JP4925682B2 - Camera module and electronic apparatus equipped with the same - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a camera module and an electronic apparatus including the camera module.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, various lens holders mounted on a camera module having a zoom mechanism have been proposed that include an urging means for moving the lens back, such as a spring. Patent Document 1 proposes a lens holder provided with such an urging means.

  By the way, in such a camera module, a shutter driving device that opens and closes a shutter and a shutter driving circuit that gives an opening / closing instruction to the device are electrically connected via an FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit). is there. As a result, the shutter is driven to open and close.

JP 2005-195903 A

  Since this FPC is a flexible circuit board, it has elasticity. For this reason, depending on the mounting position of the FPC with respect to the shutter driving device, the shutter driving device is tilted by the urging force of the FPC, and the optical axis is also tilted accordingly.

  In addition, if the camera module is provided with a biasing means for moving the lens such as a spring, there is a problem that the manufacturing cost increases and the assembly process becomes complicated.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to maintain a good image quality by suppressing the inclination of the optical axis. It is another object of the present invention to provide a camera module and an electronic apparatus including the same that can suppress the occurrence of lens play even when an urging means for loosening in the optical axis direction is not separately provided.

  The object is to provide a drive unit including a lens holder that holds a lens and is movable in the optical axis direction, and a shutter device that is fixed to the lens holder and moves integrally with the lens holder in the optical axis direction. A printed wiring board that supplies power to the shutter device, and a conductive member that is elastic and is provided between the shutter device and the printed wiring board, the conductive member connecting the drive unit to the optical axis. This can be achieved by a camera module that is biased in the direction and is evenly arranged around the center of gravity axis that passes through the center of gravity of the drive unit and is parallel to the optical axis.

  With this configuration, since the conductive member urges the drive unit in the optical axis direction, it is possible to suppress the play of the lens holder without providing a biasing means for shifting the optical axis direction. In addition, since a plurality of conducting members are evenly arranged around the center of gravity axis that passes through the center of gravity of the drive unit and is parallel to the optical axis, it is possible to maintain the balance of the urging force and suppress the inclination of the optical axis. it can. Accordingly, the lens holder can be moved in the optical axis direction while maintaining the lens in parallel, and good image quality can be maintained.

A driving unit including: a lens holder that holds the lens and is movable in the optical axis direction; and a shutter device that is fixed to the lens holder and moves in the optical axis direction integrally with the lens holder; A printed wiring board that supplies power to the shutter device; and a conductive member that is elastic and is provided between the shutter device and the printed wiring board. The conductive member moves the drive unit in the optical axis direction. This can also be achieved by a camera module that is urged and that is uniformly arranged around the optical axis.

  With this configuration, since the conductive member urges the drive unit in the optical axis direction, it is possible to suppress the play of the lens holder without providing a biasing means for shifting the optical axis direction. In addition, since a plurality of conducting members are evenly arranged around the optical axis, the balance of the urging force can be maintained, and the inclination of the optical axis can be suppressed. Thereby, the lens holder can be moved in the optical axis direction while keeping the lens parallel. Especially when the conductive member cannot be evenly arranged around the center of gravity axis of the lens holder etc. due to the structure of the camera module, the biasing force balance can be maintained by arranging it around the optical axis and the inclination of the optical axis is suppressed. And good image quality can be maintained.

  In addition, a lens holder that holds the lens and is movable in the optical axis direction, a shutter device that adjusts the amount of light, a printed wiring board that supplies power to the shutter device, and the elastic shutter device and the printed wiring A conductive member provided between the plate and the plate, and the conductive member urges the lens holder in the optical axis direction, and can be achieved by a plurality of camera modules arranged evenly around the optical axis.

  With this configuration, since the conducting member urges the lens holder in the optical axis direction, it is possible to suppress the play of the lens holder without providing a biasing means for shifting the optical axis direction. In addition, since a plurality of conducting members are evenly arranged around the optical axis, the balance of the urging force can be maintained, and the inclination of the optical axis can be suppressed. Thereby, the lens holder can be moved in the optical axis direction while keeping the lens parallel. Especially when the conductive member cannot be evenly arranged around the center of gravity axis of the lens holder etc. due to the structure of the camera module, the biasing force balance can be maintained by arranging it around the optical axis and the inclination of the optical axis is suppressed. And good image quality can be maintained.

  Moreover, the structure by which the said conduction | electrical_connection member is arrange | positioned in the curved or bent state is employable. In the above configuration, since the conducting member is arranged in a curved or bent state, the conducting member can be used so as to easily obtain elasticity. The “curved state” means a state in which the conductive member is bent like a bow, and the bent portion may be one place or a plurality of places. The “bent state” means a state in which the conductive member is bent, and the bent portion may be one place or a plurality of places.

