KR102614745B1 - Camera module - Google Patents

Abstract

One embodiment of the camera module includes a lens unit; a housing in which the lens unit is coupled and a receiving space is formed therein; a substrate portion accommodated in the receiving space of the housing and including an image sensor; and a cover member disposed between the housing and the substrate portion and surrounding the substrate portion, wherein the housing may be molded to cover the cover member.

Description

Camera module {Camera module}

The embodiment relates to a camera module having a structure that can prevent damage to internal components.

The content described in this section simply provides background information on the embodiments and does not constitute prior art.

Camera modules can be used in a variety of fields. For example, it can be used in CCTV for use, black boxes for vehicles, rear cameras used for parking vehicles, etc., and cameras used as a replacement for the rearview mirror of a vehicle.

For example, a vehicle may be equipped with camera modules for various purposes. For example, when parking a vehicle, a camera module that can secure the rear view may be mounted at the rear of the vehicle.

In addition, a camera module can also be used in the case of a vehicle black box, which is very useful in tracking the details of the accident and the cause of the accident in recent years when a traffic accident occurs. In addition, the use of camera modules as a recognition device to clearly and easily identify blind spot situations that are difficult for the driver or passenger of the vehicle to see with the naked eye is gradually increasing.

Recently, so-called smart cars, that is, collision warning systems that detect and prepare for the possibility of front and rear collisions in advance when driving a vehicle, prevent collisions between driving vehicles by a control device mounted on the vehicle, without relying on the driver to operate the control device. The production of vehicles equipped with collision avoidance systems that can directly avoid collisions is increasing, and the development of related technologies is increasing.

As the use of camera modules as a means of recognizing external situations in smart cars is increasing, the production and technology development of vehicle camera modules are also increasing accordingly.

The embodiment relates to a camera module having a structure that can prevent damage to internal components.

The technical problems to be achieved by the embodiment are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

One embodiment of the camera module includes a lens unit; a housing in which the lens unit is coupled and a receiving space is formed therein; a substrate portion accommodated in the receiving space of the housing and including an image sensor; and a cover member disposed between the housing and the substrate portion and surrounding the substrate portion, wherein the housing may be molded to cover the cover member.

The housing may be made of epoxy material.

The cover member may be made of a polymer material.

The cover member may have an internal space formed to accommodate the substrate portion.

One embodiment of the camera module may further include a lens holder to which the lens unit is coupled, one side of the cover member is coupled, and at least a portion of the housing is coupled to the lens holder.

The lens holder may have an insertion groove into which one side of the cover member is inserted at a portion where the cover member is coupled.

The cover member may be coupled to the insertion groove through an interference fit.

One embodiment of the camera module may further include a connector on which one side is electrically connected to the substrate and the other side is electrically connected to an external cable.

The cover member may have a through hole formed in the rear portion into which the connector is inserted.

One embodiment of the camera module may include a protrusion surrounding the through hole at an edge of the through hole and protruding from the outer surface of the cover member.

Another embodiment of the camera module includes a lens unit; a housing in which the lens unit is coupled and a receiving space is formed therein; a substrate portion accommodated in the receiving space of the housing and including an image sensor; a cover member disposed between the housing and the substrate portion and surrounding the substrate portion; and a lens holder to which the lens unit is coupled, one side of the cover member is coupled, and at least a portion of the housing is coupled, the housing is molded to cover the cover member, and the lens holder is coupled to the cover member. An insertion groove into which one side of the cover member is inserted may be formed at the coupling portion, and the cover member may be formed with a through hole into which a connector electrically connecting the substrate portion and an external cable is inserted.

In an embodiment, by disposing the cover member inside the housing, an internal space where components such as a substrate can be placed can be secured by the cover member.

Since the components and the housing disposed in the internal space are spaced apart from each other by the cover member, damage to the internal parts of the camera module due to heating and shrinkage of the molding material during the molding process of the housing can be suppressed.

1 is a cross-sectional view showing a camera module of one embodiment.
Figure 2 is an enlarged view showing part A of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a cover member of one embodiment.
Figure 4 is a perspective view showing a camera module in one embodiment.
Figure 5 is an enlarged view showing part B of Figure 4.
Figure 6 is an enlarged view showing part C of Figure 4.

