KR20130136766A - Camera module - Google Patents

Abstract

Camera module according to an embodiment of the present invention is a printed circuit board is installed image sensor; A base disposed on the printed circuit board and supporting the structure of the camera module; A lens holder coupled to the base and including at least one lens therein; And an actuator; wherein the actuator comprises: a glass membrane; A piezo for moving the glass membrane; And a light transmitting polymer installed on an optical path of light passing through the glass membrane.

Description

Camera module {Camera Module}

The present invention relates to a camera module.

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for a small camera module for various multimedia fields such as a tablet computer, a camera phone, a PDA, a smart phone, a toy, and an image input device such as a surveillance camera or an information terminal of a video tape recorder. In particular, smart phones are in the trend of developing small-sized camera modules in response to the increasing demand of consumers who prefer miniaturized designs.

Such a camera module is manufactured using an image sensor chip of a CCD or a CMOS. The image sensor chip is used to condense an object through a lens, convert an optical signal into an electric signal, and display objects on a display medium such as an LCD display device So as to transmit the image.

Such a camera module includes a plurality of lenses, and in general, an auto focusing function is implemented by adjusting a refractive index of light passing through the lenses by moving a lens holder supporting each lens up and down by installing a driving source. . The voice coil motor is a representative actuator for realizing such an auto focusing function, and is used in various configurations in various camera modules. However, there is a limitation in miniaturization of the camera module because the volume of the actuator is large and precise control is limited.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a camera module having a simple structure, strong against impact, and compact and lightweight.

Camera module according to an embodiment of the present invention is a printed circuit board is installed image sensor; A base disposed on the printed circuit board and supporting the structure of the camera module; A lens holder coupled to the base and including at least one lens therein; And an actuator; wherein the actuator comprises: a glass membrane; A piezo for moving the glass membrane; And a light transmitting polymer installed on an optical path of light passing through the glass membrane.

The actuator may be disposed below the lens holder, above the lens holder, or between the lens holders.

Preferably, the actuator has at least one of an auto focusing function and an anti-shake function.

The piezo is installed above the glass membrane and has a space in the center thereof, through which the light can be transmitted to the glass membrane.

The actuator may include a silicon body having an opening formed at an upper side and a lower side of the actuator to form an outer side of the actuator, and the glass membrane and the piezo may be installed at any one of the upper and lower openings of the silicon body.

The actuator is preferably a light-transmitting polymer is accommodated in the inner space portion, the back glass for supporting the light-transmitting polymer with respect to the silicon body; may be coupled.

The piezo may be provided on either the upper surface or the bottom surface of the glass membrane.

The piezo may be formed on an opposite surface of the contact surface of the light transmissive polymer and the glass membrane.

The piezo may be provided in a ring shape and configured to allow external light to pass through the central empty space.

The piezo may be installed to be in surface contact with any one of an upper side and a bottom side of the glass membrane.

The piezo may have a height smaller than the width of the surface in contact with the glass membrane.

The silicon body is installed to expose the glass membrane on the upper side, the light-transmitting polymer and the back glass are sequentially laminated to the lower side of the glass membrane, the light can pass from the upper side to the lower side of the silicon body.

The back glass may have an infrared blocking coating surface.

The base may include a groove part accommodating the actuator, and a terminal may be formed on a surface facing the actuator of the groove part.

An electronic circuit pattern layer is formed on the base, one end is connected to the actuator, the other end is connected to the printed circuit board.

The printed circuit board and the electronic circuit pattern layer may be electrically connected to one of soldering, Ag dot bond, and epoxy, or may be directly connected.

The electronic circuit pattern layer may be formed on only one surface of the base, or may be formed on the outer and inner surfaces of the base, and further include a metal layer formed on the upper side by any one of coating and plating with a conductive material. Can be.

Camera module according to an embodiment of the present invention is a printed circuit board is installed image sensor; A base disposed on the printed circuit board and supporting the structure of the camera module; A lens holder including at least one lens inside the base; And an actuator installed on an upper side of the lens holder, wherein the actuator comprises: a glass membrane; A piezo for moving the glass membrane; And a light transmitting polymer installed on an optical path of light passing through the glass membrane.

