CN106998410B

CN106998410B - Camera module

Info

Publication number: CN106998410B
Application number: CN201610044387.XA
Authority: CN
Inventors: 赖金鼎; 余达圣; 王翰凯
Original assignee: Primax Electronics Ltd
Current assignee: Primax Electronics Ltd
Priority date: 2016-01-22
Filing date: 2016-01-22
Publication date: 2020-06-05
Anticipated expiration: 2036-01-22
Also published as: CN106998410A

Abstract

The invention discloses a camera module and an assembling method thereof. The first circuit board is bent to expose the electrical contact of the first circuit board to the side of the power element. The second circuit board is provided with a through hole corresponding to the electric contact, and the through hole is exposed at one side of the second circuit board. The welding element is arranged on the side edge of the power element and the side edge of the second circuit board and is respectively contacted with the electric contact and the via hole so as to establish the electric connection of the first circuit board and the second circuit board.

Description

Camera module

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a camera module, and more particularly, to a camera module with a zoom function.

Background

Portable electronic devices such as mobile communication devices and Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) having a photographing function are increasingly popular, and the photographing function has become a basic function of the portable electronic devices due to the portable characteristic of the portable electronic devices, that is, the portable electronic devices are provided with a camera module. Generally, a camera module with basic functions comprises a lens assembly and a sensing chip, wherein the lens assembly is used for refracting external light and allowing the external light to pass through for imaging, the sensing chip is provided with a sensing area, and the sensing area is used for receiving the external light to image on the sensing area, so as to generate an image.

Next, the structure of the conventional camera module will be described. Please refer to fig. 1, which is an exploded view of a conventional camera module. The camera module 1 includes a lens assembly 10, a voice coil motor 11 and a circuit board 12, wherein the lens assembly 10 is combined with the voice coil motor 11 and functions to capture an image of an object, and the voice coil motor 11 has a flexible circuit board 111. The flexible circuit board 111 is disposed at a side of the lens assembly 1, such that the first electrical contacts 112 on the flexible circuit board 111 can be exposed at the side of the lens assembly 1. The circuit board 12 includes a sensing chip 121 and a plurality of second electrical contacts 122, the sensing chip 121 is disposed on the circuit board, and functions as described above. The plurality of second electrical contacts 122 are disposed on a side of the circuit board 12, and each of the second electrical contacts 122 corresponds to one of the first electrical contacts 112.

Please refer to fig. 2, which is a schematic structural diagram of a conventional camera module. Fig. 2 shows a structure of the lens assembly 10, the vcm 11 and the circuit board 12, when the vcm 11 is disposed on the circuit board 12, the first electrical contacts 112 on the flexible circuit board 111 are close to the second electrical contacts 122 on the circuit board 12, and the first electrical contacts 112 and the second electrical contacts 122 are connected by disposing the soldering elements 13 on the side of the circuit board 12, so as to establish electrical connection between the first electrical contacts 112 and the second electrical contacts 122. After the electrical connection between the voice coil motor 11 and the circuit board 12 is established, the camera module 1 is operated.

In the conventional camera module 1, since the second electrical contacts 122 are disposed on the side of the circuit board 12 and the soldering elements 13 are disposed on the side of the circuit board 12, a reserved area 123 is reserved on the side of the circuit board 12, so that the width T1 of the circuit board 12 is greater than the width T2 of the voice coil motor 11. On the other hand, as the portable electronic device is becoming thinner, the portable electronic device must have rich functionality, which makes the internal components of the portable electronic device difficult to configure. In short, many internal components are difficult to be properly disposed inside the portable electronic device with limited space. That is, the circuit board 12 with the reserved area 123 makes it difficult to dispose the conventional camera module 1 inside the portable electronic device.

Therefore, a camera module having a thin and light weight is required.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention aims to provide a camera module with light and thin volume.

