Lens assembly

Abstract

The present invention relates to a lens assembly comprising: a first barrel unit including a through hole penetrating in a first direction; a second barrel unit including a concave portion disposed to face the through hole in the first direction, and disposed to face the first barrel unit in the first direction; and a plurality of lenses arranged in the first direction inside the first barrel unit and the second barrel unit, wherein an adhesive is disposed on at least a portion of the concave portion, the first barrel unit includes a first part adjacent to the second barrel unit and a second part extending from the first part in the first direction, and at least a portion of the concave portion is disposed to face the recessed space in the first direction. According to the lens assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention, tilt of a lens due to expansion and contraction generated in a curing process of an adhesive may be prevented.

Description

Lens assembly

[0001] The present invention relates to a lens assembly.

[0002] The camera module can sense light reflected from an object and generate an image based on the sensed light.

[0003] Here, the camera module changes the path of light incident through multiple lenses toward the image sensor, and the light incident along the changed light path is incident on the image sensor to generate an image.

[0004] However, although high precision is required to align multiple lenses to the image sensor and direct the light path toward the image sensor, a problem could arise where the arrangement of multiple lenses becomes misaligned as the adhesive expands and contracts while hardening during the process of fixing and bonding the multiple lenses to the barrel.

[0005] To address these issues, the barrel and multiple lenses are fixed and bonded while considering the margin of error, or warping is minimized through separate components and parts; however, this could have disadvantages in that it increases the volume of the camera module itself and adds to the work process.

[0006] The present invention is an invention devised to solve the problems of the aforementioned prior art, and has the objective of preventing tilting of the lens caused by expansion and contraction during the curing process of the adhesive.

[0007] The problems that the present invention aims to solve are not limited to those mentioned above, and other problems not mentioned herein will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

[0008] A lens assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention for achieving the above-described purpose comprises a first barrel portion including a through hole penetrating in a first direction, a concave portion disposed facing the through hole in the first direction, a second barrel portion disposed facing the first barrel portion, and a plurality of lens portions arranged in the first direction inside the first barrel portion and the second barrel portion, wherein an adhesive is disposed in at least a portion of the through hole and the concave portion, the first barrel portion includes a first part adjacent to the second barrel portion and a second part extending in the first direction from the first part, wherein the first part has a recessed space formed that is recessed in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and the concave portion is disposed facing at least a portion of the recessed space in the first direction.

[0009] According to the present embodiment, the concave portion may be positioned to face at least a portion of the through hole and a portion of the recessed space in the first direction.

[0010] According to the present embodiment, the outer diameter of the first part may be smaller than the outer diameter of the concave part.

[0011] According to the present embodiment, the second barrel portion includes a first wall portion positioned outside the concave portion in the second direction relative to the concave portion and a second wall portion positioned inside the concave portion, and a portion of the first wall portion may be positioned on the recessed space.

[0012] According to the present embodiment, the second wall portion may include a barrier disposed on the inner side of the first part in the second direction and a stepped surface disposed at a step on the barrier.

[0013] According to the present embodiment, the upper surface of the step surface in the first direction may be lower than the upper surface of the speed bump in the first direction.

[0014] According to the present embodiment, the plurality of lens portions may include a first lens portion disposed inside the first barrel portion and a second lens portion disposed inside the second barrel portion.

[0015] According to the present embodiment, the first lens portion includes a protrusion that protrudes toward the second lens portion in the first direction, and the protrusion may come into contact with the second lens portion.

[0016] According to the present embodiment, the through hole may be formed such that its diameter narrows in the first direction.

[0017] According to the present embodiment, a plurality of through holes are formed lengthwise along the circumferential direction of the first barrel portion, and the plurality of through holes may be spaced apart in the circumferential direction of the first barrel portion.

[0018] A lens assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention for solving the above problem may have the effect of preventing tilting of the lens caused by expansion and contraction during the curing process of the adhesive.

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

[0020] In addition, the effects of the present invention may be described in more detail in the detailed description of the present invention and are not necessarily limited to those presented above.

[0021] The summary described above, as well as the detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present application described below, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0022] Preferred embodiments are illustrated in the drawings for the purpose of illustrating the present invention.

[0023] However, it should be understood that the present application is not limited to the exact arrangement and means depicted.