Hereinafter, the embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Since the embodiments can be subject to various changes and have various forms, specific embodiments will be illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the text. However, this is not intended to limit the embodiment to a specific disclosed form, and should be understood to include all changes, equivalents, and substitutes included in the spirit and technical scope of the embodiment.

Terms such as “first”, “second”, etc. may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by the terms. The above terms are used for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another component. Additionally, terms specifically defined in consideration of the configuration and operation of the embodiment are only for explaining the embodiment and do not limit the scope of the embodiment.

In the description of the embodiment, in the case where each element is described as being formed "on or under", ) includes two elements that are in direct contact with each other or one or more other elements that are formed (indirectly) between the two elements. Additionally, when expressed as “up” or “on or under,” it can include not only the upward direction but also the downward direction based on one element.

In addition, relational terms such as "top/top/top" and "bottom/bottom/bottom" used below do not necessarily require or imply any physical or logical relationship or order between such entities or elements, It may be used to distinguish one entity or element from another entity or element.

Additionally, a rectangular coordinate system (x, y, z) can be used in the drawing. In the drawing, the x-axis and y-axis refer to planes perpendicular to the optical axis. For convenience, the optical axis direction (z-axis direction) can be referred to as the first direction, the x-axis direction can be referred to as the second direction, and the y-axis direction can be referred to as the third direction. .

1 is a cross-sectional view showing a camera module of one embodiment. The camera module of the embodiment may include a lens unit 100, a housing 200, a substrate unit 300, a cover member 400, a lens holder 500, a connector 600, and a cable 700.

The lens unit 100 is a part where external light enters, and may include a lens barrel on which at least one lens is mounted. At this time, the lens barrel may be composed of a single lens, but may also be provided with a plurality of lenses aligned in the optical axis direction, that is, in the first direction. In another embodiment, one lens or multiple lenses may be directly coupled to the lens holder 500 without a lens barrel.

In addition, the lens unit 100 can be coupled to the lens holder 500 by methods such as screwing, shape fitting, or interference fitting, so there is a gap at the coupling portion between the lens unit 100 and the lens holder 500. A sealing member (not shown) may be provided to block moisture, dust, and other foreign substances from entering the camera module.

The housing 200 can be coupled to the lens unit 100. For example, the housing 200 is coupled to the lens holder 500, and the lens holder 500 is coupled to the housing 200, so that the lens unit 100 is mounted on the housing 200 and Can be combined.

The housing 200 can accommodate the substrate portion 300. Accordingly, the housing 200 may be formed with a receiving space for accommodating the substrate portion 300. As will be described later, a cover member 400 may be accommodated in the receiving space together with the substrate portion 300.

At this time, the housing 200 may be formed by molding. When the housing 200 is molded to surround all internal components of the camera module including the substrate portion 300 without arranging the cover member 400, the following problems arise.

When the housing 200 surrounds all internal components of the camera module, a space in which internal components such as the substrate portion 300 can be mounted cannot be formed in the housing 200. This is because the lens unit 100 is coupled to the lens holder 500, the internal parts of the camera module are placed in appropriate positions, and then molded using a molding agent made of a curable material to form the housing 200.

If a space is not formed inside the housing 200, cracks may occur in the molding agent as the molding agent hardens, and internal components of the camera module may be damaged along with these cracks.

Additionally, as the molding agent hardens, it may shrink, and internal components of the camera module may be damaged due to this shrinkage.

In addition, when the molding agent shrinks as it hardens, the optical axis alignment between the lens provided in the lens unit 100 and the image sensor 301 provided in the substrate unit 300 may be misaligned, resulting in poor lens focus alignment. This may cause image quality to deteriorate.

Additionally, when the molding agent is cured by heating, the internal components of the camera module may be damaged due to exposure to high temperatures of approximately 120°C or higher.

Therefore, in order to solve this problem, in the embodiment, a cover member 400 capable of providing space is placed inside the housing 200, and the housing 200 is molded to cover the cover member 400. You can.

The cover member 400 may be disposed between the housing 200 and the substrate portion 300 and may be arranged to surround the substrate portion 300. At this time, a space is formed inside the cover member 400, and for example, the substrate portion 300, a portion of the lens holder 500, and a portion of the lens portion 100 may be accommodated in the space.

