Camera module

Abstract

A camera module is disclosed. A camera module according to an aspect of the present invention may include a base unit, a shield can unit, an iris module, a lens module, and a flexible member. Here, the flexible member may be disposed between the base unit and the shield can unit, and a portion thereof may be seated and supported on the protruding upper surface of a carrier module, thereby preventing downward sagging.

Description

camera module

[0001] The present invention relates to a camera module, and more particularly, to a camera module having a simple structure and having components that can move organically in conjunction with each other without mutual interference.

[0002] As hardware technology for image processing advances, users' needs for video shooting and other functions are increasing.

[0003] Accordingly, independent camera devices as well as camera modules mounted on mobile terminals such as cell phones and smart phones (hereinafter referred to as “electronic devices”) are increasingly required to have zoom, AF (Auto Focus), OIS (Optical Image Stabilizer), and iris (IRIS) functions that control the amount of light.

[0004] One of the representative methods for implementing AF or OIS function is to install a magnet (or coil) in a carrier, install the coil (or magnet) in a fixture (such as a housing or other type of carrier), and then move the carrier in the direction of the optical axis or in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis by generating an electromagnetic force between the coil and the magnet.

[0005] In the case of a camera module with integrated AF and OIS functions, the AF must move in the direction of the optical axis and the OIS must move in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis, so the AF carrier and OIS carrier are implemented in a physical structure in which they are mutually stacked in the internal storage space of the housing.

[0006] In addition, a ball is interposed between the carrier and the fixture to continuously maintain an appropriate distance between the carrier and the fixture, and a form is applied in which the carrier moves more flexibly and accurately through the rotational movement of the ball and minimized friction through point contact with the ball.

[0007] Meanwhile, the IRIS module has various structures depending on the embodiment, but is generally structured to have multiple blades in the shape of wings that open and close using the electromagnetic force generated between the coil and the magnet, thereby controlling the amount of light entering the lens module.

[0008] Typically, these iris modules house the lens module inside, and have a structure in which the AF carrier and OIS carrier are mutually stacked in a stacked housing.

[0009] Meanwhile, as described above, the carrier module including the AF carrier and OIS carrier and the iris module use the electromagnetic force generated between the coil and the magnet as a driving unit for implementing each function.

[0010] For example, in the published Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2020-0093997, an OIS coil and an OIS magnet for OIS operation, an AF coil and an AF magnet for AF operation, and an iris coil for iris operation are provided in the same frame, i.e., a housing, and function as a driving unit. In addition, a structure is presented in which the iris module includes an iris magnet corresponding to the iris coil.

[0011] However, in the case of a structure in which the driving unit of the carrier module (AF carrier and OIS carrier) and the driving unit of the iris module are arranged in the same housing, as in a conventional camera module, when the lens module is driven by the OIS carrier in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis, there was a problem in which the optical axis of the lens driving the OIS and the optical axis of the iris were misaligned and did not match.

[0012] In other words, the iris module is a separate structure, with the coil housed in the housing and the magnet incorporated into the iris module, and is fixed to the optical axis. Meanwhile, the lens moves along its own optical axis depending on whether AF or OIS is being operated. This has led to a problem where the optical axes of the iris and lens become misaligned depending on OIS operation.

[0013] To solve these problems, a method is being developed to modularize the coils and magnets for driving the iris function and include them in the iris module.

[0014] In other words, a structure is being developed that includes a driving unit in the iris module itself and enables the iris module to follow the movement of the lens according to OIS operation.

[0015] However, if the driving unit is included in the iris module itself in this way, not only will a separate component be required for power supply, but there will also be a structural problem that this component must be able to move organically without electrical or physical interference with other components when driving AF or OIS.

[0016] The present invention is intended to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a camera module in which an iris module, a carrier module, and a lens module can be organically combined and moved organically in conjunction without mutual interference.

[0017] In addition, a camera module is provided that includes a coil and a magnet for driving an iris module, and includes a flexible member as a connecting medium for supplying power to the coil and transmitting an electrical signal.

[0018] In addition, a camera module is provided that stably supports a flexible member without sagging, so that electrical or physical interference does not occur due to contact when implementing AF, OIS, and IRIS functions.

[0019] The tasks of the present invention are not limited to the tasks mentioned above, and other tasks not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains from the description below.

[0020] According to one aspect of the present invention, a camera module is provided.

[0021] The camera module may include a base portion having a first receiving hole and receiving a carrier module that moves along an optical axis or in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis; a shield can portion having a second receiving hole and coupled to the base portion; an iris module including a coil and a magnet and positioned above the base portion; a lens module accommodated within the carrier module so as to be drivable with the carrier module; and a flexible member having one side electrically connected to a substrate and the other side electrically connected to the coil of the iris module, and flexibly moving while maintaining the electrical connection according to the driving of the iris module.

