JP2022137328A - Camera module - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a technique capable of preventing entry of foreign matters around a light reception surface of an image sensor.SOLUTION: A camera module 100 is configured so that a bottom face 1c at a tip of a male screw part 1b and an opposite side face 2d of a coupling part 2b opposite a camera lens 1a side are flush with each other, and the flush surfaces and one surface 4a of a cushion 4 are adhered by a double-sided tape 6 in an arrangement such that an optical axis of the camera lens 1a passes through a through-hole 4c of the cushion 4. An image sensor 5 is arranged on the other face 4b of the cushion 4 so that a light reception surface 5a faces the camera lens 1a side and is positioned on the optical axis of the camera lens 1a. An inner diameter of the through-hole 4c of the cushion 4 is smaller than a diameter of the bottom face 1c at the tip of the male screw part 1b.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present disclosure relates to camera modules.

In the camera module, foreign matter may enter the interior and adhere to the image sensor. For example, since the size of one pixel of an image sensor is about 2 to 4 μm, if a foreign object of that size adheres to the image sensor, the image quality of the image may be affected, for example, the image of one pixel may be missing. have adverse effects. Therefore, a member that attracts foreign matter may be installed inside the camera module.

For example, Patent Literature 1 describes a camera module that includes a lens unit, an image sensor, a holder and a spacer. The lens unit has an objective lens and a cylindrical male screw portion whose axis is the optical axis of the objective lens. The holder has a through-hole, and the through-hole has an inner wall with a female screw portion into which the male screw portion of the lens unit is screwed. In addition, the holder has a connecting portion extending from the edge of the opening of the through-hole opposite to the opening into which the male screw portion is inserted to the outer peripheral side of the through-hole. A spacer is attached to the peripheral portion of the light receiving surface of the image sensor other than the central portion. It is installed on the surface of the connecting portion of the holder opposite to the camera lens side via the holder. The spacer has an adhesive surface, and the adhesive surface captures dust that has entered the vicinity of the light receiving surface of the image sensor.

JP 2016-051974 A

In the above-described conventional camera module assembly process, as described above, after the spacer is attached to the peripheral portion of the light-receiving surface of the image sensor other than the central portion, the image sensor is attached to the holder via the spacer. Install on the side opposite to the camera lens side of the connector. Then, the lens unit is rotated about the optical axis of the objective lens to adjust the focus.

Therefore, there is a problem that foreign matter may enter the vicinity of the light receiving surface of the image sensor from between the male threaded portion and the female threaded portion due to the rotation of the male threaded portion during focus adjustment work.
The present disclosure has been made to solve the problems described above, and aims to provide a technique for preventing foreign matter from entering the vicinity of the light receiving surface of an image sensor.

A camera module according to the present disclosure includes a camera lens unit, a camera housing, a cushion, and an image sensor, and the camera lens unit includes a camera lens and a cylindrical shape whose axis is the optical axis of the camera lens. The camera housing has a through hole in the inner wall thereof, the through hole having a female screw portion that screws together with the male screw portion, and a side of the through hole opposite to the opening into which the male screw portion is inserted. and a connection portion extending from the edge of the opening of the through hole to the outer peripheral side of the through hole, the cushion is plate-shaped, has a through hole penetrating from one surface to the other surface, and has a male screw portion The bottom surface of the tip and the surface of the connection portion opposite to the camera lens side are flush surfaces, and the flush surface and one surface of the cushion are aligned with the optical axis of the camera lens. The image sensor is arranged so as to pass through the through hole of the cushion and is adhered with double-sided tape, and the image sensor is arranged on the cushion so that the light receiving surface faces the camera lens side and is arranged on the optical axis of the camera lens. It is installed on the other side, and the inner diameter of the through hole of the cushion is smaller than the diameter of the bottom surface at the tip of the male threaded portion.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to prevent foreign matter from entering the vicinity of the light receiving surface of the image sensor.

1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a camera module according to Embodiment 1; FIG. 2 is a side view showing the appearance of the camera module according to Embodiment 1; FIG. FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the camera module taken along the dotted line AA in FIG. 2 ; FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the first step of the method for assembling the camera module according to Embodiment 1; FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining a second step of the method for assembling the camera module according to Embodiment 1;

Hereinafter, in order to describe the present disclosure in more detail, embodiments for carrying out the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Embodiment 1.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a camera module 100 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is a side view showing the appearance of the camera module 100 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the camera module 100 taken along the dotted line AA in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2 or FIG. 3, the camera module 100 includes a camera lens unit 1, a camera housing 2, an image sensor substrate 3, a cushion 4, and an image sensor 5.
The camera lens unit 1 has a camera lens 1a and a cylindrical male screw portion 1b whose axis is the optical axis of the camera lens 1a.