[0024] FIG. 1 is a drawing illustrated for the general description of a lens assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] FIG. 2 is a drawing illustrating the through hole and the first and second parts of a lens assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] FIG. 3 is a drawing illustrating the arrangement of an adhesive in a lens assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] FIG. 4 is a drawing illustrating the arrangement relationship between the through hole and the concave portion of a lens assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] FIG. 5 is a drawing illustrating a case where there are multiple through holes in a lens assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] FIG. 6 is a drawing illustrating the first lens part and the second lens part of a lens assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] FIG. 7 is a drawing illustrating a contact member of a lens assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

[0031] FIG. 8 is a drawing illustrating the arrangement relationship of contact members of a lens assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] The present invention is capable of various modifications and may have various embodiments, and specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to specific embodiments, and it should be understood that it includes all modifications, equivalents, and substitutions that fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention. In describing the present invention, detailed descriptions of related prior art are omitted if it is determined that such detailed descriptions may obscure the essence of the present invention.

[0033] Terms such as "first," "second," etc., may be used to describe various components, but said components should not be limited by said terms. These terms are used solely for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

[0034] The terms used in this application are used merely to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the invention. The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this application, terms such as "comprising" or "having" are intended to indicate the presence of the features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and should be understood as not precluding the existence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0035] Furthermore, throughout the specification, when the term "connected" is used, it does not mean only that two or more components are directly connected, but may also mean that two or more components are indirectly connected through other components, that they are connected not only physically but also electrically, or that they are a single unit although referred to by different names depending on their location or function.

[0036] Furthermore, when described as being formed or placed on the “top or bottom” of each component, “top or bottom” includes not only cases where two components are in direct contact with each other, but also cases where one or more other components are formed or placed between the two components. Additionally, when expressed as “top or bottom,” it may include the meaning of a downward direction as well as an upward direction relative to a single component.

[0037] A preferred embodiment of the present invention, in which the objective of the present invention can be specifically realized, will be described below with reference to the attached FIGS. 1 to 8.

[0038] Specifically, FIG. 1 is a drawing illustrating an overall description of a lens assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a drawing illustrating a through hole and a first part and a second part of a lens assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 3 is a drawing illustrating an arrangement of an adhesive of a lens assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a drawing illustrating an arrangement relationship between a through hole and a concave part of a lens assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 5 is a drawing illustrating a case where there are multiple through holes of a lens assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 6 is a drawing illustrating a first lens part and a second lens part of a lens assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 7 is a drawing illustrating a contact member of a lens assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention; and FIG. 8 is a drawing illustrating an arrangement relationship of a contact member of a lens assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] First, a lens assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a first barrel portion (100) having a through hole (110) penetrating in a first direction as shown in FIG. 1, a concave portion (210) positioned facing the through hole (110) in the first direction, a second barrel portion (200) positioned facing the first barrel portion (100) in the first direction, and a plurality of lens portions (300) arranged in the first direction inside the first barrel portion (100) and the second barrel portion (200). Alternatively, a portion of the second barrel portion (200) in the first direction may be inserted and positioned inside the first barrel portion (100).

[0040] Here, the first barrel section (100) and the second barrel section (200) have an open space formed that penetrates in the vertical direction, that is, in the first direction, and a plurality of lens sections (300) can be arranged in the first direction within the aforementioned open space. That is, the aforementioned through hole (110) is not a general hole in which a plurality of lens sections (300) are arranged, but rather, as will be explained in more detail through the drawings to be described later, it may be a space in which an adhesive (E) is arranged and moved to combine and fix the first barrel section (100) and the second barrel section (200) and fix the plurality of lens sections (300).

[0041] At this time, to specifically explain the first direction and the second direction described in the detailed description of the present invention, the first direction may be the optical axis direction of the lens assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention or a direction parallel to the optical axis direction, and may refer to a bidirectional direction including a direction from the upper side to the lower side and a direction from the lower side to the upper side with respect to FIG. 1. In addition, the second direction is a direction perpendicular to the first direction and may refer to a bidirectional direction including a direction from the left side to the right side and a direction from the right side to the left side with respect to FIG. 1. That is, the second direction may refer to the radial direction of the lens assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] To explain in more detail, an adhesive (E) is placed in the concave portion (210), and a portion of the adhesive (E) may be placed in the through hole (110). The through hole (110) may be formed spaced apart from the center of the first barrel portion (100) in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction of the first barrel portion (100). Alternatively, a plurality of through holes (110) may be formed along the circumferential direction of the first barrel portion (100), and the through holes (110) may be placed on the periphery side of the first barrel portion (100).