[0022] At this time, the flexible member is placed between the base portion and the shield can portion, and a portion thereof is placed on the upper portion protruding upward in the third direction of the carrier module, thereby preventing downward sagging.

[0023] At this time, the flexible member may be composed of FPCB.

[0024] At this time, the flexible member may include a terminal portion electrically connected to the substrate, a connection pattern portion having a set length and width and arranged on the upper portion of the carrier module, and a bridge portion electrically connected to the coil of the iris module while being connected to one side of the connection pattern portion.

[0025] At this time, the base portion may include a base side wall having a terminal groove formed on one side thereof corresponding to the shape of the terminal portion, and the terminal portion may be positioned to be inserted into the terminal groove so as not to protrude outward from the base side wall.

[0026] At this time, the connection pattern portion may include a first pattern having a length that is arranged along the upper edge of the base side wall constituting the base portion and connected to the terminal portion on one side, and a second pattern having a length that is arranged along the outer edge of the second receiving hole and connected to the first pattern on one side, and connected to the bridge portion on the other side.

[0027] At this time, the connection pattern portion may include a third pattern that is connected to the second pattern through the bridge portion and has a length that is arranged along the lower shape of the iris module.

[0028] At this time, the carrier module may include a protruding support protrusion having a height in the third direction so that the bottom surface of the second pattern is settled and supported.

[0029] At this time, the supporting protrusions may be arranged in multiple numbers at intervals along the second pattern.

[0030] At this time, the support protrusion may include an upper surface on which the second pattern is fixed and supported, and a side guide having one edge of the upper surface protruding upward in a third direction to support a side surface of the second pattern.

[0031] At this time, the side guide may be formed on the outer side of the upper surface.

[0032] Meanwhile, the carrier module may include an AF carrier that moves in the direction of the optical axis, and an OIS carrier that is stacked on top of the AF carrier and moves in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the optical axis.

[0033] At this time, the carrier module may further include a plate-shaped Z-stopper that is coupled to the upper portion of the AF carrier and blocks the AF carrier and the OIS carrier from being dislodged in the optical axis direction.

[0034] At this time, the OIS carrier may include a protruding support protrusion having a height in the third direction so that the bottom surface of the flexible member is secured and supported, and the Z-stopper may include a guide hole through which the support protrusion penetrates upward.

[0035] According to the above configuration, the camera module according to the present invention includes a flexible member that is flexible and connected to the iris module, so that the iris module is organically linked with the lens module and has the effect of always aligning the optical axis of the iris and the optical axis of the lens according to movement.

[0036] In addition, since the flexible member is supported on the upper surface of the supporting protrusion protruding from the upper portion of the carrier module, it has the effect of preventing sagging in the direction of the optical axis.

[0037] In addition, since the flexible member is supported on the upper surface of the supporting protrusion protruding from the upper portion of the carrier module, a separate supporting member is not required to prevent sagging in the direction of the optical axis, which has the effect of enabling the camera module to be made thinner.

[0038] In addition, it has the effect of preventing electrical interference or physical interference due to contact between the flexible member and other components when implementing AF, OIS, and IRIS functions by preventing sagging of the flexible member.

[0039] The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects described above, and should be understood to include all effects that can be inferred from the detailed description of the present invention or the composition of the invention described in the claims.

[0040] FIG. 1 is a partially exploded perspective view showing a camera module according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] FIG. 2 is a partially exploded perspective view showing a housing and a flexible member including a carrier module applied to a camera module according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view showing the arrangement of a base portion and a flexible member including a carrier module applied to a camera module according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0043] FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view showing the arrangement of an OIS carrier, a Z-stopper, and a flexible member applied to a camera module according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of Figure 4.

[0045] Figure 6 is a partially enlarged drawing showing an example of a flexible member being supported and fixed on a support protrusion in part “A” of Figure 4.

[0046] Figure 7 is a drawing showing another example of a support protrusion in the “A” portion of Figure 4.

[0047] The present invention, in its best form, comprises: a base portion having a first receiving hole and receiving a carrier module that moves in a direction perpendicular to an optical axis or the optical axis; a shield can portion having a second receiving hole and coupled to the base portion; an iris module including a coil and a magnet and positioned on an upper portion of the base portion; a lens module accommodated in the carrier module so as to be drivable with the carrier module; and a flexible member having one side electrically connected to a substrate and the other side electrically connected to the coil of the iris module, and flexibly moving while maintaining the electrical connection according to the driving of the iris module.