In a preferred embodiment, the present invention provides a camera module, which includes a lens assembly, a power element, a second circuit board and a soldering element. The power element is connected with the lens component and is used for moving the lens component, and the power element is provided with a first circuit board; the first circuit board is provided with an electrical contact, and the electrical contact is exposed at one side of the power element. The second circuit board is arranged below the first circuit board and is provided with a through hole corresponding to the electric contact; the via hole is exposed at one side of the second circuit board. The welding element is arranged on the side edge of the power element and the side edge of the second circuit board and is respectively contacted with the electric contact and the via hole so as to establish the electric connection of the first circuit board and the second circuit board.

In a preferred embodiment, the present invention provides a method for assembling a camera module, comprising the steps of: (A) providing the camera module; the camera module is provided with a power element, and an electrical contact of a first circuit board of the power element is exposed at one side of the power element; (B) arranging a via hole on a second circuit board of the camera module, so that the via hole is exposed at one side of the second circuit board; and (C) arranging a welding element on the side edge of the first circuit board and the side edge of the second circuit board to connect the electric contact and the through hole so as to establish the electric connection of the first circuit board and the second circuit board.

In a preferred embodiment, the present invention provides a method for assembling a camera module, comprising the steps of: (B) arranging a via hole on a first circuit board of the camera module, so that the via hole is exposed at one side of the first circuit board; (A) providing the camera module; the camera module is provided with a power element, and an electrical contact of a second circuit board of the power element is exposed at one side of the power element; and (C) arranging a welding element on the side edge of the first circuit board and the side edge of the second circuit board to connect the electric contact and the through hole so as to establish the electric connection of the first circuit board and the second circuit board.

In short, the camera module of the present invention is provided with the via hole at one side of the second circuit board, and cuts one side of the second circuit board according to the size of the power element, so that the cut via hole can be exposed at the side edge of the second circuit board. Wherein the size of the second circuit board to be cut is similar to that of the power element. Therefore, the side of the second circuit board does not need to reserve a reserved area as in the prior art, and the second circuit board with smaller volume can be combined with the power element to reduce the volume of the camera module. Therefore, the camera module has smaller volume, and is beneficial to the configuration work of the internal elements of the portable electronic device.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is an exploded view of a conventional camera module.

Fig. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a conventional camera module.

Fig. 3 is an exploded view of a camera module according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 4 is a schematic structural view of the combination of the power element and the second circuit board of the camera module according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of a camera module according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 6 is a block diagram illustrating an assembly method of a camera module according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 7 is a block diagram illustrating an assembly method of a camera module according to another preferred embodiment of the invention.

Wherein the reference numerals are as follows:

1 Camera Module

2 Camera Module

10 lens assembly

20 lens assembly

11 voice coil motor

12 circuit board

13 welding element

23 welding element

21 power element

22 second circuit board

111 flexible circuit board

112 first electrical contact

121 response chip

122 second electrical contact

123 reserved area

211 first circuit board

212 electrical contact

221 via hole

222 open pore

223 conductive material

Width of T1 circuit board

Width of T2 voice coil motor

Step A

A step

Step B

Step C

D step

B1 step

B2 step

B3 step

Dotted line L

Detailed Description

In view of the problems of the prior art, the present invention provides a camera module that can solve the problems of the prior art. First, referring to fig. 3 and fig. 4, the structure of the camera module of the present invention is described, fig. 3 is an exploded schematic view of the camera module in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and fig. 4 is a schematic view of the structure of the power device and the second circuit board of the camera module in a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The camera module 2 includes a lens assembly 20, a power element 21 having a first circuit board 211, a second circuit board 22, and a plurality of soldering elements 23, and the structure and function of the lens assembly 20 are the same as those of the conventional lens assembly 10, and are not described again. The power element 21 is connected to the lens assembly 20 and can move the lens assembly 20 along the axial direction, the first circuit board 211 of the power element 21 is disposed at the bottom of the power element 21, and the first circuit board 211 has a plurality of electrical contacts 212. The first circuit board 211 is partially bent, and the plurality of electrical contacts 212 are disposed on the bent area, such that the plurality of electrical contacts 212 are exposed at a side of the power element 21. In the preferred embodiment, the power element 21 is a voice coil motor, and the first circuit board 211 is a flexible circuit board.