The camera housing 2 is a member that fixes the camera lens unit 1 and the image sensor 5, respectively. The camera housing 2 has a through hole 2a and a connecting portion 2b.
The through hole 2a of the camera housing 2 has a female threaded portion 2c on the inner wall thereof, which is screwed with the male threaded portion 1b of the camera lens unit 1. As shown in FIG. The connection portion 2b of the camera housing 2 is a portion of the camera housing 2 that extends from the edge of the opening of the through hole 2a opposite to the opening into which the male screw portion 1b is inserted to the outer peripheral side of the through hole 2a. be.

As shown in FIG. 3, by screwing the male threaded portion 1b of the camera lens unit 1 and the female threaded portion 2c of the through hole 2a of the camera housing 2, the tip of the male threaded portion 1b of the camera lens unit 1 is screwed together. The bottom surface 1c and the surface 2d of the connection portion 2b of the camera housing 2 on the side opposite to the camera lens 1a side are flush with each other. In Embodiment 1, the male screw portion 1b and the female screw portion 2c screwed together with the male screw portion 1b are fixed to each other by applying an adhesive between the male screw portion 1b and the female screw portion 2c. It is

The cushion 4 is a member having elasticity. In other words, the cushion 4 is an elastic spacer. The cushion 4 is plate-shaped and has a through hole 4c penetrating from one surface 4a to the other surface 4b. The inner diameter of the through hole 4c of the cushion 4 is smaller than the diameter of the bottom surface 1c at the tip of the male screw portion 1b.

More specifically, in Embodiment 1, the cushion 4 is made of a porous material. An example of the cushion 4 made of a porous material is elastic rubber such as urethane rubber. The cushion 4 may be composed of materials other than porous materials. In that case, examples of the cushion 4 include silicon rubber and the like.

A flush surface consisting of a bottom surface 1c at the tip of the male screw portion 1b of the camera lens unit 1 and a surface 2d of the connection portion 2b of the camera housing 2 opposite to the camera lens 1a side, and one surface of the cushion 4 4a, the optical axis of the camera lens 1a passes through the through-hole 4c of the cushion 4, and is adhered with a double-sided tape 6. As shown in FIG. More specifically, in Embodiment 1, the flush surface and one surface 4a of the cushion 4 are arranged so that the optical axis of the camera lens 1a passes through the center of the through hole 4c of the cushion 4. It is adhered with a double-sided tape 6 in this state.

The image sensor 5 is mounted on the image sensor substrate 3 . That is, the image sensor 5 is fixed to the camera housing 2 via the image sensor substrate 3 .
The image sensor 5 is installed on the other surface 4b of the cushion 4 so that the light receiving surface 5a faces the camera lens 1a and is arranged on the optical axis of the camera lens 1a. More specifically, in Embodiment 1, the other surface 4b of the cushion 4 is attached with a slidable sheet 7 having slidability. The image sensor 5 is installed on the other surface 4 b of the cushion 4 via the slidable sheet 7 . An example of the slidable sheet 7 is PET (polyethylene terephthalate).

A specific example of the method for assembling the camera module 100 according to the first embodiment will be described below. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the first step of the method for assembling the camera module 100 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the second step of the method for assembling the camera module 100 according to the first embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 4, first, in the first step, the male screw portion 1b of the camera lens unit 1 is inserted into the through hole 2a of the camera housing 2, and the camera lens unit 1 is rotated about the optical axis of the camera lens 1a. The male threaded portion 1b and the female threaded portion 2c are screwed together by rotating as a shaft. At this time, the male threaded portion 1b and the female threaded portion 2c are screwed together while the adhesive is applied between the male threaded portion 1b and the male threaded portion 1b as described above. As a result, by causing foreign matter generated or entering from between the male screw portion 1b and the female screw portion 2c to adhere to the adhesive, it is possible to prevent the foreign matter from scattering when the screw is fixed.

Then, as shown in FIG. 3, the bottom surface 1c at the tip of the male screw portion 1b of the camera lens unit 1 and the surface 2d of the connecting portion 2b of the camera housing 2 on the side opposite to the camera lens 1a are flush with each other. The male threaded portion 1b and the female threaded portion 2c are fixed to each other with an adhesive so that the faces of the

Then, as shown in FIG. 5, in the second step, the cushion 4 is placed on the flush surface so as to cover the gap between the male screw portion 1b and the female screw portion 2c on the flush surface. Stick with tape 6. The reason why the gap between the male threaded portion 1b and the female threaded portion 2c can be covered by the cushion 4 and the double-sided tape 6 is that the inner diameter of the through hole 4c of the cushion 4 is the same as that of the male threaded portion 1b. This is because one surface 4a of the cushion 4 faces the gap between the male threaded portion 1b and the female threaded portion 2c instead of the through hole 4c of the cushion 4. be.