[0048] The above flexible member is disposed between the base portion and the shield can portion, and a portion thereof is mounted on an upper portion protruding upward in a third direction of the carrier module, thereby preventing downward sagging, thereby providing a camera module.

[0049] Hereinafter, with reference to the attached drawings, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail so that those skilled in the art can easily practice the present invention. The present invention may be implemented in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. To clearly explain the present invention, parts irrelevant to the description are omitted in the drawings, and the same reference numerals designate identical or similar components throughout the specification.

[0050] The words and terms used in this specification and claims should not be construed as limited to their ordinary or dictionary meanings, but should be interpreted in a way that is consistent with the technical idea of ​​the present invention, in accordance with the principles by which the inventor can define terms and concepts in order to best explain his or her invention.

[0051] Therefore, the embodiments described in this specification and the configurations illustrated in the drawings correspond to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and do not represent all of the technical ideas of the present invention, so there may be various equivalents and modified examples that can replace the configuration at the time of filing of the present invention.

[0052] In this specification, terms such as “include” or “have” are intended to describe the presence of a feature, number, step, operation, component, part or combination thereof described in the specification, but should be understood not to exclude in advance the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts or combinations thereof.

[0053] When a component is said to be "in front of," "behind," "above," or "below" another component, this includes not only being placed "in front of," "behind," "above," or "below" the other component in direct contact with it, but also if there is another component intervening therebetween. Furthermore, when a component is said to be "connected" to another component, this includes not only being directly connected to one another, but also being indirectly connected to one another, unless there are special circumstances.

[0054] The terms "X-axis", "Y-axis", and "Z-axis" used in the description will be understood with reference to the coordinate system illustrated in the drawings. In addition, although the X-axis direction is referred to as the first direction, the Y-axis direction as the second direction, and the Z-axis direction as the third direction in the description, this is only an example according to a relative viewpoint, and the first to third directions and the coordinate axes (X, Y, Z axes) are only introduced to explain the relative positions between components, and do not limit the absolute positions of each component.

[0055] Additionally, the "optical axis direction" used in the following description corresponds to the direction in which light (light) enters the lens module (300) mounted on the camera module (1). This optical axis direction is identical to the "Z-axis direction", i.e., the third direction, and will be understood with reference to the illustrated coordinate system.

[0056] In addition, in explaining the present invention, specific descriptions of related known functions or configurations will be omitted in order to avoid obscuring the gist of the present invention.

[0057]

[0058] Hereinafter, a camera module according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0059] FIG. 1 is a partially exploded perspective view showing a camera module according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a partially exploded perspective view showing a housing and a flexible member including a carrier module applied to the camera module according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a partially exploded perspective view showing the arrangement of a base part including a carrier module applied to the camera module according to an embodiment of the present invention and a flexible member. In addition, FIG. 4 is a partially exploded perspective view showing the arrangement of an OIS carrier, a Z-stopper, and a flexible member applied to the camera module according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 4. In addition, FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged view showing an example of a support protrusion being fixedly supported on a flexible member in part "A" of FIG. 4, and FIG. 7 is a view showing another example of a support protrusion in part "A" of FIG. 6.

[0060] As illustrated, a camera module (1) according to one embodiment of the present invention is supported and mounted on a substrate (not illustrated) of a mobile terminal (hereinafter referred to as an “electronic device”) such as a mobile phone, a smart phone, etc., as well as an independent camera device.

[0061] The camera module (1) of the present invention may include a structure for implementing an iris (IRIS) function that controls the amount of light (light quantity), in addition to AF (Auto Focus), OIS (Optical Image Stabilizer), and image shake prevention.

[0062] To this end, a camera module (1) according to one embodiment of the present invention largely includes a housing (100), a carrier module (200), a lens module (300), and an iris module (400). In addition, the iris module (400) may include a flexible member (500) for power supply and electrical signal connection.

[0063] A camera module (1) according to one embodiment of the present invention is described as follows.

[0064] First, the housing (100) includes a base portion (110) and a shield can portion (120).

[0065] The base part (110) has a first receiving hole (H1) in the center, and a carrier module (200) that moves in the optical axis (third direction) or in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis (first direction or second direction) is received therein, and the lower part has a structure that is supported on a substrate on which a camera module (1) is mounted.

[0066] This substrate includes a control circuit related to driving the camera module (1), and can supply a designated signal (e.g., power supply through a current supply of a designated size) to coils (C) for driving, and generate a control signal for driving. This substrate is already known, and a detailed description of the related known functions or configurations will be omitted in order to avoid obscuring the gist of the present invention.