[0043] In addition, an open space is formed in each of the first barrel section (100) and the second barrel section (200) to which a plurality of lens sections (300) are disposed. A first lens section (310) may be disposed in the open space inside the first barrel section (100), and a second lens section (320) may be disposed in the open space inside the second barrel section (200). Here, the first lens section (310) may refer to an assembly of a plurality of lenses or a single lens, but in the lens assembly according to the embodiment of the present invention, the first lens section (310) is described as a single lens. Also, the second lens section (320) may refer to an assembly of a plurality of lenses or a single lens. Alternatively, the first lens section (310) and the second lens section (320) may refer to a single lens positioned at the top in a first direction toward the second barrel section (200) from the first barrel section (100) and a single lens arranged after the single lens positioned at the top. That is, the first lens section (310) and the second lens section (320) may refer to the first and second lenses positioned along the first direction relative to the top of the first barrel section (100).

[0044] At this time, in order to facilitate understanding, the detailed description of the present invention is described based on the first and second single lenses arranged with respect to the top of the first barrel portion (100) among a plurality of lenses in which the first lens portion (310) and the second lens portion (320) are arranged in the first direction, but it may not necessarily be limited to only those mentioned.

[0045] Referring to FIG. 2 for a more detailed explanation, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the first barrel portion (100) of the lens assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a first part (101) adjacent to the second barrel portion (200) in a first direction and a second part (102) positioned further away from the second barrel portion (200) than the first part (101), and the first part (101) has a recessed space (103) formed in that it is recessed inwardly in a second direction.

[0046] In addition, for easier explanation, the configuration and arrangement relationship are explained first. The second barrel section (200) further includes a first wall section (220) positioned relatively outwardly than the concave section (210) in the second direction and a second wall section (230) positioned relatively inwardly than the concave section (210) in the second direction, and the concave section (210) may be positioned between the first wall section (220) and the second wall section (230) in the second direction. Here, a part of the first wall section (220) may be positioned to overlap with a part of the lower portion of the through hole (110) in the second direction.

[0047] At this time, the second wall portion (230) includes a step surface (231) that is lower than the first wall portion (220) in the first direction and a barrier (232) that is positioned higher than the step surface (231) in the first direction, and the step surface (231) may be positioned so as to be stepped relative to the barrier (232) and overlap with a part of the through hole (110) in the first direction. That is, the step surface (231) in the first direction may be positioned so as to be stepped relative to the barrier (232), so that the upper surface of the step surface (231) in the first direction may be lower than the upper surface of the barrier (232) in the first direction.

[0048] In addition, in the first direction, the step surface (231) may be lower than the upper surface in the first direction of the first wall (220) and higher than the lower surface of the concave portion (210). That is, the lower surface of the concave portion (210) may be positioned lower than the step surface (231) in the first direction. Also, the barrier (232) may be positioned spaced apart from the first wall (220) with the through hole (110) in between in the second direction, or alternatively, may be positioned to overlap a part of the through hole (110) in the second direction. The barrier (232) may not overlap with the through hole (110) in the first direction.

[0049] Here, the concave portion (210) is formed to be recessed on the upper surface of the second barrel portion (200) and is positioned outward from the stepped surface (231) in the second direction, and as described above, the lower surface of the concave portion (210) may be positioned at a lower height in the first direction than the stepped surface (231). That is, the concave portion (210) is formed to be recessed on the upper surface of the second barrel portion (200), the outer surface in the second direction has a shape that is recessed on the upper surface of the second barrel portion (200), and the inner surface in the second direction may be formed to be recessed relative to the stepped surface (231) formed stepwise on the upper surface of the second barrel portion (200).

[0050] At this time, the bottom surface of the first barrel section (100) and the stepped surface (231) are spaced apart by a predetermined distance in the first direction to form a space, and some of the adhesive (E) flowing in through the through hole (110) flows into the concave section (210), and some flows into the space between the first barrel section (100) and the stepped surface (231). Here, the height of the space between the first barrel section (100) and the stepped surface (231) may be smaller than the height between the top surface of the second barrel section (200) and the stepped surface (231). That is, the bottom surface of the first barrel section (100) is positioned lower than the top surface of the second barrel section (200), thereby preventing the adhesive (E) flowing in from over the barrier (232) and into the lens. Through this, the through hole (110) is positioned to overlap a part of the stepped surface (231) and a part of the concave section (210) in the first direction, so that the adhesive (E) flowing in through the through hole (110) flows into the stepped surface (231) and the concave section (210), respectively. Through this, the adhesive (E) is placed in the space between the bottom surface of the first barrel section (100) and the stepped surface (231), and the adhesive (E) is placed in the concave section (210), thereby allowing the first barrel section (100) and the second barrel section (200) to be bonded and fixed to each other. At this time, the concave section (210) is a space where most of the incoming adhesive (E) flows in and is placed. The concave portion (210) is positioned so that a portion overlaps with the recessed space (103) in the first direction, and a portion of the adhesive (E) flowing into the concave portion (210) is exposed to the recessed space (103), and the exposed adhesive (E) can be visually confirmed through the recessed space (103), which may have the advantage of allowing the worker to more easily check the degree of curing of the adhesive.