Meanwhile, the housing 200 may be formed by molding to cover the cover member 400. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the housing 200 may be molded to cover the entire cover member 400 and a portion of the lens holder 500.

At this time, the housing 200 can be hardened to form a sturdy structure, and is made of a material that can be firmly bonded to the cover member 400 and the lens holder 500, for example, epoxy. It can be.

In an embodiment, by disposing the cover member 400 inside the housing 200, an internal space SP in which components such as the substrate 300 can be secured can be secured by the cover member 400.

By separating the components placed in the internal space (SP) and the housing 200 from each other by the cover member 400, damage to the internal parts of the camera module due to heating and shrinkage of the molding agent during the molding process of the housing 200 is suppressed. can do.

The lens holder 500 may be coupled with the lens unit 100, one side of the cover member 400, and at least a portion of the housing 200. At this time, the front portion of the housing 200 may be molded and coupled to the surface of the lens holder 500, as shown in FIG. 1 .

The lens holder 500 may be provided in a hollow shape to accommodate the lens unit 100 in the internal space (SP). That is, the lens unit 100 can be mounted on the front part of the lens holder 500, and for this purpose, a hollow in which the lens unit 100 is mounted can be formed in the lens holder 500.

The substrate portion 300 is accommodated in the receiving space of the housing 200 and may include an image sensor 301. For example, the cover member 400 may be disposed in the receiving space of the housing 200, and the substrate portion 300 may be accommodated in the internal space SP of the cover member 400.

The substrate unit 300 may include one or two or more printed circuit boards, and as shown in FIG. 1, may be arranged to be spaced apart from the lens unit 100 in the optical axis direction. At this time, the plurality of printed circuit boards may be arranged to be aligned in the optical axis direction. The substrate unit 300 may include an image sensor 301 that receives light passing through the lens unit 100 and converts the incident light into an image.

The substrate portion 300 of the embodiment may include a first substrate 310, a second substrate 320, a third substrate 330, and a spaced portion. However, in another embodiment, the substrate unit 300 may include two or fewer substrates or four or more substrates.

The first substrate 310 may be arranged to face the lens unit 100. The third substrate 330 may be arranged to be spaced apart from the first substrate 310 in the optical axis direction. The second substrate 320 may be disposed between the first substrate 310 and the third substrate 330 and spaced apart from the first substrate 310 and the third substrate 330, respectively.

The first substrate 310 faces the lens unit 100 and may be disposed adjacent to the lens unit 100, and has an image sensor 301 on the surface facing the lens unit 100, that is, the front. ) can be installed, and an electromagnetic circuit equipped with various other circuit elements, etc. can be formed.

The image sensor 301 senses light incident through the lens unit 100, and the first substrate 310 converts the sensed image into an electrical signal and transmits it to an external image storage device or image playback device. can do. However, converting the sensed image into an electrical signal can also be performed on other substrates.

The second substrate 320 is disposed between the first substrate 310 and the third substrate 330, is electrically connected to the first substrate 310 and the third substrate 330, and has an electromagnetic circuit. can be formed.

The second substrate 320 may serve as an electrical path that supplies the necessary power to the first substrate 310, and transmits an electrical signal for the sensed image transmitted from the first substrate 310 to an external image. It can serve as a transmission to a storage device or image playback device.

For example, the second substrate 320 converts the sensed image transmitted from the first substrate 310 into an electrical signal and transmits it to an external image storage device or image reproduction device, or inputs it from the third substrate 330. It can perform the role of rectifying the power and transmitting it to the first substrate 310.

That is, the second substrate 320 is disposed between the first substrate 310 and the third substrate 330 and partially divides the roles performed by the first substrate 310 and the third substrate 330. It may be possible.

The third substrate 330 is disposed behind the second substrate 320 and is electrically connected to the second substrate 320 to form an electromagnetic circuit. As described above, the third substrate 330 may be electrically connected to the connector 600 and cable 700, which will be described later.

The third substrate 330 mainly receives power required for operation of the camera module from the outside and sends it to the first substrate 310 and the second substrate 320, and the first substrate 310 and the second substrate ( It may serve to transmit electrical signals for the sensed image transmitted from 320) to an external image storage device or image playback device.

