KR100845547B1 - camera module and assembling device thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a camera module and an apparatus for assembling the same.

The camera module of the present invention includes a housing having a barrel extending upward, and having an elastic support portion at both sides of an outer circumferential surface of the barrel; A lens barrel assembled along the housing and in the optical axis direction and having a pair of support legs extended downward to both sides of the cylindrical body in which the lens group is mounted; And a printed circuit board that is tightly coupled to the lower portion of the housing and has an image sensor mounted on a central portion thereof. The assembly structure of the housing and the lens barrel is simplified to improve assembly performance and increase productivity.

Camera module, housing, elastic support, lens barrel, support protrusion, printed circuit board, plate, adjusting jig, jig feeder

Description

Camera module and assembling device

1 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a camera module assembled in a conventional COB method.

Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing a conventional COB type camera module.

Figure 3 is an assembly perspective view schematically showing a camera module assembled in a conventional COF method.

Figure 4 is an assembly perspective view schematically showing a camera module according to the present invention.

5 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a camera module according to the present invention.

Figure 6 is a block diagram of a camera module assembly apparatus according to the present invention.

<Description of Symbols for Main Parts of Drawings>

100. Camera Module 110. Housing

112. Elastic support 120. Lens barrel

122. Supporting legs 123. Supporting protrusions

130. Printed circuit board 210. Plate

220. Adjustable jig 230. Jig feeder

The present invention relates to a camera module and an apparatus for assembling the same, and more particularly, an elastic spring is mounted at both sides of a housing, and a lens barrel is supported and coupled to an upper portion of the housing by an elastic spring. The present invention relates to a camera module and an assembly apparatus thereof for improving assembly performance and increasing productivity.

Nowadays, portable terminals such as mobile phones and PDAs are being used as a multi-convergence with music, movies, TV, and games as well as simple telephone functions with the development of the technology. The camera module is the most representative. The camera module is being changed from the existing 300,000 pixels (VGA level) to the high pixel center of more than 8 million at the same time, and is being changed to implement various additional functions such as auto focusing (AF) and optical zoom.

In general, the compact camera module (CCM) is a compact and is applied to various IT devices such as a camera camera, a portable mobile communication device such as a PDA, a smart phone, and a toy camera. Increasingly, devices equipped with small camera modules are gradually being released to meet various consumer tastes.

Such a camera module is manufactured using an image sensor such as a CCD or a CMOS as a main component, and collects an image of an object through the image sensor and stores it as data in a memory in the device, and the stored data is stored in the LCD or PC in the device. The image is displayed through a display medium such as a monitor.

The packaging method of an image sensor for a camera module is a flip-chip (Chip On Flim) method, a wire bonding method of a Chip On Board (COB) method, a CSP (Chip Scaled Package) method, etc. Among them, a COF package method and a COB package method are widely used.

1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a camera module assembled in a conventional COB method, Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the camera module of the conventional COB method.

In the conventional camera module 10, a printed circuit board 1 having an image sensor 2 of a CCD or CMOS mounted by wire bonding is coupled to a lower portion of a housing 3 made of plastic and extended above the housing 3. The barrel 6 is manufactured by coupling the barrel 6 in which the cylindrical body 5 extends downward.

The camera module 1 is a screw coupling between the female screw portion 4a formed on the inner circumferential surface of the barrel 4 and the male screw portion 5a formed on the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical body 5. Combined.

In this case, an IR cut-off filter (hereinafter referred to as an 'IR filter') is formed between the upper surface of the printed circuit board 1, that is, the lens L mounted on the lower end of the barrel 6 and the image sensor 2. (8) is coupled to block the infrared rays of excessive long wavelength flowing into the image sensor (2).