[0051] Here, as the adhesive (E) flowing into the concave portion (210) increases, a portion of the adhesive (E) may be exposed to the recessed space (103) as described above, or may be thinly disposed on the bottom surface of the recessed space (103), that is, on a portion of the upper surface of the second barrel portion (200). Here, the portion of the upper surface of the second barrel portion (200) that is the bottom surface of the recessed space (103) may be the upper surface of the second barrel portion (200) that is positioned outward in the second direction from the concave portion (210), and more specifically, may be the upper surface of the second wall portion (220). That is, the adhesive (E) is introduced into the concave portion (210), and the adhesive (E) may be placed in at least a portion of the recessed space (103). Here, the adhesive (E) introduced into the recessed space (103) may be placed in a shape that pools adjacent to the inner surface of the recessed space (103) due to its viscosity, or may be placed in a shape that is thinly spread across the upper surface of the second wall portion (220).

[0052] Additionally, since the barrier (232) is positioned higher in the first direction than the stepped surface (231), even if the adhesive (E) introduced through the through hole (110) accumulates excessively on the stepped surface (231), it is prevented from overflowing from the barrier (232), thereby preventing the adhesive (E) from flowing toward the plurality of lens parts (300).

[0053] At this time, the adhesive (E) described above may be epoxy, but may also be other materials capable of bonding each other through curing, and may not necessarily be limited to what is mentioned.

[0054] In this case, the lens assembly assembled according to the prior art mainly adopts a method of bonding each other by placing an adhesive (E) on the periphery of the lens or placing an adhesive (E) on the bottom surface of the first barrel part (100) or on the top surface of the second barrel part (200). However, as the adhesive (E) expands and contracts during the curing process, this method causes the arrangement of multiple lens parts (300), which must be precisely designed, to tilt in the first direction, which causes the arrangement of multiple lens parts (300) to tilt with respect to the optical axis, and there may be a problem in that the adhesive (E) is introduced into the lens, increasing the rate of defective products due to contamination by the adhesive (E) on the optical path, and lowering the stability and reliability of the product.

[0055] However, in the lens assembly according to the embodiment of the present invention, a through hole (110) is formed in the first barrel portion (100), so that the first barrel portion (100) and the second barrel portion (200) can be bonded together and fixed in a state where they are already assembled, and a part of the through hole (110) overlaps with the stepped surface (231) in the first direction, and a part overlaps with the concave portion (210) in the first direction so that adhesive (E) is distributed on the concave portion (210) and the stepped surface (231), and a part of the concave portion (210) is arranged to overlap with the recessed space (103) in the first direction so that the curing of the adhesive (E) through the recessed space (103) can be visually confirmed, and the adhesive (E) flowing into the stepped surface (231) is not directed toward the lens by the barrier (232), so that there may be an advantage of preventing contamination of the lens.

[0056] In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, the step surface (231) and the first wall (220) have a height difference (h) in the first direction, so the bottom surface, outer surface, and inner surface at the bottom of the first barrel (100) are all in direct contact with the adhesive (E), so the fixing force can be improved more effectively.

[0057] Additionally, the concave portion (210) is a region that is sunken in the upper surface of the second barrel portion (200), and the step surface (231) is positioned higher than the bottom surface of the concave portion (210) in the first direction, and the concave portion (210) can be formed to have a secondary step relative to the step surface (231) which has a primary step relative to the upper surface of the second barrel portion (200). Accordingly, the height of the outer surface of the concave portion (210) in the first direction in the second direction may be greater than the height of the inner surface of the concave portion (210) in the first direction in the second direction by the height difference (h) described above.