The lens holder may be formed to be one body with the base, and an electronic circuit pattern layer is formed on at least one of the base and the lens holder to connect the actuator and the printed circuit board through the electronic circuit pattern layer. Can be electrically connected.

Camera module according to another embodiment of the present invention, the printed circuit board is installed image sensor; A base disposed on the printed circuit board and supporting the structure of the camera module; A lens holder including at least one lens therein; And an actuator, wherein the actuator has at least one of an autofocusing function and an image stabilization function by adjusting the refractive index of light.

The actuator can be configured to perform an auto focusing function and / or an anti-shake function by adjusting the refractive index of light passing through the glass membrane using a piezo, thereby configuring the camera module with a simple structure.

In addition, since the actuator can be configured to be extremely thin, the height of the camera module can be minimized, and the mounting position of the actuator can be installed not only on the upper side of the lens holder but also on the lower side of the lens holder.

1 is a schematic diagram of a camera module according to a first embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of Fig. 1,
3 is a schematic diagram of a camera module according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and
4 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 3.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a schematic view of a camera module according to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a camera module according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is FIG. 3. Is an exploded perspective view of

As shown in Figure 1 and 2, the camera module according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the printed circuit board 10, the base 20 is coupled to the upper side of the printed circuit board 10, at least therein It may include a holder member 30, a shield can 40 and an actuator 50 including one or more lenses.

On the printed circuit board 10, an image sensor 11 is installed at the center.

The base 20 is installed above the printed circuit board 10, and a window is formed on a surface of the center corresponding to the image sensor 11, so that external light can be imaged to the image sensor 11. It is desirable to be configured to be. A separate infrared cut filter may be installed in the window, but may be configured by performing an infrared cut coating on the actuator 50. The base 20 is preferably injection-molded with a resin material such as plastic, and an upper side of the base 20 includes a lens holder 32 having a plurality of lenses and an actuator 50 for performing an auto focusing function. ) Can be installed.

The holder member 30 preferably has an inner space corresponding to the outer circumferential surface of the lens holder 32 so that the lens holder 32 supporting the plurality of lenses 31 can be coupled therein. The lens holder 32 may be provided in a substantially cylindrical shape, the holder member 30 may be configured to have a cylindrical inner space in the appearance of a hexahedron shape, but is not limited to this, various as necessary Can be changed.

The shield can 40 is formed to surround the outer side of the holder member 30, and is formed of a metal material, and may serve to protect the internal parts of the camera module from external shocks and functions such as electromagnetic shielding. . Near the center of the shield can 40, as shown in FIG. 2, a through hole 41 is formed, and light may pass through the through hole 41 to the lens 31.

The actuator 50 is for automatically adjusting the focus of the image formed on the image sensor 11. According to the first embodiment, the actuator 50 may be disposed on the upper side of the base 20, as shown, the last end of the holder member 30, at least one lens 31 is installed It may be disposed under the lens.

In this case, the actuator 50 according to an embodiment of the present invention may perform an auto focusing function and / or an anti-shake function by adjusting the refractive index of light passing through the actuator 50. The actuator 50 may include a glass membrane 51, Piezo 52, silicone body 53, light transmissive polymer 54 and back glass 55 may be included.

The glass membrane 51 may have a light transmissive position at a position corresponding to the light transmissive polymer 54, and other portions may be provided to have light blocking properties, and all surfaces may be configured to have light transmissive properties.

The piezo 52 may be installed to be in surface contact with either one of an upper surface or a bottom surface of the glass membrane 51, and according to an embodiment of the present invention, as shown, the light-transmitting polymer 54 and It may be formed on the opposite side of the contact surface of the glass membrane 51. In addition, the piezo 52 is preferably provided in a substantially ring shape, and configured to allow external light to pass through the central empty space. In addition, the piezo 52 may have a height smaller than the width of the surface contacting the glass membrane 51.