Further, the conductive member can employ a configuration that is an FPC.
The camera module as described above can be incorporated in an electronic device such as a camera or a mobile phone.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the tilt of the optical axis and maintain good image quality. Further, it is possible to provide a camera module and an electronic apparatus including the camera module that can suppress the occurrence of rattling even when an urging means for shifting the play in the optical axis direction is not separately provided.

  Hereinafter, a plurality of embodiments according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  The configuration of the camera module 1 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the camera module 1. The camera module 1 of the present embodiment includes a shutter device 30 that adjusts the amount of light to the image sensor 3 by driving the shutter blade 13 by the driving force of the motor 11 and opening and closing the opening 19, and the lens 6 and the image sensor 3. And an imaging device 40 that captures a subject image. The shutter device 30 as a member to be attached is attached to the lens holder 5. An FPC 9 is attached to the substrate 2. Details will be described later.

  An image pickup device 3 such as a CCD is mounted on one surface of the substrate 2. A holder 4 is fixed on the substrate 2 on which the image sensor 3 is mounted so as to surround the image sensor 3, and an inner cylindrical portion that engages with the lens holder 5 is formed on the holder 4. . Two lenses 6 that form a subject image on the image sensor 3 are held inside the lens holder 5. The filter 10 is an infrared cut filter and is disposed between the lens 6 and the image sensor 3.

  A shooting opening 19 is formed on the subject side of the shutter device 30. The optical axis passes through the center of the opening 19.

  The shutter device 30 includes a plurality of shutter blades 13 provided on the front surface side of the shutter substrate 12 and a motor provided on the opposite side (back surface side) of the shutter substrate 12 to the side on which the shutter blades 13 are provided. 11. Each of the shutter blades 13 is attached by a fixed shaft 18 so as to be rotatable around the fixed shaft. Each of the shutter blades 13 is provided with a cam hole and engages with an operation pin 17 extending from a rotor shaft (not shown) of the motor 11. As the operating pin 17 rotates, each shutter blade 13 swings in a unique locus.

  An adjustment member 7 is provided on the outer periphery of the cylindrical lens holder 5. The threaded portions provided on the adjustment member 7 and the lens holder 5 are screwed together, and the adjustment member 7 is provided on the outer periphery of the lens holder 5. Note that an adhesive is applied to a screwed portion of the adjustment member 7 and the lens holder 5, and the adjustment member 7 is fixed to the lens holder 5. The adjustment member 7 fixed to the lens holder 5 functions as a part of the lens holder 5.

  A ring-shaped rotating member 8 is sandwiched between the adjusting member 7 and the holder 4. A cam surface for providing a driving force for moving the lens holder 5 in the optical axis direction (cam contour for realizing a predetermined driving force by a cam) is provided on the upper surface of the ring-shaped rotating member 8 (contact surface side with the holder 4). Is formed). By rotating the rotating member 8 on which the cam surface is formed around the optical axis, the adjusting member 7 on the rotating member 8 and the lens holder 5 fixed to the adjusting member 7 move in the optical axis direction. As a result, the lens holder 5 holds the lens 6 disposed closer to the subject than the substrate 2 on which the image pickup device 3 is mounted so as to be movable in the optical axis direction.

  The shutter device 30 is fixed to the subject side of the lens holder 5 and moves in the optical axis direction integrally with the lens holder 5. The lens holder 5 and the shutter device 30 function as a drive unit 50. The center of gravity axis G is an axis that passes through the center of gravity of the drive unit 50 and is parallel to the optical axis. In the case of the drive unit 50 according to the present embodiment, the center of gravity axis G is at a position away from the optical axis. Details will be described later.

  The FPC 9 is formed to be elastic and electrically conductive, and is electrically connected to the motor 11 of the shutter device 30 via a circuit pattern (not shown) on the substrate 2 that is a printed wiring board that supplies power to the shutter device 30. Connected to each other, and power from a power source (not shown) can be supplied to the shutter device 30. The FPC is a film-like substrate having flexibility. The FPC 9 has an end portion attached to the substrate 2 and one end portion attached to the shutter substrate 12. Further, since the FPC 9 is arranged in a bowed state as shown in FIG. 1, it is possible to obtain more elasticity. Accordingly, the FPC 9 biases the shutter device 30 toward the subject side in the optical axis direction. That is, the FPC 9 biases the drive unit 50 toward the subject side in the optical axis direction.