[0067] Meanwhile, the shield can part (120) has a second receiving hole (H2) corresponding to the first receiving hole (H1) and has a structure that is coupled to the upper part of the base part (110).

[0068] This shield can part (120) can play a role in protecting or fixing the carrier module (200), lens module (300), and iris module (400) accommodated in the base part (110). To this end, the shield can part (120) can be made of a metal material or a material having a hardness greater than a specified size (e.g., metal or reinforced plastic).

[0069] The iris module (400) has a structure that includes a separate coil and magnet for driving the iris. In addition, the iris module (400) may be positioned on the upper portion of the base portion (110) or accommodated in the base portion (110). In addition, the iris module (400) may be fixed to the carrier module (200) and driven in a direction along the optical axis or perpendicular to the optical axis together with the carrier module (200). This iris module (400) may also have a known structure for driving the iris, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted in order to avoid obscuring the gist of the present invention.

[0070] However, in the application of the present invention, the iris module (400) is characterized in that it includes a coil and a magnet for implementing the iris function.

[0071] In addition, the lens module (300) is housed within the carrier module (200) so as to be operable together with the carrier module (200), and movement can be performed in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis or the optical axis depending on the implementation of the function of the carrier module (200). In addition, the amount of light (light quantity) can be adjusted depending on the operation of the iris module (400).

[0072] Meanwhile, a camera module (1) according to one embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that an iris module (400), a carrier module (200), and a lens module (300) can be organically stacked and combined inside a housing (100), and can move organically in conjunction without mutual interference.

[0073] At this time, the iris module (400) has a structure including a coil and a magnet as a driving unit for implementing the iris function, and when the lens module (300) drives the OIS by the carrier module (200) in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis, the optical axis of the lens driving the OIS and the optical axis of the iris must be able to match without being misaligned.

[0074] To this end, the camera module (1) according to one embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that it includes a flexible member (500) electrically connected to the iris module (400) so that the iris module (400) can move to have the same optical axis even when the AF or OIS function of the lens module (200) is implemented.

[0075] Through a flexible member (500) that is flexible and connected to the iris module (400), the iris module (400) can move in conjunction with the movement of the lens module (300), and the optical axis of the iris and the optical axis of the lens can always be aligned.

[0076] This flexible member (500) is placed between the base portion (110) and the shield can portion (120) constituting the housing (100), and a part of it is supported by being secured to the upper portion protruding upward in the third direction of the carrier module (200) accommodated in the base portion (110), thereby preventing downward sagging.

[0077]

[0078] Below, the camera module (1) according to one embodiment of the present invention described above will be described in more detail.

[0079] As described above, the carrier module (200), the lens module (300), and the iris module (400) are accommodated and stacked in the direction of the optical axis inside the housing (100), supported by the housing (100), and perform operations for implementing each function.

[0080] For example, the lens module (300) and the iris module (400) may be implemented in a form that is mounted on the upper portion of the optical axis of the camera module (1). Meanwhile, the shapes of the lens module (300) and the iris module (400) shown in the illustration are only examples, and it is to be noted in advance that the shape is not limited to the illustrated shape, as external modifications are possible as needed.

[0081] Meanwhile, in the description of the present invention, it is obvious that the lens module (300) and the iris module (400) may be mounted on a camera module in which the AF or OIS function is implemented alone, as well as a camera module in which the AF or OIS function is implemented in an integrated manner.

[0082] In the city, a carrier module (200) accommodated in a housing (100) is described as an example of a camera module (1) in which AF or OIS functions are integrated.

[0083] First, the housing (100) applied to the camera module (1) according to one embodiment of the present invention has a body shape with an upper and lower opening, and as described above, includes a base portion (110) having an internal receiving space, and a shield can portion (120) coupled with the base portion (110).

[0084] Inside the housing (100), a carrier module (200) including an AF carrier (210) for implementing an AF function and an OIS carrier (230) for implementing an OIS function is accommodated, and a lens module (300) and an iris module (400) are mounted at the center of the housing (100). The lens module (300) and the iris module (400) may be in a form in which at least a portion of the lens module (300) and the iris module (400) are exposed to the outside through the second accommodation hole (H2) of the shield can portion (120).

[0085] The base portion (110) constituting the lower part of the housing (100) can be mounted and supported on a substrate (not shown) of an electronic device on which a camera module (1) is mounted.

[0086] This base portion (110) has a base side wall (111) forming a perimeter frame and forms a first receiving hole (H1) in the center. In addition, a carrier module (200), a lens module (300), and an iris module (400) can be sequentially arranged in the optical axis direction in the base portion (110).