In the camera module assembled as described above, light flowing from a specific object passes through the lens L, and the image is inverted to focus on the surface of the image sensor 2, where the screw is coupled to the upper end of the housing 3. While rotating the barrel 6, the adhesive is injected between the housing 3 and the barrel 6 at the point where the optimal focus is achieved, and the housing 3 and the barrel 6 are adhesively fixed to the final camera module product. In the conventional camera module, the barrel 6 and the housing 3 are coupled to each other by a corresponding rotational structure of the female and male threads 4a and 5a to perform the assembly and focusing processes of the module. You lose.

Meanwhile, FIG. 3 is an assembled perspective view of a camera module assembled in a conventional COF method. As shown in the drawing, the conventional camera module 20 has a bottom surface of an image sensor 13 for converting an image signal input through a lens into an electrical signal. Sequential coupling of the housing 12 supported by the lens, the lens group 14 for collecting the image signal of the subject to the image sensor 13, and the barrel 15 in which the lens group 14 is stacked in multiple stages It is composed by.

The conventional camera module 20 configured as described above has an anisotropic conductive film between the flexible printed circuit board 16 and the image sensor 13 in a state where a plurality of circuit components are mounted on the flexible printed circuit board FPCB 16. An anisotropic conductive film (ACF) 18 or a non-conductive paste (NCP) is inserted and adhesively fixed so as to be energized by applying heat and pressure, and the IR filter 17 is attached to the opposite side.

In addition, as described above in the state in which the barrel 15 in which the plurality of lens groups 14 are built and the housing 12 are temporarily coupled by screwing, the pre-assembled flexible printed circuit board 16 includes the housing 12. It is adhesively fixed to the bottom of the sheet by a separate adhesive.

Meanwhile, a fixed distance of the subject (resolution chart) in front of the barrel 15 after the adhesive fixing of the flexible printed circuit board 16 to which the image sensor 13 is attached and the housing 12 to which the barrel 15 is coupled is fixed. The focus adjustment of the camera module 20 is performed by adjusting the vertical feed amount by the rotation of the barrel 15 screwed to the housing 12, thereby adjusting the lens group 14 and the image sensor. The focusing control between (13) is made.

As such, when assembling the camera module represented by the COB and COF packaging methods, the housings 3 and 12 and the barrels 6 and 15 are commonly separated into separate members, so that the barrels 6 and 15 It is difficult to manufacture a mold for forming the female and male threads 4a and 5a on the outer circumferential surface and the inner circumferential surface of the housings 3 and 12, and the female and male threads 4a and 5a are formed at a predetermined angle. Because of the inclination, the optical axis for the plurality of lenses L stacked in the barrels 6 and 15 upon rotational coupling of the housings 3 and 12 and the barrels 6 and 15 along the threads is defined as There is a problem that it is difficult to focus accurately because it can only be inclined by the inclined angle.

In addition, when the housings 3 and 12 and the barrels 6 and 15 are vertically engaged, when the female and male threads 4a and 5a are engaged at the wrong angle, the threads are crushed or the female and male threads 4a are engaged. The fine particles generated as the bonding portion is worn by the friction of (5a) falls directly on the top surface of the IR filter (8) (17) or the image sensor (2) (13), thereby increasing the sensitivity to foreign matter. There is a disadvantage that the foreign matter defect rate is significantly increased.

Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned disadvantages and problems raised in the conventional camera module, so that the lens barrel mounted on the housing is elastically supported and coupled by the elastic spring mounted inside the housing. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a camera module having improved assembly performance by improving moldability of a camera module.

In addition, the present invention is a camera module which is supported by the lens barrel on the elastic spring is arranged in a plurality of arrays on the upper surface of the support, and moving the plate-shaped jig of the upper support to the focusing adjustment of the plurality of camera modules at the same time made The assembly apparatus of the is provided.

The object of the present invention, a housing in which the elastic member is mounted on both sides, a lens barrel coupled to the upper portion of the housing and elastically supported, the printed circuit is tightly coupled to the lower portion of the housing and mounted in the center of the image sensor A camera module including a substrate is provided.

The housing has elastic support parts formed at both sides of the cylindrical barrel extending upward, and an elastic member is inserted into the elastic support part.