  Further, as described above, the drive unit 50 includes the shutter device 30 and the lens holder 5, and the shutter device 30 moves as the lens holder 5 moves in the optical axis direction. Therefore, the FPC 9 biases the lens holder 5 toward the subject side in the optical axis direction via the shutter device 30. In this manner, since the FPC 9 biases the lens holder 5 in the optical axis direction, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of lens backlash without providing a biasing means for shifting the optical axis direction. Thereby, the cost required for providing the biasing means for looseness such as a spring can be reduced. Further, the assembly process of the camera module is simplified.

  FIG. 2 is a front view of the camera module 1. On the upper surface of the shutter device 30, as shown in FIG. 2, the head portion of the fixed shaft 18 to which the shutter blades are rotatably attached can be seen. Further, the head portion of the operating pin 17 can be seen from the opening 21 for the operating pin. A plurality of FPCs 9 are equally arranged around the center of gravity axis G at the same angle, and three FPCs 9 are equally arranged around the center of gravity axis G every 120 °.

  Here, the center-of-gravity axis G is an axis that passes through the center of gravity of the drive unit 50 as described above and is parallel to the optical axis. Therefore, when the camera module 1 is arranged so that the gravity center axis G and the direction of gravity are parallel, a resultant force due to gravity acts on the drive unit 50 so as to overlap the gravity center axis G. For this reason, like the drive unit 50 of this embodiment, when the gravity center axis | shaft G and the optical axis have shifted | deviated, there exists a possibility that the drive unit 50 may incline to the gravity center axis | shaft G side. This may cause the optical axis to tilt toward the center of gravity axis G.

However, since a plurality of the FPCs 9 are evenly arranged around the center of gravity axis G, the balance of the urging force in the direction of the optical axis with respect to the drive unit 50 can be maintained around the center of gravity axis G. Thereby, the inclination of the optical axis can be suppressed.
Further, since the drive unit 50 can be urged with a good balance around the center of gravity axis G, the drive unit 50 can be urged efficiently even when the weight of the drive unit 50 is heavy or the urging force of the FPC 9 is weak. be able to.

  As described above, the lens holder can be moved in the optical axis direction while keeping the lens parallel. Since the inclination of the lens with respect to the optical axis direction can be eliminated, a clear image can be obtained. Further, by maintaining the balance of the urging force, it is possible to avoid an increase in friction when moving in the optical axis direction, and it is possible to reduce the load of the motor for driving the lens holder. As a result, the motor for driving the lens holder can be reduced in size. Therefore, the camera module can also be reduced in size.

  Further, since an urging force is required for the FPC 9, it is not necessary to use an expensive thin type, and the manufacturing cost can be suppressed by using a thick type.

  Next, a camera module 1A according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a front view of the camera module 1A. The basic configuration of the camera module 1A is the same as that of the camera module 1. Therefore, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

A plurality of FPCs 9A of the camera module 1A are equally arranged around the optical axis at the same angle, and three FPCs 9A are equally arranged around the optical axis every 120 °.
Since a plurality of FPCs 9A are evenly arranged around the optical axis, the balance of the urging force can be maintained around the optical axis. Thereby, the inclination of the optical axis can be suppressed. As described above, the lens holder 5 can be moved in the optical axis direction while keeping the lens 6 parallel. In particular, when the FPC 9 cannot be evenly arranged around the center of gravity axis of the drive unit 50 due to the structure of the camera module 1, the biasing force can be kept balanced by arranging it around the optical axis, and the inclination of the optical axis is suppressed. can do.

  In this case, the FPC 9A may be configured to adjust the balance of the urging force by using different FPCs 9A having different thicknesses and sizes. For example, a thicker type may be used only for the FPC that seems to be closest to the center of gravity axis of the drive unit 50, and the urging force balance may be maintained.

  Next, the camera module 1B will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a front view of the camera module 1B. The basic configuration of the camera module 1B is the same as that of the camera module 1. Therefore, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 4, two FPCs 9B are equally arranged around the optical axis every 180 °. Even in such a case, since a plurality of FPCs 9B are evenly arranged around the optical axis, the balance of the urging force can be maintained and the inclination of the optical axis can be suppressed.

  The above-described embodiments are merely examples for carrying out the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto. Various modifications of these embodiments are within the scope of the present invention. It is apparent from the above description that various other embodiments are possible within the scope.

  In the above-described embodiment, the FPC urges the lens holder toward the subject side in the optical axis direction via the shutter device, but is not limited to such a configuration. For example, the FPC has an FPC end on the bottom surface of the lens holder on the image sensor side. The lens holder may be attached to urge the lens holder toward the subject side in the optical axis direction.