[0058] Additionally, a concave portion (210) is disposed between the first wall portion (220) and the second wall portion (230) in the second direction, and the inner diameter of the first wall portion (220) may be the outer diameter of the concave portion (210), and the outer diameter of the second wall portion (230) may be the inner diameter of the concave portion (210). Furthermore, the outer diameter of the first part (101) is the inner diameter of the recessed space (103), and the outer diameter of the concave portion (210) is larger than the outer diameter of the first part (101), which can be interpreted as the inner diameter of the first wall portion (220) being larger than the outer diameter of the first part (101). That is, the outer diameter of the first part (101), i.e., the inner diameter of the recessed space (103), may be smaller than the inner diameter of the first wall part (220) and the outer diameter of the concave part (210), and may be larger than the outer diameter of the second wall part (230) and the inner diameter of the concave part (210).

[0059] In addition, the outer diameter of the second part (102) in the second direction may be smaller than the outer diameter of the first wall (220) and larger than the inner diameter of the first wall (220). That is, the outer diameter of the second part in the second direction may be larger than the outer diameter of the concave part (210). Accordingly, a portion of the first wall (220) may not overlap with the first part (101) in the first direction, but may overlap with at least a portion of the second part (102) and be positioned to face at least a portion of the recessed space (103).

[0060] Additionally, as described above, since the first wall (220) and the step surface (231) have a height difference (h), the first wall (220) in the second direction overlaps with a part of the through hole (110) as described above, or alternatively, it may overlap with a part of the first part (101). As a result, a part of the first wall (220) may be placed on the recessed space (103).

[0061] Referring to FIG. 3 for a specific explanation and example of this, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the lens assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention has the first barrel portion (100) and the second barrel portion (200) assembled together, and an adhesive (E) is injected into the through hole (110), and the adhesive (E) can be introduced into the stepped surface (231) and the concave portion (210).

[0062] Here, the through hole (110) overlaps partly with the stepped surface (231) and partly with the concave portion (210) in the first direction, so that adhesive (E) is introduced into each, and a larger amount of adhesive (E) can be introduced into the space between the bottom surface of the first barrel portion (100) and the lower surface of the concave portion (210), which has a space that is relatively larger than the space between the bottom surface of the first barrel portion (100) and the stepped surface (231). In this way, when the adhesive (E) flows into the concave portion (210) and the stepped surface (231), the adhesive (E) flowing into the stepped surface (231) cannot pass toward the lens portion (300) by means of the barrier (232), and since a portion of the concave portion (210) into which a relatively large amount of adhesive (E) flows overlaps with the recessed space (103) in the first direction, the adhesive (E) in the concave portion (210) can be moved to the recessed space (103).

[0063] In this way, when a portion of the adhesive (E) is introduced into the recessed space (103), the worker can confirm that sufficient adhesive (E) has been introduced during the process of introducing the adhesive (E) into the through hole (110), and can also check the degree of curing of the adhesive (E) through the recessed space (103).

[0064] Accordingly, as the adhesive (E) expands and contracts during the curing process, the problem of the arrangement of multiple lens parts (300) tilting relative to the optical axis can be prevented, and the stability and reliability of the product can be improved.

[0065] Here, since a portion of the concave portion (210) is positioned to overlap with the recessed space (103) in the first direction, it can be interpreted that a portion of the concave portion (210) is positioned to be open toward the recessed space (103). Since the concave portion (210) is partially open by the recessed space (103), there may be an advantage in that the amount of adhesive (E) introduced during the process of introducing adhesive (E) can be easily controlled.

[0066] This can prevent the multiple lens arrays from tilting when the amount of adhesive (E) flowing in is excessive and the adhesive (E) expands during the curing process, and can effectively solve the problem of the fixing force of the first barrel part (100) and the second barrel part (200) being weakened due to the excessive amount of adhesive (E) flowing in.

[0067] Meanwhile, to more easily control the amount of adhesive (E) flowing in, the through hole (110) may be formed to have a shape in which the diameter narrows toward the second barrel portion (200) in the first direction as shown in FIG. 4. In this case, when the inner shape has an inclined shape in which the diameter narrows toward the second barrel portion (200) in the first direction, the adhesive (E) does not flow rapidly into the concave portion (210), so the amount of adhesive (E) flowing in can be controlled more effectively.

