Camera Module Chassis Cut-Out for Bearing Raceway Indentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Camera systems in mobile devices face reliability issues due to indentations in the raceway of bearing structures, leading to unwanted spatial shifts between the image sensor and lens, which degrade image quality and autofocus/optical image stabilization performance.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a chassis cut-out in the camera module to increase the span distance or length of the rolling elements in the bearing structure, thereby reducing the sensitivity to raceway indentations and improving the stability of the movable components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the span distance of rolling elements in the bearing structure is increased to reduce sensitivity to raceway indentations, then the stability and image quality improve, but the device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a chassis cut-out that creates additional vertical space, allowing the bearing span to extend in the Z-direction (optical axis direction). This dimensional change enables increased rolling element span distance without increasing the horizontal footprint of the camera module, thus improving reliability while maintaining compact form factor.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent removes a portion of the chassis material to create a cut-out space. This extraction of material provides the necessary clearance for extending the bearing structure's rolling element span, allowing the bearing to achieve greater stability without being constrained by the original chassis geometry.
2Manufacturing precision
If the span distance of rolling elements is increased to reduce the impact of indentations, then autofocus and optical image stabilization performance improve, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The chassis cut-out is designed and manufactured in advance, creating pre-established clearance space before the bearing structure is assembled. This preliminary action ensures that the bearing can be installed with the optimal span distance without requiring complex post-assembly adjustments, thereby maintaining manufacturing precision while facilitating ease of assembly.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the rolling element span distance is increased to improve optical image stabilization, then the stability of movable components improves, but the device volume increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the vertical dimension (Z-axis along the optical axis) to increase the bearing span distance. By extending the bearing span vertically through the chassis cut-out rather than horizontally, the camera module achieves improved movable component stability without significantly increasing its overall volume or footprint.
Data Source
AI summary
A device may have a multi-camera system including one or more camera modules. At least one camera module may include one or more lenses, an image sensor, and a chassis structure. The camera module may include a bearing structure including one or more stages moving on a plurality of rolling elements to allow the lenses and/or the image sensor to move in one or more directions. The chassis structure may form a limit for a span distance or length of a group of rolling elements. A portion of the chassis structure may include an opening to provide extra space to allow the span distance or length of the group of rolling elements to be extended, so as to reduce effects of raceway indentations on the rolling elements to the camera module performance.