The silicon body 53 is a box-shaped support structure that forms an outer portion of the actuator 50 and may be provided to form a space therein. The silicon body 53 forms an opening having an upper side and a lower side open, and the glass membrane 51 may be exposed to the upper side through the opening. As described above, the light transmissive polymer 54 and the back glass 55 may be sequentially stacked below the glass membrane 51. Due to this structure, light may pass from the upper side to the lower side of the silicon body 53.

On the other hand, the silicon body 53, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, may be provided in the hexahedral structure with the upper and lower openings, but is not limited to this, according to the design needs, cylindrical, hexagonal pillar, octagonal It may be provided in various shapes such as a columnar shape.

Although not shown, a terminal is provided on the bottom surface of the silicon body 53 or the back glass 55 to be connected to the wiring pattern 22 provided on the base 20. At the same time it may have a connection structure that can be energized, it can be connected to the printed circuit board so as to enable electricity. In this case, the wiring pattern 22 may be configured on the surface of the base 20 using MID technology or the like, or may be configured by forming a separate metal layer. At least four wiring patterns 22 may be provided to be electrically connected to the silicon body 53. MID technology is described again later.

The light transmissive polymer 54 is a material that is elastically deformable, and moves together with the glass membrane 51 according to the displacement of the glass membrane 51 moved by the piezo 52, thereby changing the refractive index of light passing through. The light transmissive polymer 54 may be formed of a methacrylic acid metal resin (PMMA, Polymethly Methacrylate).

The back glass 55 is coupled to the silicon body 53 to support the translucent polymer 54. According to the present application, the back glass 55 is disposed at a position facing the image sensor 11.

On the other hand, the back glass 55 may be provided to perform the role of an infrared cut filter by performing an infrared cut coating. In this case, there is no need to provide a separate infrared cut filter, there is also an effect of reducing the number of parts.

The operation of the actuator 50 configured as described above will be described. When power is applied to the piezo 52, the shape of the piezo 52 is deformed according to the increase and decrease of voltage and current. As such, when the shape of the piezo 52 is deformed, the shape of the glass membrane 51 coupled with the piezo 52 is changed in conjunction with the deformation of the piezo 52. Accordingly, the glass membrane 51 may be raised in the upper direction of the drawing (arrow A in FIG. 1) at the light transmitting position formed at the center of the piezo 52.

Then, the light transmitting polymer 54 in close contact with the glass membrane 51 is also raised, so that the refractive index of the light on the optical path of the glass membrane 51 and the light transmitting polymer 54 is changed. That is, when the glass membrane 51 is raised, it forms a convex shape toward the upper side like a convex lens. Therefore, if the height of such raised is appropriately adjusted, it is possible to adjust the focus position of the passing light.

Meanwhile, according to the second embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the actuator 50 provided in the same manner as the first embodiment may be disposed above the holder member 30. In this case, the actuator support member 56 may be installed above the holder member 30 so that the actuator 50 may be fixed and supported on the upper side of the holder member 30. The actuator support member 56 is provided with a terminal portion 57 (see FIG. 4) on a surface facing the actuator 50 so that the actuator 50 can be electrically energized at the same time as the actuator support member 56 is mounted. It can be configured to be in a state.

On the other hand, as in the second embodiment, when the actuator 50 is disposed on the uppermost side, it is preferable to provide an electronic circuit pattern layer 35 for the connection to the printed circuit board 10. The electronic circuit pattern layer 35 is formed to have a wiring pattern on the surface of the holder member 30. According to the present application example, the electronic circuit pattern layer 35 uses so-called MID technology (Molded Interconnect Device Technology). It is preferable to form using. The pattern layer of the holder member 30 and the pattern layer of the base 20 are electrically connected to each other, such that the actuator 50 and the printed circuit board 10 may be electrically connected to each other. In this case, the holder member 30 and the base 20 are integrally formed, and the electronic circuit pattern layer 35 is provided in the integrally formed housing so that the actuator 50 and the printed circuit board 10 can be energized. May be connected.