[0087] Additionally, the base part (110) includes coils (C) for driving AF or OIS on the inside of the base side wall (111) and an FPCB (flexible printed circuit board, 112) electrically connected to supply power to the coils (C).

[0088] FPCB (112) is electrically connected to the substrate on which the camera module (1) is mounted.

[0089] In addition, although not shown, it goes without saying that an image sensor (not shown) such as a CD (Charged-coupled Device) or CMOS (Complementary Metal-oxide Semiconductor) may be provided at the lower end of the optical axis of the base portion (110) constituting the housing (100).

[0090] In addition, the shield can part (120) has a shield side wall (121) corresponding to the base side wall (111) of the base part (110), and protects components related to the camera module placed inside while being fastened to the base side wall (111).

[0091] In addition, the shield can portion (120) may include a shield upper wall (122) in which the upper side of the shield side wall (121) extends toward the second receiving hole (H2) to form an upper border. This shield upper wall (122) may have a size that can protect the ID without interfering with the operation of the lens module (300) and the iris module (400) and may have a plate shape extending from the upper part of the shield side wall (121).

[0092] Meanwhile, in the city, the housing (100) has a square body shape, and accordingly, the base part (110) and the shield can part (120) are also shaped to have a square body shape. However, this is not limited to this, and it goes without saying that they can have polygonal or circular shapes as needed.

[0093] Meanwhile, in one form, since the housing (100) has a square body shape, the shield side wall (121) of the shield can part (120) may be formed on all sides in the first direction and the second direction, and correspondingly, the shield upper wall (122) of the shield can part (120) may also have a structure in which it is formed on all sides in the first direction and the second direction.

[0094] Meanwhile, as will be described later, a flexible member (500) is placed between the base portion (110) and the shield can portion (120) constituting the housing (100), and the flexible member (500) has a structure in which downward movement and sagging in the direction of the optical axis are prevented by the upper surface of the base side wall (111) of the base portion (110) and the upper portion protruding upward in the third direction of the carrier module (200) accommodated in the base portion (110).

[0095] In other words, the flexible member (500) can be prevented from sagging downward by having a portion thereof secured to the upper surface of the guide portion (232) of the carrier module (200). In addition, the flexible member (500) can be prevented from sagging downward by having a portion thereof secured to the upper surface (233a) of the support protrusion (233) of the carrier module (200) (see FIGS. 3 and 4).

[0096] Meanwhile, the carrier module (200) includes an AF carrier (210) that moves in the optical axis direction (Z-axis direction) to implement the AF function, and an OIS carrier (230) that is stacked on top of the AF carrier (210) and moves in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction (X-axis direction or Y-axis direction). The movements of the AF carrier (210) and the OIS carrier (230) are supported by a middle guide (220) that is placed between the AF carrier (210) and the OIS carrier (230).

[0097] The AF carrier (210), middle guide (220), and OIS carrier (230) can be configured to continuously maintain an appropriate distance from the base (110) by means of an intervening ball, and to move more flexibly and accurately by means of a rotational movement of the ball (not shown) and minimized friction through point contact with the ball.

[0098] In addition, the AF carrier (210), middle guide (220), and OIS carrier (230) can be prevented from being dislodged upward, i.e., in the direction of the optical axis, by a plate-shaped Z-stopper (240) coupled to the upper portion of the AF carrier (210) (see FIGS. 2 and 3).

[0099] These AF carrier (210), middle guide (220), OIS carrier (230) and Z-stopper (240) constituting the carrier module (200) are arranged in a stacked state in the internal receiving space of the housing (100) with a gap space for movement between the bottom surface of the shield can (120).

[0100] The AF carrier (210), middle guide (220), OIS carrier (230), and Z-stopper (240) that constitute the carrier module (200) include functions and configurations that are already known, and a detailed description of the configuration for implementing the AF and OIS functions will be omitted in order to avoid obscuring the gist of the present invention.

[0101] Meanwhile, the IRIS module (400) has various structures depending on the embodiment, but is generally configured with a structure in which a plurality of blades having a wing shape are opened and closed using the electromagnetic force generated between a coil and a magnet to control the amount of light entering the lens module (300).

[0102] It goes without saying that this iris module (400) is positioned on the upper part of the base part (110) and fixed to the carrier module (200) so that it can be driven in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis or the optical axis together with the carrier module (200).

[0103] This iris module (400) also includes functions and configurations that are already known, and a detailed description of the configuration for implementing the iris function will be omitted to avoid obscuring the gist of the present invention.

