Camera Actuator Housing Structure for Lens Alignment Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Miniaturized camera modules suffer from degraded optical performance due to decentering and tilting, and there is a need for improved reliability and protection against foreign substance ingress, particularly in ultra-slim and high-resolution cameras.
Innovation Solution
A camera actuator design that couples a housing with a moving lens assembly to a fixed lens housing, incorporating features like guide grooves and protrusions to enhance flatness and alignment, while using a ball and driving unit for precise movement along the optical axis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the camera module is miniaturized to reduce size, then the camera can be applied to ultra-slim devices, but optical performance is degraded due to decentering and tilting
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is divided into a first housing and a second housing that are coupled together. The first housing includes guide grooves with protrusions that segment the guiding function into multiple contact points, ensuring the lens assembly moves along a straight optical axis without decentering or tilting, even in the miniaturized camera module structure.
2Ease of manufacture
If the housing structure is simplified to reduce complexity, then manufacturing becomes easier, but circuit elements are exposed to foreign substances reducing reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The first housing and second housing are coupled together to form an integrated sealed structure. The coupling member joins the two housings while the guide grooves and protrusions create a sealed pathway that prevents foreign substances from reaching circuit elements, maintaining reliability without excessive structural complexity.
3Manufacturing precision
If the guide groove flatness is improved to minimize decentering and tilting, then optical performance is enhanced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of requiring the entire guide groove to be perfectly flat, the design segments the guiding function into multiple protrusions within guide grooves. This segmentation allows each protrusion to maintain precise positioning while the overall structure remains manageable in complexity, achieving high guide groove flatness through localized features rather than global complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design improves optical performance, enhances device reliability by minimizing decentering and tilting, and protects circuit elements from foreign substances, enabling ultra-slim and high-resolution camera capabilities.
Implementation Method 1
the housing includes guide grooves positioned on an inner surface of the housing in which the ball is disposed
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present disclosure disclose a camera actuator including a first sub-housing including a fixed lens, a second sub-housing disposed along an optical axis direction with the first sub-housing, a lens assembly disposed in the second sub-housing to move in the optical axis direction, a ball disposed between the lens assembly and the second sub-housing, a driving unit configured to move the lens assembly in the optical axis direction, and a coupling member disposed between the first sub-housing and the second sub-housing.