the leg portion 605 in a direction orthogonal to the optical axis direction. As a result, the elastic piece 53 greatly improves its resistance to an external force acting on the top portion 53c in the form of a cantilever beam with both the base end portion 53a and the restricting portion 53b as fulcrums. In the above manner, an approach of the lens barrel member 60 to the rear case 12 beyond a predetermined limit is restricted.

[0056] The restriction of the deformation of the elastic piece 53 by the restricting portion 53b may prevent the deformation of the elastic piece 53 itself, or may limit the deformation of the elastic piece 53 to a predetermined level or less. In the second state, as described above, since the deformation of the top portion 53c is suppressed or restricted in the form of a cantilever beam by the elastic piece 53, excessive sinking of the lens barrel member 60 can be prevented.

[0057] The restricting portion 53b is not particularly limited as long as it can contact the leg portion 605 of the lens barrel member 60 in the second state, and its shape, position, size, etc. can be arbitrarily set according to the thickness, shape, elastic modulus, etc. of the elastic piece 53. The length from the top portion 53c to the restricting portion 53b, the bending angle of the restricting portion 53b from the top portion 53c, etc. can be arbitrarily set according to the thickness, shape, elastic modulus, etc. of the elastic piece 53.

[0058] The above-described operation is simultaneously performed on each of the elastic pieces 53 provided at a plurality of locations at the end of the peripheral wall portion 52 of the shield case 50. Since the lens barrel member 60 simultaneously receives the above-described operation from the plurality of elastic pieces 53 at a plurality of locations on the flange portion 603, it is stably supported without generating an inclination with respect to the optical axis direction. As a result, while ensuring the output of a high-quality camera image from the imaging element 24, the durability against an overload state can be enhanced.

[0059] <Second Embodiment> FIG. 6 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a camera module 200 according to a second embodiment of the present technology. Hereinafter, configurations different from those of the first embodiment will be mainly described, and the same components as those of the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions will be omitted or simplified.

[0060] Similar to the first embodiment, the camera module 200 of this embodiment includes a housing 210, a sensor substrate 220, a shield case 250, a lens barrel member 260, and the like.

[0061] The housing 210 is configured by combining a front case 211 as a first case and a rear case 212 as a second case in the optical axis Z direction. The front case 211 and the rear case 212 are typically formed of injection-molded bodies of synthetic resin materials.

[0062] The front case 11 has an opening 213 into which the lens barrel portion 601 of the lens barrel member 260 fits in the optical axis direction. Inside the front case 11, a space for accommodating the sensor substrate 220, the shield case 250, and the like is formed. The sensor substrate 220 is composed only of the first substrate 21 on which the imaging element 24 is mounted, but may be composed of two or more substrates as in the first embodiment.

[0063] An external connector 230 electrically connected to the sensor substrate 220 is provided on the rear case 212. The bottom surface portion 121 of the rear case 212 has a protruding portion 128 protruding toward the sensor substrate 220. The protruding portion 128 is a cylindrical housing portion that houses a plurality of connection pins respectively connected to signal terminals and shield terminals (not shown) of the external connector 230.

[0064] Note that the illustration of cushioning materials and the like respectively disposed between the lens barrel member 260 and the sensor substrate 220 and between the sensor substrate 220 and the rear case 212 is omitted here.

[0065] The shield case 250 has a peripheral wall portion 52 that covers the periphery of the sensor substrate 20. The shield case 250 of the present embodiment has a rectangular tube shape with both ends open. The shield case 50 is typically made of a metal material such as stainless steel or aluminum alloy, and is one of the EMC (Electromagnetic Compatibility) countermeasure components that protects the sensor substrate 20 from electromagnetic noise.

[0066] An engaging piece 54 that engages with an engaging portion 606 provided at a predetermined position on the outer peripheral surface of the lens barrel member 260 is provided at one end (the upper end in FIG. 6) of the peripheral wall portion 52. An elastic piece 55 that elastically contacts the peripheral surface of the protruding portion 128 of the rear case 212 and biases the lens barrel member 260 toward the opening 213 of the front case 211 is provided at the other end (the lower end in FIG. 6) of the peripheral wall portion 52. The elastic piece 55 is typically provided at a plurality of locations at the ends of the peripheral wall portion 52 that face each other with the sensor substrate 220 interposed therebetween.

[0067] FIG. 7 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of the elastic piece 55. Similar to the first embodiment, the elastic piece 55 is a plate-shaped portion having a predetermined width, and has an arch shape that is bent in multiple steps from the end of the peripheral wall portion 52 toward the inside of the shield case 250. The elastic piece 55 has a regulating portion 55a, a tip portion 55b, and a top portion 55c. The regulating portion 55a corresponds to the base end portion of the arch shape and is the first-stage step portion connected to the peripheral wall portion 52. The tip portion 55b corresponds to the tip portion of the arch shape and faces the side surface of the protruding portion 128 of the rear case 212. The top portion 55c corresponds to the apex portion of the arch shape and is the second-stage step portion located between the regulating portion 55a and the tip portion 55b.