The second circuit board 22 is disposed below the first circuit board 211 and has a plurality of via holes 221 corresponding to the plurality of electrical contacts 212, and the plurality of via holes 221 are exposed at a side of the second circuit board 22. Each via hole 221 includes an opening 222 and a conductive material 223, wherein the opening 222 penetrates through the second circuit board 22 and is disposed at a side of the second circuit board 22. The conductive material 223 is disposed in the corresponding opening 222, and the openings 222 and the conductive material 223 are exposed at the side of the second circuit board 22, as shown in fig. 4. In the preferred embodiment, the second circuit board 22 can be made of one of a Rigid-flex board (Rigid-flex board), a Ceramic Substrate (Ceramic Substrate), an FR4 copper clad board, and an FR5 copper clad board.

In order to establish the electrical connection between the first circuit board 211 and the second circuit board 22, a plurality of soldering elements 23 are disposed on the side of the power element 21 and the side of the second circuit board 22 and are respectively in contact with the plurality of electrical contacts 212 and the conductive material 223 in the plurality of through holes 221 to establish the electrical connection between the plurality of electrical contacts 212 and the plurality of through holes 221, i.e., to establish the electrical connection between the first circuit board 211 and the second circuit board 22, as shown in fig. 5.

Next, an assembling method of the camera module 2 of the present invention will be described. Please refer to fig. 6, which is a block diagram illustrating an assembly method of a camera module according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The assembling method of the camera module comprises the following steps:

step A: providing a camera module, and bending the first circuit board of the power element to expose the plurality of electrical contacts of the first circuit board on the side of the first circuit board.

And B: a plurality of through holes are formed in the second circuit board, and the through holes are exposed on the side edge of the second circuit board.

And C: and combining the power element and the second circuit board.

Step D: a plurality of welding elements are arranged on the side edge of the first circuit board and the side edge of the second circuit board to connect a plurality of electric contacts and a plurality of through holes so as to establish the electric connection of the first circuit board and the second circuit board.

Wherein, step B includes the following steps:

step B1: a plurality of openings are formed in one side of the second circuit board.

Step B2: a plurality of conductive materials are respectively arranged in the plurality of openings to form a plurality of through holes.

Step B3: one side of the second circuit board is cut according to the size of the power element so as to expose a plurality of openings and a plurality of conductive materials on the side of the second circuit board.

The method of assembling the camera module 2 first performs step a: the first circuit board 211 is bent such that the plurality of electrical contacts 212 are exposed at the side of the power element 21. Step B1 is next performed: after a plurality of openings 222 are formed on one side of the second circuit board 22, a plurality of conductive materials 223 are disposed in the corresponding openings 222 to form a plurality of via holes 221, i.e., step B2 is performed. Step B3 is next performed: one side of the second circuit board 212 is cut according to the size of the power element 21 to expose the openings 222 and the conductive materials 223 on the side of the second circuit board 22, wherein the cut side of the second circuit board 212 is defined as the side of the second circuit board 22. And the size of the second circuit board 212 after being cut is quite close to that of the power element 21, as shown in fig. 3. In a preferred embodiment, the size of the second circuit board after cutting is the same as the size of the power device, but not limited thereto.

After step B is completed, step C is performed: the power component 21 is placed on the second circuit board 212 to combine the power component 21 and the second circuit board 212, as shown in fig. 4. And finally, performing step D: a plurality of soldering elements 23 are disposed on the side of the first circuit board 211 and the side of the second circuit board 22 to connect a plurality of electrical contacts 212 and a plurality of vias 221, so as to establish electrical connection between the first circuit board 211 and the second circuit board 22, as shown in fig. 5. The assembly method of the camera module 2 is completed.

Fig. 5 shows that the side of the second circuit board 22 and the side of the power element 21 are both aligned with the dotted line L, that is, the side of the second circuit board 22 does not need to reserve a reserved area as in the prior art, but the second circuit board 22 with a smaller volume can be combined with the power element 21 to reduce the overall volume of the camera module 2, so that the problem that the camera module is difficult to be disposed inside the portable electronic device can be solved.

