JP2007147729A - Camera module - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a camera module, wherein positioning of a lens and an imaging device is performed readily, and the number of parts is small. <P>SOLUTION: The camera module is provided with a lens 3, housed in a cylindrical holder 2 and an imaging device 4 arranged in a position at a prescribed distance from the lens 3, and the imaging device 4 is disposed on a substrate 1, and the holder 2 is fixed on the substrate 1. The module is integrally provided with a top plate 11, having an opening 12 formed above the imaging device 4 and with a projection 13, formed projectingly in the direction of the imaging device 4. The lens 3 is fixed to the holder 2 so as to abut against the lower face of the top plate 11, and the imaging device 4 is disposed at a position located at a prescribed distance from the lens 3, in a state in which the lower face of the projection 13 of the holder 2 is abutted against upper face of the imaging device 4. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a camera module having a lens and an image sensor, and more particularly to a camera module that can align the lens and the image sensor by fixing the lens to a holder.

A camera module provided in a small electronic device such as a cellular phone includes at least a lens, a lens barrel that holds the lens, and an imaging element that converts light collected by the lens into an electric signal. Here, the distance between the lens and the image sensor is important for obtaining a good image on the image sensor, and therefore the mounting position of the lens barrel with respect to the main body is individually adjusted. For example, as shown in Patent Document 1, a screw thread is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the main body and the outer peripheral surface of the lens barrel, and the lens barrel is inserted into the main body by screw rotation. The distance between the lens and the image sensor can be adjusted appropriately.
US Pat. No. 6,383,101

  However, in the conventional camera module, since the lens barrel adjustment process by screw rotation is necessary, the manufacturing process increases and the cost increases. In addition, since the lens barrel and the main body are separate, a large number of parts are required, which also causes an increase in cost.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a camera module in which positioning of a lens and an image sensor is easy and the number of parts is small.

In order to solve the above-described problem, a camera module according to the present invention includes a lens housed in a cylindrical holder and an image pickup device disposed at a predetermined distance with respect to the lens.
The image pickup device is disposed on a substrate, the holder is fixed on the substrate, and a top plate having an opening formed above the image pickup device, and a protrusion formed so as to protrude toward the image pickup device. And the lens is fixed to the holder so as to contact the lower surface of the top plate,
The imaging element is arranged at a predetermined distance from the lens in a state where the lower surface of the protrusion of the holder is in contact with the upper surface of the imaging element.

  The camera module according to the present invention is characterized in that an opening formed in the top plate of the holder forms an optical aperture.

  Furthermore, in the camera module according to the present invention, the holder has an outer peripheral edge extending outward from the protrusion on the outer peripheral side of the protrusion, and a lower surface of the outer peripheral edge is slightly smaller than an upper surface of the substrate. It is configured to be opposed to each other through a gap and to be fixed to the upper surface of the substrate by adhesion.

  Furthermore, the camera module according to the present invention is characterized in that the outer peripheral surface of the lens is in contact with and fixed to the inner peripheral surface of the holder.

  According to the camera module of the present invention, the image pickup device is disposed on the substrate, the holder is fixed on the substrate, the top plate having the opening formed above the image pickup device, and the protrusion formed to protrude in the image pickup device direction. And the lens is fixed to the holder so as to abut the lower surface of the top plate, and the image sensor is in contact with the lens with the lower surface of the projection of the holder in contact with the upper surface of the image sensor. By disposing at a predetermined distance, the camera module can be manufactured without any special adjustment by simply fixing the holder to the substrate, so that the cost can be reduced.

  In addition, according to the camera module of the present invention, since the opening formed in the top plate of the holder forms an optical aperture, it is not necessary to separately provide components for the aperture, so the number of components can be reduced and the cost can be reduced. Can be reduced.

  Furthermore, according to the camera module of the present invention, the holder has an outer peripheral edge extending outward from the protrusion on the outer peripheral side of the protrusion, and the lower surface of the outer peripheral edge is located with a slight gap with respect to the upper surface of the substrate. The holder and the substrate can be securely fixed while the positional relationship between the holder and the substrate is set by the protrusions.

  Furthermore, according to the camera module of the present invention, since the lens has its outer peripheral surface abutted on and fixed to the inner peripheral surface of the holder, the position of the lens in the vertical direction is not affected by the adhesion, so the lens and the imaging The positional relationship of the elements can be made accurate.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the camera module in the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the camera module. As shown in FIG. 1, the camera module in the present embodiment has a holder 2 disposed on a substrate 1, and the holder 2 is integrally formed as a whole. Further, an opening 12 is provided on the upper surface of the holder 2, and a lens 3 is provided on the inside thereof. A film that functions as a filter for blocking infrared rays is formed on the surface of the lens 3.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the image sensor 4 is disposed on the upper surface 1 a of the substrate 1. The image sensor 4 is formed by integrating a large number of photoelectric conversion elements on a plane, and outputs light collected by the lens 3 as image data. The image sensor 4 is formed to be slightly smaller than the substrate 1 and is arranged so that the image sensor 4 does not cover the peripheral portion of the upper surface 1 a of the substrate 1.