[0068] However, in the case where the through hole (110) has a shape in which the diameter narrows toward the second barrel section (200) in the first direction, a portion separated in the first direction based on the through hole (110) overlaps with the stepped surface (231) in the first direction and another portion overlaps with the concave section (210) in the first direction, but the discharge port through which the adhesive (E) passes through the through hole (110) and flows into the second barrel section (200) may overlap only with the concave section (210) in the first direction. Alternatively, the upper part of the through hole (110) in the first direction may partially overlap with the stepped surface (231) in the first direction, while the lower part of the through hole (110) in the first direction may not overlap with the stepped surface (231) in the first direction.

[0069] Since the amount of adhesive (E) flowing in is controlled by the narrowing diameter, unlike the shape in which the diameter of the through hole (110) in the first direction is the same, the volume and amount of adhesive (E) can be controlled more appropriately. Therefore, it may be preferable for the outlet of the through hole (110) to be positioned to face the concave portion (210) in the first direction.

[0070] Here, in order to control the amount of adhesive (E) flowing in, in addition to the shape of the through hole (110) in FIG. 4, the upper part of the through hole (110) in the first direction may be formed with a narrow diameter, and the lower part of the through hole (110) in the first direction may be formed with a wide diameter. That is, the through hole (110) shown in FIG. 4 is just one example of a variation, and the shape of the through hole (110) may not necessarily be limited only to what has been mentioned and shown.

[0071] Additionally, a virtual line (210a) in the first direction that crosses the center point of the concave portion (210) in the second direction may overlap with the through hole (110), and more specifically, the outlet of the through hole (110) may be positioned further inward in the second direction than the virtual line (210a). This arrangement is intended to ensure that the outlet of the through hole (110) is relatively adjacent to the stepped surface (231) compared to the recessed space (103), thereby allowing sufficient adhesive (E) to flow into the stepped surface (231), and thereby sufficiently secure the fixing force of the first barrel portion (100) and the second barrel portion (200).

[0072] If the outlet of the through hole (110) is positioned on the outer side relative to the virtual line (210a), more adhesive (E) flowing from the through hole (110) flows into the recessed space (103), and there may be a problem where the fixing force on the stepped surface (231) side is relatively weak. Therefore, it may be preferable for the outlet of the through hole (110) to be positioned on the inner side in the second direction relative to the virtual line (210a).

[0073] Meanwhile, the through holes (110) may be cylindrical holes and may be arranged in multiple numbers along the circumferential direction of the first barrel section (100). However, if cylindrical holes are formed, there may be a disadvantage in that sufficient adhesive (E) does not flow into the cylindrical holes, which reduces the fixing force between the first barrel section (100) and the second barrel section (200), or the process of injecting adhesive (E) is excessively repeated due to the arrangement of multiple through holes (110).

[0074] Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of through holes (110) of the lens assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention are formed along the circumferential direction of the first barrel portion (100), and each through hole (110) is formed lengthwise along the circumferential direction of the first barrel portion (100) and is spaced apart in the circumferential direction of the first barrel portion (100), so that only a relatively small number are arranged. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, three through holes (110) may be spaced apart in the circumferential direction of the first barrel portion (100). As a result, the number of times the process of injecting adhesive (E) must be repeated can be reduced, and sufficient adhesive (E) can be placed to ensure sufficient fixing force between the first barrel portion (100) and the second barrel portion (200).

[0075] Meanwhile, referring to FIGS. 6 to 8, in the lens assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention, the first lens part (310) and the second lens part (320) may be arranged to be in surface contact with each other in a first direction.

[0076] More specifically, the first lens portion (310) is positioned on the first barrel portion (100), and the second lens portion (320) is positioned on the second barrel portion (200), and the first lens portion (310) and the second lens portion (320) may be positioned to be in contact with each other in a first direction. That is, a separate spacer may not be positioned between the first lens portion (310) and the second lens portion (320).

[0077] Here, since the first lens part (310) and the second lens part (320) are in direct contact with each other, in order to support the first lens part (310) more easily, the first lens part (310) includes a protrusion (311) that protrudes toward the second lens part (320) in a first direction, and more specifically, the protrusion (311) and the second lens part (320) are in surface contact with each other, and the bottom surface (311a) of the protrusion (311) and the part where the second lens part (320) contacts each other have corresponding shapes, and the surface that contacts each other can be formed to have a surface parallel to the second direction.