  In the above embodiment, the FPC urges the lens holder toward the subject in the optical axis direction, but is not limited to such a configuration, and may be urged toward the image sensor.

Moreover, in the said Example, although FPC is located in the curved state, it is not limited to this, You may be located in the state bent in U shape.
In the above embodiment, the FPC is adopted as the conducting member that is elastic and can be electrically connected. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and any member that can be electrically conducted and has elasticity. Other configurations may be used. Moreover, what kind of thing may be used for a shape, thickness, etc.
Further, the plurality of FPCs may be integrally formed or may be formed separately. For example, in the first embodiment, the FPC 9 may be integrally formed so as not to block the opening 19.

  In the above embodiment, the shutter device is fixed to the lens holder. However, the configuration is not limited to this, and the lens holder and the shutter device are not fixed, and are independent of the movement of the lens holder in the optical axis direction. In addition, the present invention can also be applied to an image pickup apparatus including a shutter device fixed at a predetermined position. In this case, a plurality of conducting members are equally arranged around the optical axis while urging the lens holder in the optical axis direction. Thereby, since a plurality of conducting members are evenly arranged around the optical axis, the balance of the urging force can be maintained, and the inclination of the optical axis can be suppressed.

  In the above embodiment, the FPC is electrically connected to the motor that drives the shutter to open and close. However, not all FPCs need to be electrically connected, and only some FPCs are electrically connected. Or all FPCs may not be electrically connected.

  In the above embodiment, the FPC is electrically connected to a motor that drives the shutter to open and close, but is not limited to such a configuration. For example, the FPC is a lens holder drive that moves the lens holder in the optical axis direction. It may be electrically connected to the device. With this configuration, since the FPC is electrically connected to the lens holder driving device, the inclination of the optical axis is suppressed, the lens is urged in the optical axis direction, and the lens holder is moved in the optical axis direction. It is because it can be made.

  In the above embodiment, the camera module in which the centroid axis of the drive unit 50 does not coincide with the optical axis is taken as an example, but a camera module in which the centroid axis and the optical axis coincide with each other may be used. In this case, since the center of gravity axis and the optical axis coincide with each other, the lens holder is less inclined than the camera modules that do not coincide with each other, the inclination of the optical axis can be suppressed more accurately, and good image quality is maintained. be able to. Further, even when an urging means for moving the optical axis in the optical axis direction is not separately provided, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of lens play.

2 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a camera module 1. FIG. 2 is a front view of the camera module 1. FIG. It is a front view of camera module 1A. It is a front view of the camera module 1B.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 1A, 1B Camera module 2 Board | substrate 3 Image pick-up element 4 Holder 5 Lens holder 6 Lens 7 Adjustment member 8 Rotating member 9, 9A, 9B FPC
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Filter 11 Motor 12 Shutter board 13 Shutter blade 17 Actuation pin 18 Fixed shaft 19 Opening 20 Rib 21 Actuation pin opening 30 Shutter device 40 Imaging device 50 Drive unit

Claims (4)

A lens holder that holds the lens and is movable in the optical axis direction;
A drive unit including a shutter device fixed to the lens holder and moving in the optical axis direction integrally with the lens holder;
A printed wiring board for supplying power to the shutter device;
A plurality of conductive members having elasticity and provided between the shutter device and the printed wiring board;
The plurality of conducting members are FPCs that urge the drive unit in the optical axis direction, and are evenly arranged around a center of gravity axis that passes through the center of gravity of the drive unit and is parallel to the optical axis ,
The camera module, wherein the plurality of conducting members are separate from each other and are arranged in a bowed shape so as to protrude outward from the drive unit . A lens holder that holds the lens and is movable in the optical axis direction;
A drive unit including a shutter device fixed to the lens holder and moving in the optical axis direction integrally with the lens holder;
A printed wiring board for supplying power to the shutter device;
A plurality of conductive members having elasticity and provided between the shutter device and the printed wiring board;
The plurality of conducting members are FPCs that urge the drive unit in the optical axis direction and are arranged uniformly around the optical axis ,
The camera module, wherein the plurality of conducting members are separate from each other and are arranged in a bowed shape so as to protrude outward from the drive unit . A lens holder that holds the lens and is movable in the optical axis direction;
A shutter device for adjusting the amount of light;
A printed wiring board for supplying power to the shutter device;
A plurality of conductive members having elasticity and provided between the shutter device and the printed wiring board;
The plurality of conducting members are FPCs that urge the lens holder in the optical axis direction and are arranged uniformly around the optical axis ,
The camera module, wherein the plurality of conducting members are separate from each other and are arranged in a bowed shape so as to protrude outward from the drive unit .   An electronic apparatus comprising the camera module according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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