[0068] The tip portion 55b of the elastic piece 55 elastically contacts so as to sandwich the side surface of the protruding portion 128 of the rear case 212. Thereby, a temporary fixing function of the shield case 250 with respect to the rear case 212 is obtained. For example, when assembling the rear case 212 from above the front case 211, there is an advantage that the shield case can be prevented from falling off the rear case 212.

[0069] As shown in FIG. 6, the elastic piece 55 elastically contacts the bottom surface portion 121 of the rear case 212 with its top portion 53c to bias the lens barrel member 260 toward the front case 211 side and position the lens barrel member 260 with respect to the front case 211. In the state where the lens barrel member 260 is positioned (hereinafter, the first state), the restricting portion 55a of the elastic piece 55 is at a position separated from the bottom surface portion 121 of the rear case 212 by a distance H in the optical axis direction, as shown in FIG. 7.

[0070] This distance H is set to a size that can absorb dimensional tolerances along the optical axis direction of the front case 211, rear case 212, lens barrel member 260, etc. by elastic deformation of the elastic piece 55 during the assembly of the housing 210. That is, the elastic piece 55 of the shield case 250 has a function of absorbing assembly errors in the optical axis direction of the camera module 200.

[0071] Also, the camera module 200 allows the lens barrel member 260 to sink toward the rear case 212 side according to the amount of elastic deformation of the elastic piece 55. Therefore, when an external force acts such that the lens barrel member 260 is pushed toward the rear case 212 side, the stress applied to the lens barrel member 260 is absorbed by the elastic deformation of the elastic piece 55, and it also has a function of protecting the lens barrel 601 or the imaging lens 602 from the external force.

[0072] On the other hand, when an external force acts to greatly deform the elastic piece 55 beyond its elastic limit, the elastic piece 55 undergoes plastic deformation and the lens barrel member 260 cannot return to the above-described first state, and the position of the lens barrel member 260 in the optical axis direction inside the housing 210 fluctuates, and there is a risk that the quality of the camera image (output of the imaging element 24) will be greatly reduced due to the decrease in the positional accuracy of the lens barrel member 260.

[0073] To solve such problems, the elastic piece 55 in the camera module 200 of the present embodiment has a restricting portion 55a that restricts the lens barrel member 260 from approaching the rear case 212 by more than a predetermined amount. The details will be described below.

[0074] In a state where no external force is acting to push the lens barrel member 260 toward the rear case 212 (the first state), as shown in FIG. 7, the tip portion 55b and the top portion 55c of the elastic piece 55 are elastically in contact with the side surface and the bottom surface portion 121 of the protruding portion 128 of the rear case 212, respectively, and bias the lens barrel member 260 toward the front case 211. When an external force F that pushes the lens barrel member 260 toward the rear case 212 acts from this state, as shown in FIG. 8, as the shield case 50 of the elastic piece 55 elastically deforms, the restricting portion 55a, which is the base end portion of the elastic piece 55, approaches the bottom surface portion 121 of the rear case 212, and finally, the restricting portion 55a comes into contact with the bottom surface portion 121. Hereinafter, this state is also referred to as the second state.

[0075] In this way, the elastic piece 55 can be elastically deformed between the first state in which the tip portion 55b and the top portion 55c are in contact with the rear case 212 respectively, and the second state in which the tip portion 55b, the top portion 55c, and the restricting portion 55a are all in contact with the rear case 212. Thereby, an approach of the lens barrel member 60 to the rear case 12 beyond a predetermined amount is restricted.

[0076] The shape, position, size, etc. of the restricting portion 55a are not particularly limited as long as it can contact the bottom surface portion 121 of the rear case 212 in the second state. The length from the restricting portion 55a to the top portion 55c, the bending angle of the top portion 55c from the restricting portion 55a, etc. can be arbitrarily set according to the thickness, shape, elastic modulus, etc. of the elastic piece 55.

[0077] <Modification example> The technology according to the present disclosure can be applied to various products. For example, the technology according to the present disclosure may be realized as a sensor module mounted on any type of moving body such as an automobile, an electric vehicle, a hybrid electric vehicle, a motorcycle, a bicycle, a personal mobility device, an airplane, a drone, a ship, a robot, a construction machine, an agricultural machine (tractor).