[0078] In this way, since the first lens part (310) and the second lens part (320) are in direct contact through the bottom surface (311a), even if the first barrel part (100) and the second barrel part (200) expand and contract as the adhesive (E) hardens, the first lens part (310) and the second lens part (320) are in surface contact by the protrusion (311), thereby preventing the first lens part (310) and the second lens part (320) from tilting in the first direction. In particular, the area where a portion of the lower surface of the first lens part (310) in the first direction overlaps with the second barrel part (200) in the first direction is arranged at a predetermined distance from the second barrel part (200), so that even if the second barrel part (200) is twisted due to the expansion and contraction that occurs as the adhesive (E) hardens, the first lens part (310) does not twist and can maintain its alignment in the first direction. Here, the lower surface of the first lens portion (310) in the first direction is located outside the protrusion (311) in the second direction based on FIG. 6 and may represent an area facing the barrier (232). That is, a portion of the lower surface of the first lens portion (310) in the first direction, which is located outside the protrusion (311) in the second direction, may be arranged so as to be spaced apart from the second barrel portion (200) by a predetermined distance in the first direction.

[0079] In addition, during the assembly process of the first barrel part (100) and the second barrel part (200), adhesive (E) is introduced into the through hole (110) of the first barrel part (100), and during the curing process, the first barrel part (100) is fixed, thereby effectively preventing the first lens part (310) from tilting and maintaining the fixing force. Thus, the first lens part (310) and the second lens part (320) may be prevented from tilting due to changes in the expansion and contraction of the adhesive (E).

[0080] Here, during the process of assembling the first barrel section (100) and the second barrel section (200), the first lens section (310) and the second lens section (320) are inserted into the inner side of the first barrel section (100) and the second barrel section (200), and the bottom surface (311a) of the first lens section (310) is in surface contact with the second lens section (320) so that the first lens section (310) and the second lens section (320) can be aligned in the first direction. After aligning the first lens section (310) and the second lens section (320) in the first direction in this way, they can be aligned in the second direction perpendicular to the first direction, that is, the center of the first lens section (310) and the second lens section (320) can be aligned in the first direction. In this way, when the first lens part (310) and the second lens part (320) are aligned in the first direction and the second direction, an adhesive (E) is injected through the through hole (110), and during the process of the injected adhesive (E) curing, the alignment in the first direction and the second direction can be effectively prevented due to surface contact between the first lens part (310) and the second lens part (320) through the bottom surface (311a).

[0081] In general, the method of assembling the first lens part (310) and the second lens part (320) by placing a separate spacer between the first lens part (310) and the second lens part (320) as in the conventional method and placing an adhesive (E) on both sides of the spacer may have a problem in that the first lens part (310) and the second lens part (320) are affected by expansion and contraction when the adhesive (E) hardens, causing the alignment in the first direction to become distorted.

[0082] However, in the lens assembly according to the embodiment of the present invention, since the first lens part (310) and the second lens part (320) are in direct contact through the protrusion (311), the adhesive (E) is not placed between the first lens part (310) and the second lens part (320), and the inflow of the adhesive (E) is prevented through the barrier (231), thereby preventing the first lens part (310) and the second lens part (320) from becoming misaligned due to the curing of the adhesive (E) and stably maintaining the alignment in the first direction.

[0083] At this time, although not illustrated, multiple protrusions (311) may be spaced apart and arranged in the circumferential direction of the first lens part (310). This may form a space between the protrusions (311) based on the circumferential direction of the first lens part (310), similar to the through hole (110) illustrated in FIG. 5. However, when a space is formed by the protrusions (311) in this manner, the adhesive (E) may flow toward the second lens part (320), so it may be preferable for the protrusions (311) and the second lens part (320) to be in contact with each other and sealed.

[0084] That is, alignment through surface contact between the first lens part (310) and the second lens part (320) described above, and the adhesive (E) injected into the through hole (110) is prevented from flowing into the first lens part (310) and the second lens part (320) by means of the barrier (321), and the degree of curing of the adhesive (E) can be visually checked through the recessed space (103), thereby effectively preventing the alignment of the first lens part (310) and the second lens part (320) in the first direction from becoming distorted due to expansion and contraction caused by the adhesive (E), thereby increasing the completeness and reliability.

[0085] Additionally, the protrusion (311) may be formed in a tapered shape with a narrowing diameter toward the second lens portion (320) in the first direction to form an inclined surface (311b).

[0086] In addition, the area where the protrusion (311) contacts the second lens portion (320) in the first direction may be formed along the circumferential direction of the first lens portion (310), and at least a portion of the aforementioned contact area may be arranged so that there is no air gap with the second lens portion (320), thereby having the effect of not being affected by shrinkage and expansion caused by the adhesive (E). Accordingly, there may be an advantage that manufacturing is easy and lens yield can be stabilized even when there is high sensitivity to the arrangement in the first direction.