Accordingly, the third substrate 330 may be equipped with elements such as a condenser, a rectifier, and a transformer to supply power with appropriate voltage and current required for operation of the camera module.

Additionally, the third substrate 330 may be electrically connected to the connector 600 as described above for electrical connection to an external image storage device, an image playback device, a camera module control device, etc. That is, as shown in FIG. 1, the connector 600 can be coupled to the third substrate 330.

Meanwhile, although not shown, the substrate portion 300 electrically connects the substrates to each other and may include a connection portion made of a flexible material.

That is, the connection portion electrically connects the first substrate 310, the second substrate 320, and the third substrate 330, and therefore, the number of connection portions may be one less than the number of the substrates.

In the embodiment, a total of three substrates are provided, so the connection portion connects the first substrate 310 and the second substrate 320 and connects the second substrate 320 and the third substrate 330. It can be provided in two sets.

It is appropriate for the connection part to be made of a flexible material, considering that it is easy to connect to each board and that it needs to absorb shock and vibration from the outside of the camera module to prevent damage. In this way, the connection part can be formed with a flexible circuit board.

However, it is not limited to this, and a sturdy material may be used as long as it is resistant to shock and vibration, and a bundle of wires may be used to form the connection.

Additionally, soldering or adhesion using an electrically conductive adhesive can be used to bond the connection portion to each board. In another embodiment, the connection portion may be formed integrally with the first to third substrates 310 to 330 by stacking them. These connection parts may serve as B2B (board to board) connectors 600 that electrically connect each board.

The spacing member 340 may serve to space the first substrate 310, the second substrate 320, and the third substrate 330 from each other at a set interval. The spacing members 340 may be coupled to the boards using, for example, a screw coupling method, and may be coupled to portions of each board where devices or circuits are not arranged.

The spacing members 340 may be selected in an appropriate number, but it may be appropriate to arrange at least two in order to maintain the spaced state of each substrate stably and firmly.

One side of the connector 600 may be electrically connected to the substrate 300 and the other side may be electrically connected to the external cable 700. That is, the connector 600 may serve to connect the cable 700 and the substrate 300.

For example, one end of the connector 600 may be electrically connected to the third board 330, and the other end of the connector 600 may be electrically connected to the cable 700. At this time, a separate member (not shown) may be used to electrically connect the connector 600 and the cable 700. In another embodiment, the connector 600 and the cable 700 may be formed as one piece.

Figure 2 is an enlarged view showing part A of Figure 1. As shown in FIG. 2, an insertion groove 510 may be formed in the lens holder 500. The insertion groove 510 may be formed so that one side of the cover member 400 is inserted into the area where the cover member 400 is coupled.

That is, by coupling the open front part of the cover member 400 to the insertion groove 510, the cover member 400 and the lens holder 500 can be coupled to each other. Accordingly, the insertion groove 510 may be formed in a closed curve shape at the rear portion of the lens holder 500 in a shape corresponding to the front portion of the cover member 400.

The cover member 400, that is, the front portion of the cover member 400, may be coupled to the insertion groove 510 through interference fit. That is, the cover member 400 can be tightly coupled to the insertion groove 510.

Due to this interference fit, it is possible to suppress the cover member 400 from shaking during the process of applying and curing the curing agent forming the housing 200 on the cover member 400, which causes the cover member 400 to (400) Damage to the substrate 300 accommodated in the internal space (SP) and poor lens focus alignment can be effectively suppressed.

After the front part of the cover member 400 is inserted into the insertion groove 510 and the lens holder 500 and the cover member 400 are coupled, the coupling portion of the lens holder 500 and the cover member 400, that is, , Since the housing 200 is molded around the coupling groove, the lens holder 500 and the cover member 400 can be firmly coupled by the housing 200.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the cover member 400 of one embodiment. Referring to FIG. 3, the cover member 400 is open on one side, has an internal space (SP), and may be formed roughly in a hexahedron. Of course, the substrate portion 300, a portion of the lens holder 500, and a portion of the lens portion 100 may be accommodated in the internal space SP.

At this time, the cover member 400 can be easily manufactured, for example, by injection molding, and can be manufactured using a light polymer. For example, in order to strengthen adhesion to the housing 200, it may be made of the same material as the housing 200, for example, an epoxy material.