This MID technology can be divided into three technologies.

First, the 2S method (2S method) is a patterning method through the double molding, by injection molding the parts constituting the holder member 30 and the parts constituting the electronic circuit pattern layer 35 with a synthetic resin of different materials, The holder member 30 is injected with an insulating material, and the portion to form the electronic circuit pattern layer 35 is injected using conductive synthetic resin, or the metal plating operation is easy to the portion to form the electronic circuit pattern layer 35. After injection using a synthetic resin, the holder member 30 is injection molded, and then the electronic circuit pattern layer 35 is completed in a subsequent process such as a plating operation.

The laser direct structuring method (LDS) is injection molding the holder member 30 in a state in which the holder member 30 contains impurities reacting with light and heat, such as laser exposure to the injection molded holder member 30. Through the surface patterning operation, a wiring pattern is formed where the electronic circuit pattern layer 35 is to be formed. When the electronic circuit pattern layer 35 is formed in this manner, the electronic circuit pattern layer 35 itself has a property of being energized, and thus the surface mounting component SMD or the accessory electronic component may be immediately mounted.

The MIPTEC method is a method of etching and patterning a non-circuit portion after front metallization, metallizing the entire surface of the holder member 30, and leaving only a portion to form the electronic circuit pattern layer 35, and remaining portions of the holder circuit 30. Is etched to form the electronic circuit pattern layer 35 integrally on the surface of the holder member 30.

On the other hand, the electronic circuit pattern layer 35 provided by the MID technology may be formed on one side surface of the holder member 30, if necessary, may be formed on the exposed surface of the outer side and the non-exposed surface of the inner side. . This is to select the arrangement of the electronic circuit pattern layer 35 in one side or both sides depending on the degree of wiring required for component mounting. Therefore, when it is necessary to mount a large number of electronic components, the electronic circuit pattern layer 35 can be formed by the above-described method not only on the surface of the holder member 30 but also on the rear surface thereof, and the components can be installed there.

When the electronic circuit pattern layer 35 is provided on the surface of the holder member 30, as shown in FIG. 4, the actuator 50 and the printed circuit board 10 may be provided, even if a separate conductive connecting member is not provided. Terminal 12 can be directly connected using the electronic circuit pattern layer 35 formed on the surface of the holder member 30, when assembling electronic products that are miniaturized, it is possible to reduce the installation space required for component installation, The assembly process can be simplified more.

As described above, the shield can made of a metal may be separately formed while the electronic circuit pattern layer 35 is formed. In this case, the electronic circuit may be used to prevent a short between the electronic circuit pattern layer 35 and the shield can. An insulating material may be applied between the pattern layer 35 and the shield can.

3 and 4, an infrared cut filter 21 formed as a separate member may be installed in the base 20. The infrared cut filter 21 may remove the infrared component from the light transmitted to the image sensor 11. The infrared cut filter 21 may also serve to seal the space between the base 20 and the printed circuit board 10 to prevent the image sensor 11 from being contaminated with contaminants.

As in the above-described first and second embodiments, when the actuator 50 is configured, it is not necessary to move the plurality of lenses 31 and / or the lens holder 32, and the actuator 50 can adjust the refractive index of the light. By adjusting the autofocusing function and / or image stabilization function, power consumption can be reduced, and the structure is simple, which is advantageous for miniaturization of the camera module.

On the other hand, although not shown, the actuator 50 may be disposed between the lens holder 32. In this case, since the basic configuration is not different from the first and second embodiments, redundant description is omitted.

The embodiments of the present invention described above and shown in the drawings should not be construed as limiting the technical idea of the present invention. The scope of protection of the present invention is limited only by the matters described in the claims, and those skilled in the art will be able to modify the technical idea of the present invention in various forms. Accordingly, such improvements and modifications will fall within the scope of the present invention as long as they are obvious to those skilled in the art.