The lens barrel is formed on both sides of the cylindrical body with a pair of support legs extending downward and inserted into the elastic support of the housing.

In this case, the elastic member elastically supports the lowest end of the support leg in the elastic support portion when the lens barrel and the housing are assembled.

In addition, the elastic member may be made of a compression coil spring, it may be made of a synthetic resin of a material having elasticity.

In addition, the camera module has a support protrusion protruding from the outer circumferential surface of the lens barrel, the support protrusion is in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the barrel of the housing when the lens barrel and the housing is coupled, thereby preventing the lens barrel from flowing left and right on the housing. .

Here, it is preferable that at least three support protrusions are formed in the longitudinal direction of the outer circumferential surface of the lens barrel.

The camera module in the state in which the lens barrel and the housing are coupled to each other is adhesively injected onto the interface between the lens barrel and the housing, and is arrayed in a focus adjustment jig with the lens barrel and the housing temporarily bonded. Is seated.

On the other hand, another object of the present invention, the plurality of camera modules are seated in the form of an array, and disposed on the top of the camera module to perform the individual focusing adjustment of the camera module by pressing the lens barrel on the housing top There is provided an assembly device for a camera module including an adjustment jig, and a jig feed hole provided with an adjustment lever for interconnecting the plate and the adjustment jig and controlling the upper and lower positions of the adjustment jig on one side.

Matters relating to the operational effects including the technical configuration of the camera module and its assembly apparatus according to the present invention will be clearly understood by the following detailed description with reference to the drawings in which preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown.

First, Figure 4 is an assembled perspective view of the camera module according to the present invention, Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the camera module according to the present invention.

As shown, the camera module 100 of the present invention is a housing 110 equipped with an infrared cut filter 140 therein, a lens barrel 120 elastically coupled to the upper portion of the housing 110, and It is composed of a printed circuit board 130 that is in close contact with the image sensor 131 is mounted on the lower portion of the housing 110.

Here, the printed circuit board 130 is mounted with various electrical and electronic components such as a capacitor and a resistor for driving and smoothly operating the image sensor 131 mounted at the center portion.

In addition, the image sensor 131 is made of a CCD or CMOS, mounted on the printed circuit board 130 by a wire bonding or flip chip method, the light flowing from the outside flows into the light receiving portion of the image sensor 131. When the light is collected, the image signal is converted.

In addition, the infrared cut filter 140 is installed between the image sensor 131 and the housing 110 to block the infrared light of the long wavelength of the light flowing into the image sensor 131, the of the housing 110 By being mounted inside the lower part, the housing 110 is positioned above the image sensor 131 when the housing 110 is tightly coupled to the upper part of the printed circuit board 130.

In addition, the housing 110 is installed on an upper portion of the printed circuit board 130 with the infrared cut filter 140 mounted thereon, and a cylindrical barrel 111 extending upward is formed to form the barrel ( 111 and the lens barrel 120 are combined.

In this case, both sides of the outer circumferential surface of the housing 110 is formed with an elastic support 112 in which the elastic member 150 is embedded therein, and the elastic member 150 is composed of a compression coil spring and a synthetic resin material having elasticity. Can be.

In addition, the lens barrel 120 has a cylindrical body 121 that is correspondingly coupled to the barrel 111 of the housing 110 extends downward, and a pair of support legs 122 are formed at both sides thereof. And coupled to the optical axis direction perpendicular to the housing 110.

When the cylindrical body 121 of the lens barrel 120 is coupled into the barrel 111 of the housing 110, the pair of support legs 122 are elastic support 112 at both sides of the housing 110. Inserted into the lens barrel 120 is elastically supported at the top of the housing (110).

In addition, the lens barrel 120 has a support protrusion 123 protruding from the cylindrical body 121 so that the support protrusion 123 is a barrel of the housing 110 when the housing 110 of the lens barrel 120 is assembled. By being in close contact with the inner circumferential surface, it is possible to prevent the tilt, that is, the tilt (tilt) that can be generated by the play generated between the lens barrel 120 and the housing 110.