[0104] However, it should be clearly stated that the iris module (400) applied to the camera module (1) according to one embodiment of the present invention has a structure that includes a coil and a magnet for driving in the module itself. Accordingly, the iris module (400) has a method in which power for driving is applied separately from the carrier module (200).

[0105] Additionally, power supply to these iris modules (400) is provided through a flexible member (500).

[0106] In other words, the camera module (1) according to one embodiment of the present invention has a structure that includes the above-described flexible member (500) as a connecting medium for applying separate power to the coil of the iris module (400) and transmitting an electrical signal with the substrate on which the camera module (1) is mounted (see FIGS. 1 to 5).

[0107] This flexible member (500) has one side electrically connected to the substrate of the electronic device, the other side electrically connected to the coil of the iris module (400), and has a shape that can move flexibly while maintaining the electrical connection according to the operation of the iris module (400).

[0108] For example, such a flexible member (500) may be composed of an FPCB and may have a structure in which a thin plate shape having a set thickness and length is arranged in a coil shape. Accordingly, the flexible member (500) may flexibly move in response to the movement of the iris module (400) and may have a flexible and elastic movement in which it returns to the original position together when the iris module (400) returns to the original position.

[0109] A flexible member (500) made of such FPCB can be called an FPCB spring.

[0110] In more detail, this flexible member (500), i.e., the FPCB spring, has a thin plate pattern shape that can be flexibly bent while having a set length and thickness, and one side is connected to a substrate on which a camera module (1) is installed, and the other side is connected to a coil of an iris module (400) to perform power application and electrical signal transmission.

[0111] Accordingly, when the lens module (300) has a movement for implementing a function by the carrier module (200), the iris module (400) can also follow the mutual movement through the flexible member (500), thereby enabling stable operation of the camera module (1).

[0112] Meanwhile, since this flexible member (500) acts as a load whenever the lens module (300) moves when it is rigid, it is formed thinly so that it can have as much flexibility as possible.

[0113] In addition, the flexible member (500) must be arranged with a length set so as not to cause electrical or physical interference to the operation of the carrier module (200), lens module (300), and iris module (400) constituting the camera module (1).

[0114] As a specific embodiment, a flexible member (500) applied to a camera module (1) according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a terminal portion (520), a connection pattern portion (510), and a bridge portion (540) (see FIGS. 2 to 5).

[0115] The terminal portion (520) is a section electrically connected to the substrate and has a plate shape bent downward from one side of the connection pattern portion (510).

[0116] The connection pattern portion (510) is an extension of a thin plate pattern having a set length and width, and is placed on the upper portion of the base portion (110).

[0117] In addition, a part of the connection pattern portion (510) has a structure in which it is supported by being seated on the upper surface of the guide portion (232) of the carrier module (200) to guide the coupling and movement of the iris module (400). The guide portion (232) has a shape in which the upper portion of the OIS carrier (230) has a height in the direction of the optical axis and protrudes, forming the border of the first receiving hole (H1).

[0118] In addition, another part of the connection pattern portion (510) has a structure in which it is supported by being secured to the upper surface (233a) of the support protrusion (233) of the carrier module (200), so that movement and sagging in the direction of the optical axis can be prevented.

[0119] Meanwhile, the flexible member (500) must be electrically connected to the coil of the iris module (400), and includes a bridge portion (540) that is electrically connected to the coil of the iris module (400) while being connected to one side of the connection pattern portion (510).

[0120] In addition, the flexible member (500) may further include a fixing member (530) between the connecting pattern members (510) to support the connecting pattern members (510) and ensure stable placement.

[0121] As described above, the flexible member (500) must have a length set so as not to cause electrical or physical interference to the operation of the carrier module (200), lens module (300), and iris module (400) constituting the camera module (1).

[0122] To this end, the connection pattern portion (510) may have a shape that surrounds the iris module (400) and lens module (300) exposed through the second receiving hole (H2) so as not to interfere with their movements.

[0123] The connection pattern portion (510) must have a length that can be connected to the coil of the iris module (400) starting from the terminal portion (520) connected to the substrate, and must move flexibly while maintaining electrical connection according to the movement of the iris module (400).

[0124] Accordingly, the connection pattern portion (510) may have a shape that wraps around the edge of the iris module (400), and may have a shape that can be flexibly moved while maintaining an electrical connection by wrapping it multiple times as needed.

[0125] For example, the connecting pattern portion (510) of the flexible member (500) may have a form having a first pattern (511), a second pattern (412), and a third pattern (513).

[0126] The first pattern (511) is connected to the terminal portion (520) on one side and is positioned and supported along the upper edge of the base side wall (111) of the base portion (110). This first pattern (511) may be in the form of a closed loop.