[0087] Meanwhile, as illustrated in FIG. 7, a contact member (312) may be formed on the bottom surface (311a) of the protrusion (311) so as to protrude toward the second lens portion (320) and come into direct contact with the second lens portion (320). Here, the contact member (312) may have a contact surface (312a) that comes into contact with the second lens portion (320).

[0088] Here, the contact surface (312a) may be formed to have a surface parallel to the second direction, identical to the part where the second lens part (320) contacts the contact member (312) as described above, and although not illustrated, the upper surface of the second lens part (320) and the area facing the protrusion (311) may have a groove formed that is recessed in a direction away from the first lens part (310) so that the contact member (312) can be inserted into the groove.

[0089] At this time, as shown in FIG. 8, a plurality of contact members (312) are spaced apart based on the circumferential direction of the first lens part (310), and a spaced gap may be formed between a pair of contact members (312) in the circumferential direction of the first lens part (310).

[0090] Here, the protrusion (311) is formed along the circumferential direction, and since the height in the first direction is designed according to the distance between the first lens part (310) and the second lens part (320), the height in the first direction is higher than that of the contact member (312). Although forming a region where the height in the first direction of the protrusion (311) is different must be done considering the tolerance that occurs during the manufacturing process, since it is difficult to visually distinguish and arrange the region with a different height, the contact member (312) is formed on the bottom surface (311a) of the protrusion (311) to effectively resolve the aforementioned tolerance.

[0091] At this time, the contact member (312) may be designed considering the alignment of the first lens part (310) and the second lens part (320) in the first direction and the alignment in the second direction, and accordingly, at least one of the plurality of contact members (312) may have a different height in the first direction.

[0092] That is, the contact member (312) increases the assemblability and the possibility of contact between the first lens part (310) and the second lens part (320) regarding the tolerance that may occur between the first lens part (310) and the second lens part (320), and thereby more effectively prevents the plurality of lens parts (300) from tilting in the first direction.

[0093] We have examined preferred embodiments according to the invention, and it is obvious to those skilled in the art that, in addition to the embodiments described above, the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or scope thereof.

[0094] Therefore, the embodiments described above should be regarded as exemplary rather than limiting, and accordingly, the present invention is not limited to the description above but may be modified within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A first barrel portion including a through hole penetrating in a first direction; A concave portion disposed facing the through hole in the first direction, and a second barrel portion disposed facing the first barrel portion in the first direction; and It includes a plurality of lens portions arranged in the first direction on the inner side of the first barrel portion and the second barrel portion, and An adhesive is placed in at least a portion of the above-mentioned concave portion, and The first barrel portion includes a first part adjacent to the second barrel portion and a second part extending in the first direction from the first part, and The above first part has a recessed space formed in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and The above-mentioned concave portion is a lens assembly positioned such that at least a portion of it faces the above-mentioned recessed space in the above-mentioned first direction.

2. In Paragraph 1, The above-mentioned concave portion is a lens assembly positioned to face at least a portion of the through hole and a portion of the recessed space in the first direction.

3. In Paragraph 1, A lens assembly in which the outer diameter of the first part is smaller than the outer diameter of the concave part.

4. In Paragraph 1, The second barrel portion includes a first wall portion positioned outside the concave portion in the second direction relative to the concave portion and a second wall portion positioned inside the concave portion. A portion of the first wall portion is a lens assembly disposed on the recessed space.

5. In Paragraph 4, A lens assembly comprising a second wall portion having a stopper disposed on the inner side of the first part in the second direction and a stepped surface disposed at a step on the stopper.

6. In Paragraph 5, A lens assembly in which the upper surface of the above step surface in the first direction is lower than the upper surface of the above speed bump in the first direction.

7. In Paragraph 1, A lens assembly comprising a plurality of lens portions including a first lens portion disposed inside the first barrel portion and a second lens portion disposed inside the second barrel portion.

8. In Paragraph 7, The first lens portion includes a protrusion that protrudes toward the second lens portion in the first direction, and The above protrusion is a lens assembly that contacts the second lens portion.

9. In Paragraph 1, The above through hole is a lens assembly formed such that its diameter narrows in the first direction.

10. In Paragraph 1, The above through holes are formed in multiple long numbers along the circumferential direction of the first barrel portion, and A lens assembly in which a plurality of the above-mentioned through holes are spaced apart in the circumferential direction of the first barrel portion.

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