At this time, the support protrusion 123 is preferably formed at least three or more along the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical body 121, the up, down direction of the cylindrical body 121 of the lens barrel 120 By being formed to have a length, it is more preferably formed to be in line contact or surface contact with the inner peripheral surface of the barrel 111 of the housing 110.

On the other hand, the elastic member 150 for elastically supporting the lens barrel 120 is mounted in the elastic support portion 112 provided on both sides of the housing 110, the assembly of the housing 110 of the lens barrel 120 When the lower end of the support leg 112 of the lens barrel 120 is elastically supported to act as a buffer for supporting the lens barrel 120 in its assembly direction.

Here, the elastic member 150 may be a compression coil spring, it may be made of a cylindrical synthetic resin material including a rubber that is inserted into the elastic support portion 112 of the housing 110 to have an elastic member.

That is, the camera module 100 according to the present invention, when the lens barrel 120 is assembled on the housing 110, the lens barrel 120 is an elastic member coupled to both sides of the housing 110 ( As the lens barrel 120 is vertically transferred in an up and down direction only by an external force elastically supported by the jig to be described later, the jig will be described later.

And, the focusing adjustment using the lens barrel 120 is elastically supported as described above by injecting an adhesive between the clearance formed in the rim of the housing 110 and the lens barrel 120, the housing 110 and the lens barrel 120. ) Is made of the individual height adjustment of the lens barrel 120 by the pressure of the jig in the state of temporarily bonding.

At this time, the adhesive is injected between the edge of the housing 110 and the lens barrel 120, it is preferable that the UV adhesive mainly cured by ultraviolet light.

In addition, the camera module 100 in which focusing is fixed while the housing 110 and the lens barrel 120 are temporarily bonded is transferred to a UV curing furnace and the camera is cured as the adhesive is cured in the UV curing furnace. Bonding of the module is completed.

Next, the assembly apparatus of the camera module according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 6.

6 is a configuration diagram of an assembly apparatus of a camera module according to the present invention, as shown, the assembly apparatus 200 of the camera module according to the present invention includes a plate 210 on which the camera module 100 is seated; Both sides of the upper portion of the plate 210 is composed of the adjustment jig 220 coupled through the jig transfer port 230.

The plate 210 is supported at a predetermined height on the ground, and a plurality of camera modules 100 are seated in a state in which the housing 110 and the lens barrel 120 are coupled to each other in the form of an array on the upper surface thereof. Z-axis that is a vertical axis on the jig, that is, jig feed hole 230 for vertically conveying the adjustment jig 220 in the assembling direction of the lens barrel 120 and the housing 110 is installed.

That is, in the camera module assembly apparatus 200 of the present invention, the plate 210 and the adjusting jig 220 are disposed in parallel to the upper and lower sides, and both sides of the plate 210 and the adjusting jig 220 are transferred to the jig. The height of the adjustment jig 220 is adjusted by the up and down driving of the jig transfer port 230 is coupled to the sphere (230).

At this time, the adjustment jig 220 is applied to the top of the plurality of camera modules 100 arranged at equal intervals on the plate 210 by the downward transfer, the housing 110 by the elastic member 150 By pressing the upper surface of the lens barrel 120 is elastically supported on the upper portion, the height adjustment within the predetermined assembly tolerance limit of the camera module 100 is made.

The upper and lower conveyance of the adjustment jig 220 is made by the operation of the adjustment lever 231 mounted on the jig feed hole 230, the upper of the jig feed hole 230 when the adjustment lever 231 is operated. , A gauge 232 for measuring the lower conveying range is provided in one side jig conveying port 230.

Meanwhile, as described above, the housing 210 and the lens barrel 120 are assembled and seated on the plate 210 while being supported by the elastic member 150. The housing 110 of the camera module 100 is mounted thereon. Adhesive is injected between the gap between the edge portion of the lens barrel 120 and the lens barrel 120 to be seated in a state where the housing 110 and the lens barrel 120 are temporarily bonded.