[0127] In addition, the second pattern (512) has a shape that is connected and extended from one side of the first pattern (511) to enable elastic and flexible movement and is arranged along the outer edge of the second receiving hole (H2) toward the bottom of the shield can portion (120). In addition, the other side of the second pattern (512) is electrically connected to the bridge portion (540).

[0128] This second pattern (512) can be supported and connected to the first pattern (511) through a fixing member (530).

[0129] In addition, the third pattern (513) is electrically connected to the second pattern (512) through the bridge portion (540), and can be arranged with a length along the lower shape of the iris module (400). This third pattern (513) can be formed along the outer edge of the first receiving hole (H1), and can be supported in a fixed state at the lower part of the iris module (400) as needed, and can have a closed loop shape.

[0130] Meanwhile, as described above, since the flexible member (500) has a shape of a very thin plate and the connecting pattern portion (510) has a set length, a portion that is connected to the substrate or iris module (400) and moves away from the fixed portion (e.g., the fixed portion (530) or the bridge portion (540)) may cause electrical interference due to frequent movement between the connecting pattern portions (510) (e.g., the first pattern (511) and the second pattern (512)) for implementing the function.

[0131] In addition, these flexible members (500) may have stretched parts due to frequent movements for implementing functions, and there may be concerns that these parts may cause physical interference with the movement of the lens module (300).

[0132] To prevent such problems, a camera module (1) according to one embodiment of the present invention is characterized by having a structure in which a flexible member (500) is supported while in contact with an upper surface of one side of a base portion (110) or a carrier module (200), thereby preventing sagging downward in the direction of the optical axis.

[0133] In particular, the second pattern (512) has a shape that is connected and extended from one side of the first pattern (511) and is arranged along the outer edge of the second receiving hole (H2) on the bottom surface of the shield can (120), and performs elastic and flexible movement according to the movement of the iris module (400).

[0134] Accordingly, it is very important to form a sagging prevention for the second pattern (512).

[0135] Accordingly, the second pattern (512) of the connecting pattern portion (510) has a structure in which a portion located at a point far from the fixed portion (530) and the bridge portion (540) where the patterns form a connection point and no downward sagging occurs is supported by contacting the protruding upper surface of the carrier module (200), specifically, the upper surface (233a) of the supporting projection (233).

[0136] Specifically, the support protrusion (233) may be a structure formed so that a portion of the upper edge of the carrier module (200) protrudes upward in the direction of the optical axis, and it is preferable that the upper surface (233a) have a flat shape so that the second pattern (512) can be easily placed.

[0137] In other words, the support protrusion (233) is formed to protrude and have a height in the third direction so that the bottom surface of the second pattern (512) is settled and supported.

[0138] At this time, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the supporting protrusions (233) may be arranged in multiple pieces at intervals along the second pattern (512) as needed.

[0139] Meanwhile, as in Fig. 6, the support protrusion (233) can be formed so that, for example, the entire upper surface (233a) has a flat shape.

[0140] In addition, as in FIG. 7, this support protrusion (233) may have a structure including, as another example, an upper surface (233a) on which a second pattern (512) is fixed and supported, and a side guide (233a-1) in which one edge of the upper surface (233a) protrudes upward in a third direction to support a side surface of the second pattern (512).

[0141] Through these side guides (233a-1), the deviation of the second pattern (512) in the first or second direction can be blocked, thereby further preventing electrical contact between patterns or physical interference with other components.

[0142] Preferably, the side guide (233a-1) can be formed on the outside of the upper surface (233a).

[0143] Meanwhile, as described above, the carrier module (200) includes an AF carrier (210), a middle guide (220), and an OIS carrier (230), and has a structure in which the AF carrier (210) is prevented from being dislodged upward, i.e., in the direction of the optical axis, by a plate-shaped Z-stopper (240) coupled to the upper portion of the AF carrier (210).

[0144] Preferably, the support protrusion (233) described above can be formed on the OIS carrier (230).

[0145] At this time, the Z-stopper (240) forms a guide hole (242, Fig. 5) through which the support protrusion (233) penetrates upward at a position corresponding to the support protrusion (233) so that the support protrusion (233) described above can be positioned to penetrate upward.

[0146] Meanwhile, as described above, the flexible member (500) can be electrically connected to the lower substrate of the camera module (1) through the terminal portion (520).

[0147] At this time, the terminal portion (520) is in the shape of a plate bent downward from one side of the connection pattern portion (510), and due to its thickness, there is a risk that it may protrude outside the base side wall (111) of the base portion (110). Such a protruding portion may interfere with the stable connection of the shield can portion (120) and may be unsightly.