It should be noted that, in the step a, the first circuit board 211 is disposed at the bottom of the power element 21, so that the first circuit board 211 must be bent to expose the plurality of electrical contacts 212 on the side of the power element 21, which is only an example and not a limitation. In another preferred embodiment, the first circuit board can also be directly arranged on the side of the power element, so that the plurality of electrical contacts can be exposed on the side of the power element without bending the first circuit board.

In addition, the present invention provides another preferred embodiment different from the above-mentioned embodiment. Please refer to fig. 7, which is a block diagram illustrating an assembly method of a camera module according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention. The assembling method of the camera module comprises the following steps:

Step A: and providing a camera module, wherein the plurality of electrical contacts of the first circuit board are exposed at the side edge of the first circuit board.

And C: and combining the power element and the second circuit board.

The steps of the method for assembling the camera module of the preferred embodiment are substantially the same as those of the method for assembling the camera module of the preferred embodiment, and the description of the same parts is omitted. The difference between the two is that the step B of the preferred embodiment occurs in an order earlier than the step a, wherein the operation of the step B is the same as the steps B1 to B3 of the preferred embodiment. The structure of the camera module of the preferred embodiment is the same as that of the camera module 3 of the preferred embodiment, and therefore, the description thereof is omitted. It should be noted that, in step a, the first circuit board is disposed on the side of the power element, so that the plurality of electrical contacts are exposed on the side of the first circuit board, and the first circuit board does not need to be bent as in step a of the first preferred embodiment.

According to the above, the camera module of the invention is provided with the via hole at one side of the second circuit board, and one side of the second circuit board is cut according to the size of the power element, so that the cut via hole can be exposed at the side edge of the second circuit board. Wherein the size of the second circuit board to be cut is similar to that of the power element. Therefore, the side of the second circuit board does not need to reserve a reserved area as in the prior art, and the second circuit board with smaller volume can be combined with the power element to reduce the volume of the camera module. Therefore, the camera module has smaller volume, and is beneficial to the configuration work of the internal elements of the portable electronic device.

The above-described embodiments are merely exemplary embodiments of the present invention, which is not intended to limit the present invention, and therefore, other equivalent changes and modifications without departing from the spirit of the present invention are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A camera module, comprising:

a lens assembly;

a power element connected to the lens assembly for moving the lens assembly, the power element having a first circuit board; the first circuit board is a flexible circuit board, the first circuit board is provided with an electrical contact, and the first circuit board is arranged in a partially bending mode, so that the electrical contact is arranged on the bent area of the first circuit board and is exposed at one side of the power element;

the second circuit board is arranged below the first circuit board and is provided with a cut through hole corresponding to the electric contact, one side edge of the second circuit board is cut to form the cut through hole, the size of the cut second circuit board is equal to that of the power element, the cut through hole comprises an opening and a conductive material, the opening penetrates through the second circuit board and is arranged on the side edge of the second circuit board, the conductive material is arranged in the opening, and the opening and the conductive material are exposed on the side edge of the second circuit board; and

and the welding element is arranged on the side edge of the power element and the side edge of the second circuit board and is respectively contacted with the electric contact and the conductive material so as to establish the electric connection of the electric contact and the cut through hole.

2. The camera module of claim 1, wherein the second circuit board is a rigid-flexible board, a ceramic substrate, an FR4 copper foil substrate or an FR5 copper foil substrate.

3. The camera module of claim 1, wherein the power element is a voice coil motor.

4. The camera module of claim 1, wherein the side of the second circuit board is aligned with the side of the power element.

5. The camera module of claim 1, wherein the first circuit board is disposed at a bottom of the power device, and the first circuit board is bent to expose the electrical contacts to the side of the power device.

6. The camera module of claim 1, wherein the first circuit board is disposed on the side of the power device, and the electrical contact is exposed at the side of the power device.