As a result, the gap between the male threaded portion 1b and the female threaded portion 2c is covered with the cushion 4 and the double-sided tape 6 to form a closed space. Therefore, it is possible to prevent foreign matter (for example, screw chips or dust) entering between the male screw portion 1b and the female screw portion 2c from entering the image sensor 5 side.

Then, although not shown, as the next step, the image sensor 5 mounted on the image sensor substrate 3 is arranged so that the light receiving surface 5a faces the camera lens 1a side and is arranged on the optical axis of the camera lens 1a. It is installed on the other surface 4 b of the cushion 4 . As a result, a closed space surrounded by the bottom surface 1c of the male screw portion 1b of the camera lens unit 1, the inner wall of the through hole 4c of the cushion 4, and the light receiving surface 5a of the image sensor 5 is formed. Therefore, foreign matter can be prevented from entering the vicinity of the light receiving surface 5a of the image sensor 5. FIG.

As described above, in Embodiment 1, the other surface 4b of the cushion 4 is attached with the slidable sheet 7 having slidability. Therefore, here, the image sensor 5 is installed on the other surface 4b of the cushion 4 with the slidable sheet 7 interposed therebetween. By moving the image sensor substrate 3 in six axial directions including three horizontal directions and three rotational directions, the relative position of the image sensor 5 with respect to the focal position of the camera lens 1a is adjusted (six-axis adjustment). After the six-axis adjustment is completed, the image sensor substrate 3 and the camera housing 2 are bonded and fixed to each other.

During the 6-axis adjustment, the image sensor 5 mounted on the image sensor substrate 3 is in contact with the slidable sheet 7, so that the image sensor 5 is less likely to generate frictional force, and the image sensor 5 is supported by the cushion 4. can suppress the reaction force to Therefore, the sliding load between the image sensor substrate 3 and the camera housing 2 is reduced, the relative position of the image sensor 5 with respect to the focal position of the camera lens 1a can be easily adjusted in six axes, and the accuracy of the six-axis adjustment can be improved. can be improved.

If the reaction force of the cushion 4 to the image sensor substrate 3 is large, when the 6-axis adjustment is completed and the image sensor substrate 3 is adhesively fixed, the reaction force of the cushion 4 shifts the adjustment position of the image sensor substrate 3, resulting in a decrease in the 6-axis adjustment accuracy. Since there is a possibility of deterioration, it is preferable to minimize the reaction force of the cushion 4 by using the slidable sheet 7 as described above.

On the other hand, since the cushion 4 is in contact with the image sensor 5 and is in a slightly compressed state, the light receiving surface 5a of the image sensor 5 is completely sealed after the assembly of the camera module 100 is completed. foreign matter such as dust cannot enter.

Note that the camera module 100 according to Embodiment 1 can be used as a camera module for an in-vehicle driver monitoring system to monitor the driver's condition such as looking aside, falling asleep, or losing posture. Alternatively, the camera module 100 according to Embodiment 1 may be used for any other application without being limited to this.

When the camera module 100 according to Embodiment 1 is used as a camera module for a driver monitoring system, for example, the camera module 100 is positioned in front of the driver, or positioned on the dashboard between the driver's seat and the front passenger seat. placed. Alternatively, the camera module 100 according to Embodiment 1 may be arranged at other positions without being limited to this.

As described above, the camera module 100 according to Embodiment 1 includes the camera lens unit 1, the camera housing 2, the cushion 4, and the image sensor 5, and the camera lens unit 1 is a camera It has a lens 1a and a cylindrical male threaded portion 1b whose axis is the optical axis of the camera lens 1a, and the camera housing 2 has a female threaded portion 2c screwed into the male threaded portion 1b on its inner wall. The cushion 4 has a through hole 2a and a connecting portion 2b extending from the edge of the opening of the through hole 2a opposite to the opening into which the male screw portion 1b is inserted to the outer peripheral side of the through hole 2a. , which has a plate-like shape and has a through hole 4c penetrating from one surface 4a to the other surface 4b, a bottom surface 1c at the tip of the male screw portion 1b, and a surface of the connecting portion 2b opposite to the camera lens 1a side. 2d is a flush surface, and the flush surface and one surface 4a of the cushion 4 are arranged so that the optical axis of the camera lens 1a passes through the through hole 4c of the cushion 4. The image sensor 5 is attached to the other surface 4b of the cushion 4 so that the light receiving surface 5a faces the camera lens 1a and is arranged on the optical axis of the camera lens 1a. The inner diameter of the through hole 2a of the cushion 4 is smaller than the diameter of the bottom surface 1c at the tip of the male screw portion 1b.