At this time, the adhesive is preferably composed of a UV adhesive cured by irradiation of ultraviolet rays.

Subsequently, the upper portion of the camera module 100 in which the housing 110 and the lens barrel 120 are temporarily bonded to the plate 210 is pressed through the adjustment jig 220, so that each camera module 100 is individually. Focusing is adjusted, and the lens jig 120 of the camera module 100 by the adjustment jig 220 is pressed into the UV curing furnace to cure the UV adhesive bonded to the camera module to bond the camera module Complete the process.

On the other hand, although not shown, the camera module and the assembly apparatus according to the present invention, in addition to the above-described COB-type camera module, the camera module for performing the focusing adjustment while coupling the lens barrel and the housing such as a COF-type camera module with a screw method Of course, it is applicable.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention described above are disclosed for the purpose of illustration, and various substitutions, modifications, and changes within the scope without departing from the spirit of the present invention for those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. It will be possible, but such substitutions, changes and the like should be regarded as belonging to the following claims.

As described above, the camera module and its assembly apparatus according to the present invention have the effect of simplifying the assembly structure of the housing and the lens barrel to improve the assembly and productivity.

In addition, by removing the thread structure provided in the housing and the lens barrel in the prior art, there is an advantage that can reduce the mold manufacturing cost and the injection molding unit cost.

In addition, since the lens barrel is vertically transferred to the housing side through the elastic member to adjust the focusing of the camera module, the focusing operation may be more convenient and accurate.

Claims (9)

A housing having a barrel extending upwardly and having an elastic support portion at both sides of an outer circumferential surface of the barrel; A lens barrel assembled along the housing and in the optical axis direction and having a pair of support legs extended downward to both sides of the cylindrical body in which the lens group is mounted; And A printed circuit board that is tightly coupled to a lower portion of the housing and has an image sensor mounted on a central portion thereof; Camera module comprising a. The method of claim 1, The housing is a camera module, characterized in that the elastic member is inserted into the inside of the elastic support provided on both sides. The method according to claim 1 or 2, The elastic member is a camera module, characterized in that made of a compression coil spring. The method according to claim 1 or 2, The elastic member is a camera module, characterized in that made of a synthetic resin of a material having elasticity. The method of claim 1, The lens barrel, the camera module, characterized in that the at least three or more support protrusions formed on the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical body extending downwardly at equal intervals. The method of claim 1, The camera module is a camera module, characterized in that the lens barrel is elastically supported by the elastic force of the elastic member inserted into the elastic support of the both sides of the housing and the focusing adjustment when the assembly with the housing. The method of claim 6, The lens barrel and the housing, the focusing adjustment is completed by the up and down transfer of the lens barrel in the state that the adhesive is applied to the rim portion between the lens barrel, the UV in the housing and the lens barrel is temporarily bonded Camera module, characterized in that the adhesive fixed by irradiation. A pair of support legs are provided on both sides of a cylindrical body extending upwardly, having a housing including elastic support portions at both sides of the outer circumferential surface of the barrel, and assembled along the housing and the optical axis, and having a lens group mounted therein. A camera module including a lens barrel extending downward and being tightly coupled to a lower portion of the housing and having a printed circuit board mounted with an image sensor at a center thereof; A plate on which a plurality of camera modules are seated in an array form; An adjusting jig disposed on the upper portion of the camera module in parallel with a plate to perform an individual focusing adjustment operation of the camera module by pressing the lens barrel; And A jig transfer hole interconnecting the plate and the adjustment jig and having an adjustment lever on one side for controlling the upper and lower positions of the adjustment jig; Assembly device of a camera module comprising a. The method of claim 8, The jig feeder, the camera module assembly device, characterized in that the gauge for measuring the upper and lower conveying range is provided on one side.

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