However, the embodiment is not limited to this, and in other embodiments, it may be made of other materials that are inexpensive and easy to process, such as PP resin, ABS resin, etc.

Meanwhile, in order to prevent cracks from occurring in the housing 200 due to sharp parts of the cover member 400, it is appropriate to form all sharp parts of the edges of the outer surface of the cover member 400 into curved surfaces. do.

Meanwhile, a through hole 410 may be formed in the cover member 400, which will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 4, etc.

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing a camera module in one embodiment. For simple explanation, some components, such as the spacing member 340, are omitted in Figure 4.

Figure 5 is an enlarged view showing part B of Figure 4. In Figure 5, the cover member 400 is shown inserted into the coupling groove formed in the lens holder 500. The specific structure for this has already been described above, and redundant explanation will be omitted.

Figure 6 is an enlarged view showing part C of Figure 4. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, a through hole 410 may be formed in the cover member 400. The through hole 410 is formed in the rear part of the cover member 400, and the connector 600 can be inserted.

At this time, a protrusion 410a may be provided at the edge of the through hole 410, surrounding the through hole 410, and protruding from the outer surface of the cover member 400.

In the camera module of the embodiment, for example, after the substrate portion 300 to which the connector 600 is coupled is disposed at the designed position, the cover member 400 may be coupled to the coupling groove formed in the lens holder 500. . At this time, it may be difficult to insert the rearwardly protruding connector 600 into the through hole 410.

Therefore, in the embodiment, the connector 600 is provided with a protrusion 410a surrounding the through hole 410 and protruding backward from the outer surface of the cover member 400, and the protrusion 410a is provided with the connector 600 through the through hole ( 410) can serve as a guide for easy insertion.

In addition, when the connector 600 is inserted into the protrusion 410a, the protrusion 410a can stably support the connector 600, and therefore, the connector 600 may be damaged due to shaking of the connector 600. ) and the third substrate 330 can effectively prevent electrical disconnection from occurring.

Although only a few examples have been described as described above in relation to the embodiments, various other forms of implementation are possible. The technical contents of the above-described embodiments can be combined in various forms unless they are incompatible technologies, and through this, can be implemented as a new embodiment.

100: Lens part
200: housing
300: substrate part
400: Cover member
410: Through hole
410a: protrusion
500: Lens holder
510: Insertion groove
600: connector
700: Cable

Claims (11)

Lens part;
a housing in which the lens unit is coupled and a receiving space is formed therein;
a substrate portion accommodated in the receiving space of the housing and including an image sensor;
a cover member disposed between the housing and the substrate portion and surrounding the substrate portion; and
A lens holder to which the lens unit is coupled, one side of the cover member to which one side is coupled, and at least a portion of the housing to which the housing is coupled,
The housing is a camera module molded to cover the cover member. According to paragraph 1,
The housing is a camera module formed of an epoxy material. According to paragraph 1,
The cover member is a camera module formed of a polymer material. According to paragraph 1,
The cover member is,
A camera module in which an internal space is formed to accommodate the substrate portion. delete According to paragraph 1,
The lens holder is,
A camera module in which an insertion groove into which one side of the cover member is inserted is formed at a portion where the cover member is joined. According to clause 6,
The cover member is a camera module coupled to the insertion groove through interference fit. According to paragraph 1,
A camera module further comprising a connector on which one side is electrically connected to the substrate and the other side is electrically connected to an external cable. According to clause 8,
The cover member is,
A camera module in which a through hole into which the connector is inserted is formed in the rear portion. According to clause 9,
A camera module comprising a protrusion surrounding the through hole at an edge of the through hole and protruding from an outer surface of the cover member. Lens part;
a housing in which the lens unit is coupled and a receiving space is formed therein;
a substrate portion accommodated in the receiving space of the housing and including an image sensor;
a cover member disposed between the housing and the substrate portion and surrounding the substrate portion; and
A lens holder in which the lens unit is coupled, one side of the cover member is coupled, and at least a portion of the housing is coupled.
Including,
The housing is molded to cover the cover member,
The lens holder has an insertion groove into which one side of the cover member is inserted at a portion where the cover member is coupled,
The cover member is a camera module in which a through hole is formed into which a connector electrically connecting the substrate and an external cable is inserted.

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