According to the above configuration, the cushion 4 is attached with the double-faced tape 6 to the flush surface composed of the bottom surface 1c at the tip of the male screw portion 1b and the surface 2d of the connecting portion 2b opposite to the camera lens 1a side. After that, the image sensor 5 can be installed on the other surface 4b of the cushion 4. FIG. Therefore, by rotating the camera lens unit 1 about the optical axis of the camera lens 1a, it is not necessary to adjust the focus. can. Therefore, since there is no need to rotate the male threaded portion 1b during focus adjustment, foreign matter does not enter the vicinity of the light receiving surface 5a of the image sensor 5 from between the male threaded portion 1b and the female threaded portion 2c.

In addition, since the inner diameter of the through hole 4c of the cushion 4 is smaller than the diameter of the bottom surface 1c at the tip of the male threaded portion 1b, one surface 4a of the cushion 4, not the through hole 4c of the cushion 4, is the male threaded portion. It faces the gap between 1b and female screw portion 2c. As a result, the gap between the male threaded portion 1b and the female threaded portion 2c is covered with the cushion 4 and the double-sided tape 6 to form a sealed space. Therefore, foreign matter can be prevented from entering the vicinity of the light receiving surface 5a of the image sensor 5. FIG.

In the camera module 100 according to Embodiment 1, a slidable sheet 7 having slidability is attached to the other surface 4b of the cushion 4, and the image sensor 5 is moved through the slidable sheet 7. and is installed on the other surface 4 b of the cushion 4 .

According to the above configuration, since the image sensor 5 is in contact with the slidable sheet 7 when adjusting the position of the image sensor 5 with respect to the camera lens 1a, frictional force against the image sensor 5 is less likely to occur. Therefore, it becomes easy to adjust the position of the image sensor 5 with respect to the camera lens 1a.

The cushion 4 in the camera module 100 according to Embodiment 1 is made of a porous material.
According to the above configuration, even if a foreign object enters the vicinity of the light receiving surface 5a of the image sensor 5, the foreign object can be caught because the cushion 4 is made of a porous material.

In the camera module 100 according to the first embodiment, the male threaded portion 1b and the female threaded portion 2c screwed together with the male threaded portion 1b are coated with an adhesive between the male threaded portion 1b and the female threaded portion 2c. are secured to each other by

According to the above configuration, it is possible to make the adhesive adhere to foreign matter generated or entering from between the male screw portion 1b and the female screw portion 2c. Therefore, foreign matter can be prevented from entering the vicinity of the light receiving surface 5a of the image sensor 5. FIG.
It should be noted that any component of the embodiment can be modified, or any component of the embodiment can be omitted.

Reference Signs List 1 camera lens unit 1a camera lens 1b male threaded portion 1c bottom 2 camera housing 2a through hole 2b connecting portion 2c female threaded portion 2d opposite side 3 image sensor substrate 4 cushion 4a One surface 4b The other surface 4c Through hole 5 Image sensor 5a Light receiving surface 6 Double-sided tape 7 Sliding sheet 100 Camera module.

Claims (4)

A camera module comprising a camera lens unit, a camera housing, a cushion and an image sensor,
The camera lens unit is
camera lens and
a cylindrical male screw portion whose axis is the optical axis of the camera lens;
The camera housing is
a through hole having a female threaded portion that screws together with the male threaded portion in the inner wall;
a connecting portion extending from the edge of the opening of the through hole opposite to the opening into which the male screw is inserted to the outer peripheral side of the through hole;
The cushion is plate-shaped and has a through hole penetrating from one surface to the other surface,
The bottom surface at the tip of the male screw portion and the surface of the connection portion opposite to the camera lens side are flush with each other,
The flush surface and one surface of the cushion are adhered with a double-sided tape in a state where the optical axis of the camera lens passes through the through hole of the cushion,
The image sensor is installed on the other surface of the cushion so that the light receiving surface faces the camera lens side and is arranged on the optical axis of the camera lens,
The camera module, wherein the inner diameter of the through-hole of the cushion is smaller than the diameter of the bottom surface at the tip of the male screw portion. A slidable sheet having slidability is attached to the other surface of the cushion,
2. A camera module according to claim 1, wherein said image sensor is installed on the other surface of said cushion via said slidable sheet. 2. The camera module of claim 1, wherein the cushion is made of porous material. The male screw portion and the female screw portion screwed together with the male screw portion are fixed to each other by applying an adhesive between the male screw portion and the female screw portion. 2. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein:

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