10; A printed circuit board 20; Base
21; Infrared cut filter 32; Lens holder
35; Electronic circuit pattern layer 40; Shield can
50; Actuator

Claims (27)

A printed circuit board on which an image sensor is installed;
A base disposed on the printed circuit board and supporting the structure of the camera module;
A lens holder coupled to the base and including at least one lens therein; And
An actuator; and
The actuator includes:
Glass membranes;
A piezo for moving the glass membrane; And
And a light transmitting polymer installed on an optical path of light passing through the glass membrane. 2. The actuator according to claim 1,
A camera module disposed below the lens holder. 2. The actuator according to claim 1,
A camera module disposed above the lens holder. 2. The actuator according to claim 1,
A camera module disposed between the lens holders. 2. The actuator according to claim 1,
A camera module having at least one of an auto focusing function and an anti-shake function. The method of claim 1, wherein the piezo,
A camera module installed above the glass membrane and having a space in the center, through which the light is transmitted to the glass membrane. 2. The actuator according to claim 1,
Including the outside of the actuator, the upper and lower silicon body formed with an opening; including,
Camera module and the piezo is installed in any one of the upper and lower openings of the silicon body. The method of claim 7, wherein the actuator,
Camera module in which a translucent polymer is accommodated in the inner space. The method of claim 8,
And a back glass supporting the light-transmitting polymer with respect to the silicon body. The method of claim 8, wherein the piezo,
Camera module is installed on any one of the top or bottom surface of the glass membrane. The method of claim 8, wherein the piezo,
The camera module is formed on the opposite side of the contact surface of the light transmitting polymer and the glass membrane. The method of claim 8, wherein the piezo,
The camera module is provided in a ring shape and configured to allow external light to pass through the central empty space. The method of claim 8, wherein the piezo,
Camera module is installed so that the surface contact with any one of the upper surface and the bottom surface of the glass membrane. The method of claim 8, wherein the piezo,
A camera module having a height smaller than the width of the surface in contact with the glass membrane. The method of claim 8, wherein the silicon body,
The camera module is installed to expose the glass membrane on the upper side, and the light transmitting polymer and the back glass are sequentially laminated to the lower side of the glass membrane, so that the light passes from the upper side to the lower side of the silicon body. The method of claim 9, wherein the back glass,
Camera module having an infrared blocking coating surface. The method of claim 1, wherein the base,
A camera module having a groove for accommodating the actuator, the terminal is formed on the surface facing the actuator of the groove. The method of claim 1,
And an electronic circuit pattern layer formed on the base, one end of which is connected to the actuator and the other end of which is connected to the printed circuit board. The method of claim 18,
The printed circuit board and the electronic circuit pattern layer,
Camera module electrically connected to any one of soldering, Ag dot bond and epoxy. The method of claim 18,
The printed circuit board and the electronic circuit pattern layer is directly connected to the camera module. The method of claim 18, wherein the electronic circuit pattern layer,
The camera module is formed only on one side of the base. The method of claim 18, wherein the electronic circuit pattern layer,
Camera modules formed on the outer and inner surfaces of the base. The method of claim 18, wherein the electronic circuit pattern layer,
The camera module further comprises a metal layer formed on the upper side by any one method of coating and plating with a conductive material. A printed circuit board on which an image sensor is installed;
A base disposed on the printed circuit board and supporting the structure of the camera module;
A lens holder including at least one lens inside the base; And
And an actuator installed on an upper side of the lens holder.
The actuator includes:
Glass membranes;
A piezo for moving the glass membrane; And
And a light transmitting polymer installed on an optical path of light passing through the glass membrane. The method of claim 24, wherein the lens holder,
The camera module is formed to be one body with the base. 25. The method of claim 24,
An electronic circuit pattern layer is formed on at least one of the base and the lens holder, and the camera module electrically connects the actuator and the printed circuit board through the electronic circuit pattern layer. A printed circuit board on which an image sensor is installed;
A base disposed on the printed circuit board and supporting the structure of the camera module;
A lens holder including at least one lens therein; And
An actuator; and
The actuator may adjust at least one of an autofocusing function and a camera shake correction function by adjusting a refractive index of light.

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