[0078] Note that the present technology can also have the following configuration. (1) A housing having a first case with an opening and a second case joined to the first case, A lens barrel member disposed within the first case and having a lens barrel portion that fits axially into the opening, A sensor substrate having an imaging element facing the lens barrel portion and disposed within the housing, A metal shield case disposed between the lens barrel member and the second case, having a peripheral wall portion covering the periphery of the sensor element and an elastic piece provided at an end of the peripheral wall portion for biasing the lens barrel member toward the opening, the elastic piece having a restricting portion for restricting a predetermined or greater approach of the lens barrel member to the second case, Comprising A camera module. (2) The camera module according to (1) above, The elastic piece has an arch shape bent in multiple stages from an end of the peripheral wall portion toward the inside of the shield case, The restricting portion is the tip or base end of the arch shape A camera module. (3) The camera module according to (2) above, The restricting portion is the tip of the arch shape, The elastic piece is provided at an end of the peripheral wall portion on the lens barrel member side and is elastically deformable between a first state in which the apex of the arch shape contacts the lens barrel member and a second state in which the tip and apex of the arch shape contact the lens barrel member, and restricts a predetermined or greater approach of the lens barrel member to the second case in the second state A camera module. (4) The camera module according to (3) above, The lens barrel member further has a flange portion with which the elastic piece contacts and a leg portion extending from the flange portion toward the sensor substrate, The tip of the arch shape of the elastic piece contacts the leg portion in the second state A camera module. (5) The camera module according to (2) above, The regulation part is the base end part of the arch shape, The elastic piece is provided at the end of the peripheral wall part on the second case side, and is elastically deformable between a first state in which the tip part and the apex part of the arch shape contact the second case, and a second state in which the tip part, the apex part, and the base end part of the arch shape contact the second case, and regulates a predetermined or more approach of the lens barrel member to the second case in the second state Camera module. (6) The camera module according to (5) above, The second case has a bottom surface part and a protruding part extending from the bottom surface part toward the sensor substrate, The tip part and the apex part of the arch shape of the elastic piece elastically contact the side surface and the bottom surface part of the protruding part, respectively, in the first state, and the base end part of the arch shape of the elastic piece contacts the bottom surface part in the second state Camera module. (7) The camera module according to any one of (1) to (6) above, The elastic piece is provided at a plurality of locations at the end of the peripheral wall part Camera module. (8) The camera module according to (7) above, The elastic piece is provided at a plurality of locations at the ends of the peripheral wall parts facing each other with the sensor substrate interposed therebetween Camera module. (9) The camera module according to any one of (1) to (8) above, Further includes an external connector provided on the second case and electrically connected to the sensor substrate Camera module. (10) The camera module according to any one of (1) to (9) above, The camera module is configured to be attachable to a vehicle Camera module.

Explanation of reference numerals

[0079] 10,210… Housing 11,211… Front case (first case) 12,212… Rear case (second case) 20,220… Sensor substrate 24… Image sensor 30,230… External connector 40… Flexible printed circuit board 50,250… Shield case 53,55… Elastic piece 53b,55a… Regulation part 60,260… Lens barrel member 100… Camera module 601… Lens barrel part

Claims

1. a housing having a first case having an opening and a second case joined to the first case; a barrel member disposed within the housing and having a barrel portion that fits into the opening in the optical axis direction; a sensor substrate having an image pickup element facing the lens barrel portion and disposed within the housing; a metallic shielding case disposed between the lens barrel member and the second case, the metallic shielding case having a peripheral wall portion covering the periphery of the sensor board and an elastic piece provided at an end of the peripheral wall portion and biasing the lens barrel member toward the opening, the elastic piece having a restricting portion restricting the lens barrel member from approaching the second case to a predetermined extent or more; Equipped with Camera module.

2. 2. The camera module according to claim 1, the elastic piece has an arch shape bent in multiple stages from an end of the peripheral wall portion toward the inside of the shield case, The restricting portion is a distal end or a proximal end of the arch shape. Camera module.

3. 3. The camera module according to claim 2, The restricting portion is a tip portion of the arch shape, The elastic piece is provided at an end of the peripheral wall portion on the barrel member side, and is elastically deformable between a first state in which an apex portion of the arch shape contacts the barrel member and a second state in which a tip portion and an apex portion of the arch shape contact the barrel member, and in the second state, restricts the barrel member from approaching the second case more than a predetermined distance. Camera module.

4. 4. The camera module according to claim 3, the lens barrel member further includes a flange portion with which the elastic piece comes into contact, and a leg portion extending from the flange portion toward the sensor board, The arch-shaped tip of the elastic piece comes into contact with the leg in the second state. Camera module.

5. 3. The camera module according to claim 2, The restricting portion is a base end portion of the arch shape, The elastic piece is provided at an end of the peripheral wall portion on the second case side, and is elastically deformable between a first state in which a tip end and an apex of the arch shape contact the second case, and a second state in which the tip end, the apex and the base end of the arch shape contact the second case, and in the second state, restricts the lens barrel member from approaching the second case more than a predetermined distance. Camera module.

6. 6. The camera module according to claim 5, the second case has a bottom surface and a protrusion extending from the bottom surface toward the sensor board, A tip end and a vertex end of the arch shape of the elastic piece elastically contact the side surface and the bottom surface of the protrusion, respectively, in the first state, and a base end of the arch shape of the elastic piece contacts the bottom surface in the second state. Camera module.

7. 2. The camera module according to claim 1, The elastic pieces are provided at a plurality of locations on the end of the peripheral wall portion. Camera module.

8. 8. The camera module according to claim 7, The elastic pieces are provided at a plurality of locations on the ends of the peripheral wall that face each other across the sensor board. Camera module.

9. 2. The camera module according to claim 1, The second case further includes an external connector that is provided in the second case and electrically connected to the sensor board. Camera module.

10. 2. The camera module according to claim 1, The camera module is configured to be mountable on a vehicle. Camera module.

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