  The holder 2 is formed into a hollow cylindrical shape as a whole, and has a lens barrel portion 10 in which the lens 3 is accommodated. The outer peripheral surface 3a of the lens 3 is in contact with the inner peripheral surface 10a of the lens barrel 10 and is fixed by adhesion.

  A top plate portion 11 is formed on the upper portion of the lens barrel portion 10. An opening 12 is formed in a central portion of the top plate portion 11 and located above the image sensor 4, and light from the object to be photographed enters the lens 3 and the image sensor 4 from here. That is, the opening 12 functions as a diaphragm of the lens 3. The outer peripheral surface 3 a of the lens 3 is bonded and fixed to the inner peripheral surface 10 a of the lens barrel portion 10 so that the peripheral upper surface 3 b abuts on the lower surface 11 a of the top plate portion 11. As described above, the position of the lens 3 can be set more accurately by bonding and fixing on the outer peripheral surface 3a, not on the upper surface of the lens that affects the vertical position of the lens 3.

  At the lower part of the holder 2, a protrusion 13 protruding in the direction of the image sensor 4 is integrally formed on the inner peripheral surface side. Further, an outer peripheral edge portion 14 is integrally formed on the outer peripheral surface side of the protrusion 13 so as to protrude downward from the protrusion 13 in the direction of the substrate 1. The lower surface 13a of the protrusion 13 is in contact with the upper surface 4a of the imaging element 4, and the lower surface 14a of the outer peripheral edge 14 is opposed to the upper surface 1a of the substrate 1 with a slight gap. Further, an adhesive is provided between the lower surface 14 a of the outer peripheral edge portion 14 and the upper surface 1 a of the substrate 1, whereby the holder 2 is fixed to the substrate 1.

  The holder so that the distance between the lens 3 and the image pickup device 4 is appropriate in a state where the lower surface 13a of the projection 13 of the holder 2 in which the lens 3 is placed is in contact with the upper surface 4a of the image pickup device 4. 2, the distance between the lower surface 11a of the top plate 11 and the lower surface 13a of the protrusion 13 is set. Thus, the lens 3 is placed in the holder 2, and the protrusion 13 of the holder 2 is fixed to the substrate 1 so as to be in contact with the upper surface 4a of the image pickup element 4, so that the lens can be obtained without performing adjustment or the like. 3 and the image sensor 4 can be accurately set. Here, the distance between the lens 3 and the image sensor 4 is a focusing distance at which the light condensed by the lens 3 is best imaged on the upper surface 4 a of the image sensor 4. That is, the distance between the lens 3 and the image sensor 4 is obtained by subtracting a distance that is ½ of the thickness of the lens 3 from the focal length of the lens 3.

  Further, the holder 2 is integrally formed with a lens barrel portion 10 for housing the lens 3, a top plate portion 11 having an opening portion 12 that functions as a diaphragm, and a projection portion 13 for positioning with respect to the imaging element 4. Since these are constituted by one component, a camera module in which the diaphragm, the lens 3 and the image sensor 4 are appropriately arranged can be obtained simply by fixing the holder 2 containing the lens 3 to the substrate 1 on which the image sensor 4 is arranged. The manufacturing process can be simplified and the cost can be reduced.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, application of this invention is not restricted to these embodiment, It can apply variously within the range of the technical idea.

It is a perspective view of the camera module in this embodiment. It is sectional drawing of the camera module in this embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Board | substrate 2 Holder 3 Lens 4 Image pick-up element 10 Lens barrel part 11 Top plate part 12 Opening part 13 Projection part 14 Outer peripheral edge part

Claims (4)

In a camera module having a lens housed in a cylindrical holder and an image sensor disposed at a predetermined distance from the lens,
The image pickup device is disposed on a substrate, the holder is fixed on the substrate, and a top plate having an opening formed above the image pickup device, and a protrusion formed so as to protrude toward the image pickup device. And the lens is fixed to the holder so as to contact the lower surface of the top plate,
The camera module, wherein the imaging element is arranged at a predetermined distance with respect to the lens in a state where the lower surface of the protrusion of the holder is in contact with the upper surface of the imaging element.   The camera module according to claim 1, wherein the opening formed in the top plate of the holder forms an optical aperture.   The holder has an outer peripheral edge extending outward from the protrusion on the outer peripheral side of the protrusion, and the lower surface of the outer peripheral edge faces the upper surface of the substrate with a slight gap, and the substrate The camera module according to claim 1, wherein the camera module is fixed to the upper surface of the camera by adhesion.   The camera module according to claim 1, wherein an outer peripheral surface of the lens is in contact with and fixed to an inner peripheral surface of the holder.

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