[0148] Accordingly, referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the base portion (110) further forms a terminal groove (111a) corresponding to the shape of the terminal portion (520) on one side of the base side wall (111).

[0149] In addition, the terminal portion (520) of the flexible member (500) has a structure in which it is inserted into the terminal groove (111a) described above so as not to protrude outward from the base side wall (111).

[0150] As described above, the camera module (1) according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a flexible member (500) electrically connected to the iris module (400) so that the iris module (400) can move with the same optical axis even when the AF or OIS function of the lens module (200) is implemented.

[0151] Through a flexible member (500) that is flexible and connected to the iris module (400), the iris module (400) can move in conjunction with the movement of the lens module (300), and the optical axis of the iris and the optical axis of the lens can always be aligned.

[0152] At this time, the flexible member (500) can prevent sagging in the optical axis direction by being supported on the upper surface (233a) of the support protrusion (233) of the carrier module (200).

[0153] In addition, since the flexible member (500) is supported on the upper surface (233a) of the support protrusion (233) of the carrier module (200), sagging is prevented, and electrical interference or physical interference due to contact between the flexible member (500) and other components can be prevented when implementing AF, OIS, and IRIS functions.

[0154] Meanwhile, since the flexible member (500) is supported on the upper surface (233a) of the support protrusion (233) of the carrier module (200), a separate support member is not required to prevent sagging in the direction of the optical axis, thereby enabling the camera module to be made thinner.

[0155] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described, the spirit of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments presented in this specification, and those skilled in the art who understand the spirit of the present invention will be able to easily propose other embodiments by adding, changing, deleting, or adding components within the scope of the same spirit, but this will also be considered to fall within the spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A base portion having a first receiving hole and receiving a carrier module that moves along an optical axis or in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis; A shield can portion having a second receiving hole and being connected to the base portion; An iris module comprising a coil and a magnet and positioned on the upper portion of the base; a lens module accommodated within the carrier module so as to be operable with the carrier module; and A flexible member having one side electrically connected to the substrate and the other side electrically connected to the coil of the iris module, and flexibly moving while maintaining the electrical connection according to the operation of the iris module; The above flexible member is, A camera module arranged between the base portion and the shield can portion, and having a portion thereof mounted on an upper portion protruding upward in the third direction of the carrier module to prevent downward sagging.

2. In paragraph 1, The above flexible member is a camera module composed of FPCB.

3. In paragraph 1, The above flexible member is, A terminal part electrically connected to the above substrate, A connection pattern portion having a length and width of the setting and arranged on the upper part of the carrier module, A camera module including a bridge portion that is electrically connected to a coil of the iris module while being connected to one side of the above-mentioned connection pattern portion.

4. In paragraph 3, The above base portion includes a base side wall having a terminal groove formed on one side thereof corresponding to the shape of the terminal portion, A camera module in which the terminal portion is positioned to be inserted into the terminal groove so as not to protrude outward from the base side wall.

5. In paragraph 3, The above connection pattern part is, A first pattern having a length and arranged along the upper edge of the base side wall constituting the base portion and connected to the terminal portion on one side; A camera module comprising a second pattern, one side of which is connected to the first pattern and has a length along the outer edge of the second receiving hole, and the other side of which is connected to the bridge portion.

6. In paragraph 5, The above connection pattern part is, A camera module comprising a third pattern connected through the second pattern and the bridge portion and arranged along the lower shape of the iris module.

7. In paragraph 5, The above carrier module, A camera module comprising a protruding support portion having a height in a third direction so that the bottom surface of the second pattern is supported and settled.

8. In paragraph 7, A camera module wherein the above supporting protrusions are arranged in a plurality of pieces at intervals along the second pattern.

9. In paragraph 7, The above supporting protrusion is, The upper surface on which the second pattern is fixed and supported, A camera module, wherein one edge of the upper surface includes a side guide that protrudes upward in a third direction and supports a side surface of the second pattern.

10. In paragraph 9, The above side guide is, A camera module formed on the outer side of the upper surface.

11. In paragraph 1, The above carrier module, An AF carrier that moves in the direction of the optical axis, A camera module comprising an OIS carrier stacked on top of the AF carrier and moving in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction.

12. In paragraph 11, The above carrier module, A camera module further comprising a plate-shaped Z-stopper coupled to the upper portion of the AF carrier and blocking deviation of the AF carrier and the OIS carrier in the direction of the optical axis.

13. In paragraph 12, The above OIS carrier includes a protruding support protrusion having a height in the third direction so that the bottom surface of the flexible member is secured and supported, The above Z-stopper is a camera module including a guide hole through which the support protrusion penetrates upward.

Images